MAP19: The Shaft (Memento Mori II)

MAP19: The Shaft is the nineteenth level of Memento Mori II. It was designed by Jeremy Statz and uses the music track "Nothing So Cruel" by Mark Klem. It contains a separate area for multiplayer competition.

Mission briefing
According to both the text file and the Infopack:


 * The single scout sent into the mission 19 combat zone never returned. We've had to extrapolate almost everything about this area from the images and radio messages transmitted before the scout's demise in a temple-like area.


 * So far as we can tell, the 19th CZ is some sort of mining facility, entirely underground. The hellspawn have taken it over, and have been building onto it heavily.  We estimate the structure is nearly twice as large as we originally expected.  The ultimate purpose of the structure is unknown.


 * Mission priority is simply to wipe out the infestation. Leave nothing moving, if possible.  Secondary priority is the discover the structure's purpose.  So far as we can tell, there's little reason to the schizophrenic mess of structures making up this CZ.  If there's an ultimate purpose, we'd like to know what it is.

Walkthrough

 * Letters in italics refer to marked spots on the map. Sector numbers in boldface are secrets which count toward the end-of-level tally.

Essentials
In the room with four teleporters, entering the southeast one warps the player to a slow descending elevator, which is arguably one of the hardest parts of the level. While the elevator is in motion, small alcoves containing monsters are being revealed. Although it is recommended to kill all the floating monsters as soon as possible, the player can ignore the remaining monsters saving ammo; if they stay in their compartments, they will be crushed after the player leaves the elevator when it reaches its bottom level. Possible exception could be two spectres, which need to be killed in order to obtain the only plasma gun present in this level.

Detailed elevator strategy:

Teleport yourself to the elevator. It is not moving yet, but there is a hell knight, a cacodemon (on Hurt Me Plenty or higher) and a revenant (on Ultra-Violence or higher) which need to be killed. Pressing the switch in the northern wall causes the elevator to descend.

Now flip the skull switch (the monsters which stayed in their alcoves will be crushed). Be ready to fight a hell knight (on Ultra-Violence or higher). Enter the teleporter to warp yourself back into the room with four teleporters.

Secrets

 * 1) In the nukage pit immediately following the yellow keycard door, the northern section of wall by the platform you enter the room on has a razor-thin recess. Drop into the pit and open this recess to find a sergeant, an energy cell (sector 499) and a teleporter. Enter the teleporter to access the chaingunners' pillbox in the area east of the large elevator with a berserk pack.
 * 2) In the hallway south of the room with the nukage pit mentioned in secret #1, ascend the westernmost stairs to the south. The northeastern wall behind a green torch and a box of bullets is bordered by metal. Open it to find a blue armor (sector 149).
 * 3) In the corridor (south of the room where secret #2 is found) with the teleporter leading to the switch that unlocks access to the tan rock hall, a section of the western wall has a candle floating in front of it. Walk through this wall to get a backpack (sector 521).
 * 4) In the hallway south of the room with the nukage pit mentioned in secret #1, enter the second door from the east on the southern side. In the very south of this area is a nukage pit with stepping stones and a switch. This same switch that opens the bars blocking the teleporter to the switch that opens access to the red keycard also opens bars blocking the perch to its northeast. Return to the tan rock hall right south of the door you entered and press upon the eastern, central wall to open it. Follow the rock stairway, and then do a running jump into the perch (sector 228). You will be able to acquire a medikit, a box of rockets, a rocket launcher and a bulk cell. It is far easier to reach this area through straferunning rather than normal running.
 * 5) While inside the mine (accessed through the southwestern teleporter in the four teleporters room), one of the cages from which enemies attack after you traverse the broken railway does not have any bars. Step into this cage and open the eastern wall (sector 746) to find two stimpacks and a blue armor.

Current records
The Compet-N records for the map are: