Warhorse Studios Weekly Torch

[DrFusselpulli]

Darina “Vladimirovna” Polevyk was in Russia to visit IgroMir last week and wants to report about her impressions from the convention and about her job as a tester here at Warhorse Studios.She joined the team in early 2016 to follow her friend Alisa, who also works here passionately on Kingdom Come: Deliverance.
Do you have questions for Darina “Vladimirovna” Polevyk and her position as a Tester here at Warhorse? Just ask here.
You can find a Spanish translation of this interview here.

1) How did you hear about Warhorse?
My friend Alisa worked at Warhorse. She always told (with delight) about the life at Warhorse and about Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It always was my dream to be a part of such an interesting project. One day, she told me that they were looking for a new colleague in QA. After my interview, I realised that this is exactly the place where I would love to work, and I definitely wasn’t wrong. KingdomCome: Deliverance is a game that I believe in with all my heart and I just can`t wait for its release.

2) Please describe Warhorse Studios:
At Warhorse Studios there is a good sense of team spirit. A strong work ethic is obviously important, but the human side is also important. I enjoy working with people who have a decent sense of humor and while they may take their work very seriously, they don’t necessarily take themselves overly serious!
I really enjoy working as a part of a highly committed and professional team.
My colleagues are absolute professionals who are devoted to their work, each of whom appreciates the work of their colleagues. There is a positive atmosphere in the group, a good relationship between co-workers and we are always trying help each other, which is why I always go to work with a smile.

3) What are you currently working on?
At the moment I’m testing 3 main quests and 4 side quests as well as testing all that is related with the Sazava Monastery. This is a big part of the game which requires a lot of attention. My favorite bugs are tricky and complicated bugs, for the debugs of which you need to use logic and deductive skills. When I find the bug, I’m trying to do the right repro and debug in order to help the scripter quickly fix the problem.

4) How was the IgroMir convention?
This Saturday, our PR manager Tobi and I returned from IgroMir, which took place in Moscow. IgroMir is the biggest exhibition in Russia for all fans of interactive entertainment: computer games, games for consoles, mobile phones and other platforms. We had a booth where gamers could try to play KCD. I’m really happy that I took part in IgroMir and I had an opportunity to personally meet Russian fans of KCD. I have heard a lot of positive and delightful reviews about KCD, which is very inspiring and motivating to make the game even better.

Also, I was very happy to hear that many people already pre-ordered on Steam and are looking forward to the game release on February 13, 2018.

5) Was IgroMir your first gaming convention or did you visit other ones before?
IgroMir was my first gaming convention. Prior to this, I was never at any such event. In addition, the exhibition was combined with Comic Con Russia, where you could learn about movies DC and the Marvel Universe. The multi-day program of IgroMir was accompanied by various impressive performances. According to organizers, this exhibition was visited by more than 160 thousand people for four days.

6) What exactly did you do at IgroMir?
For the most part I helped in our booth together with the guys from Buka Entertainment. Since I know the Russian language, I entertained and communicated to the players and fans, talked about KCD, helped them pass the first quest as well as other challenges. I was very pleased to see many players passing the first quest completely for their first try and then they were very surprised when I told them, that the quest could be completed in multiple ways. Some players had problems with the combat system, but after explaining the basic principles, they were delighted. Most people who played KCD for the first time were impressed with the beautiful and realistic graphics in the game.

7) What do you like the most about Kingdom Come: Deliverance?
When you play Kingdom Come: Deliverance you forget that you are playing a game and you feel a sense of creativity, improvement, and power as you overcome challenges.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is known for its creative, unique design and music. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve stopped just to look at the beautiful scenery and enjoy the music.

8) How, when and with what platform or game did you first get acquainted with videogames?
When I was a child, my father (all by himself) assembled a computer based on the ZX Spectrum processor. The games were recorded on cassettes and it took 30 minutes to download it. While the game was loading, there were unusual noises from the speakers of the recorder. We often played games with our parents and it is one of the brightest memories of my childhood.

9) Are there any videogames you repeat playing over and over again?
I have to say that I almost do not play games because I have no time
Sometimes on weekends we play Fifa and GTA with my husband. He is also a fan of KCD and is looking forward to the release of the game very much.

10) How do you relax after a hard day at work?
The best kind of rest for me after work is sport/physical training. I’m a big fan of Les Mills training – it’s a fitness program that includes heavy strength training, powerful music, energy and bright dynamic elements of sport choreography. Sport trainings enhance my mood and also charge me with optimism and good spirits.

11) A personal story?
I was born in Chernigiv, in the Ukraine and moved to Prague when I was 21. I graduated from the University by IT Specialty. I also met my husband here in Prague and I`m so happy that I have an opportunity to work on such a wonderful project as KingdomCome: Deliverance.

12) Your favorite movie?
Futurama is my favorite animated series. I saw when I was 13 years old and to this day, I’m still in awe.

13) Your travel tip?
New Zealand – one of the most impressive places in the world.

14) Sport is…?
Football. The European style Soccer.

15) Is it possible to buy you with candy?
Of course, I have a sweet tooth.

16) How do you like living in the Czech Republic?
Czech Republic – an amazing country, with an interesting history, beautiful architecture, excellent cuisine and nice people. Moving to Czech Republic was the most important step in my life that totally changed everything.

17) If you could say something to the fans of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, what would it be?
Thank you for your trust and support. We appreciate you so much! You are cool.

Do you have questions for Darina “Vladimirovna” Polevyk and her position at Warhorse? Just ask here.

[DrFusselpulli]

Here are Darina´s answers to your community questions

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Hello Darina,
nice pictures from IgroMir.

I`m pleased to hear that you liked photos from IgroMir

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Do you had a newer build of the game, or the same like at the Gamescom?

We presented the same build like at the Gamescom.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

How many people visited the booth and tested the game?

It`s hard to say the exact number, but there were a lot of players. Some of them played for a long time and wanted to pass the quest by any ways.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Has someone found a unknown bug at this time?

Yes, several times there were new bugs, which we have not yet seen. Players were fairly attentive and critical, have found problems in the game and advised how to fix them. Thanks to all players for that, because their opinion is very important to us.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Do you have a intern bug list with prioritys? Are there any critical bugs left?

Yes, of course we use a bug tracker to recreate and track the bugs in Kingdom Come: Deliverance. At the moment there are quite enough critical bugs, but with every day they are less and less.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Which is the funniest quest you habe played?

One of my favorite quests is «Playing with the Devil». I think , you will like it too.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

What music do you like?

I listen to different kind of music. Lately I like indie rock and Latin - American music.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Your favorite book?

Recently one of my favorite books is «Airport» by Arthur Hailey .

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

How many woman work at Warhorse at the moment?

At the moment 13 women are working here in the Studio.

[DrFusselpulli]

Jakub Guman is one of the core members of Warhorse Studios as he is was already a member of the design team before our Kickstarter campaign in early 2014. He was born in the city of Kyjov in the more rural Moravian part of the Czech Republic, where the stars are beautiful during the night. This is important as astronomy is one of his favorite hobbies, so you can expect a pretty realistic night sky in Kingdom Come: Deliverance.
Do you have any questions to Jakub Guman? Please ask here!
You can find a Spanish translation of this interview here.

1) How did you hear about Warhorse?
I knew about this project from the beginning, but I wasn’t interested because I already had a job in the game industry. However, the project ended and my new game-related job was a disaster. At that time, I accidently saw “warhorse looking for designers” on my friends Facebook, so I applied and succeeded. I’ve been with Warhorse Studios for four years now and I’m pretty glad I landed right here. It’s beautiful to see the whole process of Kingdom Come, starting with the Kickstarter to the present day, getting closer to release!

2) Describe your usual day at the studio?
Read, write, read, write, play, argue, listen, argue, listen, yell, scream, explode with furious anger, calm down, listen to chill out music, read, write, play and argue again 'till the evening.

3) What are you currently working on?
Most of the time I’m playing my own quests and trying to polish them, filling some excel tables in a database and discovering what I could have designed better two years ago that can’t be fixed now…

4) What are some of your notable accomplishments?
Growing my own vegetables in the garden, despite the endless war with slugs. If you mean accomplishments with Warhorse: I guess I’m most proud of the Sazava monastery, which is basically like my own little cosmos - a small, unique and living world with its own rules, aside from the daily open world business. You will see about it in the game

5) What do you like the most about Kingdom Come: Deliverance?
That the world really does look alive. I enjoy wandering around and enjoying the nature, observing the day cycles and finding all the cool features around.

6) Which videogame character are you?
The Nameless One from Planescape Torment or Robed Figure from Journey.

