The Unofficial Level Guru's Duke3D Build FAQ
NOTE: This was meant to be viewed in Notepad
Version 1.1 By Primary Anomaly
[0] Legal Stuff
0.1 Using my FAQ
0.2 Copying Information from this FAQ
0.3 Other Legal Stuff
[1] Introduction
1.1 A Brief Welcome
1.2 A Few Notes and Notices
[2] Getting Started
2.1 Common Questions and Answers
2.2 Using Build
2.2.1 Base
2.2.2 Intermediate
2.2.3 Advanced
2.3 Basic Build Functions
2.4 Some Nice Key References
[3] How to Make, Basic
3.1 Doors
3.1.1 Ceiling
3.1.2 Floor
3.1.3 Ceiling/Floor mix
3.1.4 Slide
3.1.5 Star Trek Style
3.1.6 Ceiling/Floor/Star Trek mix
3.1.7 Swing Door
3.1.7.1 Normal Swing Door
3.1.7.2 See-through Swing Door
3.2 Lifts
3.2.1 Floor Up
3.2.2 Floor Down
3.2.3 Floor/Ceiling Up
3.2.4 Floor/Ceiling Down
3.3 Teleporters
3.3.1 Normal Teleporter
3.3.2 Water
3.3.3 The Silent Teleporter
3.3.4 The "Other" Silent Teleporter (Atomic Edition Only)
3.4 Lights
3.4.1 Shoot-Out Lights
3.4.2 Flickering Lights
3.4.3 Light Switches
3.4.4 Shading to Make Light Effects
3.5 Hurting Sectors
3.6 Lightning (Atomic Edition Only)
3.7 Floors
3.7.1 Raising/Lowering Floors
3.7.2 Incremental Floors (Atomic Edition Only)
3.8 Ceilings
3.8.1 Raising/Lowering Ceilings
3.8.2 Incremental Ceilings (Atomic Edition Only)
3.9 Misc. Basic Effects
[4] How to Make, Advanced
4.1 Rotating Sectors
4.2 Subways
4.3 2-Way Trains
4.4 Floating Sectors
4.5 Bridges
4.6 Bomb Cracks
4.7 Shooters
4.8 Mirrors
4.9 Secrets
4.10 End-Level Sectors
4.11 Making The Player Start With No Weapons
4.12 1-Time Sounds
4.13 Ambient Sounds
4.14 Echo Effect
4.15 Misc. Advanced Effects
[5] Secrets to a Good Level
5.1 Theme
5.2 Sizing
5.3 Shading
5.4 Weapons
5.5 Enemies
5.6 "The Feel"
5.7 Plot
5.8 Basic Idea
[6] Various Bugs and Fixes
[7] Sound Effect Reference
[8] Music Reference
[9] Hacker's Guide to Duke3D .CON Hacking
[10] Secrets of the Duke Gurus
[11] Index and Bibliography
[12] Final Notes
[0] Legal Stuff
AUGH!!! Not legal stuff!
[0.1] Using my FAQ
Use it however the heck you like. Print it, e-mail it, read it, re-write it (see below), even delete it if you want
(not from where you got it, of course!). I don't really care!
[0.2] Copying Information From This FAQ
Do so if you like, but GIVE ME CREDIT if you release it on the 'net, or anywhere, for that matter.
[0.3] Other Legal Stuff
I think you've heard the story a few billion times. I claim rights to this stuff, but you can do whatever the hey
you want with it, as long as I get some credit. 'Nuff said!
[1] Introduction
Pretty self-explanitory, eh?
[1.1] A Brief Welcome
Welcome. Did you expect more of a BRIEF welcome?
[1.2] A Few Notes
This is MY FAQ! Don't say you wrote it (unless you DID write it, but then, you'd be me, and wouldn't need to read
this ^_^. I took a long time in writing this so it's accurate and really good looking.
[2] Getting Started
Since Building a level is an experience that you have to get experience to do, there's always a time to get started
in learning the editor. I've tried to give a few key points to this process here.
[2.1] Common Questions and Answers
Q: How come the screen's full of garbage when I go into 3D mode?
A: Build isn't in the Duke3D directory; copy it there.
Q: How do I control this thing?
A: Like most editors, Build is half-mouse, half-key driven. Look below for the reference sheet
Q: What else should I know?
A: Read the FAQ! That has what you need to know.
[2.2] Using Build
Like most things in life, Build has to be learned. This section in specific will teach you the bare basics of
Building a level.
[2.2.1] Base
To make a level, you must start with a sector. Spacebar starts and continues sectors, so make use of it! To
finish a sector, draw the final line back to the start of your shape. Remember, this is not DEU or WinDEU; you can't
just cut into a line, you have to have verticies in place already when you start to build an add-on sector.
[2.2.2] Intermediate
Sectors are great, but kinda bland without textures and weapons. To add a texture, go into 3D mode (hit the
Numberpad enter), and press the v key on a wall. Hit v again, and you have the list of textures. Select a good texture
for the walls, and place it on the first wall. Then, hit TAB (the good ol' copy key!) on the wall, and press enter on
all other walls. Voila! To add a sprite, press the s key on the floor, ceiling, or wall (for a flat, 1-sided sprite).
Same as walls, have fun!
