So what's it like?

[Ulfang]

Well you're never going to get a game that ever single gamer out there likes! I have no problem with the cut scenes at all and my only problem with the game is the loading times but it's still something I can live with as I love the game. There probably is a bit of poor translation but unless you're Polish playing the English version after having played the Polish version then I can't see this being a problem.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion though and if someone doesn't like the game then fair enough stop playing it isn't a problem or shouldn't be. Those that love it continue to play and be content

[fable]

Originally Posted by Ulfang

Well you're never going to get a game that ever single gamer out there likes!

Absolultely correct! Which is why I prefer to get a group of opinions from people I respect. Then I search for things they liked that I normally do, and things they didn't like, that I normally don't. As it happens, excellent writing, relatively short loading times, and very short cutscenes (if any) are all examples of things that are important to me in RPGs. I'm not saying they should be to you, though.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion though and if someone doesn't like the game then fair enough stop playing it isn't a problem or shouldn't be. Those that love it continue to play and be content

And those that don't, shouldn't be afraid to speak up, here, either. I've seen a few comments on the board (not yours, at least, not those above) that imply people who don't like The Witcher should just shut up and take their marbles elsewhere. As much could be said about any title, or anything: I like X but you don't, so go away. But this sits oddly in a thread I created asking for diverse opinions, and I really hope nobody will feel the need to shut up. Except those that want to shut others up.

[Ulfang]

Originally Posted by fable

And those that don't, shouldn't be afraid to speak up, here, either. I've seen a few comments on the board (not yours, at least, not those above) that imply people who don't like The Witcher should just shut up and take their marbles elsewhere. As much could be said about any title, or anything: I like X but you don't, so go away. But this sits oddly in a thread I created asking for diverse opinions, and I really hope nobody will feel the need to shut up. Except those that want to shut others up.

Quite right. I can't speak for everyone but my comments hopefully haven't be interpreted as if you don't like it keep it shut as this is a forum and the point of a forum is discussion. I am merely pointing out that despite negative comments about the game there are also going to be positive comments and just because on persone likes or dislikes something doesn't mean another person feels the same.

[Lady Dragonfly]

And @LD: There is no need to take it all from Olaf. I still have all my stuff in storage from Olaf accessible in Chapter IV.

Yes, there is a need, if you keep all your stuff with him. You might need that stuff soon. Way too soon. Of course, more plants can be gathered and more monsters' organs harvested and more potions brewed... If you know what is coming... And there is always an option to replay. Or restart...

Long cut scenes? Well, then skip them, read the dialog and click on.

How about a looong cutscene immediately followed by an insanely difficult battle, totally unexpected, without any possibility to prepare? Or to save the game? How many times did you personally click through that particular cutscene before you won? (Argh, The Short Guide! Priceless.) Were you, perchance, tempted to utter a few mature idioms, while clicking away?

I am not giving up playing this game, maybe it will really get better story-wise etc. So far, nothing beats Gothic. Not even close.

[Rane]

Just took my first few steps into the third act and so far I've been enjoying it. The main story's generally good but it's mainly the setting that keeps pulling me back to the game.

The combat took a while to get used to but after fiddling around with the different camera modes for some time I ended up with the Over-The-Shoulder view and now I've found the combat system to be rather enjoyable. There has been a few hiccups where the character stopped responding to attack commands but switching combat styles back and forth has always fixed that problem so far. Running around in the game was a bit of a hassle pre-patched and the character would come to a complete halt if he got even near certain obstacles but now these movement stops are almost completely gone.

I really don't have much to say about the intereface, 'cept that it gets its job done. The inventory screen could use some kind of auto-categorizing/arrangement function though, separating ingredients, beverages&food, books&scrolls and miscellaneous items from each other.
It wouldn't hurt if the icons were a bit bigger either.
Also, not being able to merrily run around with a plethora of weapons in your backpack is a plus in my book.

Moving on to the dialogue. I've found it to be... :cue drumroll: ...
Decent. There's times when it's really good and there's times when it gets pretty bad. And I'm one of those who's gotten the feeling that there are some odd conversations that look like they've got either missing dialogue or have had bits of them really badly translated.

As for stability and performance, I really don't have any complaints. So far, I've only had one crash and that one was most likely my own fault for alt-tabbing out of the game for a while. The game's running smoothly on this two year old single-core with almost everything at max, only the shadows are disabled and AA is at 2x. Oh, and the loading times are indeed looong. Just keep a book nearby.

