Demon Crater

Demon Crater is the thirtieth map in Unreal's single player game.
 * Author : Juan Pancho Eekels
 * Description
 * The player emerges from the underground into a darkened Skaarj base. Beyond this heavily defended storage facility lies the immense Skaarj Mothership, looming over its landing site in the darkened Demon Crater.

Walkthrough
''This walkthrough was completed on Medium difficulty. Creature and item placements may differ on other difficulty settings.''

Beyond the hellish Demonlord's Lair, you arrive in a Skaarj storage facility that borders on a huge crater. This is the docking site for the Skaarj Mothership; your journey is almost over - but the hardest challenges still lie ahead.

You start at the base of the lift you saw at the end of the previous level. So, press the button nearby and step on to the lift, riding the long distance to the top. You arrive at the top of the lift shaft in a short corridor before a darkened storage facility. Open crates nearby for in this corridor for a Flashlight, a Flare and a Super Health Pack, then step forwards into the facility.

The power is off and the facility is extremely dark, so use a Flare or the Flashlight, because as you enter the facility a Pupae jumps down from a box ahead and attacks you. Kill it. Then, by Flare light, collect the Automag and two Clips nearby. Dispose of any dangerous explosive barrels that you find, so that they don't hurt you later.

Weave your way through the large storage boxes so that you arrive at the back of the facility, but beware the SkaarjTrooper with a Dispersion Pistol who drops down at this point. Kill him, then go to the left for two Clips. From there, go to the back for a Flare. At the back of the facility is an entrance to a darkened corridor that goes down; shoot the barrel in the entrance and collect the Health Pack there, then read a nearby sign [1].

Enter the corridor and go down its slope. Shoot any explosive barrels you find on the way. Soon you will some out in a room at the bottom of the corridor. As you enter, kill the two Pupae that attack. Then, go to the right into the room and operate the panel there (NOT the panel on the left inside the room) [2].

After the generator is activated, lights come on throughout the facility. Explore this room. There are two Health Packs at this end, and one at the other. Wooden crates beyond the generator reveal a Flak Cannon and a box of 10 Flak Shells. Collect, but still DON'T operate the other panel. Return instead up the corridor to the corridor to the storage facility.

Now that power has been restored, you can see. Return to the other side of the storage facility, do an about turn, and climb the ramp to the left. Go round to the top of the ramp, killing any Pupae who jump off the storage boxes as you climb, and shooting the barrel at the top. Between starting the ascent and arriving at the top having destroyed the barrel, I had caught the attention of and killed four Pupae. At the top, collect of the Flare and two Health Packs.

From here, look at the stacks of boxes. On top of the highest stacks are armour items, while a wooden crate on a lower part of the stack contains an ASMD Core (in shooting that open I attracted the attention of a fifth Pupae which I killed). Wooden crates on the lowest equipment boxes contain two cans of 12 Eightballs. You can reach the Eightballs from here, so jump down and collect them. Then, look at wooden crates on the floor in the area that was to the left as you looked out from the balcony. They reveal a Health Pack, an Eightball Gun, a can of 12 Eightballs and Jump Boots. Collect the first three items.

Now, the tricky part; the box-hopping. Collect the Jump Boots (be careful as you will need all three jumps) and stand at the base of the tallest stack (the nearest one). Activate the boots and jump from the floor to the first level up that you can land on. From there, jump to the top of the box to collect a Power Shield (a Shield Belt with twice the energy). Deactivate the boots then drop down to the next box down on the right, where you shot a crate open for an ASMD Core. Collect the core.

From the ASMD Core's location, activate the Jump Boots and use their last jump to jump from there to the top of the other stack, where there is an Assault Vest. From there, look down the side of the box facing the level entrance, and you will see a wooden crate on the next box down that was obscured from view when you were on the balcony. Shoot it and drop down for a box of 10 Flak Shells.

When you're done, drop to the floor and return to the back of the facility. Go back down the corridor to the Generator and Loading Room.

It's time to activate the other panel. So, approach it and activate it, reading the translator message [3].

Things are hotting up in the storage facility now, so make your way back up the corridor. In the facility, a door has opened at the top of the ramps and SkaarjTroopers with Dispersion Pistols are coming out and jumping down. You will have to kill several (I made it 5 on this difficulty setting) before you can safely proceed. Deal with them all.

When they're all dead, go through the door and along the short corridor within to the end, killing the SkaarjLord that meets you there. The corridor turns into a lift shaft; press the panel nearby to call the triangular lift then step aboard.

The lift rises automatically to a control room at the top. Step off the lift, and you will see that the room overlooks through a barred window a huge crater in which the Skaarj Mothership has landed.

The corridor out of this room currently leads nowhere. So, raid the room for gear. There are three Health Packs on the left, while wooden crates on the right reveal 40 Tarydium Shards, an ASMD Core, a can of 12 Eightballs, a can of Tarydium Sludge, a box of 8 Rifle Rounds and a box of 10 Flak Shells. Collect, then activate the panel that is on the left as you face the window [4].

A portal has now formed in the previously dead-end corridor. Just a curiosity first before you leave though; look on the right of the Mothership and you will see energy streamers coming out of the underside. Use the rifle to zoom in on ground at the bottom of the nearest one, and you will see a speck turn into a SkaarjInfantry with an Eightball Gun. The level designer Juan Pancho Eekels has stated that the otherwise unreachable Skaarj there was his idea and an exciting easter egg.

So, go along the corridor and through the new portal. The portal takes you out in a large circular red-lit area with an open roof in the centre of the Mothership; a huge opening on the floor in the centre is blocked by a force field. This room is guarded by three SkaarjTroopers with Dispersion Pistols. When you have killed them, start looking round for an exit. Eventually you will find a door beneath a support strut on the opposite side of the huge room from the entrance; go through the door to exit the level.

Translator Messages

 * 1) "Generator and Loading Room."
 * 2) "Generator Control Panel. Generator is operational. Power output nominal."
 * 3) "Intruder Alert. Secure all access points, all personnel on full alert. Protect the Mother, failure results in DEATH."
 * 4) "PortalGate: Link Established. Enter transport Field."

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