Weekly Torch - the barrel of questions

What I mean is, boars are only animals attacking Henry, so probably only ones that would be aggressive towards other animals, but I wouldn’t expect animals fighting each other.

ha! Finally my long awaited interview :slight_smile:

  1. Compared to Operation Flashpoint (my favourite game even today!) do you have any ideas you could implement in KCD and were not able to implement them during development of original OFP and datadisks because of technical limits of the time? Can possible open world and random encounters be one of the things? I know that creating living open world in OFP was nuts and in the end there was CPU limitation (i tried it several times, scripted prepared bases and outposts with their patrols and simulated areas of influence, everything however was bound to players presence and in the end game was unplayable on PCs at that time, because of low FPS).

  2. "You will never have a real combat experience in a game until you get some awesome virtual reality system with perfect haptic feedback. What you CAN get is something that has a similar feeling.
    You can feel the danger. You can feel a weight of the sword in your hand. You can get timing and positioning right and then you can fight in the game like you would in real world."
    Okay, I believe someone from WH mentioned somewhere you in studio were toying with idea of VR support. I do not know if it will be implemented or not (I believe not). What do you think about future implementation in possible next titles of Kingom Come?
    Frankly, I do not believe ANYONE can create perfect sword fighting simulation, even when we are talking about VR with perfect haptic system. One major reason is, you have no chance to simulate sword to sword hit in a game, unless you have two players that fight each other with their swords. When swords hit each other, avatar stops while player and his sword goes through. This deprives experience by very important moment. For average swordsman this moment means crucial understanding of situation that tells him if his prepared movement can be carried out or is predestined to doom. A little bit better swordsman can alter his next move to better suit situation and advanced fighter adapts to new situation to overcome it in next move (in case it does not go as planned or thought). And in case swords stay in physical contact, there is advanced technique of “fulen” where you feel the opponents blade on your’s and with this you decide what advanced technique you wish to use. “Fulen” is truly something for lifelong studies. What I’m writing now is major part of swordfighting, nothing that lies out on boundary.

Another part is that this game would have to handle sword fighting with some kind of advanced physics and mesh collision system, different to current game system, because I do not believe current engine would be able to handle “random” things that human player would do. Matter is, that swordfighting is hard to learn and even harder to master. If newbie wants to perform some technique, he does it wrong every time, by this he continually improves. These “wrong” moves are kinda random. There are “signs” that are, let’s say, common for some techniques and some people, but every time I see a newbie, I usually see new things that he is doing. It’s hard to describe, but common main reason for this, is that rotation of sword usually by a few degrees has crucial impact on swordsman’s ability to withstand incoming hit and also affecting his ability to land a strike in next moment, thus leading to phenomenon of “after-blows”.

This all leads me to my skeptical view on possibility of creating “decent” Kingdom Come game with VR. But who knows, I was skeptical that KCD will ever make it on market and now we are chatting on forums of game that is two and a half months before release :slight_smile:

  1. You say about yourself you are a bad programmer. Were you always “only” game designer, or did you try to write program (like a game) from a scratch by yourself? I know you did some indie titles by yourself, but I do not know if you did them alone or in cooperation with someone, also no idea if you wrote engine by yourself, or you used some already prepared one.
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Hi ,

1: Could you give us statistics about the open bugs in the following categories

  • Show Stopper
  • Critical
  • Major
  • Normal
  • Minor


2: Would it be possible to provide a site containing which mirrors the actual bug tracker to backers?

3: Will you fix visual bugs (e.g. facial expressions, missing suspensions, missing straps, model details, animations, particle effects, textures) even after the release if you don't make it before the release?

4: How long will you support the game after release?

5: A very critical question: How will you handle the END of the MAP, meaning what will happen when the player reaches the end of the map. how immersive will the border be presented (a Forrest, Mountain-Range... or an anti-immersive textbox :( )?

6: How high is the probability that the Release Date will be postponed ( e.g. for gaiing more polishing time?)

7.1: Topic Crossbows

Crossbows were planned to be in the game in the very beginning. Nevertheless they were scrapped.

7.1.1: Could you tell us the reasons why the crossbows were scrapped?
7.1.2: If you had them partially implemented could you tell us the status of the implementation before the scrapping decision and tell us what and how much was missing in order to have an release-worthy implementation?
7.1.3: Is there any chance of bringing them back into the game in future Patches/DLCs?

