I feel like posting something that won't start arguments for a change :)



Has anyone else noticed early Monolith loved putting train levels into their FPS games?

Blood: The third level is all on a moving train.

Blood 2: Opens with a moving train level (Which I hear comes back again twice)

Shogo Mobile Armour Division: Has a whole level on a moving train.

No One Lives For Ever: Has a whole level on a moving train.

Tron 2.0: Has a whole level on a moving train.


Even if you don't count Blood 1 (which was mostly made by 3D realms) that's still four FPS games with train levels. Train levels aren't really good or bad (to my mind) But they are kinda odd. How many other FPS games have train Levels that you can think of?
The Half-Life games (except Ep1) all start on trains. But that's something different. Beyond that this seems to be a Monolith thing.

So does anyone have the answer to this mystery? Well if not we can still have fun thinking of silly answers.

Thanks for reading.

I loved the train level of outlaws. It was not odd :(

It was a way to show off the diversity of level design. It was awesome to play on an entire stage that MOVED. The train level in the first Blood is still one of my favorites.

Get off my train!!!!

Not sure if I'd say that Blood was mostly made by 3D Realms. Q Studios Corporation, formed in '94 was behind the design of Blood, and they broke off relations with 3D Realms and became part of Monolith in early '97. Could probably check the credits to see how much over lap there is though.

As for other games with train levels, I can think of two for certain.
Iron Storm has one near the end of the game.
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy has a train level, Corellia - Cult Investigation, though they call it a tram...

I want to think Dead Mans Hand had one too, but I can't really remember that game much.
addendum: yes it does, level 23 - Iron Horse.

Some one did a really good multi-player map for Medal of Honor called Train to Hell. It had smoke and a tunnel that you had to avoid if you were running on the roof.

Goldeneye 64 also had a train level.
There was also one in the first Soldier of Fortune
Unreal Tournament 99 also had one

Just throwing those out there for the sake of it ;) Devs love their train levels I guess

I'm guessing train levels are easy and quick to make? The small area can be filled with boxes (like pretty much every FPS that has a warehouse level) or other simple to make objects. Also because the aera is small, they can be filled quickly leaving more time to craft other areas. Train levels can have the short length padded by making the player going back and fourth by collecting a key, flipping a switch etc. Feel free to disagree but thats just my opinion and I don't have any vested interest in it ;)

Train levels didn't bother me much because they were a refreshing change from static, enclosed locales that morhlis already touched on. However, warehouse levels in FPSs filled with boxes did kind of get on my nerves a bit. Anyone remember the first Half-Life? Boxes, boxes everywhere, you couldn't fart without hitting a box.

AND THE DEVS SAID "LET THERE BE BOXES AND TRAIN LEVELS!!!!!". I'm positive someone said that somewhere, I just can't prove it.

yeah I remember them saying that. It was I believe the winter of 1776 on the 13 of November in Bakersfield California. James Baxter was the guy who said it.

It was indeed pretty cool at the time (although Outlaws did it as well and was released shortly before Blood) but the level didn't really move, it was just an illusion. The surroundings were just looped and the train itself was actually static, it wasn't going anywhere and would go on forever. Which in itself isn't bad and you probably already knew but is worth mentioning because...

I know *one* game with a train sequence where the train *actually moves* and you have to fight your way through it before the train actually reaches a certain point on the map and that would be Codename Eagle, the predecessor to Battlefield 1942. Admittedly that doesn't make Codename Eagle's train sequence better than Blood's but it was quite awesome that you were moving through an actual landscape (that could also be navigated on foot or with other vehicles) rather than just having generic pieces of scenery passing by in a loop. And you had some serious sense of urgency that wasn't just imposed by some meaningless countdown but was actually tied to the train's distance to its destination. Pretty awesome stuff. Too bad that nobody remembers the game anymore and not even DICE make sure that their fans know the real origin of the Battlefield series.

Solldier of Fortune (which needs to be on GOG,btw) has a train level.

Haha, yep. And not only the early ones, in Condemned: Criminal Origins they had two whole chapters taking place inside a subway system complete with you riding a moving train: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY4f_rQ1Ovg

Train levels are awesome in a weird way. I've always loved them more than "stationary" levels.

Battlefield 3 opens with a train level, they kinda suck. way too linear.