Ye Olde Smudge (ChrisK for Heretic) (SMUDGE.WAD)

Chris Klie's known for his Master Levels and other megaWADs. BF_THUD! carries the subtitle "ChrisK for Doom ]["; Ye Olde Smudge is, similarly, "ChrisK for Heretic" (the original ChrisK being for Doom). Smudge enjoys the same kind of level composition as its sister, BF_THUD. The levels are small, packed into tight square areas with low-tier monsters coupled with puzzles. There's no given plot – they're just presented as the complete collection of Chris Klie's Heretic levels. Like BF_THUD, they are loosely themed on the map names whose slots they occupy.

BF_THUD! (Chrisk for Doom ][) (BF_THUD!.WAD)

Christen David Klie designated BF_THUD! "ChrisK for Doom ][". It is an evolution of CHRISK.WAD, which replaced one and a half episodes of the original Doom, which itself was an evolution of CHRIS_E1.WAD, which only replaced episode 1. All of CHRISK.WAD can be found in the commercial Lost Episodes of Doom, with the addition of one level (E2M5). When Klie made BF_THUD!, he actually welded together three installments of his THUD series. The end product drafted seven of his previous Doom works, made some minor (and major) adjustments in thing placement, and then rolled in 22 levels to put alongside them as his Doom II magnum opus. While some Doom II monsters make an appearance, Klie tends to stick with the tried and true three varieties of zombimen mixed in with some imps.

The Hive (HIVE.WAD)

THE HIVE
by Christen David Klie

Here it is, the last of Klie's twelve submissions to id's Master Levels for Doom II. And, in retrospect, the Master Level project represents Klie's final work for Doom II. While the BF_THUD! review is forthcoming, it's really more a compilation of a series of three WADs he released in 1994 (entitled THUD*, subtitled CHRISK.WAD for DOOM ][). While this isn't the last WAD of his I'll review, it's a fitting conclusion to his Master Levels submissions. The Hive is a large map divided into two sections. The inner circle is a frenzied free-for-all which gives way to a quick key hunt. The outer circle is an obstacle course that more or less directly to the map's finale.

The Fury (CDK_FURY.WAD)

THE FURY
by Christen David Klie

Coming in at number eleven, here's Chris Klie's The Fury. One of the Master Levels outtakes, it's got beautiful, tropical scenery, highs, lows, and betrayed expectations. Voted the number one romantic comedy of 1995 by Hissy and Ebert, Hissy praised its honest portrayal of Doom II's combat and its use of earthen tones to establish its theme while Ebert criticized it for its symmetry, remarking that the map felt somewhat predictable after the first half. He did note, however, that veteran producer Klie managed to tie both parts together for an effective ending.

The Enemy Inside (E_INSIDE.WAD)

THE ENEMY INSIDE
by Christen David Klie

Chris Klie noted that, of the twelve maps he submitted to id for their Master Levels for Doom II project, only two were rejected for quality concerns, Device One and The Enemy Inside (the rest due to time constraints and the 20 map ceiling). Neither are my least favorite Master Level offerings, but I'm just one person of several billion. The name of the map conjures up narrative questions. Where is the enemy inside of? Is Doomguy clearing out demons from underneath a base with a previously unknown secret? Or merely infiltrating an already-inhabited fortress of Hell? Either way, The Enemy Inside is a short level that takes place entirely indoors, featuring a heavy wood theme, with ample brown metal struts.

The D.M.Z. (DMZ.WAD)

THE D.M.Z.
by Christen David Klie

Chris "Mapslinger" Klie made a bevy of levels in his short Doom mapping career. Counting the unique maps between CHRISK, BF_THUD! and his submissions to id's Master Levels for Doom II, he cranked out 47 scenarios for the average Doomer to enjoy. The D.M.Z. was one of the submissions to the Master Levels, but it didn't make the cut, so Klie released it as freeware for non-paying customers. There's no actual story, just a somewhat city-ish map; a circular, walled-in area with eight structures and scant few monsters.

Device One (DEVICE_1.WAD)

DEVICE ONE
by Christen David Klie

While six of Chris Klie's Master Levels submissions made it, six did not. Klie was gracious enough to upload the rejects to Compuserve (initially) and then the idgames archive (much later). If you haven't figured it out already, Device One is one of the outtakes. There's no actual story. I'm supposing that Device One is the strange machinery found at the tail end of the level, which is constructed in a darker techbase theme, more like OG Doom's "Toxin Refinery".

