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DOOM II (DOOM 2: HELL ON EARTH)
GAME MULTIMEDIA FOR
PC, MACINTOSH, TAPWAVE ZODIAC, MICROSOFT XBOX
GHOST-MONSTER FAQ
REVISION 12/09/2006
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0. Introduction
1. What Is A "Ghost" In Doom II Games?
2. Where Can I Encounter Ghosts?
3. Which Monsters Can/Cannot Become Ghosts?
4. Can The Ghost Effect Occur Any Other Way?
5. What Affects A Ghost's Movement?
6. How Can Ghosts Be Killed?
7. Can Killed Ghosts Be Resurrected?
8. What Happened To The Ghost I Saw?
9. Will A Surviving Ghost Affect My Score?
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0. INTRODUCTION
===============
o This document provides general information on a bug that can occur in Doom II
games on various game platforms: The creation of a "ghost" by an Arch-Vile
monster.
o This document primarily refers to the PC software package "Doom 2: Hell On
Earth" version 1.9, and various accurate ports or conversions of this game.
Other Doom II-based games which are not addressed here (such as Final Doom)
may be included in future updates.
o This document is 79 characters wide, and is best viewed in a monospaced font.
The master HTML version is located here:
http://classicdoom.com/ghostfaq.htm
The master text version is located here:
http://classicdoom.com/ghostfaq.txt
1. WHAT IS A "GHOST" IN DOOM II GAMES?
======================================
o A "ghost" is an abnormal Doom II monster. It can move freely through some
solid surfaces, and it is generally immune to a wide variety of attacks and
projectiles.
o A ghost is created when an Arch-Vile resurrects the crushed corpse of a
monster. (Corpses are often crushed by doors closing, crushing ceilings or
rising elevators.)
2. WHERE CAN I ENCOUNTER GHOSTS?
================================
o Ghosts may never be encountered during normal game play. The table below
indicates map levels where ghosts can conceivably be generated during a
normal Doom II game.
o Maps where ghosts may be created in PC Doom II v1.9:
| Skill | Skill
Map | Map name | 1/2 | 3/4/5
----|------------------|-------|------
.11.|.CIRCLE OF DEATH..|.Yes...|.Yes..
.14.|.THE INMOST DENS..|.No....|.Yes..
.16.|.SUBURBS..........|.No....|.Yes..
.20.|.GOTCHA!..........|.Yes...|.Yes..
.25.|.BLOODFALLS.......|.Yes...|.Yes..
.27.|.MONSTER CONDO....|.No....|.Yes..
.28.|.THE SPIRIT WORLD.|.Yes...|.Yes..
.29.|.THE LIVING END...|.Yes...|.Yes..
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Notes: In PC Doom II, map 11 is referred to as "CIRCLE OF DEATH" in the tally
screens, and "'O' OF DESTRUCTION!" in the Automap.
Map 17, "TENEMENTS", and map 23, "BARRELS O' FUN", are not included here,
because any Arch-Viles on those maps cannot access areas where monster
corpses can be crushed.
Map 30, "ICON OF SIN" is not included here. Although Arch-Viles may be
spawned by the Boss entity on this map, monster corpses on this map cannot be
crushed.
Note that Xbox Doom II includes additional areas where ghosts may be created.
3. WHICH MONSTERS CAN/CANNOT BECOME GHOSTS?
===========================================
o The following monster types can be resurrected as ghosts in PC Doom 2: Hell
on Earth:
Zombieman/Former Human
Shotgun Guy/Former Human Sergeant
Heavy Weapon Dude/Chaingunner
Imp
Demon
Spectre-Demon
Cacodemon
Hell Knight
Baron of Hell
Arachnotron
Pain Elemental
Revenant
Mancubus
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Notes: A Pain Elemental must be crushed while dying in order to leave a
crushed corpse behind, otherwise nothing remains to be resurrected.
