E4M8: An End to Darkness (Ultimate Doom the Way id Did)

Ultimate Doom the Way id Did maps
E4M1: Into The Grave E4M2: Vile Affections E4M3: Earth, Blood and Fire E4M4: Unclean Spirits E4M5: Doctrines of Devils E4M6: Molten Gods E4M7: Hand of the Heathen E4M8: An End to Darkness E4M9: Terror

This level occupies the map slot E4M8. For other maps which occupy this slot, see Category:E4M8.

E4M8: An End to Darkness is the eighth and final map of Ultimate Doom the Way id Did. It was designed by Xaser Acheron. The par time defined in the DEHACKED lump is 2:45.

Walkthrough

Map of An End to Darkness

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

Take the shotgun and supercharge in front of you, then press the satyr switch on the east wall and follow the passage behind it to a room with imps, one or more shotgun guys and a spectre (or baron of Hell on Hurt Me Plenty skill level or higher). On the east side of this room are four red bars that must be opened to reach a switch that opens the way forward, and on the west side of the room are two switches that raise and lower the bars in the corridor to the south.

Enter the west chamber and flip the left-hand switch followed by the right-hand switch twice, then go back into the passage and head west until you reach a door with a satyr switch on it. Go through the door and head due east to a T-junction, then continue east until you reach the bars you just raised; you can step across them and go through the false wall in front of you to reach bar switch #1. Now go back to the room with the red bars and enter the west chamber again, flip the left-hand switch followed by the right-hand switch once, then go back to the T-junction and take the south path to get to another take junction. Head west first to press bar switch #2, then go east until you reach another set of bars that lead to a second false wall. Go through the wall and climb the steps to a marble ledge, then go to the east wall to press bar switch #3 - this will also activate crushers above the brightly-lit parts of the room. Head west through a pair of cross-shaped windows to land in a section with a rocket launcher, then continue west through another window to find one or two barons guarding the final bar switch.

With all the bar switches pressed, go back to the bar room and flip the switch that was hidden behind them to open the door at the south end of the corridor behind you. Go through that door (it will close behind you) to reach a fenced bridge and follow it south and south-west through two square buildings holding imps and shotgun guys; the bridge past the second building is blocked by a cyberdemon, but if you wait then it should teleport to a different bridge and clear your path. Continue on to a third square building and head north to a lion door, open it and collect a plasma gun and armor before stepping on the red teleporter in this room to go to a room with damaging blood. Flip the switch in the north-west corner to open a door back to the starting point, then go down either staircase to the east and west to find a corridor leading to a gargoyle switch. Press the switch to get to the arena in the center of the map, then press the gargoyle switch in the middle to raise spiderdemons from the marble structures on either side; get them to infight if you can.

Once both spiderdemons are dead, the water will lower along with the metal columns surrounding the arena, but do not relax as a large number of monsters will start teleporting in along with two or three cyberdemons. Enter the area south-west of the arena, then go to the south-west corner and follow the candles to a tunnel. Climb the steps in this tunnel to a metal structure and press the gargoyle switch on its south-east pillar to lower a teleporter, then enter the teleporter to return to the square building south of the arena. Go through the now-open door in front of you and go straight forward over some invisible bridges until you reach a sky floor, then step on the white teleporter in the middle of this floor to finish the episode.

Other points of interest

In the teleporter room south of the starting point, flip the switch in the north-east corner to reveal a satyr switch in the starting room. This will raise steps leading up to the red skull key at the north end. The key can be used to open the room on the east side of the map.

Secrets

1. At the start, take the corridor behind the satyr switch until you reach the next satyr switch. Use it to open the next wall, then open the wall directly to your right to find a partial invisibility. (sector 498)
2. To the east and west of the big arena with the spiderdemons are two rooms with teleporters leading to each other. The receiving sides of the teleporters both have switches which open up sides on the opposite ends. To get this secret and secret #3, use the satyr switch on the east side, then quickly enter the teleporter to go to the west side and press the gargoyle switch if it is not open. The two skull doors will be open. Note that secrets #2 and #3 will lead to secrets #6 and #7 as well. (sector 134)
3. See secret #2. (sector 367)
4. To get this secret and secret #5, use the gargoyle switch on the west side, then quickly enter the teleporter to go to the east side to find two metal walls open, allowing you to reach an energy cell and a backpack. (sector 377)
5. See secret #4. (sector 369)
6. Take the corridor past secret #3 to a switch. Press it to open the wall and get an invulnerability (not on Ultra-Violence or Nightmare) and a box of rockets. (sector 356)
7. Take the corridor past secret #2 to a switch. Press it to open the wall and get a box of bullets. (sector 674)
8. At the southern-most room, press on the north-west wall for monsters and a passage to a switch which raises the steps. (sector 756)
9. Take the steps from the previous secret and press on the back wall to find radiation shielding suits and a computer area map. (sector 746)
10. After you get the red key, go all the way to the east end of the walkways and open the door at the end. To get the BFG9000 in the middle, press on the back wall, which will lower the ground so you can get the BFG. (sector 603)
11. At the start, take the corridor behind the lion switch until you reach the next room. Press on the wall with the face dead ahead to get an armor. (sector 576)
12. In the same room as the previous secret, approach the north wall for it to lower. Get past the enemies to the teleporter, picking up the plasma gun and other supplies as the lift rises up. When you return to the starting point, be prepared for several more monsters to show up. (sector 631)

Bugs

The switch that raises the steps to the red key can be pressed without raising it first.

