E3M3: Pandemonium (Doom)

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This level has a
console version.

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This level has a
Super NES version.

This level occupies the map slot E3M3. For other maps which occupy this slot, see Category:E3M3.

E3M3: Pandemonium is the third map of Inferno in Doom. It was designed by Tom Hall and Sandy Petersen. It uses the music "Deep Into The Code". Pandæmonium is the name of the capital of Hell and the palace of Satan in John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost.[1] The par time is 1:30.

Walkthrough[edit]

Map of Pandemonium
Letters in italics refer to marked spots on the map. Sector, thing, and linedef numbers in boldface are secrets which count toward the end-of-level tally.

Essentials[edit]

You start in the center of the most southern area. Walk straight up the stairs to enter a wooden area with a switch in the end and two stairs on the sides (close to the switch). The switch lowers the pedestal in this area with a shotgun on top. Take the right stairs (east) and enter a red bloody roof. Turn right and walk forward. Take right again once you will be lowered on an elevator and enter a spacier and pinker corridor.

Walk forward. To your right you can see another elevator, but choose to go down the metallic stairs and you will find the blue key. Go back the same way you came back to the start or use the aforementioned elevator as a shortcut with items at the top. Be careful since the floor hurts.

This time take the western road and pass a room with green toxic and a room with moving walls. Go up the stairs in the next room and pass it and to a wooden door far away. To the left of the door (looking at it), there is an area with the blue door to the right. Inside is the exit.

Secrets[edit]

  1. From the start, hang right (east), then turn left into a hall with several lion-faced walls. Between the last two on the right is a dark hidden hallway leading to a secret area. (sector 71)
  2. In secret #1, cross the bridge and follow the path to the end. Flip the switch to raise the sunken floor. The next room counts as a secret also. Alternatively, run across the red nukage to the berserk pack, and enter the room behind it. (sector 164)
  3. At the end of the lion-faced hall is a circular nukage room where the path splits off in two; follow the left one and drop into the nukage pool. Hidden around the right corner is a chaingun. (sector 184)
  4. Once you have reached the cement-walled room in the northwest (with two balconies overlooking it, one of which is fenced in), follow the narrow hall next to the fenced-in balcony. Go up the stairs to the left; the balcony itself counts as a secret. (sector 110) A nearby blood/lava pool contains a soul sphere and a BFG9000, the first one in the game.
  5. In the outdoor area with the blue door at the northern end of the map, there is a raised platform in the center of the room resembling an altar. Walk around to the back and step on the brown floor. A wall across the way and to the right will open up. Inside is a computer area map. (sector 154)
  6. Similar to secret #5, but on the opposite side of the entrance to the area. This wall must be opened manually through walking closer to it. (sector 187)

Bugs[edit]

Two energy cells (Things 19 and 20) have no flags set for any of the difficulty classes, so they do not actually appear in the level.

There are 26 uncategorized anomalies in this level's REJECT table.

Bugs in older versions[edit]

In Doom v1.1, flipping the switch inside the sunken floor also raises the floor. If you then flip the switch to the south, the floor will then try to move up into and through the ceiling. Later versions of Doom fix this bug.

Areas / screenshots[edit]

Speedrunning[edit]

Routes and tricks[edit]

Current Compet-n records[edit]

The Compet-n records for the map are:

Run Time Player Date File Notes
UV speed 00:22 Marijo Sedlić (Sedlo) 2004-03-20 e3m3-022.zip
NM speed 00:27 Adam Williamson 1999-10-21 n3m3-027.zip
UV max 02:12 M. Phoenix Dailey (Archy) 2012-02-26 e3m3-212.zip
NM100S 01:11 Radek Pecka 2003-07-02 n3s3-111.zip
UV -fast 02:29 Radek Pecka 2000-11-19 f3m3-229.zip
UV -respawn 02:09 M. Phoenix Dailey (Archy) 2013-03-24 r3m3-209.zip
UV Tyson 02:25 Jim Leonard (Xit Vono) 2003-04-07 t3m3-225.zip
UV pacifist 00:22 Marijo Sedlić (Sedlo) 2004-03-20 e3m3-022.zip

The data was last verified in its entirety on July 6, 2020.

Current DSDA records[edit]

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

Run Time Player Date File Notes
UV speed 0:22.91 Marijo Sedlić (Sedlo) 2004-03-20 e3m3-022.zip Cross-listed from Pacifist
NM speed 0:24.83 stan1234 2022-11-06 n3m3-024.zip
UV max 1:59.11 NightTerror 2020-08-16 e3m3m-159.zip
NM 100S 1:06.20 T0yOta 2022-10-27 N3S3-106.zip
UV -fast 2:17.40 BFGandorf 2023-04-24 f3m3-217.zip
UV -respawn 1:57.66 Jim Leonard (Xit Vono) 2023-09-21 r3m3-157.zip
UV Tyson 2:20.37 Jim Leonard (Xit Vono) 2023-09-19 t3m3-220.zip
UV pacifist 0:22.91 Marijo Sedlić (Sedlo) 2004-03-20 e3m3-022.zip
NoMo 0:20.57 depr4vity 2020-02-19 e3nolmps.zip
Stroller 0:43.86 slowfade 2023-11-15 e3m3str43.zip

The data was last verified in its entirety on December 4, 2023.

Deathmatch[edit]

Player spawns[edit]

This level contains seven spawn points:

  1. facing north. (thing 191)
  2. facing north. (thing 192)
  3. facing north-west. (thing 193)
  4. facing north. (thing 194)
  5. facing west. (thing 195)
  6. facing east. (thing 196)
  7. facing south. (thing 197)

Statistics[edit]

Map data[edit]

Things 209
Vertices 986*
Linedefs 1102
Sidedefs 1394
Sectors 192
* The vertex count without the effect of node building is 905.

Things[edit]

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

Inspiration and development[edit]

Early versions of this level appeared as E1M9 of Doom 0.4 and E1M5 of Doom 0.5. The map was originally conceived as the Control Center of the Tei Tenga base mentioned in the Doom Bible. The map was meant to connect both the "public" and "restricted" sides of the base, serving as a central hub of sorts, having many exits to different maps.

Gallery[edit]

Trivia[edit]

  • Collecting the soul sphere located in the lava pit within the center of the map is a prime spot to show the rare ouch face.
  • The track in this level is based off of "Behind the Crooked Cross" by Slayer. The SNES port uses the song "On the Hunt".
  • The official French name of this level is Pandémonium (accents are not reflected in the game itself due to technical limitations).

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Milton, John. "Paradise Lost." The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton (Cambridge Edition), edited by William Vaughn Moody, 111-112. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Co., 1899.