697 lines
31 KiB
Plaintext
697 lines
31 KiB
Plaintext
= Freedoom Manual
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// SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
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Welcome to Freedoom, a complete game that is free and open source software.
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Freedoom is made available under the modified BSD license, meaning that
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anyone is free to share it, modify it and reuse parts of it.
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For more details, see the <<reusing,reusing section>>.
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image::../graphics/titlepic/titlepic.png[Freedoom Title Image,align="center",width=380,pdfwidth=50vw]
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== Installing Freedoom
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Freedoom is distributed as two files named `freedoom1.wad` and
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`freedoom2.wad` which contain the artwork, levels, music and sound
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effects that make up the game. To be played it needs to be paired
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with a source port. Fans of the original Doom games have created a
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number of these; the Doom Wiki’s
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https://doomwiki.org/wiki/Source_port[source ports page] has a
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comprehensive list. The following are some good default suggestions:
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* https://zdoom.org[GZDoom] is a modern source port that includes various
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features such as a hardware renderer.
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* https://www.chocolate-doom.org/wiki/index.php/Crispy_Doom[Crispy Doom]
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is a more minimalist source port that retains an “old school” feel.
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Setup depends on the source port you use, and it’s best to refer to the
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instructions for that source port. Generally though, you can try one of the
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following:
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* Place the Freedoom `.wad` files into the same folder as the source port
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before launching it. They may be automatically detected.
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* If launching from the command line, try
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eg. `my-favorite-port -iwad freedoom1.wad`.
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Freedoom is split into _Freedoom: Phase 1_ (`freedoom1.wad`) and
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_Freedoom: Phase 2_ (`freedoom2.wad`). _Phase 1_ is split into four separate
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episodes of eight levels each, while _Phase 2_ is a single, 30 level campaign.
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This gives 62 levels to play through, and there are also secret levels -- if
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you can discover how to reach them.
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<<<
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[[menus]]
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== Using the Freedoom Menus
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Freedoom’s menus are fairly self-explanatory but here are some brief
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instructions. The main menu can be brought up at any time by pressing the
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_Esc_ key on your keyboard.
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image::images/menu-mainmenu.png[Freedoom Main Menu,align="center",width=380,pdfwidth=50vw]
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[cols="1,4",width="90%",align="center",valign="middle"]
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|==========================
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| <<newgame,**New game**>> | Start a new game, abandoning the current game (if you’re
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already playing).
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| **Options** | Brings up the options menu. The appearance of this menu
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and the available options depend upon the source port you’re using.
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| <<savegame,**Load Game**>> | Load a saved game.
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| <<savegame,**Save Game**>> | Save your current game, so that you can continue playing
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later.
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| **Read This!** | Brings up a help screen showing a description of the
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items you’ll encounter in the game.
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| **Quit Game** | Finish playing and return to the operating system.
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|==========================
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[[newgame]]
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=== Starting a new game
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To start a new game, press _Esc_ to bring up the main menu, and choose
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_New Game_.
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When starting a new game, you may be prompted to choose which episode to
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start playing.
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image::images/menu-episode.png[Freedoom Episode Menu,align="center",width=432,pdfwidth=50vw]
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If you’re new to the game, start with _Outpost Outbreak_, the first
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episode (and easiest). Once you finish one episode, you can move on to
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the next. If you’re bored with the episode you’re playing or stuck, you
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can always try playing a different episode instead. There’s no requirement
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to play episodes in order.
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[[skill]]
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After choosing a episode, you need to pick a skill level. Skill level
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affects several factors in the game, most importantly the number of
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monsters you’ll encounter.
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image::images/menu-skill.png[Skill Selection Menu,align="center",width=473,pdfwidth=50vw]
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[cols="1,3,8",width="90%",align="center",valign="middle"]
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|==========================
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| 1 | **Please Don’t Kill Me!** | The easiest skill level. This is
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effectively the same as _Will This Hurt?_, except that damage is halved.
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| 2 | **Will This Hurt?** | Easy skill level, a good choice if you’re
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finding _Bring on the Pain_ too challenging.
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| 3 | **Bring on the Pain.** | The default skill level.
