MAP17: Crater (PlayStation Final Doom)

MAP17: Crater is the seventeenth level of PlayStation Final Doom and is the fourth level of the TNT episode. It is based on the PC version of MAP12: Crater (originally designed by Jim Lowell for TNT: Evilution) as an adaptation with colored lighting applied and simplifications done to level geometry and texture set. Changes for the PlayStation port were authored by Tim Heydelaar. It uses the music track "Mind Massacre".

Essentials
Head through the door and go straight through the large room in front of you. You will see a door on your right flanked by tall floor lamps - go through it and take the blue keycard from this room. Approaching the key will release an arachnotron on Hurt Me Plenty and Ultra Violence (HMP/UV) skill levels, or a shotgun guy on I am a Wimp/Not Too Rough (IAAW/NTR).

Leave the room and go due east, then north until you find the blue door flanked by tall floor lamps. Go through it and head down the staircase, and collect the rocket launcher from on top of the crates before following the passage to the crater area.

As soon as you reach the crater, head straight forward and you will see a gap in the wall on your right. Go in here and turn left, then climb up a staircase. At the top, kill the shotgun guys (one on IAAW/NTR, or three on HMP/UV) and take the red keycard they were guarding.

The red door is due east of the crates you passed earlier with the rocket launcher; you can reach it by going back to the blue door and following a walkway just to the south. After going through the red door, press the switch on your right and the floor will lower, taking you to a small maze - turn left, then turn right and go straight ahead to a silver and blue wall. Press use on this wall to lower it and reveal the exit room - kill the two arachnotrons (or three on HMP/UV), then climb the staircase and press the switch ahead of you to finish the level.

Secrets

 * 1) After the maze-like area behind the red door, you will find a silver wall with blue lights on it that lowers as a lift. Instead of passing through to the other side, ride the lift back up. At the top, go north into an alcove with a berserk pack. (sector 273)
 * 2) Across from secret #1 is a second alcove with armor, four shotgun shells and a long pathway back to an earlier part of the level. (sector 280)

Bugs
Portions of the large room south of the starting area can be seen through the small square openings in the ceiling west of this room. This is caused by the sky textures applied to those openings being too low, causing the rendering engine to draw parts of the previous room first.

Room design

 * All switches use a red/green LED on metal wall texture (SW1MET2).
 * Crates use different textures and do not have "TNT" written on them.
 * Staircases throughout the level have fewer steps.
 * The halls south and south-east of the starting area have fewer ceiling lights.
 * The southern room in the water-filled area has nine square ceiling openings instead of sixteen, while the water-filled room south-west of the starting area has twelve openings instead of fifteen.
 * Several sectors used to create different light levels were removed from the water-filled corridor on the west side of the level. Rectangular sectors with visible sky were added in their place.
 * A short blue torch and a brightly-lit sector are added to the south-west corner of the water area, near the hidden arachnotron.
 * The nukage pit next to the walkway in the south-east area of the level has a different shape, and is reduced in size.
 * The exit room has a new design. The silver columns and grey ledge have been removed, and the staircase is flanked by tall techno pillars. Tall floor lamps are also added in the corners of the room.

Monster placement

 * The mancubus guarding the blue keycard on HMP/UV is replaced with an arachnotron. The chaingunner that appears here on IAAW/NTR is replaced with a shotgun guy.
 * Two of the eight demons that are revealed when taking the chainsaw in the blue keycard are replaced with nightmare spectres on HMP/UV. On IAAW/NTR, only one demon is revealed instead of two.
 * The mancubi that appear in the blue-floored room containing the soulsphere on UV (or Hell knights on HMP) are replaced with two shotgun guys each on HMP/UV, and one each on IAAW/NTR. The barons of Hell guarding the soulsphere are replaced with arachnotrons.
 * The baron below the elevated area with the red keycard is replaced with two zombiemen.
 * The revenant in the south-west corner of the crater area on HMP/UV is replaced with an arachnotron, appearing on all skill levels.
 * The revenant in the east area of the crater area (behind a rock pillar) on HMP/UV is replaced with two zombiemen and an arachnotron, appearing on all skill levels.
 * The revenant lurking near the staircase to the red keycard is replaced with two nightmare spectres on HMP/UV, or one nightmare spectre on IAAW/NTR.
 * The baron guarding the red keycard on HMP/UV is replaced with three shotgun guys. On IAAW/NTR, one shotgun guy appears instead of a chaingunner.
 * The revenant in the maze behind the red door on HMP/UV is replaced with two shotgun guys, appearing on all skill levels.
 * The arch-vile guarding the elevator before the exit room is removed without replacement.
 * The chaingunners and zombiemen in the exit room are replaced with an arachnotron on HMP/UV. They are removed without replacement on IAAW/NTR.

Player spawns
This level contains seven spawn points:
 * 1) facing south-east. (thing 55)
 * 2) facing south-east. (thing 56)
 * 3) facing south-east. (thing 57)
 * 4) facing south-east. (thing 58)
 * 5) facing south-east. (thing 163)
 * 6) facing west. (thing 164)
 * 7) facing south-east. (thing 168)

Things
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level: