» Thu May 07, 2009 5:10 pm Descent: The Enemy Within
By: Darkflamewolf, Darkhorse, Sirius, Pumo, Wishmaster, Kyouryuu, Alter-fox
This was a long time in coming. I originally wanted to start a mission set
with other level designers a long time ago, since before Apocalyptic Factor
that DH and Sir made a while back. I was unable to do my part at the time,
but I've since paid that back in spades here.
The goal was simple, have people submit around 5 levels to the set, relatively
small in nature and with a whacky level theme that you wouldn't really expect
to see in Descent. What we got was a wide assortment of interesting levels
and challenges. I'm personally surprised at what we all came up with and
I'm proud to have been a part of this set.
Because of the community help, this is THE biggest mission set to date, with
32 whopping levels with an all brand new robot cast + bosses, brand new player
ship with custom cockpit and a kickin new soundtrack. This is definitely one
mission to put on your permenant backup harddrive for future revisitations.
Without further adieu, here is the level line-up!
Level 1: Itdak'maz Outpost - Pumo
Major level theme: Central hub
Major secret: 4-pack Flash Missiles
Level 2: Winding Back - Darkhorse
Major level theme: Winding tunnel through level
Major secret: Quad Laser
Level 3: Pinhead - Sirius
Major level theme: Circular ball level design
Major secret: Spreadfire Cannon
Level 4: Through Broken Skies - Darkhorse
Major level theme: Detailed caves with sky outlets
Major secret: Smart Mine, Invulnerability, 3 Extra Lives
Level 5: Dragon's Nest - Wishmaster
Major level theme: Non-linear level centered around boss room
Major secret: Shield Converter, Quad Laser
Level 6: Merry go Rounded! - Pumo
Major level theme: Circular water basins
Major secret: Full Map
Level 7: Brightwater Caverns - Sirius
Major level theme: Bright water canol throughout level
Major secret: Shield Converter, Quad Laser
Level 8: The Flowing Trench - Darkflamewolf
Major level theme: Flowing trench connecting all areas
Major secret: Helix Cannon
Level 9: Into The Deep - Darkhorse
Major level theme: Surreal rooms and ruined station
Major secret: Ammo Rack, Super Laser
Level 10: Sphere of Influence - Darkflamewolf
Major level theme: Spherical boss room with side halls
Major secret: Helix Cannon, 2 Smart Missiles, Extra Life
Level 11: Hot Stuff - Pumo
Major level theme: Massive lava rooms, cramped corridors
Major secret: Plasma Cannon, Quad Laser
Level 12: And Lava Runs Through It - Darkflamewolf
Major level theme: Central lava corridor
Major secret: Ammo Rack, Fusion Cannon, Phoenix Cannon, Mega Missile
Level 13: Caldera - Sirius
Major level theme: Underlava sections
Major secret: Smart Mine, Mega Missile, Fusion Cannon, 2 Smart Missiles,
Invulnerability, Extra Life
Level 14: Dragnet - Wishmaster
Major level theme: Central tower, criss-crossing catwalks
Major secret: Cloaking Device, Smart Mine
Level 15: To Overworld - Darkhorse
Major level theme: Chessboard boss room with surrounding halls
Major secret: Omega Cannon, 3 Mega Missiles, 2 Extra Lives
Level 16: Ice Reactor Cavern - Darkflamewolf
Major level theme: Central tower connecting various areas
Major secret: Helix Cannon, Quad Laser, Mega Missile
Level 17: Descent Dreams - Pumo
Major level theme: Radical texture schemes with cool room designs
Major secret: Phoenix Cannon, 2 Mega Missiles
Level 18: The Endless Flows - Darkflamewolf/Alter-fox
Major level theme: Trench flows connecting central part of level
Major secret: Omega Cannon, Invulnerability, Shield Converter, Phoenix Cannon
Level 19: Sidera - Sirius
Major level theme: Massive battle rooms
Major secret: Extra Life
Level 20: Gettin' a Cold - Pumo
Major level theme: Central hub catwalk area
Major secret: Ammo Rack, Omega Cannon
Level 21: Loop de Swoop - Darkflamewolf/Sirius
Major level theme: Swooping corridors around central hub
Major secret: Omega Cannon, Smart Mine, 2 Mega Missiles
Level 22: Over Then Under - Darkflamewolf
Major level theme: Twin rooms on top of each other
Major secret: Omega Cannon, Ammo Rack, Quad Laser, 2 Invulnerabilities,
Earthshaker Missile
Level 23: A Road That Leads - Darkhorse
Major level theme: Intricate cave system with new textures
Major secret: 2 Earthshaker Missiles, 2 Mega Missiles, Ammo Rack, Omega Cannon,
Smart Mine, Invulnerability
Level 24: Aurora Outpost - Kyouryuu
Major level theme: Standard facility level, near symmetrical
Major secret: Earthshaker Missile
Level 25: The Core is the Nexus - Darkflamewolf
Major level theme: Central tower located in main arena hub
Major secret: None
Level 26: The Sunspire - Sirius
Major level theme: Central spire hub
Major secret: Ammo Rack, Shield Converter, 6 Earthshaker Missiles
And for the secret levels:
Secret Level 1: Segmented Sanity - Darkflamewolf
Major level theme: Different themed rooms connected together
Major secret: All of it
Secret Level 2: Rolly Polly - Darkflamewolf
Major level theme: Locked doors, grates and lava in a 360 degree ball
Major secret: All of it
Secret Level 3: Here and There, Then and Now - Darkhorse
Major level theme: Massive level with Obisidian like quality design
Major secret: All of it
Secret Level 4: Terra Firma Facility - Darkflamewolf
Major level theme: Blow the reactor and escape while grabbing all the stuff
Major secret: All of it
Secret Level 5: Corckscrew Canyon - Darkflamewolf
Major level theme: Central room circled by curving hallways
Major secret: All of it
Challenge Level: The Grand Finale - Darkflamewolf
Major level theme: Six bosses at once, cloaked, one big, detailed, massive room
Major secret: None
Now a mission set wouldn't be completed without a new line-up of robots! Below is the entire list of robots you'll be encountering in this mission:
Acolyte
Armament: Concussion Missiles
Threat: Mostly stationary, but can do damage from afar if you ignore it too long.