Ghost Pain Elementals launch/release normal Lost Souls.
o The following monster types cannot be resurrected as ghosts in PC Doom 2:
Hell on Earth:
Lost Soul (cannot be resurrected)
Arch-Vile (cannot be resurrected)
Spider Mastermind (cannot be resurrected)
Cyberdemon (cannot be resurrected)
Map 31/32 "SS Officer" (no Arch-Vile present)
Map 32 "Commander Keen" (no way to crush, no Arch-Vile)
Map 30 "Boss" (no way to crush, Arch-Vile cannot access)
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Notes: A Lost Soul can be crushed while dying, and this can produce a crushed
corpse; However, crushed Lost Soul corpses cannot be resurrected.
4. CAN THE GHOST EFFECT OCCUR ANY OTHER WAY?
============================================
o While playing a computer-based Doom or Doom II game, an extremely rare
program error, an "all-ghosts bug", may occur. This bug can cause all living
things on the current map to instantly attain "ghost" status, including
players and some monster types that normally cannot exist in ghost form.
5. WHAT AFFECTS A GHOST'S MOVEMENT?
===================================
o A ghost version of a given monster type will move and behave much like the
normal version of that monster, but with a few exceptions. Ghosts are immune
to some of the limitations that affect a normal monster's motion, but remain
restricted by others.
o The axis of a ghost (an imaginary vertical line running through its center)
cannot cross through or underneath any horizontal surface that is the "top"
or "floor" surface of a solid structure or object. (However, this can still
allow a ghost to move up to half of its body into most vertical surfaces and
objects.)
o A ghost may move its entire body through or above any horizontal surface that
is the "ceiling" or "underside" of a solid structure or object.
o In general, a ghost can move all the way through any part of a structure that
has no horizontal surfaces. This can include closed doors, or any wall that
stretches floor to ceiling (or ground to sky). If a ghost encounters a
horizontal surface it cannot cross over or under, it may attempt to go around
the intervening structure or object, rather than through it.
o Sample ghost movement through solid structures/surfaces:
One solid pillar | Two pillar sections
-----------------|--------------------
____ _ _ _ ____ | ____ _ _ _ ____
: : | : :
(|)(|)(|) : | (|)(|)(|) :
: (|) : | :.(|).:
: (|) : | (|)
: (|) : | (|)
: (|) : | _____
: (|) : | | |
: (|)(|)(|) | | (|)(|)
____:_ _ _:____ | ____|_ _ _|____
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Notes: The first diagram shows a side view of one wide, floor-to-ceiling
pillar; The second diagram shows a side view of a similar pillar, with its
center third removed, effectively making two separate structures; A "(|)" in
the diagrams represents a ghost Cacodemon.
The first diagram shows that a ghost Cacodemon can move its entire body
through any part of this solid pillar.
The second diagram shows that a ghost Cacodemon can move freely through the
top section, but can only move about half its body into the sides of the
bottom section. (A ghost cannot move its axis beneath any horizontal surface
that is the "top" or "floor" of a solid structure.)
o The axis of a ghost cannot cross through the axis of a player or a normal
monster. The axis of a ghost also cannot cross through the axes of torches,
barrels, lamps, and similar solid objects.
o Like all walking players and monsters, walking ghosts are limited in how high
they can climb when taking a single step. If a normal monster is unable to
climb up onto a structure, then the equivalent ghost monster will also be
unable to climb onto that structure.
o Walking ghosts are not inhibited by steep dropoffs. For example, a normal
Imp standing on a high ledge or cliff cannot step directly down off the edge;
a ghost Imp can.
o Ghosts cannot open doors or activate elevators/lifts.
o Ghosts (and ghost corpses) cannot be crushed.
o Ghosts cannot be teleported. Ghosts do not respond to, or trigger, teleport
lines or teleporter pads.