7) What was your most touching video game moment?
“The Caves” chapter in Dear Ester, played after I had a drop of acid. I got lost in the cave, found some shiny carvings on the wall which looked like a chemical formula, got lost and found again, wandered through the miracles of blue stalactites, followed the mushrooms trail and finally found an exit. Then I went back to the cave, because it was so nice and cozy there…

8) What is your worst video game experience?
Worst video game experience: after 300 hours of playing Diablo III, I found myself wondering: what the fuck am I doing with my life?

9) What would a perfect game according to your wishes look like?
Hey, whichever of the endless Gods are reading this right now! Can you kindly add “save” and “load” or, “choose your character” options to the real world?

10) How do you relax after a hard day at work?
My deepest and longest love is astronomy. I love you can’t imagine anything better than a clear night sky far away from Prague – just me, my telescope and endless counts of stars. For the last two years I’ve been flirting with astrophotography. I’m still a beginner, but learning fast.
Some of my pictures: http://astrofotky.cz/~dansemacabre

11) Do you have a favorite spot in the sky?
Yes. It’s the Milky Way between the Swan and Cassiopeia – observing this part in scope is just… astounding! Many star clusters and nebulas all around. Unfortunately, the best parts of sky are on the southern hemisphere and can’t be seen from here. I’m planning go back to Chile this summer to enjoy it once more. This time with a camera!

12) Your favorite music playlist
I’m a psytrance-freak, grown-up from a hardcore scene – HC, screamo, power violence, neo-crust… basically left wing political music. Currently, I prefer deeper psychedelic music - electronic or guitar.
Favorite Bands: Lvmen, Tool, Fall of Efrafa, Isis (the band, not the terrorist group)
Favorite DJ’s: Penta, Aioasca, Aes Dana, Carbon Based Lifeforms, Whitebear

13) Your favorite movie or book?
Movie: Marketa Lazarová (Czech classic) and a The Wall (Pink Floyd classic)
Book: Recently, it’s the The Education of Little Tree (Carter), but it changes over the time

14) Your travel tip?
Visit Patagonia at least once! One day, I will move there…

15) Do you have a Bucket List?
Of course, and I’m successfully fulfilling it!

16) What will be your famous last words?
“I want to see a sunrise back on Planet Earth once more…” And then die at an age of 161 as an oldest colonist of Trappist-1e.

17) Knights or Samurai?
A partisan guy in the forest waiting for the right time to beat them both.

18) What was your favorite subject and your most hated one at school?
Literature and history. I have the best university degree from both

19) If you could say something to the fans of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, what would it be?
Please, don’t try to kill everyone in the monastery right after beginning of game. I beg you: please don’t!

Do you have any questions to Jakub Guman? Please ask here!

[DrFusselpulli]

Here are the Answers to your community questions.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Will there be shadows in the game?

Yes, the object-shadows in the picture were switched off in the game settings for testing purposes.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

How many quest have you designed?

25 quests and short quests (or more likely activities) are present in the recent game, other quest didn’t make it to final pass and were scratched year ago. I really regret some of them and hope they’ll be present in DLC!

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Which one is the best? Why?

I like Sassau monastery! Because its complex microworld (maybe too complex) and its torn out from the main game as a separate story inside another story.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Show us some nice bugs!

We don’t have ANY bugs in Warhorse! We only have a lot of cool features incompatible with the rest of the game.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

How many bugs(in your quests) to fix till release?

Not much. Its mostly about polishing and final touching the dialogue animations.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Will you play the game at home?

Nope. I already played most of the quests multiple times and I guess we will play it again and again few more times.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Will you work on mods for the game? Which one?

Nope. But I would appreciate 3rd person camera. It looks beautifull if you can see Henry running to the sunset.

Unfortuantely @GingerFOX asked his questions after Jakub had already send his answers to me. I have sent the next bucket of questions to Jakub yesterday, but he didn´t replied yet.
Please stay tuned, @GingerFox.

[DrFusselpulli]

Dominik Roháček just joined Warhorse Studios a couple of months ago as a programmer. He came so fresh from university, that he is still a part time student! His heritage is Třešť, a small city in the south of Czech Republic.
Do you have any questions to Dominik Roháček? Please ask here!
You can find a Spanish translation of this interview here.

1) How did you hear about Warhorse?
I am pretty new in this company. I joined just 3 months ago. But let’s go and give it a try to answer the questions.

2) Which job would you not want to do?
Programming websites. I used to do this job to earn some money during my university studies and it is a very demotivating work. Maybe it was just bad luck with customers. Just imagine, changing the colors of elements on a website all day long and trying to explain to them what they really want, not what they think they want.

3) What is your favorite team activity?
Camping, sitting by the fireplace and singing with a guitar.

4) Describe your usual day at the studio?
Because I am new to the company, usually when I come into work, I start with looking for the information about a system which I should fix. Then a couple of hours of desperation, then committing the change and starting again.

5) What do you like the most about Kingdom Come: Deliverance?
How good the AI is. Every NPC has its own brain, which is mostly unpredictable.

6) How, when and with what platform or game did you first get acquainted with videogames?
It was around 13 yo on basic school when I received my first computer. Some family friend installed Heroes of might and magic III.
I spent hours with my friends playing offline multiplayer. It was a turn-based strategy so you have to wait until all the others finished their round before you can play yours.

7) Which videogame character or figure is the best?
Kerbals from Kerbal space program. Have you ever seen their happiness right at the moment before the collision? How many did I kill? Poor Kerbals!

8) Which class, gender, or type do you usually pick?
Usually, I pick sneaky and agile rogue. Just sneak behind your back and crush your throat!

9)Are there any videogames you repeat playing over and over again?
Might and Magic 6. But not the strategy but the old RPG with 2D trees rotating after you, bad mechanics, bugs but I still like the story of this series!

10) Most hilarious bug you have ever encountered or worst video game experience?
Do you remember Skyrim physics?

11) How do you relax after a hard day at work?
Since I don’t usually have time to relax because I am still a part-time student I usually don’t relax. But if I can then I take a wood and chisel and carving some jewellery or decorations.

12) Your favorite book?
The book of five rings. Unfortunately, I will never be able to read it in original.

13) Your travel tip?
Ireland! Definitely, I can recommend that country. It is full of magic, people here still believe in leprechauns and forests are full of witches. Live music everywhere and kind people. Just go there and start a hitchhike around the island, enjoy the countryside, the people and definitely visit Galway and go to a concert of one of the local street bands!

14) Do you have a Bucket List?
Of course and last year I am checked off many points. So maybe my end is coming?

15) Is it possible to buy you with candy?
Yes, high percent chocolate is my weakness.

16) Which is your favorite historic event?
Almost any event from second world war Czechoslovakia. There are so many interesting moments. Operation anthropoid, the start of occupation… And also there are many nice movies about this moments. Just watch Dark Blue World.

17) If you could say something to the fans of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, what would it be?
Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul,
Ash nazg thrakatuluk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.

Do you have any questions to Dominik Roháček? Please ask here!

[DrFusselpulli]

Here are Dominik Roháčeks answers to your community questions:

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

you mentioned that you liked how good the AI is. Every NPC has its own brain, which is mostly unpredictable. can you give any examples of when you went dayum. that was cool or what the hell did not see that coming.*

E.g. there is a quest where you are supposed to speak with some old men in the pub. So when I had to debug it, I just waited in the pub, but he never comes. So I went to his house and find out and…
you know what? Better play the game and try to explore it

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

what motivates you working in warhorse now apart from looking back at your time doing side gig programming (ugh sounds hellish)websites .

I just want to enjoy my work, working on invoice system for web development company is soooooo boring.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Glad to hear you enjoyed your time in Ireland.

Yes! Definitely the country of dreams! Good beer, nice craic and so many street gigs.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Hello Dominik, like an enthusiast of programming i’d very interested on the area you work, and i would like to know which language is the game being programmed. thank you.

I think it is publicly known that we use the CryEngine. That implicates that we use mainly C++ for programming. I still have no area to work on. The whole programming department now works on bugs and optimisations, and as you may know in every program there is at least one buggy line, when you fix it you have a new program and this program also contains at least one buggy line etc. Etc.

[DrFusselpulli]

Jasmin Mastnak is not really a member of Warhorse Studios, but her position is very important for the success of Kingdom Come: Deliverance nevertheless. She works at Koch Media in Munich/Germany as an International Marketing Manager and was born not far away from here in a small town called Aichach.
Do you want to know more about Jasmin Mastnak? Please ask here!
You can find a Spanish translation of this interview here.

