Casali brothers
Encyclopedia
Brothers Dario and Milo Casali are best known for creating The Plutonia Experiment, one of two stand-alone megawads for the second and final Doom expansion, Final Doom
.
The eldest brother, Stefano Casali, is best known for producing the well-known comic strip Love Is...
.
s (a progenitor of the modding
and level design
practiced today), Dario and Milo began to develop what would become a passion for them in the creation of several independent maps. Although somewhat roughly executed compared to their later work, several of these levels (especially the TheBest series) enjoyed notoriety on Doom forums and listserves
for being remarkably difficult. These early levels enabled the Casalis to gain the foundation for what would later become their careers.
Shortly after working on the Memento Mori megaWAD and the Requiem megaWAD which Dario contributed to, the Casalis met several members of the then-popular TeamTNT
, a large online group of mappers, and joined the team. These megaWADs were collections of single Doom levels created by WADers and linked together to form an overarching storyline. Dario and Milo enjoyed the collaborative efforts involved in team work and having only developed single maps earlier, they could appreciate the magnitude of the finished megaWAD product.
At the time the Casalis joined TeamTNT, a major project was just starting to develop: a ground-breaking 32-level megaWAD to be released for free online. TeamTNT was enjoying a great deal of attention within the Doom community due to their announcement of this megaWAD, and as a result several skilled mappers within the community were eager to join. This flurry of activity attracted the attention of Doom developers id Software
, and they began making quiet negotiations with TeamTNT to purchase the finished product for sale as an add-on for Doom. Id also requested that a second 32-level megaWAD be created in addition and for this request, on the recommendation of an employee of theirs, American McGee
, they turned to the Casalis. With TeamTNT, the Casali brothers designed several levels for TNT: Evilution (a megaWAD constituent of Final Doom) as well as all 32 levels of The Plutonia Experiment megaWAD independently. During his time with TeamTNT, Dario went under the member name "Number 6", although his usual callsign is "Punisher". Milo has variously used the callsigns "doom warrior" and "Venom". Neither brother has continued work with TeamTNT since Final Doom.
The eventual decision of TeamTNT to go ahead with the sale of what eventually became Final Doom greatly angered many within the Doom community despite TeamTNT's later kept promise that it would produce more free megaWADs in the future after Final Doom. Doom fans at this time were often proponents of hacker culture
and the free software movement
, and TeamTNT's actions appeared to be a betrayal of their lifestyle for purely capitalistic reasons.
Dario currently works for Valve Software and has done extensive level design
work for them besides his efforts on Half-Life (which included design of 5 of the 18 chapters). He is responsible for the overwhelming majority of officially released multiplayer maps for Half-Life, and has worked on the Team Fortress Classic
mod where he was responsible for the 3 multiplayer maps. For Half-Life 2
, Dario designed 4 of the 14 chapters. He is also credited on the major Valve productions: Half-Life: Opposing Force
, Half-Life: Blue Shift
, Half-Life (Game of the Year Edition), Counter-Strike: Source
, and Half-Life 2: Episode One
.
Although going through a bit of a hiatus, Milo has most recently been credited as a member of the Popdog team (a subsidiary of Barking Dog Studios) in the development of the 2002 FPS
Global Operations
.
Quake series
Half-Life series
Team Fortress series
Left 4 Dead series
Portal 2
Other
The eldest brother, Stefano, has not been involved in mod-work. Stefano has worked in advertising and currently works full time producing the well-known comic strip, Love Is...
together with Bill Asprey. The comic strip was originally created by the mother of the three brothers, Kim Casali, during the late 1960s beginning as a series of little love notes that she drew for her future husband, Roberto Casali.
Final Doom
Final Doom is a first-person shooter video game that uses the game engine, items and characters from Doom II. It consists of two 32-level megawads , The Plutonia Experiment by the Casali brothers, and TNT: Evilution by TeamTNT. Final Doom was released in 1996 and distributed as an official id...
.
The eldest brother, Stefano Casali, is best known for producing the well-known comic strip Love Is...
Love Is...
Love is... is the name of a comic strip created by New Zealand cartoonist Kim Casali in the late 1960s.. The strip is syndicated worldwide by Tribune Media Services. The cartoons originated from a series of love notes that Casali drew for her future husband, Roberto Casali. The strip was first...
.
