View Full Version : The Witcher
frogbeastegg
10-27-2007, 20:47
Any of the resident RPG lovers playing this?
Is it out then? I have heard massive amounts of love for this one??
frogbeastegg
10-27-2007, 20:56
Out yesterday in most of Europe, out a bit earlier in other parts AFAIK. The US has to wait until later this year.
owwwwwww hihihi, now THAT is great news.
FactionHeir
10-27-2007, 23:02
Read about it a year or two ago on nwvault and it sounded promising. Haven't heard anything about it recently though (which may be partly due to me not frequenting nwvault anymore).
Probably not going to get it for now though. They already got a patch out on day 1, so there's bound to be more bugs abound.
AggonyDuck
10-28-2007, 12:10
Bought it and will install it once I get home. :2thumbsup:
Geoffrey S
10-28-2007, 18:25
Previews have looked promising, should be good.
frogbeastegg
10-28-2007, 18:57
So far I've seen it mentioned favourably alongside games like Vampire: Bloodlines and some of the older Bioware games. That's what has tweaked my interest.
AggonyDuck
10-28-2007, 23:24
I just watched the opening cinematic and it was propably the best one that I've seen in a long time. Now I'll see if the game can live up to it.
Zenicetus
10-28-2007, 23:55
I watched the trailer on the dev's web site. Either that's pre-rendered and not in-game generated, or my computer definitely won't be able to handle it. :sweatdrop:
I think I read somewhere that it's built on a revamped version of the NWN1 graphics engine (Aurora)? Is that right? If so, it might run fine on what I have. The actual screenshots look reasonably low-density.
Also, the initial word I've heard is that it doesn't have any nasty DRM, so that's another plus. Looking forward to any player reports here, especially anyone with medium to medium-high specs, instead of a screaming latest build game machine.
AggonyDuck
10-29-2007, 00:05
I watched the trailer on the dev's web site. Either that's pre-rendered and not in-game generated, or my computer definitely won't be able to handle it. :sweatdrop:
I think I read somewhere that it's built on a revamped version of the NWN1 graphics engine (Aurora)? Is that right? If so, it might run fine on what I have. The actual screenshots look reasonably low-density.
Also, the initial word I've heard is that it doesn't have any nasty DRM, so that's another plus. Looking forward to any player reports here, especially anyone with medium to medium-high specs, instead of a screaming latest build game machine.
The trailer isn't ingame generated, but the great part about it wasn't the graphics. The story and fight was very nicely done in it.
Well my C2D E6600, 8800 GTS and 2 gb of ram has no probs running it at full graphic settings, so my guess is that it shouldn't be a machine-slayer type of game. But still I must say that the Aurora engine has never looked so fine before. :yes:
Anyway I've only played the game for about 15 mins before it crashed on me, but here are some of my first impressions. The game looks decent, although the camera view takes some time getting used to. The combat seems to resemble Jade Empire a lot, meaning that timing and the choice of correct styles is essential in successful fighting. But this also hints at a lack of depth in combat. Anyway I just hope that the story, setting and atmosphere will compensate for it like it did in Jade Empire. Overall the game seems like a Jade Empire set in a rather dark medieval fantasy world, but I'll have to play some more to get a true feel for the game.
Zenicetus
10-29-2007, 01:13
Well my C2D E6600, 8800 GTS and 2 gb of ram has no probs running it at full graphic settings, so my guess is that it shouldn't be a machine-slayer type of game. But still I must say that the Aurora engine has never looked so fine before. :yes:
Cool... my specs aren't too far off from that, I think (Athlon 64 3800+, 2 Gigs RAM, 8800 GTS). I upgraded to that GPU recently, and it's doing a good job keeping my 2-year old rig going for a while.
The combat seems to resemble Jade Empire a lot, meaning that timing and the choice of correct styles is essential in successful fighting. But this also hints at a lack of depth in combat.
Yeah, I read about the combat style in one of the previews somewhere, and it seems like it's about timing when to throw a "combo" move that takes time to complete, along with choosing the right tactic and character build. Actually I like that setup better than a twitch fighter where you need good reflexes. But then I'm a geezer gamer. :laugh4:
Anyway I just hope that the story, setting and atmosphere will compensate for it like it did in Jade Empire. Overall the game seems like a Jade Empire set in a rather dark medieval fantasy world, but I'll have to play some more to get a true feel for the game.
That's what I think I'd enjoy... the vampire hunter-ish theme in a medieval setting, with some storyline pathing based on player's moral choices. Seems like a nice theme for a RPG, if it doesn't turn out to be a bug farm.
AggonyDuck
10-29-2007, 02:36
Played about an hour now, but so far I'm loving it. It remains to be seen how important the decisions I've had to make will prove to be, but overall it does seem like a nice game. That said I do suffer from CTD's every now and then, but it is just a matter of saving often.
Mouzafphaerre
10-29-2007, 06:49
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I'll get this one sometime. :yes: Saw the screenshots at the chatroom. :smitten:
.
frogbeastegg
10-29-2007, 10:32
From the bits I've read the fighting system seems a lot like the one in Summoner, an old PS2 launch RPG which also had a PC release. I expect I'm the only one here who played that game. It had a great storyline; the main combat feature, other than summoning monsters to fight at your side, was the chain combo system.
You'd order your character to attack. As the animation executed you would see an icon appear above his/her head, at which point you needed to hit one of the other buttons assigned to a combat move. Time it right and that move was executed right after the other finished, and the icon would appear again. Get it wrong, or try to use the move already being executed, and your character would need to wait a bit before attacking again. You could keep on building up chains of moves theoretically forever. As the timing got harder with each consecutive attack it never got to the point where you were doing absurd damage in one go. As you advanced in the game and performed sucessful chains you gained extra abilities to swap with those you began with.
I played the PC version of Summoner and completed it. The controls worked very well with a mouse and keyboard.
EDIT: The review scores currently look like this:
* Joystick review (France) 9/10 + Megastar award
* PC Jeux review (France) 90% ‘Hit PC Jeux’ award
* Online welten (Germany) 84%
* Gamewelt (Germany) 84% (version with day one patch - 90%)
* X6 (Norway) 6/6
* 3djuegos (Spain) 8.8/10
* Gry-online (Poland) 92%
* Onet.pl (Poland) 9.5/10
* Gildia.pl (Poland) 9.5/10
* Eurogamer 7/10
SwordsMaster
10-30-2007, 17:35
Hey, this game has caught my eye too, but since i'm unsure if it'll run on my laptop, can you tell me what the requirements are? What are you guys running it on? Does anyone play it on a laptop?
On the game itself, do you get to create your own character? What makes it stand out? How witty is it? What is the tone of the game? Is it too Tolkien ish? I hate the ones that would speak in "thous" and "m'ladies"....
AggonyDuck
10-30-2007, 19:08
On the game itself, do you get to create your own character? What makes it stand out? How witty is it? What is the tone of the game? Is it too Tolkien ish? I hate the ones that would speak in "thous" and "m'ladies"....
You play as a pre-designed character called Geralt of Rivia, a witcher, with no real customisation prior to the game. To me what made me get it was that Bioware recommended it and the fact that I figured this might be a nice warm up for Mass Effect. Comically I've found the game rather dry, but there have luckily been some moments where I've laughed. The tone of the game is dark and the themes are rather mature. That should already point out that it is far too gritty to be Tolkien-ish.
Kekvit Irae
10-30-2007, 21:00
How "Mature" is the game? I might pick it up if it has the three B's: Boobs, booze, and blood (and oddly enough, they all have two O's)
AggonyDuck
10-30-2007, 21:43
Yup, seen plenty of all three ingame.
Kekvit Irae
10-30-2007, 21:59
*goes to grab a copy*
FactionHeir
10-30-2007, 22:53
I'd question why Kekvit wants the first b of those 3 :tongue2:
Kekvit Irae
10-30-2007, 23:33
The answer to that lies in a backroom topic of sexual orientation. :tongueg:
Anyway, what is Witcher like, exactly?
I thought about getting this, Leet Eriksson said it's very polished and good.
