Hey where are all the films?

Strange but true! We get this question alot. Usually from impatient people looking for a film of a specific level. They go straight to the Vidmaster Tips & Tricks page, find that the level they are looking for isn't mentioned and assume (logically?) that there is no film... nothing... nadda...

So where are all the films?

They are on Vidmasters?... They're Everywhere! page.

Ok so we didn't put up a big neon sign saying FILMS ARE HERE. That's not the Marathon way. Neither is not reading the top of the Vidmaster Tips & Tricks page where it actually tells you where all the films are.

The Vidmasters?... They're Everywhere! page contains films of all 88 solo levels. The films are listed by player. Some people have Vidded just a few levels others whole games. Search around. If you like a person's films tell them. That'll inspire them to do more. :-)

I've sent you guys films but you've never added them to the Vid page. That sucks!

Yes it's true we SUCK!

We think it's great that more and more people are actually Vidding levels. This is what the Vidmasters' page is all about. Back in Oct 7th 1996 we wrote:

The whole reason for the Vidmasters' page is to renew and strengthen interest in the solo levels. Not everybody has the opportunity to play net Marathon but everybody can play solo. Vidmastering a level tests your solo skills to the limit. If you find playing on Total Carnage easy then try some of the options, such as fists only, no recharging, etc.

One day perhaps Vidmaster films will become an art form.

All films sent to the Vid page are reviewed. While we get films each week only a few ever get added. There is a good reason for this.

Nobody wants to watch YET ANOTHER film of level Blah, Blah, Blah... unless it shows something new.

How do we define 'new'?

Basically the film should show something different from all previous films of that level.

So before sending a film you should watch all the other films of that level and then ask yourself "Is mine better?" "Did I miss anything?" "Can I do it differently - use less weapons, less ammo, less recharging, take fewer or no hits, kill more aliens, find more secrets, complete it faster, explore those hard to reach areas, dive into the mêlée more, etc?"

We make an exception with the level Acme Station. Send a film (Total Carnage of course) of this in and we'll add it to the page regardless. Why? Well the way the level is designed ensures that a film will be of good quality. If it's not... you're most likely... DEAD!

Some of the films on the Vid page don't look that great. So why are they there?

Well if you think you can do better then send them in! ;-)

But yes, some of the earlier films may not look as good as the more recent films. This is inevitable. The standards of solo play are rising. Where once you could happily blast away with the assault rifle to get through levels now people are completing them with fists only, taking fewer and fewer hits, and generally "diving into the mêlée" creating mayhem amongst the Pfhor ranks.

The same is true for the films on the Tips and Tricks page. When these were added the films showed a new approach to a level. With time these get incorporated into newer films and the original tip or trick film becomes dated. Again a natural progression.

I'm confused it says on the main page Vidmaster noun (c. 1995) but Marathon was released in 1994. Shouldn't the date be 1994?

Well the 'c' stands for "circa" (about) so I guess it's close enough. But you are right Marathon was released in Dec 1994 so why not Vidmaster noun (c. 1994)?

The quote comes from the back of the Marathon: The Official Strategy Guide, written by Tuncer Deniz (Editor of Inside Mac Games magazine at the time). So is the Strategy Guide wrong? To answer this we need to review the past.

The term "Vidmaster" first appeared in the Read Me file of the Marathon Demo (Nov 94). The Read Me states:

Choose a difficulty level from the Preferences according to your vid-prowess. If you play action games rarely or never, then stay in Kindergarten or Easy. If you are a vid-master or are under the age of twenty-one, then you should NEVER play below Normal. (Unless, of course, you're a wuss.) That's right. Save Kindergarten and Easy for the older generation! Youth is only satisfied by Major Damage and Total Carnage.

Yeah right! Oddly the word "VID" also appeared in a list of useful CAR.R.O.T'S (CARnage Rule of Thumb) in the first terminal of the Demo but with a totally different meaning:

Learn to VID. That is, learn to look up and down at will. This is also useful for finding cool things.

When the full game was released (Dec 94) the Manual had this to say on the subject:

Spazeroids should play on an easy level, Vidmasters play at higher levels.

The game itself contained a number of "vid" references. On Bungie's credit terminal we read:

just vid it

Got a super-vid kill

Alain, the anti-vidmaster

And written on the map Neither High nor Low are words

GK IS THE #1 VID At BUNGIE

Around the same time as the full game was released Inside Mac Games magazine published a Strategy and Tactics guide for the Marathon Demo (Dec '94, Vol 2, Issue 12). Written by Tuncer Deniz (IMG) and Greg Kirkpatrick (Bungie Software) it offered a A Guide to Vid-Mastery. This section was most likely written by Greg given the references to grenade climbing, Maximum Air, and the CAPS-LOCK key.