[2.2.3] Advanced
Sometimes, that color on the wall is just not right. So, change it! Hold Ctrl and P down together on a wall, sprite,
or ceiling, and you'll get the palette change option. Changing a sprite's palette to 1 makes it (usually) multiplayer only
(weapons, switches, enemies, etc. apply to this rule). Some enemies are stronger with palettes above 1; play around!
Palettes 10-23 change blue to other colors (sometimes red, too). See the palette list below.
[2.3] Basic Build Functions
Build has some base functions that you will probably get to like. If you have a 2-sided wall or a sprite, try pressing
the b key on it. This blocks it, so players and monsters can't cross! Try hitting the h key on a 2-sided wall. This adds
in the hitscan flag. With the block flag, this makes bullets not go through the wall (looks bad without a masked texture, see
below).
Masking is basically like adding a texture between the top and bottom textures. You can press m on a wall, and that
butt-ugly texture will appear. Change it to a see-through texture, and you have a nice little barrier (sort of). These walls
are most often set as blocking and hitscan sensitive.
As well, you will need to learn about LoTags and HiTags, but that will come later...
[2.4] Some Nice Key References
Well, this is a long one. Pay attention!
2D Editing Keys:
Key: Function:
NumberPad Enter Change Editing mode (2D or 3D)
T Change Sector LoTag
H Change Sector HiTag
S Add a sprite
Delete Remove a sprite
Right Ctrl + Delete Remove a sector
Right Alt Select a sector (group)
Shift Select a sprite/vertex (group)
A Zoom Out
Z Zoom In
TAB Sector Information
Alt + TAB Sprite/Wall Information
Alt + T Change Wall/Sprite LoTag
Alt + H Change Wall/Sprite HiTag
Ctrl + T Toggle Sprite Labels
Insert Insert a point on a line
L Turn off Grid Locking
Alt + F Make line first wall (see below)
3D Editing Keys:
NumberPad Enter Switch to 2D mode
Capslock Switch between Incremental, Float, and Game mode
' + T Change LoTag
' + H Change HiTag
S Add a sprite
Delete Remove a sprite
O Walls: Orient the texture; Sprites: Send sprite to nearest wall
A Rise
Z Fall
Alt + P Change palette
Page Up Raise Ceiling/Floor/Sprite
Page Down Lower Ceiling/Floor/Sprite
NumberPad 4 & 6 Stretch/Shrink Horizontal
NumberPad 2 & 8 Stretch/Shrink Vertical
NumberPad 5 Increase stretch increment to 8 when held down
M Mask a wall
Shift + M Mask 1 side of a wall
1 Make a wall one-sided (like Shift + M, but better)
2 Make a two-sided wall have different textures on both halves
B Toggle Wall/Sprite Blocking
H Toggle Wall/Sprite Hitscan
V Change Texture/Sprite
Ctrl + A Look Down
Ctrl + Z Look Up
R Relative Ceiling/Floor alignment
E Expanded/Shrunken Ceiling/Floor Texture
Ctrl + Page Down Lower Sprite to floor
Ctrl + Page Up Raise Sprite to ceiling
[ and ] Slants
Alt + F Make wall the first wall (for slants and relative align)
[3] How to Make, Basic
Sure, it's well and good to know how to make a sector. But it's even better when you know
how to make the sectors do things. So as to keep you from getting confused, below is the formula
for the charts that tell you how to make things:
Sector LoTag: If needed
Sector Effector?: If an SE is needed or optional
LoTag: If an SE, will list the SE to use here
HiTag: Some SE's need these
Special: Sometimes, you'll see this. Something special necessary.
Sound Suggested: What we find sounds good with that object; optional
[3.1] Doors
Where there is a level, there will probably be a door. There are so many types of doors,
they had to be partitioned off into individual groups!
[3.1.1] Ceiling Door
The classic. Here's what to do:
Sector LoTag:20
Sector Effector?: Optional; auto-close
LoTag:10
HiTag: Delay; 32=1 second
Sound Suggested:#166
Make sure that the ceiling is at the floor, or equal with the lowest nearby ceiling.
Easy, eh?
[3.1.2] Floor Door
Pretty easy. Here's how:
Sector LoTag:21
Sector Effector?: Optional; auto-close
LoTag:10
HiTag: Delay; 32=1 second
Sound Suggested:#166
Make sure the floor is at the ceiling or equal to the highest floor. Just as easy as above!
[3.1.3] Floor/Ceiling Mix
A lot like the last two, only better:
Sector LoTag:22
Sector Effector?: Optional; auto-close
LoTag:10
HiTag: Delay; 32=1 second
Sound Suggested:#166
Make sure that the ceiling drops and the floor rises at the same distance between each other.
Have fun with this one!
[3.1.4] Slide Door
Kinda tough to get right. Here's how it's done:
Sector LoTag:25
Sector Effector: Necessary
LoTag:15
HiTag: Equal to all others to open at the same time
Special: Set angle to direction door starts facing
Sound Suggested:#167
The tricky part is how to build them. It's suggested that you pair them up, so as not to
encounter the "bug" in these doors. To make the sliding part, lower the grid size after having
made it (example below):
_________________
|________|________|
Then, press insert in the middle of both doors, and drag the points out to the line that
divides the two sectors. Press insert somewhere on both sides of both lines, and drag them so
as to make them look like so:
__________________
_______>|<________
Now for the hardest part: Take the edges of the door's frame (you did add one, didn't
you?), and insert a point on each. Then, drag back the lines of the door (see example below).