One thing that nags me a bit though are weapons and armour. I'm someone who likes collecting new armours and maybe weapons but from what I've seen so far, you only get similarly looking leather armours while some NPCs have very nice plate armours etc. Are you really stuck with almost the same leather all the time? :inquisitive:
I know it's a minor detail concerning gameplay but then I like medieval RPGs mostly for the purpose of commanding a big armoured guy around. ~D
Zenicetus
10-31-2007, 03:15
How "Mature" is the game? I might pick it up if it has the three B's: Boobs, booze, and blood (and oddly enough, they all have two O's)
I just noticed while browsing the official forum that there are TWO versions... Euro and U.S., and the U.S. version has some censored graphics (but not language, or gore, apparently). Can't let us Americans see to much, 'ya know. Apparently it's just one NPC with clothing instead of nude, and some images on Tarot cards. Here's the thread:
http://www.thewitcher.com/forum/index.php?topic=3130.0
The workaround if you really care about it, seems to be buying the download version from the UK.
Other feedback seems pretty solid. I think I'll order it -- the U.S. disk version, since I don't like keeping track of more archived download purchases than I have to. And I've seen enough of the real thing... :magnify:
The Marcher Lord
11-04-2007, 12:42
Really enjoying this one so far. Have finished the prologue and now playing Act 1. Great visuals which are not too taxing on my modest system (AMD 3700, 2 Gigs RAM, Gainward 7800GS+ AGP) which has everything on max except the pointless "depth of field" effect. Framerate is very smooth although I have heard Act 3 can be a bit of a framerate killer for medium to low end machines.
The biggest problem they have at the moment is the loading times between sequences and when you enter/leave a building. These are very long and if you are trapped having to reload a save on a difficult fight then it can get quite infuriating. The load times are bad on fast as well as slow machines and they are working to fix this in the next patch.
Storyline and voice acting is undoubtedly the best amongst the crop of RPG's released over the last year. Stacks of side quests to do for cash. You seem to get handed new weapons/armour as you advance through the storyline although I have only received one set at the end of the prologue so far. You can collect meteorite stone and get your sword ugraded or repaired by a dwarf smith. You can pick up other weapons lying on the ground after a fight, but I haven't seen anything better than the Witcher sword I have been given so far. No sign of new armour yet on dead NPC's or in shops.
Swordfights consist of attacks in Fast, Strong or Group modes and rely heavily on good timing to get the combos working well for maximum damage in the fastest possible time. You can only fight in third person modes, of which there are three. Personally I favour first person battles with slash and parry techniques as this is more immersive, but you do get the hang of the third person Witcher fighting very quickly.
Overall a very good game if you like RPG's ~:thumb:
AggonyDuck
11-04-2007, 14:28
The fighting actually has a lot more depth than I had initially thought. Drinking the right potions, using the correct bombs and signs and oiling your weapon with a suitable oil will make or break you. In that way it is similar to BG2, where you needed to prepare yourself for tough fight with the correct spells, tactics and equipment.
Kekvit Irae
11-04-2007, 15:41
The voice acting is only sub-par. One minute they talk in a frightened tone, the next they talk in a peaceful tone. It's inconsistent.
I get crashes. A lot.
Combat is again sup-par. Sometimes Geralt will just blindly stand there and not attack unless you click several times.
I picked it up after reading this thread. I am enjoying it a great deal. I like the combat and am not having any technical problems at all (patched before I started). The only thing that gets to me is the dialog. I think the voice acting is relatively decent, but the writing is simply... bizarre. Clearly it has been butchered in the translation, but that knowledge doesn't make it any less distracting. It's not 'engrish' in any sense, it's just... off. That breaks the immersion for me, but it's still pretty fun. Not a must-own by any means, but if you've got money to blow and want a new RPG to play, I recommend it.
I ordered the UK version (didn't want to be left wondering what's been censored). Hopefully I'll be getting it in the next couple days. Looks like a really good game. :2thumbsup:
AggonyDuck
11-07-2007, 01:21
From what I've read at the Witcher forums, the translation and the english voiceovers were butchered to a shorter form from the original english translation, which was a lot closer to the Polish version.
Mouzafphaerre
11-07-2007, 06:04
.
:gah2:
.
OverKnight
11-07-2007, 08:50
I picked it up a few days ago. I'm just happy that's there a decent RPG for the PC that isn't a two year old port off a console.
I'm enjoying it, good graphics, decent story line so far, and a rather "continental" approach to sex that isn't found in rather chaste RPGs like KotoR.
I'm still struggling to acclimate to the combat system, I've never been a good timing player. One of the reasons I prefer strategy games is the ability to ponder a move, build up your forces and then unleash unstoppable hell only when ready. I've bounced between the OTS and Isometric perspectives. The first doesn't show enough of the environment during combat, and the second has camera angle issues in tight quarters. The jury is still out on combat, but I think I'd prefer a click and forget method with a standard "behind the party" camera.
Another issue is load times, specifically that there are no sub levels. If you enter a house in a village, when you exit it takes the same amount of time to load the village as when you started the level. This is a detriment to immersion. On the plus side, this encouraged me to finally upgrade my PC's memory.
Cut scenes seem to afflicted with stuttering. I turned down some of my settings and turned off grass, and that seemed to solve most of the problems, or at least enough where I wasn't missing important plot developments.
Still despite these issues, the game is better than 90% of the drek out there.
Sarathos
11-07-2007, 13:07
Well I am pretty sure thats its out in Oz but I havent had a chance to grab a copy, I have seen trailer and looks very promising.
Btw, has anyone here read the book series that its based on?
Btw, has anyone here read the book series that its based on?
I looked it up, since the universe is interesting, but according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witcher), the main novels have not been translated into English and my Spanish is far too rusty for lengthy reading.
Sarathos
11-07-2007, 13:19
The main novels have not been translated into English and my Spanish is far too rusty for lengthy reading.
Yeah I know I read that too, only the last one is and I think thats where they are basing the game. Pity though I think they would be a good read.
cegorach
11-07-2007, 13:51
The short stories (two volumes) and the Witcher novels (5 volumes) are very well used in the game with much effort put to make the fans of Sapkowski happy.
As far as I know only the first volume of short stories has been translated to English, but more will follow FOR SURE - the game seems to be great success so it is more than probable.
Personally I enjoyed the world of Sapkowski's stories and most likely I will read them all again soon - it has been almost 10 years since I have read any of these.:book:
frogbeastegg
11-07-2007, 17:14
The books are meant to be hitting English shelves in early/mid 2008.
I've got my copy, all I need now is the time to play it. It's a nice production; embossed card sleeve for the DVD case and a prodigious manual
I got my copy yesterday and managed to get in a couple hours of playtime. I immediately installed the patch before attempting to play. When I went to review the video settings, I saw that everything had already defaulted to max quality, so I stuck with it. I have yet to see a single crash and the game has been running pretty smoothly.
Combat is nothing to get excited about one way or the other (so far). But overall, I'd say it's an enjoyable game with a mature theme that's seldom seen in games.
Bob the Insane
11-16-2007, 16:56
Got this a while ago but only installed it last night...
I was thoroughly impressed... Excellent visuals (really puts NWN and even NWN2 to shame IMO) and controls. Engaging story, great fun...
I have Assassins Creed, Crysis and The Witcher on the go at the moment and I got to say it was The Witcher I was up late playing last night...
Sarmatian
11-18-2007, 05:02
This game is a gem. An upolished gem, but a gem nonetheless. I just started playing, I'm still in the first chapter. There are some blunders, like huge loading times (although CDProjekt promised a patch to fix that pretty soon), some nonconvincing parts of the story (Geralt seems totaly disinterested about his past, even when he meets people who knew him before he "died") and such stuff. The storytelling is not of Bioware quality, but all these flaws fade when compared with the good things. Towns actually look alive, buildings are scaled properly, eye candy is great and maybe most importantly, the dark medieval atmosphere is represented properly.
I'm really shocked that gaming sites gave it an average review, emphasizing the bad side while overlooking the good side. But it can probably be explained with the fact that CDProjekt didn't pay for a review...
Anyway, take it from a guy who enjoys rpg games, and played just about every rpg game that came out in the last ten years, this is a game worth having if you have even the slightest interest in rpgs.
Kekvit Irae
11-18-2007, 06:10
The English translation was butchered from the original Polish. There is FAR less dialogue explaining the story and sidequests than the original.
