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BJ
Rowan is an old-school
Wolfer whose first
add-on was probably
posted on CompuServe,
and was also released as
game C of "Wolfmaster",
a DOS menu package of
levels included in
Apogee's "Wolfenstein
Super Upgrade Pack". But
unlike most
old-schoolers who moved
on to other things
before the internet took
off, the self-proclaimed
"total Wolfenstein
addict" stuck around to
create a great web site,
"BJ Rowan's Wolfenstein
Bunker", and used the
Wolf source code to
design one of the best
add-ons of its time,
"Project
Totengraeber."
On
his now-defunct web
site, BJ posted helpful
tutorials on editing the
Wolf source code and
designing levels; the
latter can still be
enjoyed at the
DieHard
Wolfenstein
Bunker.
He was a perfectionist
with an eye for detail
and quality: "Conflict
in the Fatherland",
arguably containing his
best levels, was over
two years in the making;
"Totengraeber's" subtle
changes in graphics,
sounds and EXE made for
a very satisfying
end-product that has
often been recycled and
imitated; even his
readme's would be in
both txt (formatted for
DOS, not notepad) and
doc (Microsoft Word)
formats.
BJ
tended to release his
add-ons in stages,
probably because he took
so much time to design
and test them.
"Totengraeber" was
released in two phases,
and I have seen a
6-level preview of his
second mod, then called
"The Revolution". He
also planned to debut
his follow-up to
"Totengraeber"
episode-by-episode, but
unfortunately that never
happened.
Except
for a few posts on the
Die Hard Wolfers forums
in early 2004, not much
has been heard from BJ
Rowan since the
completion of "Project
Totengraeber". Was that
his final work? Time
will tell.
Andy
Nonymous.
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BJ Rowan's
Releases
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Add-on
Name:
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Release
Date
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Information
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Levels
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Files
Included
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Version
Required
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Our
Opinion
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The
Renovation
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09/13/94
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30
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Maps
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Wolf
3D Reg
1.4
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BJ Rowan's
first set. Good
levels, most of
which are quite
extensive.
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Conflict
In The
Fatherland
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05/10/99
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aka
"The Renovation
II"
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60
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Maps,
Vswap,
Audio
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Wolf
3D Reg
1.4
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Some
modified
graphics. The
professional
flavour and
original
atmosphere of
the game
remains. Some
new sounds
too.
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Project
Totengraeber
II
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12/24/00
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2001
Official
Wolfenstein 3-D
Awards : Best
Add-On
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48
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All
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None
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Final
part of BJ's
excellent
project. Well
designed
seamless
levels, plus a
host of
graphics and
source code
changes.
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Add-ons
To
BJ Rowan's
Releases
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Add-on
Name:
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Release
Date
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Information
|
Levels
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Files
Included
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Version
Required
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Our
Opinion
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The
Road To
Despair
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04/22/03
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by
Executor
(previously
Viper), an
add-on to
Totengraeber
subtitled
"Megastein 3-D,
chapter
1"
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19
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Maps,
Vswap
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Project
Totengraeber
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A
real difficult
set - there's
good level
design and well
placed
guards.
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Contributions
To Others'
Releases
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Add-on
Name:
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Release
Date
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Information
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Levels
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Files
Included
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Version
Required
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Our
Opinion
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2nd.Zip
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10/16/99
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by
Ken O'Brien, BJ
made the EXE
(later to
appear in at
least 20 other
add-ons)
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20
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All
except
audio
files
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Supply
audio
files from Wolf
3D Reg
1.4
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Part
2 in a series.
Subtitled On
the Trail of
Schabbs, it
has seamless
levels, which
are well done,
and some new
graphics.
Exe file
by
BJ Rowan.
Screenshot.
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The
Final
Assault
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09/01/03
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by
Executor, uses
the
Totengraeber
source code,
subtitled
"Megastein 3-D,
chapter
4"
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8
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All
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None
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Good
levels. Images
are largely
imported from
elsewhere and
credits are
given. The
resulting blend
has come out
quite well and
the atmosphere
of the original
game is still
there.
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Operation
333
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02/29/04
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by
Joe
M
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40
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All
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None
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Levels
are mostly
quite extensive
though a few
are not
original. Uses
the 'Project
Totengraeber'
source code.
The original
Wolf3D feel
remains.
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