level name: Dimensional Intersect
    author: Yokelassence
    e-mail: unique.by.y@gmail.com
      type: solo, coop
   players: 8
    editor: DLE-XP
      date: 2011
   Single level version: 1.5
   Multi level version: 2.0 (beta)
   Multiplayer version: 2.0 (beta)
   
COMPATABILITY
===============

To make this mission work you need two things:

D2X-XL: A source port of Descent 2 that introduces enough features to make it
almost Descent 3. This mission is designed to use those features so get the 
latest version of D2X-XL from www.descent2.de. It just tastes better.

Please note that the mission requires D2X-XL version 1.14.146 or higher

Descent2: Vertigo: The official expansion set to Descent 2 which you may still
find online. The robots from the Vertigo expansion set are used in this mission.

A good PC: The single level version runs fine on a PC using a Radeon HD4850 but anything less
might struggle with it.

If so...

You should not need to drop some effects or screen resolution but you may need 
to disable hi-res textures or models to improve loading time. Per-Pixel lighting with
high lightmap quality will also take a looooooooong time. Either set lightmap quality to
low or use per-vertex lighting. The automap will also bring your computer to its knees, 
use wireframe view to fix that problem.

The Multi level version and the Multiplayer version should run ok on lower end hardware

Overview
===================================

The Dimensional Intersect is a circular lobby of portals, each taking you to a very
different environment. There are 9 worlds in total that you can choose from and you
may tackle them in any order you like. Each world has ranging difficulties, different
strategies, different "wildlife" and a boss at each end. 

Only when you destroy the world-specific boss will you be able to leave the world 
and enter another. Each boss destroyed opens one of the 9 locks leading to biggest, 
nastiest boss of them all.

Features
====================================

Single level version:
D.I: Monolevel (DIM) is an entire 10 level mission packed into one.

Multi level version:
D.I: Polylevel (DIP) is the same mission split between different levels

Multiplayer version:
D.I: Anarchy is DIP with the triggers removed, accessways unlocked and some robots removed
for better PvP play.

Both DIM and DIP feature a central nexus that lets you choose your own next mission

DIP features new reactor rooms in each level and expanded areas for 2 levels. You
must blow the reactor to end the DIP levels. In DIM, you only need to destroy the boss.

Usage of available D2X-XL effects anywhere applicable. Sounds included.

Usage of available cube and trigger types to introduce new game mechanisms.

Distinct themes and outdoor environments, traps, puzzles and battlefields

Usage of all available D2 robots, each one has been revised to give each robot a 
unique role/behavior or specific theme. Even scoring has been adjusted so that the 
score earned per robot is more relative to the robots toughness.

Hints
------------------------------------------------------------------

The 9 worlds are as follows: 

-The Asteroid: 
A small base built into an asteroid. A good starting point.
To get into the central core you must destroy one of 4 fast bomb-planting robots

Offers flash missiles and slo-motion

-The Canal: 
A maze of underwater passages controlled by locked gates. Red gates are closed 
while blue gates are open but you can reverse that state by flying through door-control 
stations

Offers homing missiles, converter
 
-The Forge: 
A fiery hellhole. You must destroy 4 sentries in a sequence, each sentry is behind a 
door, hidden or not.

Offers Phoenix, mega missiles, gauss

-The Forest: 
A lush park range who’s serenity and peace contrasts sharply with the fierce legion of 
tough robots in the area. No objectives, just barge your way through the enormous masses.

offers gauss, helix, phoenix, smart missiles, earthshakers, bullet time

-The Desert: 
A dusty and rusted depot nestled below the sands of a windy desert. The 
strategy is a simple colored key hunt.

offers smart mines, hostages

-The City: 
Set in the last 3 floors of a high rise building. To unlock each floor and reach 
the roof you must hunt down 3 robots who’s position will change to a different location each
time you start a new game. 

Offers superlasers, homing missiles, smart missiles, hostages, gauss.

-The Gorge: 
A massive canyon filled with a hefty resistance. The boss roams freely among
this huge trench and will test your patience as he flees from one end of the canyon to
another when attacked, forcing you through more robots.

Offers afterburner, converter, ammo rack, smart missiles, mercury missiles, gauss, earthshaker

-The Glacier: Another depot set beneath a frozen wasteland. Most of the doors are locked
and they are controlled by the four hostages; Tau, Epsilon, Omega and Omicron. You must 
collect them.

Offers omega cannon, invulnerabilities, homing missiles

-The Cavern: A dark haunting tunnel chiseled out of deep volcanic rock. There are almost 
no lights, not even an energy center and whatever light there is, is not reflected by 
the cloaked robots. All you need to do is follow the linear path until it ends somewhere. 
Checkpoints help save you time by setting new spawn points along the tunnel.

Offers gauss, headlight, bullet time, cloaking devices

Legalities
=====================================

This mission is freeware for freeware and must remain as such. It wont sell anyway.

Please do not create new levels out of this one. Steal ideas but not structure.
If you want to modify/extend/improve this level set you still need to extend credit 
to the original author (Yokelassence)

Bugs
=====================================

If you find any bugs or have suggestions
visit the D2X-XL forums at www.descent2.de
and leave a post about it in the official DI thread
Feel free to perform your own bug fixes too :)

DI 2.0 is beta, there may be cases of triggers not firing, or textures looking screwed up

Some textures may appear incorrectly reversed due to complications with DLE-XP 
(I think I managed to fix it though, for now)

The multiplayer version has not been field tested as of 2.0. Expect poor player and equipment placement
until somebody does that. Anyone is welcome to tweak the level balance themselves, drop me a message
if you do.

If you are playing the mission in Co-op, you might run into technical problems if everybody splits up
into seperate levels. I wanted Co-op players to have that kind of liberty but it may be best if everyone
stays together.

Marker teleporting is cheating :p

Credits
=====================================

-Concept and Briefing-
Yokelassence

-Design and Gameplay-
Yokelassence

-Robot modeling and editing-
Yokelassence

-Custom textures-
Yokelassence
Pumo
Irontower

-Beta testers-
karx11erx
firebingo
Kaizerwolf
Weyrman
Mahona
Pumo

-Suggestions and improvements-
karx11erx

-Tools used-
DLE-XP
Haxmedit
Polytron
Briefed

Special thanks to everyone who helped with 
this project

Trivia
---------------------------------------------------------

-Features used-
all of them

-Composition-
6700 cubes
1950 walls
350 triggers
6 months

-DI is the first multi-level mission 
to be built entirely out of one level

-Skybox textures were provided by Pumo and
underwater/nature textures by IronTower. 
All other custom textures are from Descent 3, 
Irontower and myself

-The first draft had 5 worlds based on
the planets in D2.

-The Canal and the Forest used to be part of 
the same world. But I ended up splitting them

-The City section was the hardest to make. I
devoted more time to it than any other section 

-The Desert is based on a remake I made of the 
D1 level: Retribution base (I never released
it to the public)

-The mission introduces semaphore master 
triggers for the first time.

More missions for D2X-XL
-------------------------------------------------------------

-Yokelassence recommends-
Boiling Point by karx11erx
Lunar Outpost Reloaded by karx11erx
Anthology by Sirius
Pumo Mines by Pumo
The Sphere by Yokelassence

You have robots to kill
Hurry up and get em at www.descent2.de

-------------------------------------------------------------
