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in: Mods, 1999 mods, Registered Wolfenstein 3D,
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Project Totengräber

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Project: Totengraeber is a mod for registered Wolfenstein, made by BJ Rowan. It was released in two installments; Phase 1 was released on October 30, 1999 with Phase 2 coming out on December 24, 2000.

Genesis[]

Rowan had originally begun working on a mod for Spear of Destiny entitled Quest of the Blade, in 1997. After managing to compile the source code, Rowan chose to migrate the finished levels over to this new project, scrapping Quest for the Blade in the process. Rowan had finished most of Conflict in the Fatherland in 1996, though this went more or less unreleased until the spring of 1999, which was when Totengraeber was in its earliest stages. As Rowan stated on his website:

When I first began making Wolfenstein levels in 1994, I was disappointed by one particular aspect: Things like the locations of each episode’s secret elevator, the ceiling colors, and the music selections were hard-coded and could not be changed. With the release of Wolfenstein’s source code in 1995, I had thought all of my problems were instantly solved. I was wrong.

While I could compile the code, the end result was always a screwed-up display, rendering the game unplayable. CompuServe’s forums were filled with complaints from people experiencing the same issues. Little did we know at the time that our compilers were to blame — most of us were using Turbo C, which was unable to properly compile certain chunks of the code. Once I was introduced to Borland C++ 3.1 (the compiler used by id Software) in 1999, like magic, everything started to work. I was in Wolfenstein heaven, all over again.

Immediately, I resurrected all of the ideas I’d ever had about customizing the source code and began work on a new project. Having recently discovered Gary Ragland’s Schabbs 2000 and Assassinate Hitler add-ons, I had a feel for the kind of stuff that could be done. I wasn’t interested in adding rocket launchers or giant squid — I wanted to simply extend Wolfenstein’s functionality in a way that was still true to the original game. My favorite original episode had always been “Operation: Eisenfaust,” so I decided to base my new project on that story, flesh it out a bit, and go from there.

While Totengraeber was met with wild approval upon its release, a core contingent of Wolfenstein enthusiasts opined that its level design did not measure up to the standards I’d previously set with Conflict In The Fatherland. During my harried, all-night coding sessions, it was true that I had neglected the project’s level design to a degree. It simply wasn’t my primary focus, as I was spending all of my time tweaking and fine-tuning the source code, and dreaming up new ideas to throw in (weapon jamming, for example, was added entirely on a whim). Eventually, I was having so much fun coding the thing, that I didn’t want to work on the level designs!

While the end result is no slouch, in my opinion, it does indeed fall short of the mark. Make no mistake; Project Totengraeber will provide you with hours of Wolfenstein enjoyment, but purists seeking the ultimate in level design — especially those who played CITF — may be somewhat disappointed.

Due to pressure from fans, and events in my life which forced me to slow development of the project (graduation, marriage, etc.), I released the first half of Totengraeber as “Phase 1” on October 30, 1999. It would take me another year to finish the remaining levels, and finally launch “Phase 2/Final” on December 23, 2000. Merry Christmas. - BJ Rowan

Praise and criticism[]

A highly anticipated and well-received mod upon original release in 1999 and later in 2000 as a full version, the mod was arguably the first to melt together notable source code changes, streamlined mapping and many new graphics and sounds under one banner. In its wake, many mods appropriated its atmosphere, sounds, graphics and approach to level design. Unlike several other early mods to utilize notable source code changes, such as Operation: Buzz Bomb and Beyond Wolfenstein 2 SE, Totengraeber seemed to survive the impact that later mods such as Spear Resurrection and eventually End of Destiny would have on the modding community.

On the other hand, the mod has been singled out in recent time as suffering from repetitive map design and at times not being challenging enough. Rowan himself also viewed his previous mod Conflict in the Fatherland as being superior to Totengraeber in the mapping department.

Description[]

The 1999 release (Phase 1) included 27 levels; 24 regular and 3 secret levels. 2000's Phase 2 added an additional 21 levels, making the full total 48 levels; 41 regular and 7 secret levels.

The mod featured impressive coding changes for its time; seamless levels, a variety of secret levels (including super secret levels), adding the ammo box from Spear of Destiny, chaingun jamming, additional sounds when picking up items, additional health objects, 4 keys and increased health and ammo. Furthermore, there were also added many new graphics and sounds, mainly originating in/converted from Mac Wolfenstein and the music order was changed and also featured music from Spear of Destiny. Greatly inspired by Schabbs 2000, the mod appropriated a similar storyline to do with Doctor Schabbs. Several parts of Totengraeber also feature mutants heavily.

In terms of appropriating the coding changes to the storyline, the mod took great advantage of seamless level flow; slotting the storyline into different parts, each with a different theme. The player is taken through a host of different castles before ending up in a laboratory area, each unit connected by a slimy tunnel, not too different from how Spear of Destiny was constructed - perhaps a leftover from the Quest of the Blade era. Several of the castles featured here were named after discarded titles id Software had for Wolfenstein 3D.

