E4M6: Forest of Desolation (Doom: Damnation)

E4M6: Forest of Desolation is the sixth map in the fourth episode of Doom: Damnation. It was designed by Ofisil and uses the music track "Deimos". The par time defined in the DEHACKED lump is 3:20.

Essentials
As soon as you start moving, a cyberdemon will rise from the water pool in front of you. Head down the west staircase to an area with lava pools and several barons of Hell, then go round the lava to collect the blue keycard on a marble platform. Return to the starting area and head up the east staircase this time, then head north past a red key door and some stalagmites until you reach a red rock pillar. Turn left and drop into the water, then walk through the gap in the vines on your left to find a cavern containing a shotgun and the red keycard.

Retrace your steps to the red key door you passed earlier and open it to find five boxes of bullets and a switch. Flip the switch then go back to the starting area and head up the south staircase, where a wall has lowered to reveal several barons guarding an area with a brown building. Approach the building and go round to its south side to find a blue key door, then open it to find five boxes of shotgun shells and another switch. Flip the switch then leave the building and head east to a gray path where you will encounter some demons; push past them and continue following the path to the yellow keycard.

From the yellow key, head east along a path with red cracks and fire columns. After walking past the second column, look to your right to see a staircase leading down to a switch, then flip it to lower the neighboring brick column to reveal a button - this is one of three buttons needed to open the exit. Return to the path and continue heading east until you reach an area with red platforms and an armor (and another cyberdemon on Ultra-Violence and Nightmare skill levels), then head north to collect a backpack and a rocket launcher before continuing west to a water-filled area with more barons. Go to the north side of this area to find a gray structure with a yellow key door, behind which you will find two boxes of rockets and another switch to flip.

Return to the starting area and head up the north staircase, then head north to a doorway under a UAC sign to find a switch - as before, flip it to lower the nearby brick column and reveal the second button you need to press. Go back up the stairs then go through the opening in the west wall to a red tunnel; halfway along this tunnel is a staircase leading to the third switch and button that need to be pressed to reach the exit. Go back to the starting area and enter the south-east wall opening to find a plasma gun (plus another cyberdemon on Hurt Me Plenty skill level or higher); the three buttons you pressed earlier have revealed a switch on the north wall. Press this switch then go to the silver wall between the exit signs where another switch has been momentarily revealed; flip it to open the wall, then go down the steps and interact with the door at the bottom to finish the level.

Other points of interest
Several pentagram platforms can be found throughout the level; monsters stepping on these platforms will be teleported to other parts of the level, allowing them to pursue you.

A chainsaw can be found up some steps on the east side of the red key area, while two chainguns can be found off the path leading to the yellow key.

Secrets

 * 1) Just west of the blue key is a switch in the lava. Using it lowers a lift back up, but also lowers a rock wall to the north-west, on the north side. Quickly enter this part of the rock to get a supercharge. (sector 458)
 * 2) Head east from where the red key is and press the hidden switch behind the cacodemon corpse. This lowers a megaarmor to the west. (sector 465)
 * 3) At the east side of the forest, get on the platform with the armor and face east from where it is located. Shoot the switch, then head south-west and into a teleporter. This takes you to an invulnerability. (sector 223)

Routes and tricks
From the starting area, head up the north staircase then head north to the doorway under the UAC sign. Go down the steps and flip the switch at the bottom to reveal the button next to it, press it then go to the exit area. You can press on the white rock walls either side of the hidden button (linedefs 447 and 2118) to reveal it, then finish the level as normal. Whether this is intentional or a mapping error is unknown.

Current records
The records for the map at the Doomed Speed Demos Archive are:

Player spawns
This level contains sixteen spawn points:
 * 1) facing south. (thing 419)
 * 2) facing north-east. (thing 420)
 * 3) facing west. (thing 421)
 * 4) facing north-east. (thing 422)
 * 5) facing east. (thing 423)
 * 6) facing east. (thing 424)
 * 7) facing north. (thing 425)
 * 8) facing south-east. (thing 426)
 * 9) facing south-west. (thing 427)
 * 10) facing south-east. (thing 428)
 * 11) facing north-east. (thing 429)
 * 12) facing south. (thing 430)
 * 13) facing south-west. (thing 431)
 * 14) facing south-east. (thing 432)
 * 15) facing south-east. (thing 433)
 * 16) facing west. (thing 434)

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