FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS
==========================
Below are some questions or comments I've received from visitors to my various
websites (ClassicDOOM.com, Ledmeister.com, and their predecessors).
I thought they were reasonable questions that someone else might ask some day,
so decided to include them here.
Most of the questions/comments here are several years old now.  Many have been
paraphrased, or have been broken down into smaller subtopics.  Occasionally
questions are added, deleted, or rearranged, and answers may be updated from
time to time.

Last update: August 13, 2005

Categories:
Doom games (at ClassicDOOM.com)
Quake 1 games
Midnight Club Street Racing 1
The websites
Documents/files
Miscellaneous

DOOM GAMES
==========
All Doom-related questions/comments are currently located at:
http://ClassicDOOM.com/doomfaqs.htm

QUAKE 1 GAMES
=============
Q: "Which is the better Quake 1 platform: a PC, N64, or Saturn?"
Q: "Which game console has the better version of Quake 1: N64 or Saturn?"
Q: "Which is your favorite game-console-based Quake 1 game?"
Q: "The Saturn Quake manual mentions a 'Final Showdown' map; Where is it?"
Q: "I heard that there's a 'wrestling level' in Saturn Quake; What is that?"
Q: "How/where did you get those Quake level passwords?"
Q: "Aren't there some cheats missing from the QUAKECHT file?"
Q: "Is there any way to fix the gravity in the PC 'Ziggurat Vertigo' map?"

MIDNIGHT CLUB 1 (PS2)
=====================
Q: "Are there any cheat codes in Midnight Club 1?"
Q: "I beat all the New York Hookmen; Where is the City Champ?"
Q: "How can I catch the New York City Champ in Cruise mode?"
Q: "How do I unlock the Zender Type-S?"
Q: "Can I use the special Taxis/Faasutos/Type-S/Baja Buggy in a Career?"

THE WEBSITES
============
Q: "Why don't you have graphics on your websites?"
Q: "Let's swap banners."/"I'll add your link if you put my ad on your page."
Q: "Do you want to join our ring of websites?"
Q: "Will you ever create sites/documents for any other games?"

DOCUMENTS/FILES
===============
Q: "Your files are ugly.  You could really class them up if you just--"
Q: "At least reformat your paragraphs to a narrower width."
Q: "My computer can't display so many columns on one page."
Q: "Why are the wide documents 79 columns instead of 80?"
Q: "How often are the files updated?"
Q: "Some of your information doesn't match what I found in other FAQs."
Q: "Can I post your textfiles on my own website?"

MISCELLANEOUS
=============
Q: "Why give out cheat codes?  Don't they just spoil the game?"
Q: "Can you help me with this computer hardware/software/modem problem?"
Q: "What do you think of Duke Nukem/Quake/Heretic/Hexen/other?"
Q: "Will you send me the full commercial version of Doom/Doom II/other?"
Q: "'Ledmeister'?  What the hell is that?"
Q: "Do you like Led Zeppelin?"
Q: "Are you German?" or "Sprechen Sie Deutsch?"
Q: "I read your interview on IGN's website."
Q: "I e-mailed a question/request to you, but never got a response."