1) You are not a usual Warhorsian. Please tell us, what is your connection to Warhorse Studios and Kingdom Come Deliverance?
My name is Jasmin and I’m working at Koch Media / Deep Silver in the International Marketing department. The team and I coordinate the global marketing and communications strategy of Kingdom Come: Deliverance in collaboration with the team at Warhorse Studios.

2) How did you hear about Warhorse?
I first heard about Warhorse from a former colleague who told me about the game back in 2015. He is one of the backers actually, and since then I have been following the project out of personal interest. It was very exciting news for me when I first heard that we are going to work with Warhorse Studios. I remember being really thrilled meeting the team for the first time in our Koch Media office in Munich!

3) Describe your position. What is it about being an International Marketing Manager?
Being an International Marketing Manager means multitasking, being creative, and knowing your product and the market inside-out at the same time. As part of this team I’m working close with Warhorse Studios and all Koch Media territories in Europe and the US. We coordinate the global marketing and communications strategy together in order to market the game on a worldwide level. I guarantee you it never gets boring, especially when working with so many different countries and dealing with the needs of all the different markets!

4) What are you currently working on?
Next week we’ll present KCD at Paris Games Week to the public and press and it is also part of my job to organize events together with Warhorse and in this case our French team. We are creating videos we will use for interviews, making sure the game we want to show to the public is working and we are coordinating our communication around the event. In parallel, I’m also working with our Production team on the packaging of, for example, our retail boxes for each platform. So keep your eyes peeled for news in the upcoming days

5) What are some of your notable accomplishments?
One of the highlights so far has to be Gamescom 2017. We worked hard to make this a great event for the public and press alike and I think it was a great success! For the first time we made it possible for fans to play Kingdom Come: Deliverance at our booth on the show floor and the mood was very positive -
we had two amazing walking acts dressed as Knights, entertaining the crowd and a lot of new things to show from the game! It feels good to see something you organized and planned with such a big team become an event everybody enjoyed. The big moment was when we heard the news that Kingdom Come: Deliverance won the Gamescom award for best PC game. I remember sitting in front of the stage with Tobi, taking pictures, while Dan & Martin received the prize on stage! This was a great achievement for the Studio and the game! Apart from this highlight, we had many more “goosebump-moments” and I can assure you, we’ll have more to come in the future!

6) What do you like the most about Kingdom Come: Deliverance?
It is simply the uniqueness of having a pure medieval RPG without any Fantasy elements that fascinates me the most. It’s the beautiful landscapes, the accurately rebuilt castles and villages, along with great storytelling and its attention to detail. Starting a game with hunting rats in sewers and later killing dragons has its charm as well, but I’m up for a fresh RPG experience and I’m a huge fan of the medieval times!

7) How, when and with what platform or game did you first get acquainted with videogames?
It’s hard to say with which platform or game it all started. I only remember that I was really young and started playing with the games my brothers used to play (they are both older than me). So it probably started with Tetris on the Gameboy when I was 4 or 5 years old and went up to SNES, Megadrive, PlayStation and co. I remember one of my favorite games when I was young was Lunar: The Silver Star on Sega CD. I barely understood a word they were saying in English but I loved the characters, the style and the intro! Thanks to my siblings, I got in contact with games really early and it became a passion and a shared hobby with my family, which I still think is pretty cool!

8) What was your most touching video game moment?
One of the best moments was playing the suicide mission of Mass Effect 2 for the first time. I’m a huge fan of the first trilogy and this mission was so intense because I was really eager to save all the members of my crew. I failed btw, Mordin took one for the team… he will be remembered….
The most touching moment I had was last year when I finished playing the Last Guardian. That ending was so emotional and I was trying not to cry but as soon as my boyfriend came around the corner to check if I’m alright I started crying and couldn’t stop for like 5 minutes…
And the happiest moments were pretty much every time I won against my brother in Soulcalibur on Xbox! Talim is now probably his most hated character.

9) Which videogame character or figure is the best?
That is a tough question! I love so many of them but one that’s always stuck in my head is Gray Fox and his appearance in Metal Gear Solid on the PS1. THAT epic entrance scene and his sacrifice in the end is just awesome. Also, I’m a big fan of Hideo Kojima, so I basically love all of his characters.

10) Which videogame character are you?
I would be a “Paragade” Female Commander Shepard, red hair and all!

11) A personal story?
I teased it before by mentioning my whole family is basically into technology and gaming. My two brothers and my sister are all older than me and I learned a lot from them and I’m happy that we still share this passion for games and we have so many lovable memories connected to it. It goes from playing together online, with board games or setting up the old consoles during the Christmas holidays at home and playing some classics together.

12) Your favorite movie or book?
My favorite book is probably still Lord of the Rings and my favorite movie would be the first Alien movie.

13) What species is your spirit animal?
Dog – a Husky I would say.

14) What’s your guilty pleasure?
Sometimes I just love to watch or read a good, cheesy, romance book or movie. ‘Nuff said!

15) What is your kryptonite?
This would be every Horror game or movie ever made! I’m getting obsessed with them but I can’t stand being scared or having something chasing me while I’m dealing with limited ammo or healing items. It gives me nightmares… and still I played Resident Evil 7 with a PS VR headset and it took me around three attempts to just enter the house at the beginning. I stopped after 2 hours with this self-torture and continued to play it the “normal” way.

16) If you could say something to the fans of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, what would it be?
Hi all, I hope you enjoyed all of the videos, trailers and stories we shared for Kingdom Come: Deliverance so far and maybe you even had a chance to have a first look and play the game at one of our events already! As a gamer by heart I’m excited to share more of our upcoming stories with you and hope you will join us on our journey to the release next year and beyond!

Do you want to know more about Jasmin Mastnak? Please ask here!

[DrFusselpulli]

here are Jasmin Mastnak´s answers to your community questions:

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Are you only cordinating KCD at the moment, or do you have more projects to take care of?

Since Koch is a publisher working with various partners, we all work on several projects at the same time. But given the nature of each project and the individual strategies and project schedules, you have times where you have to focus more on one project than on others. Currently I’m mainly focussing on KCD with just a few months up until the release.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

What is planed after Paris Game Week? More presentations? Where?

We recently announced that we will be presenting KCD at the PlayStation Experience in Anaheim in December. Apart from this, there will always be opportunites and events to present the game to press and partners until the release and beyond but there are no details we can share just yet

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

In how many countries will KCD be avaiable?

An exact number of countries is hard to nail down but putting it in territories where we publish KCD physically, it will be North- and South America, Europe incl. Russia, Australia and Newzealand. Digitally, there are most likely more territories where the game will be available, Asia for example.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

After the release of the game, how will you promote the game?

There are many opportunties which we will use, for example for retail we utilize special offer days or season related activities (depending on the country). This is all part of individual trade marketing plans which are adjusted to the needs and channels of every territory. Same approach goes for the digital channels on consoles and PC where KCD will be available on. Apart from this there is more we plan to do but at this point of our campaign we can’t share more details I’m afraid.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

In times of internet and Youtube, how importent are presentations direct to the customers? Showing the game on exhibitions is costly. Is this kind of promotion not old school and not more effective?

Of course we are living at a time where especially in our industry, a lot of activites switch to a full digital presentation or you at least integrate a digital aspect when it comes to present your product to the community (livestreams, press conferences etc.). Attending events like E3, gamescom or Paris Games Week is not soley about offering a hands-on opportunity to visitors. It is a lot more about visibilty and creating awareness for your product towards customers, media and partners alike. Most of these events are also used for business related topics like negotiating with third parties and retailers, offering previews and interviews to press and influencers etc. ESO who followed Tobi and Co. from Warhorse around gamescom this year gave a good glimpse of the business side of the event and also our Koch Media booth!

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Which games do you play with your family online?

At the moment Destiny 2 and PUBG on PC, and sometimes Rocket League on the PS4!

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Will you play the game after release?

Yes I will!

[DrFusselpulli]

Samuel “Samy” Clarisse worked hard, to finish the French translation for Paris Games Week, as he is our French translator. This is not an easy task, as you often have to translate the game without seeing the exact context.
Samy was born in Auchel, a small town in the north of France, and as A translator, there was no need to move to Prague for him.
Do you have any questions for Samuel “Samy” Clarisse? Please ask here.
You can find a Spanish translation of this interview here.

1) How did you hear about Warhorse?
I got a mail directly from Martin Klíma, author of Dragon’s Lair (OMG I love this game) and from the creator of the UFO series telling me that he was interested in my profile. He exposed me to his project, which was at the time in the alpha stage and asked me if I would be interested in jumping on board. I was, of course, really excited about the opportunity to work with such talented people. I then sent back the sample he provided me and of course, he liked it and told me this was what he was looking for.

