Threshold of Pain


 * For the PlayStation Doom level, see Threshold of Pain (PlayStation Doom).

Threshold of Pain is a 12-level mapset for Doom II by John Gourley (scalliano), using the ZDoom source port. It is inspired by the Sony PlayStation version of Doom, with their use of colored lighting, Aubrey Hodges's ambient soundtrack, and animated fiery sky; the name itself echoes the final level of the Doom episode in Williams' port.

Threshold of Pain was recommended in the 2010 Cacowards as a "solid Playstation Doom-inspired mapset" even if it did not obtain one of the awards or a runner-up spot.

Although compatible with ZDoom's featureset, it is advised to use GZDoom to play instead so that the colored lighting does not degrade color depth too much during repalettization. (The PSX port itself used truecolor rendering as well.) In addition, free look, jumping and crouching are allowed and are even necessary to reach certain secret areas.

Content
The full range of Doom II weapon is available. The super shotgun is reskinned to look like the PSX Final Doom one. The arsenal is extended with the Espi/Scuba Steve version of the Unmaker and both the minigun and doomsphere powerup from Skulltag.

Threshold of Pain features the entire Doom II roster, including the arch-vile, which was omitted in PSX Doom and Doom 64. The monsters have been given a slight makeover so as to bleed in the same color as their death animation shows (dark green for barons and knights, blue for cacodemons) and the spectre is translucent instead of having the "fuzzy" partial invisibility effect, and the cyberdemon's rockets appear to be effectively shot out of its rocket launcher. However, they have not been slowed-down or otherwise weakened as they had in the PSX port; their behaviors have not been changed.

In addition, the following custom monsters have been added:
 * Nightmare spectre, adopted from PSX Doom
 * Nightmare imp, inspired by Doom 64
 * Nightmare cacodemon, inspired by the Doom 64 TC
 * Hectebus, a powerful mancubus adopted from Skulltag
 * Afrit, a fire-themed flying Hell noble from the ZDoom Monster Resource WAD (not to be confused with the Hexen afrit)
 * Lord of Heresy, a winged version of the Baron also from the MRW
 * Bruiser Demon, a particularly powerful Baron, originally from Knee-Deep in ZDoom
 * Additional variety of possessed zombies, equipped with plasma guns, chainsaws, and even the powerful unmaker
 * A new boss, the "prototype" of a powerful new model of cyberdemons
 * Secret enemies in the super-secret level

Levels

 * MAP01: Drop Zone
 * MAP02: Loading Bay (exit to secret level)
 * MAP03: Recycling Plant
 * MAP04: Caverns
 * MAP05: Triton Lab
 * MAP06: Triton Anomaly
 * MAP07: Bedlam
 * MAP08: Exquisite Torture
 * MAP09: Realm of the Iconoclast
 * MAP10: The Praetorium ''
 * MAP11: Frantic (secret level)
 * MAP12: Vinyl Resting Place (super-secret level)

Soundtrack

 * MAP01: "Sanity's Edge"
 * MAP02: "The Broken Ones"
 * MAP03: "Retribution Dawns"
 * MAP04: "Mutation"
 * MAP05: "Corrupted"
 * MAP06: "Mind Massacre"
 * MAP07: "Hopeless Despair"
 * MAP08: "Beyond Fear"
 * MAP09: "Lamentation"
 * MAP10: "Steadfast Extermination"
 * MAP11: "Creeping Brutality"
 * MAP12: "Lamentation"