Dario and Milo
Early days and work with TeamTNT
Avid Doom mappers from the earliest days of creating WADDoom WAD
Doom WAD format is default format of package files for the video game Doom or its sequel Doom II, that are containing sprites, levels, and game data. WAD stands for Where's All the Data?...
s (a progenitor of the modding
Mod (computer gaming)
Mod or modification is a term generally applied to personal computer games , especially first-person shooters, role-playing games and real-time strategy games. Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves, but mods are not standalone software and...
and level design
Level design
Level design, environment design or game mapping is a discipline of game development involving creation of video game levels—locales, stages, or missions. This is commonly done using level editor, a game development software designed for building levels; however some games feature built-in...
practiced today), Dario and Milo began to develop what would become a passion for them in the creation of several independent maps. Although somewhat roughly executed compared to their later work, several of these levels (especially the TheBest series) enjoyed notoriety on Doom forums and listserves
LISTSERV
LISTSERV was the first electronic mailing list software application, consisting of a set of email addresses for a group in which the sender can send one email and it will reach a variety of people...
for being remarkably difficult. These early levels enabled the Casalis to gain the foundation for what would later become their careers.
Shortly after working on the Memento Mori megaWAD and the Requiem megaWAD which Dario contributed to, the Casalis met several members of the then-popular TeamTNT
TeamTNT
TeamTNT is a group of mappers who created the TNT: Evilution episode of Final Doom, as well as several free level packs and developer resources for Doom II...
, a large online group of mappers, and joined the team. These megaWADs were collections of single Doom levels created by WADers and linked together to form an overarching storyline. Dario and Milo enjoyed the collaborative efforts involved in team work and having only developed single maps earlier, they could appreciate the magnitude of the finished megaWAD product.
At the time the Casalis joined TeamTNT, a major project was just starting to develop: a ground-breaking 32-level megaWAD to be released for free online. TeamTNT was enjoying a great deal of attention within the Doom community due to their announcement of this megaWAD, and as a result several skilled mappers within the community were eager to join. This flurry of activity attracted the attention of Doom developers id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
, and they began making quiet negotiations with TeamTNT to purchase the finished product for sale as an add-on for Doom. Id also requested that a second 32-level megaWAD be created in addition and for this request, on the recommendation of an employee of theirs, American McGee
American McGee
-Career:McGee began his career at id Software, working on level design, music production, sound effects development, and programming in such games as Doom, Doom II, Quake, and Quake II. In 1998, he moved to Electronic Arts, where he worked as creative director on several projects, including...
, they turned to the Casalis. With TeamTNT, the Casali brothers designed several levels for TNT: Evilution (a megaWAD constituent of Final Doom) as well as all 32 levels of The Plutonia Experiment megaWAD independently. During his time with TeamTNT, Dario went under the member name "Number 6", although his usual callsign is "Punisher". Milo has variously used the callsigns "doom warrior" and "Venom". Neither brother has continued work with TeamTNT since Final Doom.
The eventual decision of TeamTNT to go ahead with the sale of what eventually became Final Doom greatly angered many within the Doom community despite TeamTNT's later kept promise that it would produce more free megaWADs in the future after Final Doom. Doom fans at this time were often proponents of hacker culture
Hacker culture
A hacker is a member of the computer programmer subculture originated in the 1960s in the United States academia, in particular around the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 's Tech Model Railroad Club and MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory...
and the free software movement
Free software movement
The free software movement is a social and political movement with the goal of ensuring software users' four basic freedoms: the freedom to run their software, to study and change their software, and to redistribute copies with or without changes. The alternative terms "software libre", "open...
, and TeamTNT's actions appeared to be a betrayal of their lifestyle for purely capitalistic reasons.
Recent work
Immediately after splitting with TeamTNT to pursue more modern level design, Dario Casali independently designed several levels for Quake including a 7-level solo-play mission and a 5-level deathmatch series. Milo also created a single Quake deathmatch level. Efforts like these which highlighted Dario and Milo's natural talents at level design were enough to attract the attention of the up and coming Valve Software. Valve made a bid for Dario and he joined their level design team for a project then called Quiver. This project was later released under the name Half-Life.Dario currently works for Valve Software and has done extensive level design
Level design
Level design, environment design or game mapping is a discipline of game development involving creation of video game levels—locales, stages, or missions. This is commonly done using level editor, a game development software designed for building levels; however some games feature built-in...
work for them besides his efforts on Half-Life (which included design of 5 of the 18 chapters). He is responsible for the overwhelming majority of officially released multiplayer maps for Half-Life, and has worked on the Team Fortress Classic
Team Fortress Classic
Team Fortress Classic, also known as Team Fortress 1.5 or simply TFC, is a team-based multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation. It is a remake of the Team Fortress modification for Quake. Team Fortress Classic was originally released for Windows on April 7, 1999 as...
mod where he was responsible for the 3 multiplayer maps. For Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
, Dario designed 4 of the 14 chapters. He is also credited on the major Valve productions: Half-Life: Opposing Force
Half-Life: Opposing Force
Half-Life: Opposing Force is an expansion pack for Valve Software's science fiction first-person shooter video game Half-Life. The game was developed by Gearbox Software and Valve Corporation and published by Sierra Entertainment on November 1, 1999. Opposing Force is the first expansion for...