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| 4 | **Extreme Carnage.** | A more challenging skill level, suited more
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for experienced players and people in search of a challenge.
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| 5 | **MAYHEM!** | **Not Recommended**. This is equivalent to
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_Extreme Carnage_ except that monster attacks are up to twice as fast,
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and killed monsters come back to life after around 40 seconds.
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|==========================
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[[savegame]]
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=== Loading and saving the game
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It is a good idea to save the game regularly -- for example, at the start
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of each new level. You may also want to save the game after completing a
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challenging section of a level so that you do not have to repeat it again
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if you die.
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image::images/menu-save-game.png[Save Game Menu,align="center",width=473,pdfwidth=50vw]
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To save the game, press _Esc_ to bring up the menu, select _Save Game_ and
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choose a slot to save in. Type a description for the save game and press
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_Enter_. Some source ports have a limited number of slots, in which case you
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will have to overwrite an existing saved game once there are no more slots
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available. For the same reason it’s a good idea to write a good description
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for your saved game. Include the level number and something descriptive of
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where you’ve reached; for example, “C1M3 - Blue Key Door.”
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The _Load Game_ menu usually looks largely identical to the _Save Game_
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menu. To restore your saved game, simply select _Load Game_ from the main
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menu and choose your saved game.
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If you find yourself saving the game often, you may want to use the
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_Quicksave_ feature. Press _F6_ during play to quicksave. The _Save Game_
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menu appears as usual; choosing a slot makes that your quicksave slot.
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Pressing _F6_ again in the future will overwrite your quicksave slot with
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just a couple of keystrokes. If you die you can also restore your
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quicksave slot by pressing _F9_.
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=== Quitting the game
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When you’re finished playing Freedoom, press _Esc_ to bring up the main
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menu and select _Quit Game_ to exit. You may want to select _Save Game_
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first to save your progress so that you can return to where you left off
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next time you play.
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=== Keyboard shortcuts
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The following are some useful keyboard shortcuts that can save time
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accessing common menu functions.
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[cols="1,2,8",width="90%",align="center",valign="middle"]
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|==========================
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| **Esc** | <<menus,Menu>> | Bring up the main menu.
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| **F1** | Help | Bring up the help screen that shows information about the
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in-game items.
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| **F2** | <<savegame,Save>> | Bring up the _Save Game_ menu.
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| **F3** | <<savegame,Load>> | Bring up the _Load Game_ menu.
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| **F4** | Volume | Bring up a menu to control volume levels.
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| **F6** | <<savegame,Quicksave>> | Save the game to your _quicksave_ slot,
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which saves time if you’re repeatedly saving your progress while you play.
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| **F7** | End Game | End the current game and return to the title screen.
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| **F8** | Messages | Toggles between showing or hiding the on-screen
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messages shown when you collect an item.
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| **F9** | <<savegame,Quickload>> | Load the game from your _quicksave_ slot.
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| **F10** | Quit Game | Quit the game and return to the operating system.
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| **F11** | Brightness | Toggle the on-screen brightness level.
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|==========================
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<<<
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== How to Play
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image::images/c5m1-sshot.png[Freedoom Screenshot,width="640",pdfwidth="70vw",align="center"]
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Freedoom is a real-time first-person shooter (FPS). You’ll be exploring a
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series of levels, in each one trying to find the way to the exit. An
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assortment of monsters will try to stop you, and you’ll need to use weapons
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to defend yourself.
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Portions of the levels may be inaccessible until you find a particular key, or
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find a switch to open a locked door. This gives a puzzle element to the game in
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addition to the action.
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By default, the keyboard cursor keys will move forward and backward, and turn
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left and right. The _Control_ key fires the current weapon, and the spacebar
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will open doors and activate switches. All source ports allow you to rebind
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these keys to a setup that you find more comfortable. You’ll also want to look
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into using the strafe (sidestep) and run keys to better control over your
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movement.
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If you haven’t played Freedoom before, take a few minutes when you start the
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game to get familiar with the controls, and reconfigure controls as you find
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makes it more comfortable to play. Practice moving around and firing the
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weapon. You may encounter some low-level monsters, but those encountered in
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the first level do not present much of a challenge and they’re a good
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opportunity to practice taking shots at.