_____________________________
/_____________________________\
_____________>|<_____________
\_____________________________/
Finally, drag the new points over the exposed lines, so as to make the doors look
(somewhat) like this:
_______________________________
_|_____________________________|_
______________>|<________________
|_____________________________|
That will do it. Then, place the SE's, and tag both sectors.
[3.1.5] Star Trek Door
These ones are really cool! Here's what to do:
Sector LoTag:9
Sector Effector: None
Suggested Sound:#167
Make the sector AFTER the door tabs (There's a reason for this), and make it like the first
and second steps to the Split Door. Then, tag it, sound it, and test it! Note: You don't have
to, but you can add a speed sprite.
[3.1.6] Ceiling/Floor/Star Trek Door
Wow, that's a lot! Here's what to do:
Sector LoTag:26
Sector Effector: None
Suggested sound:#167
Combine the steps in making a Ceiling/Floor door and a Star Trek door, using the above
formula instead of their's. This one is real interesting.
[3.1.7] Swing Door
This door is nefarious! There are two or three ways to make them, but the one described
here works the most realistically.
[3.1.7.1] Regular Swing Door
Okay, here we go:
Sector LoTag:23
Sector Effector: Necessary
LoTag:11
HiTag: Equal to all others to open at the same time
Suggested Sound:#165
First, make an extension to an existing room, as shown:
________ ___________________________
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |__| |
| |
| |
| |
|______________________________________|
Next, make it a sector, as shown:
_______________________________________
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |__| |
| |
| |
| |
|______________________________________|
Cut it off from the main sector by moving the right (as shown on diagram) vertex into the
left one. Then, insert a point on the line, and shape it like the door will look like across
the wall, leaving 1 grid tile in between the wall and door.
_______________________________________
| |_________| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|______________________________________|
Then, TURN OFF GRID LOCKING! Now, move the door's piece that will be up against the wall
1 PIXEL AWAY from the wall. Insert vertecies at the hinge of the door, on the normal walls (NOT
the door itself). Finally, move the right wall of the door 1 PIXEL TOWARD THE DOOR's MAIN PART.
Now, TURN BACK ON GRID LOCKING, and move the lower-left (as shown above) vertex of the door into
place. Then, set in all of the necessary items for the door (SE; place this at the hinge, SFX,
etc.), and go into 3D mode. Raise the door to the correct height, and set the textures. Press
r on the floor so as to make it relative aligned. Voila!
[3.1.7.2] See-Through Swinging Doors
Almost exactly as above, but do the following different:
1. Don't raise the floor, and make sure that the door's ceiling is correctly placed, so that
it will look good when the door opens, floor to ceiling.
2. Mask one of the walls (preferrably the back one), and block it
3. Lower the ceiling a bit (2 times or so), and raise the floor about the same.
That's all there really is to it!
[3.2] Lifts
Need a lift? You will! This is the listing of all lift types.
[3.2.1] Floor Up
These are easy to make:
Sector Tag:16
Sector Effector: None
Suggested Sound:#78 Lo and #71 Hi
Just make the platform, lower it to the lowest floor, and watch it go!
[3.2.2] Floor Down
Exactly like the above, with one change:
Sector Tag:17
[3.2.3] Floor/Ceiling Up
Similar to the above. Changes:
Sector Tag:18
And, you have to lower the ceiling to the desired height.
[3.2.4] Floor/Ceiling Down
Exactly as above, except:
Sector Tag:19
[3.3] Teleporters
Teleporters are really cool! There are a bunch of them, so watch carefully...
[3.3.1] Normal Teleporters
Easy to make! Just do as below:
Sector Tag: None
Sector Effector: Necessary
LoTag:7
HiTag: Same as destination
Special: Angle should point towards direction to face when landing
Suggested texture for the teleporter floor is BRICK1, the glowing texture that
was used for tele's in the original game.
[3.3.2] Water
Water is, in fact, a teleporter (what a surprise). Here's what to do:
Sector Tag:1 for surface, 2 for underwater
Sector Effector: Necessary
LoTag:7
HiTag: Same as surface/underwater
Special: palette 8 makes underwater look like slime
Water can be done without an SE, by the way. Just use the sector tags, but not the
SE's. Anyway, you'll need to use ST 2 on all sectors that are underwater. That's about
it! Oh, and make sure the size of the two main sectors (above and below water) are THE
SAME SIZE AND SHAPE! For slanted bottoms, DO NOT PRESS CTRL + PGDOWN ON THE SE!!! Instead,
place it when the floor is level, and THEN slant the floor.
[3.3.3] The Silent Teleporter
These are really neat. It's done like a teleporter, but you raise the ceiling or
lower the floor so that the textures can't be seen. Then, and the SE 7, set it up
appropriately (angle matters not), and then, press Page Down on the floor or Page Up on
the ceiling (depending on which you're using. Then, raise/lower the sprite back into it's
previous position. Keep going down/up until the SE 7 is no longer visible through looking
down. That's all there is to it! Oh, and the exit should use the opposite steps you took
to make your first silent teleporter.
[3.3.4] The "Other" Silent Teleporter (Atomic Only)
The Atomic edition added a new ability: The ability to make silent teleporters without
the above trick. Place a palette such as 1 or higher on the SE 7, and the teleporter will be
silent and produce no teleporter "thingie".