7.2: Topic Flails

7.2.1: Could you tell us the reasons why the flals were scrapped?
7.2.2: If you had them partially implemented could you tell us the status of the implementation before the scrapping decision and tell us what and how much was missing in order to have an release-worthy implementation?
7.2.3: Is there any chance of bringing them back into the game in future Patches/DLCs?

7.3: Topic Horse Combat

It was planned to have a full-fledged horse-combat but it was stripped down to horse-archery and simple mounted combat

7.3.1: Could you tell us what was planned (e.g. fighting with lance, horse vs horse,… )?
7.3.2: Could you tell us the reasons for the scrapping of the not-implemented parts
7.3.3: If you had them partially implemented could you tell us the status of the implementation before the scrapping decision and tell us what and how much was missing in order to have an release-worthy implementation?
7.3.4: Is there any chance of bringing them back into the game in future Patches/DLCs?

8: Gameplay topics

8.1: Fire

Fire plays a part in pre-scripted events like setting smoke-screens, setting arrow barrels aflame and providing light. There are screenshots with characters fighting with a torch and a sword.

8.1.1: Was it planned, that you could blind enmies with the torch?
8.1.2: Were there discussions that fire could be a gameplay element (e.g. setting enemies aflame, environment …) at any point during the development
8.1.2.1: Could you tell us the reasons for the scrapping these ideas, if you had them?
8.1.2.2: If you had it partially implemented could you tell us the status of the implementation before the scrapping decision and tell us what and how much was missing in order to have an release-worthy implementation?
8.1.3: Is there any chance to see more interactions with fire in future Patches/DLCs?
8.1.4: How can Henry set pre-scripted things aflame without equipping a torch. This is a bug right?

8.2. Disarming enemies

8.2.1: Is it possible to disarm enemies by chance?
8.2.2: Is it possible to disarm enemies with a special combo?
8,2.3: Could you tell us the reasons if it is not possible?
8.2.4: If you had it partially implemented could you tell us the status of the implementation before a probably scrapping decision and tell us what and how much was missing in order to have an release-worthy implementation?
8.2.5: Is there any chance to see more interactions with fire in future Patches/DLCs?

8.3. Crippling enemies

Is is it possible to cripple enemies by Breaking , arms, hands, legs the enemy during combat, so that they are rendered them helpless and they drop their weapon and cry due to pain?

8.3.1: Is it possible to disarm enemies by chance?
8.3.2: Is it possible to disarm enemies with a special combo?
8.3.3 Can this happen to the player itself? If not, then please give us the reasons and will it be possible to disarm them in the future Patches/DLCs?
8.3.4: If you had it partially implemented could you tell us the status of the implementation before a probably scrapping decision and tell us what and how much was missing in order to have an release-worthy implementation?
8.3.5: Is there any chance to see more interactions with fire in future Patches/DLCs?

8.4. Fairness

There is a huge gap in fairness IMHO. You have to strike your opponents without a helmet three or four times into the head with a visible clear hit to kill them. Will this be fixed in the later game, so that one clear visible hit, with visible wounds will kill an opponent and you as well ? The same applies for the bow. It also seems that bleeding damage does not appeal to the enemy but only to the player :frowning:

8.5. Horses

8.5.1: Can horses be killed and have an own damage model?
8.5.2: Could you tell us the reasons if it is not possible?
8.5.3: If you had it partially implemented could you tell us the status of the implementation before a probably scrapping decision and tell us what and how much was missing in order to have an release-worthy implementation?
8.5.4: Is there any chance to see more interactions with fire in future Patches/DLCs?

9: Cutscenes and In-Game transitions

9.1: Do you use pre-rendered cutscenes or are you playing the cutscenes in-engine?
9.2: Is there any chance to see a seamless transition between cutscene and game for non-player characters?
9.3: will the pc have a scabbard in cutscenes, where he has a sword if the scenes are pre-rendered?
9.4: Is there any chance to see a seamless transition between cutscene and game for the player characters?

10: Finishing Moves

10,1 :Will the camera show the finishing moves or are they always performed in the off, How m?
10.2: How many finishing variations will they be?
10.3: Is there any chance to see more finishing moves in front of the camera in future Patches/DLCs?

11: Forging Mini-Game

11.1 Could you tell us the reasons if it is not possible?
11.2: If you had it partially implemented could you tell us the status of the implementation before a probably scrapping decision and tell us what and how much was missing in order to have an release-worthy implementation?
11.3: Will this be the first DLC :slight_smile: ?

