E3M7: Back To System Central (ConC.E.R.Ned)

E3M7: Back To System Central is the seventh map in episode Hellish Extermination of ConC.E.R.Ned. It was designed by Matt Powell (cannonball) and uses the music track "Backfire," originally composed by Paul Corfiatis for 2002 A Doom Odyssey.

Essentials
Take the shotgun in front of you then go outside and head south past some zombies, imps and lost souls to a red building containing a cacodemon (or baron of Hell on Hurt Me Plenty (HMP) skill level or higher). Press the skull switch inside this building then go outside and head west across a bridge that has risen to reach the main building, open the door and head forward past some shotgun guys to a gray hall with more imps. Go up the north staircase to a ledge with shotgun guys and imps guarding a chaingun (the blue keycard can be found here as well, but is currently out of reach) then look west and shoot the button on the far wall to open a door below. Go back downstairs and pass through the door you just opened, then turn right and right again to find some shotgun guys protecting armor and a switch; the switch will open the north door, but will also release two spectres behind you.

Head through the north door to a large nukage pit then turn right to enter a winding hallway which you should follow all the way to a tan door. Open the door and kill the zombiemen (or shotgun guys on HMP or higher) waiting behind it then flip the switch on the east wall and go back the way you came, passing a chamber with imps that opens on the way. Just after passing this chamber, go through a doorway on your left to flip a switch on the other side of a newly-raised bridge then return to the large nukage pit where another bridge has risen, letting you reach two buttons on the other side. Press the right-hand button to lower the bars next to it then go through a tan door to an S-shaped path that leads up to an encounter with some shotgun guys, imps and demons. Head north across a stone bridge and push past one or two barons to a switch, flip it then go back to where you found the two buttons; another set of bars to the north has lowered allowing you to reach a switch below some blue key markers. After flipping this switch, backtrack to the center room and go up the stairs to collect the blue key.

Go back down the stairs and get ready to dispose of some barons that teleport in (or a cyberdemon on Ultra-Violence and Nightmare), then go through the south-west door and head forward to a junction - you will see the red keycard on the other side of a lava pit, being guarded by one or more barons. Follow the marble passage north and west until you reach a metal doorway, then walk through to a large lava valley that has a stone ledge running round it. Follow the ledge round to the south-west side of the valley and press the switch here to raise a bridge on your left, but arm yourself as a spiderdemon will teleport to the nearby platform. Follow the bridges north to another switch and flip it, then return to the smaller lava pit you saw earlier; a bridge has risen across it letting you reach the red key.

Head back through the blue key door and kill any demons and barons that have appeared in the center room, then go through the south door to a large junction with a variety of enemies. Go through the west doorway and round the corner to confront one or two cacodemons in front of a door, head through to a small room with some shotgun guys then go west through another door to a Y-junction; take the north path and go through a third door, then follow a red passage down past some imps and spectres to a large cavern with a BFG-9000. Head west to a narrow staircase and climb up it to a skull switch guarded by some zombies, press the switch then head due south across a bridge that rises to enter a marble hall; head forward slowly to dispose of the shotgun guys hiding behind the columns on either side, then go up some steps to another skull switch protected by one or two barons. After pressing this switch, backtrack to the large junction past the red key door (watch out for a cyberdemon that has teleported to the red cavern on the way) then head south to collect the yellow keycard.

Go through the east door and follow the hallway past some zombiemen to a seemingly empty room with a button; pressing it will open the bars on either side but will also open two closets behind you containing spectres. Go outside and head south-west to a skull switch but arm yourself before pressing it; doing so will lower the bars blocking the nearby exit portal, but to reach it you will have to fight your way past a spiderdemon along with one to four cyberdemons and a horde of smaller enemies. Once your path to the exit portal is clear, step through it to end the level.

Other points of interest
After passing through the blue key door in the center room, follow the marble passage until you see another locked door on your right that leads to a chamber with three switches (you can also reach these switches from secret #4). The switches will lower three pillars in the starting area holding a supercharge, a BFG9000 and a megaarmor; taking any of the items will cause a few barons to teleport to the marble blocks in this area.

Secrets

 * 1) Go on the bridge leading to the building, and about halfway, turn around and quickly run to the south-east building to get a plasma gun in the north-west corner. (sector 34)
 * 2) Inside the central room, go to either of the doors on the west side and use the wall with the candle to find armor bonuses and a backpack. (sector 141)
 * 3) At the end of the winding hallway north of the central room, shoot the north terminal and you will open the north-east wall with energy cell packs, boxes of rockets, and a megaarmor in the cage past the door. (sector 63)
 * 4) After flipping the switch at the end of the winding hall, head back until you find the first monster closet to the south. Enter it and use the south switch on the column. Head all the way back to the room with the large nukage pit, west of the bridge that the switch raised, and go through the west passage to find a computer area map and a room with a box of bullets, boxes of rockets, an energy cell pack, a blue door, and three switches. (sector 175) These switches lower the pillars at the south end of the starting area.
 * 5) At the northern-most switch, enter the damaging blood and get a radiation shielding suit as you head further north. Follow the path as it goes north, east, and south to health bonuses, armor bonuses, an energy cell pack and a berserk pack. (sector 386)
 * 6) In the lava valley at the west side, head to the south-west switch and walk round to its back side to find another switch. Flip the back switch then quickly run back north and west into a cave to get a partial invisibility, an energy cell pack and a medikit. (sector 449)
 * 7) In the room with the switch that lowers the yellow key, there is a hidden button on the west wall. Use it, then get out of the room as well as the red area. Head south afterwards, then get on the lowered ledge to the teleporter. Take it to get to a secret room with boxes of rockets and an energy cell pack. Climb up to the switch, which lowers the supercharge and partial invisibility in the room with the teleporter, and also pick up energy cells and medikits in this room when the closets open up. (sector 793)
 * 8) Go through the yellow key door and follow it to the button that opens the bars on either side along with two closets containing spectres. Enter the east closet and lower the brown wall. Ride it up, then head to the end of the hall to find a switch, which will lower an invulnerability you just passed. (sector 599)

Current records
The records for the map at the Doom Speed Demo Archive are:

The (absence of) data was last verified in its entirety on December 20, 2021.

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