Name: Albert Valls
Located: Barcelona, Spain
Born: February the 22nd, 1973
Employment: Several so far. Computer Science student, Pianist, Music writer, Teacher, Social Worker and Scrap Metal Merchant. And one of the previous isn't true at all, so you may have a guess.
Hobbies: Music, Catalan and Spanish Contemporary History, Politics, Vintage Home Computers and Software (very specially related to the Sinclair brand).
Homepage/email:  none
Computer specs: P4 - 3Ghz, 1Gb RAM, GeForce FX-5500.

DOOM config (key bindings, controllers):  nothing new here: WASD (ESDF in the past) and Spacebar, plus Mouse controller.
Size of DOOM directory on your hard drive: I have never given this matter a significant importance.
Favourite Maps: Lots. Jan v/d Veken, Anthony Soto, Sam Woodman, Richard Wiles or Adam Windsor used to be my favourite map authors. As for the IWADs, I would pick DOOM2's Maps 21 and 27, and DOOM's E1M7 and E2M3.
Favorite DOOM demos: Lots too. If I could remember them all I would surely pick up some by Sedlic, Donner, Johnsen, Hegyi or DeVore. But my one and only hero around the scene is for sure Radek Pecka.
Favorite Executable(s) to use: doom2.exe (I'm not able to use it anymore so PRBoom is the one I have installed now).
Other games:  I don't even have time to play Doom now... I spent so many hours with Match Point (ZX Spectrum), Turrican II and F1 Grand Prix (Commodore Amiga), and several FPS or similar (PC) such as Descent, Quake or Unreal.

More info:
I would describe myself as a too badly unbalanced combination of patience, perfectionism, strength and weakness in my playing as well as in the real world. From time to time life makes me remind me of what I'm missing about life itself. I wish I had the feeling my other name is Tommy less frequently...
The DSDA has always been my only motivation when submitting demo files to the scene, even while having my own archive on-line. I never reached the required skills for nosing around the Compet-N community, and besides always felt much more interested in getting into lots of third party maps.
I won't miss the chance of mentioning some of the demos of my own I have in mind, only because of the good memories they bring. Starting with two of the PDang contests (mi09v058 and mi11vr51), three of the most hellish CyD demos to get (cd10uv-z, cd14uv-a and cd29uv-a, although almost all of them were so hard to achieve) and some dozens more for other truly fun pwads such as dmonfear.wad, loh.wad, 10sector.wad, md.wad, deadmen.wad, eulogy8.wad and phtga.wad, among the ones I think of at the moment.
I must be one of the few who has recorded every possible sort of demo, including that foolish Cervantes mode. Needless to say I would not recommend it to anyone else...

A few questions:
1. Have you played DOOM more than any other game?
No question about it. IF only for the countless times I loaded DOOM while using DCK... Just joking.
2. Ever played multiplayer DOOM? If so, what?
Null-cable modem DM ocasionally (1997-2002). To me it meant a new, shocking and stressing experience I must say.
3. About when did you start playing DOOM?  1994, 2004, etc...?
I would more than swear it was November the 28th, 1994. It took me about an hour to get through the first two maps of DOOM2 that evening. Didn't actually think those about 16Mb would last much longer in my HD at the time... which proves my intuition has always been out of sight.
4. Do you make maps?
I made some. I got caught with edition for a while but never reached some remarkable skills. My SP maps were less than average so I never uploaded them. As for DM, the Beresith series of maps are the only ones I feel good about after all this time. Other than that, the biggest memories and emotional rewards have and will have to do with the CyberDreams megawad, with the fact of taking part in such a unique project, and trying to match my partner’s incredible ideas for it.
5. DOOM3?
Bought it when I upgraded to a new box but my graphic card isn't specially powerful so I kind of ‘gave it a rest’. Anyway I remember playing Quake with my old 486 with a pathetic framerate... so I guess this should mean something. I'll get back to it when a new graphic card makes things easier for me... but I'm not in a hurry at all.
6. Favorite monster / most hated monster?
For me the Arch-vile keeps being fascinating in terms of concept and originality. Playing against them, I have several favourites. On the other hand, Cybers may look the most dangerous, but HWDs and Lost Souls are a real pain in the ass sometimes.
7. Music you like.
If I was asked _now_ to mention some albums I'm in real need to share with the ones I love, they would be the following (and quite probably in a similar order):
* Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left (1969)
* Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden (1988)
* Fairground Attraction - The First of a Million Kisses (1988)
* Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (1959)
* Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
* The Beatles - Revolver (1966)
* Miles Davis - In a Silent Way (1969)
* Joni Mitchell - Blue (1971)
8. Movies you like.
Same as before, but not in any particular order:
* The Jokers (Winner, 1966)
* Twilight's Last Gleaming (Aldrich, 1978)
* I Dolci Inganni (Lattuada, 1960)
* Soylent Green (Fleischer, 1973)
* Placido (Berlanga, 1961)
* Taxi Driver (Scorsese, 1976)
* The Days of Wine and Roses (Edwards, 1962)
* The Trial (Welles, 1963)
* Blow-Up (Antonioni, 1966)
* Paris, Texas (Wenders, 1984)
* Amadeus (Forman, 1984)
* Stardust Memories (Allen, 1980)
9. Girl/guy who lights your fire
Grace Slick, right now on my stereo. Her voice actually.
10. Current type of internet connection:
1Mbit DSL


Albert is another very versatile DOOMer.  Most came to know him from his co-authored partial conversion megawad, Cyberdreams.  His wads have always inspired some of the best DOOM authors and players.
For quite awhile his name was synonymous with a DSDA update... his quality of play, attention to detail, personal style, and prolific recording was particularly appealing to me.
Albert is of the perfectionist type of player; and you can see many examples of optimal recordings of his at the DSDA... including numerous maxdemos!
One of the few players who is always exciting to watch play.
On a personal note, he is one of the few people who have ever been able to 'turn me on' to some music... and for that, I am also indebted.

Check out a small selection of his plentiful recordings on Md / Cyberdreams / 10sector / Eagoth2 / Sm / Phtga....

10/2005 -- Opulent