Dock 69 (DOCK69.WAD)

DOCK 69

by "Capone"

This author didn't make a lot of levels but of the four he released, three were based on previously-published maps. The only one that I could find for a before and after comparison was Ryan Hilman's Fortress of Doom which revealed how little work Capone had put into the map when it came to linedefs and thing placement. Whatever differences there are between Dock 69 and the level it was edited from probably amount to a paint job. It's interesting to think that the main draw of the one level he made with apparently original geometry - AOL Girls Museum - is essentially copy and pasted photos from the internet. Like the author's first two releases, DOCK69 is a MAP01 replacement for Doom II and was uploaded in early 1997.

There is a story blurb to this one but it's very lackadaisical. Doomguy is vacationing in the mountains and (while hiking, I presume) happens across some nondescript buildings. He must have been a Boy Scout because he came prepared and readies his pistol. I'm assuming that it's the ol' green marine, anyway, with his sabbaticals basically consist of visiting the yet-to-be-cleansed places on post-Hell on Earth. Otherwise the lack of any context when pulling out a pistol to check out an unknown complex seems less than neighborly. Given the title and the lack of any water or cargo, the intended location appears to be something like a space port. Capone doesn't specify anything beyond "a crop of buildings".

I make the Doom II E1 starbase comparison because that's basically what this level is, a really short and homely stab at something similar to "Entryway". It still manages to be kind of threatening because you're lulled into playing recklessly with all the movement space afforded but there is less health around than you'd think and the vast majority of the monsters are either zombies, shotgun guys, commandos, or imps. The one big exception is a marble sanctum that fields five Hell knights and is probably meant to convey an element of corruption since the tiny path leading to it in its hallway is carpeted in lava.

While the design is basic there are some pretty good principles on show. Tyson fans will appreciate the presence of a Berserk pack at the start. It definitely helps out during the goat man brawl. I like the upper tier of zombies in the first outdoor segment and the giant quasi-gazebo structure in the exit area is a decent piece of architecture. The zone itself is dangerous because most of the monsters on the outer edge are hitscanners. There's a DoomCute burning hole that ties into the corruption theme since the marble chamber is on the other side. All these little details keep the level from feeling pointless.

On the one hand I wish I knew where Capone got this level from in order to give both authors the credit that they deserve. On the other, I wouldn't have had any knowledge of its existence had it not been picked up by ol' Al. It's far from being the greatest level that I've ever played but it's alright.

ADVANCED DOCKING MANEUVER