MAP17: Archives of the Technomancer (Sunder)

MAP17: Archives of the Technomancer is the seventeenth map of Sunder. It was designed by Insane_Gazebo and uses the music track "Simple Solutions," originally composed by Mark Klem for STRAIN.

Essentials
Grab the backpack and shoot the switch to proceed. Journey straight ahead to find both shotguns and the rocket launcher along with a megasphere. Head west to find a large bridge leading to the large building up ahead. The area is locked off for now, so turn west and press the switch to access the western yard. This area will become a battlefield the moment you pick up the plasma gun. The raised block will each have two cyberdemons or two spider masterminds each, while cacodemons, revenants, chaingunners, and demons teleport into the field. Monster infighting can help weed out most of the monsters here, and you have plenty of room to run in. When you are ready, go to the northeast block and press the skull switch here, then the switch to the south of there. Move west past the middle block to the one west of it and use the switch there, then use the switch at the middle block. South from there, use that skull switch, and finally use the switch at the northwesternmost block. The wall to the southwest will lower, revealing arch-viles and two switches. Press both and return to the bridge.

A new switch here will lower a lift. Ride it up to be in front of the enormous building. Head northwest; you will have to figure out a way to get inside. If you go further northwest, you will look at what can be assumed to be an entrance, but there is no way inside. If you look to the east of there, you will spot a skull switch. To get there, climb the metal blocks nearby and maneuver your way to that switch. Use it and ride the lift up, then use the next switch for the next lift. From here, you can jump into the building. Now that you are inside, examine your surroundings. To your right is a switch by a large wall and a megasphere next to it, signaling where you need to go. Ignore the switch for now and head west and north all the way to collect the BFG9000. Observe the area to the left of there as well, and make note of the bars here. Also make sure not to fall into the lava; as always, there is no way out if you fall in.

When ready, hit the switch. The wall will lower revealing mancubi, while revenants and two cyberdemons show up on the steps to the west. Further to the west, cacodemons will show up near the supposed entrance, and Hell knights are further to the west. Another switch is available here, press it and go all the way east where the mancubi were to find another switch. This removes a barrier close by, allowing you to go on the tops of bookshelves to the next area.

When you jump to the north, there will be imps teleporting on the emblem, and four cyberdemons will emerge from a nearby wall. To the west of there, more imps will teleport, and to the north is where Hell knights will teleport in along with a switch. Also take note of the southwest and northeast towers that have mancubi, and watch your footing when battling the monsters. Press the switch when you can, then go to the east side. There were blocked-off stairs here, but now you can climb them. Get rid of the arch-vile and press the switch here, then go north and use the lift switch to rise up. You can go east to the tower with mancubi, which will teleport you to the other tower containing mancubi, but this is simply a way back. Instead, go north, get the megaarmor to the side if you need it, and go into the hall. Going all the way down the hall leads to the blue key door, so go into the large room to the north.

As usual, start by scouring this huge area taking note of the pickups. The switch and megasphere are at the northeast end. Be mindful of which enemies will appear where. The southernmost wall will lower revealing Hell knights and barons of Hell, while four cyberdemons teleport nearby. A tower south of the switch will have two arch-viles, and two more will appear on the tower in the southeast corner. Another tower west of the switch will have two arch-viles as well, and a tower west of there will also have two arch-viles. Cacodemons will teleport at the southwest end of the room, and at the northwest end, a wall will have lowered with arachnotrons coming out of it. A lone arch-vile is behind them next to a switch, but you cannot access it now. The switch that you can access is in the southeast corner, where you can use a lift to go up to reach it. You can then access the switch where the arachnotrons were. After you hit the switch at the top of that lift, quickly head back to where the Hell knights and barons of Hell were. An arch-vile will be here, likely resurrecting slain monsters. Make sure to use the switch where it was, then you will be able to leave the area by going north to a large hallway, a bit east of where the arachnotrons came from.