[3.4] Lights
There is shading, and there is lights. Shading and lights are a lot alike, but lights DO
things, and shading doesn't.
[3.4.1] Shoot-Out Lights
These lights are neat. Here's how it's done:
Sector LoTag: None; HiTag = An unused "Tag" for Ceiling lights; for wall lights, make a sector
behind the light, lower the wall, and put the tag on the light wall.
Sector Effector: Necessary
LoTag:3
HiTag: Same as Sector/Wall HiTag
Special: Shade = Brightest shade the sector will reach; Palette optional
Make the sector (and all that will be linked to it) as dark as you want the light to be
when the thing is shot out. Add as many SE 3's as necessary to as many sectors as necessary
to make your shot-out light.
[3.4.2] Flickering Lights
These are also neat. Here's what to do:
Sector LoTag: None
Sector Effector: Necessary
LoTag:4
HiTag: Blinking Randomity Value
Special: Shade = Brightest light will get; Palette optional
This can be used to make neat effects (such as the bar in E1L2). Goof around with it for
a while.
[3.4.3] Light Switches
These are lots of fun to add! Here's how to make one of your own:
Sector LoTag: None
Sector Effector: Necessary
LoTag:12
HiTag: Same as all other sectors to light up with switch
Special: Shade = When lights on; Palette optional
Make a switch (any one of them), and tag it's LoTag the same as the SE 12 HiTag. Then,
try it out.
[3.4.4] Shading to Make Light Effects
Shading, as mentioned above, can be used to make lighting effects. In general, you
should stick to units of 2 while shading, but you can go by 1, for greater detail.
[3.5] Hurting Sectors
There are several textures that you can use on the floor to make the sector harmful.
They are NUKESLIME, HURTRAIL, LAVA, and PURPLELAVA (Atomic only).
[3.6] Lightning (Atomic only)
These little buggers are neat. Set it up as follows:
Sector LoTag: None
Sector Effector: Necessary
LoTag:28
HiTag: Set equal to all lightning bolts in a 10000 pixel radius
This will make lightning, IF you add some NATURALIGHTING sprites around the SE 28.
Tag their HiTag as explained above.
[3.7] Floors
These are pretty cool. They let you raise and lower the floor.
[3.7.1] Raising/Lowering Floors
This can be done as follows:
Sector LoTag: None
Sector Effector: Necessary
LoTag:31
HiTag: None
Special: Angle: Down will start the sector at the height of the SE
Just place it, set an activator that's linked to a switch (both with the same LoTag). That
will do it! Works for both raising and lowering the floor.
[3.7.2] Incremental Raise/Fall Floor (Atomic Only)
Here's how this is done:
Sector LoTag: None
Sector Effector: Necessary
LoTag:18
HiTag: Distance in each increment (1 = 1 pageup/down)
Special: Palette: <1 starts the sector at the height of the SE
Place the SE and the activator in the sector. Set the SE to the desired height, and make
an Activator/Switch combo (see above example).
[3.8] Ceilings
These are as good as floors.
[3.8.1] Raise/Lower Ceilings
Exactly like floors, except:
Sector Effector LoTag:32
Follow the steps for Raising/Lowering Floors to find out how to make this work, using the
above exception and changing floor to ceiling.
[3.8.2] Incremental Raise/Lower Ceiling (Atomic Only)
Precisely like the Floor version, except that the SE has a downward angle instead, and it
affects the ceiling, not the floor, this way.
[3.9] Misc. Basic Effects
The conveyor belt:
Sector LoTag: None
Sector Effector: Necessary
LoTag:24
HiTag: If you have it switch-controlled, make it equal to the switch's LoTag.
Special: Set the angle to the direction the belt will move.
That was easy, right? I hope so.
[4] How to make, Advanced
If you thought the above was cool, this will ROCK!
[4.1] Rotating sector
VERY easy, actually. But it looks cool. Here's how to do it:
Sector LoTag: None
Sector Effector: Necessary
LoTag:0, 1 for the pivot
HiTag: Equal to the SE 1 pivot
Special: Palette: <1 = counter-clockwise
Add the rotating sector, then add the pivot (and a pivot sector, if you want). That's
all there is to a rotating sector.
[4.2] Subways
The great troublemakers! How fun this will be to explain. The subway can be build as
follows: A single track (1 sector) will be used, and MUST meet back at the point it started
at some time. Crossing IS possible, but difficult to manage with multiple trains. Tracks
should be about the width and a half of the train(s) across, and have circled corners.
The train sectors must follow the following rules: All train sectors must have the same
HiTag. No train sector may have more than 1 extra layer (ie. Windows are okay, but no seats
against them directly). And finally, the main train sector must have an SE 6 or SE 14 (14
for follow-along train cars). It is suggested that the SE 6 or 14 is placed at the HEAD of
the car, and points towards the first locator it will travel to. Locators are used to define
the track, and are used as follows: Have locator 0 start the track, and give the train's SE's
a HiTag that matches the first locator they will travel to. Make sure that the locators are
properly aligned to the track, so the train doesn't ride into the void. Locators do not need
to be angled to the next; the game knows which one to go to next by number.