12 Breakable things

It as planned to have breakable weapons, armor and clothes. However for now every released material besides some dents on the armor which do not seems dynamical

12.1: What is the weapon damage model and how dynamically will this be (most important, shields, all weapons with a wooden staff, arrows …)?
12:2: What is the clothing damage model and how dynamically will this be?
12.2.1: Will you use clothing tearing physics like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgWur7HaIks ?
12:3: What is the armor damage model besides dents and holes and how dynamically will this be?
12.4: Where can you repair broken things and how will this look like?
12.5: Do you plan to improve damage models and animation with further Patches/DLCs?

13: Wound depiction and wounded behavior

The combat is incredibly realistic, however the depiction of hits, wound and the reaction of the enemies seems unpolished to me in earlier version they seemed better here are some points, which are missing. So Please tell us whether A: they will be implemented either due to release date or later, B: if they are not implemented, the reasons for this and how far have you implemented these and C: If those parts will be improved later by future patches/DLCs ?

13.1: direct wounds on unprotected areas after a hit this includes

  • Bruises
  • Visible cuts
  • Entry wounds
  • Exit Wounds
  • Open wounds
  • Realistic disjolted bones after crippling the enemies hand

13.2: visible gradual bleeding affecting the following things

  • clothes
  • environment
  • weapons

13.3: More decent particle effects (blood spurts), which affects the environment or other NPCs meaning the particle effect result in a physical blood fluid entity
13.4: Behavior of the enemy after receiving a wound on an unprotected area. like:

  • Different combat moves, which are clearly different (holding the sword more clumsy, limping, or simply giving up combat and cry and hold their wounds).
  • Different movesets in general (when fleeing, moving outside of combat … )
  • Different wounding reactions. In some older videos those animation are visible but often the enemy returns to the same state he was in, when he was uninjured, which is very bad. A very good animation example is the NPC who hurts himself with his axe :slightly_smiling_face:
    https://youtu.be/kA8rTyIO0xE?t=503

13:5. It seems that enemies cannot be stunned, the player can be stunned with an nice effect. But the enemy is on blunt attacks on the head not affected. Can the enemies be stunned and can they attack their own comrades during their confusion?
13:6. It is possible to release enemies, which have surrendered, is it possible that those released enemies might take revenge later on you. When you scar enemies e.g. very deep eye wound, nose wound,… will these scars have an effect on the game later, meaning the enemy will take revenge for a received scar (this does not include story-relevant quests)?
13:7: Is there a possibility of visible removing arrows from enemies, with the effects after removing an arrow (bleeding, possible breaking with the rest of the shaft still sticking in the enemy…)

14: Daggers

14.1: Will the dagger be usable in combat besides stealth kills e.g. for mercy kills?
14:2: There are still model flaws on daggers , will you fix these points before the release

  • Dagger scabbards on NPC models
  • Dagger scabbard suspensions on NPC models
  • Dagger scabbards on the PC model (inventory screen included)
  • Dagger scabbard suspensions the PC model (inventory screen included)

14.3: Will NPCs have daggers as a visibly tertiary weapon (the one bandit had one dagger as a secondary weapon but it was not visible)?
14.4: Can NPCs stealth kill the PC with a knife?
14.5: Will the daggers have blood on them after usage (PC/NPC?)

15: Visors

15.1: Is it possible to go into a conversation with a closed visor and if yes. will the conversation partner be more intimidated?
15.2 Can you open/close your visor during the conversation and if yes, will this have an effect on the conversation partner?

16: Stealth Aspects

The stealth in this game is great, with the whole reaction to clothes armor and their state as well as the reputation if you are caught. There are some questions t

16.1: Dragging Bodies

Although it is possible to carry bodies, which is good, the complementary mechanic, which could improve the stealth mechanic is missing.

16.1.1: Have you considered to include the dragging of bodies as a complementary mechanic?
16.1.2: If not,could please tell us the reasons?
16.1.3: If you had it partially implemented could you tell us the status of the implementation before a probably scrapping decision and tell us what and how much was missing in order to have an release-worthy implementation?
16.1.4: Is there any chance to see more interactions with fire in future Patches/DLCs?

16.2: Blood

In 13.3: I mentioned that blood could be a physical entity, which interacts with the environment. After stabbing an NPC and then carrying the body, the blood would drop from the wound and leave blood trails behind, to which NPC will react in some eay

16.2.1: Have you considered to include this at any point of development?
16.2.2: If not,could please tell us the reasons?
16.2.3: If you had it partially implemented could you tell us the status of the implementation before a probably scrapping decision and tell us what and how much was missing in order to have an release-worthy implementation?
16.2.4: Is there any chance to see more interactions with fire in future Patches/DLCs?

