Difference between revisions of "Partial invisibility"

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Due to difficulty in rendering the effect, all partial invisibility spheres were removed from the [[Atari Jaguar]] map set, and all other ports using its map set do not contain any of this powerup in those maps. Most were replaced with [[soul sphere]]s.
 
Due to difficulty in rendering the effect, all partial invisibility spheres were removed from the [[Atari Jaguar]] map set, and all other ports using its map set do not contain any of this powerup in those maps. Most were replaced with [[soul sphere]]s.
  
The [[Sony PlayStation]] version restored the powerup to its [[vanilla]] appearance but, as with spectres, applies [[translucency]] to the player's sprite and weapons. The powerup only occurs in original maps made for the port and in [[Doom II]] levels – it was not added back to maps adapted from the Jaguar version.
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The [[Sony PlayStation]] version restored the powerup to its [[vanilla]] appearance but, as with spectres, applies [[translucency]] to the player's sprite and weapons. The powerup only occurs in [[Ultimate Doom]] levels beginning with [[E4M3: Sever the Wicked (Doom)|MAP26: Sever the Wicked]] and in [[Doom II]] levels – it was not added back to maps adapted from the Jaguar version.
  
 
[[Doom 64]]'s partial invisibility item has the appearance of a dark red sphere with a central core emitting multiple electric arcs. Like the PlayStation version, the marine will appear slightly translucent.
 
[[Doom 64]]'s partial invisibility item has the appearance of a dark red sphere with a central core emitting multiple electric arcs. Like the PlayStation version, the marine will appear slightly translucent.

Revision as of 17:22, 26 May 2015

A blur artifact sits in the tower behind the yellow door in E1M3: Toxin Refinery.
A partially invisible player as seen by another player (in multiplayer mode) on E1M3: Toxin Refinery.

A partial invisibility powerup (called blur sphere in the manuals) is an item that appears as a floating red and blue orb with a pulsing eye-like pattern.

Picking up this powerup will grant the player partial invisibility for 60 seconds. The player's sprite (in multiplayer mode) will appear similar to that of the spectre, while the affected player will see their own weapons and hands as partially invisible. When five seconds remain, the weapon will begin blinking, signaling the end of the artifact's effects; the player sprite however remains fully blurred until all 60 seconds elapse. Picking up another partial invisibility item while a previously collected one is still active resets the duration to 60 seconds; any surplus time is lost. For this reason it is best to not collect another sphere until the current one is about to expire.

Monsters firing upon an affected player will have their accuracy reduced, in that their aim is offset by a random angle, causing them to miss more often. This however may cause more experienced players to inadvertently dodge toward incoming projectiles, being accustomed to monsters firing directly forward. Nevertheless, a blur sphere confers a definite advantage against long-range hitscan attacks such as those of zombies or spiderdemons. The partial invisibility is unable to disrupt monster melee attacks, homing missiles, or the arch-vile's flame attack.

Partial invisibility can also be invoked with the cheat code idbeholdi.

In -altdeath mode, partial invisibility and invulnerability spheres do not respawn. Some source ports allow flags to be set to cause them to respawn.

This item is included in the items percentage displayed at the end of each level.

Data

Thing attributes
Thing type 2024 (decimal), 7E8 (hex)
Appears in Shareware Doom
Registered Doom
Ultimate Doom
Doom II/Final Doom
Radius 20
Sprite PINS
Class Artifact
Pickup

In classic Doom, partial invisibilities are first encountered on these levels:

Game ITYTD and HNTR HMP UV and NM
Ultimate Doom E1M3: Toxin Refinery E1M3: Toxin Refinery E1M3: Toxin Refinery
Doom II MAP03: The Gantlet MAP03: The Gantlet MAP03: The Gantlet
TNT: Evilution MAP03: Power Control MAP03: Power Control MAP03: Power Control
Plutonia MAP09: Abattoire MAP09: Abattoire MAP09: Abattoire

The IWADs contain the following numbers of partial invisibilities:

Game ITYTD and HNTR HMP UV and NM
Ultimate Doom 23 23 23
Doom II 26 26 26
TNT: Evilution 23 22 22
Plutonia 11 11 11

Other games and ports

Invisibility powerup in D3DM3: Frag Chamber.

Due to difficulty in rendering the effect, all partial invisibility spheres were removed from the Atari Jaguar map set, and all other ports using its map set do not contain any of this powerup in those maps. Most were replaced with soul spheres.

The Sony PlayStation version restored the powerup to its vanilla appearance but, as with spectres, applies translucency to the player's sprite and weapons. The powerup only occurs in Ultimate Doom levels beginning with MAP26: Sever the Wicked and in Doom II levels – it was not added back to maps adapted from the Jaguar version.

Doom 64's partial invisibility item has the appearance of a dark red sphere with a central core emitting multiple electric arcs. Like the PlayStation version, the marine will appear slightly translucent.

There is an invisibility powerup in Doom 3, appearing chiefly in multiplayer. It has no effect on monsters, only rendering the player translucent.

Notes

The partial invisibilty powerup, as seen in the Doom press release beta.
  • Demons and spectres appear to direct some attacks away from an invisible player, but only the sprite frames have been changed; the melee attack is aimed normally. In versions of Doom prior to v1.5, the attack angle was also offset, and consequently these monsters could initiate infighting.
  • When an invisible player is killed, his corpse sprite will retain its blurry appearance, as a spectre's corpse does.
  • Deathmatch players should note that weapons with visible projectiles, particularly the plasma gun, can give away a blurred player's position, as the opponent may target the shots' point of origin.
  • ZDoom-based source ports enhance the powerup's effect so that, in addition to the above, idle monsters are not alerted when the partially invisible player is within their sight, as with the similar Shadowsphere powerup in Heretic.

See also