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Within the game you’ll encounter various collectible items and power-ups.
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These will typically give you more <<ammo,ammunition>> for your weapons, more
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<<health,health>> or more <<armor,armor>>. You can also find <<weapons,new
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weapons>> and some <<specialitems,rarer power-ups>> which give you special
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abilities. Picking something up is a simple matter of walking over it -- an
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on-screen message and a brief flash of the screen indicate that you’ve done so
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successfully. If you don’t pick it up, it’s likely you don’t need it right
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now (for example, you can’t pick up a health pack when you already have 100%
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health).
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=== The Status Bar
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At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see the status bar, which is divided into
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the following sections:
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image::images/status-bar.png[Freedoom Status Bar,width="640",pdfwidth="70vw",align="center"]
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[cols="1,6",width="90%",align="center",valign="middle"]
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|==========================
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| **Ammo** | Number of units of <<ammo,ammunition>> remaining for the current
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weapon.
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| **Health** | If this reaches zero, you’re dead! See the
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<<health,health section>> for power-ups you can find to replenish your health.
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| **Arms** | Which weapons you’ve found so far. Check out the
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<<weapons,weapons section>> for more information.
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| **Freedoomguy** | A quick visual indication of how your health is.
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| **Armor** | The more armor you have, the less your health will suffer if
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you’re injured. See the <<armor,armor section>> for more information.
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| **Ammo counts** | How much you’re carrying of each of the <<ammo,four types of
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ammunition>>, along with the maximum of each you can carry.
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|==========================
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[[weapons]]
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=== Freedoom’s Weapons
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You start the game with only a handgun, 50 bullets and your fists to fall back
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on once they run out. You’ll want to find yourself some better weaponry as
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soon as possible.
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[options="header",cols="4,1,7,3,2",valign="middle"]
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|==========================
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| Weapon | Key | Description | | Ammo
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| **Fist** | 1 | If you have no ammunition, you can always fall back on punching the
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monsters with your bare hands. | | None
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| **Angle Grinder** | 1 | Designed for cutting through metal, the angle grinder
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also works well as a melee weapon for cutting through flesh. |
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image:../sprites/csawa0.png[Angle Grinder] |
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None
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| **Handgun** | 2 | Your starter weapon. A few shots will take down low-level
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monsters but it’s best to upgrade before taking on any tougher opponents. | | Bullets
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| **Pump-action Shotgun** | 3 | The main “workhorse” weapon; fires seven pellets
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in a tight cluster and is effective over both short and long ranges against
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low- and medium-level monsters. |
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image:../sprites/shota0.png[Pump-action Shotgun] |
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Shells
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| **Double-barrelled Shotgun** | 3 | Twice as powerful as the pump-action shotgun
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but less effective at long ranges; good at short range against crowds of
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enemies. |
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image:../sprites/sgn2a0.png[Double-barrelled Shotgun] |
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Shells
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| **Minigun** | 4 | Conceptually like a faster version of the basic handgun, but
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eats ammo much more quickly. |
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image:../sprites/mguna0.png[Minigun] |
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Bullets
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| **Missile Launcher** | 5 | Fires exploding missiles which are effective against
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higher-level monsters. Be careful not to get caught in the blast! |
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image:../sprites/launa0.png[Missile Launcher] |
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Missiles
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| **Polaric Energy Cannon** | 6 | Produces a continuous stream of polaric energy
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projectiles which are very effective against higher-level monsters. |
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image:../sprites/plasa0.png[Polaric Energy Cannon] |
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Energy
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| **SKAG 1337** | 7 | Experimental weapon that launches a energy ball that does a
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huge amount of damage, plus also damages other enemies in the vicinity.
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Slow to fire, but incredibly powerful. |
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image:../sprites/bfuga0.png[SKAG 1337] |
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Energy
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|==========================
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Pressing the numbered key on the keyboard switches to the given weapon (if it
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has been picked up!). Apart from the melee weapons, each weapon consumes a
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certain type of ammo, and you should be careful to look out for more ammo as
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you’re exploring.