I played it to the end of Chapter 1, then left it alone for a few weeks to play things that are infinitively more interesting, then picked it up again tonight to play some of Chapter 2 in the sewers. I wasn't impressed.
AggonyDuck
11-18-2007, 13:14
Well the game slowly gets better with each chapter and the ending is thought-provoking to say the least. So I'd advise to stick with it if you have the time to actually play it.
The English translation was butchered from the original Polish. There is FAR less dialogue explaining the story and sidequests than the original.
Hmm, maybe I should try the german version then.
Wanted to get the english version from here (https://www.dvd.co.uk/Games/The-Witcher-PC/WITCHERPC/product.htm) but we usually don't butcher the translations IMO. It's cheaper on that site though than anything I could get in stores here. Yes, that includes shipping.
Of course there is a chance that you mean english as in US english? Since we established before that the british english version is less butchered. :inquisitive:
AggonyDuck
11-18-2007, 15:02
The english translation should be the same in both versions, but that said I was content with the dialogue provided.
Kekvit Irae
11-18-2007, 23:39
Ducky is right, both versions are the same in regards to dialogue. And besides, I'm playing the UK version of the game, not the censored US version.
I'm really having a hard time enjoying The Witcher. I don't know if it's a balancing issue, or if my skills are assigned wrong, but it seems I can cleave through lesser minions with great fervor, whereas I get torn up by bosses or minibosses such as the cockatrice in the beginning of Chapter 2. Heck, even the Beast in Chapter 1 killed me a few times before I got lucky. I'll have to give it another go when I'm done enjoying Beautiful Katamari, Warriors Orochi, and the various sex mods in Oblivion. :tongueg:
You are making heavy use of potions before the big battles, right?
I'm not far in, but I am enjoying it. Small bites though, cause that load times are very painful indeed.
Is it just me, or is ore completely useless? By the time I got enough together for a sword upgrade, I had found something better just laying around
AggonyDuck
11-19-2007, 02:11
Well the Beast is propably the hardest boss to beat in the game. Against the rest you can prepare against properly. Especially Alchemy plays a huge role here. When I played I noticed a couple of things.
Fighting Styles:
You only really need to buff up the Strong Styles and Group Styles. Most bosses can be beat with Strong Style + Aard Sign/different bombs, while most of the weaker opponents can be cut down with the group styles.
Signs:
Here I'd say Aard sign is a must. It really helps in battles from both groups to bosses. For example I managed to 1-hit KO the Beast thanks to it. Igni can also be very powerful if you bother to increase your sign intensity by intelligence, places of power and potions. Some skills in Quen can also come in handy.
Alchemy:
Alchemy will make or break you in the Witcher. So do take your time to create those potions, oils and bombs, because preparation is usually necessary to defeat any stronger foe and having the right combination of potions is essential. I especially like the fact that Potions have toxicity, which actually forces you to decide which potions you're going to use. That said you've got to love the Quen Sign + White Raffard's Concoction (?)+ White Honey combination. If you stock up enough you can virtually keep up fighting for a very long time.
cegorach
11-19-2007, 09:15
Hmm, maybe I should try the german version then.
Wanted to get the english version from here (https://www.dvd.co.uk/Games/The-Witcher-PC/WITCHERPC/product.htm) but we usually don't butcher the translations IMO. It's cheaper on that site though than anything I could get in stores here. Yes, that includes shipping.
Of course there is a chance that you mean english as in US english? Since we established before that the british english version is less butchered. :inquisitive:
Probably it would be a good idea - most likely the have based the german translation on the Witcher novels published in Germany some time ago so the original flavour wouldn't lose too much.:inquisitive:
Mouzafphaerre
11-19-2007, 11:36
.
Not to be a spoiler but, I'm told that the Czech (pretty close to Polish AFAIK) translation was butchered too.
.
cegorach
11-19-2007, 12:35
Hmm that is strange Sapkowski's novels (about the Witcher) were translated to Czech years ago - strange they didn't use the opportunity - it would be so easy...:juggle2:
Hell... maybe they will learn for Witcher 2 or any expansion which surely will follow the success of this game.:idea2:
EDIT - Polish and Czech are similar, but any translation is not without certain hazards.. to say the least a number of words has extremely different (and sometimes offensive) meaning and it is very easy to create an unintended comedy of the most grim or tragic situations because both languages seem work perfectly as parodies of each other...
Bob the Insane
11-19-2007, 17:17
Okay, a little help here please...
The Beast is kicking my butt... I have had no real issues in any fights up to now, but after numerous tries it is clear that I must have missed something in my preperation for the fight (of which I admittedly did little)...
I am playing on medium...
I elected to take the witch's side against the villagers if that makes any difference
AggonyDuck
11-19-2007, 18:11
Siding with the witch makes the whole the Beast thingy a lot harder. I personally struggled for a long while with the battle. From what I've read there are a couple of alternatives to deal with it. The first is to hope that you get lucky with the Aard sign and manage to knockdown/stun it and then follow up with a coup de grace. The other option is to concentrate on the hounds that attack Abigail and protect her. She should keep healing you every now and then, which should be enough to allow you to battle against the beast, especially if you have drunk a Swallow potion. Additionally there's one skill you can purchase that makes you immune to pain when intoxicated, which is very useful for this battle. Either way it's a frustratingly hard battle.
Bob the Insane
11-19-2007, 19:43
Thanks...
RE: The Beast
First thing- you don't need to keep Abigail "alive" during the fight with the beast. If she gets knocked down, she'll be up and alive again for the next segment. For me, the fight got alot easier once I realized I didn't need to protect her.
I thought the Beast was kinda cheesy, so I decided to get cheesy to beat him. I drank a swallow, a tawny owl, and started running in circles around the flaming ring until both bars (health/endurance) were full. Then I turned around and hit him with a flame sign and ran again til my health was full. Rinse and repeat until he's dead. In my case, when he was 3/4 dead, I switched signs and managed to stun him, but I could've kept on with the same tactic and killed him the other way too. If you get agony on you and get stunned, it's because you ran too close to the flames. Don't do that. :no:
I think the easiest thing to do would've probably been to make the spectre oil (whatever its called) and use that on your blade to pwn him. But, I didn't have the foresight to learn to make oils prior to the battle, so it wasn't an option for me. :sweatdrop: Incidentally, another time saver I found it that you can actually pull off a quicksave right before the fight with the Beast starts, so you don't have to keep watching the cutscenes over and over if you die.
I've gotta say, after playing this game for awhile longer, my opinion of it has only improved since my earlier comments. A thoroughly enjoyable game. :2thumbsup:
Kekvit Irae
11-20-2007, 06:16
After playing it more, I have come to the conclusion that I totally gimped my skills. I may have to restart, and I HATE Chapter 1. :(
Papewaio
11-20-2007, 06:30
How's the eye candy?
Kekvit Irae
11-20-2007, 06:46
It's pretty good. Not as visually stunning as Oblivion, but the makers have put a lot of thought into making Geralt's attacks look good. You often stare in amazement at how finesse he is when you chain your attacks, especially when you upgrade your combat skills.
AggonyDuck
11-20-2007, 09:52
After playing it more, I have come to the conclusion that I totally gimped my skills. I may have to restart, and I HATE Chapter 1. :(
Well the Bronze Talent skills can be gimped to be honest. You'll get a lot more of them in the process of the game. It's the Silver and Gold Talents that are more critical in the end.
Bob the Insane
11-20-2007, 15:09
Got past the Beast basically the same way as Xiahou...
It's funny how what seemed impossible is now pretty easy...
Got into the city and again they have achieved a much more lived in, real feel to the place than NWN/NWN2 managed...
Somebody Else
11-21-2007, 15:51
The group attack is quite handy against the Beast, and other bosses where there are lots of minions around - as it seems to have more attacks the more enemies are around, with sufficient enemies, not a single attack can be landed on you because everything keeps getting hit. It's when you're down to 2 enemies that there's a problem - then a bit of aard is always handy to stun/coup-de-grace one of your assailants. Fighting humans is easier - igni them - enough will be standing around screaming in flames for you to deal with the rest fairly easily.
Oh, and always swallow a swallow. If things get really nasty, blizzard helps a lot. Of course, if you have the potions, and the preparation time, take a whole cocktail (don't forget to use albedo potions so they stack better).