[4.3] 2-Way Trains
These are almost as hard as subways. Make the train (same rules as the subway, except
there is no HiTag, only a LoTag of 31), and the bi-directional track (ie. Straight line).
Add the locators 0 and 1 in order, the 0 nearest to the train, the 1 at the end of the track.
Add an SE 30 on the train, and point it in the direction of locator 1. You will need to control
this by switch or touchplate (switch preferred). Set a HiTag that is 1 above the next available
on the SE 30, and put the tag that was the next available as the LoTag of the switch/touchplate.
To make doors that go with this, make the first have the same hi-tag as the train with an SE 30
in the door, and a HiTag that is 1 above the train's SE 30 HiTag for the second door's SE 30.
[4.4] Floating Sectors
These are pretty cool. Add an SE with a LoTag of 29, and set it's HiTag to the starting
height of the water (0-2047). Then, add a GPSPEED to set the height of the waves (8-512). That
will make a floating sector.
[4.5] Bridge
These can be a pain. Set an SE 20 in the sector that will be a bridge (pointing towards the
direction the bridge will travel), and give the sector a LoTag of 27. Add a speed sprite to set
the distance the bridge will travel. Then, if you like, press r on the floor/ceiling. That will
make the texture move correctly with it. If you do not, that will probably also work. Test with
this one a bit.
[4.6] Bomb Cracks
Make the crack sectors, and the sector beyond. Design the crack as you like. Then, add an
SE 13 into each crack sector (not the passage beyond), and add some SEENINE (if desired) with a
HiTag to match that of the SE 13, and a LoTag with the delay (32 = 1 second). Add a crack sprite
over the bomb crack, and tag it's HiTag the same as the SE 13's.
[4.7] Shooters
These can be used pretty judiciously. Here's what to do:
Sector LoTag: None
Sector Effector: Necessary
LoTag:36
HiTag: None
Special: Angle = direction to fire, use a MASTERSWITCH to
activate, and a switch/touchplate to activate the masterswitch
Add a GPSPEED, and tag it as follows for the types of shots (LoTag it, of course):
2556 : Shrink Ray
2605 : RPG
1650 : Mortar
1625 : Trooper Laser
1636 : Lizman Spit
[4.8] Mirrors
These can be pretty easy, when you get right down to it. Add a sector, and make it at least 1.5
times the size of the area the mirror can "see" (that is, any area that the player can see the mirror
in). Make the room square. Connect it to the level somehow (where you want the mirror), and edit it
in 3D mode. Make it EXACTLY like the sector that connects it to the level (including light effects,
if you want). Now, give the wall that hooks the mirror to the level a 1-sided texture (on the level
side). Find MIRROR (near the toilets), and choose that as the texture for the 1-way wall. Then, hit
b and h on the wall, so that it has bullet holes and keeps the player from murdering himself by
walking into it (don't ask). That's it! You can LoTag the 1-sided wall with 252 if you want Duke to
say, "Damn, I'm looking good!" when he presses spacebar on the mirror.
[4.9] Secrets
Tag one of the secret sectors with a LoTag of 32767.
[4.10] End-Level Sectors
Tag the exit sector with 65535.
[4.11] How to Make the Player Start With No Weapons
Put HURTRAIL as the floor texture of where the player starts.
[4.12] 1-Time Sounds
Tag the sector as a 10000+ LoTag (ex. 10019 is breaking glass).
[4.13] Ambient Sounds
Tag a MUSICANDSFX with a LoTag of the ambient sound you want, and then tag the HiTag for the
range in which the player will be able to hear it.
[4.14] Echo Effect
Make a MUSICANDSFX with a LoTag of 1000+ (ex. 1128 is an average to high echo), and a HiTag
equal to the square radius of the echo.
[4.15] Misc. Advanced Effects
Sectors over sectors rules:
1. Sectors that overlap can never "see" each other
That's the biggest one. A workaround (sort of) is to put a 1-sided wall in front of a
violating sector.
2. Never directly link two overlapping sectors. Above workaround rarely works on this rule.
[5] Secrets to a Good Level
There are levels, and there are good levels. Then, there are incredible levels that make
us all go "wow!". I hope to teach you the rudimentary skills necessary to make a good (possibly
incredible) level.
[5.1] Theme
Theme! It's so important, I can't begin to tell you the details. Select a theme that you
know you can handle, and implement it into your level. If you want, implement more than 1 theme,
but make sure there's at least one, even if it seems lame at first.
[5.2] Sizing
I've seen too many giant lands, and know that it's a pain when the doorknob is at your head,
instead of your waist. Learn the secret of the number pad, and the number pad 5 key. They will
be the greatest tools of making a level realistically sized, rather than a room that a Leviathan
would be comfy moving around in.
[5.3] Shading
Again, too many levels lack this, or have bad quality shading. If a level is to succeed, it
needs to look somewhat "realistic" (unless the theme is unrealism, but even then, shading plays a
major role). Unlike Doom, Duke is not limited to sector-only shading. The walls, floors, sprites,
etc. can be any shade between 1 and 127 (negatives, too!). Use this to your advantage. As well,
use pallettes to your advantage, to make a blah texture look rad.
[5.4] Weapons
If a level gives you a pistol to kill 20 pig cops, you're probably going to go on to the next
one pretty quick. Make sure that the player is properly armed for the situations you put him in.
It's no fun to face a mini-boss with a shotgun.