Areas / screenshots

• 

  Starting room

• 

  Crushers room

• 

  Surviving some ambushes in the dark room

• 

  Killing the teleporting cyberdemon

• 

  Spiderdemons fighting each other

• 

  Killing the last cyberdemon

• 

  Exit room

Speedrunning

Current records

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

Run	Time	Player	Date	File	Notes
UV speed	1:45.29	Altima	2023-10-20	i4d8-145.zip
NM speed
UV max
NM 100S
UV -fast
UV -respawn
UV Tyson
UV pacifist	9:11.34	Kyle McAwesome	2023-10-27	i4d8p911.zip

The data was last verified in its entirety on November 2, 2023.

Deathmatch

Player spawns

This level contains eight spawn points:

1. facing north-west. (thing 639)
2. facing north. (thing 640)
3. facing west. (thing 641)
4. facing north. (thing 642)
5. facing north-east. (thing 643)
6. facing north-west. (thing 644)
7. facing south. (thing 645)
8. facing east. (thing 646)

Statistics

Map data

Things	669
Vertices	4427*
Linedefs	4892
Sidedefs	7114
Sectors	791

* The vertex count without the effect of node building is 3796.

Things

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

Single-player
Monsters	1-2	3	4-5
Zombieman	9	9	15
Shotgun guy	66	74	90
Imp	57	57	48
Lost soul	22	29	42
Demon	15	30	0
Spectre	6	9	40
Cacodemon	32
Baron of Hell	21	22	28
Spiderdemon	2
Cyberdemon	3	4	4
Weapons	1-2	3	4-5
Chainsaw	1
Shotgun	1
Chaingun	2
Rocket launcher	2
Plasma gun	2
BFG9000	1
Ammunition	1-2	3	4-5
Clip	6
Box of bullets	8
4 shotgun shells	20
Box of shotgun shells	3
Rocket	19
Box of rockets	15
Energy cell	10
Energy cell pack	6
Health & Armor	1-2	3	4-5
Stimpack	10	10	11
Medikit	9
Armor	3
Megaarmor	1
Items	1-2	3	4-5
Armor bonus	26
Health bonus	20
Supercharge	4	3	2
Backpack	1
Berserk	1
Computer area map	1
Invulnerability	2	2	1
Partial invisibility	1
Radiation shielding suit	4
Keys	1-2	3	4-5
Red skull key	1
Miscellaneous	1-2	3	4-5
Teleport landing	25

Multiplayer
Monsters	1-2	3	4-5
Zombieman	9	9	15
Shotgun guy	66	74	90
Imp	57	57	48
Lost soul	22	29	42
Demon	15	30	0
Spectre	6	9	40
Cacodemon	32
Baron of Hell	25	26	32
Spiderdemon	2
Cyberdemon	4	5	5
Weapons	1-2	3	4-5
Chainsaw	1
Shotgun	5
Chaingun	3
Rocket launcher	2
Plasma gun	2
BFG9000	1
Ammunition	1-2	3	4-5
Clip	6
Box of bullets	10
4 shotgun shells	20
Box of shotgun shells	5
Rocket	19
Box of rockets	19
Energy cell	12
Energy cell pack	6
Health & Armor	1-2	3	4-5
Stimpack	10	10	11
Medikit	11
Armor	3
Megaarmor	1
Items	1-2	3	4-5
Armor bonus	26
Health bonus	20
Supercharge	4	3	2
Backpack	1
Berserk	1
Computer area map	1
Invulnerability	2	2	1
Partial invisibility	1
Radiation shielding suit	4
Keys	1-2	3	4-5
Red skull key	1
Miscellaneous	1-2	3	4-5
Cooperative start	4
Deathmatch start	8
Teleport landing	25

Trivia

• The design of the start room of this tribute map, dedicated to the late John Anderson (Dr. Sleep), is based off the only screenshot known to exist of "Lethe". "Lethe" is a never released map supposed to be the final installment of the Inferno series of maps.
• The level's name is taken from Job 28:3 “He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.”

See also

• Works of the Masters

External links

• Ultimate Doom the Way id Did demos at the Doom Speed Demo Archive