Back to Top

Send e-mail to: Ledmeister

QUAKE 1 GAMES
=============
Q: "Which is the better Quake 1 platform: a PC, N64, or Saturn?"
A: If you have a fast pentium and good-quality graphics hardware, PC Quake is
   your best choice.  It's far more versatile than N64 Quake or Saturn Quake,
   it allows at least 16 players in a networked game, allows new maps, graphics
   and sounds to be imported, gameplay can be recorded and played back, and PC
   Quake can be finely tuned to a player's personal preferences.
   On the other hand, it's easy to plug a game console into an entertainment
   center... and kicking back on the couch for a late-night session of N64 or
   Saturn Quake on a large TV with the sound pumping through a stereo is pretty
   cool. :)  So if a bigger visceral experience is what you're looking for,
   check into one of the console Quake games.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Which game console has the better version of Quake 1: N64 or Saturn?"
A: I feel that most people will probably prefer the N64 version.  It has better
   gameplay, overall better graphics (although lacking the color and dynamic
   lighting of the Saturn game), it allows 2-player split-screen Deathmatches,
   and the cheat codes are very easy to implement.
   But the "good" qualities of either game can be a matter of personal opinion
   or preference.  Each version has some features that are missing from the
   other.  Whether these features are important or not is up to the individual
   player.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Which is your favorite game-console-based Quake 1 game?"
A: My personal preference just barely tips in favor of the N64 version.  The
   graphics are less blocky, and the game engine is a bit more powerful and has
   fewer bugs.  I'm also a big fan of multiplayer support for all games, and
   N64 Quake at least has a split-screen Deathmatch option, while Saturn Quake
   is strictly one-player.
   However, Saturn Quake has some great bells and whistles, including some
   creative hidden Easter eggs and cheat codes, and also has brand new secret
   levels (the secret levels in PC Quake are not included).  I also prefer some
   of Saturn Quake's music (with apologies to Aubrey Hodges) and its relatively
   rich colors and dynamic lighting; and I like the fact that the Episodes are
   divided and are random-access like PC Quake, instead of arranged in a fixed
   sequence as in N64 Quake.
   But if I had to pick only one of the two games, N64 Quake wins by a nose.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "The Saturn Quake manual mentions a 'Final Showdown' map; Where is it?"
A: That is the "END" ("END.LEV") map, also known as "SHUB-NIGGURATH'S PIT".
   Back to Top
   
Q: "I heard that there's a 'wrestling level' in Saturn Quake; What is that?"
A: That term refers to map E4L10 ("E4L10.LEV"), also known as "THE COLISEUM".
   This map is a special secret level, unique to Saturn Quake, where the player
   and "The Computer" each choose a "wrestler" from one of six monster types.
   The wrestlers then fight to the death in a wrestling ring at the center of
   the coliseum.  When the player-chosen monsters win 3 rounds more than the
   Computer-chosen monsters, the level's exit opens, and the player may leave.
   There is no direct penalty to the player for "losing" a fight; However, once
   any monster wins, there will be a few seconds where that monster may be able
   to attack the player before it is removed from the ring... Therefore, the
   less time a player spends engaging "The Computer" in fights, the better.
   You can access this level by the use of a couple of different cheat codes
   (see QUAKECHT for details) or by finding a secret exit in Episode 3 (see
   QUAKEXIT for details).
   Back to Top
   
Q: "How/where did you get those N64 Quake level passwords?"
A: I created all of the Quake passwords that appear on my site, starting with
   the "maximum start" passwords.
   Although it's pretty easy to run through the game in cheat mode and write
   down passwords at the end of every level, I wanted uniform passwords that
   started the player with everything, including 200% armor, on every map at
   every Skill.  Unfortunately, such passwords are not produced naturally by
   the game, even when the player takes full advantage of the built-in cheat
   codes.  Among the problems to tackle: 1) Red armor does not appear anywhere
   on the first 8 maps; 2) Just before the exits on some maps, you're forced to
   take damage to armor (which isn't protected by any form of invincibility),
   and that interferes with the password you're trying to get; and 3) Sometimes
   ALL armor values are deliberately stripped out of a password that the game
   gives you (armor is usually removed when starting on maps 8, 13, 19 and 25).
   This means you have to take the few good passwords you get, then code-break
   and reverse-engineer to get all the passwords you missed.
   As with Midway's earlier Doom 64 game, the password encryption scheme in N64
   Quake is a beast, and untangling the interlaced patterns in the passwords
   seemed a bit like trying to unscramble an egg.  But many days of frustrating
   work eventually paid off.
   Some time after doing the maximum-start passwords, I went back and created
   "normal start" passwords for all the maps.  Originally I wasn't going to
   bother, since the universal cheat password for this game allows you to pick
   any map to start on with a normal starting status.  I decided to go ahead
   anyway since I couldn't find a set of normal-start passwords for all Skills
   anywhere on the web, and I thought maybe someone might want the ability to
   start on any map without enabling the cheat menu.  (A few times in the past
   I've had a parent ask me if there's a way their kid can skip a problem area
   in a game, but without revealing cheat codes.)
   Creating the normal-start passwords was fairly easy compared to the others.
   The only real trick was to move through maps without picking up any weapons,
   or any ammo other than shotgun shells.  This is difficult on some maps, and
   outright impossible on many others; But you can still get about 10 passwords
   for a given Skill level that way, and then just reverse-engineer the rest.
   It took about a day to do the complete set of 96 passwords by hand.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Aren't there some cheats missing from the QUAKECHT file?"
A: In PC Quake 1 there are hundreds of variables or game behaviors that can be
   modified by the player during live gameplay.  Documenting every conceivable
   in-game alteration (the majority of which are not useful as "cheats") would
   yield an enormous file.
   In QUAKECHT I wanted to cover the PC cheats in detail, but confine the code
   lists and notes to something that would fit on one sheet of paper.  As such,
   the PC Quake section is limited to functions that are most useful as cheats.
   As for the N64 and Saturn versions, all known cheats are covered.
   Elsewhere on the web you can find codes for all 3 games that don't actually
   work.  All of the cheats listed in QUAKECHT should perform as described.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Is there any way to fix the gravity in the PC 'Ziggurat Vertigo' map?"
A: Map gravity in PC Quake 1 is handled by a variable called "sv_gravity".  On
   most maps this variable's value is 800; On Ziggurat Vertigo its value is 100
   by default.  To change the gravity to standard, open the Console and enter:
   sv_gravity 800
   Note however that normal gravity on this map will make some important areas
   much harder to reach; But it's still possible (if tricky) to reach the exit.
   Also, a change in gravity is not preserved in saved games... If you reload a
   game saved on this map, the current gravity value will be set/reset to 100.
   Back to Top