Anyway, I'm heading back to the game. From the looks of it, I'll be starting a second run the moment I finish it the first time, just to see how things will play out when I start doing things differently from the very beginning.

[RiceBall]

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

Yes, there is a need, if you keep all your stuff with him. You might need that stuff soon. Way too soon. Of course, more plants can be gathered and more monsters' organs harvested and more potions brewed... If you know what is coming... And there is always an option to replay. Or restart...



How about a looong cutscene immediately followed by an insanely difficult battle, totally unexpected, without any possibility to prepare? Or to save the game? How many times did you personally click through that particular cutscene before you won? (Argh, The Short Guide! Priceless.) Were you, perchance, tempted to utter a few mature idioms, while clicking away?

I am not giving up playing this game, maybe it will really get better story-wise etc. So far, nothing beats Gothic. Not even close.

What did you keep with the inn keeper that you had a pressing need for? I keep the potions I mostly use on me while everything else goes into the stash. Once you lose access to the inn keeper the next chapter is only 15 mins away.

As for the cutscnes after the cave, rapid left clicking gets you through the first cutscene and esc skips the second cutscene and straight to the battle.
As for the chapter boss I had to reload 3 times, aard and deathblow equals instant victory!

[Lady Dragonfly]

Originally Posted by RiceBall

As for the cutscnes after the cave, rapid left clicking gets you through the first cutscene and esc skips the second cutscene and straight to the battle.
As for the chapter boss I had to reload 3 times, aard and deathblow equals instant victory!

Even clicking through all the cutscenes 3 times is annoying. To me. Clicking >50 times -- more than annoying. And what if you don't have aard developed enough? And most of your potions and blade-enhancement stuff are with the dead inkeeper? And you cannot leave the area? And even if you have a potion or two with you, it is suicidal to drink one during a fight? And you cannot save the game? Even if the next chapter is just 15 min away, you still have to survive to make it there. And you cannot survive without aard, potions, devil's luck, and multiple, multiple, multiple reloads. Are you saying that you haven't heard other people complaining about that issue?

[RiceBall]

Maybe it because I'm playing the game on medium difficulty but I didn't need to use any pots or weapons enhancements from the moment of the inn battle until the beast fight. I've dumped three bronze talents total in aard. It generally knocks everything down, great for crowd control. Needed one swallow pot to keep me alive during the beast fight while I ran around waiting for my endurance to recharge so I could aard it. Are you trying to keep abigail alive during the entire fight? She can't be killed only knocked uncouscious for the duration of the battle. If you find the battle too hard, hand abigail over to the villagers, they'll help during the boss battle. Most forum post I've seen believe you have to keep abigial alive.

You can save right before the beast fight and after the cutscene if your quick with the f5 button

[Lady Dragonfly]

Yes, I know all this. My point is you cannot win UNLESS you have aard II AND both enhancements. The game is generally easy up to that point. Then, suddenly, you get a hell of a fight on your hands, without any warning. Why was it necessary to throw in that stupid super-difficult boss encounter right after two (!) cutscenes? Do you think this is a sign of a good, clever game design?
I would also like to say a thing or two about so-called "dialogue options". It boils down to yes/no, basically. Nothing else in between. Are you bastard with us or against us? -I am against you bastards. - Then you bastard die. - No, you bastards die.

[Xandax]

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

Yes, there is a need, if you keep all your stuff with him. You might need that stuff soon. Way too soon. Of course, more plants can be gathered and more monsters' organs harvested and more potions brewed... If you know what is coming... And there is always an option to replay. Or restart...
<snip>

That's inventory management. I learned quickly that alchemy was important, so I'd keep the stuff I need for alchemy on my character and stuff I didn't need for it in storage.

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

How about a looong cutscene immediately followed by an insanely difficult battle, totally unexpected, without any possibility to prepare? Or to save the game? How many times did you personally click through that particular cutscene before you won? (Argh, The Short Guide! Priceless.) Were you, perchance, tempted to utter a few mature idioms, while clicking away?
<snip>

If it was the one you think off, then twice. But only cause I thought the NPC "died" which she didn't.

[Xandax]

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

Yes, I know all this. My point is you cannot win UNLESS you have aard II AND both enhancements.<snip>

Well, you can, but - alas....