2) Describe your position. What is it about being a French Translator?
I am a French translator, specialized in localization and I work from home as an independent contractor. I undertook the whole gaming adaptation from the French market. In other words, my task consists not only in translating a message or text but also adapting it and tailoring it to another culture. It requires IT skills, creativity (to accurately portray the humor, the era and so on) as well as the knowledge of the local gaming community and cultural sensitivities.
Being a gamer myself helps on a day-to-day basis: when I am playing, I take note of everything that is working and more importantly, what is not. Besides, I usually find inspiration in a lot of genres, whether it is an RPG, survival or even a sports game! The localization process is clearly not the main concern of some studios, even if it is one of the first things you see when you launch the game (in the menu, tutorials, etc.).
Fortunately, Warhorse has been focusing on this aspect since day one, so … consider yourself lucky to be treated so well!

3) Have you ever worked on Videogames before?
Even though I’ve been in the industry for the past couple of years, I feel like I’ve been doing this my whole life. I worked on several games on android, steam and browser-based MMORPGs for agencies as well as independent studios However, this is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to work on a AAA title. (Fine, it’s not exactly a triple A but still, it feels like it!)

4) Please describe one of your colleagues or your department:
I wanted to compliment our colleague, Joanna Nowak, as she is so dedicated to her work. I am always trying to figure out how she can cope with all the things she does at one time. Officially, she is a historical consultant, but she is doing so much more than that… it’s crazy! She 's also our project manager, the one who negotiates the deadlines, gives advice, tries to understand everyone’s point of view, serves as a link between us, translators, and Warhorse/Koch media. I don’t think there’s anyone who knows the game better than her. It’s been a pleasure to have worked under her supervision.

5) Describe your usual working day?
Well, first thing in the morning, I grab a cup of coffee to wake me up. I check my mail box, my unread messages on Skype and then answer by order of priority. I usually start by proofreading what I did the previous day. I can say firsthand that seeing it with fresh eyes is the best way for me to spot the mistakes and it gives me new inspiration. After all this, I open whatever is needed: a main/side quest, menu, etc. Throughout the day I can jump back-and-forth between the quests to polish, fill up the new lines or see if there is a special last minute request. Typically, I am producing between 2000/2500 words in a full day’s work. I try to stick as much as possible to this goal but when my body is showing me signs of exhaustion, I know it’s time to stop…

6) What are you currently working on?
We are all in the last stage before release, so I mainly doing some proofreading or polishing. At the same time, I am completing the Codex which comes last. This is extremely enriching from both a personal and professional perspective. I am a history buff, although I didn’t study it, but I can assure you that this is a reference for medieval times. You can find information on historical figures, relatively unknown events, trivia and fun facts, etc.

7) What is the most difficult task in translating Kingdom Come: Deliverance into the French language?
I hope I won’t be revealing too much but in one of the side quests, “Tricks of the trade” you have to learn some rhymes, more like a counting rhyme. It’s written like a poem, so you have to count the syllables to fit the rhythm and make the whole thing match with the VO for the dubbing and all. The first draft was rather bad to say the least but after a few attempts (and a bunch of hours), I managed to come up with something good. The thing is, we decided to change the English version as well, so I had to start from scratch once again. This turned out to be a real headache and by far, the most challenging part.

8) What do you like the most about Kingdom Come: Deliverance?
I guess you won’t be surprised if I my answer is the historical accuracy. These are not the Middle Ages often depicted in movies or TV shows, as producers tend to fulfill their audience fantasies and expectations and in order to do so, they take some kind of liberties. Thanks to their in-depth research, Warhorse made a realistic game that portrays the era like never before. I think you will be surprised by the misconceptions and stereotypes you may have. I even found myself randomly telling people in a conversation: “Contrary to popular belief, did you know that at the time…?”.

9) How, when and with what platform or game did you first get acquainted with videogames?
My parents bought me a NES for Christmas when I was 3 years old with Mario and Duck Hunt. So yes, we can say I fell inside the cauldron at an early age! I had pretty much every console that ever existed: the Megadrive, SNES, Dreamcast, N64, PS2, etc., not to mention the handheld gaming consoles. I am now mainly playing on PS4/PSVR and the Switch. Last year, I even bought an arcade cabinet, the Sega Blast City, which stands in a corner of my living room. All my guests want to try it and sometimes I hold little classic video game tournaments for Windjammers, Last Blade, Street Fighter, etc.

10) Are there any videogames you repeat playing over and over again?
I’d say Ocarina of Time. This game was revolutionary with such an innovative concept and it made a great impact on the industry at the time. It set up new standards of gameplay and storytelling, all within an unprecedented scale. This was really the first open world, game - you could roam around Hyrule freely while seeing your character grow over time, from youth to adulthood: you start as an innocent kid and end up being a full-fledged bad-ass and a Master Sword wielder! (It kind of reminds me of Henry.) I felt deeply in love with it as a child and I still play it every now and then (but Breath of the Wild is amazing as well).

11) What game have you been really looking forward to but turned out to be a total disappointment?
I was really hyped with No Man’s Sky but it turned out to be a frustrating experience. The game isn’t that bad, it just lacked months of development and polishing. I guess the studio was pushed to release it earlier than it should have and the result was an unfinished product with a lot of missing features. All the patches released afterwards did significantly improve the game, but I think it was too late for people to notice it because they already have moved on to something else. I just hope they will learn from it for their next project.

12) How do you relax after a hard day at work?
I try to disconnect and clear my head as much as I can. I spend quality time with my girlfriend and take care of my dog, a wonderful female Czechoslovakian wolfdog. She turned out to be a true little monster, crying for attention without mentioning all the mess she makes throughout the day. So yes, after work it’s time for us to bond together.

13) Sport is…?
Football, definitely. I am a huge fan, I watch every big game and head to the stadium several times a month. I support, of course, the national team but also my local team, the RC Lens. We have some of the best fans in France and the stadium is nearly full every time, both in glory or through tough times.
Another team I follow is the UD Las Palmas. I’ve lived there so they kind of adopted me and it holds a special place in my heart.

14) What will be your famous last words?
I had a fun ride but I wish I could respawn.

15) Your travel tip?
Canary Islands without any doubt. I have lived and studied there for a couple years and this is one of the best places to live on earth! You will find endless beaches, towering mountains with an excellent climate all year round, “the islands of eternal spring” as they call it. You can go hiking, swimming, party in those crazy clubs, etc. There is something for every taste. The cost of living is cheap and public transportation is amazing, very reliable and can take you anywhere. The cities have the cleanest air and are among the most eco-friendly on the planet. You can even find the first fully self-sufficient island (El Hierro). What are you waiting for? Book your next holiday here. You will thank me later!

16) Your favorite music playlist
I grew up around hip-hop so this is what I enjoy the most. I widened my tastes over time and I can now take a shower with Taylor Swift on or when I go out partying, I can have a blast with Reggaeton or Pop music.

17) Your favorite movie or book?
My favorite movie genres are science fiction and horror. If I had to pick one up from both of these universes, I would say the Butterfly Effect. I know it is no masterpiece, but it has a special atmosphere and the concept is mind-blowing. Having the chance to go back in time to correct your past mistakes and see that you only did worse … it’s chilling. It’s all about fate and the lesson here is that whatever happens, no matter the choices you make, do not look back, move on and try do it better next time.

18) If you could say something to the fans of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, what would it be?
The wait is almost over! I can’t wait for you to see how much the game has improved since the beta. We all have been working so hard on it, so I strongly hope we will live up to everyone’s expectations. For my part, I enjoyed every single minute I spent on this localization. I took great pleasure doing it and l hope you will feel the same playing it.
I’ll leave you guys my email: samuel.clarisse@gmail.com. Feel free to contact me (or directly on Facebook). Any feedback, inquiries or questions are more than welcome.
Cheers!

Do you have any questions for Samuel “Samy” Clarisse? Please ask here.

[DrFusselpulli]

Here are Samuel “Samy” Clarisse´s answers to your community questions:

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Is the french voiceover ready, or is it just work in progress?

It is still work in progress.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Have you visited Prag and the studio?

I have never been to Prague but I wish I could soon

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

How is the feedback from the Paris Games Week and the shown french version of the game?

I am looking for the feedback on a daily basis… I can tell the game is creating excitement
and several websites are putting it in their short list for 2018
saying that’s a game to look for and one of the best RPG for next year

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Do you only translate between english and french, or between more languages?