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[[ammo]]
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[options="header",cols="2,1,1",width="50%",align="center",valign="middle"]
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|==========================
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| Ammo type | Small | Large
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| **Bullets** |
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image:../sprites/clipa0.png[Ammo Clip] |
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image:../sprites/ammoa0.png[Ammo Clip]
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| **Shells** |
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image:../sprites/shela0.png[Shotgun Shells] |
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image:../sprites/sboxa0.png[Box of Shotgun Shells]
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| **Missiles** |
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image:../sprites/rocka0.png[Missile] |
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image:../sprites/broka0.png[Crate of Missiles]
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| **Energy** |
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image:../sprites/cella0.png[Small Energy Recharge] |
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image:../sprites/celpa0.png[Large Energy Recharge]
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| **Backpack** |
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- |
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image:../sprites/bpaka0.png[Backpack]
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|==========================
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The backpack item is a special item that contains several of every ammo type
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and doubles the maximum amount of ammo you can carry.
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[[health]]
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=== Health
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You die if your health reaches 0%. You’ll find health bonuses around the
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levels which can restore you back to 100% health; 1% health bonuses can take
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you over 100% and up to 200% health.
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[options="header",cols="1,1,1,1",width="50%",align="center",halign="center"]
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|==========================
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| 1% | 10% | 25% | 100%
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| image:../sprites/bon1a0.png[1% Health Bonus] |
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image:../sprites/stima0.png[Small Health Pack] |
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image:../sprites/media0.png[Large Health Pack] |
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image:../sprites/soula0.png[Overdrive Sphere]
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|==========================
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[[armor]]
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=== Armor
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You start with 0% armor and can increase this up to 200% by collecting bonuses.
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[options="header",cols="1,1,1",width="50%",align="center",halign="center"]
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|==========================
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| 1% | 100% | 200%
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| image:../sprites/bon2a0.png[1% Armor Bonus] |
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image:../sprites/arm1a0.png[Light Armor Vest] |
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image:../sprites/arm2a0.png[Heavy Armor Vest]
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|==========================
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Normal armor absorbs one third of damage you receive. For example, suppose
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you’re hit by a missile that reduces your health from 100% to 50%. If you’re
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hit by the same missile while wearing 100% armor, your health will reduce to
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only 66%, but you’ll lose 16% armor.
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The heavy armor vest has slightly different behavior: in addition to being
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worth 200% armor, it also absorbs half of all damage. For this reason, it’s
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a very good idea to get your hands on a heavy armor vest if you can locate one.
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[[specialitems]]
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=== Special Items
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You may also encounter any one of these special items while exploring:
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[cols="2,1,5",width="80%",align="center",valign="middle"]
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|==========================
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| **Keys** |
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image:../sprites/bkeya0.png[Blue Key]
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image:../sprites/bskua0.png[Blue Key]
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image:../sprites/rkeya0.png[Red Key]
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image:../sprites/rskua0.png[Red Key]
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image:../sprites/ykeya0.png[Yellow Key]
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image:../sprites/yskua0.png[Yellow Key] |
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Allow you to open certain locked doors and activate locked switches.
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Usually essential to be able to progress, although they sometimes allow
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access to secret areas.
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| **Night Vision Goggles** |
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image:../sprites/pvisa0.png[Night Vision Goggles] |
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Allow you to see in the dark for a limited time.
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| **Ultra-Overdrive Sphere** |
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image:../sprites/megaa0.png[Ultra-Overdrive Sphere] |
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Maxes you out to 200% health and armor.
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| **Tactical Survey Map** |
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image:../sprites/pmapa0.png[Tactical Survey Map] |
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Unlocks all areas of the map, including some secret areas that may not be
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immediately visible.
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| **Hazard Suit** |
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image:../sprites/suita0.png[Hazard Suit] |
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Protects you from the harmful radiation of damaging floors, for a limited
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time.
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| **Strength Power-Up** |
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image:../sprites/pstra0.png[Strength Power-Up] |
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Increases your health back to 100% and enhances your fists to 10x their
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normal damage, until the end of level.
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| **Stealth Sphere** |
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image:../sprites/pinsa0.png[Stealth Sphere] |
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Makes you almost invisible for a limited time.
