level name: Hydra
    author: karx11erx
    e-mail: karx11erx@hotmail.com
      type: solo, anarchy, robo anarchy, flag, hoard
   players: 8
    editor: DMB2
      date: 22 jan 1998
   version: 1.0
   changes: 

Overview
========

Huge round central hall surrounded by two wide, interconnected corridors.
Special goal construction. Special escape aid force field constructions.
Goals can only be reached through bottleneck. Lots of bots.

Description
===========

Huge round and rectangular, liquid filled halls with some elevated grateways
leading to the halls periphery seem to be kind of a brandmark of mine. Most of
my levels I create after having had sort of a "vision" or day dream seeing a
part of a level design I hadn't done before. Hydra is a result of such a
vision and I think a typical level of mine. The central hall is surrounded by
two wide, interconnected ring tunnels containing fuel centers and some
surprises. The goals are below the central hall, and I tried to take care of
spreading level utilization evenly (see section "Specials").

I don't quite know why I called this level Hydra - maybe because a Hydra
resembles a dragon very much, and dragons in my imagination are green
(crocodiles?) ...

Specials
========

Playing some of my levels, I found that most of the fighting occurred close to
the goals since everybody always tried to catch an opponent trying to score
there. The other rooms, though carefully designed and well suited for
battling each other, were hardly ever used. Another effect was that you were
very likely to get killed right after having scored.
   After I had read something about "force field protected goals" in a level
description I had downloaded from the Internet, the idea of creating "oneway
goals" came to my mind. Here's how it works. As soon as you enter a goal cube,
access to all goals will be closed by force fields. You can neither leave them 
on the same way you entered nor can any other player enter. The only way to
leave the goal leads through a hidden escape passage ending in some remote part 
of the level. The escape passage's entry will be revealed when you enter the goal 
or pass a fly-through trigger inside of it. After the player having scored has
left through the escape passage, it's entry will be closed and the force fields
blocking the goals will be switched of. The force fields will be switched off
also when triggering fly-through switches in the entrances to the goal room.
There are several exits you can choose from so it is less predictable where
you will reappear. This way, a scoring player has some protection and the
action will be moved to a far away part of the level thus increasing its
overall frequentation.

Hints
=====

Currently, I have set up this level for four players.

Weapons
=======

Every player will find a good basic set of power ups in his vicinity when the
game starts. Since you can prohibit any power up from multi player games, I
added quite a lot of the more powerful weapons to the level (though not as
much as to my previous levels). Since I think that some weapons are rather
boring, you will NOT find every weapon in this level. (Just my opinion. But who 
would want concussion missiles if he can have mercuries - at least not me. ;-))

Robots
======

Plenty, if you want some.


Known Problems
==============

Sometimes, some walls might not be displayed at certain angles of view. You 
can't shoot or fly through them though. Probably this is a problem of
Descent's graphics engine (too many optimizations).



So far. The following section is because this level is for everybody's fun and
not for somebody to make money with my work. Don't take it personal.



Software Use Limitations and Limited License
============================================

This special add-on level for Descent (the "Software") is intended solely for 
your personal noncommercial home entertainment use. You may not decompile, 
reverse engineer, or disassemble the Software, except as permitted by law. 
karx11erx (the "Author") retains all rights and title in the Software 
including all intellectual property rights embodied therein and derivatives
thereof.

The Software, including, without limitation, derivative works, may not be
copied (except as provided below), resold, rented, leased, distributed
(electronically or otherwise), used on a pay-per-play, coin-op, or other 
for-charge basis, or for any commercial purpose.  You may make copies of the 
Software for your personal noncommercial home entertainment use and to give
to friends and acquaintances on a no cost noncommercial basis.  This limited
right to copy the Software expressly excludes any copying or distribution of
the Software on a commercial basis, including, without limitation, bundling
the product with any other product or service and any give away of the
Software in connection with another product or service.  Any permissions
granted herein are provided on a temporary basis and can be withdrawn by
the Author at any time.  All rights not expressly granted are reserved.

karx11erx

