Pagan (...The Altered DOOMCaster) - Doomworld /idgames database frontend

Title:	Pagan (...The Altered DOOMCaster)
Filename:	combos/rslpagan.zip
Size:	50.96 MB
Date:	01/09/13
Author:	Richard Smith Long
Description:	Loreena K. is a professional killer, well-known to international intelligence bureaus and worldwide chronicles for her criminal acts. Once she decides to join UAC to make amend for her guilts in exchange to freedom, she is discouraged and derided by her new soldier colleagues - she might look dangerous to society, but hellspawn are a different kind of thing, they say. That's just because nobody knows about her little secret... Yet.
Credits:	Various sources for resources and/or inspiration (see below):
Base:	New from scratch (for the nitpicky ones, resources from the community or commercial releases altered to suit the present modification)
Build time:	6 months (of intermittent work, and unstable ideas, too)
Editor(s) used:	Adobe Photoshop Elements, GoldWave Audio Editor, Notepad++, XWE, Slade
Bugs:	1. Widescreen modes are perhaps unsupported. Sorry. 2. [no more a bug - thanks Ed the Bat] When morphing into one of the deities, the corresponding player skin is not changed; instead, the base player class skin is still displayed. 3. [bypassed with reload / unmorph key] When continuing to fire around the time of un-morphing, sometimes the engine refuses to complete the transformation and leaves you in a 'limbo' state. Be sure to always keep an eye on your hourglass! ;-)
Rating:	(4 votes)

Download mirrors:

/idgames protocol:

idgames://17073

Reviews:

Anonymous	Seems limited. No slot for 6 or 7 and although the HUD is awesome the character hurt sound is bad and the shotgun is terrible. The double handgun element though may be something I come back to.	x
Anonymous	Very stylish. The gameplay pace is a bit slowed down (you have to get used to its gameplay mechanics) but the amount of eyecandy and the badass look of weapons more than make up for that IMHO. ***** >Lupe	x
Anonymous	bad sound, low level gun, uneasy texture	x
Anonymous	not bad,would be nice if the firing of weapons didnt give a slight upward recoil character icon is rather snazzy too. good storyline added to it, but nontheless an interesting and fun weaponary mod wad	x

View rslpagan.txt

===========================================================================
Archive Maintainer      : please replace the currently-archived copy of this modification with this new one
Update to               : rslpagan.zip in /combos subdirectory, this is RELEASE #8!
Advanced engine needed  : GZDOOM 1.6.0 (no GLDEFS); GZDOOM 4.5.0 (OpenGL renderer) for 'Praeva'
Primary purpose         : Single/cooperative play
===========================================================================
Title                   : Pagan (...The Altered DOOMCaster)
Filename                : rslpagan.wad (main modification),
                          PraevaAlphaOmega\rslpraev.pk3 (Praeva (Alpha|Omega))
Release date            : November 22, 2021
Author                  : Richard Smith Long
Email Address           : [redacted]
Other Files By Author   : rslproto.zip, rslvenge.zip, rslrebel.zip, rslengee.zip, rsliczdp.zip,
                          rslforce.zip, rslredux.zip, rsldiazp.zip, rslshino.zip, rslquest.zip,
                          rslzerox.zip, rslpolar.zip, rslexeem.zip, rslfuria.zip
Misc. Author Info       : AKA "Dick S. Long"

Description / Abstract  : Loreena K. is a professional killer, well-known to international intelligence bureaus
                          and worldwide chronicles for her criminal acts. Once she decides to join UAC
                          to make amend for her guilts in exchange to freedom, she is discouraged and derided
                          by her new soldier colleagues - she might look dangerous to society, but hellspawn
                          are a different kind of thing, they say.
                          That's just because nobody knows about her little secret... Yet.

Changelog:

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°   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °   °

December 31, 2012: initial release.

January 25, 2013: release #2.

- rebalanced the default weapons roster (thanks Xaser):
  - hatchet now has tap-only, super-fast poking attack;
    old charged attacks slightly quickened and beefed up.
  - revolvers can be fired more rapidly, but toned down.
    Unwanted fire-after-reload now fixed (shouldn't happen anymore).
    Improved distinctive feats of left and right (thanks JimmyJ).
  - leviathan shards do more damage.
  - reznator has doubled mag capacity, greater fire rate;
    its pins are more powerful and can sometimes rip through.
  - aries on-body hud behaviour fixed.
- integrated main class fullscreen HUD with spare ammo counter
  and armor gauge (thanks JimmyJ).
- added _ability to prematurely unmorph_ before powerup time expires:
  press reload key when idle in any of the morphed forms (thanks Xaser).
- slightly reduced the duration of all morph powerups.
- a couple morph powerups per type are now taken away from inventory
  when starting a new level.
- all deity skins are now in effect (thanks Ed the Bat).
- divine transformations:
  - Lord: hammer attack now has reduced charge time and greater reach,
          and is much more usable IMHO.
  - Master: levitation spell now deals low damage; combined with its steady rate,
            serves as good stunning ranged attack (the mage had none). Lesser foes
            explode in a multitude of gibs when dying from this.
            This form now has any non-projectile, still-influent damage type
            (hitscan, explosion, etc.) half nullified; this should make
            the mage a bit more appealing than before.
- bosses: much more resistant to (overkill) goddess crucifix attacks.
- added dedicated configurable transformation keys for all three godly shapes.
- made minor boss monsters randomly drop orbs (Barons and Viles).
- revolvers ammunition size has now a label that makes sense: "11 mm."
  instead of "11-gauge" (thanks Ed the Bat).