We translators, only translate towards our mother tongue (for ethical reasons)
So I do EN/ES>FR translations

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Will you play KCD after release?

sure, I am eager to actually put my hands on the game after release
I do wish warhorse will send me a collector’s edition or something (haha) I will be playing it on ps4
even if I know the script, I will have fun playing it

[DrFusselpulli]

John Comer is one of our designers, but as an Irishman, born in Galway, he is taking care about the english version as the lead english writer.
Do you have any questions for John Comer? Please ask here.
You can find a Spanish translation of this interview here.

1) Where can we usually find you lurking in the holy halls of Warhorse?
These days usually chained to my PC, although sometimes I’m not so easy to track down, since I’m often off sticking my nose into things that aren’t strictly in my job description.

2) How did you hear about Warhorse?
It was about four years ago, I was working as a freelance translator and Warhorse was making a ‘vertical slice’ of the game – a kind of demo to show to potential publishers. Dan Brown, an actor who plays in the game and occasional translator, was asked to translate the script. He didn’t feel up to it, so he passed it on to me. I quite happily took on the job and also voiced one of the characters. Evidently the devs were satisfied with my work, because then they started sending me regular translation jobs and eventually asked me to work in-house, at first part-time, later full-time.

3) Describe your position. What is it about being a Designer and lead English writer?
When I started at Warhorse, Martin Klima showed me my desk in the Design Department, introduced me to the designers and left me to it. No one ever came to me and told me what to do, so I just figured out what was needed and started from there, which suited my MO just fine.
Essentially, I’m responsible for all the English language you see and hear in the game, so I guess I will be the one pilloried if anything is rubbish. In practice though, I translate, run a team of external translators and an editor, sit in on mo-cap sessions to make sure the actors don’t talk gibberish (not easy to do!), direct voice-over recording sessions (there were so many that everyone in the department had to take it in turns directing) and even voice several roles myself… among other things.

4) Did you ever worked on Videogames before?
I worked on several games as a voice talent and I translated the content of a Czech-made game for mobile devices. But being inside the machine is a very different experience. Before Warhorse I worked freelance for 15 years, so having a job was a big change for me.

5) Which job would you not want to do?
Sound editing and post-production. I think listening over and over again to the same lines repeated by 50 different voices would drive me insane. Management is another thing that doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest.

6) Please describe Warhorse Studios:
The great thing about this office is it’s not like an office at all. It’s much more like my experience of art school (which is what I studied). Very free, very self-motivated, being surrounded by fantastically creative people. A bit chaotic, sometimes crazy.

7) Describe your usual day at the studio?
Every day is different, and that’s one of the great things about this job. Not that it isn’t sometimes boring, like updated things over and over again on account of minor, but essential changes. But 90% of it is about sitting at a computer. What else would you expect, though?

8) What are you currently working on?
The last couple of days I’ve been writing, directing, acting in and supervising the editing of a YouTube video for the PR Department. All very last minute, so I’m curious how it will turn out.

9) What are some of your notable accomplishments?
The thing I’m most proud of unfortunately didn’t make it into the release It’s a scene where Sir Hans Capon is trying to woo a girl by reciting poetry to her, and Henry is hiding in the bushes prompting him. There were three authentic medieval Czech poems, which I first translated normally (hard enough to retain the rhyme and meter), and then had to twist into “misheard lyrics”, so there are lines like:
HENRY
To murderous wrath she gives birth,
Leaving no peace on this Earth.
CAPON
To numerous brats she gives birth,
Leaving no peas for the serfs.
It was incredibly intellectually challenging on one hand, and totally, Monthy Python silly on the other. Alas, at present there is no plan that this will ever see the light of day. But there’s lots of stuff that gives me satisfaction, like coming up with fake medieval idioms or reviving authentic archaic ones. I’m hoping some will make it (back) into common circulation. Also, using dialogue to “paint” the character, especially if you can tailor it to the specific actor, and then seeing that character come to life in the game. That’s very satisfying. My favourites are Capon and Fritz.

10) What do you think it’s the most important part or thing in the game?
The story. That’s the most essential element in immersion. If the story doesn’t draw you in, you’ll never really get involved.

11) What is the most important characteristic a Designer and lead English writer must have?
A love of language.

12) What do you like the most about Kingdom Come: Deliverance?
Since my background is visual art, definitely all the visuals in the game. I’m really blown away by how it looks. We’ve got really brilliant artists here, whatever aspect they’re working on.

13) How, when and with what platform or game did you first get acquainted with videogames?
When I was growing up in the Steam Age, the only interactive entertainment that existed involved old car tyres, petrol and matches. Seriously, though, in the 1970s-80s, only NASA had computers. If you wanted to play video games you had to go to the amusement arcade. That was my first experience – Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Asteroid, Mario Bros. etc. I think now we’ll be seeing a return to arcades for the same reason – inaccessibility of the technology. But the arcade of the future will be a very different thing – sensory-deprivation VR cubicles for individuals, the only interaction with other people within the virtual world (which I think the teenagers of today are already quite accustomed to).

14) Which class, gender, or type do you usually pick?
I don’t really care too much, I tend to focus less on the role and more on the gameplay. But I suppose I find it easier to relate to a male character, even if he is a hundred times more macho than me.

15) Which videogame character are you?
Leisure-suit Larry. (Does anyone even know who he is anymore?)

16) Are there any videogames you repeat playing over and over again?
These days only KCD! I haven’t had much time for gaming for years. But back in the day I played the hell out of GTA San Andreas, for one. I loved Max Payne too. But I don’t tend to replay much – once I finish something, I lose interest.

17) What would a perfect game according to your wishes look like?
For a start it would be virtual reality. I’ve tried VR and loved the total immersion of it. But the technology still has a long way to go. I can’t wait to see what will be possible in maybe five years’ time. In terms of genre, first person shooters are my thing. So, a VR game set in WWII with machine-gun nests, tanks, hand grenades, fox-holes, mortars, sniping…

18) How do you relax after a hard day at work?
I have two tiny tots at home, so I spend most evenings hanging out with them. Whether I’d call that “relaxing” or not…

19) Your favorite music playlist
I’m very eclectic in my musical taste, everything from classical to hip-hop, but skipping the metal. If I were forced to choose a decade, then the 70s.

20) Your favorite movie or book?
Sci-fi is my favourite movie genre and used to be my favourite literary genre when I was younger. The original Blade Runner is one of the best. I haven’t had time to see the new one yet, but I’m looking forward to it.

21) What species is your spirit animal?
Panther, The Pink.

22) Is it possible to buy you with candy?
No, try a bottle of 12-year-old single malt.

23) What is your kryptonite?
Flatter me and I’ll go week at the knees and be your slave.

24) How do you like living in the Czech Republic?
It’s great. Especially now I’ve bought a cottage in a beautiful area of the countryside.

25) What is your weakest trait?
Indecisiveness.

26) Imagine you are a cake, what kind of cake are you and why?
An old, very hard cake that no one wants to eat.

27) You have to fight in medieval times… who are you? Which weapon do you choose?
A spy, with a dagger. Sneaky.

28) Knights or Samurai?
Knights.

29) What was your favorite subject and your most hated one at school?
I was best at English and French and worst at math. I don’t really recall my grades, but I was pretty good at history, certainly interested.

30) If you could say something to the fans of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, what would it be?
I’d really like to know what you think of the style of the language, the dialogues, the accents…

Do you have any questions for John Comer? Please ask here.

[DrFusselpulli]

Here are John Comer´s anserws to your community questions

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

How kingdom come was created how did it start?

Hi Jakk,
I’m not really the right one to answer your questions, since I came on board later in development and was not involved in the early stages of design. I can tell you, however, that the whole concept started with a conversation between two guys in a pub, which gradually snowballed into the massive project we’re working on today. Things really took off after our hugely successful crowdfunding campaign in 2014, which made it possible to expand the team and advance development much faster.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

What were designer aims and goals in creating this game?

That’s really a question for the creative director, Dan Vavra, but the basic concept has always been “dungeons without the dragons”, i.e. a realistic medieval openworld game with no magic or fantasy elements.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

How do you motivate the gamer to play the game, mechanics,dynamics or aesthetics?

All of the above. Also, a lot of thought has gone into making the story and the characters as interesting and as real as possible and the dialogue both natural and entertaining. The aim is to create an immersive environment in which the player feels at home. Authenticity has been the keyword from the start, so for example the combat is based on real medieval combat techniques.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Success and failures that happened in previous games?

