Rick Lagnese is a huge Kingdom Come: Deliverance fan, and as such, he has the energy and enthusiasm to present the game to reporters and members of the community. He is our right hand man in the United States and has his very own tasks as a Community Manager over there. A man with passion, born in Rochester, NY/USA and right now, he represents Warhorse Studios on Playstation Experience 2017 in Anaheim.
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You can find a Spanish translation of this interview here.
1) How did you hear about Warhorse?
The story is actually quite interesting. I first heard about Warhorse Studios through IGN on Twitter. I saw the trailer and I couldn’t believe that a game was actually being made without dragons and without magic. My brother-in-law (James) and I started talking about how great this game could be. In fact, it’s the one game that James told me that I should check out at E3.
Then Warhorse sends out a tweet saying that they need help setting up a party for our fans in LA (for E3). Well of course, I immediately responded and was fortunate enough to start speaking with them (on Skype), pretty much on a daily basis! I couldn’t believe it. I mean, it’s just setting up a party at a pub for them, nothing more, but I felt like a part of the team already. Even though I was going to E3 as a journalist with a smaller team, they understood that this would become more of a priority for me, as we always were looking for other opportunities.
So, the party went very well for our fans and for the team. We got to show off some footage and so much more. It was great seeing so much support for our game that day!
I then had the opportunity to help present KCD to the industry at GDC in San Francisco. Fast forward a few months later and Tobias Stolz-Zwilling, our PR Manager, asked if I would like to be the US Community Manager for Warhorse Studios. Without him, I wouldn’t be here today.
2) Describe your position. What do you do as a Community Manager?
I have the privilege of working remotely in the US, of course. I actually work for a cellular phone company also, so I juggle between both jobs, while supporting a family of 7 (wife and 5 kids!). Onto the position: my job is more of a hybrid role – mainly Community Management along with PR as well. On a daily basis, I am engaged with our fans on Steam, Reddit, forums and more. I help work on our newsletters and I even get to check the marketing team’s grammar, which is always fun. Although I must admit, some of their grammar is better than what I’ve seen with some from many in the US :0)
I get to talk about our game on podcasts, do some streams on Twitch, run contests, do interviews and then some.
And then there’s E3, Gamescom, GDC, PSX and others. Tobi can get very busy at shows doing interviews, live interviews and more, so I am honored to hold down the fort and show off one of the most exciting games coming next year. It truly amazes me that Warhorse Studios has allowed me take on an enormous responsibility by presenting our game to the press and public. I am truly overjoyed by this!
3) Which job would you not want to do?
Anything that involves coding! I don’t really know how it all works, but I do know that those guys and gals work their tails off. The only thing that I can create with coding is cheat codes for Contra.
4) What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on adding more content to Steam and Reddit, along with assisting the marketing team with promoting our game more in the US. And then there’s some pretty cool stuff I am working on, but I’d rather not say just yet! :0) By the time you’re reading this, I will be on my way to PSX!
5) What will you be doing at PSX?
I absolutely cannot wait to show off our game to the fans. PSX is all about the fans, so we’ll basically be at out booth the entire time. Tobi and I will be there to show off the game, answer questions, slay some Cumans…whatever is needed to be done will be done. If you’re going to PSX, please stop by!
6) Will there be anything else going on at your booth?
Heck yeah! We’ll have some knights walking around the booth at the convention and we’ll also be giving away some very unique T-Shirts too!
7) We all know that events can be exhausting. How do you survive them?
Good question! Tobi and I feed off one another. The energy and passion that we have for Kingdom Come is what fuels the fire. Of course, when we are able to see the reactions from the fans, I quickly get reminded of why I do what I do, which means everything to me. However, once the event is over, I am definitely ready to go home and relax and hang out with the family.
8) Are you a PlayStation fan?
Why, certainly. I mean, I am a fan of all of the consoles, as I own an Xbox, PS4, the Switch, and a decent PC where I’ve already played hours and hours AND hours of KCD :0)
9) What are some of your notable accomplishments?
At the end of the day, it’s a team effort - one hand definitely washes the other. One major accomplishment that I can easily recall is when we were at Gamescom 2017, I held down the fort at our press/business booth for 95% of the time. We were all so busy that week – Tobi, Dan and Martin doing interviews, Chris our Community Manager in Prague working at our public booth the entire time with JR our Marketing Manager, so I had to do my part as well. By the end of Gamescom, we were voted the #1 PC game of the show by the press!! Obviously, we were ecstatic by the news!_
10) What do you think is the most important part or thing in the game?