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| **Invulnerability Sphere** |
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image:../sprites/pinva0.png[Invulnerability Sphere] |
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Makes you immune to all damage for a limited time.
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|==========================
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=== Enemies
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The levels are filled with monsters who have no other goal apart from stopping
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you from completing your mission. Here’s a selection of some of these monsters
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who you can expect to encounter.
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[frame="none",cols="2,6,2",valign="middle",grid="none",align="center",width="90%"]
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|==========================
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| **Zombie** |
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These undead creatures are armed with a pistol and intent on your destruction.
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Drops a clip of bullets when killed. |
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image:images/monster-zombie.png[Zombie,100,100]
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| **Shotgun Zombie** |
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These guys traded their pistol for a shotgun and pack far more of a punch.
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Drops a shotgun when killed. |
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image:images/monster-shotgun-zombie.png[Shotgun Zombie,100,100]
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| **Minigun Zombie** |
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As soon as you’re in sight of one of these, he’ll lock on with his minigun and
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keep on firing until you’re dead. It’s best to take cover quickly or take him
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out. Drops a minigun when killed. |
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image:images/monster-minigun-zombie.png[Minigun Zombie,100,100]
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| **Serpentipede** |
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Serpent footsoldiers of the alien invasion. Let them get close and they’ll
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tear you to shreds; at a distance they’ll instead rain down fireballs. |
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image:images/monster-serpentipede.png[Serpentipede,100,100]
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| **Flesh Worm** |
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Tough and fast-moving, these worms attack at close range and take several
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shotgun blasts to take down. It’s best to keep back. |
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image:images/monster-flesh-worm.png[Flesh Worm,100,100]
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| **Stealth Worm** |
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These flesh worm variants have been given stealth abilities which make them
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practically invisible. |
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image:images/monster-stealth-worm.png[Stealth Worm,100,100]
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| **Hatchling** |
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Floating alien larva which charge from a distance. |
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image:images/monster-hatchling.png[hatchling,100,100]
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| **Matribite** |
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The mother of the Hatchlings will ensure you always have more of her babies
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to deal with. |
|
||
image:images/monster-matribite.png[matribite,100,100]
|
||
| **Trilobite** |
|
||
These flying orb-like creatures spit fireballs and bite if you get too
|
||
close. |
|
||
image:images/monster-trilobite.png[Trilobite,100,100]
|
||
| **Pain Bringer** |
|
||
100% muscle, these guys take at least three rocket blasts to take down, and
|
||
while you’re trying they’ll shower you with energy projectiles. |
|
||
image:images/monster-pain-bringer.png[Pain Bringer,100,100]
|
||
| **Pain Lord** |
|
||
If the Pain Bringer wasn’t tough enough, this one will take five rocket
|
||
blasts. |
|
||
image:images/monster-pain-lord.png[Pain Lord,100,100]
|
||
| **Dark Soldier** |
|
||
Fast moving, tough, and fires heat-seeking missiles. Do not get into a boxing
|
||
match with one of these guys. |
|
||
image:images/monster-dark-soldier.png[Dark Soldier,100,100]
|
||
| **Necromancer** |
|
||
If he’s not setting you on fire, he’s undoing all your hard work by bringing
|
||
his friends back from the dead. |
|
||
image:images/monster-necromancer.png[Necromancer,100,100]
|
||
| **Combat Slug** |
|
||
These genetically-engineered super-slugs have been fitted with long distance
|
||
flame throwers, practically making them into living, slithering tanks. |
|
||
image:images/monster-combat-slug.png[Combat Slug,100,100]
|
||
| **Technospider** |
|
||
These spider creatures have been equipped with polaric energy cannons, making
|
||
them a deadly challenge. |
|
||
image:images/monster-technospider.png[Technospider,100,100]
|
||
| **Large Technospider** |
|
||
This tank on legs is equipped with a rapid-fire minigun and will take a lot
|
||
of effort to bring down. |
|
||
image:images/monster-large-technospider.png[Large Technospider,100,100]
|
||
| **Assault Tripod** |
|
||
The ultimate blend of military technology and genetic engineering, these
|
||
three-legged creatures are fast-moving, heavily armored and equipped with a
|
||
missile launcher that you’ll want to avoid. |
|
||
image:images/monster-assault-tripod.png[Assault Tripod,100,100]
|
||
|==========================
|
||
|
||
=== Using the map
|
||
|
||
When exploring Freedoom’s levels, it is sometimes possible to get lost,
|
||
especially if the level is particularly large or complex. Fortunately, the
|
||
map is available to help you find your way. Press the _Tab_ key during play to
|
||
bring up the map.
