Well, it's been so long since last time I've updated this project.

Honestly, It wasn't on my original plans to update this mod in any way since the code was so outdated and my mapping skills were so subpar, but these past 2 years I've been doing a modding frenzy, where I updated 12 mod's a year, and this year I had a spare slot to fill, then I thought: "Well, this mod will soon reach its 20th anniversary, why not make something special about it?"

So, I did.

I've been experimenting with making few levels for a while now and considering the first two episodes for this mod were done a long time ago (first episode in 2006 and second episode in 2012), then I decided to make two brand new episodes to give the mod a closure I wanted to give the mod all these years and never did.

This update will release one episode fully completed, then next year I'll release the final 4th episode, which hopefully will attempt to merge both alpha elements and blorc storylines together. Or perhaps not, and just make a conclusive ending and keep both stories separate.

In any case, episode 3 is coming in a few days with 6 levels and episode 4 will be released eventually next year with 5 levels, or so is the plan.

Now, I hear you ask, "Ok, a new episode is cool, but that's nothing if the code is still outdated and can't even figure out how to load the game with so many separate files spread across the whole zip file"

Then oh boy, do I have some good news for you!

This 20th anniversary update not only includes a brand new playable episode, it also includes a bunch of bugfixes, including major weapon/monster rebalances, 16:9 support, some reconditioned levels, improved scripts, some new lost levels and what's more important: All files merged into three pk3 files.

That way, if you want to load alpha elements, you just need to load only two files. The mod files with the official mappack.

Then, if you want to switch into lost levels, you load the mod with another mappack, instead of the official campaign.

The update also comes with an improved batch file (windows feature) so you don't need to drag the files into the executable, just type which mappack you want to load, then press enter and done!

The changelog for this update is so big that I don't feel like writing everything on this article, but I guess you can let me tell you: It's not just some file merging and nothing else.

Been working on this update since early this year (and started mapping the new episode since august), so this update has been in development for months and I've been thoroughly testing this update for quite a while.

Though 95% of my tests were done using GZDoom 1.8.6, so if you find something off on anything above 1.8.6, feel free to tell me and I'll consider improving support for 4th episode update next year.

There are still few more things that may need some tweaking, considering some code is still over 15 years old and don't have that much stomach to rewrite all game from scratch (it's a free mod update after all and the whole game is free, so it's not like I have a huge pressure on redoing everything)

With the 20th anniversary, I may also release some old archival versions of the game, just to keep copies of old 2008 versions of the game somewhere (the 2006 versions of the game are lost media, there's only video footage of them, so I recreated few of the original 2006 guns and ported them into some lost levels campaigns to recreate a bit of the original experience. Also added classic 2006 player sounds as an option to further recreate the experience)

I guess I can say thanks to whoever played the mod during all these 20 years.

Yes, it's not the best mod in the world, but it was definitely the one that started it all, so It will always have a special place on my heart.

Now, with that being said, I hope you enjoy playing this 20th anniversary update, as much as I enjoyed making this mod back in the day, and updating it now.

PS: I'll also be releasing a developer commentary of all 3 episodes later once the mod gets updated, plus silent gameplays of each level shortly afterwards.

The developer commentary were recorded a month before the release of the mod, so several levels may look different compared to the final build, but the commentary is still valid.

Either way, have fun!

-AlphaEnt2.