The Witcher Official Website

Caroline Kintzel - 2d artist
Paul Vardaris - human resources

Hello guys. Tell us who are you and what your role is at REDFlame, please.Paul: Hello, I am Paul Vardaris, Human Resources for the group, coordinator and operations assistant, area designer. I've done everything from voice-acting Dandelion to coding scripts for random conversations of townsfolk to posting wiki tutorials.

Caroline: Greetings. I´m Caroline Kintzel, 2D Artist for "Strands of Destiny"; sometimes I write, too, but this is more of a hobby and I was just involved with a few dialogues. Most of the time I spend, of course, designing new characters, scenery, etc. Aside from the 2D work, I’m currently trying to improve my knowledge of 3D, and I’m taking my first steps with the help of Blender. I can’t say I´m very good at modeling yet, but it´s fun despite all the obstacles in my way there. And there are so many, I cannot count how often I’ve tripped over them.

Could you tell us how you became a member of REDFlame, and how did you find out about Strands of Destiny?

Paul: I messaged Vaernus as I was moderating www.thewitcherworld.com and looking for modding teams, which I noticed on the official forums thanks to Starwolf. He replied (twice) and we spoke, and I elected to help with some of my Neverwinter Nights knowledge of the Aurora Toolset. Things sort of snowballed from there.

Caroline: That was quite easy - via the thewitcher.com board - one could say, I´ve been in it from the start. I remember, I just innocently (don´t believe everything I say!) posted in a thread about Witcher modding and offered my help as a conceptual artist. Well, then William (aka. Vaernus) showed up and the rest of it is history.

How’s your work going? What’s the latest thing you’ve worked on?

Paul: Work is hectic yet progressive; time management is always critical in projects like these. Just recently I was contacted by a new 2D artist, who seems to be a good match so far. I'm also preparing some documents to design in-game tutorials and adventure templates for new modders and storytellers.

Caroline: At the moment I’m taking a bit of a break… well not really; I´m heavily thinking about what will happen beyond the showcase mod, actually. The last work I did was creating storyboards for cutscenes and conceptual drawings for the showcase´s 2D intro.

What is the hardest part of the work you’re doing right now?

Paul: Finding time to get all of this done- so much talent, so little time, so many commitments to schedule around.

Caroline: Hmm, I must agree with Paul. Sometimes I feel a bit guilty that I cannot clone myself. But who could endure that?

Do you have any hobbies?

Paul: I used to have a hobby. It recently became a major business...

Caroline: Paul must have read my mind... same here, although I never did conceptual work for a game before. That´s completely new for me. So we can consider it as some kind of debut. My hobby became my "job" a long time ago; I cannot remember the last time I was seen without a brush or pencil in my hand. Next to drawing and painting I love to read and... play CRPGs... (anyone suprised now?)

What do you like most about your team?

Paul: The people are friendly and creative, and the talent is shocking. The fact we all get along so well is incredible.

Caroline: Well, I cannot complain... It’s in so many ways the best team I’ve ever worked on. I can tell you, all of these guys are top notch, bring in a bunch of good ideas and a great amount of knowledge. Aye, and fun, of course. (I must say that... and for some reason I hope the gun in front of me is just for show)

How much time per day/week do you spend on Strands of Destiny?

Paul: At least ten hours a day or more. Sleep is optional. I've hooked up intravenous devices which pump nutrients directly to my bloodstream.

Caroline: Although I once said, due to my "real" job, that I only can spend 20 hours per week at moment, I think I spend much more time on SoD. It feels more like I’m spending 20 hours a day... well, I’m not really sure, because even in my free time I’m not just sitting around picking my nose and that, but I think about additional ideas, what could work and look good, and so on. It’s just not that easy to sit down and switch your brain completely off; this unfortunately only will work for a stint.

Anything interesting to add to what’s already been said?

Paul: I recommend game development to anyone who enjoys combining their left brain with their right brain and is willing to sacrifice sanity. No single skillset seems to be enough. :)

Caroline: Uh... don´t drink and paint or the result will surprise you? Don´t know, is that something I can answer to that question?

Thanks for the time, folks!