[5.5] Enemies
Never add too many enemies, as that will overwhelm potential players, and never too few, as the
player will get bored looking at scenery. This quality should be intermingled with the Weapons
quality, so as to establish harmony in the gameplay.
[5.6] "The Feel"
Themes generally have a "feel" to them (deserted, overwhelming, horror, etc.). Make sure you use
the right "feel" for your level. It's kind of strange to be in an overwhelming arctic tundra.
[5.7] Plot
Without one, a level is just a level. With one, a level becomes more of a piece of a story, and
the player is about to act out the next part. The thicker the plot, the more possibilities. Don't make
it too thick, or the player will be sifting through a book-like text file to find out what to do next.
[5.8] Basic Idea
This is very important. If you have no idea what the level will look like, you aren't going to get
what you expect. Have patience, and figure out a basic "look" and "idea" for the level. This goes with
about everything else.
[6] Various Bugs and Fixes
There are no true "bugs" in Build, only errors that are caused by the user doing an illegal action.
Make sure you never break one of the All-Powerful Rules of Build, or you will probably end up with a
whopper of an error.
[7] Sound Effects Reference
0:Duke kicking something
1:Bullet ricocheting
2:Bullet hitting something
3:Pistol firing
4:Removing pistol clip
5:Inserting pistol clip
6:Chaingun firing
7:RPG firing
8:Poolball sound
9:RPG exploding
10:Freezethrower firing
11:Shrinker firing
12:Something shrinking
13:Pipebomb bouncing
14:Pipebomb exploding
15:Lasermine put on wall
16:Lasermine beeping
17:Lasermine exploding
18:Breaking a vent
19:Glass breaking
20:Glass breaking heavy
21:Electric discharge
22:Water splash
25:Duke coming out of water
26:Green slime recog
27:Duke kicks Episode 3 Boss Head
28:Duke taking a leak
29:"Game Over!"
30:Crowd cheering
33:"What are you waiting for, Christmas?"
34:Green slime attack
35:Things hitting forcefield
36:Water drink sound
37:"Damn!"
38:Duke grunting
39:Heartbeat when using steroids
40:Duke wading in water
41:Duke scream, Duke killed
42:Duke lands
43:Sound when duke walks in vents
48:Duke scubadiving
49:Duke activates jetpack
50:Duke uses jetpack
51:Duke deactivates jetpack
56:"I'm Duke Nukem, and I'm coming to get the rest of you alien bastards!"
61:Trooper begging
64:Lizman spitting
67:"Shake it baby!"
68:Burning sound
69:Squishing sound
70:Sound when teleporting
71:Elevator Start
72:"This sucks!"
73:Elevator Stop
74:Door sound
75:Subway train sound
76:Switch sound
78:"Groovy!"
79:Flushing toilet
81:Earthquake
82:Alarm sound
83:Monitor sound
84:Engine hum
85:Reactor hum
86:Computers
87:Gears grinding
88:Bubbling sound
89:Machine sounds
90:Sewer Ambience
91:Wind
92:Dripping sound
93:Steam
95:Nightclub music
96:Lunar warlord roam
97:Lunar warlord recog
98:Lunar warlord firing chaingun
99:Lunar warlord pain
100:Lunar warlord dying
101:Overlord roam
102:Overlord recog
103:Overlord attacking
104:Overlord pain
105:Overlord dying
106:Duke picking up atomic health
107:"Come get some!"
108:Cycloid emperor dying
109:Duke firing shotgun
110:Trooper roam
111:Trooper recog
112:Trooper attacking
113:Trooper pain
114:Trooper dying
115:Lizman roam
116:Lizman attacking
117:Lizman recog
118:Lizman pain
119:Lizman dying
120:Pigcop roaming
121:Pigcop recog
122:Pigcop attacking
123:Pigcop pain
124:Pigcop dying
125:Recon car roam
126:Recon car recog
127:Recon car attacking
128:Recon car pain
129:Recon car dying
130:Drone roaming
131:Drone recog
132:Drone attacking
133:Drone pain
135:Fat commander roaming
136:Fat commander recog
137:Fat commander attacking
138:Fat commander pain
139:Fat commander dying
140:Octabrain roam
141:Octabrain recog
142:Octabrain using weapon
143:Octabrain pain
144:Octabrain dying
148:Grinding sound
149:Green slimer dying
150:Cycloid emperor roam
151:Cycloid emperor recog
153:Cycloid emperor pain
154:Lunar warlord using RPG
155:Fat commander spinning attack
156:Lunar war lord walking
158:Thud sound when enemy falls
159:Octabrain using teeth
160:Octashot (Octabrain Weapon)
163:Green slime roam
164:Woman screaming
165:Click door sound
166:Heavy whine door sound
167:Light whine door sound
168:Born To Be Wild
169:Duke cocks shotgun
170:Grinding sound
171:Low pitched humming
172:Lava sound
173:Bubbling sound
174:Phone busy
175:Aliens hum
177:"Hmmm, don't have time to play with myself!"
178:Monolith sound from 2001
179:Low pitched wind like sound
180:"Hmmm, looks like I have the con!"
181:"Ha Ha, too late Nukem, we're in control now!" - Warlord
183:"Secret level!"
184:Voices mumbling
185:Voice mumbling
186:Water rushing
187:Movie projector sound (E1L1)
189:"Those alien bastards are gonna pay for shooting up my ride!"
