SLIGE

SLIGE - which stands for "Space Llama Interment Gazelle Expert" - is a random level generator for Doom, written by David M. Chess. The program is available as a Windows executable and as C source code. SLIGE was under active development in the late 1990s; the last official release, build 485, was released in February 2001.

The generator will usually create levels which primarily consist of killing monsters and picking up health, weapons, and ammunition before reaching the exit. It is possible to modify SLIGE so that it creates more puzzle-oriented levels, where the player needs to find keys or switches before being able to advance. The last official version of SLIGE can create only vanilla-compatible maps.

SLIGE was listed on Doomworld's Top 10 Infamous WADs, due to the reason that the quality of the SLIGE-generated maps was so good that many unscrupulous mappers claimed that the maps were entirely their own handwork. By default SLIGE tags the first sector of each level as a secret, and thus it is likely that older levels that start the player in a secret sector were based on SLIGE templates.

The program may be modified and redistributed under the following terms:

- If you make various changes and improvements to it and release a modified version yourself: - Write me and tell me about it so I can be pleased, - Mention me and SLIGE in the docs somewhere, and - Please *don't* call your new program "SLIGE". SLIGE is      my program. Call yours "BLIGE" or "EGGISLES" or "MUMFO" or something like that.

Behavior
SLIGE uses the concept of "quests" to generate a level layout, which is randomized based on a seed value. SLIGE will branch off into separate sections for teleporters, and will "halt" additional generation and create an exit if the algorithm's current coordinates hit a previously created structure. SLIGE also contains prefabs, but unlike other level generators, every aspect of the prefabs are randomized to avoid repetition, including adding crates, "swelling" the room to reduce orthogonal angles, and generating small courtyards.

SLIGE also can be modified in terms of theme and item placement with configuration files. BLUE.CFG is provided as an example.

Due to SLIGE's algorithm, it produces boxy, maze-like levels with 90 degree angles. This limitation is not unique, however, as OBLIGE and ObHack also produce largely square areas.

If SLIGE is told to produce a large number of rooms, it has the tendency to create long, straight passageways which can crash older nodebuilders due to the map size.

Trivia

 * There is a modified version of SLIGE uploaded to ZDoom Forums as slige2.zip, of unknown origin. Compiled in March 2003, this version was claimed to fix various bugs that could trap the player in a room unless the no clipping cheat was used.