Story[]

It is 1942, at the height of the Second World War, and the Allies are fighting a fierce battle against the Axis Powers in Europe, and the conflict looks far from over. Worse, the Allies have reason to believe that the Nazis may be amassing a new army of undead soldiers to do battle for them. It is rumored that a top Nazi scientist, one Arzt Schabbs (generally considered mad by his former colleagues) has found a way to resurrect soldiers who have been killed in battle, graft a third arm onto their chests, and send them back to the front lines - in a macabre experiment known as "Project Totengraeber" (effectively, "Gravedigger"). Some such undead soldiers may even receive special conditioning to carry out suicide missions no sane man would ever accept. With no concern for their own lives, only a bitter, ingrained desire to kill, Schabbs' zombies would have nothing to lose in a firefight, attacking relentlessly and with unimaginable determination. This appalling possibility leaves some in the Allied military aghast, some disbelieving, and all horrified. But the prospect seems very real, and if it does turn out to be true, this new army of undead warriors could spell doom for the Allies - as it effectively means the Nazis would have an unlimited supply of soldiers for battle. Death on the battlefield no longer spells the end for those subjected to Schabb's lurid experiments. And unless Schabbs and his army are eliminated, the war could begin to take a terrible turn for the worse for the Allies - and indeed, for humanity itself.

There are other rumors afoot as well amongst Allied Intelligence officers. Recon teams coming back from top-secret missions deep within enemy territory have reported a suspicious amassing of soldiers and top Nazi generals in a localized area of Nazi Germany. This mountainous region, home to several ancient German castles, was originally thought to hold no strategic importance, but apparently the Nazis have some sort of secret operation underway in that sector. Could it be related to the rumored Totengraeber project? Could the execution of a massive new Nazi campaign be imminent?

Desperately seeking a means to combat this potentiality, Allied Intelligence has brought to the table several recently-acquired maps showing the locations of six German castles in this questionable region of Nazi territory, each of which is suspected to play a key role in the mysterious Totengraeber project. The Allies believe that a concise plan of systematic elimination of these key Nazi installations, including Arzt Schabbs and his undead army, is an immediate necessity. According to Intelligence, the six castles are interconnected via a system of old tunnels, which can also serve as bomb shelters - and, depending on their magnitude, possibly one or more secret bunkers or laboratories. The tunnels were constructed around the time of the first World War, and now the Nazis are apparently using them as a secret transportation route between their key bases of operations. They are, however, relatively lightly guarded at one particular position. Considering this position a perfect "back door" by which a one-man strike force might gain access to the castles and destroy Project Totengraeber from the inside out, the Allies decide to recruit their most effective one-man strike force for the job - a man by the name of Captain William J. Blazkowicz, or "B.J." to his friends.

You are B.J. Blazkowicz, and your commanding officers are sending you deep into the heart of Nazi Germany to stop Project Totengraeber if it exists. Castle Sturmwind, an ancient Prussian castle in the southwest area of the target region, is lightly guarded and has been designated as your entry point. You will enter the castle's ground level, and work your way down through the cellars to the tunnel system beneath. From there, follow the tunnels as they wind northeastward. The tunnels apparently connect with the lower levels of several other castles, and you will most likely find it necessary to work your way through those floors and back into the tunnels at some other location. Allied Intelligence believes the tunnels will eventually end up beneath Castle Dolchteufel, where it is believed the entire Totengraeber project is being spearheaded. Along the way you may find yourself caught up in head-to-head firefights with the high-ranking Nazi generals who are in the area, evidently overseeing the final stages of the project's execution. Your orders are to eliminate as much Nazi resistance as you see fit, but remember that your primary objective is the assassination of Arzt Schabbs and his legion of mutated walking dead. Schabbs may be holed up in a secret lab in Castle Dolchteufel, at the center of the secret tunnel system. You must take him and his army out at all costs. This is your toughest assignment yet, and you will be up against some of Hitler's finest. There's lots of ground to cover out there, so fight hard, keep your wits about you, and remember to make use of the Nazis' health and munitions to keep you going. The Allies are counting on you, B.J. Go win one for humanity...and try to come back alive!

Editors' version[]

Sometime after the release of Phase 2, Rowan released the Totengraeber Developer Kit, making it easy for modders to put their own spin on Totengraeber's source code and atmosphere. Several mods have been released that utilize the kit. Originally uploaded on Rowan's own Wolf3D Bunker, it was unavailable and obscure for a time before being re-uploaded on the Wolfenstein 3D Dome on March 9, 2006.

Ports[]

An SDL port, compiled by MCS, was released on August 15, 2010. Furthermore, a community map set for the mod's 20th anniversary was released in 2019.

Screenshots[]

External links[]

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
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