190:"What, there's only one of you?"
192:"I think I'll climb aboard!"
193:"That's one doomed spacemarine!"
194:Crackling fire
195:"Lets rock!"
196:"Ready for action!"
197:"Gonna rip 'em a new one!"
198:"We gotcha now, Duke bastard. And we're gonna fry your ass!"
199:"Rockin!"
200:Duke jumps off somewhere high
201:"Damn it!"
202:"You wanna dance?"
203:"Damn it!"
204:Trooper roam 2
205:Pigcop roam 2
206:"Cool!"
207:"Where is it?"
208:"Come on!"
209:Duke searching (press space)
210:Duke getting item
211:Duke gasping
212:Monitor activated
213:Night vision goggles on/off
214:"Damn!"
215:Duke cracking knuckles
216:"Ahhhh!" (relief)
217:Duke taking steroids
218:"Aaaaahhhh, much better!"
219:Duke changing weapon
220:Water gurgling
221:"Who wants some?"
222:"He he he, what a mess!"
223:"Bitchin!"
224:"Holy cow!"
225:"Holy shit!"
226:"Damn I'm good!"
227:"Yeah, piece of cake!"
228:"Ooh, thats gotta hurt!"
229:"Ooh, I needed that!"
230:"Who are you?" - Ep. 1 Boss
231:Flyby
232:Flyby
233:Flyby
234:Explosion + Scream
235:"Now, this is a force to be reckoned with!"
236:"I Ain't afraid of no Quake!"
237:"Terminated!"
238:Duke singing Born2bwild
239:"Nobody steals our chicks, and lives!"
240:"Its time to kick ass and chew bubble gum, and I'm all out of gum!"
241:"Duke Nukem must die!"
242:"Lunar Task force defeated!"
243:Exiting menu
244:Flyby
245:Duke deathscream (falling)
246:Shrinker hit
247:Squeaking mice
248:Menu sound
249:End of level music
250:"I should have known those Alien maggots booby trapped the sub!"
251:"Die, you son of a bitch!"
252:"Damn I'm looking good!"
253:Pig cop roam 3
254:"Kill me"
255:Drone flying sound
256:Door sound
257:Door sound
258:Door sound
259:Door sound
260:Door sound
261:Alien elevator/door sound
262:Vault door opening
263:"Let God sort 'em out!"
264:"Hail to the king, baby!"
265:"Blow it out your ass!"
266:"Eat shit and die!"
267:"Your face, your ass, what's the difference?"
268:"See you in hell!"
269:"Suck it down!"
270:Duke deathscream
271:"This really pisses me off!"
272:Switch sound
273:"Shit happens!"
274:Duke deathscream
275:Duke deathscream
276:Duke deathscream
277:Computer ambiance
278:"This is KTIT, k-tit, playing the breast, er, the best tunes in town!"
279:Helicopter sound
280:Urkk!! Stepping in crap
281:Monolith sound from 2001
282:Low pitched wind like sound
283:Green slime hatching
284:"I'll rip you head off and shit down your neck!"
285:"We meet again Dr. Jones!"
286:Door sound
287:Door sound
288:End of game music
289:"My name is Duke Nukem!"
290:"After a few days of r&r, I'll be ready for more action!"
291:"Ohh, come back to bed, Duke"
292:"I'm ready for some action NOW!"
293:"Moan, moan, moan, hehehe..."
294:"Its down to you and me, you one-eyed freak!"
295:Duke drops his weapon
296:Duke rips head off Ep. 2 Boss
297:Duke unbuckles his jetpack
298:Jetpack hits the floor
299:Duke unzips his zipper
300:Duke reads paper
301:Duke whistles, while reading
302:"Damn, that's the second time those Alien bastards shot up my ride!"
303:Something gets frozen
304:Duke pain
305:Duke pain
306:Duke pain
307:Duke pain
308:Wind sound
Atomic Edition Only Sounds:
313:Grocery store music
314:Store music dying off
315:Sound of actor swelling
316:Protector Drone roam
317:Protector Drone recog
318:Protector Drone Attacking
319:Protector Drone Pain
320:Protector Drone Dying
321:Protector Drone Shooting
323:"Looks like clean-up on aisle four!"
324:"Damn, that was annoying!"
325:"Hmmm, bookem' Danno!"
326:"I'm not crying over this!"
327:"This tape will self destruct in one second!"
328:"No way I'm eating this shit!"
329:"Go ahead, make my day!"
330:"So help me Duke!"
331:"Someone's gonna friggin pay for screwin' up my vacation!"
332:"Yippie Ki-Aye-A, mother f-cker!"
333:"Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of JACK!"
334:"ARR-Someone's gonna take a long walk off a short gangplank!"
