I built new levels for ID Software's "Quake" whilst waiting to be granted a Visa to work at Valve in Seattle, Washington. The result of my work is on this page.

Prodigy Special Edition is a new seven level Quake episode created by myself over the past few months. There are four main maps, with a start map and a secret map. Map Three (Venom) is over 3000 brushes in size and so has been split in two. Each of the maps has been specially optimised for Deathmatch play, which involved removing doors, adding DM only items and teleporters where necessary. As they're all big levels, you'll need 20 or so players to get a fast game going, but usually these levels will host tactical battles.

The way the Prodigy SE works is from the start level. It has five exits, maps 1 - 4 and the secret. As each map is a self contained adventure, there is no order in which you must play them (depsite being named sequentially). This also means that you can start a map on the lowest skill setting, then come back for an attempt on a harder setting with some weapons in hand.

As I'm accounting for co-op players and you can't insert co-op only monsters, the highest skill setting is very tough on the single player. But there is always a way to do things in these levels. I always think the level through and design a couple of ways to approach certain challenges. If you get wasted somewhere and think "That's impossible, even for a computer", take a moment to look around and you may find a more tactical way to do it. The completiong of each level involves finding a golden key and getting out alive.

Here is a small patch (880k) that painlessly converts PSE to GL (visd for clear water) thanks Darren Winter.

Starts on a spaceship where you can grab some combat armour and the four weapons that your ship has to offer. Plunge through the cargo doors onto the planet and begin your search for the key. The inhabitants are not blind and have seen your spaceship hovering above their planet and so have posted a heavy guard presence at the point you must exit.

You will find the key itself inside a chapel, access to which is restricted to a single bridge. You will also notice that ammo is scarce on the planet, so shoot with precision.

Is the largest single map here. Despite the intricate detail I have built into every area of the map, it still runs at a brisk pace in all but a couple of areas, which doesn't affect playability.

You will notice that this is the darkest of the Prodigy level set, but I rarely let an area go with zero light, only when I'm really hiding something. It's to provide the player with an uneasy atmosphere even when there are no monsters about.

The key is held inside the shrine itself, removal of which will envoke the spirits of mutilation within the present keepers.

Rewards tactical thinking like no other level. It is an architecturally realistic town that holds numerous ways to move around it. Ground level has been flooded over due to global warming caused by the new inhabitants' reckless manufacturing processes, and provides a means to scout around the entire place, picking off any monsters that would otherwise have caused a problem.

Most places are openly built with only a few places unreachable from the beginning. I have also constructed a manic "belfry" which you must climb to slay the beast within before being given access to the silver key kept within.

True to it's name, it is a sprawling complex of darkness and sandstone which houses another fabulously valuable golden key. You will also have to prepare yourself for the fact that the inhabitants of this city would rather you didn't relieve them of their key and have set up a deadly set of traps and guard points to protect it.

Extreme caution is advised upon encountering deserted areas - these are the most deadly as they are prone to instant invasion from all angles.

This strange world also has a secret level spawned from it which is only accessible from the start map. The secret level is a small and very deadly arena in which the raw fighting skill of the player is tested to the extreme. Each Quake monster is presented to you in turn, in packs of 4 or more, with just enough ammo to see their demise. Return triumphant and you will have the lightning gun as your souvenir for the rest of the maps, and also the knowledge that you're one of the world's best players.

Use of Prodigy Special Edition is subject to the terms and conditions set out in the accompanying text file. All rights reserved

This is my first real attempt at a deathmatch level. I made sure to practice on a few test levels before this one, so it's not one of those "it's my first level" levels. If you see what I mean... One unique feature of this level is the "frag thief"© - a way of one person shooting many players at once by lasers placed around the level activated with a shootable switch. the faster your weapon shoots, the more devastating the effect. The switch is hard to get to and vulnerable to fire from angry re-incarnated victims, so it can't be hogged. This is SOOO much fun when playing against Reapers, they always blunder into the stream of lasers!

This map has dark corners to hide in, every place has more than one entrance with the exception of the Quad Damage room. Because of it's design, this level can accommodate a large number of players comfortably or a small number of players for a more tactical battle.