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

MIDNIGHT CLUB 1 (PS2)
=====================
Q: "Are there any cheat codes in Midnight Club 1?"
A: There are no known built-in cheat codes; But there are codes that are for
   use with separately-sold devices, such as Game Sharks.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "I beat all the New York Hookmen; Where is the City Champ?"
A: In order for the New York City Champ to appear during a Career, the player
   must remove at least 2 Hookmen from New York during that Career.  To remove
   a Hookman from the city, the player must defeat that Hookman in 3 separate
   Waypoint races.  Once this has been accomplished, that Hookman's car will no
   longer appear on the map during "Cruise For Some Action" mode.
   When at least 2 Hookmen have been removed from New York, the City Champ
   should appear, and should begin to orbit the city map along its outer edge.
   There is a chance, however, that the City Champ will not appear, even after
   all 3 Hookmen have been removed.  This is a known bug; and unfortunately
   there is no known solution, except to abandon the current Career, and begin
   a new one.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "How can I catch the New York City Champ in Cruise mode?"
A: Chasing down Kareem in "Cruise For Some Action" mode can be very difficult,
   especially if you have never done it before.  I usually use the Jones J450
   (Larry's best truck), or sometimes the PDQ ARi (Keiko's best hatchback).
   It helps to be already moving fast as Kareem approaches.  As you've noticed,
   he moves like a bullet.
   Stay close; Don't hit anything. ;)  If he runs into something when ahead of
   you (or approaching too fast behind you), so much the better.  Sometimes you
   can help arrange that situation.
   As with the other Hookmen you've beaten, Kareem's indicator arrow can turn
   green even when behind you, so long as he's close enough for long enough.
   As soon as his indicator turns green he'll look for an opportunity to veer
   off into the city; Don't lose him.
   Good luck!
   Back to Top
   
Q: "How do I unlock the Zender Type-S?"
A: There are 39 accessible races in Career mode; All of them must be beaten
   during a single Career in order to unlock the Zender Type-S.  For more
   information on unlocking vehicles, see the Extended Reference file.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Can I use the special Taxis/Faasutos/Type-S/Baja Buggy in a Career?"
A: Unfortunately no.  In a Career, you can only use vehicles that you unlocked
   from within that Career.  Those 6 special vehicles are only unlocked outside
   of Career mode.
   For more information on unlocking vehicles, see the Extended Reference file.
   Back to Top