335:Dolphin screech
336:"You and what army?" - Woman
337:"Down on your knees and bark like a dog!" - Woman
338:"God, you're pathetic" - Woman
339:"You wouldn't shoot a lady, would 'ya?" - Woman
340:Pig Cop Tank Sound
341:Ep.4 Boss roam
342:Ep.4 Boss recognize
343:Ep.4 Boss shocking
344:Ep.4 Boss pain
345:Ep.4 Boss Dying
346:Protector Drone missing
347:Episode 4 Beginning sequence - Typewriter typing
348:Frying grease
349:Dog Whining
350:Dog Yelp (When killed)
351:Lightning Strike
352:Thunder Rumble
353:"Stop right here" - Mouse
354:"Come on in" - Mouse
355:"Oh, we're going to have a wonderful day!" - Mouse
356:"Hi! You want a picture with me?" - Mouse
357:Alarm sound
358:Rain
359:"Green Team running" - Evil voice (Duke TAG)
360:"Brown Team running" - Evil voice (Duke TAG)
361:Green Team scores" - Evil voice (Duke TAG)
362:"Brown Team scores" - Evil voice (Duke TAG)
363:Woman moaning
364:Typewriter Typing
365:"Duke, we've got a new problem here!" - General
366:"This video was taken by an undercover operative!" - General
367:Clang
368:Episode 4 Introduction - "Hmmm...I'm going in!"
369:Car screech
370:"It's time to abort your whole friggin' species!"
371:"I'm gonna kick your ass, Bitch!"
372:"Hmmm...My kind of party. Wish I had time!"
373:"Looks like it's time for me to go postal!"
374:"Oh, spank me! Spank me! Oh, yeah!" - Woman
375:"Nobody messes with my meat!"
376:"I'm gonna put the smack dab on your ass!"
377:"I'm gonna get medieval on your asses!"
378:"Nobody jacks with our independence!"
379:Jeep engine running
380:Door slamming
381:Ep.4 Boss Laying Egg
382:Ocean Wave
383:"I'll be back!" - Terminator
384:Underwater sound
385:Squishing noise
386:Expander hitting enemy
387:"Looks like he didn't escape from L.A.!"
388:Expander weapon Shooting
389:"Get back to work, you slacker!"
390:"Get that crap out of here!"
391:"You guys suck!"
392:Woman giving birth to Queen
393:Large BANG sound
394:Ship's Fog Horn
395:Ship's bell
396:"Go away! We're, like, closed!" - Speaker
397:My store muzak! (Genesis)
[8] Music Reference
GRABBAG.MID Title Song
STALKER.MID Hollywood Holocaust Music (Stalker)
DETHTOLL.MID Red Light District (Taking the Death Toll)
STREETS.MID Death Row (Streets of L.A.)
WATRWRLD.MID Toxic Dump (Water World)
SNAKE.MID The Abyss (Sneaky Snake)
THECALL Launch Facility (The Call of Death)
AHGEEZ.MID Faces of Death (Ah, Geez!)
FUTMILL.MID Spaceport (Future Military Conquests)
STORM.MID Incubator (Space Storm)
GUTWRNCH.MID Warp Factor (Gut Wrencher)
ROBOCREP.MID Fusion Station (RoboCreeping)
STALAG.MID Tiberus Station (Stalag 3-D)
PIZZED.MID ??? (Pissed!)
ALIENZ.MID ??? (Aliens, Say Your Prayers!)
XPLASMA.MID Dark Side (Plasma)
ALFREDH.MID That last level (Alfred H.'s family plot)
GLOOMY.MID Spin Cycle (Gloomy)
INTENTS.MID Lunatic Fringe (In Tents)
INHIDING.MID Raw Meat (In Hiding)
FATCMDR.MID Bank Roll (Going After the Fat Commander)
NAMES.MID Flood Zone (Taking Names)
SUBWAY.MID LA Rumble (Subway)
INVADER.MID Movie Set (Invader)
GOTHAM.MID Subway (Gotham)
233C.MID Farenheight (233.778 Celsius)
LORDOFLA.MID Hotel Hell (Lord of LA)
URBAN.MID Stadium (Urban Jungle)
SPOOK.MID Tier Drops (Spook)
WHOMP.MID Highway (Whomp)
[9] Hacker's Guide to Duke3D .CON Hacking
To hack .CON files, make sure you have base C code knowledge. If you don't,
make sure you're a quick study. .CON files are the body of the game, for without
the .CON files, the game will do nothing. .CON files can be edited with a text
editor, such as notepad or Edit for DOS. Just edit it, and change the parts you
want to change. Much has been highlighted by the original authors, so you should
have little to no trouble figuring out how to hack it. If you screw the game up
beyond redemption with the hacking, use KEXTRACT, and extract the original .CON
files from DUKE3D.GRP.
[10] Secrets of the Duke Gurus
The secrets of the gurus of Build are well-kept, and surprisingly simple.
1. Memorize the keyset required to run the editor. This speeds up build time
drastically.
2. Use visibility and shading together to give the proper effect intended to areas.
3. Don't be afraid to backtrack or remove an ugly section, regardless of how long
it took to build it. Ugly is ugly.
4. Details can make a level truly shine. Even small things such as a steering
wheel on a boat add to the atmosphere.
[11] Index and Bibliography
Index? What index?! I don't see any index. Oh yeah, there is no index.
[11] Bibliography:
Music list from the Duke3D CD (In /GOODIES/MIDI/)
Sound list found my (surprise, surprise!) ME!
Editing tips also by me
Tutorials written by me (seeing a pattern here?)
Pretty much everything else is by me
[12] Final Notes
Any help is welcomed. If you want to give me a few tips, or a new tutorial
that you KNOW works, send it to me, and I'll give you FULL CREDIT for your
contribution. Thank you for your concern, and thanks for reading my FAQ.
1997-1999 Primary Anomaly