MAP01: Staging Area (Doom 64)

MAP01: Staging Area is the first map of Doom 64. It was designed by Randy Estrella. It uses the music track "The Madness".

Essentials
When you begin the level, you may have to deal with troopers in the cages to the left and right if you're playing on I own Doom! or Watch me die!. Afterwards, you can turn around and pick open the door (A) to open a smaller room area with a berserk. You may want to save this for later. Drop down and grab the shotgun. In the hallway, you'll encounter sergeants. Head down the hallway killing them, but be wary as you reach the halfway point. The wall at (B) will open, revealing two medikits and a demon on higher skill levels. Enter the door on the left side of the hallway after. Kill the troopers in here. Head up the steps to the conveyor belt (watch out for the panel in the opposite wall; it opens revealing more troopers). Hit the switch at (C) and run back across to the newly opened door, where you can pick up a chainsaw. As you head up to the conveyor belt via the stairs, a panel will open on the other side of the room with one or two troopers behind it.

Take the elevator at (D) to reach a maze of sorts. As the elevator heads up, prepare to be attacked from all sides from troopers and a demon if you're playing on higher difficulty levels. Switch (E) opens the door to room (E), though it's timed and you'll have to be quick. Inside is a blue key. On lower difficulty levels, the key is sitting out in the open, right next to the switch while a berserk pack will occupy room (E) instead.

Head back down and open the blue door at (F). Kill the troopers in this room, and head up the stairs, killing more sergeants. Switch (G) at the end of the hall opens the room behind you, and Demons pour out. Kill them (chainsaw works well here) and hit the switch in the back of this room to open up the wall at (H). Head from here into room (I), kill the demons and make sure to check behind the wall on the west side of the room on higher difficulty levels, since there are sergeants that hide behind it.

Open the door to the exit room (J), kill the imp, and hit the switch to exit the level.

Other points of interest
Across from the blue door (F) is a small blood spot on the wall. Open the wall here and jump in the teleporter to end up back on the starting platform. Moments later, one or two sergeants will spawn in the area below. — This teleporter closes after using – at least in Doom 64 EX, but not in Doom 64 TC: Absolution.

Secrets
Once you've destroyed the last barrel, quickly open the wall at (A) and run to the left to enter the teleporter. This is the entrance to MAP32: Hectic.
 * 1) In room (C) use the step to get up to the ledge with the boxes of bullets. Run across the small gap to the metal panel, which you can open for green armor.
 * 2) Up in the maze (near switch (E)), there's a hidden panel on the south side of the room that opens up to room (K). Inside is a blue armor.
 * 3) Head through the blue door (F). Climb up the stairs so you can run across to the switch at (L). This lowers a pillar in the corner of the room. Run to it and jump in the hole before it rises again and you'll be lifted up to a soulsphere.
 * 4) This overly-complex secret spans the entire map. There are ten explosive barrels scattered around the map, and blowing up all ten causes a teleporter to open for a brief period of time, leading to a secret level. The teleporter in question is through door (A), in the room with the berserk pack. Therefore, you need to save the very first barrel for last. Here is a list of all the map's barrels:
 * In the lower half of the starting area
 * In room (C)
 * In the maze (take the elevator at D and turn around when you reach the top)
 * In secret area (K) (see secret #2)
 * In room (L)
 * In secret area (L) (see secret #3; after getting the soulsphere, hit the switch behind it to drop to a lower room with the barrel. You can use the teleporter next to it to return to the starting area later.)
 * In the room you open with switch (G)
 * After opening the wall at (H), head through and take a left into the yellow outlined room; the floor drops, and you'll see the barrel here alongside ten health bonuses. — Using the noisy monitor here shows a camera view at secret #3 – supported by Doom 64 EX, but not by Doom 64 TC: Absolution
 * In exit room (J)
 * On the upper half of the starting area; use the teleport behind the sixth barrel on this list to make it back up here

Note: Due to the fact that you get a small bit of storyline instead of the completion screen, you won't be able to see that you've gotten 100% of the secrets for this level.