Only on medium, but the final boss (Wild Hunt) I took down in seconds, having taken swallow, tawny owl, shrike (damages those that damage you - handy against hard hitting enemies), moon rise (I forget the name - the one that doubles hp), the one that increases critical hits, possibly a couple of others. And oiled up my blade. Heh, I was hitting him with strings of 400+ damage.
Generally, I don't tend to bother with the fast style - group for large masses, strong for individuals - if they're hard to hit, flame them - the resulting pain will slow them down enough to whack. Or just knock 'em down and give them a coup de grace.
Another handy spell - Quen - the shield spell. Whilst battling the striga, I found that, charged up, it can result in dealing back a lot of damage - I was almost worried I'd kill it by accident. And that was only at level 2 of the spell...
I have been reading good things from end users who have bought this game.
However, the North American version of this game is a censored version with some watered down content.
I have not yet purchased this game solely because I hate buying censored video games and if I buy the UK version and have it shipped to Canada then it can involve lots of nonsense surcharges at the border, especially if a courier company is involved at any point.
I recommend those who like me, hate buying censored video games, to buy the UK version instead of the censored North American version.
alman7272
11-26-2007, 06:31
I have about 50 hours to devoted to it...I'm fighting Azar Javed
Bob the Insane
11-26-2007, 15:55
On the subject of censorship The Witcher wiki has the following to say:
Localization variations
All the female portrait cards shown after Geralt's "conquests" were retouched to a more modest standard for the US release version. The in-game Dryad was also reskinned so her hair covered more of her body in this release.[citation needed]
Some dialogue between characters is shortened in the non-Polish language versions. Lead Designer Michal Madej has disputed claims by fans that this was due to the sometimes crude language, but that the decision to edit down dialogue occurred because of production-related concerns in game development. Proof reader Martin Pagan noticed this shortened version during his work and writer Sande Chen confirmed that it was not due to censorship. Fans have theorized that it may have been done for voice acting cost savings, especially since much of the vulgar language has been retained. Such cost savings would normally occur during any shortening of dialogue, even in cases where no major crudity was involved.
So while I applaud you moral stand, if you do chose to get the US version you are really not missing out on much. In fact if you really want to see the european version of the collectable cards you can go to the witcher wiki site and search on "sex cards"...
I obviously can't provide a link due to forum rules...
Sarmatian
11-26-2007, 16:27
The whole sex thing about Witcher was blown out of proportions. It's just a small part of the game. It adds flavour, sure, but even you play censored version, you're not missing much. I don'r really see the need to censor cards, as they are more artful than sexy, except one or two maybe...
I finished the game recently and I can tell you that it is fantastic. A must have for any fan of the genre...
Kekvit Irae
11-26-2007, 17:04
When I got the Witcher-on-Witch action in Chapter 1, I was expecting... I don't know... something sexy for the card. What I got was a cannibal DO NOT WANT.
Bob the Insane
11-26-2007, 18:06
When I got the Witcher-on-Witch action in Chapter 1, I was expecting... I don't know... something sexy for the card. What I got was a cannibal DO NOT WANT.
Yeah, given the way the NPC had acted and how they appeared, the card was a bit of a shock...
You could be all, ummm, I suddenly got this really intense headache and there are kids hanging around down here somewhere, so I am going to have to say no... :laugh4:
OverKnight
12-04-2007, 06:57
Does anyone else wonder if the Game Designers have a thing for red-heads? Seems most of the "card-worthy" women in the game have red hair, particularly the more central NPCs.
Kekvit Irae
12-04-2007, 07:08
Does anyone else wonder if the Game Designers have a thing for red-heads? Seems most of the "card-worthy" women in the game have red hair, particularly the more central NPCs.
I'm certainly not complaining. :winkg:
cegorach
12-04-2007, 18:40
Does anyone else wonder if the Game Designers have a thing for red-heads? Seems most of the "card-worthy" women in the game have red hair, particularly the more central NPCs.
Perhaps Sapkowski did... at least I remember few interesting 'reds' from Witcher novels and stories.
But it was several years ago so I cannot say too much about the whole 'problem' if you can actually call that a problem at all...
OverKnight
12-05-2007, 06:08
I didn't say it was a problem, just a trend. :laugh4:
Unfortunately the series doesn't seem to be available in English yet.
cegorach
12-05-2007, 09:56
I am quite sure they will be in some time.
In POland the Witcher is already the 15 years old classic of fantasy - currently the new generation of writers is taking a different path (or paths actually), but with the current 'speed' of translations to English that might be available in 2020...
Maybe earlier if Tomasz Baginski ( you can see some of his cut scenes in the game) will finally deal with his life project 'The Iron General' by Jacek Dukaj.
"Ruch Generała" (Iron General) - In a world where magic is treated with scientific rigours, and which has achieved a level of development of 21st century Earth, an old, civilized country is facing increasing troubles with a larger, restless and more primitive neighbour - from Wikipedia
alman7272
12-11-2007, 19:17
RE: The Beast
First thing- you don't need to keep Abigail "alive" during the fight with the beast. If she gets knocked down, she'll be up and alive again for the next segment. For me, the fight got alot easier once I realized I didn't need to protect her.
I thought the Beast was kinda cheesy, so I decided to get cheesy to beat him. I drank a swallow, a tawny owl, and started running in circles around the flaming ring until both bars (health/endurance) were full. Then I turned around and hit him with a flame sign and ran again til my health was full. Rinse and repeat until he's dead. In my case, when he was 3/4 dead, I switched signs and managed to stun him, but I could've kept on with the same tactic and killed him the other way too. If you get agony on you and get stunned, it's because you ran too close to the flames. Don't do that. :no:
I think the easiest thing to do would've probably been to make the spectre oil (whatever its called) and use that on your blade to pwn him. But, I didn't have the foresight to learn to make oils prior to the battle, so it wasn't an option for me. :sweatdrop:
I did this as well :) I'm not sure...but I may have also used Blizzard (an extremely useful potion that I wish I had a lot more of)
Really, what's absolutely key is potions believe it or not. And a recommendation: get the toxicity removal potion...it helps A LOT.
Rodion Romanovich
12-12-2007, 20:16
What a coincidence, I was just browsing around gamespot to see what games had been released lately, and this caught my eye for being one of the more interesting games released lately that I haven't yet gotten. From what the reviews say, everything is great except the voice acting - or?
What a coincidence, I was just browsing around gamespot to see what games had been released lately, and this caught my eye for being one of the more interesting games released lately that I haven't yet gotten. From what the reviews say, everything is great except the voice acting - or?
With exceptions, I think the voice acting is generally quite good. The biggest problem I have with the voices is that certain portions sound like they were re-recorded later and they don't blend well with the surrounding dialog. Of course, that's just my opinion- ymmv.
I think the biggest annoyance is their overuse of the same few character models for the various townsfolk. There's a handful of pretty well-done character models, but it seems like I keep seeing them over and over again, with slight variation all over the place. Even still, I've found the locales to feel much more immersive and real than say, Oblivion's were. :shrug:
frogbeastegg
12-15-2007, 10:49
There is now a demo (http://www.gamershell.com/download_22384.shtml).
There is now a demo (http://www.gamershell.com/download_22384.shtml).
Great, now I may finally have to buy it. :wall: :help:
Will try that of course, they have the game for 30EUR these days, special offer. :inquisitive:
Soulforged
12-15-2007, 14:55
With exceptions, I think the voice acting is generally quite good. The biggest problem I have with the voices is that certain portions sound like they were re-recorded later and they don't blend well with the surrounding dialog. Of course, that's just my opinion- ymmv.
I think the biggest annoyance is their overuse of the same few character models for the various townsfolk. There's a handful of pretty well-done character models, but it seems like I keep seeing them over and over again, with slight variation all over the place. Even still, I've found the locales to feel much more immersive and real than say, Oblivion's were. :shrug:
Just as there's an annoying overuse of the same 10 or 15 models, which was frankly just lazyness on the devs part, there's also an overuse for the english voiceovers (and probably for any other single traduction), that's why you noticed that weirdness during dialogs, for example: the expression "What?" or a simple "No!" have the same tone regardless of context, so it's quite funny to hear my american Geralt come with a "WHAT!!!!!" while talking calmly.:laugh4:
Rodion Romanovich
12-17-2007, 11:31
Thanks, the demo was great - but it took some time before I could figure out how to handle the combat combos without making the character freeze ~:) Also, the OTS camera is the only sensible way to play it IMO, the other camera modes ruin both combat and atmosphere. I think I'll definitely grab a copy of this asap!