February 07, 2013: release #3.

- new ZDOOM 2.6.x/GZDOOM 1.6.x line universal reload keybinding integrated into the mod,
  courtesy of Ed the Bat.
- fixed revolvers behaviour after premature unmorphing (would have fired once
  without any user input).
- fixed captivation spikes behaviour (that moved on the floor after a fully-charged
  hatchet slash).
- slightly toned down the spawning rate of revolvers ammo and
  heavy weapons dude / baron dropitems.
- revolvers bugs:
  - added priority mechanism when invoking manual reload with
    only one bullet pack left (Ed the Bat),
  - made player no more appearing to be firing with any Anna
    A_GunFlash invocation (Ed the Bat),
  - added time shifting when invoking simultaneous reload-on-dryfire
    with only one bullet pack, for it not to suffice for two revolvers
    anymore.

February 14, 2013: release #3+.

- fixed left revolver reload bug after pressing the reload key within
  autoreload sequence (thanks Chronoteeth).
- added to captivation spikes the ability of thrusting up and damaging
  over-standing foes (thanks CorSair).
- toned down leviathan ammo storage capacity (thanks CorSair).
- made captivation area more lethal via pulsating damage (thanks CorSair).
- Master can now dismiss captivation spikes quickly through levitation spell
  (thanks CorSair).
- Lord can now quickly open up an area overcrowded with monsters through
  his hammer attack (thanks CorSair).
- ArchVile can now be cursed with retaliation, too!
  (masked the +NOTARGET flag, thanks CorSair)

June 11, 2013: release #5.

- made magazines ammunition independent from skill level (thanks Ed the Bat).
- fixed Lord gauntlets autofire mechanism.
- fixed behaviour of particle actors on moving flats (MOVEWITHSECTOR).
- improved appearance of still actors whenever applicable (FORCEXYBILLBOARD).
- fixed a few formal inconsistencies and spelling mistakes in this very text file.

January 05, 2015: release #5++.

- integrated the modification with multiplayer-specific improvements.
- fixed bugs affecting multiplayer.

February 15, 2015: release #5+++.

- rebalanced Lord hammer attack.
- again, integrated the modification with multiplayer-specific improvements.

October 05, 2016: release #6.

- improved Leviathan attack power.
- partially randomized the recoil animation of Anna & Nina with extra frames
  to improve the firing momentum feel.
- marked unsupported video modes in the appropriate (G)ZDOOM menu.
- added Strife-style SBARINFO popups to provide additional data.

April 11, 2018: release #7.

- fixed improper usage of floating-point randomization calls
  (thanks GZDOOM 3.x DECORATE startup parser!).
- fixed proportions scaling of fullscreen HUD.

November 22, 2021: release #8.

- minor formal fixes in the base modification.
- implemented basic sound replacements for all pickups.
- optimized sound packaging.
- added nametags to all applicable actors.
- customized skill levels.
- added peculiar menu selector icon.
- implemented one brand-new, full-fledged class: 'Praeva'.
  A "Paganess" warrior using both demonic machinery and
  terrible sorcery. A tribute to Neoworm's fabulous
  "Spellbook" base in PSD format.

Concept:

This modification exploits 'PowerMorph' (the DECORATE 'Morph' powerup actor) to the extreme, creating
a gameplay system that revolves around this very kind of artifact.
You start with a default player class whose arsenal is deprived of the most powerful weapons; in place
of these, you'll find carriable magical orbs that shall allow you to shapeshift into one of three supernatural
deities - each one with exclusive strengths and weaknesses - for a limited amount of time.
The base arsenal (that of the default player class) is made up of five weapons only, but is also versatile
enough to get you out of most sticky situations; however, certain weapon tiers are not represented at all.
You'll have to get acquainted with the peculiarities of each morphed form to make the most of it in the
appropriate situations and scenarios, to overcome your opponents with style (and ease!).

Introduction:

Lauretana 'Tana' Poe is a veteran gunwoman that goes with the pseudonym of 'Miss Loreena K.'.
Her family origin and cultural roots are unknown, but her speed and warfare skills - just as her flashy
personal traits - are well-known to police departments all over the world, which chased her unsuccessfully for years
until she publicly declared her 'change-of-stance': she would have stopped murdering on commission and would
have served humankind by enrolling into the UAC army, in exchange for having all charges dropped against her.
UAC and allied governments accepted with apparent reluctance, actually being confident in the fact that her
warfare techniques would not have stood any chance against the netherworld, thus having her self-eliminate.
What they did know nothing about, was the ancestral pact that her bloodline had sealed centuries before...

Just like her ancestors, since her birth Lauretana was led to promise eternal faith to three mysterious pagan deities -
now forgotten by official theology - that always helped their worshippers by means of supernatural manifestations.
As they always have done during her past career of misfits, they shall keep rewarding her faith during any quest
by dropping magical artifacts on her path - normally shaped as 'orbs' - to

*** GRANT HER THE SHAPE AND POWER OF THEM GODS FOR A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME... ***

Loreena must use each artifact wisely, transforming into the deity that is most suitable for the battle
she is going to face. Her standard weapons will do against most of the foes, but shall not suffice against all enemies...

Loreena's arsenal:

Loreena's signature arsenal is made up of five weapons, each one sporting an alternate attack or
firing mode.

°o0ooooooooo0o°
    HATCHET
°o0ooooooooo0o°

In perfect 'slayer style', Loreena is a master of this weapon.
 Primary fire can be held to charge the swing; when released, it will deliver the blow. Check the
 power indicator in the top right corner of the screen to get acquainted with the capabilities of
 each power level - consider that maximum-charged blows are capable of chopping lesser foes in two
 halves with a single hit. If you're in a hurry, however, you can just tap primary fire for a quick
 (and weak) chip at the enemy.
 Alternate fire triggers a slash-dash move - this is useful to follow a quick 'death-and-retreat'
 pattern, and due to the slight leaping-upwards movement, it can be exploited to perform minimal jumps,
 too.
 °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

°o0ooooooooooooo0o°
    ANNA & NINA
°o0ooooooooooooo0o°

Loreena's favourite firearms, these are highly-versatile, moderately powerful revolvers that -
 in spite of their reciprocal resemblance - expose a slightly different behaviour each.
 Anna (left) is less powerful but more accurate; Nina (right) is more imprecise but fires heavier.
 Primary fire triggers Nina, alternate fire triggers Anna; the two revolvers can be controlled independently
 and allow for manual-triggered high fire rates.
 Each revolver must be reloaded after six rounds.
 °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

°o0ooooooooooo0o°
    LEVIATHAN
°o0ooooooooooo0o°

A peculiar design from Marty Kirra (TM), this three-barreled flakgun hurls metal shards than can bounce
 effectively around corners. Primary fire discharges one barrel at a time, alternate fire empties
 all still-charged barrels in rapid sequence. Once all three barrels are empty, the gun must be reloaded.
 °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

°o0oooooooooo0o°
    REZNATOR
°o0oooooooooo0o°

This distinguished rotor-based flailgun can project sharpened, overheated pins at high speed. And while
 the rotor needs a fraction of second to wind up and start firing, it can stop almost immediately when
 the trigger is released. A secondary firing mode exploits the peculiar nature of its ammunition pins, launching
 a series of them as a flail-connected flying structure that pierces through everything until the leading
 pin stops.
 Primary fire initiates the spinning fire sequence. Secondary fire has the rotor charge for a while before
 unleashing fifteen flail-connected pins. Up to 240 pins can be loaded at once on the weapon.
 °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

°o0ooooooo0o°
    ARIES
°o0ooooooo0o°

This double-barreled RPG is a sleek explosive weapon with a powerful secondary launch type that explains
 its name. Alternate fire toggles the working mode of the weapon, and determines the function assigned
 to the main trigger. As a consequence, primary fire can either detonate explosive 'hornet' missiles
 in a straight line one by one (even in rapid sequence), or launch two missiles whose trajectories equally
 diverge after a short time, only to have them become heatseekers once they have completed their airborne
 horns-shaped pattern.
 °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

The Gods:

Loreena is doomed by the ancient subjugation that her ancestors accepted towards the visceral deities
 of their mysterious homeland, promising eternal faith to such gods in exchange for protection through the
 ages, for all of their descendants. Throughout each quest, Loreena shall encounter magical orbs that shall
 allow her to shapeshift into themselves for a while...

NOTE: you can always revert the transformation before each powerup spontaneously expires
       by pressing the RELOAD key (see 'Footnotes' section below).

o°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°o
 0 The Lord Of Brute Strength 0
 °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

The god of physical strength looks exactly as the name implies: a humongous, muscle-loaded barbarian
   warrior with greenish-toned flesh. Gifted with great stamina and high resilience to any damage, he is
   armed with powerful weaponry (albeit melee-only): spiked gauntlets and iron hammer.
   Gauntlet attacks can be quickly comboed/stringed together to mash away entire hordes of enemies; a single
   hammer blow is lethal to lesser foes and can thrust away many of the stronger opponents. This metamorphosis
   has average duration.

o°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°o
 0 The Goddess Of Fatal Retribution 0
 °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

As beautiful and terrible as she is, this goddess symbolizes the inevitable nature of destiny; and inevitable
   is the fate of those hit by her cross-shaped staff. Once any foe is caught by the obscure matter of such projectiles,
   it starts to weirdly grow in size until the skin cannot resist anymore - then it explodes into a rain of flesh
   and meat that might start an unstoppable chain-reaction on anything passing nearby.
   The goddess is normally invulnerable to anything, as shown by the shielding aura on her weapon. However, when
   invoking the power of the crucifix to start an attack her protection is slightly absorbed for a few instants,
   and she gets very, very vulnerable then...
   This form is the quickest to be reverted back.

o°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°o
 0 The Master Of Arcane Deception 0
 °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

The wielder of supreme and cruel wisdom is a small, cloaked sage whose ethereal persona allows him to
   slowly fluctuate down any void space and let projectiles pass through his body, leaving him unaffected -
   unfortunately, this does not work quite as well with explosions or hitscan attacks, or the new weapon
   sported by Spider Masterminds.
   He makes great use of three among the fiercest, subtlest arts of deception:
   *levitation* allows him to jam foes by spinning them up in the air and slowly absorbing their life;
   *retaliation* makes one cursed enemy the sudden target of all surrounding creatures; and
   *captivation* jails the victim within a fence of demonic earth spikes that can resist many blows
   before retracting; the area is tormented with explosions ensuing afterwards. Spikes can be
   removed all of a sudden with the levitation spell.
   This transformation is the longest-lasting of the three.

