MAP12: Subterra (PlayStation Final Doom)

MAP12: Subterra is the twelfth map of PlayStation Final Doom, and the twelfth map of the Master Levels episode. It is based on the PC version of MAP01: Subterra from the Master Levels for Doom II, with modifications to accommodate the PlayStation's framerate and memory limitations and add enhancements such as colored lighting. It uses the music track "The Broken Ones".

The author of the original level was Christen Klie. Changes for the PlayStation port were authored by Tim Heydelaar.

Essentials
Step forward to raise yourself out of the pit and collect a shotgun (if required). The doors out of this area will open automatically when you approach them, revealing two Hell knights. Climb down either staircase and step on the lift at the bottom, then get off at the middle floor (by going north). You will see four teleport pads in front of you which will take you back to the starting area when stepped on; the sides of the teleporter correspond to which corner you will appear in. Step on the south-east corner of the teleporter, then drop down a step and take the red skull key from the ledge.

Return to the lift and take it to the bottom floor. Open the door in the south wall to enter a room full of damaging blood (this is not an immediate problem as you will pick up an invulnerability sphere when entering the room). Open the door in the south-east corner to enter a caged area, walk around this cage and press the switch at the end. Go back to the blood room and head back through the north door. Open the door in the north wall (marked by a red arrow on the floor) to enter a room filled with gory decorations. Climb down either staircase and take the blue skull key from the pedestal.

Return to the lift and get off at the middle floor again. Head west to find another red door and go through it. Now look south to see a number of square wood platforms over a nukage pit - walk carefully over these platforms (as the nukage here is inescapable if you fall into it) until you reach a teleporter, which will take you to a room with three bridges. Open the west door and follow the narrow passage down several lifts. Once you reach the bottom, head south past the yellow door and press the switch on the south wall. Use the lifts to get back to the bridge room, then open the north door and press use on the wall behind it to lower the floor below you. Follow the walkway in front of you past two monster cages until you collect the yellow skull key.

Drop down to the floor and head west back to the yellow door, and go through it. Head south and open the blue door, then push the switch which is revealed next to you to light the path ahead. Go all the way down the lit staircase and press the switch at the end, then head back up to the blue door and go north into a nukage pit. Follow the pit north-east to the exit switch and press it to finish the level.

Other points of interest

 * A soulsphere can be found on a raised platform in the blood room. You can reach it by jumping down from the ledge at the north end of the room.
 * A plasma gun is placed in front of the switch that lowers the blue skull key's pedestal.
 * A rocket launcher, three boxes of rockets and three medikits can be found south of the walkway leading to the yellow skull key.
 * A BFG9000 and energy cell pack are hidden in the nukage in the south-western room. They can easily be found by going through the blue door and walking due south until you fall off the staircase.

Secrets

 * 1) In the dark south-western room, enter the teleporter in this room from the north or east. You will be teleported onto the soulsphere at the bottom of the staircase in this room. (sector 50)

Room design

 * All switches use a red/green LED on metal wall texture (SW1MET2).
 * Approaching the doors leading out of the starting area causes both of them to open automatically; on PC, this also opens two doors blocking the lift in the next room. The doors by the lift are removed in the PlayStation version of the level, which allows players to enter the starting rooms in deathmatch.
 * The ledge holding the invulnerability powerup will lower like a lift if you press use on its east or west walls. This allows you to escape the blood pits in this room if you fall into them.
 * Different textures are used for the wood platforms in the nukage pit north of the starting area.
 * Meat hook decorations are added to the blood room east of the starting area.
 * A sector east of the blood room (containing many imps) has a lower ceiling. The steps leading to this area are straight instead of pointed.
 * In the area with the cross-shaped bridge, the east and west bridges will lower like lifts if you press use on their north walls, while the south bridge lowers if activated from either side. This allows you to escape from the nukage pits if you fall into them. If you fall into either of the south pits before raising the south bridge, however, you will not be able to escape.
 * The south-western room with the dark staircase has a lower ceiling.
 * Two metal pillars are removed from the north-east and north-west corners of the large northern cavern.
 * The height of the nukage pit in front of the exit switch is reduced.
 * An exit sign is added above the exit switch.

Monster placement

 * Cacodemons are removed without replacement.
 * The caged baron of Hell in the north area of the map, on the path to the yellow skull key, is replaced with a Hell knight.

Player spawns
This level contains four spawn points:
 * 1) facing south-west. (thing 166)
 * 2) facing east. (thing 178)
 * 3) facing south. (thing 179)
 * 4) facing east. (thing 180)

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

Trivia
The starting area has four pits containing shotguns; players start in these pits and are raised upwards when player one moves. On PlayStation Doom, two of the pits are redundant as there can only be a maximum of two players.