, Half-Life: Blue Shift
Half-Life: Blue Shift
Half-Life: Blue Shift is an expansion pack for Valve Software's science fiction first-person shooter video game Half-Life. The game was developed by Gearbox Software with Valve Corporation and published by Sierra Entertainment on June 12, 2001...
, Half-Life (Game of the Year Edition), Counter-Strike: Source
Counter-Strike: Source
Counter-Strike: Source is an FPS video game developed by Valve Corporation. It is a complete remake of Counter-Strike using the Source game engine. As in the original, Counter-Strike: Source pits a team of counter-terrorists against a team of terrorists in a series of rounds...
, and Half-Life 2: Episode One
Half-Life 2: Episode One
Half-Life 2: Episode One is the first in a series of episodes that serve as the sequel for the 2004 first-person shooter video game Half-Life 2. It was developed by Valve Corporation and released on June 1, 2006. Originally called Half-Life 2: Aftermath, the game was later renamed to Episode One...
.
Although going through a bit of a hiatus, Milo has most recently been credited as a member of the Popdog team (a subsidiary of Barking Dog Studios) in the development of the 2002 FPS
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
Global Operations
Global Operations
Global Operations is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Barking Dog Studios and published by both Crave Entertainment and Electronic Arts....
.
Released works
Doom series- TheBest series – 4 free single mapsDoom WADDoom WAD format is default format of package files for the video game Doom or its sequel Doom II, that are containing sprites, levels, and game data. WAD stands for Where's All the Data?...
- Punisher series – 2 free single mapsDoom WADDoom WAD format is default format of package files for the video game Doom or its sequel Doom II, that are containing sprites, levels, and game data. WAD stands for Where's All the Data?...
- Greek – free single mapDoom WADDoom WAD format is default format of package files for the video game Doom or its sequel Doom II, that are containing sprites, levels, and game data. WAD stands for Where's All the Data?...
- Seej – free single mapDoom WADDoom WAD format is default format of package files for the video game Doom or its sequel Doom II, that are containing sprites, levels, and game data. WAD stands for Where's All the Data?...
- Memento Mori – free megaWAD (portions created by the Casalis)
- Requiem – free megaWAD for which Dario made 1 mapDoom WADDoom WAD format is default format of package files for the video game Doom or its sequel Doom II, that are containing sprites, levels, and game data. WAD stands for Where's All the Data?...
. - Final DoomFinal DoomFinal Doom is a first-person shooter video game that uses the game engine, items and characters from Doom II. It consists of two 32-level megawads , The Plutonia Experiment by the Casali brothers, and TNT: Evilution by TeamTNT. Final Doom was released in 1996 and distributed as an official id...
– the second commercially available Doom add-on officially licensed by id SoftwareId SoftwareId Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
- TNT: Evilution – megaWAD constituent of Final Doom contributed to by the Casalis working in collaboration with TeamTNTTeamTNTTeamTNT is a group of mappers who created the TNT: Evilution episode of Final Doom, as well as several free level packs and developer resources for Doom II...
. - The Plutonia Experiment – the second 32-level megaWAD constituent of Final Doom entirely created by the Casalis.
- TNT: Evilution – megaWAD constituent of Final Doom contributed to by the Casalis working in collaboration with TeamTNT
Quake series
- Prodigy Special Edition GL – free 7-level solo-play mission incorporating all previously released Prodigy levels created by Dario Casali and including a transparent water patch created by Darren Winter
- DCDM Series – free 5-level series of Quake deathmatches created by Dario Casali
- TUN – free Quake deathmatch level created by Milo Casali
Half-Life series
- Half-Life – Dario Casali is credited under development staff
- Powerup – single player level (chapter 7)
- Residue Processing – single player level (chapter 10)
- Questionable Ethics – single player level (chapter 11)
- Surface Tension – single player level (chapter 12)
- Forget About Freeman – single player level (chapter 13)
- Crossfire – multiplayer map officially released by Valve Software
- Doublecross – multiplayer map officially released by Valve Software
- Frenzy – multiplayer map officially released by Valve Software
- Boot Camp – multiplayer map officially released by Valve Software
- Snark Pit – multiplayer map officially released by Valve Software
- Subtransit – multiplayer map officially released by Valve Software
- Undertow – multiplayer map officially released by Valve Software
- The Hill – multiplayer map designed as a contract-work for PC GamerPC GamerPC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
- Half-Life 2Half-Life 2Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
– Dario Casali is credited under development staff- Route Kanal – single player level (chapter 3)
- We Don't Go To Ravenholm... – single player level (chapter 6)
- Anticitizen One – single player level (chapter 11)
- Follow Freeman – single player level (chapter 12)
- Half-Life: Opposing ForceHalf-Life: Opposing ForceHalf-Life: Opposing Force is an expansion pack for Valve Software's science fiction first-person shooter video game Half-Life. The game was developed by Gearbox Software and Valve Corporation and published by Sierra Entertainment on November 1, 1999. Opposing Force is the first expansion for...