This is the first game I’ve been involved with in development. It’s a new thing for me and I’m very happy to have had such a great experience.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

It says you’re a designer, did you make any quests or features? From what I can tell from you’re answers, you’re mostly doing translations and a lot of different other things.

Hi Jackalj,
While I am technically part of the Design team, I am, as you say, mostly translating and dealing with other aspects of the language in the game, such as polishing dialogue to sound natural and feel right for the characters. I did not personally make any quests or features; my influence is spread throughout the entire game in the language, whether in dialogues, cutscenes, objectives or ingame documents.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Can’t wait to see the new video you have worked on, soon was it?

The gameplay video can be seen on Youtube, just search “The Good, the Bad and the Sneaky”. Considering it was quite rushed, I think it turned out OK. Hope you like it.

[DrFusselpulli]

Jan Milík is one of our Programmers here at Warhorse Studios, and he made it possible to have the rich flora in the game, which we have now. He was born in Český Brod, which is a small town near Prague, in the Czech Republic, of course.
Do you have any questions for Jan Milík? Please ask here.
You can find a Spanish translation of this interview here.

1) How did you hear about Warhorse?
One of my earliest memories of Warhorse was hearing Viktor Boacn speak at the Game Developers Session, which was about the dynamic world mechanics and emergent gameplay in KCD. That speach was partially responsible for me working at Warhorse. Viktor has already apologized for that.

2) Describe your position. What is it about being a Programmer?
I’m a programmer. Because I came in relatively late into the development, I don’t have a single narrow specialization or a specific responsibility for the team. However, one of my unofficial titles is the “Royal Gardener,” on account of me working on a few tools that helped to make it possible to have several tens of millions of vegetation instances in the game.

3) Have you ever worked on Videogames before?
Yes, I worked for Dreadlocks on Dex, a 2D cyberpunk RPG.

4) What are you currently working on?
I am currently trying to figure out why the Sazava Monastery flickers in and out of existence. I have discussed this with our historian and she confirmed that Sazava Monastery did not flicker in 1403.

5) What are some of your notable accomplishments?
I’m responsible for the coding of the dice minigame and uberlods. I’ve done my job well, if you enjoy the former and never notice the latter. Obviously, other people (artists) have worked on both of these too.

6) What do you like the most about Kingdom Come: Deliverance?
I like the setting. I think Czech history and the legends have an untapped wealth of settings and stories for games and possibly movies. In fact, I am still kind of surprised more people aren’t trying to do this.

7) What was your most touching video game moment?
The end of the Mass Effect 2 was quite memorable for me. Mass Effect had a way of making me feel emotionally invested.
Another one was in Portal 2, towards the end where you kind of have a boss battle with Wheatley. At one point, he pins you down to floor and there doesn’t seem to be anything you can do about it. There’s a huge hole in the ceiling though, where you can see the full moon. I had this moment where I started panicking and I tried to shoot the portal gun at everything in the room, but nothing worked.
Then I looked at the moon and thought to myself, “Could it be? No, that’s insane… or is it? Yes, yes it is, but not as much as a talking potato….” Go play Portal 2 to find out what happened next.

8) Which class, gender, or type do you usually pick?
My favorite “build” in Fallout has always been the sniper. Too bad we never got a 4th Fallout. We just got a game that was called, “Fallout 4”.

9) Are there any videogames you repeat playing over and over again?
Kerbal Space Program and once in couple of months I fire up the good ol’ Minecraft.

10) What would a perfect game according to your wishes look like?
One in which I could reenact the fall of the Galactic Empire ala Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Typical 4X games don’t allow for this.

11) What game have you been really looking forward to but turned out to be a total disappointment?
No Man’s Sky. Enough said.

12) How do you relax after a hard day at work?
Well, a hard day at work is around 10+ hours, so I usually go home, maybe watch a YouTube video and go to sleep.

13) Your favorite movie or book?
One of my favorite books is the above-mentioned Foundation by Isaac Asimov. I’m also a huge Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman fan.

14) Favorite YouTube channel?
Yogscast. There are many games that I wouldn’t have ever played if it wasn’t for them. Lately, I’ve also watched lot of Jimquisition. I’m looking forward to seeing what either of those channels will have to say about KCD (provided they say anything).

15) What will be your famous last words?
Yes, I’ve tested it and it compiles fine.

16) How do you like living in the Czech Republic?
It’s ok. It’s my favorite country to be born in.

17) Who is your favorite historic character?
Jára Cimrman.

18) You have to fight in medieval times… who are you? Which weapon do you choose?
Vault Dweller, power armor and plasma rifle… or space marine, power armor and bolter.

19) If you could say something to the fans of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, what would it be?
Hi. Be good to your parents, brush your teeth before going to bed and always check your code compiles on PS4 and XBOX.

Do you have any questions for Jan Milík? Please ask here.

[DrFusselpulli]

And here are the answers to your community questions by Jan Milík

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Hey as a fellow fan of the Jimquisiton I’m curious about how many topics you agree with Jim on and what those topics specifically are.

Mostly, I either agree with Jim, or don’t have enough information about subject to either agree or disagree. For instance Nintendo games. I personally don’t really see the point of 100th Mario game. I don’t play new Nintendo games and don’t see any reason to (with perhaps the Breath of the Wild being an exception).

Where I strongly disagree with Jim is when he starts commenting on some the technicalities and difficulties of the game development itself. He’s a game critic and a game industry journalist, but he knows very little about actual development (like most people who are not actually developers themselves). Consider asset flips. Jim has claimed in the past that the “developers” of asset flips use store assets because they are too “lazy” to create their own. Now I agree with Jim that the games in question were garbage and that they shouldn’t be allowed on Steam (at least not for any non-zero price). However the developers being “lazy” isn’t the problem. Not being “lazy” doesn’t magically give you the ability to produce high quality 2D or 3D art. Instead, I think, these developers should reconsider their aims. Producing 3D FPS shooter isn’t within their ability, they should maybe try simple 2D platformer first in which “programmer art” (it’s an actual technical term) would be acceptable. That’s just an example and it’s mostly relatively unimportant things like this on which I disagree with Jim.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

“a few tools that helped to make it possible to have several tens of millions of vegetation in the game”
Can you describe the tools a little?

The very first thing I did when I started working for WH was an extension of the Sandbox (CryEngine’s level editor). The thing is that in vanilla CryEngine, you can either load all vegetation in the level, or none of it (vegetation is kind of it’s own system separate from other static geometry in CryEngine and it isn’t represented by normal editor objects that you can put into object layers). That was sometime between the first and second public beta I think, we had vegetation only in small portion of the map (you could see trees on distant hills, but those were just kind of simplified backdrops, not actual trees) and the artists were already having problems loading all of the vegetation into memory. Not only would the Sandbox sometime crash because it ran out of memory, but even when it didn’t the work in the editor was horribly slow. So, we’ve implemented an extension of the editor that allows out environment artists to create “vegetation areas” in the map that they individual load and unload from memory.

The uberlod system helps with the vegetation too. Uberlods are kind of like normal graphical LODs (level of detail). That’s when you have several versions of the same model with increasing simplicity and you choose a specific version depending on how far away the object is from you (and possibly other factors such as how much space it takes up on the screen). Uberlods are like that, except they are a single simplified mesh (model) that represents many smaller objects. So, for instance, a small village, when observed from distance, is actually a single model. This doesn’t necessarily do anything with the number of polygons the GPU has to render, but it limits the number of draw calls (number of “commands” the CPU has to send to GPU), which is often the biggest bottleneck. We use this system both for villages and/or towns and vegetation. This contributes to our ability to render the open world at the frame rate we do.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Will the vegetation be destroyable?

No. See the next question.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

A collegue of yours said that you do not use destructible meshes. Could you please explain why?

The question is why would we use them? Even if something like that wasn’t huge performance problem in an open world game made in a game engine not designed for open world games, creating a story-drive RPG in an open world is difficult enough. Because of the inherent unpredictability of an open world, even designing a dialogue system is a non-trivial task. Why would we sabotage ourselves with giving both players and the NPCs even more ways to break the game?

[DrFusselpulli]

Melissa Fionda is one of our Character Artists here at Warhorse Studios. Although she came from London, she didn´t moved to Prague for Kingdom Come: Deliverance, as she worked for Bohemia Interactive on ArmaIII and Take on Mars before. Right now she is working on an often requested feature: scabbarts!
Do you have a question for Melissa Fionda? Just ask here!
You can find a Spanish translation of this interview here.

1) How did you hear about Warhorse?
It’s difficult not to have heard about Warhorse when you work in games in Czech Republic as Warhorse has grown to become such an influential games company here. I haven’t been here for that long at all; I joined the company in June this year. I had previously been working at Bohemia Interactive on ARMA III and Take on Mars but as projects wrapped up there it was time for me to start making games for my favourite genre: RPGs.

