Doom 0.3 Alpha
More recently, another Doom pre-release surfaced. This is referred to as the "0.3" alpha, released February 28, 1993. after the tech preview but before the other alphas.
Like the .4 alpha, this version has a high frame rate, monsters walking in place, items can not be picked up, the weapon moves slightly while standing still, and has some support for "high-color" mode. There are only a couple of pickup items, and they seem to be drawn at the wrong height.
The first level (what becomes E2M7) sort of seems mostly there room-wise, although with much, much, much, less detail and very flat. I was really expecting something more along the lines of the early alpha screen shots.
This version has a functional in-helmet automap. This was hinted at in the screen shot sets, but not present in the other alphas.
The key: A S and D switch between status bar, in-helmet, and a smaller in-helmet view.
Monsters present include the Demon, Imp, and Baron of Hell.
Like the tech demo, weapons can fire and light up dark rooms.
The levels present include:
E1M1 - becomes E2M7 (Spawning Vats)
E1M2 - becomes E2M2 (Containment Area) - rough
layout.
E1M3 - becomes E2M3 (Refinery) - rough layout
Levels 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 are just tiny place
holders.
E1M8 - becomes E1M2 - about the same as the
.4 alpha.
"THESTORE"
"SHAWN2"
Probably the most interesting thing in this alpha are two hidden levels. There is no direct way to access them from within the program. But editing the level names in the WAD file allows them to load.
The first is a large brightly lit metal office building type level. Clearly it is just a rough layout.
While most of the level looks very un-doom like, one side contains a pit full of a huge number of imps! Now THAT is more doom-like, yet nothing quite like it in the .4 or .5 alphas.
It has been pointed out that the vague structure of this level resembles that of the upper part of the "E1M11 - Devoid of real levelness. Forget all you have seen" level seen in the .4 alpha. Supposedly this was intended to be part of a hub that interlinked all of the other levels, but that idea was dropped early on.
The second hidden level is a small "store" with various computer consoles. Supposedly this was also supposed to be part of the hub system where you could obtain supplies.
Anyway, functionally it is quite similar to the .4 (4-2) alpha but the .4 alpha sees the addition of quite a bit of level detailing and new level work.
