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Archive Maintainer      : No special instructions
Update to               : (N/A)
Advanced engine needed  : DSDA, UZDoom
Primary purpose         : Single play
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Title                   : Salt of the Earth: Early Access Edition
Filename                : SaltEarlyAcc.wad
Release date            : 3/18/2026
Author                  : Cynder_Thief
Email Address           : [redacted]
Other Files By Author   : NeonCrabcake.wad
Misc. Author Info       : NaCl Specialist

Description             : Salt of the Earth: Early Access Edition contains maps 1-7, 10, 11, and 31 of a planned 32+ map megawad release. The gameplay is primarily setpiece fights and BFG slaughter, but there are some reality, forced pacifist, platforming, exploration, and other elements to lend variety. The purpose of this release is to put a "demo build" into circulation to gain feedback from the wider community as I develop the remaining maps in the set.

In this release, lower difficulties are NOT implemented, though I DO plan to implement lower difficulties in the final release.

This set contains fairly long, difficult maps that are not meant for more casual Doomers, nor those with a low frustration tolerance. But those who love a challenge and enjoy setpiece fights and slaughter will find plenty to tickle their fancy here!

STORY: You are Daisy Margherita, an elite military operative falsely accused of murder and sentenced to prison. Before prison, your rank was Lieutenant Colonel. Due to a rare genetic anomaly, you have superhuman physiology and… rabbit ears. You are regarded as one of the strongest fighters in the cosmos, second only to the Doomslayer himself. (As a result, confining you to prison has caused the UAC to incur extraordinary difficulty and expense, not to mention many injured guards.)

Recently, an ancient, malevolent, and extraordinarily powerful practitioner of black magic, known only as The Sorceress, infiltrated the Sanctum where the Doomslayer was entombed after his defeat of Davoth. There, The Sorceress absconded with the Doomslayer's crypt. The UAC has promised you a full pardon if you can defeat The Sorceress and recover the Slayer. But as your journey unfolds, you learn that taking the Slayer was but a step in The Sorceress's ultimate plan to invoke the physical rebirth of her dark and vengeful god—a primordial, cosmic destroyer hell bent on devouring creation. This entity is known only as the Lo﻿rd of Salt. If the Sorceress succeeds in summoning the Lord of Salt, he will destroy all nondemon life in the universe. Only you can stop The Sorceress and save Creation.

CREDITS: The credits are much too extensive to set forth here, but you can read them at your leisure by following this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/106huh5G9p1GxLRT7pGN2yaPF26kkejfvqUmJyT3Dm_I/edit?usp=sharing 

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* What is included *

New levels              : 1-7, 10, 11, 31
Sounds                  : Yes
Music                   : Yes
Graphics                : Yes
Dehacked/BEX Patch      : Yes
Demos                   : No
Other                   : No
Other files required    : (list unusual files the player is expected to have)


* Play Information *

Game                    : DOOM2
Map #                   : 1-7, 10, 11, 31
Single Player           : Designed for
Cooperative 2-4 Player  : No
Deathmatch 2-4 Player   : No
Other game styles       : N/A
Difficulty Settings     : Not implemented


* Construction *

Base                    : DOOM2, MBF 21 Expanded Bestiary
Build Time              : Into the thousands of hours over 2 years or so
Editor(s) used          : Ultimate Doom Builder, Slade
Known Bugs              : Known visual bugs in Software
May Not Run With        : Chocolate Doom, Woof
Tested With             : UZDoom, GZ Doom, DSDA



* Copyright / Permissions *

Authors MAY use the contents of this file as a base for
modification or reuse.  Permissions have been obtained from original
authors for any of their resources modified or included in this file.

You MAY distribute this file, provided you include this text
file, with no modifications.  You may distribute this file in any
electronic format (BBS, Diskette, CD, etc) as long as you include
this file intact.  I have received permission from the original
authors of any modified or included content in this file to allow
further distribution.


* Where to get the file that this text file describes *

The Usual: ftp://archives.gamers.org/pub/idgames/ and mirrors
Web sites:
FTP sites: