This interview appeared on May 21, 1995 during the time that Doom was sweeping the world. 

OK, I know most of you have become hooked at one time or another on Doom! Admit it. That is the first step to becoming cured!

You have probably run to the Doom FAQ for help or highlights on getting through the various levels. Were you aware the FAQ is pretty much considered the bible of Doom? In that case the high priest must be Hank Leukart.

Hank Who? Look at the author of your Doom guidebook you just bought at the store. That Hank!

As close as an expert as one can get without actually have written the game, Hank's involvement with Doom has been skyward since the beginning. Here's our chat with him . . .

PG: Do the words Pearl Jam mean anything to you? What type of music are you in to?

HL: Yes, I have heard Pearl Jam, but I don't listen to them to often.  I enjoy music like Sting, Boyz II Men, Liz Phair, and Hoodi and the Blowfish, as well as come classical; in other words, a pretty big variety.  I don't care what kind of music it is, as long as it sounds good!

PG: Ok. Just like everyone asks a car reviewer or mechanic what kind of car they drive, what is the configuration and type of your primary PC?

HL: I recently purchased (in January) a Micron Pentium 90 with 16mb of RAM, a 1gb hard drive, a 17" monitor, a 2mb Diamond Stealth video card, a Sound Blaster AWE32 (and I use a Gravis Ultrasound sometimes as well), and 4x CD-ROM drive.  I connect to the Internet using a 28.8k GVX Maxtech FAX Modem (alas, I don't have a T1 connection), use a mouse for DOOM and a Gravis Gamepad for One Must Fall.  I run Windows NT in addition to DOS.

PG: Define the Information Superhighway in your own words.

HL: The Information Superhighway is an annoying phrase that the public and media have picked up to describe the Internet.  It is overhyped and overused.  The Internet is very cool when people know how to use it. The REAL Information Superhighway (the one Gore talks about) has not been (and may never be) built yet.

PG: When did your involvement with PCs begin? How?

HL: Our family had their first computer when I was about 2 years old: an Apple II+.  I remember playing Olympic Decathalon day in and day out with my sisters.  I first started using a modem about four years ago and came on the Internet about two years ago.

PG: In this text medium its hard to visualize a person. Describe yourself so we get a good picture of your physical presence.

HL: I'm a white, 16-year old male with curly brown hair, blue eyes, six feet tall, and a longish face.  Of course, you can check out my picture at my home page (http://www.portal.com/~hleukart).

PG: We know you have written one book. How is it doing? What have you blown the money on?

HL: The book is doing quite well and is already in its second reprint. With the additional amount of publicity that will appear in the upcoming months, the book should do very well!  All of the E-mail I have gotten about the book is ALL positive, which is rare considering that most people prefer to complain about things then to complement people on them! I bought my new Pentium with a small portion of the advance and have thrown everything else in the bank to gain interest.

PG: Any future plans for a book? Any more Doom merchandising involvement?

HL: I don't have any more plans for "DOOM merchandising," but I do hope to write more books!  No definite plans as yet.

PG: Why do you think Doom became as popular as it is? Explain . . .

HL: I'm asked this question a lot by interviewers.  Here are the four major reasons why DOOM is so incredibly popular:

(1) The violence.  The public is attracted to sex and violence, and DOOM definitely has violence.  Blood is thrown everywhere and living things explode all over the place! (2) The realism.  People are fascinated by the reproduction of reality on a computer screen.  The game seems so real and so life-like. (3) The ability to edit.  After you've played the standard DOOM levels, you're not done with the game.  People love making their own enemies, maps, and sounds to actually CUSTOMIZE and already great game. (4) Multiplayer ability.  After you've beaten the computer 100 times over, computer games tend to be a little boring. DOOM changes all that by allowing you to compete with other human players anytime you wish by allowing modem and network support.

PG: Has ID Software ever formally contacted you concerning your involvement as a FAQ and book author? What was it like?

HL: I have E-mailed id on many occasions discussing the FAQ and the like.  What was it like?  On the Internet, everyone is behind a computer screen--it was no different E-mailing id than it was E-mailing a stranger. ;)

PG: Where do think games on the PC are going? Describe your perfect game

HL: There are so many types of different PC games that it is hard to make a generalization about where they "are going."  Definitely, we're going to see a lot more realistic games in the future with better graphics, sounds, and gameplay.  Hopefully, virtual virtual reality will become mainstream.  The best type of games are definitely what the kind of games that id strives to create: games with "complete immersion" capabilities.
 

Bookmark/Search this post with:
delicious | digg | reddit | furl | technorati | icerocket