Angler
Armament: Light Vulcan, Concussion Missile
Threat: Fast, pesky and annoying, a flash missile should ease the pain somewhat.
Bolas
Armament: Fast Phoenix Cannon, Smart Missile
Threat: Dangerous in close quarters, fight them with some elbow room.
Echo
Armament: Level 1 Laser
Threat: A nuisance, keep watch for where it is, it is very tiny and you could
lose it.
Fulcrum
Armament: Diamond Cutters, Energy Diffuser, Energy Pulse
Threat: Very deadly enemy with a self-defense ability that can drain your shields.
Gatling
Armament: Helix Cannon
Threat: Quick on the draw with great situational awareness, attack swiftly.
Golem
Armament: Super Smart Missiles, Energy Pulse
Threat: Extreme death awaits those who don't know how to dodge.
Harpoon
Armament: Phase Energy Release
Threat: Deadly in the early stages with minimal weaponry, but easy later on.
Juju
Armament: Level 6 Lasers, Energy Pulse
Threat: Bothersome in close quarters, they spawn Sprites which doesn't help
things.
Kalki
Armament: Omega Cannon, Homing Flash Missile, Energy Pulse
Threat: THE most dangerous non-boss robot in the set, don't let it see you.
Komodo
Armament: Homing Missiles
Threat: Dangerous, bum-rushing robot that attacks with flurries of missiles.
Legionnaire
Armament: Plasma Cannon, Mercury Missile
Threat: Usually takes a backseat to other threats, but that is just the way
it likes it, watch out!
Mantid
Armament: Diamond Cutters
Threat: Very wily, sneaky, crafty cutting robot that will try to get behind you.
Meson
Armament: Spreadfire Cannon, Energy Pulse
Threat: Tricky early on, but nothing more than a nuisance later in the mission.
Morning Star
Armament: Light Vulcan, Flash Missile
Threat: Moderately dangerous, more so since they spawn Anglers on death.
Mule
Armament: Fast Phoenix Cannon
Threat: Stationary robot that is easily wiped up if you don't ignore it.
Parasite
Armament: Concentrated Kamikaze Explosive, Energy Pulse
Threat: A more deadly version of an Omega, now with self defense.
Piper
Armament: Vulcan Cannon
Threat: With crack-shot aim and quick reflexes, this is one robot that can't be
left alive for long.
Sapper
Armament: Phoenix Cannon
Threat: A much weaker, milder version of the Bolas that it spawns from.
Somnambulant
Armament: Flares, Energy Pulse
Threat: Annoying and frustrating thief, with self defense added to the mix,
he is downright deadly.
Sprite
Armament: Level 4 Lasers
Threat: Very small, quick buggers that can overwhelm you in great numbers, spawned
from a Juju.
Terapinner
Armament: Gauss Cannon
Threat: With eagle eyes from a distance and precise aim, these robots are
nothing to sneeze at.
Warlord
Armament: Fusion Cannon, Mega Missile, Energy Pulse
Threat: One hit kill and massive weapon potential to boot, destroy it from afar.
Boss 1: Raptor
Armament: Gauss Cannon, Homing Missile, Energy Pulse
Threat: His arena gives him a lot of room to manuever around you.
Boss 2: Ghast
Armament: Fast Phoenix Cannon, Super Mercury Missile, Energy Pulse
Threat: With the dark outer sphere, it may be hard to spot him.
Boss 3: Chimera
Armament: Super Smart Missiles, Homing Missile, Energy Pulse
Threat: The multitude of matcens helps protect this robot.
Boss 4: Sagittaire
Armament: Omega Cannon, Mega Missile, Energy Pulse
Threat: A relatively small arena for such big weapons make for a tricky fight.
Boss 5: Senbonzakura
Armament: Mega Missiles, Homing Flash Missile, Energy Pulse
Threat: Multitudes of Kalki matcens and wide spacious spaces make this an epic
battle.
Boss 6: Hangman
Armament: Fusion Cannon, Earthshaker Missile
Threat: His entourage of robots will probably do more damage than he will.
With all that coolness out of the way, want to see what type of bucket of bolts you'll be flying? How about the Hunchback!
If that weren't enough, here is a quick run-down of what this level set has to offer in a quick, easy to read format:
32 levels total
5 secret + 1 challenge level
All new robot line-up
6 new bosses
New player ship
New cockpit graphics and HUD
New soundtrack
New detailed briefing and story
Hours of entertainment!
So without further adieu, here is the link! Now get out there and start Descenting and reply back here to let us know how we did! Sit back, grab your joystick (or other playing device) and enjoy the ride!
http://www.povterminal.net/files/EnemyWithin.exe