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

THE WEBSITES
============
Q: "Why don't you have graphics on your websites?"
A: Because I believe in function over form when it comes to data management;
   And I suspect that if you're coming to my site looking for raw information,
   you probably don't want to wait around for pictures to load up.
   I wouldn't want to wait through a 10-second animated fireworks display every
   time I turn on a pocket calculator, and I apply that same way of thinking to
   my website.  Art's good for art's sake, but I don't want it slowing people
   down if they're just coming here looking for a code or a walkthrough.
   Someday I might make a graphics-intensive site, but it probably won't be any
   time soon.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Let's swap banners."/"I'll add your link if you put my ad on your page."
A: I don't have a banner, I don't accept advertisements, and prefer to keep my
   site as graphics-free as possible for now.  Sorry. :(
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Do you want to join our ring of websites?"
A: I appreciate the offer, but prefer to keep my site independent of web rings.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Will you ever create sites/documents for any other games?"
A: Over the years I'd started documents for Herzog Zwei (Sega Genesis), Rampart
   (Super Nintendo), Duke Nukem (multiple platforms) and a few other games, but
   eventually just ran out of time and/or incentive.
   These days when I get some quiet time for writing or updating, it's usually
   just invested in the files and documents at the ClassicDOOM site.
   Back to Top

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

DOCUMENTS/FILES
===============
Q: "Your files are ugly.  You could really class them up if you just--"
A: Yeah, I know.  But I like 'em just the way they are.
   I like pure, plain, boring ASCII because it's universally viewable on every
   computer; And the same universal files can be uploaded to a wide variety of
   distribution sites.  I like a monospace font because it's the easiest way to
   create aligned tables using ASCII.  I like wide documents because it means I
   can cram more information on a single page.  That, along with a minimum of
   vertical whitespace, means fewer printed pages (an extremely detailed table
   or quick-reference sheet can actually fit on one sheet of paper), and it
   means less scrolling up and down in online documents.  I also tend to like
   consistency and predicability in data documents, so once I decide on rules
   of style, I try to use them throughout a given document, and throughout
   similar documents.
   -----
   Addendum: For more info and help with displaying text, see the About page.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "At least reformat your paragraphs to a narrower width."
A: That's the beauty of ASCII: It's readable by just about every word-processor
   there is.  So, if you want narrower (or wider!) paragraphs, you can reformat
   them to any width you like.  (And by "you" I mean you, not me. ;)
   Back to Top
   
Q: "My computer can't display so many columns on one page."
A: Odds are: Yes it can.  All common desktop computers made since the early
   1980s allow perfectly readable 80-column (or wider) displays, as do all
   modern GUIs and web browsers.
   Most viewing problems can be fixed by adjusting window size, font size,
   screen resolution, or through other options.  (However, the commands that
   let you adjust your display might be hiding somewhere among hundreds of
   user-friendly pull-down menus... ;)
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Why are the wide documents 79 columns instead of 80?"
A: Among other reasons, some text-reading programs out there add an extra blank
   line if the 80th column is filled on a row of text.  My files weren't meant
   to be double-spaced like that, so I never use the 80th column.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "How often are the files updated?"
A: It varies, but I usually try to update a file whenever I have more than a
   few bytes of new information.  I've updated some files several times in a
   single day, while others may go for months or years with no changes.
   (For general update histories of the main Doom documents, click here; For
   the Quake, Midnight Club or Dune documents, click here.)
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Some of your information doesn't match what I found in other FAQs."
A: Over the years I've seen a lot of misleading or incorrect information about
   the various games I cover.  In fact the main reason I started writing Doom
   FAQs back in the 90s was because I was having trouble finding any reliable
   information on the early console versions.  (And surprisingly, most of the
   inaccurate stuff was simply being copy-pasted repeatedly between magazine
   articles, reviews, "official" strategy guides, cheat-code books, and so on.)
   I found that to be a frustrating experience, and thought others might, too.
   Because of that, I usually try hard to make sure that whatever appears in my
   documents is based on things that anyone can reproduce in front of their own
   eyes with their own copy of the game, so long as they know how.
   But with that said, I don't know everything about any game, and I make more
   than my fair share of mistakes.  If you think something is wrong, feel free
   to write and let me know.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Can I post your textfiles on my own website?"
A: Yes, with one provision, that the files you post remain whole and unedited.
   "Whole and unedited" refers both to content and format, and the copyright
   notice and my web address or e-mail address should also remain unchanged.
   If you're using the HTML version of my documents, you can remove the line
   that reads "Back to [...] Home Page" (the very last link at the bottom of
   the file), if you like.
   If you'd prefer a plain ASCII-text version of any file, go to Ledmeister.com
   and click the "txt" link next to the document you want.
   Back to Top