2) Describe your position. What is it about being a Character Artist?
I’m a character artist so I might be making anything from props to people to the clothing on an NPC to the clothing on the animals—what? Did you think we would leave your horses naked? Of course not! You’re welcome.

3) What are you currently working on?
Right now I’m working on creating scabbards for the game. Of course we could not just have the swords unsheathed by your side, that would be painful (and probably ruin all the clothes the character team have spent so much time making!)

4) What are some of your notable accomplishments?
Not the most glamourous job but perhaps sorting through the NPCs we had (which is 100s!) to update their faces and add variation to their looks so you don’t run into the same person when you turn the corner but you get to see the variety of faces and hairstyles we’ve made for our NPCs.

5) What is the most important characteristic a Character Artist must have?
Adaptability. You have to learn how to make a whole host of things as a Character Artist from cloth to faces to hair and metals all of which require different techniques. If you want to become a Character Artist remember that it’s not all about mastering how to sculpt a face you need to learn how to create a full character from start to finish and pay as much attention to the buckles on the belts to the hairs on the eyebrows and the gloss in their eyes. Remember you can always learn more, don’t be afraid to seek our harsh critique and practice, never stop practicing, even the masters need to get critique. Understanding anatomy and materials are important and eventually a lot of that will become second nature once you understand it.

6) How, when and with what platform or game did you first get acquainted with videogames?
I believe the first time I really got to play videogames was on the original Playstation playing Crash Bandicoot. Well, at least I thought I was playing Crash Bandicoot until I quickly discovered it’s not a two player game and for some reason none of my inputs were making the character move! I was playing with a kid who was about as close to an annoying older brother I would ever have, so of course, you know how cruel kids can be, he gave me a controller which wasn’t even plugged in and me being the trusting person that I was took a little longer to cotton on. It wasn’t until I was about 10 that I got my first proper console, an Xbox of my own and I remember the hundreds of hours that I sunk into Jet Set Radio Future and destroying my dad at Halo deathmatches. I also had Pokemon Yellow on my Gameboy to keep me entertained.

7) What was your most touching video game moment?
I still remember when Bioware made me both angry and heartbroken enough to quit and restart. I normally believe that you should try and stick to the consequences of your actions in games but they hurt Tali, no one hurts Tali. But the most emotional experience I had playing a video game was Life is Strange. I’ve mourned too many times for Chloe and having the power to control what happened to her and other characters in the game left me with guilt.

8) Which class, gender, or type do you usually pick?
Anything that isn’t a straight up melee fighter because this is make-believe! You can be anything that you want to be! Why would you stick to a basic sword and shield? I like to explore every class option especially the weirder ones. If this is a team game I’m always happy to fulfill a support class role. That doesn’t mean I can’t kick the most ass, it just means that the team better keep me alive because without me they will all fall! So, maybe I’m not as charitable as you first thought… but I do seriously enjoy working out the synergy of my abilities with other characters and knowing that I contributed to the team dynamic.

9) Most hilarious bug you have ever encountered or worst video game experience?
Well, I’m sure many of you reading this have picked up a Bethesda game before. I have fond memories of having never-ending conversation topics for weeks on the most hilarious game-breaking bugs with my friends just after Skyrim came out. It’s impossible to pick out just one from that game though.

10) How do you relax after a hard day at work?
So many things. Table top games, D&D, drawing, playing acoustic guitar, binge watching Netflix shows, reading comics and on slightly rarer occasions I make costumes. When I was in the UK I used to LARP. I know that LARPing is still a big thing in Czech Republic but I still don’t know the language.

11) Your favorite music playlist
I have a not-so-secret love for musicals and Broadway. So sometimes I’ll be working whilst listening to Hamilton, Disney, Dear Evan Hansen and the lot! It takes a lot of strength not to suddenly belt out a number in the middle of the office sometimes. I don’t think my colleagues would appreciate it. Maybe I’m wrong. I don’t only listen to musicals though! Of course not! Right now, I’m really into Shakey Graves. I’d check him out if you have an interest for a stripped-down modern blues sound.

12) What species is your spirit animal?
Foxes. Might not be the most unique spirit animal but what’s not to love about the perfect hybrid between a cat and a dog? I used to have a minor obsession with foxes when I was about 5 years old. According to my mum I used to fill my sketchbooks with foxes and nothing but foxes and instead of a monster under the bed I had a fox den. It seems that obsession stayed with me a little into adulthood. I have a little Nick Wild figure staring at me as I write this and I have done extensive research on what needs to be done to own a domesticated fox. One day my dream will come true, one day.

13) Do you have a Bucket List?
Most definitely, although my bucket list is ever expanding to encompass “Do everything that can ever be done in the world”. Not the most practical list. So, I’ve tried to whittle that down just a little bit. So far, I’ve already managed to tick off some like live in another European Country and make money being creative. I’ve gone Paragliding and visited so many amazing countries in the world. I just need to visit so many more and become fluent in a language that isn’t English…

14) What will be your famous last words?
“I haven’t finished yet. I still have a tattoo to get that says, ‘I’m living in the moment’.” Words curtesy of Amanda Palmer.

15) Is it possible to buy you with candy?
Not if you call it ‘candy’ instead of ‘sweets’. I will forever be at war with my American friends on how to speak proper English. I know I will undoubtedly lose but it’s a matter of British pride to keep fighting.

16) How do you like living in the Czech Republic?
It’s wonderful here. Prague is a stunning city, so clean, friendly and stress free compared the nightmare that is London. Don’t get me wrong, I will always love London but I think just not having to squeeze through crowds, pollution, sticky streets and noisy people will add a few more years to my life.

17) Who is your favorite historic character?
I remember learning about Boudicca in school, a Celtic Queen who fought against Roman rule in Britain. She was a true badass and strong woman. The essay I wrote about her was titled “Who were the true Barbarians? The Romans or the Celts?” (Spoiler: It was the Romans) because I think it’s always important to question things like that instead of so freely accepting that the victors in history were the better people.

18) You have to fight in medieval times… who are you? Which weapon do you choose?
As a mixed-race female I think I would struggle in Medieval times so I’ll probably be the mysteriously ambiguous masked mercenary with a Joan of Arc like story. I’ll use a spear, not the most practical but at least I can keep people far enough away from me. I don’t want people to get close to me. I don’t fancy my chances at winning a fight.

19) What was your favorite subject and your most hated one at school?
My favourite subject was unsurprisingly Art. Who would have thought I’d end up as an artist? My least favourite was Physical Education. It felt like torture. That was also probably not surprising. I got ‘A’s in History. I was a real nerd who strived to get ‘A’s in every subject and was heartbroken when I got a ‘B’.

20) If you could say something to the fans of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, what would it be?
It’s great to have fans who are so passionate about the making of this game! Just sit tight a little longer and I hope that soon you’ll be playing and falling in love with what we’ve made.

Do you have a question for Melissa Fionda? Just ask here!

[DrFusselpulli]

You had a lot of questions for Melissa Fionda. here are her answers:

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

First of all you are my personal hero. Really

You are doing a very important work to maintain the immersability of the game, nothing is more frustrating than a game which is very immersive and realistic and then floating swords or other weapons are popping out of the screen, BUT THANK GOD this will not happen now

Some questions in my mind

1: How is the status 0f the scabbards

1:1 Will all NPCs (and PC) have scabbards?

1:2 Will there be different colors and types of scabbard?

1:3 How many different Types are already in the game

2: The latest build showed at least that everyone had scabbards, which was pretty awesome. However I noticed some small flaws

2:1 There were no scabbard suspensions, so the scabbards looked like they floated. However, in cutscenes some characters have scabbard suspensions.

2:1:1 Will all NPCs (and PC) have scabbard suspensions?

2:1:2 If yes how many types and colors are planned?

2:1:3 Will there be also suspensions for maces, hammers,…

2:2 The bandit took out a knife/dagger out of nowhere and after he killed his friend he put it back into nowhere.

2:2:1 Will daggers/knives have also scabbards?

2:2:2 Will all NPCs who have daggers/knives also have scabbards for them?

2:2:3: Will those scabbards have also suspensions?

2:3 A technical questions. After the bandit was defeated, the scabbard and sword simply disappeared in front of the camera. Will this bug be fixed and also for other objects as well like arrows?

Are you also responsible for the alignment of the bows to the character models?

3:1: Will the bows be aligned so, that they will be worn over the should and not perpendicular to the back?

Keep up the good work you are closing huge immersive gaps I am very thankful

I’m pleased that this step towards immersion is important to you. I can’t answer every one of those questions but I’ll do my best! All characters should have scabbards. There will be variations of scabbards. We will try our best to keep adding as much as we can into the game. So far there’s at least two. There is an issue with suspension, from what I know this is a scripting issue, it’s out of my wheelhouse but a compromise might have to be made between in game vs cutscenes. As for bugs I know our team is working hard on eliminating all of them if we can! The problem with games design is that once one bug is fixed another seems to be made.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

A fox as spirtiual animal. So I guess no fox hunts isn’t this somehow unbritish?

Beside kidding I would like to know did you noticed something about the historical background story before you heard about Warhorse and KCD?

How did you react or thought after you heared the story the first time?

If you had a chance to implement a femal playable character or a important (for the game expirience not necessarily a historical real character ) femal NPC into KDC what kind of character background would you create so the character fits into the gamesetting?

In response to the fox hunting … Well, I’ll just put it this way: I’m living in Czech Republic now.
I’ll be honest I knew very little about Czech history before joining Warhorse, so it’s great to be learning more about Bohemia through the game. It’s important to understand the history and culture of the place that you are living in.
As for the female character, that’s a really good question and not something I’ve thought about. It’s tough because we rarely hear about women in war in history. It would be difficult to create a female character who’s in the middle of the action but it can be done, it’s just not a story we’re so used to hearing. Hopefully Warhorse can prove that sometime. The female character I’d imagine playing would be commoner who is caught in the aftermath of the destruction in war, having to deal with the destruction that it has left and be their own hero by helping people out of a burning village or something like that. It’d be nice to see more heroes who don’t have to use a sword to save the day. Not that I’m opposed to the idea of a kickass woman with a sword as well.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Hi there Melissa

unfortunately not all of the torch is productive . some of it is totally useless like kitten mittens. this is your kitten mittens right here.

First of all i’m a fan of the game Arma 3. so kudos on your work there. hope it was not too shabby.

the scabbard on your post looks nice. but looks like it might be too small for my sword and probably even damage it. are there different sizes? before someone says anything get your minds out the gutter. i probably could have worded this question better or even edit but then it would in fact be bastardised . as the tone down has been dutifully applied we can move along.

Ha I believe I recommended like Shakey Graves to one of your colleagues in the torch one week.you may like this . is in my opinion best version of this song and you may not have come across it. https://youtu.be/ubhF7_BbPjw . while you at it here some more tunes you may or may not like meh.

metronomy the look https://youtu.be/sFrNsSnk8GM

Eddy Current Suppression ring - Colour Television https://youtu.be/iTWoa5vkAoM

alt-J (∆) Breezeblocks -https://youtu.be/rVeMiVU77wo

QOTSA - I Appear Missing https://youtu.be/XvSUaCly0VQ

https://youtu.be/RjYZToXuJaM

https://youtu.be/QetvK6ldl2s

The Fox is a good shout. my favorites probably being fantastic Mr Fox or the one from the story the little prince he wise so he is. plus who doesn’t like James Franco with that stupid squint y eyed stoney smile . here he is playing the fox from the story might be worth a watch if you’re bored https://youtu.be/WPSONX3uFcs

hopefully there will be another kingdom come in the pipeline so you get to do your thing in a different era cough cough Japan cough vikings cough. that was my limp ass attempt to get things back on track. good job on the horse jackets. should be some really interesting mods for this.

anyway I have wasted enough of your time back to work peasant.

There are different sizes for the scabbards. So don’t worry about… your sword being damaged… moving on.
Thanks for the list of songs! I’ve added some of those to my playlists. Can I do the weekly torch every week just so that I can expand my music collection? No? That’s a shame.
And why does everyone always want Samurai and Vikings? If only there was a game out there that could fulfill the need of playing Samurai and Vikings against one another… maybe with Knights too. Sounds familiar I just can’t put my finger on it… In all seriousness, if Warhorse does decide to work on a different era or place I hope they continue with the history of countries we rarely see. I think we’ve all seen how badass Vikings and Samurai are before.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Hi @melissa

A simple/weird question,

is there a personal mark, sign or something similar you use in your work?

I mean, something you place in a character in order to let people knw about your work in the game?

Hm, that’s a good question. I’ve thought about it before, I have put my initials inside clothes before but honestly people never see those details so, no, I don’t have a signature to my models. I know what I’ve made and sometimes I’ll add some details that weren’t in the initial brief so, that will be my little ‘twist’ and that’s good enough for me.

[DrFusselpulli]

Petr Maláč is one of our scripters, and as a tailor is sewing pieces of cloth together to create a pair of trousers, a jacket or a shirt, Petr has to combine the different parts of the game to bring Kingdom Come: Deliverance together.
He was born in Děčín, at the northern border of the Czech Republic near Germany, and started to work for Warhorse Studios in early 2014, shortly after our Kickstarter campaign.
Do you have any questions for Petr Maláč? Please ask here.
You can find a Spanish translation of this interview here.

1) Where can we usually find you lurking in the holy halls of Warhorse?
At my desk with yellow headphones on my head or sometimes in the kitchen at the coin-op arcade machine

2) How did you hear about Warhorse?
The first time I heard about Warhorse was at Disney from my colleague. I joined shortly after the Kickstarter campaign in March 2014.

3) Describe your position. What is it about being a Scripter?
I’m one of the few expendable people who worked mostly on quests. The job is pretty simple: I read pages and pages of dialogues and make something playable with our in-house tools.

4) Have you ever worked on Videogames before?
This is already my second job in the gaming industry. I worked on mobile games at Disney mobile games studio as a level designer.

5) What is your favorite team activity?
Stand up/scrum every working day at 10:45.

6) Describe your usual day at the studio?
• Breakfast
• Fixing bugs
• Lunch
• Fixing bugs
• Dinner or not
• Fixing bugs
Every day for the last six months. Who said that making games are fun?

7) What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on the day-one patch, which means I’m fixing bug on quests. I worked on a lot of quests so I have lot of bugs in them.

8) What are some of your notable accomplishments?
You can blame me if you see a bartender stuck to the meal tray at the tavern. The NPC’s logic in tavern is completely mine.

9) What do you like the most about Kingdom Come: Deliverance?
Reading books on the toilet - the best feature ever, so realistic.

10) How, when and with what platform or game did you first get acquainted with videogames?
I don’t remember but my first computer was Didaktik M (ZX spectrum cheap replica). One of the first games I played was Manic Miner, or maybe it was something else.

11) What was your most touching video game moment?
Boss fight with The Boss in Metal Gear Solid 3 was a very sad moment.

12) Which videogame character or figure is the best?
Guts from Berserk and the Band of the Hawk. He truly has a memorable large sword.

13) Which class, gender, or type do you usually pick?
I like solving problems with brute force. So, I usually pick someone with a huge hammer or a very large sword.

14) Which videogame character are you?
A worm from Worms+

15) Are there any videogames you repeat playing over and over again?
I’ve been playing some of the same quests over and over in KCD for the last three years.

16) A personal story?
I was born. I live. And some day I going to die. Sad, but true story.

17) Your favorite music
Queen, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Pink Floyd…classic rock

18) Your favorite movie or book?
Book: 1984
Movie: Dredd. The new one, not the shit with Stallone. Once Upon a Time in the West

19) What species is your spirit animal?
warm-water penguin

20) Your travel tip?
Japan. Beautiful country, nice people, awesome food. I would like to die there.

21) What will be your famous last words?
“Did I give the right of way……”

22) Is it possible to buy you with candy?
Candy? No. Money? Yes.

23) What is your weakest trait?
I’m a lazy person.

24) Imagine you are a cake, what kind of cake are you and why?
I don’t want to be a cake.

25) Knights or Samurai?
MechWarrior

26) If you could say something to the fans of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, what would it be?
Thanks for your support. Goodbye and stay alive.

Do you have any questions for Petr Maláč? Please ask here.

[DrFusselpulli]

Here are Petr Maláč´s answers to your community questions:

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

"I like solving problems with brute force."
Aha, so I guess you are also to blame for a story which includes a pup brawl.

We have one story pup brawl(I guess) but I didnt work on it. So you cannot blame me for this. But we have fight clubs. My work so again blame me.

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Can Henry receive a broken nose?

Nope

Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

Have you hidden a HUGE hammer/sword somewhere in the game as an easter egg for us Berserk/WH40K fans to find?

Maybe, maybe not. Honestly, I don’t know. But It would be great find Guts’s Dragon Slayer in game.