Slightly different opinion here, found the OTS camera worst because the character stands to the left but runs toward the middle(well, that he runs crooked fits with the way he seems to stand crooked :dizzy2: ), also the crosshair is small and I often misclicked or targeted the wrong enemy so I used one of the overhead perspectives(the only difference I found between them is that F1 is slightly more zoomed out than F2).
Then the engine limitation I actually found worst, you see those wide open fields everywhere but are limited to small fenced corridors and whenever you enter or leave a house you get a reload screen, to me that just doesn't fit very well into an atmospheric modern RPG and it's so linear. :shrug:
Oh and if the first act really ends after you placed five fires, I'd call that a rather short act, I was expecting to see a bit more of the game for a 2GB download and the promise of a "tutorial plus a whole chapter" though I guess there are quite a few sidequests I didn't make. :sweatdrop:
I think I'll get it eventually since it's still an entertaining RPG and I'd like to see more despite the flaws but for now I spent my money for some christmas presents. ~;)
Thanks, the demo was great - but it took some time before I could figure out how to handle the combat combos without making the character freeze ~:) Also, the OTS camera is the only sensible way to play it IMO, the other camera modes ruin both combat and atmosphere. I think I'll definitely grab a copy of this asap!
Yeah, the OTS camera is the easiest for me to use as well. I also find it more immersive than the overhead view.
Catiline
12-19-2007, 00:17
I'm glad this is good. I have it, but my machine turns not to be up to running int. Roll on Dubai in Jan and cheap electronics....
Catiline! I haven't seen your digital likeness for quite some time!
Zatoichi
12-19-2007, 01:23
Just bought it, installed it, and am now awaiting 1.02 patch before firing it up in anger - I want to experience it with minimal loading times. I'm totally excited about it, but I can wait for the 'optimal' experience. Any idea how long this will be?
Catiline
12-19-2007, 18:34
Catiline! I haven't seen your digital likeness for quite some time!
I've been washing my rags
Catiline
12-19-2007, 18:35
but hi Lehesu-san :yes:
AggonyDuck
12-20-2007, 21:33
Just bought it, installed it, and am now awaiting 1.02 patch before firing it up in anger - I want to experience it with minimal loading times. I'm totally excited about it, but I can wait for the 'optimal' experience. Any idea how long this will be?
The patch has been released today. :2thumbsup:
Zatoichi
12-21-2007, 13:03
The patch has been released today. :2thumbsup:
Yeah, I got it last night, thanks! It took a while mind - seems there were a few people trying to get hold of it besides me.
I will be firing this up in the New Year - alas I will be computerless in a computer-filled world for the next 2 weeks.
AggonyDuck
03-01-2008, 23:53
Some nice news for the Witcher owners:
TLDR: Massive amount of updates to be released for The Witcher, both online as a free patch, and also at retail in an Enhanced Edition of the game.
CD Projekt RED is pleased to announce that in May of this year, a new and improved version of The Witcher will appear in stores, a game already considered by many players and media to be the best PC RPG of 2007!
Michał Kiciński, CEO of CD Projekt described the idea behind The Witcher Enhanced Edition: "The leading idea during the development of The Witcher Enhanced Edition is to create a game that is devoid of all of the major criticisms levied at the original release. The Witcher was received very warmly by both players and the media, but we are well aware that it is not a product without its faults. There was just not enough time to perfect certain elements, while we learned that some things needed to be changed from the players themselves. Now we have the opportunity to introduce changes that will allow The Witcher to provide even more enjoyment. I hope that, as a result, the game will come even closer to the ideal RPG."
Maciej Szcześnik, Project Manager at CD Projekt RED, spoke about the content provided in the new edition: "The Witcher Enhanced Edition will be a completely polished product, something rarely found on the PC market. Of course, it would have been best if the original edition could look that way. There were a few ways the original game didn’t quite live up to our high expectations, but now we're trying to make up for it. Work is being done on two levels: one concerns the removal of technical obstacles that hinder the player from properly using the game and thus gaining enjoyment from it. Some of those elements include the loading times, which will be reduced by 80%, the stability of the game on different PC configurations, as well as an array of smaller fixes that will increase interactivity and precision in combat. The other level consists of very important changes that are not usually found in patches. First and foremost, the English-language version will, for the most part, be completely re-done. The amount of text in that version was reduced compared to other language versions and that was said to cause a significant decrease in immersion and atmosphere. Now the English version will be as polished and atmospheric as the other language versions. Speaking of other language versions, most of them will be improved in some way. Significant changes will also be made in the German version, where we are planning to re-record the voices for many of the characters. The most important improvements concern those elements of the game that players criticized the most. For example, over 50 new supporting character models will be added, so that the player won't run into the same person too often. The inventory panel will be re-designed and improved, and some elements of the main game screen will be polished. However, one of the biggest changes that will greatly increase the player's immersion in the game world will be improvements concerning dialogue scenes. Both Geralt and non-player characters will get over 100 new animated gestures which will make their body language during conversations much more natural. Additionally, the facial animation and lip-sync system will be re-created, making the faces of the speakers now even more natural, as well. Of course, I've mentioned only the most important changes, and that's still a lot. There will be many smaller changes that will make the game more fun. I'm convinced that, thanks to those changes, The Witcher will almost be the ideal game for fans of PC role-playing."
Adam Kiciński, head of CD Projekt RED spoke about publishing and the availability of The Witcher Enhanced Edition in different parts of the world: "Our goal is to make the Enhanced Edition available to all players all over the world. We are currently negotiating with our publishing partners to confirm availability dates. Our release date in Eastern Europe is May 16, and thanks to the great support from fans, we’re confident that we will be able to bring the game to stores around the world on that date, as well. The retail release will be quite important for us, as we’re not just improving the game itself, but want to improve how the title is packaged. For example, aside from the game DVD, we are planning to include a DVD with the D'jinii Mod Editor, as well as two additional adventures, a video DVD with extended material detailing the making of the game, a music CD with 29 tracks from the game, a music CD with 15 tracks of music inspired by the game, an 80-page instruction booklet, a 112-page official guide written by the game’s developers, and a 50-page short story written by Andrzej Sapkowski. There will also be a map of the game world. As you can see it is quite an elaborate release and it is important to us that fans all over the world be able to buy this version of the game. Especially considering it will not be more expensive than the standard edition of the game! Fans that have already bought the game need not worry, however, because the new content and improvements will be available to them in the form of a downloadable update."
The Witcher Enhanced Edition not only means changes in the game's mechanics or better graphics, however. There's also an included mod editor called D'jinni that allows players to create or modify their own adventures in the world of The Witcher, as well as two completely new adventures created by CD Projekt RED. The first adventure, entitled “The Price of Neutrality,” tells the story of Geralt coming back to Kaer Morhen and finding a mysterious camp near the stronghold (3 new quests), while the second one focuses on Geralt’s close friend, Dandelion, and his troubles in Vizima City (5 quests).
Overall this sounds great and especially the toolset could have a lot of potential if it's powerful enough.
I still haven't bought the game, and it seems most in this forum have, and anyway, I'm not a big RPG player and the only one I've played recently was Oblivion which one of my cousins gifted me with. I simply loved the game.
This one sound pretty interesting too, but before I go ahead and order it, I'd sure like to know how'd the people here rate it relative to Oblivion?
Overall this sounds great and especially the toolset could have a lot of potential if it's powerful enough.
That's fantastic- such support is very rare now days. :2thumbsup:
frogbeastegg
03-03-2008, 19:41
I still haven't bought the game, and it seems most in this forum have, and anyway, I'm not a big RPG player and the only one I've played recently was Oblivion which one of my cousins gifted me with. I simply loved the game.
This one sound pretty interesting too, but before I go ahead and order it, I'd sure like to know how'd the people here rate it relative to Oblivion?