|
||
|
||
image::images/map.png[Map Screenshot,width="640",pdfwidth="70vw",align="center"]
|
||
|
||
Your current position and orientation are shown by a white arrow.
|
||
Areas of the map are usually color coded as follows:
|
||
|
||
[frame="none",cols="1,4",valign="middle",align="center",width="60%"]
|
||
|==========================
|
||
| **Red** | Walls (or possibly secret doors)
|
||
| **Yellow** | Changes in ceiling height, including doors.
|
||
| **Brown** | Changes in floor height (eg. steps)
|
||
| **Grey** | Undiscovered areas (not normally shown, but may be revealed
|
||
if the <<specialitems,Tactical Survey Map>> item is discovered).
|
||
|==========================
|
||
|
||
While using the map, the game continues as normal, so it is wise to find a
|
||
safe place before activating it, to avoid being ambushed by monsters. Normal
|
||
controls continue to work as usual, but the following additional keys are
|
||
available:
|
||
|
||
[frame="none",cols="1,4",valign="middle",align="center",width="80%"]
|
||
|==========================
|
||
| **Tab** | Toggle Map
|
||
| **-** | Zoom out
|
||
| **+** | Zoom in
|
||
| **0** | Maximum zoom out
|
||
| **F** | Toggle whether the map follows the player. When disabled, the
|
||
cursor keys can be used to pan the view of the map around independent of
|
||
your current position.
|
||
| **G** | Toggle map grid
|
||
| **M** | Add a map bookmark at the current location.
|
||
| **C** | Clear all bookmarks.
|
||
|==========================
|
||
|
||
=== Environmental Hazards
|
||
|
||
If the monsters weren’t enough, the environment itself poses hazards which
|
||
can hurt or even kill you!
|
||
|
||
[frame="none",cols="1,4,2",valign="middle",grid="none"]
|
||
|==========================
|
||
| **Barrels** |
|
||
These exploding barrels litter many of the levels. Several shots with a pistol
|
||
are usually enough to make them detonate, damaging anything in their immediate
|
||
vicinity. Make sure when engaged in combat to never stand too close, or a stray
|
||
shot from an enemy may cause one to explode in your face! Be aware too of the
|
||
potential for chain reactions when several barrels are clustered together. |
|
||
image:images/hazard-barrels.png[Barrels,150,150]
|
||
| **Damaging Floors** |
|
||
Red-hot lava and radioactive sludge are just two of the types of damaging floor
|
||
you can encounter in Freedoom’s levels. If walking over it is necessary, try to
|
||
find yourself a <<specialitems,hazard suit>>, but be aware that it will only
|
||
protect you for a limited time. |
|
||
image:images/hazard-slime.png[Radioactive slime,150,150]
|
||
| **Crushing Ceilings** |
|
||
Many of the levels have been rigged with traps and this is just one of them.
|
||
These moving ceilings are often placed above tempting-looking items. Be very
|
||
careful not to get caught beneath one, or it will quickly crush you into a
|
||
paste! |
|
||
image:images/hazard-crusher.png[Crushing Ceiling,150,150]
|
||
|==========================
|
||
|
||
=== Tactical tips
|
||
|
||
If you’re struggling with the difficulty of the game, one option is to change
|
||
to an easier skill level. Alternatively, you can try some of these tactical
|
||
suggestions:
|
||
|
||
* Firstly, put some time into setting up your controls. Most players find that
|
||
a mouse and keyboard combination is the most effective, where the mouse is
|
||
used to turn while the keyboard is used to move around. In particular, make
|
||
sure that you have set up strafe (sidestep) keys. Many of the enemies in
|
||
the game launch projectiles which must be dodged. Sidestepping these
|
||
projectiles is an important skill to learn. You’ll know you’ve mastered this
|
||
skill when you can easily circle around an enemy and dodge its projectiles
|
||
while simultaneously keeping your weapon trained on it.