16.3: Trails

Besides blood trails there could be other trails, like footsteps or sander marks done by dragging of bodies (16.1). The player could so produce fake trails e.g. footsteps/sander marks on wet soil. Then pick up the body and carry it and use the grass (other vegetation to produce not so visible steps) or is trying to go backwards to produce footsteps in the different direction, which could be used to lure enmeies far away.

16.3.1: Have you considered to include this at any point of development?
16.3.2: If not,could please tell us the reasons?
16.3.3: If you had it partially implemented could you tell us the status of the implementation before a probably scrapping decision and tell us what and how much was missing in order to have an release-worthy implementation?
16.3.4: Is there any chance to see more interactions with fire in future Patches/DLCs?

16.4: Pinning the crime on other

Is it possbile to pin crimes on innocent NPS you have commited. For example, by stabbing someone in the bed, and then knocking out an innocent NPC, carrying/dragging him (without leaving footsteps) in close proximity on the crime spot, and then dropping the bloody dagger on the knocked out NPC. And then tell the guard (with a very fancy dress) that you saw a murder or let a different NPC detect the body and the “murderer”.

16.41: Have you considered to include this at any point of development?
16.4.2: If not,could please tell us the reasons?
16.4.3: If you had it partially implemented could you tell us the status of the implementation before a probably scrapping decision and tell us what and how much was missing in order to have an release-worthy implementation?
16.4.4: Is there any chance to see more interactions with fire in future Patches/DLCs?

17: Arrows

17.1: Arrows visibly disappear if more than one has been fired onto the enemy? Is this bug recorded or already fixed?
17.2: Arrows cannot be retrieved from horses (as of beta). Is this bug recorded or already fixed?
17.3: Are there different arrowheads and are they visible?
17.4: Arrows does not visibly break, they are just described as broken arrow (as of beta). Is this bug recorded or already fixed?
17.5: Will arrows break if you try to retrieve them from the enemy and will the rest of the shaft be stuck in there?
17.6: Can arrows be split (if you fire one arrow into the another)
17.7: Will arrow stuck with different depths, which will then influence the retrieval probability?
17.8: Will there be different animation of arrow retrieval, because the beta animation was quite generic and arrows, which sticks deeper in different materials require other retrieval movements than shallow stuck arrows.

18: Tieng up enemies

It was common to kidnap defeated enemies and ransom them. Is this realized in the game, meaning can you tie up a surrendered enemy and then try to ransom him?

18.1: Have you considered to include this at any point of development?
18.2: If not,could please tell us the reasons?
18.3: If you had it partially implemented could you tell us the status of the implementation before a probably scrapping decision and tell us what and how much was missing in order to have an release-worthy implementation?
18.4: Is there any chance to see more interactions with fire in future Patches/DLCs?

19: Will there be a visible jail cell and can you break out of it?

20: Will you reduce the amount of sparks in combat to a more realistic amount (visible only at dawn, much less visible with the eye and appearing randomly?)

21: Will there be other weapons for stealth kills than daggers e.g. an axe on a sleeping enemy?

22: Does some nobles wear tassel capes or capes in general in the game and can you rob them of it and wear it yourself?

23: Can you put hoods up and down and will this affect your stealthiness?

24: Could you give us information about the in-game combat academy and the companion training video?

25: Could you give us information about the tournament mode? Will it contain jousting?

26: In the beta you could "drop " items, these would then disappear, will in the release the items be on the ground and will NPCs try to steal them?

27: Can bows visually shatter if you draw them too long and if they are in a bad state?

28: Which version of the cryengine are you actually using, will you eventually provide with later updates, the newest cry engine version features?

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I feel that deep and well designed training arena tutorials would do for people. Have you been able to make that combat academy mentioned during kickstarter?

Do you have any ideas on future modding support? Would you perhaps consider sharing your in-house tools? Are we going to be able to paint/edit the map, change textures or models, edit rpg values etc? What should I learn if I want to be able to mod your game?

3 Likes

Hi,
I would like to ask, if sieges and large scale battles like those shown in first trailers:


will be in final game (I know there should be just few of them).

How many NPCs there will be in largest battle in the game?