The authenticity in this game is truly astounding. Trust me, I’ve literally been to several places in the game, in the Czech Republic, and it feels like I am TRULY in the game when I am playing. Furthermore, I have rarely seen any game that allows you to make so many choices/decisions throughout the game, while have a very story-driven game at the same time. Everyone will have the same ending, but everyone will have different stories to tell.
11) What is the most important characteristic a Community Manager must have?
Passion, enthusiasm, excitement, dedication and some kind of organization. Anyone can acquire knowledge of a game, but not everyone can bring the authentic passion and enthusiasm that you need in order to be the face of the company. I was a fan long before I worked for Kingdom Come: Deliverance, so I am honored to be working for them.
12) What do you like the most about Kingdom Come: Deliverance?
Being able to see how the NPCs/AI react to your decisions is what makes this game so unique. Truly, I am looking forward to all the stories that will be told from our fans’ perspectives.
13) How, when and with what platform or game did you first get acquainted with videogames?
I was just a small boy when my Grandfather introduced the family to the Atari 2600 for Christmas. I played the Mario/Donkey Kong games, Mario and Luigi, pole position and more.
14) What was your most touching video game moment?
Maybe when John Marston from Red Dead Redemption died. Just didn’t see it coming. He was an amazing character and I hated playing as his son.
15) Which videogame character or figure is the best?
Link. Zelda games are my favorite games of all-time.
16) Which class, gender, or type do you usually pick?
I like playing as a warrior/knight and as a male, if I can.
17) Which videogame character are you?
Link
18) Are there any videogames you repeat playing over and over again?
I am so far behind in my backlogs of games that I don’t really have that luxury. If I did, it would probably be a Ghost Recon game.
19) How do you relax after a hard day at work?
Hang out with the kids and then my wife and I attempt to hang out alone lol We enjoy playing games, reading books, watching Little House or Highway to Heaven, playing Mario and going outside and running around. So you see, there is not much time for relaxation…until they go to bed lol Then, if my wife isn’t too tired, we’ll hang out and do as little as possible.
20) A personal story? About a brother, sister, partner, single?
My parents divorced when I was 5 and I moved out when I was 18. I received an award in High School for the “most changed.” My Dad led my brother and I down a very spiritual path, which I am very grateful for. I married at 20 and had my first child at 21/22. My Dad passed when I was in my mid-twenties, which made a profound impact on my life. I’ve learned that no matter what happens in life, everything happens for a reason and the struggles that we face are an opportunity to grow as a person on a daily basis.
21) Your favorite music
I’m all about passionate/inspirational music, which is almost impossible to find on the radio these days.
22) Your favorite movie or book?
Favorite movie: Braveheart or V for Vendetta
Favorite book: The Bible
23) What will be your famous last words?
God’s love never changes.
24) Is it possible to buy you with candy?
Not a chance. However, sweets are another story…
25) What is your kryptonite?
Cats
26) What is your weakest trait?
Pride. Just gotta let it go man.
27) Imagine you are a cake, what kind of cake are you and why?
Vanilla cake with vanilla pudding the middle, with Oreos around the side of it. My favorite.
28) Who is your favorite historic character?
I have much admiration for Jan Hus, Martin Luther and many more, but it has to be Jesus. He is the perfect model for how anyone should live.
29) Which is your favorite historic event?
Has got to be the martyrdom of Jesus. What he did set the stage for the entire planet, and then some.
30) You have to fight in medieval times… who are you? Which weapon do you choose?
I’m a knight on the frontlines and I’m going with the bastard sword – light enough for 1 hand or mix it up with two!
31) Knights or Samurai?
Samurai. More disciplined and more trained than any other.
32) What was your favorite subject and your most hated one at school?
Favorite subject was Math and the least favorite was history (ironically enough) because we always had so much work to do!
33) If you could say something to the fans of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, what would it be?
First and foremost, thank you for being such great fans. We’re on the brink of a very special game. Make sure you take your time with Kingdom Come: Deliverance and enjoy the atmosphere, the exploration, the story, the investigating, the cutscenes, the humor, the challenges, the battles and the music as much as you possibly can. We love you!!!
Do you have any questions for Rick Lagnese? Please ask here.