[Disturbation]

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

Yes, I know all this. My point is you cannot win UNLESS you have aard II AND both enhancements. The game is generally easy up to that point. Then, suddenly, you get a hell of a fight on your hands, without any warning. Why was it necessary to throw in that stupid super-difficult boss encounter right after two (!) cutscenes? Do you think this is a sign of a good, clever game design?

I beat the Beast on medium on my third attempt and was real close on my second. I tried to use aard but never got the knockdown effect on the Beast, the only magical help I had was one swallow potion and one blizzard potion. And yes, there should be a way to save (perhaps just an autosave) after the cutscene. I don't think I have seen anyone arguing otherwise, only that the fight isn't as impossible as some try to make it sound.

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

I would also like to say a thing or two about so-called "dialogue options". It boils down to yes/no, basically. Nothing else in between. Are you bastard with us or against us? -I am against you bastards. - Then you bastard die. - No, you bastards die.

I really don't mind the fact that Geralt does the filler talk automatically when the game leaves the player with the dialog choices that actually matter and influence anything. And about the yes/no/neutrality thing, that's the whole point, you're forced by the extremes to take sides and since there is almost never any actual "good" side the choice can be difficult. I've spent minutes at a time just staring/playing guitar while trying to figure out what would be the most fitting choice for the kind of character I'm trying to play - unlike most (*cough*Bioware*cough*) RPGs where you just choose the goody-two-shoes response of the evil-jerk one.

[Monolith]

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

And what if you don't have aard developed enough? And most of your potions and blade-enhancement stuff are with the dead inkeeper?

That's called choices and consequences. You got a recipe which allowed you to make an oil that would be necessary to fight the beast. It was made clear through a lot of clues that the beast is after you and that there will be a confrontation. And what are you doing? Leaving all the necessary stuff at the inn and running around unprepared. Don't complain if you are shot after bringing a knife to a gunfight.

Honestly, what would be the alternative? The Oblivion approach:
<End of Cut-Scene>
"You sense danger, you smell the beast. It's waiting for you just a couple of steps ahead. You need the "blabla"-oil to defeat it, smear it on your blade - no, not the axe, the steel witcher blade, yes, that one. Oh, you don't have the oil? But you got the recipe, didn't you? And we told you the beast is after you, right? Ahh, you left it at the inn, for whatever reason. Alright, head back to the dead innkeeper, he'll rise from the dead just to give you your stuff back. Go now, and be quick. The beast won't wait forever. Or no, actually it will. But don't forget to use all your potions before entering combat! And buff your Aard skill, it will make the combat much easier!! And save! And tie your shoelace!"

Just for the record, I killed the beast on my second attempt on hard.

[Lady Dragonfly]

And save! And tie your shoelace!

Oh, please. This game tells you exactly what to do next. It is all in the journal. Go there, talk to such and such. Check over there. Find them (marked on the map, btw). Everybody hated that in Oblivion and suddenly the same people love it in The Wither. Give me a break.

That's called choices and consequences.

No, it does not. I hope not. If that is what The Witcher's designers really call "choices and consequences", then I am done with this game for good. But I suspect you misrepresent their idea of choices and consequences, so I keep playing.

Don't complain if you are shot after bringing a knife to a gunfight.

Did I say that I personally kept all my stuff with the innkeeper? Or tried to keep the witch alive? Or any of that? Please read what I said before attacking my "stupidity". We are talking about the game design and an average player’s concerns; why some diehard fans and tough guys feel necessary to stomp out critical comments of a casual gamer such as myself, is beyond me.
I just looked up the official forum and found out that many people have the same headache:

The Beast

[Xandax]

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

Oh, please. This game tells you exactly what to do next. It is all in the journal. Go there, talk to such and such. Check over there. Find them (marked on the map, btw). Everybody hated that in Oblivion and suddenly the same people love it in The Wither. Give me a break. <snip>

Well, at least there is no instant-teleportation, no level scaling, no popup telling you to equip which sword, use which style etc. So perhaps there is more to the comparison then that.

And actually, you choosing to leave specific items with the innkeeper is a choice you make. It is not a game-flaw. You can say that perhaps it is a game-flaw to not allow you to carry everything you found, but well, that is not correct either - that is a game design, like it is that NwN2 lets you carry immens amounts of inventory, Witcher lets you carry less.

And yes, the beast can be difficult, but he is not impossible, and you do not need Aard to finish him, but you might need potions (if you do not have Aard) which is also said when you choose difficulty, that if you choose medium, alchemy is useful, and hard, that alchemy is needed.
That however means there is more then one way to win/fight.