Hexen (DOS, Mac OS Classic)

Prototype Info Notes

Unused Map#

The original v1.0 release of the game contains an unused map: launch the game with the parameter -warp 41 or type visit41 while playing to be warped to Maze. This map is a maze completely devoid of enemies. It was removed in v1.1.

When you start the level, a set of maze walls will rise to the ceiling (specifically, sectors tagged from 20 through 108 inclusive). After a short delay, between 45-65 randomly selected walls will lower to the ground (the same wall may be selected twice). Periodically, one of eight doorways on the edge of the map will open to reveal a switch that may be pulled to change which maze walls are active. While there's a total of 14 of these alcoves, a script bug only allows the first eight to be activated.

Additionally, this map has unused script 04, which randomizes the map layout without the lightning flash. The switches instead trigger script 01.

Unused Definitions#

To do: Both the 2023 leaked source code and Heretic + Hexen have the levels mentioned here fully functional, document these on a development page.

The MAPINFO lump, where levels are defined, also has 19 leftover definitions from development under a "Miscellaneous maps" heading. Maze is the only one of these maps that still exists in the WAD. Some of them are almost certainly earlier versions of maps that made it to the final game.

• Shadow Wood (MAP07)

Likely an early version of MAP13: Shadow Wood, given the name.

• Swamp Demo (MAP14)

Likely a demo version of MAP08: Darkmere, given the name. These maps and Sacred Grove all share the same foggy sky setup.

• Nada (MAP29)

Only thing of interest here is that it uses the same sky definition as the maps in cluster 3.

• Maze (MAP41)

The only miscellaneous definition that actually has a corresponding map – see above.

• Eric's Whirlwind O' Death (MAP42)

The only thing that can really be said is that it was Eric C. Biessman's map.

• Maya (MAP43)
• The Badlands (MAP50)

Likely an early version of MAP10: Wastelands. It uses SKY4 with a speed of 50 instead of SKY1 with 80, however.

• Caves of Ascension (MAP51)

Likely an early version of MAP09: Caves of Circe. Like The Badlands, it uses SKY4 with a speed of 50 instead of SKY1 with 80.

• Lower Crypts (MAP52)

Given its placement, this might be an early version of MAP11: Sacred Grove. It's using the same sky setup as the two maps above, though. The final map is foggy.

• The Hypostyle Hall (MAP53)

Almost certainly an early version of MAP12: Hypostyle. Again, it has a different sky setup, only using SKY4 without the mountains used in the final version.

• The Sanctorium (MAP54)
• The Athenaeum (MAP55)
• The Cleric's Citadel (MAP56)
• Programmer Map (MAP60)
• BGokey (MAP90)

Ben Gokey, co-founder of Raven Software and lead programmer during this game's development.

• Paul Map (MAP92)
• Paul Map2 (MAP93)

Paul MacArthur, programmer.

• cjr@ravensoft.com (MAP95)

Chris Rhinehart, programmer.

• Sound Development Map (MAP96)

The Deathkings of the Dark Citadel expansion pack also has one unused map definition, and of course the map itself no longer exists.

• Test (MAP83)

Unused Graphics#

Unused projectiles for a variant of the Bloodscourge weapon. Two frames of the projectile are offset poorly, and shift to the left while animating. These projectiles are fully implemented in the source, are defined to spiral like Bishop projectiles, have a base damage of 6, and do up to an additional 64 splash damage in a 192 map unit radius.

A golden version of Heretic's Morph Ovum item is present in the IWAD. Though the final Porkalator item looks completely different, the projectiles fired are still the small eggs from Heretic, but also recolored gold.

Unused Music#

Chapel 2#

An arrangement of "Simon", the track used in Guardian of Ice. This is only assigned to Nada in Hexen, one of the unused map definitions, but does get used in Deathkings for the Market Place hub.

Chart#

This is assigned to the early definition for Shadow Wood, but "Crypt" is used in the final map.

Revisional Differences#

MAP22: Castle of Grief#

After getting hit by a Porkalator projectile (either from within the tower or by bouncing it off a Slaughtaur), you can squeeze in the gap to the east of the castle moat, and proceed to sequence break.

Version 1.1 removed this shortcut by reducing the gap height to 8, down from 24.

MAP39: Vivarium#

Linedef 555 was a projectile hit trigger in v1.0 and Nintendo 64 versions, and changed to a use trigger in v1.1. This affects how the player exits the item-filled room south of the starting area once Porkalator wears off.

Map-Specific Content#

• Hub 1: Winnowing Hall (MAP01)
  • Various map artifacts appear in this map. Most interesting is a lava pit, near map coordinates -344, -656, which is between the bell tower and the emerald key gate.
• Hub 1: Guardian of Ice (MAP03)
  • Thing 31 (448, 2048), an unlit wall torch. It would appear on the right of the four-pillar exit room to mirror the other torch, but lacks the necessary spawn flags.
• Hub 2: Darkmere (MAP08)
  • An Amulet of Warding is outside the map at -1488, 2400. The item is close to a switch found north of the rolling slime bottomed room, and would have appeared either for clerics or in co-op play.
  • An Icon of the Defender is outside the map at 1744, 2288. The item is close to a well, and would have appeared for mages or in co-op play.
  • The trap section leading to the swamp key has two "wings" on the sides behind the dart shooters. They contain nothing. Sector 163 is one of these wings, which also includes a used section of the level.
• Hub 3: Silent Refectory (MAP33)
  • There are five map spots designated to periodically spawn monsters. The script to actually spawn these monsters isn't present in the level.
• Hub 4: Castle of Grief (MAP22)
  • A twinned torch is at -2464, 1120. It is embedded in the solid north-west pillar, visible only if using the noclip cheat into said pillar.

Hidden Message#

The map displays a timer showing how long you've played. If the timer exceeds five days, the game will print "YOU FREAK!!!".

CyberMaxx#

The Mac port came with a special bonus feature: a "CyberMaxx" video mode to support VictorMaxx's stereoscopic VR headset of that name. Unfortunately, while the CyberMaxx had at that point been available to PC users for a year and a half², and VictorMaxx had been promising³ a Mac ADB adapter for even longer than that, they would shortly abandon⁴ the home VR market without ever shipping one. This left the hardware and software needed to play stereoscopic Hexen stranded on separate platforms with no way to bridge the gap.

...until, that is, one player soldered his own adapter and reported that Hexen in VR was "absolutely incredible" and "well worth the [literal] headache".

When CyberMaxx mode is used with an ordinary screen, the left and right eyes' viewpoints will be rendered on alternating scanlines. Below is a reassembled frame pair that demonstrates the stereo effect without a headset. To see it, defocus your eyes so that the two circles superimpose each other.

References#