The Witcher is still on my shelf waiting for some attention (thought I may as well wait for the new content), but I can tell you that it and Oblivion are two very different animals.
Oblivion is all about freedom. Be what you like, do what you like, go where you like. There's great breadth, and rather little depth, at least when it comes to the quests and characters. Few of the people in Cryodil have much personality, few of the quests go beyond 'go here, kill these things, fetch that, return to me'.
The Witcher is about experiencing a story. It forces you to follow the plot path whether you like it or not. You can't scamper off to spend 6 hours brewing potions, or take up pearl diving on the coast. The people you meet along the way should have more to them than a bunch of canned lines you hear from every other NPC of that type, and the plot itself should be more detailed than Oblivion's scanty affair. There are optional side quests you can take or leave as you wish. You have some freedom in how you build up your character; you can choose skills which fit your playing preferences each time you level up. However you must play as Geralt, large parts of your dialogue will be pre-set, and his overall character class is pre-set.
I do like Oblivion. I'm on the last stages of the main quest now, having completed all of the guild lines first. The limitations of its plot and character building are keenly felt; I don't care about anyone or anything in this world, and I don't care about what I'm doing. I just want to find an elven helmet so I can complete my armour set, and get my skills mastered so my character is a god instead of a mere near-invincible uber hero. My preference has always been for a stronger plot than greater freedom.
Try it. Oblivion's type of RPG is rare. Most are of a similar pattern to The Witcher, so if you like it then there's stacks of great RPGs waiting for you.
Sarathos
03-06-2008, 02:59
So does this mean that people who already have the game (i.e. me) have to buy the game again or just download a whole bucket of updates?
Zenicetus
03-06-2008, 07:12
So does this mean that people who already have the game (i.e. me) have to buy the game again or just download a whole bucket of updates?
It sounds like the update will be a free download for current owners, unless I'm reading it wrong.
I don't know whether to be interested or not. I took a break from the game about 1/2 way in, but plan to finish at some point. I haven't heard whether or not it will upgrade existing savegames so you can finish with the new features. Does anyone know? Probably not, I'm guessing, but I haven't been over to the Witcher forum lately to check.
For anyone interested, I was in a book store over the weekend and was surprised to see this (http://www.amazon.com/Last-Wish-Andrzej-Sapkowski/dp/0316029181) sitting in the Sci-Fi section. I picked it up out of curiosity and have gotten through about the first third. So far the only part of the book that parallels the game is the opening cinematic. Everything else is unrelated to the game. It is surprisingly good. The translation is superbly well done. If I hadn't known in advance, I would not have guessed that it was written in a foreign language. Overall, it reads like a D&D book, but with a far more 'mature' style and world, along the lines of George R. R. Martin. It is definitely fantasy in the traditional style, but a nice take on the old standard and interesting enough to have me looking forward to the next time I've got available to read it. I give it two thumbs up for people who like traditional fantasy books. I'll be looking forward to the other books when they are translated as well.
Oh, and for anyone wondering, the sex in the book is about as explicit as in the game, but without the cards. Essentially dialog and innuendo, leading up to a sex scene which is not described in much, if any, detail. If it weren't for the 'controversy' about the sex in the game, it wouldn't even have thought to comment on it.
frogbeastegg
05-19-2008, 20:04
I read 'The Last Wish' in January, and will agree that it's an enjoyable read. I liked the way the fairy tales were often flipped on their heads. I'm waiting for the first proper book to be translated into English.
Sarathos
05-19-2008, 23:53
The Witcher is still on my shelf waiting for some attention (thought I may as well wait for the new content), but I can tell you that it and Oblivion are two very different animals.
Oblivion is all about freedom. Be what you like, do what you like, go where you like. There's great breadth, and rather little depth, at least when it comes to the quests and characters. Few of the people in Cryodil have much personality, few of the quests go beyond 'go here, kill these things, fetch that, return to me'.
The Witcher is about experiencing a story. It forces you to follow the plot path whether you like it or not. You can't scamper off to spend 6 hours brewing potions, or take up pearl diving on the coast. The people you meet along the way should have more to them than a bunch of canned lines you hear from every other NPC of that type, and the plot itself should be more detailed than Oblivion's scanty affair. There are optional side quests you can take or leave as you wish. You have some freedom in how you build up your character; you can choose skills which fit your playing preferences each time you level up. However you must play as Geralt, large parts of your dialogue will be pre-set, and his overall character class is pre-set.
I do like Oblivion. I'm on the last stages of the main quest now, having completed all of the guild lines first. The limitations of its plot and character building are keenly felt; I don't care about anyone or anything in this world, and I don't care about what I'm doing. I just want to find an elven helmet so I can complete my armour set, and get my skills mastered so my character is a god instead of a mere near-invincible uber hero. My preference has always been for a stronger plot than greater freedom.
Try it. Oblivion's type of RPG is rare. Most are of a similar pattern to The Witcher, so if you like it then there's stacks of great RPGs waiting for you.
If you like a good story than the Witcher is for you. It not so much as forces you to follow the story, it sets a path which must be followed, but how you follow it is up to you. The story is great so why wouldn't you follow it but I do agree in contrast with Oblivion, the freedom aspect really does impact on gameplay and to play one game who is near mastering it to a game with a great story but a little too many locked doors.
Just one question about the enhanced addition, will it just be a downloadable patch or will it be an entirely new game?
TevashSzat
05-20-2008, 02:37
The Witcher is still on my shelf waiting for some attention (thought I may as well wait for the new content), but I can tell you that it and Oblivion are two very different animals.
Oblivion is all about freedom. Be what you like, do what you like, go where you like. There's great breadth, and rather little depth, at least when it comes to the quests and characters. Few of the people in Cryodil have much personality, few of the quests go beyond 'go here, kill these things, fetch that, return to me'.
The Witcher is about experiencing a story. It forces you to follow the plot path whether you like it or not. You can't scamper off to spend 6 hours brewing potions, or take up pearl diving on the coast. The people you meet along the way should have more to them than a bunch of canned lines you hear from every other NPC of that type, and the plot itself should be more detailed than Oblivion's scanty affair. There are optional side quests you can take or leave as you wish. You have some freedom in how you build up your character; you can choose skills which fit your playing preferences each time you level up. However you must play as Geralt, large parts of your dialogue will be pre-set, and his overall character class is pre-set.
I do like Oblivion. I'm on the last stages of the main quest now, having completed all of the guild lines first. The limitations of its plot and character building are keenly felt; I don't care about anyone or anything in this world, and I don't care about what I'm doing. I just want to find an elven helmet so I can complete my armour set, and get my skills mastered so my character is a god instead of a mere near-invincible uber hero. My preference has always been for a stronger plot than greater freedom.
Try it. Oblivion's type of RPG is rare. Most are of a similar pattern to The Witcher, so if you like it then there's stacks of great RPGs waiting for you.
That sums up the game perfectly. It, ironically, is more free and expansive than most in the sense of its semi-open gaming experience, but is also restrictive in the manner that you are stuck with one person to play as with no customization at all
Just one question about the enhanced addition, will it just be a downloadable patch or will it be an entirely new game?
It will be a patch for those who already bought the game and a new retail version for those who haven't, I'm going to wait for it and see whether I want the game then.
Enhanced Edition has been delayed until August or September (was originally going to be released last weekend).
frogbeastegg
05-20-2008, 20:08
If you like a good story than the Witcher is for you.
I'm sure it will be; I got the game a couple of days after starting this topic. I'm waiting for the free expansion. Huh, seems like I have been waiting to play it forever; first I was too busy, then the expansion was announced, then the date slipped ...
Sarathos
05-21-2008, 02:23
Maybe it will be worth the wait...we shall see.
Spartan198
05-22-2008, 15:23
Used to be into RPGs...
But that was back in the old school Phantasy Star days. I used to be soooo in love with Alys Brangwin. Ah, memories...
Anyway, back to slaughtering arrogant Romans in RTW...
FactionHeir
07-07-2008, 11:58
I've been reading up on it some and the expansion (or rather the Enhanced Edition) is available for free for those who already have registered their game on their website. You'll be notified when its available and can then download it from there directly.