Halfway through this large hallway, several compartments will open, where you will fight Hell knights, barons of Hell, and three cyberdemons. Go back the way you came; one of the cyberdemons will be in a compartment with a switch. Now go all the way to the end of the hallway and keep heading south. Press on the switch at the end to lower a large lift, then ride it up. When you are at the top, prepare to see imps teleporting. Two arch-viles will be to the north, and a cyberdemon to the west. You can take some steps up to the platform with imps on either side (the red key is near where the arch-viles spawn, but you cannot reach it yet). Get rid of all the imps and jump to the platform with the switch, being careful not to fall in the lava.

After you use the switch, go to where the cyberdemon came from. You will have to make a jump to the block here, then to the upper bookshelf after it, which may require straferunning. Now follow the platforms with health bonuses, again being careful not to fall in. On the other side, you will need to make two more jumps to the north, traverse more platforms, then two more jumps to the west before you traverse more platforms yet again. One more jump later, you can then hike up the steps to a switch. Take the nearby lift up, then go all the way to the east. Head up the steps here and get the megaarmor, then jump to the southeast. On this high ledge, you will have to open the nearby door, because if you continue on the ledge, the way will be blocked.

Open the door with the pentagram and head inside. Slowly climb the steps to the southwest, you do not want to fall into a sneaky pit here. Get the soul sphere and immediately head back. The south and east walls will lower revealing Hell knights and barons of Hell while the middle column will reveal five arch-viles. You will want to use both switches here, then leave the room and this time continue along the ledges. The bars from before will be gone, but when you cross where they were you will trigger the next ambush. A cyberdemon will teleport to the area with the green armor, while the compartments will reveal cacodemons and lost souls. You will need to open the way further to the west, and in order to do so backtrack all the way to the end of the ledge where the door was. Hop over the block to the compartment with the switch, then go back along the ledge going westward. The red door will be here. Remember its location for later and head south, hopping the blocks until you get the blue key.

Now that you have this key, go back south on the huge set of steps going south, and into the big hallway where you found the blue key door earlier. The next room will have a warning in the form of an arch-vile and the term "SSSH!" on it. Press the switch southeast of there to reveal a lot of arch-viles across from it. At the west end you will find two cyberdemons. You will want to lure these cyberdemons to attack the arch-viles if possible. In the compartment they were in, you will find a switch, which will open the way to a larger library south of where the arch-viles were.

With numerous bookshelves lined around here, this area will prove to be a tough battlefield. The switch is at the south end, so use it when you are ready. On ground floor you will have to contend with demons, revenants, barons of Hell, and two cyberdemons. A high ledge on the right side contains revenants and mancubi, and a bookshelf to the west of it contains a single mancubus. The northern bookshelf will have four more mancubi and the bookshelf at the southwest corner will have Hell knights and three mancubi on it. The next switch you need is at the northeast bookshelf. Grab the megaarmor and use the switch nearby to trigger a lift. Ride it up and press the switch, then quickly run down and all the way to the northwest bookshelf to find eight arch-viles and two switches. Press both, then return to the previous room.

Go to the compartment where the two cyberdemons were and you will notice an open path leading south. Take it, hop the shelf going east, and prepare to be ambushed by chaingunners and a pain elemental as you round the bend. Four mancubi and three chaingunners are in the area to the north, and you can go to the northwest for the next door. Follow this hall north, then east. A wall will lower in front of you with barons of Hell inside. Two cyberdemons will be on the high ledge here as well. You will want to press the switch at the northeast, then take the steps to the high ledge and jump southwest to the next switch. Then continue south, all the way back to the large library, where you will be on the high ledge with mancubi and revenants this time. Go all the way south and west to the next switch, which will raise some metal blocks around the bookshelves you need to maneuver on as well as a lift back up should you fall to the ground floor. You can get a soul sphere at the top of the northwest bookshelf, and the next switch is at the southwest bookshelf. This will lower the bars in the southwest corner. You will recognize this area as the entrance of the big building, and you will need to go all the way west, where a new area will await.

