After The Dismal Silhouette I initially planned to rework and release my other abandoned RemakeQuake E2 maps indivually, but in June 2024 I committed to working on a full episode complete with milestone targets and a planned deadline of June 2026. The schedule was one map per season (three months), with seven maps total and the last season being used for mop-up and testing. This map was first in line.

Much of the map had already been built, but much like ad_rje2m6, it needed heavy reengineering. It was badly detailed and way too repetitive/symmetrical. Many rooms and facades were scrapped and rebuilt with all lighting and trim redone from scratch. Two comically oversized outdoor areas were halved in size, although they are probably still a bit too big.

It turned out okay though. It's a big map, which has evolved plenty from being just an E2M3 remake. After the gold key door there is a blue brick section spanning over multiple floors that would probably constitute a medium-sized map in itself, whereas in the original it was only two small rooms. Aside from that, the rough layout is still there, although I don't know recognisable it would be without the context.

Working to a deadline definitely helped; I actively set, reviewed and prioritised tasks each week with the goal of getting the map as close to finished as possible by end of summer 2024. This did mean one large 'megasecret' being scrapped as it fell down the priority list as a non-essential feature, which is a shame, but ultimately I thought it better to limit scope and increase chances of completion (I can get way too carried away with crazy ideas). In the end the building work got about 99% done, only lacking an exit room and something to break the large lake up. Monsters and items still need adding too, but I'm hoping it shouldn't take more than a week of mop-up to get everything done.