A list of things that will be included in the EE in addition to bugfixes and longer, more fleshed out dialogue:
Extra music/soundtracks
Improved inventory:
o Filtering of alchemy ingredients by content,
o Auto-sorting of items in satchel,
o Special slot area for sorting alchemy ingredients in satchel
Auto-save option (on/off).
Character differentiation mechanism (effectively generating
approximately 50 new character appearances).
Look-at feature (characters look at Geralt, deepening player
immersion).
Auto-looting of containers (player may collect all contents of a
container without opening the container panel).
Oh, and it'll be released 1st half of September.
Source: EE Fact sheet (http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/upload/img/news/2008/02/Enhanced%20Edition%20fact%20sheet.pdf) (slightly outdated, but all relevant)
Err......the new features will be implemented in the old game and it's savegames too or it'll be like whole new expantion pack?
FactionHeir
07-07-2008, 16:31
Its the same game, just a better version. It does mean that your old savegames won't work as the modules are different, but I think those changes and bugfixes will be worth it (look at my collection of bugs on the witcher wiki site :wink: )
FactionHeir
09-03-2008, 18:22
So, anyone else looking forward to the imminent release of the Enhanced Edition? ~:)
I am :beam:
It's somewhere around the 19th isn't it?
FactionHeir
09-03-2008, 19:03
Yup, and free for existing game owners.
Personally, the main feature I'm looking forward to (outside of all those bugfixes) is that you can mix and match languages. So you can have say English sounds with Spanish subtitles. Kind of like learning a new language that way.
the witchers good, it is an rpg of sorts i guess, a deep story line but real set, no freedom at all, where as obvilion is the ultimate game in my opinion, not even total war beats it lols
Warmaster Horus
09-03-2008, 21:39
Ever tried Morrowind, Aries? Waaay better than Oblivion. Pity about the graphics, though... It's still better :yes:
I've already got the Witcher, and played it some 6 months ago. But I've been contemplating replaying it, though. Since the EE is coming soon, I'll do it then.
Well, that is, as soon as I've got free time. High School is a pain...
Ever tried Morrowind, Aries? Waaay better than Oblivion. Pity about the graphics, though... It's still better :yes:
I've already got the Witcher, and played it some 6 months ago. But I've been contemplating replaying it, though. Since the EE is coming soon, I'll do it then.
Well, that is, as soon as I've got free time. High School is a pain...
yep, loved tht to, very blocky visuals but certainly the best game of its time, but my normal xbox brokes ages ago, and not compatable with 360, so cant play it, but yh by the same people to! lookin forward 2 fallout 3 there new project, be out soon
FactionHeir
09-03-2008, 21:58
the witchers good, it is an rpg of sorts i guess, a deep story line but real set, no freedom at all, where as obvilion is the ultimate game in my opinion, not even total war beats it lols
Morrowind and Oblivion only give you a limited amount of freedom too in that the game ends when you do the main quest and till then you can busy yourself doing side quests. The Witcher is no different there. In fact, I always do all the sides first before doing the main, and chatting up random townies gets you hidden quests or information, which are quite entertaining.
WH: You can spend you time playing Witcher: Versus :tongue2: That's what I do when I got nothing to do since you can just challenge people, log off, and come back in a day to review.
Morrowind and Oblivion only give you a limited amount of freedom too in that the game ends when you do the main quest and till then you can busy yourself doing side quests. The Witcher is no different there. In fact, I always do all the sides first before doing the main, and chatting up random townies gets you hidden quests or information, which are quite entertaining.
WH: You can spend you time playing Witcher: Versus :tongue2: That's what I do when I got nothing to do since you can just challenge people, log off, and come back in a day to review.
yeah they do hav some limit, but all single players games do, theres no question tht oblivion and morrowind hav more freedom than other games, and theres all ways looting caves etc. its hours and hours and hours long so tht helps to good value 4 money
another i like is neverwinter nights 1 and 2, shocking graphics but great fun
FactionHeir
09-03-2008, 22:44
Sure you can loot caves, but after your nth cave, don't you get bored going in, sneaking up, killing, looting, going to next cave? :grin2:
When I used to play Morrowing/Oblivion, I just had to use the coc cheat constantly because of the ridiculously long trips through the countryside being attacked by effortless creatures.
In that respect I find the Witcher to be a lot more refreshing, where you can fight a lot, but not to the extent where you get bored of it.
Sure you can loot caves, but after your nth cave, don't you get bored going in, sneaking up, killing, looting, going to next cave? :grin2:
When I used to play Morrowing/Oblivion, I just had to use the coc cheat constantly because of the ridiculously long trips through the countryside being attacked by effortless creatures.
In that respect I find the Witcher to be a lot more refreshing, where you can fight a lot, but not to the extent where you get bored of it.
yes, anything can get borin after a while, but its still quite varied i think, every game has a certain theme, dunno i just love the eerie atmosphere in oblivion and morrowind, cleverly made, anyways yes witchers very refreshing, but its very bk and forth, re following tracks, buts so is oblivion etc
i loved tht storyline on witcher where the detective guy turned out to be the evil one after he was killed and made an illusion of, as soon as my badge thing was beeting i became very suspicious...
FactionHeir
09-03-2008, 23:11
On my first playthrough I never paid attention to my badge
and only in my conversation with Shani did it start making sense. Each time I found the corpse before the autopsy too, so I never actually played the Ramstein/Kalstein guilty paths. Should do that once the EE comes out
I think the fun is that you can play the game quite differently each time. The major choices are Order vs Rebels, but there are many subtle things too which added a nice flair to the game.
Sure you can loot caves, but after your nth cave, don't you get bored going in, sneaking up, killing, looting, going to next cave? :grin2:
When I used to play Morrowing/Oblivion, I just had to use the coc cheat constantly because of the ridiculously long trips through the countryside being attacked by effortless creatures.
In that respect I find the Witcher to be a lot more refreshing, where you can fight a lot, but not to the extent where you get bored of it.
I agree, though Morrowind and Oblivion had boring dungeons for different reasons. Except at low levels, the Morrowind dungeons (and almost the entire game) was too easy. Oblivion wasn't too easy, but because the creatures and loot were scaled, they were generic and there were no opportunities to find cool loot. Both of these problems in both games can be fixed with mods, but they are definitely major flaws with the vanilla game.
FactionHeir
09-04-2008, 15:49
I just got some new info that might be of some interest:
EE Patch:
TWEE_Upgrade.exe 930 MB
Adventures:
TWEE_adventure_Side_Effect.exe 301 MB
TWEE_adventure_The_Price_of_Neutrality.exe 320 MB
Language packs: (~400-600MB)
TWEE_Czech_language_pack.exe 523 MB
TWEE_English_language_pack.exe 472 MB
TWEE_France_language_pack.exe 461 MB
TWEE_German_language_pack.exe 573 MB
TWEE_Hungarian_language_pack.exe 563 MB
TWEE_Italian_language_pack.exe 542 MB
TWEE_Polish_language_pack.exe 605 MB
TWEE_Russian_language_pack.exe 674 MB
TWEE_Spanish_language_pack.exe 446 MB
No word on exact sizes of the extra content yet, but from what is known, the overall maximum download (i.e. if you download everything) will be 9GB, minimum recommended will be 2 GB (Patch, Main language version, 2 adventures).
Oh, and old saves can be continued in the EE contrary to previous reports.
No word on exact sizes of the extra content yet, but from what is known, the overall maximum download (i.e. if you download everything) will be 9GB, minimum recommended will be 2 GB (Patch, Main language version, 2 adventures).
:cry2: 2 GB!!! That'll take days for me!!
FactionHeir
09-04-2008, 17:21
The absolute minimum would be 1.5 GB (Patch + Language). However, there'll be special servers set up that will cope with the stress and give a fast downlaod speed I've been told :wink:
FactionHeir
09-04-2008, 17:28
A new contest just started, anyone (even those who are just forum users) are welcome to participate (and you can send in multiple submissions):
Link (http://www.thewitcher.com/forum/index.php?topic=16358.0)
How far would you go to get something you really want? What would you do to possess something so awesome that others will crumble at your feet and beg for your friendship?
Do you remember how irritating it was when you asked your friend at school to lend you a pen and he’d reply, “What’s in it for me?”! Let’s go back to that lovely immature time and play the same game:
Head over to the forum and tell us what you’re going to give us in return for The Witcher Ultimate Swag Pack!