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

MISCELLANEOUS
=============
Q: "Why give out cheat codes?  Don't they just spoil the game?"
A: They can... But having information and using it are two different things.
   Personally I prefer to play a game all the way through the first time or two
   without using cheats.  And I'd recommend that to anyone playing any game.
   You get a greater sense of accomplishment, and a game's more absorbing, when
   you know you're not invincible, and you're not cheating any other way.
   Once I've done that, however, I think it's fun to be able to go back and
   explore some of the features that the codes provide.  In this way, codes can
   breathe new life into old games.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Can you help me with this computer hardware/software/modem problem?"
A: Probably not.  I know next to nothing about sound cards, modems, networks,
   PC/Mac-game error messages, software conflicts, device drivers, or OS bugs.
   Some of those topics are covered in the documentation that's included with
   the games.  Look in your printed manual(s) for info, and look in your game's
   directory/folder for text files (such as READ.ME or README.TXT, or anything
   with a ".DOC" or ".TXT" file extension).
   For Doom-related hardware or software problems, I'd recommend checking into
   Activision's Doom question database, or posting your question on one of the
   off-site Doom message boards.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "What do you think of Duke Nukem/Quake/Heretic/Hexen/other?"
A: DUKE 3D: Duke Nukem 3D is definitely a clever and fun game, and I've got it
   for most every platform it's been released on.  I was going to start writing
   up FAQs for it, but never quite found much time to get very far.
   QUAKE: I liked all the Wolfenstein games right out of the box... Same thing
   with Doom and Doom II.  Quake, on the other hand, was a hard sell, and there
   are still things about Doom that I like better than Quake.  However, after
   abandoning Quake for a couple years I started messing around with it again
   on 3 different platforms: PC, N64 and Saturn.  While Quake still is not my
   favorite game, I learned to appreciate it, and had fun in the process.
   HERETIC: It took me a long time to get interested enough to try Heretic (I
   usually dislike fantasy/magic games), but when I finally did, it became one
   of my favorites.
   HEXEN: Hexen was really cool except for two things: 1) I don't like that
   there's a never-ending supply of monsters trickling into the game as you
   play it, and 2) I got tired of going back and forth between areas that I'd
   been through several times already.
   OTHER 3-D SHOOTERS: I tried Rise of the Triad but thought it was kinda goofy
   (the way your guns had infinite bullets, the trampolines all over the place,
   and having to drop and pick up weapons over and over got old after awhile).
   Tried Marathon and Strife but never finished them.
   -----
   Addendum: Years later I played through and enjoyed Quake 3 on Dreamcast and
   Unreal Tournament on the PS2.  Halo and the Red Faction games have been fun.
   Looking forward to Half Life 2.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Will you send me the full commercial version of Doom/Doom II/other?"
A: No; I don't deal warez.  Besides, getting software illegally (from anyone)
   is a good way to wind up with a computer virus or other malware.
   You can buy Doom games cheap these days.  Look for the individual games, or
   the commercially-sold combo packs "The Depths of Doom Trilogy" (Ultimate
   Doom, Doom II, and the Master Levels), or "The Doom Collector's Edition"
   (Ultimate Doom, Doom II, and Final Doom).  These can still be found in some
   stores that sell computer software, and/or may be found online.  Id Software
   still sells some of the games on their website (http://www.idsoftware.com).
   Doom games may sometimes appear on eBay (http://www.ebay.com) as well.
   Back to Top
   
