Shadowman

Shadowman is a Russian Doom level designer, who started his Doom level making in 2005. Previously he tried his skills in other games, particularly, Heroes of Might and Magic 2 & 3, Wolfenstein 3D, AD&D Unlimited Adventures. Currently, only 2 HoMM 2 maps have left, and two half-completed episodes for Wolf3D (one of them had not only new levels, but also some new sprites).

His first wad for Doom (Hellfire) Shadowman has been making in a course of one and a half year. In it, he has embodied his main ideas, which later have evolutioned in other levels & wads. JDoom was the first source-port, for which Shadowman was making levels (although Hellfire has been made in Doom 2 format, nevertheless, it has been always tested in that source-port). For JDoom, such wads as Inquisitor (a mod, in which Shadowman has tried to mix elements from Doom, Heretic, Hexen & Blood), and Netherworld - level from Freakmapping#3 contest, arranged by Russian Doom Community, were made as well.

Cheogsh (2007), for GZDoom, became a considerable mark in Shadowman's mapping - wad, made in memory of author's close friend (KoLoBoK[iddqd]), who has suddenly died because of acute heart failure in the same year. There is a location in wad, made by KoLoBoK[iddqd], and modified for GZDoom by Shadowman. Cheogsh has received a Cacoward in the same 2007.

Shadowman has put considerable efforts (more than 2 years), continuing to develop the themes planned in Cheogsh. As a result, 2 wads were released - Cheogsh 2 (made together with Guest) (2009) and ROCH (2010). Cheogsh 2 & ROCH have appeared in Runners Up category in 2009 and 2010 Cacowards.

Along with Cheogsh trilogy, Shadowman has periodically released small wads, containing 1-3 levels in limit-removing format & Boom (Kobal, Kobal 2, Yuggot, Inflation Bay, Pi2, Downhell, Pieklo and 5 years.). Shadowman also took part in a number of the collective projects organized by Russian Doom Community - Grid 32, Da Will, Heroes' Tales (all of them - in limit-removing format). The last wad was a result of few speedmapping contests, with all levels improved, plus more added to make a full 32-leveled megawad (although in the final - there were 33 levels).

Shadowman's level designing style in whole can be characterized as "realistic": for example, city-designed level represents city quarter, and the interior of houses/buildings is made realistic enough (furniture, cases, beds etc.). "Infernal" levels are more abstract, but even in them the elements of realistic architecture can be seen: lava caves, mines, devilish temples, etc. Nevertheless, late Shadowman's levels have got more abstract character (most accurately it is visible in Kobal series).

2007

 * Hellfire (Doomworld/idgames)
 * Cheogsh (Doomworld/idgames)
 * Kobal (Doomworld/idgames)

2008

 * Grid 32 (Doomworld/idgames) (Map 01, map 03, map 06)
 * Yuggot (Doomworld/idgames)
 * Inflation Bay (Doomworld/idgames)
 * Freakmapping#3 (Doomworld/idgames) (fm3_shad.pk3)

2009

 * Da Will (Doomworld/idgames) (along with B0S - Best of Survivors Doom-mapping clan) (Map 01)
 * Kobal 2 (Doomworld/idgames)
 * Downhell (Doomworld/idgames)
 * Heroes' Tales (Doomworld/idgames) (together with various RDC level designers) (Map 02, map 07, map 11, map 19, map 21, map 25, map 27, map 31)
 * Cheogsh 2 (Doomworld/idgames) (along with Guest)
 * Hellfire 2 (Doomworld/idgames)

2010

 * 5 years (Doomworld/idgames)
 * Pi2 (Doomworld/idgames)
 * Pieklo (Doomworld/idgames)
 * Alien Flower (Doomworld/idgames) (part of Tuning Contest#5 aka Freakmapping) (fm5_shad.zip)
 * Realm of Cheogsh (Doomworld/idgames) (aka "RoCH", unofficially aka "Cheogsh 3")

Misc.

 * His favorite composer is Edward Grieg, although Shadowman has never used his music in his own levels. But the music of James C. McMenamy (from Anvil of Dawn videogame) is in Cheogsh & Cheogsh 2 (ROCH uses music themes from Unreal, Diablo 1&2).
 * Tried to port Hellfire & Inquisitor for GZDoom, but halted it, because of tiresome process of enchancing its maps.
 * Many of Shadowman's levels are containing different historical-mythological and philosophical hints, which author names "the second sense". However, players usually aren't paying attention to it, but if you will ever play Cheogsh series, you may probably get more attentively accustomed to portraits, stylistics and you might think over the point of the texts, which are in the wad...