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// \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\
//   Praeva: The Alpha And The Omega   \\
// \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\

Release #8 introduces a completely new class, that partially builds upon concepts from the base
modification, but concentrates on a more "traditional" arsenal - albeit not in a strict sense -
and a complete spellcasting and mana power system. Consider it as a DOOM translation of sorts
of my own "Chaos, Uprising".

// \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ //

// \\ //
// The Character
   // \\ //

Claw-Thea Morrow Von Borgo Deo - better known by her war tag 'Praeva' - was once one of Baphomet's
fiercest emissaries: equally skillful both in the mastery of raw arms power, and the bending of dark
spellcasting. Fearing no boundaries other than her minds' capacity, she continued to perfect the
effectiveness and variety of her Arcane Arts, until the Elder Demons saw a threat to their own supremacy
in her unprecedented level of prowess.
And so, she was banned to Earthrealm - the land of miserable creatures, weaklings that she could have
pulverized with a single blink of her dark eyes. But not now - humans seemed to respect her, putting one
last drop of faith on that dark creature. Hoping that she would have helped to turn the tides
in the War against Hell.
She was eventually converted, and would have finally reared her sight against the masters she once worshipped,
on whose name she had built her cruel skills. However, those Elder Demons had deprived her of the artifacts
that made her so powerful, but mostly, of all the codexes she used to spell death on...

// \\ //
// The Arsenal
   // \\ //

Melee Arts: no matter how mighty her arsenal is, Praeva can fight with her hands as well.
   ~~~~~~~~~~  Blows can be quickly combined into strings, and with the power of a BloodStone
               she can go full berserk.

Stygian Blade: a twisted wing of metal, this sword not only has the sharpest of blades - it can
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~  derive its might from magic as well. Deliver a slash with ruby mana crystals in your
                  supply, and the blade will convert the attack into armour for you.
                  When a BloodStone is acquired, Praeva is able to combine melee blows and stygian slashes
                  into a unique flurry of lethal attacks. And remember it whenever you shall face a
                  spectral creature for the first time!

FireMachine: this is the common gun among hellish infantry ranks - and the only one Praeva could take
   ~~~~~~~~~~~  with her after being banned. Quite accurate and firing fast, it remains useful for weak
                targets dispatch. Requires reloading after 66 rounds.

Void Gun: a pump-action shotgun, yet one of a kind. Can be fired up to three times in a row, thus
   ~~~~~~~~  effectively becoming better than a double-barreled. Requires reloading after 9 rounds.

Slingshot Of Misery: an enchanted crossbow that is fueled by topaz mana crystals, and a rarity highly
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  sought after by demonic creatures, even if coming from an opposite universe.
                        When triggered, the bow hurls away a blob of light that explodes upon first impact.
                        The only weapon capable of hurting spectral foes at a distance, requires a certain
                        amount of time before recharging a new light mass.

MaWer: a terrible gatling gun coming out straight from the forges of Hell - slow to wind up and actually
   ~~~~~  start firing, but once it sings, it's a barrage of flesh-piercing projectiles that shall keep
          weaker foes at stake... Literally. And as the rotor finally gains momentum, the weapon enters its own
          "Overheat" state - meaning for you, that it will start emitting incendiary explosive rounds.
          While hard to time and control at first, this demonic firearm actually belongs to a higher tier
          than what it's at, but beware that once unloaded, refilling it will take forever.
          Requires reload after 396 rounds.

UberMortar: the devious baby of a rocket-propelling weapon and a skeletal spine, this mortar can fire
   ~~~~~~~~~~  explosive bolts of pitch at an impressive rate. Using it for a stream of projectiles is not
               extremely recommended, because of the cooldown pause required - firing single shots of these
               erratically-spinning "rockets" can help you make the most of it.

Lilith Arms: almost as horrible as its predecessor, but definitely more strategical - and powerful, too.
   ~~~~~~~~~~~  Feeding again on versatile pitch bolts, this dual-barreled weapon lobs them by two at a time,
                these being tied together by a metallic chain. Whether the two projectiles stick to any surface,
                or end up wrapping a victim, you can detonate them anyway with an additional pressure of the
                weapon's main trigger. This is probably the preferred weapon for dueling against single major
                demons... One or even more at a time.