6. HOW CAN GHOSTS BE KILLED?
============================
o The following events/attacks can injure or kill ghosts:
Barrel explosion
Player rocket explosion
Imp scratch attack
Demon bite attack
Spectre-Demon bite attack
Lost Soul attack
Cacodemon bite attack
Hell Knight scratch attack
Baron of Hell scratch attack
Pain Elemental attack (Lost Soul attack)
Revenant punch attack
Arch-Vile attack (direct hit or near miss)
Cyberdemon rocket explosion
Player teleporting into ghost's coordinates
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Notes: A rocket may not detonate if it touches a ghost; but if the rocket
detonates against a solid object, any ghost within range of the explosion can
be affected.
A completed Arch-Vile attack affects the target and a small area around the
target; A ghost can be harmed anywhere within this region.
A ghost can be "telefragged" like any normal monster: If a player teleports
to a ghost's location, the ghost is killed. (Ghosts normally cannot be
telefragged by other monsters in PC Doom 2: Hell on Earth.)
Note that normal-monster weapons will auto-aim as usual when used on ghost
monsters, but player weapons will not.
Some events/attacks listed above may not affect ghosts if the "all-ghosts
bug" is in effect (see question 4). For example, an exploding rocket can
fail to cause damage if it was fired by a ghost player.
o As with normal monsters, ghosts can be destroyed through the use of "mass
kill" cheat codes. (Such codes exist in Doom 95, and in other third-party
"source ports" of the original Doom engines.)
o The following events/attacks/projectiles generally do not injure or kill
ghosts:
Player punch attack (normal and Berserk strength)
Player chainsaw attack
Player bullets (pistol and chaingun)
Player pellets (both shotgun types)
Player rockets (unexploded)
Player plasma (plasma rifle and all BFG-9000 emanations)
Zombieman/Former Human bullets
Shotgun Guy/Former Human Sergeant pellets
Heavy Weapon Dude/Chaingunner bullets
Imp fireballs
Cacodemon fireballs
Hell Knight fireballs
Baron of Hell fireballs
Arachnotron plasma
Revenant missile (homing and non-homing types)
Mancubus fireballs
Spider Mastermind bullets
Cyberdemon rockets (unexploded)
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Notes: In general, the events/attacks/projectiles listed above will have no
effect on any ghost; However, a very narrow area at the base of a ghost's
vertical axis can sometimes be affected by some of these attacks. (For
example, plasma bursts will pass through nearly all parts of a ghost
Cacodemon, but may also occasionally impact a point near the base of its
axis, causing damage.)
A rocket may not detonate if it touches a ghost; but if the rocket detonates
against a solid object, any ghost within range of the explosion can be
affected.
A homing Revenant missile fired at a ghost will usually pass through the
ghost (or miss) and may then circle back repeatedly in an attempt to strike
the target.
Note that normal-monster weapons will auto-aim as usual when used on ghost
monsters, but player weapons will not.
7. CAN KILLED GHOSTS BE RESURRECTED?
====================================
o A killed ghost can be resurrected any number of times by an Arch-Vile. When
resurrected, the monster remains in ghost form.
o When monster respawning is in effect (through a Respawn switch or parameter,
or through the built-in respawning effect of Nightmare Skill), a killed ghost
will respawn as a normal monster.
8. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GHOST I SAW?
====================================
o Ghosts may disappear for a variety of reasons: Sometimes a ghost may move out
of the level entirely, and wander beyond the borders of the map; Walking
ghosts can become stuck in pits or trenches that normal monsters cannot step
into; Sometimes ghosts get stuck behind objects, or get stuck in parts of
structures that they cannot move all the way through; When a ghost is killed,
its corpse may fall into or through a wall, where it cannot be seen.
9. WILL A SURVIVING GHOST AFFECT MY SCORE?
==========================================
o In Doom 2: Hell On Earth, any ghost monsters created by Arch-Viles have
already been killed at least once, and the "KILLS" score in the tally screen
will reflect that. Failing to kill a ghost created by an Arch-Vile will not
subtract points from the score.
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