DOOM LINEDEF SPECIAL/SECTOR TYPE NUMERICALLY ORDERED REFERENCE THINGAMIJIG

This file was created using Deth version 3.92 (RISC OS port v. 1.00), but it should apply to any other Doom editor as well.

Note that I was using the Ultimate Doom when I compiled this; I don't think there are any differences between this and Doom I/II, but I'm not making any promises.

Tables and notes entirely compiled by Martin Bazley, from the 13th-14th September 2006.

Please email me at martin@bazleyfamily.co.uk if you spot any errors, mistakes or exclusions.

Linedef Specials

The usual Deth (DEU?) convention is used in this numbering:

The specials which change the floor texture and type will take it from the floor texture and type of the sector reference of the linedef which activated it. e.g. if you have a switch set into the wall which raises and changes the texture and type of the floor the player stands on to activate the switch, the floor will take on the appearance of the floor texture of the little alcove the switch is set in! This more often than not means the floor turns into FLAT20, so watch out!

Please don't inform me of the inconsistencies of the red, yellow and blue numbering, because I already know and it's correct.

Don't even think of making a correction to the spelling of 'doughnut' - that's the way it's listed in Deth. Blame the Americans, not me!

The 'fast' red, yellow and blue numbers, you may notice, are switches. This means that, to open a fast blue door, you need to tag it and assign a switch, although this can still be on the door itself. If you don't have the key, you will get an error saying 'you need an xxxx key to activate this object'. Ultimate users, visit E4M2 for a few examples.

The usual tagging rules apply - except for 'D' specials, all of these need a tag and a sector with the same tag to work. The special will affect that sector. You can have any number of sectors controlled by the same switch, and you can have two switches doing different things to the same sector.

Onto the table now...

1 DR Open door, wait 4 seconds, close
2 W1 Open door, stay open
3 W1 Close door
4 W1 Open door, wait 4 seconds, close
5 W1 Set floor to lowest neighbouring ceiling
6 W1 Start fast crusher
7 S1 Raise stairs (height 8 units)
8 W1 Raise stairs (height 8 units)
9 S1 Lower pillar, raise donut, change donut floor texture and type
10 W1 Lower lift, wait 3 seconds, rise
11 S1 Exit level
12 W1 Lights to maximum neighbouring level
13 W1 Lights to 255
14 S1 Raise floor by 32 units, change floor texture and type
15 S1 Raise floor by 24 units, change floor texture and type
16 W1 Close door, wait 30 seconds, open
17 W1 Start lights blinking every second
18 S1 Raise floor to next floor
19 W1 Set floor to highest neighbouring floor
20 S1 Raise floor to next floor, change floor texture and type
21 S1 Lower lift, wait 3 seconds, rise
22 W1 Raise floor to next floor, change floor texture and type
23 S1 Set floor to lowest neighbouring floor
24 G1 Set floor to lowest neighbouring ceiling
25 W1 Start slow crusher
26 DR Open door, wait 4 seconds, close (blue key required)
27 DR Open door, wait 4 seconds, close (yellow key required)
28 DR Open door, wait 4 seconds, close (red key required)
29 S1 Open door, wait 4 seconds, close
30 W1 Raise floor by 64 units
31 D1 Open door, stay open
32 D1 Open door, stay open (blue key required)
33 D1 Open door, stay open (red key required)
34 D1 Open door, stay open (yellow key required)
35 W1 Lights to 0
36 W1 Set floor to 8 units above highest neighbouring floor
37 W1 Set floor to lowest neighbouring floor, change floor texture and type
38 W1 Set floor to lowest neighbouring floor
39 W1 Teleport to tagged sector containing teleport landing
40 W1 Raise ceiling to highest neighbouring ceiling
41 S1 Lower ceiling to floor
42 SR Lower ceiling to floor, close door
43 SR Lower ceiling to floor
44 W1 Lower ceiling to 8 units above floor
45 SR Set floor to highest neighbouring floor
46 G1 Open door, stay open
47 G1 Raise floor to next floor, change floor texture and type
48 Moving wall texture (to left)
49 S1 Start slow crusher
50 S1 Close door
51 S1 Exit level (and go to secret level)
52 W1 Exit level
53 W1 Start up/down moving floor
54 W1 Stop up/down moving floor
55 S1 Set floor to 8 units under lowest neighbouring ceiling
56 W1 Crush floor to 8 units under ceiling
57 W1 Stop crusher
58 W1 Raise floor by 24 units
59 W1 Raise floor by 24 units, change floor texture and type
60 SR Set floor to lowest neighbouring floor
61 SR Open door, stay open
62 SR Lower lift, wait 3 seconds, rise
63 SR Open door, wait 4 seconds, close
64 SR Set floor to lowest neighbouring ceiling
65 SR Set floor to 8 units under lowest neighbouring ceiling
66 SR Raise floor by 24 units, change floor texture and type
67 SR Raise floor by 32 units, change floor texture and type
68 SR Raise floor to next floor, change floor texture and type
69 SR Raise floor to next floor
70 SR Set floor to 8 units above highest neighbouring floor
71 S1 Set floor to 8 units above highest neighbouring floor
72 WR Lower ceiling to 8 units above floor
73 WR Start slow crusher
74 WR Stop crusher
75 WR Close door
76 WR Close door, wait 30 seconds, open
77 WR Start fast crusher
78 WR Lights to minimum neighbouring level
79 WR Lights to 0
80 WR Lights to maximum neighbouring level
81 WR Lights to 255
82 WR Set floor to lowest neighbouring floor
83 WR Set floor to highest neighbouring floor
84 WR Set floor to lowest neighbouring floor, change floor texture and type
85 WR Raise ceiling to highest neighbouring ceiling
86 WR Open door, stay open
87 WR Start up/down moving floor
88 WR Lower lift, wait 3 seconds, rise
89 WR Stop up/down moving floor
90 WR Open door, wait 4 seconds, close
91 WR Set floor to lowest neighbouring ceiling
92 WR Raise floor by 24 units
93 WR Raise floor by 24 units, change floor texture and type
94 WR Crush floor to 8 under ceiling
95 WR Raise floor to next floor, change floor texture and type
96 WR Raise floor by 64 units
97 WR Teleport to tagged sector containing teleport landing
98 WR Set floor to 8 units above highest neighbouring floor
99 SR Open fast door, stay open (blue key required)
100 W1 Raise fast stairs (height 16 units)
101 S1 Set floor to lowest neighbouring ceiling
102 S1 Set floor to highest neighbouring floor
103 S1 Open door, stay open
104 W1 Lights to minimum neighbouring level
105 WR Open fast door, wait 4 seconds, close
106 WR Open fast door, stay open
107 WR Close fast door
108 W1 Open fast door, wait 4 seconds, close
109 W1 Open fast door, stay open
110 W1 Close fast door
111 S1 Open fast door, wait 4 seconds, close
112 S1 Open fast door, stay open
113 S1 Close fast door
114 SR Open fast door, wait 4 seconds, close
115 SR Open fast door, stay open
116 SR Close fast door
117 DR Open fast door, wait 4 seconds, close
118 D1 Open fast door, stay open
119 W1 Raise floor to next floor
120 WR Lower fast lift, wait 3 seconds, rise
121 W1 Lower fast lift, wait 3 seconds, rise
122 S1 Lower fast lift, wait 3 seconds, rise
123 SR Lower fast lift, wait 3 seconds, rise
124 W1 Exit level (and go to secret level)
125 M1 Teleport to tagged sector containing teleport landing
126 MR Teleport to tagged sector containing teleport landing
127 S1 Raise fast stairs (height 16 units)
128 WR Raise floor to next floor
129 WR Raise fast floor to next floor
130 W1 Raise fast floor to next floor
131 S1 Raise fast floor to next floor
132 SR Raise fast floor to next floor
133 S1 Open fast door, stay open (blue key required)
134 SR Open fast door, stay open (red key required)
135 S1 Open fast door, stay open (red key required)
136 SR Open fast door, stay open (yellow key required)
137 S1 Open fast door, stay open (yellow key required)
138 SR Lights to 255
139 SR Lights to 0
140 S1 Raise floor by 512 units
141 W1 Start slow quiet crusher