Thus by the end of 1994 the words "Vidmaster" (Vid-Master, vid-Master) and "Vid" had entered the Marathon lexicon. Although there was no actual definition it was pretty obvious that the word "Vidmaster" meant somebody who would only play on the highest difficulty setting (Total Carnage) and basically kick ass. Vidmasters also never used the CAPS LOCK key. ;-)

In Jan '95 Jason Jones (Lead Programmer at Bungie Software) posted a challenge to the usenet newsgroups comp.sys.mac.games and alt.games.marathon. The post was entitled

the marathon vidmaster challenge...

and read as follows:

I challenge anyone who thinks they rule at Marathon to complete all of the game's levels on Total Carnage starting with only the pistol and x1 health (via Command-Option Begin Game). Upload your replays!

Thus the Marathon Vidmaster Challenge was born. However few took the Challenge at the time or at least posted any films. Nevertheless the seeds of Vidmastery were sown and the results can be seen today on the Marathon Vidmasters' Page.

Some months after Jason's post the Marathon: The Official Strategy Guide was published. Here the term Vidmaster was actually defined with the date 1995. In addition the Bungie credo (later referred to as the Marathon credo) "Just Vid It" was described as using...

...your Vidmaster skills to outsmart and outgun the enemy.

What's with these Vid rules? I just want to play the way I always play.

Ah... the Rules! We didn't make them Bungie did. These were enshrined in the Oath of the Vidmaster which first appeared in the Marathon 2 Preview, officially released at the Boston MacWorld in Aug '95. The Oath has featured in all versions of the game since then, even the Win95 version of Marathon 2.

It should be noted that two of these rules existed prior to Marathon 2, namely the Total Carnage difficulty level and never using the CAPS LOCK key. The remaining three: punching switches, using grenades, and killing all Bobs, were all brought in with Marathon 2.

Do the Vid rules apply to the first game

Only those that were in existence prior to Marathon 2. Though this hasn't stopped some people from applying the others. ;-)

But remember saving Bob was your job in the first game and doing so is actually hard. Try saving Bob on levels like the The Rose and Bob-B-Q. Also there is no Style in killing defenseless Marathon Bob.

What's the deal with fists only?

Using fists only adds an extra dimension to solo play. Anybody can pull a trigger but few can take a group of Troopers out with their fists. Again it was Jason Jones who started this punching thing - way back in Jan '95. In response to a comment on comp.sys.mac.games about how Bob-B-Q was impossible to Vid because there were no accessable weapons he replied:

ah, grasshopper, the most accessable weapon of all is your own fists, you must learn to lay aside your weapons of steel and use your flesh.

Jason also posted a film to back this up. You can get it on the Vidmasters?... They're Everywhere! page. Ok the film looks dated now but for its time it was unique.

Some might argue that punching is fine on levels that don't have weapons but why do it on levels that have them? Well it's all about pushing your Vidmaster skills to the limit. If you can complete a level where using fists is actually necessary then why not do it on a level where it's not?

Some might also argue that punching everything is boring. Yes it can be - so make it look stylish. Minimise the number of punches necessary by maximising your run punching. Just Vid It - With Style!

What's this run punching I keep hearing about?

A running punch causes more damage than a stationary punch. The technique involves running at your target and just before reaching it punching. It takes practice to perfect but it's worth it. When used effectively the technique will dispatch a Pfhor fighter (on Total Carnage) with only three punches.

What are the hardest levels to Vid?

Well nobody has taken an extensive poll. But we can give you what we think are the hardest levels in each game. Such a list is contentious and depends and your skill and the number times you've played a level but here it is for what it's worth:

In Marathon: Habe Quiddam, Eupfhoria and Unpfhorgiven. However, if you are not good with your fist you're going to find any level with no weapons hard, for example Bob-B-Q and Try again. But the hardest Marathon level of all to complete successfully must be The Rose. Just try saving enough Bobs to satisfy Leela. ;-)

In Marathon 2: Feel the Noise, For Carnage, Apply Within, and Sorry Don't Make It So. To these we could add Begging For Mercy Makes Me Angry! and If I Had a Rocket Launcher, I'd Make Somebody Pay.

In Marathon Infinity: Acme Station, and Hang Brain. Also the original version of You Think You're Big Time? You're Gonna Die Big Time! can be tough, just try getting all six chips successfully. Infinity also contains some levels which require a high degree of dexterity, most notably Whatever You Please and Eat the Path. If you are not use to keeping your balance in the face of adversity you'll suffer punishment.

Why are there only tips and tricks for certain levels?