The next library will have several trenches with supplies. The switch is near the north end, so get ready. To the north, four arch-viles and three cyberdemons will teleport in. At the top of the steps to the south of the steps you will find six arch-viles. A wall of imps will be to the west, and a horde of Hell knights and barons of Hell show up to the south. The latter of these areas have the next switch you need to press, and afterwards, another switch will be available where the imps were. This switch opens the way to the east. Take the steps up and go all the way north to the next switch, then return to the previous area to find the north door open. Follow the passage and use the next switch. The walls will lower revealing revenants and Hell knights, and four arch-viles will come from the hall. Use the switch where the Hell knights were, leave the hall, and you can now take either side door going north into the next big room.

This area will have several lava pits to watch out for, some of which you will have to cross while battling enemies. The switch is at the far north end with a megasphere and a teleporter nearby. Press the switch and use the teleporter if you like. You will be on the large square bookshelf with a soul sphere nearby. Two spider masterminds will teleport here, and two more spider masterminds will teleport to the large square bookshelf at the north end. Meanwhile, cacodemons and pain elementals will come in on the left side. If you plan on crossing to the right side for more space, be careful when doing so. Enter the corridor where the monsters came from and find the switch inside to fight the next wave. After pressing it, the next corridor is to the north, with revenants and Hell knights showing up. More revenants will show up on the two large square bookshelves, while imps teleport on ground floor. The next switch you find will cause mancubi to come out of the next corridor to the northeast, while more mancubi show up on the bookshelves. The switch there will open up a corridor nearby with barons of Hell, Hell knights, and revenants, and a way up to the northern bookshelf. While this is happening, three arch-viles will teleport to each of the bookshelves, and a large amount of Hell knights along with five more arch-viles show up at the northeast end where the first switch was. You will want to get to the northern bookshelf and press the switch there to continue.

That switch lowers the wall further to the east, so go there, get the supplies, and continue to the next switch. You will be going to the northeasternmost section of the map which contains the yellow key, and it will be exceptionally nasty. Press the switch and you will discover the next area will contain crushers. Explore this area and weed out the various monsters within, then press the switch at the southeast end. This will open the way further westward, but will also teleport Hell knights, revenants, demons, and barons of Hell around the area. Weed out these enemies, using the crushers wisely, then go to the southwest. Keep going until you reach a room with a cyberdemon and two arch-viles. There is a switch next to the yellow door that will allow you to reach a teleporter, which takes you back to the yellow key which is now accessible. After taking it, return to the yellow door and press the switch behind it, then go back to where the first switch was. Another switch is available, lowering the lift nearby. Take it up, and you will recognize that this is a high ledge from before. Go south towards the door, then east through the open tunnel, south, then west. Press the switch to access the red key, then backtrack to the red door. You will find a teleporter leading to the final destination.

This arena will prove to be the final challenge, as you are presented four megaspheres next to the starting switch. If you go to the north end, you will discover four teleporters, with switches that open the bars to these teleporters. These switches operate only once, and you use the teleporters as escape routes back to the south end, but since they operate only once and the teleporters are permanently closed afterwards, you will have to use them wisely. Note the lift just to the southwest of the center. This lift is supposed to lead to the exit, but you will have to press several switches to do so.

When ready, use the switch right here. Monsters will teleport from the numerous alcoves, which will consist of revenants, Hell knights, barons of Hell, cacodemons, arachnotrons, mancubi, cyberdemons, and two arch-viles all entering the arena. Continuously go in a circle while firing, it will weed out enemies in front of you while promoting monster infighting everywhere else, making sure that supplies are always close by. Again, use those four teleporters wisely. When it is quiet, you will have six switches to press before you are able to reach the exit, all on the east and west walls. The first is to the southeast, then the southwest, then the middle east, then the middle west, then the northwest, and finally the northeast. After you hit that last switch, go to the lift to find it rising. Lower the lift and ride it up. The exit is in the center.

Secrets
There are no official secrets on this map.

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

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