The C.P.U. (THE_CPU.WAD)

THE C.P.U.
by Christen David Klie

Chris Klie worked so hard he got pneumonia getting maps ready for id's Master Levels for Doom II. It's a shame, because half of the submitted maps weren't accepted for one reason or another (perhaps the biggest factor being their arbitrary 20 map cutoff). Ever the mapslinger, Klie saw fit to release the six rejects to Compuserve (and then, after a thread on Doomworld got his attention, to the idgames archive!). As you might guess, The C.P.U. is one of the Compuserve releases.

Subterra (SUBTERRA.WAD)

SUBTERRA
by Christen David Klie

According to a post by the man himself on the Doomworld forums, Chris Klie's Subspace and Subterra were more or less two parts of a small series, with Subspace coming first and Subterra second. Both, of course, are maps from id's Master Levels for Doom II, and would have been joined by a third map, Subderma. Sadly, we have only the first two parts, the full trilogy itself less likely to materialize than Mordeth. As indicated by its name, the vast majority of Subterra takes place underground. The end result is a network of very brown caverns and tunnels.

Subspace (SUBSPACE.WAD)

SUBSPACE
by Christen David Klie

Most of Christen David Klie's submissions to id's Master Levels for Doom II use a pretty simple naming scheme, "The XXXX". Subspace is one of the few maps that breaks this trend. I'd like to think I know what you're saying right now. "Wow, this guy must be stretching to come up with different ways to start informative reviews for six levels with the same backstories." You're right! I am! And Klie made six more maps for the Master Levels that didn't even make it into the project! Whatever, dude / dudette. Subspace is in a techbase/outdoors style, mashing the two together, which creates alternating themes that help break up the scenery into more digestible pieces.

The Garrison (GARRISON.WAD)

THE GARRISON
by Christen David Klie

Of the 20 (21) maps present in id's Master Levels for Doom II, Christen David Klie submitted six, outnumbering any other contributor. Indeed, if one considers all of the Doom and Doom II maps created by each Master Levels author, Klie has been the most prolific of them all, with authors Jim Flynn and Tom Mustaine considerably far behind. Part of this is due to Klie's mapping style which favors smaller, less architecturally complex maps. The Garrison is one of his contracted works. It's more of a castle-themed level, using wood, stone and featuring lots of nukage and water in the lower portions.

The Fistula (FISTULA.WAD)

THE FISTULA
by Christen David Klie

Of all the contributors to id's Master Levels for Doom II, Christen David Klie's are the most numerous, just barely edging out John "Dr. Sleep" Anderson and Sverre "Cranium" Kvernmo at a total of six. Like most of Klie's work, they're small levels, creating miniature adventures as opposed to large, performance-demanding landscapes. The Fistula is one of Klie's most constricting creations, only letting up on its claustrophobic sensibilities at the map's very end. It has a techbase texturing theme but its layout is fairly nonsensical, more like one of his earlier works.

The Combine (COMBINE.WAD)

THE COMBINE
by Christen David Klie

Christen David Klie had the good fortune to work on Blood as a contract designer with John "Dr. Sleep" Anderson early on in the project's history. When id contacted Anderson to contribute to their Master Levels for Doom II product, he made Klie aware of the situation, and I'm assuming Klie got in touch with id. While Klie made a grand total of twelve maps for inclusion, only six were accepted, The Combine numbering among them. It's a small, compact techbase-style level that show a marked improvement in mapping quality compared to Klie's earlier levels, showcased in CHRIS_K.WAD.

The Catwalk (CATWALK.WAD)

THE CATWALK
by Christen David Klie

Christen David Klie submitted twelve maps to be used in id's Master Levels for Doom II project. Six of these were accepted; the other six were released by Klie to Compuserve (and then later to the idgames archives). The Catwalk is one of the maps exclusive to the released product. It has no included story, but Klie never had any pretense of forming a barebones narrative beyond what's presented in the work. It's a small techbase-style level featuring a fairly symmetric layout, but it's a bit more nuanced than simple mirror images. The key feature of the map is, as the title implies, the eponymous catwalk, which spans a massive pit that dominates the center of the level.

The Lost Episodes of Doom (JPTR_V40.WAD)

Chris Klie, one of Doom's pioneer authors, was steadily cranking out levels for the original Doom in 1994. At some point, he caught the notice of Jonathan Mendoza, who wanted to write a story and strategy guide around it. Klie, excited to have his work published in a commercial format, agreed and suggested that they include Bob Carter in the project, another early player in Doom's burgeoning mod scene whose work Klie fancied. Both authors contributed much of the publicly released WADs they'd put out at the time. Together, they became The Lost Episodes of Doom, regarded as the first "commercial" megaWAD... even though the /idgames archive makes this 1995 collection of 24 levels almost entirely shovelware.