Navigate InfoSuite Introduction README The Basics Advanced FX References Game Secrets Hosted At | The Basics - Playing Playing The Prehistoric DOS Method Boot up a command prompt and type `CD C:\DUKE3D` to get into the game directory. Type `SETUP`. This menu will be displayed. Choose "User Level Selection". Choose "Select User Level" and then press `Enter` on your selected level: Press `Escape` to back up to the main menu. Choose "Save and Launch Duke Nukem 3D". The game will start and your level will run. You can also play your level by entering `DUKE3D -MAP <mapname>` at the `C:\DUKE3D` prompt. Replace `<mapname>` with the name of the map you wish to play (typing the file extension `.MAP` is unnecessary). The Modern EDuke32 Method This is extremely simple. At the Main Menu, select "New Game". Now select "User Map". Select the map you wish to play, and enjoy! Extracting the original levels There is a pair of programs that come with the game called `KGROUP` and `KEXTRACT`. These can be used to handle the `GRP` file format. Make sure the programs and the `DUKE3D.GRP` file are in the game's root directory. Run a command prompt, switch to the game directory by typing `CD C:\DUKE3D`, and type `KEXTRACT DUKE3D.GRP *.MAP`. This will extract all of the original maps into the game's root directory. The map name format is `E#L#`, where `E#` is the episode number and `L#` is the level number. For example, Episode 1 Level 1 would have a filename of `E1L1.MAP`. Mapster32 allows direct loading of the original maps from the `DUKE3D.GRP` file. Simply load one and then save it to output the map to the game's root directory. This will not adversely affect the map in the `DUKE3D.GRP` file, i.e. the original copy of the map is safe from being overwritten. Note that map files in the game's root directory have precedence over maps of the same name in the `DUKE3D.GRP` file, so you will probably want to either rename the map or delete it before attempting to play the original map in the game again. This concludes the basic knowledge you need to build maps. Have fun with it. Create and test all sorts of maps. Check out the "Advanced FX" section when you're ready to learn how to construct the game effects, and the "References" section for loads of useful information. Both can be accessed from the Main page. Return to top