Crucifix Of Inflation: as per her semi-godlike status, Praeva can sometimes access the weapon that normally
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  belongs to the Goddess Of Divine Retribution. Mechanics for this arcane artifact
                          must be clear by now: hurl one of its dark missiles towards a target, that shall
                          first absorb it, then painfully inflate up to exploding, causing the same fate to
                          nearby creatures - like in a propagating wave of deadly plague. While seemingly the
                          one that shall make you invincible, the Crucifix has a major drawback - it does
                          not make the wielder immune to its effects, so try to keep sufficient space between you
                          and your targets. The single sapphire mana crystal that you need for an attack
                          might be very well spent, however...

// \\ //
// The Grimoires Of Antitheses
   // \\ //

_.:Lucifer Steps:._
    _________________

1. Summon a trail of alternating spikes erupting from the ground in linear fashion, impaling
         everything on their path.
      2. Summon a trail of alternating vertical explosions advancing around a line, and detonating
         everything on their path.

_.:Solve Et Coagula:._
    ____________________
   
      1. Using your limb as a bond, leech away vital resources from a nearby target.
      2. Sacrifice your own health to generate an extra ration of mana crystals of all sorts,
         for your sorcery only.

_.:Pentacular Singularity:._
    __________________________

1. Evoke a vertigo of energy rays of varied nature, all rotating and converging progressively
         around your projected line of fire.
      2. Evoke an aura of energy masses of varied nature, all rotating around you in a barrier-like
         fashion.

_.:Obscura Lux:._
    _______________

1. Project a flaming meteor straight out of your right palm - the body is affected by gravity
         and upon first impact shall erupt into many minuscule fireballs; these shall set everything on fire
         on their path. Propagated flames shall fuel your inner Dark Light.
      2. Exploit your inner Dark Light reserve by turning it into a barrier of live flames, that shall
         engulf you for a while, protecting you from incoming attacks and hurting hostile creatures
         in close proximity.

_.:Satan's Mercy:._
    _________________

1. Unleash a stream of electricity against opponents - most of them will be immediately stunned and
         blocked in place by your electrical discharge.
      2. Evoke a seeking electrical charge of variable entity: once freed, it shall quickly roam the space
         around, looking for preys to devour, and dissolving shortly after.

_.:Persecution:._
    _______________

1. Propel two magical projectiles flying out in an harmonic pattern - they shall disperse into
         substream quickly, and disintegrate the first encountered target(s).
      2. Drop a spiked, giant spinning projectile that bounces in any direction, looking for victims
         and spreading defiling stings on every rebound.

_.:Brittlemere:._
    _______________

1. Strangle any nearby creature in a freezing clamp controlled by your gesture, only to throw and
         shatter it away once it is completely made of ice.
      2. Summon a vast blizzard that will torment the area for a while, most probably freezing all the
         creatures roaming by.

_.:Transfer:._
    ____________

1. Create an alpha portal using a vertical, flat, large-enough surface.
      2. Create an omega portal using a vertical, flat, large-enough surface. Once two complementary portals
         have been instanced, you can transfer between them instantly.

_.:Electrodeluge:._
    _________________

1. Scatter a binding lightning that connects to the targeted foe first, then ties a few more nearby
         and keeps tormenting each for a while.
      2. Emit a lightning accumulation of varied intensity, that shall invest all creatures nearby with
         a variety of stunning discharges.

_.:Overwhelming:._
    ________________

1. Send forward a few 'Tentacles Of Niggurath', that is, ethereal dark serpentine creatures that shall
         hunt and slaughter victims for you anywhere - for a short time - before dissolving.
      2. Free a 'Nebula Of Niggurath' - the sombre cloud shall fly away and target all foes on its path,
         with a plagueing 'Inflation' contamination.

// \\ //
// The Artifacts
   // \\ //

(*) Vis Armorea      _/_A shield-shaped magical artifact, this one turns your armor level into health
                              whenever you desperately need it.

(*) Defiling Vial    _/_Think of this as a grenade filled with a magical poisonous effluvium, that
                              can be thrown to scatter evaporating poison on the floor, for effective
                              space control against lesser foes.

(*) Golden Fleece    _/_Can be scavenged from golden sheep randomly encountered during your quests;
                              when used, it turns you into one. Enjoy your high stamina and powerful dizzying
                              bite, but keep in mind that - after all - you're just cattle.

(*) Blood Ovum       _/_This pale-red, egg-shaped jewel summons a rain of ambivalent blood around its
                              dropping point. Each drop can return a little bit of health to you, but also
                              chip away that same bit from your foes.

(*) Rodent Symbol    _/_Once you capture one of these, you gain the power to become it at will.
                              This grants permanent semi-invisibility, higher speed and the ability to
                              escape through spaces, but your resistance to damage is severely affected.

(*) NetherStone      _/_Unleash the dark prism on a pile of corpses, and watch them come to life again,
                              ready to fight at your side!

(*) Bag Of Remedies  _/_A progressive, multiply-refillable supply of health that can help in many
                              sticky situations.

...and remember, many other collectibles that you so well know might have been altered by this new
      order of things in the meantime. Be warned!

// \\ //
// The Foes
   // \\ //

A few new inhabitants of the Netherworld infest your quests. These are:

Spectre -> Presence: leaves an ethereal afterimage of itself when running. Unfortunately,
                        can also vomit ethereal, freezing blobs at you. Immune to anything
                        but magical attacks.