Early days yet! Eventually there will be tips and tricks for every level. Vidmastery is only just beginning. Even though the idea of Vidmastery was introduced way back in Jan '95 by Jason Jones few people publically released any Vidmaster films. The exception being Michio Hashimoto <miha@hi-ho.ne.jp> from Japan.

Of course we hear alot of talk about how some people did the most amazing things back in the early days - like get through most of Marathon with fist only. Unfortunately we only hear - never see.

Remember also that these are Vidmaster tips and tricks not just simple playing tips. If you want to find out how to get the flamethrower on Smells Like Napalm, Tastes Like Chicken! then all you need to do is watch a film of this level from the Vidmasters?... They're Everywhere! page.

However if you want to know how to get through the Pit in Cool Fusion with fist only or kill the invisible S'pht'Kr on Where are monsters in dreams then you need to go to the Vidmaster Tips & Tricks page.

Where can I get the Marathon Vidmaster Challenge Physics Model?

You can get it right here. It's Tim Seufert original post to comp.sys.mac.games back in Feb 1997. You need to decode it with Stuffit Expander. As there is no Read Me with the file you should include Tim's original email with it if you circulate this on the net.

The Marathon Vidmaster Challenge Physics Model also comes with any film of Cool Fusion or Ingue Ferroque downloaded from this site.

I heard there was a complete Vidmaster Pack on the Trilogy CD but I can't find it. Where is it?

Not easy to find. It's on the Map Collection CD in a folder called "Help". The pack is called the "Marathon Trilogy Vidmaster Pack". All 88 solo levels are inside. The "Infinity Vid films" folder looks empty but it's not.

You'll also find some Vidmaster films in the Marathon, Marathon 2, and Marathon Infinity folders of the Map Collection CD.

Can I put a link to the Vid page on my page?

Yes. The correct URL is

http://marathon.bungie.org/vidmaster/

Note also that the page is called

The Marathon Vidmasters' page

The apostrophe after the 's' is important as it denotes that the page is for all Vidmasters rather than any single one.

Hey my film cuts off before the end. I swear I didn't die!

Yup this happens alot. The way to avoid it is to do the Vidmaster  'dance' at the final terminal. This allows the film to run on a bit so that it won't cut off. The way to correct a film that does cut-off is to open the data fork of the film file using a program like HexEdit and add in seven lines of zeroes at the end. If that doesn't work add in another seven lines and so on.

My saved films are all screwed up when I replay them. What's wrong?

Most likey you are not starting a new game with command-option after you die. A saved film will not play back correctly if you simply resume play after dying. You must quit the game and restart the level from the beginning. That's the Vid way!

Are there any Win95 Marathon 2 Vidmasters?

It there are we don't know about them. We've never received any Win95 M2 films. Even if we did we wouldn't be in a position to replay them. :-(

Whats keys do you press to start a new level in the Win95 version of M2?

Press ALT and ESC as you start a new game.

I'm trying to grenade climb in Marathon 2 but I keep getting blown back. What can I do?

It is not possible to grenade climb in Marathon 2 or Infinity in the same manner as in Marathon. You can however climb walls in a different manner. Check Todd Keating's excellent Marathon Hang Time Guide for details. For grenade climbing in Marathon check Thomas Ytterberg's Grenade Jumping FAQ or the films on the Never Burn Money page in the Vidmaster Tips & Tricks section. Climb with Style!

Where did the name Spazeroid come from?

The term was coined by Alex Seropian (CEO Bungie Software). It was used in the Marathon manual (page 9) to describe a person who played Marathon on an easy level.

Why don't you add Vidmaster films of third party scenarios like Evil?

Well we had to draw the line somewhere and the 88 solo levels of the Marathon Trilogy seemed a good place. Once you start adding third party scenarios where do you draw the line? What criteria do you use to add one scenario and not another? Whose feelings do you hurt in the process? These are some of the questions we would have to addressed. Thus we drew a line at Bungie's 88 solo levels. It also means less work. And anyway eighty-eight is a perfect number - it reduces to seven. ;-)

Hey some of the films on the Tips and Tricks page only show a guy running through levels and not killing anything. That's not Vidmastery! What's up?

Very true! That's why his films aren't on the Vidmasters?... They're Everywhere! page. He's an old timer so give him a break. Personally I think his eye sight is going and he can't hit anything. But he can run... boy can he run... poetry in motion... ;-)

However you'll note that the films always show something new. Usually a bizarre [?twisted] way to complete a level. FInd the right path... Eat the Path.

Are Jim Mitchell and Jimmy Mitchell related?

Nope. They just have the same name. Coincidence? Hmmm....

Are there any secret pages?

Oct 12, 1996. 'nuf said.

Where are the pics of Jim in his underpants?

Hey!... what kind of web site do you think this is? ;-)

I found the secret films. COOL!!!! :-)

Heh... keep it quiet now!