Sector Types

There are far fewer sector types than linedefs - most sector effects are controlled by switches or triggers.

If you are going to put secret rooms in your WAD, please take note of the following: EVERY SECRET TYPED SECTOR COUNTS AS A SEPARATE AREA! This means that, to count your room as a secret sector, only one of the sectors in it (usually the door) needs to be given the 'secret' type 9. If there are multiple sectors in your room - stairs, for example - and they all have the 'secret' type, this means that EVERY SINGLE ONE is treated by the game as a separate secret room. This is a very common mistake, and it's immensely frustrating - especially on the RISC OS port when you get a 'Secret sector entered!' message and a sound every time you enter a secret room.

Type 11 is used at the end of E1M8. I'm not entirely sure what 'in sync' means, but I suspect it uses an internal second-counter started when the player does, instead of when it becomes visible. Blinking means the light flashes to the set light level at the interval specified, but is otherwise 0, whatever the name may suggest to the contrary.

Note that type 8 (pulsates smoothly) has been tested and confirmed to not work, although this may just be something to do with my build of Deth/Doom.

Types 10 and 14 do indeed work, but I'm not entirely sure what possible purpose they could have. Have you used this in your PWAD? I'm anxious to know!

1 Light blinks randomly
2 Light blinks every half second
3 Light blinks every second
4 Painful (-10-20% health) and light blinks every half second
5 Painful (-5-10% health)
Type number 6 is unused
7 Painful (2-5% health)
8 Light pulsates smoothly
9 Secret area
10 Sector closes 30 seconds after player starts level
11 Painful (-10-20% health) and end level when player's health <=10%
12 Light blinks every second in sync
13 Light blinks every half second in sync
14 Sector opens, waits 4 seconds, and closes 5 minutes after player starts level
Type number 15 is unused
16 Painful (-10-20% health)
17 Light flickers

Oh, and also...

E2M8 and E3M8 have special exceptions coded into them, to end the level when all monsters tougher than a Baron of Hell have been killed.

666 is a 'reserved' sector tag number, used when all monsters tougher than, and including, Barons of Hell have been killed. The sector lowers to the lowest neighbouring floor. (I'm not sure about this; again, if you know different, drop me a line!)

ID software appear to put tag numbers such as 99 and 999 on alternate steps of their rising staircases. I have no idea what this is for, and the level works perfectly well without.

Until next time...

Martin Bazley 29/5/07