[Originally written in 1997, Eric has gone on to be lead designer on the rather smart and somewhat gory "Soldier Of Fortune", and, as of now (2001), is still beavering away with new projects at Raven, as far as I know...]

Now, here's an simple introduction for you. There's a guy called Eric Biessman. He works at a place called Raven Software. He worked on "Hexen" and was the lead designer on "Hexen 2". This is an interview with him, in which he answers some questions, some of which are sensible and some of which are half-assed. The questions, that is. The answers are all sensible. Oh yes.

(hey, this journalism thing is easy. Where's my Pulitzer?)

Hellzapoppin', here we go..

h0l: Give us a short history of yourself and games, if you would

EB: I started at Raven the day that I graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.  That was a little over three and a half years ago. I have a degree in English (yes, you read that right, English).  I have worked on "CyClones", "Heretic", "Hexen", "Hexen-Deathkings of the Dark Citadel", and "Hexen II".  I can't say what I am currently working on, but it is very cool.

h0l: Do you remember any particularly awful/brilliant press reviews for games you've worked on?

EB: You always seem to remember the worst.  "CyClones" was a game that was published by SSI.  I jumped into the project halfway, but I put my life into it.  It was my first game, and it didn't go over too well because it wasn't a blisteringly fast action game (it required a little more thought and the pace was a little slower).  The worst part about the game was the live action video that we had to include in it.  I remember on game review that said "never hire your secretary to work in your video game."  Or something exceedingly close to that.  Blah.

h0l: Who makes the best games, the Europeans, the Americans, or the Japanese?

EB: Geez, I never really thought about that.  My favorite games of all time are made by companies like Lucasarts, Electronic Arts, Activision, and Id, so I would have to say that Americans make the best games.  Of course, you must realize that this is a biased opinion... ;)

h0l: What exactly did you do on "Hexen 2"? :)

ML: How do I make a long story short?  I was the lead design on the project. I wrote the story, worked on the core design, and helped develop the world and the opponents.  I also made over half of the levels, with Brian Raffel doing the other half.  There were two other people who did levels, Tom Odell and Brian Frank, and they each did one level for the game.  It was a blast making it, and the only thing that I would like to change is the horrendous work schedule that was involved in the development.  I lost out on two years of life there.

h0l: Have you been pleased with the reception that "Hexen 2" has received?

EB: Yeah, I am pretty happy.  I get a lot of people e-mailing me and saying that they are enjoying/enjoyed the game, and that is what makes it all worth it.  With our other projects, it seemed like the negative mail was more prevalent, this time I am getting mostly good mail, and that helps make my job a little easier.  I think that it is doing well, and if it doesn't, it wasn't from lack of trying or caring.

h0l: Sean Connery was the best James Bond.  Discuss.

EB: I wish that I had exams like this in college.  Connery was the best Bond because his portrayal was closest to the book Bond.  He's tough, he uses people, and he does anything to get his job done.  Plus, when he is in fight scenes, he really looks like he is fighting, unlike Roger Moore's stiff and fake karate chops; way too unbelievable to my tastes.  Still, "Goldeneye" was pretty good, and Pierce Brosnan makes a great Bond.  We'll have to see what "Tomorrow Never Dies" is like.

h0l: Is the "Quake" engine a dangerous thing to use for a game like "Hexen 2", because people immediately assume the game plays like "Quake"?

EB: I think that the "Quake" engine is a very dangerous item to use in a game if you are trying to get away from the "Quake" feel.  We tried to make "Hexen 2" a little slower and more of an adventure than a frag fest, and people keep comparing it to "Quake".  Oh well, what can you do?

h0l: Name one thing people would be surprised to learn about you.

EB: The thing is this, when we started putting our fingers out there we pretty much opened ourselves up to the world at large.  So, if anyone has ever read my finger, they can pretty much see what kind of a person I am and what I like to do,  They wouldn't be surprised that I love heavy metal music, have played the bass for a little over eleven years now, own a 95 Chevy S-10, and love playing role-playing games, especially Deadlands.  Of course, my superfluous third nipple might surprise some people. ;)

h0l: What's so good about the hub system of levels used on "Hexen 2"?

EB: With a game like "Hexen II", we wanted to portray more of an epic, realistic, adventure.  This allows us to do this.  It makes it feel like you are actually delving deeper and deeper into the world around you. For a pure action game, this isn't always the case, and I would say that you should stay away from this kind of a hub system.  One problem with linear games was that I always wanted to jump back through the door that I had just come through.  Why can't I ride the elevator back to the last level I was just on? I guess that the answer will never be known.

h0l: What did you do when the game was _finally_ finished?

EB: I pretty much slept for a week.  I took a week away from the offfice, but I couldn't afford to go anywhere.  It was alright though, because some of the other guys took the same week off, and we hung out and played Deadlands.  It was nice to be able to get more than three hours of sleep a night and not have to work for twenty seven hours straight.

h0l: What games are people playing in your offices at the moment, and what's most keenly awaited?

EB: Well, I just played through "Jedi Knight" and I am currently into "Fallout". Some people bought "Riven", but they aren't playing it much.  The newest "Age of Empires" looks good, and "Broken Sword" is being played too.  Of course, every wednesday is still "Warcraft" Wednesday, and the boys are still battling it out.  We are going to get them to switch to "NetStorm" though...

h0l: What's your dream games project? (eg- "Knight Rider 3D", heh?)

EB: My dream game would be a gothic-punk, Call of Cthulhu-styled, scary as hell style game.  I don't care what type it is, as long as it has those elements.  I love horror books and movies, and I would love to see it done right in a game.  That was why "Resident Evil" was so cool.  That is one game that I am waiting for, "Resident Evil II".

h0l: What was the last book you read?

EB: It is funny that you mentioned James Bond above, because I have been on a James Bond kick for a while.  The last book I read was actually a Gardner Bond book called "For Special Services".  I have read all of the Fleming Bond books, and I went out and hunted down all of the Gardner books now.  I always try and read a chapter or two a night, and these are all quick reads.  VERY cool though.

h0l: Finally, plug your next project, even though you can't say what it is.

EB: Well, I can say this- ACTION, ACTION, ACTION.  It is going to be fast action and rocking!  I really can't say much more, but it should be very cool.

h0l: Thanks!