Descent Special Mission
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Name: Quad Racer 
Version: 1.0
Type: Anarchy (set as Normal)
Number of Levels: 1
Keys: None
Creation Time:15+ hours
Creation Complete: 11/7/95
Creator: Luke Schneider (last@ea.oac.uci.edu)
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Description:  This is the first and only level of its kind.  Descent is usually thought
of as a fighting action game, but now thanks to innovative use of switches, Descent
becomes a great racing experience as well.  Actually, I'm not the first to make use
of switches in a race against time, and I must credit Team Death by Virgil Itliong as being
somewhat of an ancestor of this level.  However, for the first time Descent players
can race head to head to head to head.  Or if you choose you can use up to 8 players
for a frenzy in the pit.  Death count doesn't matter.  Who makes it out alive does.  The
only downfall of this level is that you can't tell how your opponents are doing until it's 
too late.  I'll explain that in the background section, so be patient.  

Instructions:  This level comes complete with a HOG and MSN file, with a soundtrack
by myself to go along with the theme of the level.  Obviously you'll load this level 
just as you load every other level, but in order to complete it and exit the mine you 
better listen up:  First thing is, you gotta go counterclockwise around the track.  This
is important.  It is possible to backtrack in some parts to activate switches, but the
fastest way is to do it how I tell ya.  There are four laps in this race, and a pair of doors
for each lap.  Laps are laid out as follows:
			Lap 2
		Lap 1		Lap 3
			Lap 4
You'll see what I mean when you play the levels.  There are two sets of four doors
for each lap laid out as above.  You must go through the current lap door in order to
make the lap count.  If you do not, the door on the other half of the track won't open.  
On the front side of the track is a flow door.  It opens immediately after you've 
passed through one of the lap doors on the front side.  This door is to prevent people
from cheating by going back after they've passed the far side lap door because the 
distance from front to far is much shorter than far to front going counterclockwise.  
That sounds confusing, I know, but it makes sense when you race.  
	The rules of the race are simple: Finish your four laps and an exit door in
your track will open.  Go through that door and race up to the reactor and blow it and 
get the hell out real fast.  The end is probably the toughest part because the door that
leads to the exit will close before you get there if you don't go as fast as possible.  
There is a mega missile right before the reactor to help you finish it off before other 
people beat you to the exit.  If someone passes you while you're lining up a shot
they can block your exit and they'll get away and you'll be screwed.  
	Up to four players can race using the level I've created.  If Descent allowed
up to 1600 cubes instead of 800 then eight player support would be added.  If you 
have four or fewer people, choose CO-OP instead of anarchy!  This way you're sure to
all end up at a good starting point.  If you have more than four people, you can still
race, but some people will start in the pit while others will get prime starting position.
If you start in the pit, you must kill yourself in order to get transported (hopefully) to
a good starting spot.  Don't get the invulnerability that's in the pit!  You will have to 
wait to kill yourself.  And then you'll never escape the mine.  You'll know you're in the
pit if there are lights in the floor and a grate in the ceiling.  It's possible to allow other
people exit if you're the first one into the exit corridor.  If you stay in the exit door you
can allow other people to go around you.  Also you can shoot the door from behind to
open it, but make sure you know who's on the other side before you do.   
	That's all I think you'll need for now.  I'm going to include a short demo to 
show that it's not as hard as I made it sound.  

Hints:  I feel obligated to help all the people who will get wasted on this level because
they don't know how to optimize their speed.  
  1)  Put cruise at 100%.  This will give you one less button to push and worry about.
  2)  Even when you use cruise control, pressing reverse still works.
  3)  Slide! This makes all the difference in the world.  But you can't see exactly where
you're going so be careful! (You must turn to use the slide to go faster)
  4)  Slide! Slide right and DOWN!  Even though you won't be able to tell where you're
going, you're going FAST!
  5)  If you do everything I said above for most of the level and you don't hear your 
ship banging into walls, you're doing AWESOME!
  6)  At the end, fire the mega-missile as you start to slide up and make a transition 
into a sliding/accelerating dash for the door.  This will ensure your victory.

Background:  This is my seventh completed Descent level using Devil.  Once again I 
used Devil 1.02.  I could practically do a level in my sleep now.  A long, long, long time
ago when Devil first came out, I had an idea for a racing level, and I started to make
one (or so I thought).  Then I realized how hard it was to use Devil (at first) and how 
long it would take to make a level worth racing (it would have to be extremely long).  
So after about 50 or so cubes that idea died and a couple weeks later I made Viper 
(second place June Interplay level contest).  A few days ago I was having dinner and
I was yourning for some racing action after the Hi-Octane demo ran like a snail on my
486-66, and the whole thing came together.  Actually I had been thinking alot about
switches since I made Super Station and played Team Death, and the racing part just
made their use seem so apparent.  Anyway, after a little trial and error I made this 
thing.  I forgot about the cube limit in Descent until a little while ago and had planned
to make an eight-track (no not from the '70s), but when I added the third and fourth 
track I had too many cubes so I had to reduce my cube count a little and now I'm 
barely under at 794 cubes (I think).  This is also how the pit came about.  I needed 
some way to have eight-players at the same time and it was the best way I could think
of.  I like the idea alot actually.  I just know some idiot is gonna see the invulnerability
and pick it up thinking he's hot.  One thing I'd like to have for next time is an
integrated race track, sort of anyway.  You'll see what I mean when it's finished, but
it will be shorter for sure and alot more chaotic.  Well, enjoy yourselves and your 
racing.  I hope people enjoy playing this level as much as I did making it (well,
maybe a little more than that).  

Well that's it.  Good luck.  Thanks go to Interplay/Parallax for the greatest game 
ever, Achim for Devil, Stefan for Dtx, and Arlo for helping me learn Devil.  And 
Ledzep finally inspiring me to get my ass in gear and make awesome levels again.
AND Virgil Itliong for making Team Death and showing that switches do have a purpose.
Don't forget to vote.

If you like this level check out some of my others: 
Multiplayer Only: Razor and Viper
Multi-Or Solo: Outpost Death and The Trench
Solo: Super Station and Demon Bridge
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