Lost Soul -> CacoCub: don't be fooled by the cute appearance of Cacodemon babies - their
                         electrical missiles sting just the same. Luckily, they usually go down
                         with a single shotgun blast.

Pain Elemental -> Slomnibus: these floating abominations zip very quickly towards you to bite;
                                should it be your bad day, they can explode earlier than expected.
                                Keep them at a distance when defending yourself, because they will
                                do just the same once you win their resistance.

Baron Of Hell -> Hell Prince: a fiercer relative of the Baron, this one is slightly faster and
                                 can dispatch a volley of swirling bolts from its shield in your direction,
                                 also becoming invulnerable when doing so. Flailed explosives are your best bet
                                 against it.

Arch-Vile -> <unchanged>
             -> AetherVile: this variation of the common Vile naturally feeds upon the air element rather
                            than fire. It can trasform into a tornado and slam you around, or direct streams
                            of wicked leaves at you. Do not try normal weapons against it; only magic
                            will work.
             -> Death Lord: a superior abomination of Hell, this infernal knight is armed with cursed
                            weapons. It becomes invincible and deflects your projectiles more than often, and
                            can attack using its sword (throwing a streak of hellish flames that bounce back
                            dangerously) or its shield (generating a trail of fireballs that do high cumulative
                            damage). Keep a few flailed explosives for this one as well.

Baphomet Eye -> Eyes Of Baphomet: they yell and throw themselves at you, and then explode - all of this in
                                     four different variations. Can poison you, explode you, or plague you
                                     with spiders and bats.

Cyberdemon -> PyroGolem: fire elementals are a superior order nowadays - the PyroGolem is strong, resilient
                            and imposing. Its attacks can hunt you down and incinerate you in no time - be sure
                            to run a lot, and conserve your mightiest spell tomes - and mana - for your
                            encounter with them.

Spider Mastermind -> Obscura: ruling over all demons are now the Obscura simulacrae, malevolent and grotesque
                                 floating heads that implement all sorts of dark magic against you. Fire streams,
                                 defiling rays - and when hurt, these monstrosities shall summon hellish critters
                                 to aid them in battle.

// \\ //
// The Hazards
   // \\ //

<->   Biohazard Barrel        ...defiling, leaves a toxic cloud for a while.
   <->   Dark Brazier            ...obscure energy - inflates and slays bystanders.
   <->   Explosive Barrel        ...standard deflagration effects.
   <->   Flammable Tank          ...instantly sets on fire all living beings nearby.
   <->   Fireworks Barrel        ...variable explosion entity, emits several fire leaps.
   <->   Highly-Explosive Barrel ...highly susceptible to perturbation, transfers loads of kinetic energy to victims.
   <->   Kinetic Barrel          ...discharges electricity around.
   <->   Incendiary Barrel       ...projects unstoppable, highly-durable flame streaks.
   <->   Meltdown Barrel         ...blast wave completely disintegrates targets.
   <->   Nuclear Cask            ...double-chained, high-radius disintegrating explosions.
   <->   Raw Can                 ...metal coating fragments easily pierce susceptible creatures to walls.
   <->   Shockwave Barrel        ...lower damage, yet enormous area thrust power.

// \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ //

Footnotes:

(1) The suggested commandline for launching the modification is the following one
    (assumes that the modification has been decompressed in subdirectory 'RSL' of your (G)ZDOOM directory):

(g)zdoom.exe -iwad <IWAD_PATH>\<IWAD_FILE> -file <CUSTOM_LEVEL_PATHNAME> RSL\rslpagan.wad

(if under GZDOOM, add option '+gl_nogl 1' to disable hardware rendering)

(2) Do not forget to bind the standard (G)ZDOOM key for weapon reload under 'Options > Customize Controls'.
    Remember that when in morphed form, the very same key allows you to cancel the powerup prematurely
    in case of need.

(3) Similarly, do not forget to bind keys for quick morphing into each of the three deity forms
    (provided that you have the corresponding orb), still under 'Options > Customize Controls'
    in (G)ZDOOM.

(4) And finally, you might also want to bind keys for Strife-style popup panes: all three
    are implemented, providing data about collected keys, character status and ammo/inventory storage.
    Go to 'Options > Customize Controls' in (G)ZDOOM.

(5) To try the enhanced 'Praeva' class, also append 'RSL\PraevaAlphaOmega\rslpraev.pk3' in
    addition to the commandline presented above.

(6) ("Praeva" only) Several enhancements for the gameplay experience are provided and can be more or less
    deeply configured. Their configuration switches can be found straight under 'Options' in (G)ZDOOM.

(7) To obtain the complete set of weapons and/or carriable items for quicktesting
    without breaking the weapon set at your disposal, type 'rsl' in the console.
    ("Praeva" only) Use 'goa' to obtain all Grimoires.
    ("Praeva" only) Use 'iow' to obtain all Artifacts.

(8) The modification is compatible with the following IWADs: The Ultimate DOOM, DOOM 2, Final DOOM.

WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * WARNING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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By reading the following credits you may spoil certain "surprise monsters" in the modification...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * WARNING

Additional Credits to   : Various sources for resources and/or inspiration (see below):

Lloyd Irving for the custom blood system

SilentZora for the QuakeStyle gore effects

Major Cooke's special 'inflation' gore effects

Xaser for the custom bullet puff

MagSigmaX for the Project MSX explosive barrel
                          Sergeant_Mark_IV for the Brutal DOOM explosive barrel
                          Magban724 for the Russian Overkill explosive barrel
                          DBThanatos for the DOOMStorm explosive barrel
                          BlueFireZ88 for the DOOM Expanded explosive barrel

Cacodemon for the Replacements custom teleportation effect

Ryan Cordell for the custom boss blood system
                          Xaser for the hatchet slice custom blood system
                          Alwaysdoomed for the custom additional blood system
                          Hellser for the custom additional gore system
                          Creeping_Infected for the custom levitation death gibs

Sergeant_Mark_IV for the custom lost soul, pain elemental and boss death effects

eliw00d and Chronoteeth for the casings

Xaser for the main player class skin and mugshot

3D Realms, Chronoteeth, Mike12, Blox for the hatchet
                          PillowBlaster, Xaser, Namco, Ed the Bat for 'Anna & Nina'
                          Eriance, NMN, Marty Kirra for 'Leviathan'
                          Eriance, Xaser, Rogue Software for 'Reznator'
                          (with a special mention to FishyClockwork and FDARI on the ZDOOM forums,
                           that gave me great help to code its secondary fire projectile)
                          Eriance for 'Aries'

DBThanatos for the deity morphing effect resources
                          Raven Software, PillowBlaster, Namco for the 'Lord Of Brute Strength'
                          Wraithchilde, Raven Software, Apogee, Namco for the 'Goddess Of Fatal Retribution'
                          Raven Software, Ichor, Namco for the 'Master Of Arcane Deception'

Hellser for the custom decals

Xaser, Vaecrius, DoomRater for ACS scripts

The Memento Mori team for the custom big fonts and base default statusbar
                          Thomas Van Der Velden for the small fonts
                          Wraithchilde, Raven Software, Monolith Software for the deity statusbar
                          The AEoD Team for the Strife-style popups.

Sources of inspiration: Wildweasel's 'The Stranger', Xaser's 'Psychic'

Fellow players and mod designers from the ZDOOM Community,
                          for their direct interest in the mod and useful feedback on the forum thread:
                          Xaser, Ed the Bat, doomer1, amv2k9, JimmyJ, Enjay, OliveD, Chronoteeth, CorSair

_- Special thanks to Ed the Bat for providing several interesting, extra fixes -_

// \\   The Praeva (Alpha|Omega)     --     Credits   // \\
                          
                            Monsterovich for the Warp Shader
                            Nash Muhandes for Tilt++, SpriteShadows, Universal Weapon Sway,
                             NashGore: Vengeance Edition, NashMove
                            JPalomo for Enemy Health Bar
                            Ijon Tichy for UT2K4 Movement Module
                            Cantsleep for Camera Flinching
                            DrPySpy for Weapon Wheel
                            Marisa Kirisame for footstep sounds

TerminusEst13, TripWire Interactive for Firearm Puff
                            eliw00d / Lloyd_Irving / Gifty for Firearm Casings
                            PillowBlaster / KeksDose / DoomNukem / WildWeasel for
                             Propeller System
                            Tormentor667, PillowBlaster, TerminusEst13, hnsolo77,
                             Ghastly_Dragon, Blue Shadow, Captain Toenail, TiberiumSoul,
                             RSL, Sergeant Mark IV for grimoire pickup effects
                            Major Cooke, Maciej Kalicinski, RSL, PA1NK1LL3R,
                             PillowBlaster, Jekyll Grim Payne, Lord Lothar, SchroedingCat,
                             4Page, Gifty for death effects

Sgt. Shivers, Yholl, Namco for Melee
                            Amuscaria, PillowBlaster for Stygian Blade
                            id Software, HellCattX for FireMachine rifle
                            DoomNukem, Sgt. Shivers, Yholl for Void Gun pump-action
                            Amuscaria, Sgt. Shivers, Yholl, President People
                             for MaWer rotating gun
                            id Software, Monolith, Touhou Hisouten, Simpletonnn,
                             Eriance, Doomedarchviledemon for UberMortar launcher
                            Rogue Software, DBThanatos, Reilsss, Sgt. Shivers, Yholl
                             for Slingshot Of Misery
                            id Software, DBThanatos, Epic Games for Lilith Arms
                            Raven Software, Apogee for Crucifix Of Inflation

Neoworm, Xaser, ZygoInferior for Lucifer Steps
                            Neoworm, RSL, ZygoInferior for Solve Et Coagula
                            Neoworm, PillowBlaster, RSL for Pentacular Singularity
                            Neoworm, RSL, ZygoInferior, Sgt. Shivers, Yholl for
                             Obscura Lux
                            Neoworm, DBThanatos, Major Cooke, Michaelis, Lord Lothar,
                             SchroedingCat, 4Page for Satan's Mercy
                            Neoworm, Mor'ladim, Ichor for Persecution
                            Neoworm, PillowBlaster, Lord Lothar, SchroedingCat, 4Page for
                             Brittlemere
                            Neoworm, ZZYZX, RSL for Transfer
                            Neoworm, DBThanatos, Major Cooke, PillowBlaster, KeksDose for
                             Electrodeluge
                            Neoworm, RSL, Dox778 for Overwhelming

