Tomáš “Bary” Barák, born in Znojmo in the Czech Republic, is one of the programmers for Kingdom Come Deliverance. He juggles the CryEngine code to bring Kingdom Come Delivernace to life and create the base on which the game is built. He joined Warhorse Studios in November 2013, only a few months before the start of our Kickstarter campaign.
Do you have any additional questions to Tomáš “Bary” Barák? Just ask here.
You can find a Spanish translation of this interview here.
1) How did you hear about Warhorse? How did you join?
My colleague from the university told me about the studio. He joined the studio in 2012 I think, and he was really excited about his job. I was really unhappy with my job at that time, so I decided to quit and started working for Warhorse.
2) Which job would you not want to do?
I have done some webs before and I dont want to by a web developer in any form for any company anymore. That was my most boring programming experience ever!
3) Please describe Warhorse Studios:
A bunch of young, talented people, full of passion. My co-workers are, in the end, the thing I like the most about Warhorse!
4) Describe your usual day at the studio?
It depends on the stage of the project. In the beginning we were implementing a lot of new features every day. These days, we focus more on bugs and optimizations, but typically I sit at my desk and work with Visual Studio (which I personally hate). Fortunately there are not many meetings happening anymore.
5) What are you currently working on?
Mostly optimzations of the code. With todays hardware, it’s really important for the game to utilize all resources for most of the time. For example, if you have an 8-core CPU but your code can utilize just one, your game will run 8-times slower than it should run. That’s like 4 FPS instead of 32, whichis a lot! We have achieved most of our FPS by executing pieces of code concurently instead of serially.
6) What are some of your notable accomplishments?
Feature-wise I am responsible for the RPG module of our game. We now have a pretty complex rpg system with cca 500 buffs and perks. We have managed to implement that with a relatively clean code and the system is mostly data-driven – that means easier modding.
7) What was your most touching video game moment?
I remember many touching moments in Warcraft 3 (+ FT), like Arthas killing his dwarf friend. Also, the Diablo series has pretty impressive moments (mostly in cutscenes). My favourite one is with Mephisto (after you kill him) and the gate to hell.
8) Which videogame character or figure is the best?
Gordon Freeman – he never speaks and almosts never shows himself in the game.
9) Which class, gender, or type do you usually pick?
Magic-based characters like sorcerres, wizzadrs, druids and even necromants are my favourite. I usually don’t play paladins and warriors – they are boring.
10) Are there any videogames you repeat playing over and over again?
I have played the old Fallout series (1+2) many times along with Diablo 2 and AoE 2. My favourite multiplayer games are: Starcraft BW, 2 and Unreal Tournament (the first one).
11) Most hilarious bug you have ever encountered or worst video game experience?
The moment when I have learned to make more save files? I was playing Fallout 1 and the game crashed during the save. Unfortunatelly, it damaged the save file which was the only one I had. So, I had to start over…
12) How do you relax after a hard day at work?
Sometimes I play the guitar. I have finished the amazing Lego Bucket Wheel Excavator during this weekend! I rarely watch TV or read books.
13) Your favorite music playlist?
I am a cross-genre kind of a listener. I will list some of my favourite artists here (from all genres I currently enjoy, most important first): Technimatic, Pink Floyd, Underworld, Steve Vai, Dub FX, Kiasmos, Kraftwerk, Iron Maiden, Totalni Nasazeni, Michal Pavlicek (Prazsky Vyber, Stromboli), High Contrast, Above and Beyond, The Cinematic Orchestra, Monkey Business, Dubioza Kolektiv, …
14) Your favorite movie or book?
As I said before, I dont read much nor watch TV/movies, but I have loved the StarWars serises since I was a kid! I have played a lot of StarWars games too!
15) What species is your spirit animal?
This is a strange question. Nobody asked me this before. The first animal that comes to mind is a whale.
16) Do you have a Bucket List?
No, but I have many dreams I wonder why there is no question regarding dreams here? I always wanted to be a scientist working in a secret underground lab, or be a good (not necessary famous) musician.
17) If you could say something to the fans of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, what would it be?
If you have ever wanted to be a game developer, go now and start working in the nearest gaming company. It is now much easier to join the industry than you might think.
Do you have any additional questions to Tomáš “Bary” Barák? Just ask here.