File size	524k
Number of players (ideal)	2-12 (8)
Average Speed of level	7/10
Average Frags Per Minute (5 players)	9

© Dario Casali 1997

This is the first level I have made from my own textures. They are going to be used in a commercial game so I can't release them for free on the internet. But I spent a couple of minutes re-doing the textures in this level so I wouldn't have to keep it to myself. The architecture is identical but with different textures on it. We played DCDM2 at a 12 man LAN party last Christmas and it rocked! It can accommodate a large number of players, 16 easily.

You will have to set maxsurfs and maxedges to 2500 in order to lose the grey brushes, but that's no big deal, it doesn't make the game any slower.

File size	413k
Number of players (ideal)	4-25 (16)
Average Speed of level	6/10
Average Frags Per Minute (5 players)	4

© Dario Casali 1997

This had been many people's favourite level before DCDM5 - in looks, construction and playability. I have had comments from people and the main feelings are that the lighting and simple 3D layout of the level is what sets it apart from others. The open areas are not too detailed so you won't get any lag if playing over the internet.

Obviously I was inspired by Quake's DM1, so I think Tim Willets of ID Software deserves a mention. This style of level is very easy to construct so only took two days. This may just be the most finely balanced and playable DM level available anywhere. I almost put a purple brick texture in instead of the ID one, but someone somewhere dissuaded me from doing it at the last minute, which I guess is a good thing...

	350k
Number of players (ideal)	4-16 (10)
Average Speed of level	9/10
Average Frags Per Minute (5 players)	7

© Dario Casali 1997

You're gonna need a whole village of people to fill this level. I initially designed it using my own textures to achieve a mediterranean look. I'm not releasing it in this form, but the version available has ID's textures in it.

From playtesting, I have found the wind tunnel a very efficient way to be propelled to the second rocket launcher, as well as stocking up on ammo. Even in DM1 mode, there is more than enough ammo and there are two of each weapon on the level so you won't be caught out waiting for that weapon to respawn. This level is quite big so play will usually centre around the hut in the middle of the crossing wood walkways, however, bonuses have been placed at remote locations so moving about the level has its advantages.

File size	480k
Number of players (ideal)	8-20 (15)
Average Speed of level	7/10
Average Frags Per Minute (5 players)	4

© Dario Casali 1997

I altered some of Quake's metal textures to create a unique feel to this level, and added a blood red sky as well. The main idea is for DCDM5 to be internet friendly. With the exception of DCDM3, all my other DM levels have been pretty slow - sort of single player wannabe's. This one steams along.

There are two vertical levels - ground and upper. All the ammo and weaponry are stored at ground level, all health and helpful artefacts are on the upper level, as well as many sniper points to pick off the squabbling hoardes below.

With the way this level is set out, you can get three very different games going. The first is a constant battle at ground level, no health packs, just slugging it out with big firepower - lots of telefragging etc. This game is best with 15 players or more. The second is to take full advantage of the upper level. Tactical play, best with 5-10 people. The third could be to organise teams and see how long each team can hold the upper level. It involves quite alot of devious moves because all the ammo is on ground level... Access to the upper level is restricted to two places, so these are the holding points.

This level was affected by those strange invisible barriers (a bug in QBSP I think) so I have fixed all of them and also made the sloping floor bits less annoying. You don't jump into the air when you run over them now, nor do you get stuck on the doorway between the rocket launcher and the super nailgun. I have also made the wind tunnel unsticky.

File size	316k
Number of players (ideal)	2-15 (10)
Average Speed of level	10/10
Average Frags Per Minute (5 players)	10

© Dario Casali 1997

This is Milo's, his only ever Quake level and a very clever one. It is has an incredible 3D construction and is very claustrophobic. Tried and tested for two player games, it is HUGE fun with anything up to 15 players. I have tried it with 15 reaper bots and it was a riot! It's one of those levels where your opponents can pop up in your face, take a shot at you then disappear into some dark crevasse before you've had the chance to cast verbal abuse in their direction...

This level is the best here for one-on-one matches. It is completely down to the player's skill as virtually all weapons are of equal use in such a match. With close quarter fighting, a shotgun is just as effective as a rocket launcher since you are likely to kill yourself if you use the rocket. Good knowledge of the level will ensure advantage over those who are new, so use those shadows!

File size	67k
Number of players (ideal)	2-15 (4)
Average Speed of level	10/10
Average Frags Per Minute Per Player (5 players)	15

© Milo Casali 1997