Jekyll Grim Payne, RSL, PillowBlaster, Dox778 for
                             base foes redefinitions
                            Amuscaria for Presence
                            Yuraofthehairfan, MagicWazard, IMX, id Software, osjclatchford for
                             CacoCub
                            NDCP][ Team for Slomnibus
                            Vader, Tormentor667 for Hell Prince
                            id Software, Maelstrom for AetherVile
                            Raven Software, Eriance, Tormentor667 for Death Lord
                            Eriance, Maelstrom for PyroGolem
                            Raven Software, Eriance for Obscura
                            Osiris, Espi, Supersonix07, Popsoap, id Software for
                             Eyes Of Baphomet

Endie, Agent Ash, AliJr, Pa1nki113r, WolVexus, Johnny,
                             PFL, WildWeasel, MaxED / Lobotomy Software, Daedalus,
                             Dr_Cosmobyte, RSL, GAA1992, 3D Realms for
                             explosive barrel variations

Cyantusk, Monolith for Vis Armorea
                            PillowBlaster, Zygo for Defiling Vial
                            Ghastly_dragon, Tormentor667, TheDoomedArchvile,
                             BlueShadow, Raven Software, Neoworm for
                             Golden Fleece
                            Mor'ladim for Blood Ovum
                            Ghastly_dragon, Tormentor667, TheDoomedArchvile,
                             Raven Software, Neoworm for Rodent Symbol
                            Mor'ladim, PillowBlaster for NetherStone
                            Monolith, KeksDose for Bag Of Remedies

Raven Software, The AEoD Team and Sergeant_Mark_IV
                             for the custom HUD

DavidN for the custom teleportation effect.

\\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ //

°o0 Thanks to Chronoteeth for sincerely expressing his opinions on my beta modifications;
                              he convinced me to rethink this base arsenal from scratch, and now I am happier with the results
                              than how I was before! 0o°

xXx An extra "Thank You" to the following, for continued inspiration over
                              the whole development of 'Praeva'... xXx
                              - Maria DallaVia,
                              - Indiana 'Indy' Kappato,
                              - LafEce & MontruZZo,
                              - Imbrana Jones,
                              - Name's Bond. Nausea-Bond,
                              - Analyst/Penalyst,
                              - Paride Ficiente,
                              - Tancredi & Tanvedy.

...And remember, _always_ remember the theory fundamentals required to
                             implement a quality project:
                             
                             -> Like Christ Commands (TM)
                             -> The Method Of Lukas Lonkas and Dieter Poehl, in its equations:
                                -> Lonkas-Poehl = As Fa, and
                                -> Lonkas-Poehl Nehn = As Fa Nehn.

All other authors I forgot to mention: please forgive me! I tried to be accurate as much as I could.
If you here notice some of your resources un-mentioned, please notify me and I will try to remedy.

===========================================================================

* What is included *

New levels              : None
Sounds                  : Yes
Music                   : No
Graphics                : Yes
Dehacked/BEX Patch      : Yes
Demos                   : No
Other                   : (G)ZDOOM-specific lumps
Other files required    : None

* Play Information *

Game                    : DOOM
Map #                   : None
Single Player           : Designed for
Cooperative 2-4 Player  : Maybe (untested)
Deathmatch 2-4 Player   : Maybe (untested)
Other game styles       : None
Difficulty Settings     : N/A

* Construction *

Base                    : New from scratch
                          (for the nitpicky ones, resources from the community or commercial releases
                           altered to suit the present modification)
Build Time              : 6 months (of intermittent work, and unstable ideas, too)
Editor(s) used          : Adobe Photoshop Elements, GoldWave Audio Editor, Notepad++, XWE, Slade
Known Bugs              : 1. Widescreen modes are perhaps unsupported. Sorry.
                          2. [no more a bug - thanks Ed the Bat] When morphing into one of the deities,
                             the corresponding player skin is not changed; instead, the base player class skin
                             is still displayed.
                          3. [bypassed with reload / unmorph key] When continuing to fire around the time of un-morphing,
                             sometimes the engine refuses to complete the transformation and leaves you in a 'limbo' state.
                             Be sure to always keep an eye on your hourglass! ;-)
May Not Run With...     : Ports not supporting DECORATE; level WADs with heavy amounts of DEHACKED / DECORATE modifications

* Copyright / Permissions *

Authors MAY use the contents of this file as a base for modification or
reuse.  Permissions have been obtained from original authors for any of
their resources modified or included in this file.

You MAY distribute this file, provided you include this text file, with no
modifications.  You may distribute this file in any electronic format (BBS,
Diskette, CD, etc) as long as you include this file intact.  I have
received permission from the original authors of any modified or included
content in this file to allow further distribution.

* Where to get the file that this text file describes *

The Usual: ftp://archives.3dgamers.com/pub/idgames/ and mirrors
Web sites: None others than the IDGames archive
FTP sites: None others than the IDGames archive

mong