– Dario Casali is credited for original Half-Life content (although he did not work directly on Opposing Force). - Half-Life: Blue ShiftHalf-Life: Blue ShiftHalf-Life: Blue Shift is an expansion pack for Valve Software's science fiction first-person shooter video game Half-Life. The game was developed by Gearbox Software with Valve Corporation and published by Sierra Entertainment on June 12, 2001...
– Dario Casali is credited for original Half-Life content (although he did not work directly on Blue Shift) - Half-Life (Game of the Year Edition) – Dario Casali is credited for original Half-Life content
- Counter-Strike: SourceCounter-Strike: SourceCounter-Strike: Source is an FPS video game developed by Valve Corporation. It is a complete remake of Counter-Strike using the Source game engine. As in the original, Counter-Strike: Source pits a team of counter-terrorists against a team of terrorists in a series of rounds...
– Dario Casali is credited for original Half-Life 2Half-Life 2Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
content - Half-Life 2: Episode OneHalf-Life 2: Episode OneHalf-Life 2: Episode One is the first in a series of episodes that serve as the sequel for the 2004 first-person shooter video game Half-Life 2. It was developed by Valve Corporation and released on June 1, 2006. Originally called Half-Life 2: Aftermath, the game was later renamed to Episode One...
– Dario Casali is credited for original Half-Life 2Half-Life 2Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
content - Half-Life 2: Episode TwoHalf-Life 2: Episode TwoHalf-Life 2: Episode Two is the second episode in a series of sequels to the 2004 first-person shooter video game Half-Life 2. It was developed by Valve Corporation in tandem with Episode One, the first game in the series, and released in Q4 2007 via Valve's Steam content distribution platform...
– Siege at the inn, Dog V Strider encounter, final Strider battle
Team Fortress series
- Team Fortress ClassicTeam Fortress ClassicTeam Fortress Classic, also known as Team Fortress 1.5 or simply TFC, is a team-based multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation. It is a remake of the Team Fortress modification for Quake. Team Fortress Classic was originally released for Windows on April 7, 1999 as...
- Dustbowl – multiplayer map
- Crossover2 – multiplayer map
- Flagrun – multiplayer map
- Team Fortress 2Team Fortress 2Team Fortress 2 is a free-to-play team-based first-person shooter multiplayer video game developed by Valve Corporation. A sequel to the original mod Team Fortress based on the Quake engine, it was first released as part of the video game compilation The Orange Box on October 10, 2007 for Windows...
- Gold Rush – the first payload gameplay map
- Badwater Basin – the second payload gameplay map
- Pipeline – the first payload race gameplay map
- Thunder Mountain – the third official three-stage payload map
Left 4 Dead series
- Left 4 Dead 2Left 4 Dead 2Left 4 Dead 2 is a cooperative first-person shooter video game. It is the sequel to Valve Corporation's award-winning Left 4 Dead. The game launched on November 17, 2009, for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in the United States and November 20 in Europe; in 2010, Left 4 Dead 2 was made available to...
- Dark Carnival – Roller coaster, rock show finale
- Swamp Fever – Plantation finale
- The Parish – Park and bus station mini-finale
Portal 2
Portal 2
Portal 2 is a first-person puzzle-platform video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. The sequel to the 2007 video game Portal, it was announced on March 5, 2010, following a week-long alternate reality game based on new patches to the original game...
- The Fall
Other
- Global OperationsGlobal OperationsGlobal Operations is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Barking Dog Studios and published by both Crave Entertainment and Electronic Arts....
– 2002 FPSFirst-person shooterFirst-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
developed in part by Milo Casali
Stefano
Love Is...
Love is... is the name of a comic strip created by New Zealand cartoonist Kim Casali in the late 1960s.. The strip is syndicated worldwide by Tribune Media Services. The cartoons originated from a series of love notes that Casali drew for her future husband, Roberto Casali. The strip was first...
together with Bill Asprey. The comic strip was originally created by the mother of the three brothers, Kim Casali, during the late 1960s beginning as a series of little love notes that she drew for her future husband, Roberto Casali.