Shadowman

Shadowman is a Russian Doom level designer, who started his Doom level making in 2005. Previously he tried his skills in other games, particularly, Heroes of Might and Magic 2 & 3, Wolfenstein 3D, AD&D Unlimited Adventures. Currently, only 2 HoMM 2 maps have left, and two half-completed episodes for Wolf3D (one of them had not only new levels, but also some new sprites).

His first wad for Doom (Hellfire) Shadowman was made over the course of one and a half year. In it, he has embodied his main ideas, which later have evolved in other levels. Doomsday was the first source-port for which Shadowman developed levels, including Hellfire and Netherworld.

Cheogsh (2007), for GZDoom, became a considerable mark in Shadowman's mapping. It was dedicated to a close friend of the author, KoLoBoK[iddqd], who suddenly died because of acute heart failure in the same year. There is a location in the wad, made by KoLoBoK[iddqd], and modified for GZDoom by Shadowman. Cheogsh has received a Cacoward in the same 2007.

Shadowman has continued to develop the themes planned in Cheogsh. As a result, two sequels were released &mdash; Cheogsh 2 (in collaboration with Guest, 2009) and Realms of Cheogsh (ROCH, 2010).

Cheogsh 2 and ROCH have appeared in the Runners Up category in the 2009 and 2010 Cacowards.

Along with the Cheogsh trilogy, Shadowman has periodically released small wads, containing 1-3 levels in limit-removing format & Boom (Kobal, Kobal 2, Yuggot, Inflation Bay, Pi2, Downhell, Pieklo and 5 years).

Shadowman also took part in a number of the collective projects organized by Russian Doom Community - Grid 32, Da Will, Heroes' Tales (all of them - in limit-removing format). The last wad was a result of few speedmapping contests, with all levels improved, plus more added to make a full 32-leveled megawad (although in the final - there were 33 levels).

Shadowman's level designing style in whole can be characterized as "realistic": for example, city-designed level represents city quarter, and the interior of houses/buildings is made realistic enough (furniture, cases, beds etc.). "Infernal" levels are more abstract, but even in them the elements of realistic architecture can be seen: lava caves, mines, devilish temples, etc. Nevertheless, late Shadowman's levels have got more abstract character (most accurately it is visible in the Kobal series).

2007

 * Hellfire
 * Cheogsh
 * Kobal

2008

 * Grid 32 (Map 01, map 03, map 06)
 * Yuggot
 * Inflation Bay
 * Freakmapping#3 (fm3_shad.pk3)

2009

 * Da Will (along with Clan B0S)
 * MAP01: Mezoamerica
 * Kobal 2
 * Downhell
 * Heroes' Tales
 * MAP02: Ruins
 * MAP07: Colliseum
 * MAP11: The Source
 * MAP19: Spawning Vats
 * MAP21: Hell's Maw
 * MAP25: Hell's Atrium
 * MAP27: Onslaught
 * MAP31: Secret of the Pharaoh
 * Cheogsh 2 (along with Guest)
 * Hellfire 2

2010

 * 5 years
 * Pi2
 * Pieklo
 * Alien Flower (part of Tuning Contest#5 aka Freakmapping) (fm5_shad.zip)
 * Realm of Cheogsh (also known as "ROCH" or "Cheogsh 3")

2011

 * Whitemare
 * MAP11: Nord Keep
 * MAP32: Mogor's House
 * Hellfire: Reborn

2012

 * The Inquisitor
 * Khorus

2014

 * Whitemare 2
 * MAP10: Operation 'Blizzard'
 * MAP16: Mystery Island
 * MAP25: Inside the Pyramid
 * MAP28: March of the Viles
 * MAP30: Operation 'Antimaydan'

Misc.

 * His favorite composer is Edward Grieg, although Shadowman has never used his music in his own levels. But the music of James C. McMenamy (from Anvil of Dawn videogame) is in Cheogsh & Cheogsh 2 (ROCH uses music themes from Unreal, Diablo 1&2).
 * Many of Shadowman's levels contain different historical-mythological and philosophical hints, which author names "the second sense". However, players usually aren't paying attention to it, but if you will ever play Cheogsh series, you may probably get more attentively accustomed to portraits, stylistics and you might think over the point of the texts, which are in the wad...