Project Verdammt

Project: Verdammt
Title screen
Author(s)	James Ingham Various
Release Date	May 26, 2001
Base Game	Registered Wolfenstein
Sourceport	DOS
Features
Type	Mod
Code Changes	Yes
Maps	1
New Graphics	All

Project: Verdammt is a mod for registered Wolfenstein, made by James Ingham in collaboration with Parafriction and Chris Chokan. A host of others helped out as well. A 1-level demo was released on May 26, 2001.

The mod was an ambitious project, and many updates were posted on the project during mid-2001, but no other versions were released. The mod went through many different status bars, title screens and layouts before being shelved.

Graphics were taken from The Final Solution and Totengraeber, and also bore a slight resemblance to Beyond Wolfenstein. The release was mainly a showcase, with the level design being pretty substandard with many one-ups and grey stone rooms lined next to each other.

Genesis

The mod's first mention was on April 8, 2001 when a host of screenshots were posted, baring a slight resemblance to Operation: Panzerschiff. Sam Feichter assisted with some of the graphics at this point in time.

Ten days later, a new series of screenshots were posted, featuring a unique status bar and depicting an outside atmosphere not too far off from that of Western Wall I. At this point, both Parafriction and Chris Chokan had joined the project.

On May 13, 2001, a Read This! pic was posted, and an announcement was made regarding Ingham's new website.

Three days later, new screenshots were posted featuring a status bar based on a theme from DOOM.

New screenshots were posted on May 26, 2001 and the one-level demo was also released on that date. Added to the mix was the chainsaw from DOOM, something of a breakthrough for its time.

Only four days later, the whole layout changed again with a new menu and a radically altered status bar. On June 3, 2001, it was mentioned that 6 functional weapons were now featured. Six days after this news, the menu had again been altered and the ammo box from Spear of Destiny had been added, along with an increased ammo rate of 250.

Over the summer of 2001 there were no further news until August 3, when a new screenshot was posted depicting yet another new status bar and the news that two new maps had been finished. A list of new features was included, such as added blood, removal of death cams, Pac-Man ghosts not harming you and not moving and other hex edits typical of the era.

In October, Ingham launched a contest in which the winner gets to make a boss actor for the project. Further news were posted on wanting beta testers, with the then-current state of the project being offered for those interested. Such a version has not surfaced. During November and December, the team behind the project now took the name Verdammt Software, which Zach Higgins also joined.

On December 9, 2001, work on the project halted due to a heavy bug in the coding. This proved to be the last news on the project. On June 22, 2002 the May 2001 demo was finally uploaded properly on the Dome's server, having only been available on an external link.

Aftermath

Though the project is often forgotten, mainly due to Spear Resurrection's influx from late 2001 onwards, followed by End of Destiny and other large-scale projects, the mod still stands as being an early community effort, where the opportunity to influence the project was readily available. The coding changes were slightly advanced for 2001, but the project was obviously a victim of too many ideas in a brief amount of time, with many people on board. Due to the change in landscape of what a large-scale mod could offer, the mod got lost in the cracks of time, though for a time in 2001 it was a major player in Wolfenstein modding.

External links

• Download Project: Verdammt at The Wolfenstein 3D Vault
• News at the Dome: MAY/JUN 2002