Q: "'Ledmeister'?  What the hell is that?"
A: The lie is: John Romero nicknamed me that, after I killed him 75 times in a
   row with just a shotgun, during an hour-long Deathmatch.  "You are the
   absolute master of slinging lead," he said.  "I dub thee 'LEDMEISTER'."
   The truth is: A dumb, dull story.  Skip to some other question.
   Years ago I was a co-creator of a revamped version of a space-conquest game
   for a Bulletin Board System.  Our shorthand title of the work-in-progress
   was "PB", and I wound up being nicknamed "PB Meister" by a couple of the
   inner-circle members of the board.  Later on, one of them started referring
   to me as "Leadmeister"... He had noticed that "PB" is the abbreviation for
   lead on the Periodic Table of the Elements (go figure), and "Leadmeister" is
   easier to say than "PB Meister".  I finally changed the spelling of that to
   "Ledmeister" so others wouldn't misread the pronounciation as "LEEDmeister".
   Anyway, the name stuck on the BBS, then migrated to an AOL account name, and
   I've been using it ever since.
   There.  (I warned you that it was wasn't worth reading.)
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Do you like Led Zeppelin?"
A: Sure, they've made a lot of great music.  But Led Zeppelin has nothing to do
   with my name (see previous answer) or this site. :)
   Back to Top
   
Q: "Are you German?" or "Sprechen Sie Deutsch?"
A: "No" and "Nein". ;)
   Occasionally, German-savvy people in cyberspace see the "meister" part of my
   name, and so assume that I'm German, or can at least speak the language.
   The truth of the matter is that I'm an American mutt, with no other country
   occupying a place of prominence in my genealogy; And English is my only
   language.  I can almost understand just enough German to be able to clumsily
   tell people who write to me in German that I don't understand German. ;)
   Back to Top
   
Q: "I read your interview on IGN's website."
A: Background: IGN FAQs regularly interviews FAQ writers.  In July of 2004 they
   asked if I'd do one.  I'd turned them down once before but agreed this time.
   For what it's worth, the end result that appeared on their website was
   actually pieced together from the contents of a few different emails between
   me and the interviewer.
   In fact, four questions (the first 2 and last 2) in their version were never
   asked during the interview, but were tacked on by the interviewer a couple
   days later.  The answers I seem to give to those questions were taken from
   some pre-interview email, where we were discussing background material and
   potential topics.
   They offered a free game for participating, so I guess I won't complain. ;)
   Back to Top
   
Q: "I e-mailed a question/request to you, but never got a response."
A: I try to read and answer all personal mail as soon as possible.  However, I
   get so much junk mail or "spam", that I have a tendency now to delete mail
   without reading it, based solely on the mail's Subject line.
   If the subject is something like "MAKE MILLION$!!! FA$T AND EA$Y!!!", the
   mail gets deleted that instant.  But a lot of spam attempts to sneak in
   under more ambiguous Subject lines, like "Hey" or "No Subject".
   So, it could be that your mail was deleted un-read because it sounded like
   it might be spam.  Or perhaps some other oversight or error on my part might
   be to blame.
   If you were expecting an answer and never got one, write and yell at me.
   Just be sure to put something in the subject line that won't be mistaken for
   spam.  (Something like "Doom question" always gets read...)
   Also, be sure you're sending from a valid address, and one that can receive
   replies... There have been a few occasions over the years where I've sent a
   reply but it bounces back, immediately or days later, with an error message.
   This can happen when people write to me from domains where network software
   or other programs have been set up to block incoming mail from AOL.  In that
   case, try writing again using a different domain or e-mail system.
   -----
   Addendum/privacy policy: Incidentally, I don't keep a list of addresses or
   an e-mail address book of any kind, nor do I pass e-mail addresses on to
   collectors, companies, or anyone else.  Also, to keep e-clutter at a minimum
   I tend to delete mail as soon as I send a reply to it.  (If you've written
   to me in the past but I don't recognize your name/address, that may be why.)
   Also, I usually only send out mail in response to mail or a posted question.
   If you've received mail from me that contains spam or other malevolent junk,
   it's not from me.  (My e-mail address is all over the web, and some people
   have me in their e-mail address books; and this makes it easy for various
   robots, worms and viruses to spoof my address in autogenerated junkmail.)
   Back to Top