MAP31: Disarming the Mechanism (Community Chest 3)

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Community Chest 3 secret maps

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Secret maps

This level occupies the map slot MAP31. For other maps which occupy this slot, see Category:MAP31.
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MAP31: Disarming the Mechanism is the secret level of Community Chest 3. It was designed by Chris Kassap (lupinx-Kassman), and was the author's sixth level. It uses a MIDI conversion, by Sephiroth3, of the music track "Old Sense" from Zero Wing, which plays in the "Submarine Tunnel" stage.

In this level, the hellspawn have armed a viral bomb at the core of the Theta Complex, with the intent of destroying the world. Your objective is to find the bomb, and disarm it within 30 minutes.

This level contains a secret exit leading to MAP32: Installation 07 Warszawa, which can only be reached by disarming the bomb. Completing this level through the normal exit takes the player to MAP16: Hangman's Noose.

Walkthrough[edit]

Map of Disarming the Mechanism
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]

Other points of interest[edit]

Secrets[edit]

  1. At the start of the level, open the door behind you to find a berserk. (sector 869)
  2. Once you have the yellow key, open the door to the southeast of the UAC insignia on the floor, and press the switch inside to raise a bridge across the chasm. Cross the bridge and enter the building on the other end to find two bullet boxes, one box of shells, a megaarmor, and a partial invisibility. (sector 282)
  3. In the southernmost hallway, west of the core, is a glowing wall with blue triangles upon it on the western part of the hallway. Press this wall to obtain a computer area map. (sector 1445)

Bugs[edit]

The following things have no flags set for any of the three difficulty classes, so they do not actually appear in the level: a shotgun guy (thing 139), a medikit (141), and three stimpacks (143, 145 and 146).

The teleporter that descends when the bomb is disarmed (sector 1668) loses its teleporter flat, retaining its function but making it indistinguishable from the floor.

There is always an inaccessible invulnerability sphere (thing 1151) in the deathmatch-only area that can not be reached in single-player or even otherwise in deathmatch, making 100% items impossible to achieve.

The deathmatch-only area contains other issues:

  • A teleport platform in the deathmatch area (sector 449) is untagged and does not descend when its button is pressed.
  • Teleporters at the bottom (sectors 1570, 1189) have misaligned flats.
  • A teleporter landing at the core (sector 435) has the same flat as the floor, unlike those nearby.
  • There are no teleporters leading back out of the core, trapping anyone who comes here. A rocket launcher is obtainable and an arrow points to a raised teleporter, suggesting a vertical rocket jump for source ports that allow it, leading to a BFG9000, but this is also a dead end.
  • Even if the BFG is reached, it is impossible to leave the room as an inoperable door is blocking the way out.

Demo files[edit]

Areas / screenshots[edit]

Speedrunning[edit]

Routes and tricks[edit]

Current records[edit]

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

Run Time Player Date File Notes
UV speed (normal exit)
UV speed (secret exit)
NM speed (normal exit)
NM speed (secret exit)
UV max 9:18.17 Aquasa 2020-02-18 c331-918.zip
NM 100S
UV -fast
UV -respawn
UV Tyson
UV pacifist (normal exit)
UV pacifist (secret exit)

The data was last verified in its entirety on January 13, 2022.

Deathmatch[edit]

Map of MAP31's deathmatch arena

This level includes its own, separate deathmatch arena.

Player spawns[edit]

This level contains eight spawn points:

  1. facing south-east. (thing 1132)
  2. facing north-east. (thing 1134)
  3. facing south-west. (thing 1136)
  4. facing north-west. (thing 1138)
  5. facing east. (thing 1168)
  6. facing south. (thing 1171)
  7. facing west. (thing 1172)
  8. facing north. (thing 1175)

Things[edit]

The following things (per skill level) are placed in the arena:

Weapons 1-2 3 4-5
Shotgun 4
Super shotgun 4
Chaingun 4
Rocket launcher 1
Plasma gun 5
BFG9000 1
Ammunition 1-2 3 4-5
Box of bullets 4
4 shotgun shells 18
Box of rockets 4
Energy cell 6
Energy cell pack 4
Health & Armor 1-2 3 4-5
Stimpack 8
Items 1-2 3 4-5
Invulnerability 1
Miscellaneous 1-2 3 4-5
Deathmatch start 8
Teleport landing 10

Statistics[edit]

Map data[edit]

Things 1298
Vertices 9848*
Linedefs 9882
Sidedefs 16386
Sectors 1821
* The vertex count without the effect of node building is 8227.

Things[edit]

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

Technical information[edit]

Inspiration and development[edit]

The original "story" of this level was that the Nazis had taken over a base and had a bomb set to destroy Community Chest itself. The monitor at the normal exit also told the player that if they did not disarm the bomb, they would not reach "Shadow Dweller's level." All of this was changed at the request of playtester Eric Baker (The Green Herring), who felt this was an inappropriate break of the fourth wall.

Also, ironically enough, both map16 and map32 were made by Shadow Dweller.

Trivia[edit]

This map is notable for utilizing the voodoo doll effect to simulate the timer by placing the doll in an isolated room full of explosive barrels and a very tall crusher. After approximately 30 minutes have passed and the player has not yet disarmed the bomb, the crusher reaches the barrels and crushes them, detonating the entire room and killing the player in the process (unless the God mode cheat is enabled before it happens).

See also[edit]

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]