3 Likes

Now you can ask questions to our Music Composer Jan “Honza” Valta

Hello Jan,

I have two questions regarding KCD

1: What are you doing at the moment? I thought there was a content freeze or are you mastering the tracks or are you working on the secret third transitional variation?
2: Can you tell me more about the period in-game music that was mentioned in the early beginning? Will there be bards in-game playing the music, and has the music been recorded on period instruments if it has been recorded in the first place?
3: Could you provide the midis which shocked dan in the spotting sessions :stuck_out_tongue:

The next questions are as a felllow Stonekeep fan :slight_smile:

1: Have you defeated the shadow king with brute force and without the dust-of-zandi trick (Yes it is possible :slight_smile: I can give you proof on my youtube account if you don’t believe me :stuck_out_tongue: )
2: Have you found the secret door in Khull Khuum’s Tower containing the secret letter :slight_smile:

They do not know what music was played back then, so no bards with instruments, but I know there will be singers.

I don’t know about bohemia but there are manuscripts with melodies and accords, like the Roman de Fauvel in France

@warhorse: I edited my questions to Victor, is it possible to relay them to him or is it too late?

He will get them in the next year after the holiday seasons, so it isn´t too late
Same for Jan Valta

For those interested, this is the orchestral arrangements for the metal band Jan Valta spoke of.

And this is his symphony FULCANELLI.

When does your holiday season edns on the 6th?

I just ask, as I accumulated some questions :slight_smile:

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Yes, i am back in the office now. I will try to get Jan´s and Viktor´s answers next week

For now, we will have another Weekly Torch with our Environment Artist Henrieta Vajsabelova, please ask questions to her now.

Hello Henrieta, I have to say, this game has the best and beautiful landscape in a game ever.

Here are some questions:

1: Could you tell us the last graphic bugs which you have worked on?
2: How many graphical bugs are still open?
3: Does those bugs contain animations
3.1: If yes, was/is at least one bug in this finding list: Missing Animations/Particle Effects/Textures ?
4: About the Ultra-High settings
4.1: Will there be reflection on any clear liquid surface like water in mugs/cauldrons?
4.2: Will there be Shadows on any unclear liquid surface like water in mugs/cauldrons?
4.3: Will there be reflection on any clear small surface like chalices/glasses?
4.4: Will there be Shadows on any unclear small surface like mugs?
4.5: Will there be multiple shadows depending on different light sources?
4.6: Will there be reflections on transparent surfaces (Glass Shaders)?
4.7: What entities will have local reflections?
4.8: What other fine things have you worked on to improve the already good graphics?
5: At the time when you made other assets
5.1: Did you made sword stands and are those interactable?
6: Are your easter eggs antichronistic (I hope not to see fences and mobile toilets :stuck_out_tongue: )

Hi Henrieta, and thank you for nice interview!

Cups and glasses on screenshot look beautiful, not only reflexed area, but everything about them. Do you work only with materials, or do you somehow override native CryEngine functions (shaders) by yourself? Don’t know if my question is understandable now, I do a only little graphical programming in my free time, so this question might be wrong…

When working on POIs on world map, did you have to ever travel to real world area to see how does it look like there? Or have you ever done that becuase of pure interest?

Uuurm, why does Henry have BOOBS??? Some gender correct story twist?
https://forum.kingdomcomerpg.com/uploads/default/original/3X/6/a/6a3561e656d23e7b00f94c5b5d9b75cdfd5839c6.jpg

TRICKY! Blade Runner - old one or new one? Harrison Ford or Ryan Gosling?

@warhorse I know it’s by far too late, but exams at university are killing my onlinetime :no_mouth: Please forward my questions to Jan Valta if it’s still possible to do so:

a) Did you make any last-minute-changes when playing your symphony with the orchestra for the first time? I’ll just suppose you did, if yes, were it only “minor” changes or big ones as well?
b) Do you think there’s a chance of seeing you conduct the KCD-music on real stage some time? I definitely wouldn’t want to miss that like I missed the weekly torch…
c) Who’s your favourite conductor (besides your father, of course :smile: )?

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Yes, it is still time :slight_smile:
I will try to get his answers this week, but I can´t promise.

1 Like

Good Here are some more for Jan

Extr 1: For now it seems that there are three different combat mood music (Generic, Victory, Loss). Is it planned to have more like (Slightly Disadvantage, Slightly Advantage, Middle Advantage, Middle Disadvantage, Victory, Loss?)

the poor guy in the heading picture getting put on blast picking his nose. you ruthless bastards can’t a person root without being shamed :DDD

Now you can ask questions to our designer Martin Strnad

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