Aidan Nutting - designer at REDFlame Interactive

Aidan: My name is Aidan, and I'm from Texas. Yes, just Texas... it's a nation in itself! I've been a fan of Andrzej Sapkowski's works since early 2007 when I saw a teaser for The Witcher and did some research. I found the novels it was based off of and got hooked immediately. Can't wait for more English translations, though.

A designer is fortunate that their creativity is easy for people to see. What influences your work, and what do you want to really bring to the module for the Witcher?

Aidan: My work is mostly influenced by what I grew up reading.. Michael Crichton, John Grisham, Stephen King, Eric Nylund, HP Lovecraft and, of course, I'm a huge movie-goer but it would be impossible to list all of those here. I like the dark and gritty feel, cold equations that are made by Geralt, etc. I'd like to bring more of that out. I like to keep attention to detail as one of my strong points, because at any given time the player might slow down and take a look. If they see slipshod work or lazy design, it might ruin their immersion into the game. I plan on keeping everything detailed so that you cannot escape the immersion.... Muhuhahahaha!

How did you discover REDFlame, what about the group do you like most, and what do you want to help make better?

Aidan: I discovered REDFlame while waiting for D'jinni (like everyone else) and found the Strands of Destiny mod site. They were looking for writers/designers/voice actors and I figured I'd try my luck. I've been writing most of my life and enjoy doing impersonations, so I figured I could do some voice acting as well. It turned out that Will (Phelps) enjoyed my enthusiasm and quality, and tried me out as a designer. So that’s how I made my niche here in REDFlame. If I could change something, it would be communication. The size of the team makes it hard to communicate purely over the internet... But we'll be solving that soon anyways. :D

Finally: Are you looking forward to the Enhanced Edition, and if you had to have any one item from the collector's box of the Witcher game, what would it be?

Aidan: Yes, undoubtedly. We're going to see some work from other mod groups in it, better voice acting, and more models. And who doesn't want more hours of Witcher gameplay? In my eyes it wasn't even a necessary move to make, but I'm completely gracious that it happened. As for the collector's box, my choice would definitely be the art portfolio. I'm a sucker for awesome imagery of heroes that I adore. Link and Master Chief are sported on several walls in my house. Geralt shall be too. :D

Thanks for the Texas Perspective, Aidan!

Barbara Wyrowińska - artist at REDFlame Interactive

Barbara: I'm from Poland, and as a real Pole I'm a fan of Sapkowski. It's been 10 years since I read “The Last Wish” for the first time.

An artist is fortunate that their creativity is easy for people to see. How has the Witcher influenced your art, if at all, and what do you look forward to drawing for the Witcher?

Barbara: The Witcher is very inspiring. The saga shows a complicated and brutal but still realistic world. A world where people are monsters, and if you want to survive you have to become monster like them. Geralt wondered where the line was – the barrier between creatures he was hunting and evil that he had seen in humans around him – and sometimes he saw none. Showing that in a picture or illustration is very hard. Maybe someday I will be able to do that. Maybe in this project. :)

What helped you discover REDFlame, and, what about the group do you like most, and what do you want to help make better?

Barbara: The truth is that Piotrek Hardy found my gallery at DeviantArt and left me a note about the team. I must admit that it was quite surprising. I'd never thought that I might be a 2d artist on a team creating a mod for the Witcher (THAT WITCHER :D ). What I like about the group is that everyone seems to be focused on what the group is trying to accomplish. That is my first impression. And I like that Caroline is patient about my crazy ideas. :) It's too early to say what can be done better.

Are you looking forward to the Enhanced Edition, and if you had to have any one item from the Collector's Box of the Witcher game, what would it be?

Barbara: I don’t know. I'm not the collector type. The game is enough I think.

One last thought: what other influences do you have that helps your art?

Barbara: Ok, influences... Tolkien, Tolkien, Tolkien - I was 12 when I read the trilogy for the first time. It was my first fantasy book and I wouldn't be here without it. What else? The culture and military of feudal Japan, aikido, judo, brotherhood of knights which I was member of for few years. There are so many things, so many people who made me who I am today. My metal band from studies. I was a vocalist, illustrator, I've been sewing historical clothes... all this is some part of me, and I'm proud that I could do all these crazy things. Maybe without drinking a lot of vodka...

Those are some high-quality base influences. Thanks, Barbara!