|
||
|
||
* Play with headphones. The game’s stereo separation can give helpful audio
|
||
cues about the positions of enemies and alert you to incoming projectiles.
|
||
Headphones give you a more precise way to pick up on these cues.
|
||
|
||
* Take cover! Monsters only attack when you’re in their line of sight. You’ll
|
||
want to find walls, pillars and other forms of cover you can hide behind
|
||
while your weapon reloads. This advice is particularly important when
|
||
facing certain monsters which can “lock on” to you (minigun zombie;
|
||
necromancer); hiding from these is a crucial skill.
|
||
|
||
* Many of the levels are littered with exploding barrels. While these can pose
|
||
a danger to you, they’re equally dangerous to your opponents. A single,
|
||
well-timed shotgun blast aimed at a barrel can take down several enemies at
|
||
once. One barrel explosion can trigger another, so it can sometimes set off
|
||
a chain reaction that takes down a whole crowd -- but be careful that
|
||
doesn’t include you!
|
||
|
||
* If a monster gets injured by another monster, it’ll retaliate against the
|
||
one that injured it (this is called _monster in-fighting_). If faced with a
|
||
crowd of enemies, an effective strategy can be to stand in just the right
|
||
place so that those at the back shoot those at the front. Do it right and
|
||
they’ll spend more time fighting each other than fighting you, and the
|
||
survivors will be significantly weakened. Be aware though, that a monster
|
||
cannot be injured by a projectile launched by another of the same species.
|
||
|
||
* Sometimes you’ll face crowds of monsters, which can be overwhelming and also
|
||
drain your ammo supplies. Learn to master crowd control. The primary
|
||
instinct of all monsters is to move towards you. Circle around the crowd
|
||
continually -- this encourages them to cluster in a single spot that’s
|
||
easier for you to target. It also encourages monster in-fighting; if done
|
||
effectively, they’ll spend their energy killing each other and you’ll save
|
||
on ammunition.
|
||
|
||
* If you encounter a horde of flesh worms or stealth worms, The angle
|
||
grinder is a great weapon to use both to conserve ammo and avoid
|
||
taking damage. Worms can’t attack while being sawed, and if you
|
||
back into any corner that is roughly as wide as or narrower than a
|
||
right angle, they can only come at you one at a time. The angle
|
||
grinder also works well on trilobites: they can’t attack while
|
||
taking damage from it.
|
||
|
||
<<<
|
||
|
||
[[wads]]
|
||
== Playing with fan-made WADs and mods ==
|
||
|
||
.Scythe MAP09 playing with Freedoom.
|
||
image::images/scythe-map09.png[Scythe MAP09,width="640",pdfwidth="70vw",align="center"]
|
||
|
||
One of the nicest features of Freedoom is its compatibility with the
|
||
catalog of thousands of fan-made levels made for the classic _Doom_ games.
|
||
With some exceptions, most popular mods and levels for _Doom_ and _Doom II_
|
||
can also be played with Freedoom.
|
||
The largest repository of _Doom_ mods is the idgames archive, and a
|
||
browsing interface for the archive
|
||
https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/[can be found on Doomworld].
|
||
|
||
Playing a `.wad` file is usually fairly simple. For mods designed for the
|
||
original _Doom_, use Freedoom: Phase 1 (`freedoom1.wad`); for others designed
|
||
for _Doom 2_ or _Final Doom_, use Freedoom: Phase 2 (`freedoom2.wad`).
|
||
If you’re using the command line, use the `-file` parameter when you start the
|
||
game. For example, to load the file `scythe.wad`:
|
||
|
||
my-favorite-port -iwad freedoom2.wad -file scythe.wad
|
||
|
||
If you’re not using the command line, you can try dragging and dropping the
|
||
`.wad` file onto the source port icon in your file manager -- several
|
||
source ports support this.