The Witcher Figurine
The Witcher Medallion
Book – “The Last Wish” by Andrzej Sapkowski
The Witcher Dice Game
We'll choose the most creative one to win!
FactionHeir
09-09-2008, 23:02
Release date has now been confirmed as the 16th of September for North America and 19th of September for the rest of the world ~:)
Oblivion gives you lots of freedom to do nothing meaningful. Therefore that 'freedom' doesn't amount to anything IMO.
The 'characters' in Oblivion are talking heads. There is no sense of relationship with them to your character or emotional investment in them.
The same is true for Oblivion's 'story' and the quests in Oblivion, which feel meaningless compared to The Witcher's quests because there is no sense of accomplishment in beating a quest in Oblivion since it doesn't amount to rewarding you with any emotional payoff that you might care about.
The Witcher is one of the best games I've ever seen in terms of developing meaningful relationships with NPCs and fleshing them out deeply into as close to an illusion of real persons, being your real friends, as is possible to do in a video game. The only other games I've seen do something like this is Deus Ex or maybe KOTOR. Plus The Witcher gives you lots of different options to choose that have different effects on how the story develops. I would say The Witcher does give you a large degree of freedom, and it always remains emotionally meaningful (the total opposite of Oblivion's 'freedom' which IMO is emotionally meaningless).
I've actually made some of the dialogues in The Witcher not make sense because I made my character do things in an odd order that the programmers didn't account for in the programming code. It's not perfect by any stretch, but at least it does give you some choices about how to proceed and what order you want to do quests in.
I'd say Witcher is a million times better of a game than Oblivion. I've give Witcher 8.5/10 (not even the enhanced edition which would be higher, probably). I'd give Oblivion 3/10.
Kekvit Irae
09-10-2008, 09:10
I'm hoping the download comes with a torrent file. There's nothing worse than being 99% complete on a several gig download, only to have your computer crash.
The 'characters' in Oblivion are talking heads. There is no sense of relationship with them to your character or emotional investment in them.
The same is true for Oblivion's 'story' and the quests in Oblivion, which feel meaningless compared to The Witcher's quests because there is no sense of accomplishment in beating a quest in Oblivion since it doesn't amount to rewarding you with any emotional payoff that you might care about.
I think you're being unfair, for one, Oblivion's freedom meant that the main storyline had to be loose, secondly the charecters in the main story are pretty well done considering the game and the atmosphere. There were more than few memorable moments in the game, one that I remember instantly is when the player has to close the Great Gate opened near Bruma, the scene looks and sounds great.
Voice acting for the generic charecters might not be awesome, but it's no better in the Witcher, the main charecters on the other hand have had their voices done by pretty well known people, I remeber reading that Sean Bean did it for one of the major charecters.
The dialouge is quite nice too......nothing compared to the Witcher (but again remember, that is a different kind of game, a game with a series of book behind it); A good example is the dialouge of Sheogorath in the Shivering Island xpack.
FactionHeir
09-10-2008, 12:04
I'm hoping the download comes with a torrent file. There's nothing worse than being 99% complete on a several gig download, only to have your computer crash.
You mean the free update for game owners? I'm guessing it probably won't officially as its only meant for game owners and not for those who don't own it.
Eriash said that they'll have enough server power internally to handle all the demand, so that should hopefully be sufficient. I'll have another word with him though if you like ~:)
Justiciar
09-19-2008, 03:08
I bought this game months ago, but my old computer just couldn't run it. Now, however, I'm hardly able to pull myself away. This is a stonkingly good game, and one that I suspect will have a greater degree of replayability than most of the other RPGs on my shelf. Not quite as dark and gritty as I'd hoped, but it's a well realised world, and I'm loving the moral ambiguity and constantly scheming characters so far. I'm only at Chapter 2.. who the hell do I trust?! :2thumbsup:
AggonyDuck
09-19-2008, 04:15
I bought this game months ago, but my old computer just couldn't run it. Now, however, I'm hardly able to pull myself away. This is a stonkingly good game, and one that I suspect will have a greater degree of replayability than most of the other RPGs on my shelf. Not quite as dark and gritty as I'd hoped, but it's a well realised world, and I'm loving the moral ambiguity and constantly scheming characters so far. I'm only at Chapter 2.. who the hell do I trust?! :2thumbsup:
By the way, the Enchanced Edition download for owners of the normal game should be out soon. :2thumbsup:
FactionHeir
09-19-2008, 12:43
Its out now ~:)
http://www.thewitcher.com/forum/index.php?topic=16804.0
Additional mirrors:
http://www.thewitcher.com/forum/index.php?topic=16808.0
I've got a depressing 30 Kbps connection speed, so downloading the whole thing at once would never be possible, but those split rapidshare links now; Tell me are the five links on top of the page the ones that contain the patch or what else?
FactionHeir
09-19-2008, 13:58
RS doesn't work for me behind a college network, but from reading the thread this is the update without language pack.
AggonyDuck
09-21-2008, 02:56
This page should give you a better idea of how vast the enchanced edition update really is:http://www.thewitcher.com/community/en/www/ee_update_faq.html
I'm personally looking forward to work on my Spanish and Russian by playing it. :2thumbsup:
FactionHeir
09-24-2008, 16:59
Currently the Witcher Community Week is running and quite a few extras a re being released, like 2 new fan modules :2thumbsup:
Oh, and if you need any help with the game, send me a message there (http://www.thewitcher.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=325521) :wink:
Justiciar
09-25-2008, 02:39
Incredibly fun. The voice acting was a bit iffy at times, but all in all I enjoyed it.
The kingdom has been cleansed of "monsters", the princess saved, and the goodly knights brought into power with the noble king's assent. So.. does the boy get flung back in time a couple of decades, grow a beard, and dream of white stuff and monkey men after vanishing?
FactionHeir
09-25-2008, 10:19
There's been quite a bit of debate regarding what Alvin's relationship with Jacques is. Personally, I think they are similar but separate, but there is also evidence to suggest they are the same. Reason for my view is that even when you got Alvin around, people talk of the Grandmaster, so either writing is bad, or they exist at the same time. It could also be that after Alvin vanishes at Lakeside, he travels through time and takes over the boy who Jacques was and thus changing the future by changing the past.
AggonyDuck
09-25-2008, 15:14
There's been quite a bit of debate regarding what Alvin's relationship with Jacques is. Personally, I think they are similar but separate, but there is also evidence to suggest they are the same. Reason for my view is that even when you got Alvin around, people talk of the Grandmaster, so either writing is bad, or they exist at the same time. It could also be that after Alvin vanishes at Lakeside, he travels through time and takes over the boy who Jacques was and thus changing the future by changing the past.
What would point to them being the same is that apparently the dialogue of Jacques changes according to what you have said to Alvin in your discussions.
So, I'm playing the game, nearly at the end of the Gold Rush quest, I try to enter the sewers to stop the elf, and I get an error, 'Cannot load module, invalid IFO file'..........I leave the building, go out the sewer enterance in the city, and try there......same error. Clicking cancel/ok, both result in re-transfer to the load game menu.
Any ideas? What can I do?
I am currently replaying the game now with the EE version (didn't finish it the first time for multiple reasons). With the load times vastly decreased, the inventory system greatly improved, and the dialog polished up, this game is greatly improved from its release version. I have not completed it yet, but The Witcher EE has potential to top my list of best recent (post IE and 'Modded Morrowind') RPGs.
So you think Internet Explorer is an adventure, eh? :inquisitive:
No seriously, IE?
Infinity Engine - the Infinity Engine games are Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Tormet, Icewind Dale, Baldur's Gate II, and Icewind Dale II.
So, I've finished the game thrice now, but still haven't been able to get all those awesome concept art cutscenes, where you hear Geralt speaking as you see this paiting like picture.....truth be told I liked those a lot......so does anyone know where I can watch all of them without having to go through the game again? I tried Youtube, but no good there.......
CrossLOPER
02-10-2009, 17:48
I may go perusing through the files folder to see if I can locate and convert the painted scenes. I'm glad others like the style, too.
Oh boy oh boy I love the style! I do!
I already have the artworks, all of them.....got them off gamespot, but not the dialogue :(
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