|
||
|
||
=== Suggestions
|
||
|
||
Over more than two decades, literally thousands of _Doom_ levels have been
|
||
made, and there are so many that it may seem difficult to know where to
|
||
start. The following are some suggestions for where to look for the best
|
||
content:
|
||
|
||
* Doomworld’s https://www.doomworld.com/10years/bestwads/[Top 100 WADs Of All Time]
|
||
was written in 2003 and aimed to list the best works from the first 10
|
||
years of fan-made mods. It’s still a great list of classic mods.
|
||
|
||
* https://www.doomworld.com/cacowards/[The Cacowards] are Doomworld’s
|
||
annual award ceremony that recognizes the best releases from the _Doom_
|
||
community over the past year. This is a great way to find out about more
|
||
recent developments, including some of the more unusual mods that people
|
||
are releasing.
|
||
|
||
* The Doom Wiki’s https://doomwiki.org/wiki/List_of_notable_WADs[List of
|
||
notable WADs] contains a rather extensive list of fan-made WADs. The Doom
|
||
Wiki includes extensive information about such mods including screenshots,
|
||
maps and per-level statistics, so it’s a useful entrypoint to discover
|
||
interesting mods.
|
||
|
||
* Doomworld’s interface to the idgames archive includes the ability to
|
||
list the https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?top[top levels] based
|
||
on five star rankings by visitors to the site.
|
||
|
||
<<<
|
||
|
||
== Cheats ==
|
||
|
||
If you’re finding the game too difficult, you can always try playing at
|
||
an <<skill,easier skill level>>. However, if that’s not enough, or if you just
|
||
want to have fun feeling like an unstoppable killing machine, there are a
|
||
number of cheats that you can turn to:
|
||
|
||
[cols="1,4",width="90%",align="center",valign="middle"]
|
||
|==========================
|
||
| **IDDQD** | God mode. Makes you invulnerable to all damage.
|
||
| **IDFA** | Gives all weapons and ammo.
|
||
| **IDKFA** | All weapons, ammo and keys.
|
||
| **IDCLIP** | Turn on noclip mode, which lets you walk through walls.
|
||
| **IDDT** | Reveals full map; type twice to reveal all enemies and items.
|
||
| **IDCLEVxy** | Warp to CxMy (Phase 1) or MAPxy (Phase 2).
|
||
| **IDMUSxy** | Change music to that of CxMy (Phase 1) or MAPxy (Phase 2).
|
||
| **IDCHOPPERS** | Gives the angle grinder weapon.
|
||
| **IDBEHOLDV** | Gives the invulnerability sphere powerup.
|
||
| **IDBEHOLDS** | Gives the strength powerup.
|
||
| **IDBEHOLDI** | Gives the stealth sphere powerup.
|
||
| **IDBEHOLDR** | Gives the hazard suit powerup.
|
||
| **IDBEHOLDM** | Gives the tactical survey map.
|
||
| **IDBEHOLDL** | Gives the night vision goggles.
|
||
|==========================
|
||
|
||
<<<
|
||
|
||
== Contributing to Freedoom ==
|
||
|
||
Freedoom is a
|
||
https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html[free content]
|
||
project contributed to by many users around the world. It is available as
|
||
both free in cost (free as in free beer) and in modification and
|
||
redistribution rights (free as in free speech) to end users,
|
||
provided that the original software license is included and/or
|
||
viewable by users of modified or redistributed versions.
|
||
|
||
If you’d like to contribute to the Freedoom project, please check out the
|
||
https://github.com/freedoom/freedoom[project’s page],
|
||
https://www.doomworld.com/forum/17-freedoom/[discussion forum],
|
||
and https://discord.gg/9DA3fut[discord chat].
|
||
|
||
https://help.github.com/en/github[How to use Git version control for contributions]
|
||
|
||
https://guides.github.com/activities/forking/[How to fork a project and create a pull request with Git]
|
||
|
||
<<<
|
||
|
||
[[reusing]]
|
||
== Reusing portions of Freedoom ==
|
||
|
||
Since https://freedoom.github.io/about.html[Freedoom is free], some other
|
||
projects have used Freedoom’s assets. We think this is a great use of the
|
||
project and should be encouraged. If you use portions of Freedoom in your
|
||
project, please let us know by filing an issue or pull request on
|
||
https://github.com/freedoom/freedoom.github.io[Freedoom’s website project page]
|