[thesums]

Firstly, a big thanks to the developers for bringing this Polish series to life with The Witcher Series (btw, I also bought the 2 translated novels which I will read after completing the games)

While this game is not as addictive as other rpgs (and I attribute this to the depth of the game allowing the player to ponder on the events without playing the game), The Witcher is the first RPG where it feels 'real'. I want to draw comparisons to KOTOR1, NWN and DA series; in this game there is no right and wrong/dark and light choices which makes more sense and you can actually choose what you want to do as opposed to always being the 'good guy' in the Bioware style games (or being a jerk on purpose). But do not get me wrong, I still rate NWN1 and DAO at the same level, but if you look at some of the things Bioware does in DA2 it does not make sense. Being a champion in the game, why am I doing simple jobs such as keeping the town safe from thugs, delivering things etc. Whereas in Witcher, he is a mercenary and it makes sense, and he makes it clear the client must pay him.

All in all so glad I decided to play this game, I only bought it after hearing Polish Prime Minister gave the game to the US president meaning that Poland thinks the game is THAT good. After buying the game it took me awhile before I tried the game out because Geralt is not exactly 'cool', but as I played the game I realized that Geralt being ugly plays correctly in the plot. Love this series, currently my favorite series of all time! (KOTOR was kind of butchered with MMO, and DA2 was so upsetting, NWN I still like)

Please please keep making the storyline profound, which I believe the series should continue down this path due to the fact it is based off the novels. And please no Witcher MMO QQ

Questions (no spoilers please):
1)In The Witcher 2, do we get the similar feel of The Witcher 1? I already bought both games and in chapter 3 of the first one, it is a marvelous experience wow.

2)Is Geralt supposed to be charismatic character, then why is it children think I am ugly? Because why is it all women want to have sex with him and vice versa? I know he is sterile and all... Sometimes people I meet will say "a witcher, hide your women!"

[DonSwingKing]

First of all, good thread. I completely agree with you.

thesums said:

1)In The Witcher 2, do we get the similar feel of The Witcher 1? I already bought both games and in chapter 3 of the first one, it is a marvelous experience wow.

Hard to say. The combat system has changed drastically. You might not like it. In the first Witcher is was more classic with Pause system and stuff - Bioware like. The Witcher 2 goes more into an dynamic action direction.

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2)Is Geralt supposed to be charismatic character, then why is it children think I am ugly? Because why is it all women want to have sex with him and vice versa? I know he is sterile and all... Sometimes people I meet will say "a witcher, hide your women!"

Hehe. Geralt is a mutant. He has bright skin, scars and white hair. He looks different and not normal. That's what the children are affraid of and that's what the women like so much about him. Of course its a bit exaggerated how Geralt simply bangs every women in the game. Not the case in the books.

[guipit]

thesums said:

2)Is Geralt supposed to be charismatic character, then why is it children think I am ugly? Because why is it all women want to have sex with him and vice versa? I know he is sterile and all... Sometimes people I meet will say "a witcher, hide your women!" ›››

Because he's sterile maybe they think he'd be better in bed since he doesn't have to worry about getting her pregnant and maybe there are rumors about their performance with sex that support it,also he's a monster slayer who wouldn't want to sleep with a white haired manly man. The kids just think your creepy because of your eyes or maybe witchers are scary looking cuz of all the potions they drink.

[Sirnaq]

If you are only in chapter 3 and like it then prepare for really great experience. Chapter 4 and 5 is the best part of the game. Witcher 2 has kinda weaker atmosphere, it's still good tho, but way better combat and characters. A lot of people thinks that witcher 1 is better, i personally replayed witcher 2 7-10 times already, and played witcher 1 only once.

[thesums]

DonSwingKing said:

First of all, good thread. I completely agree with you.



Hard to say. The combat system has changed drastically. You might not like it. In the first Witcher is was more classic with Pause system and stuff - Bioware like. The Witcher 2 goes more into an dynamic action direction.



Hehe. Geralt is a mutant. He has bright skin, scars and white hair. He looks different and not normal. That's what the children are affraid of and that's what the women like so much about him. Of course its a bit exaggerated how Geralt simply bangs every women in the game. Not the case in the books. ›››

1. If the combat has changed, I should not mind at all. What I am inquiring is the plot, atmosphere, decision making, quest design. Dynamic combat is just as good as pause system, in fact Witcher 1, I do not see the usefulness of pausing...I mean I think I can drink potion during a fight but I always drink beforehand if I have to.

2. "I guess pale and sickly is the new sexy" (from The Big Bang Theory)

Oh another HUGE reason why I love this company is that they actually remade the games via the Enhanced Edition wow. And they are a free upgrade (although I just bought the game in EE because I became a fan late). This just shows how much the developers care. AND the DLCs are free as well. I really have no idea why I was so hesitant to play (besides having not much time.. I play slow and not exactly pro as well because I have to read the game guide and manual as I play)

[thesums]

Sirnaq said:

If you are only in chapter 3 and like it then prepare for really great experience. Chapter 4 and 5 is the best part of the game. Witcher 2 has kinda weaker atmosphere, it's still good tho, but way better combat and characters. A lot of people thinks that witcher 1 is better, i personally replayed witcher 2 7-10 times already, and played witcher 1 only once. ›››

Thanks for the reply, while weaker atmosphere is a never something good (although Witcher 1 is so rich I would not mind it toning down a little), better characters definitely sounds promising.

It gets better? I cannot wait haha. The only slight negative I have found is the swamp, I hate the swamp...if I engage in the monsters I actually die a lot, so I end up running away especially in Chapter 3. Do you guys also just run through?

BTW, the Witcher Soundtrack is amazing, it will be the music to my life! I listen to it on my way to class and when I read/study ...lool

[gregski]

thesums said:

Thanks for the reply, while weaker atmosphere is a never something good (although Witcher 1 is so rich I would not mind it toning down a little), better characters definitely sounds promising.

It gets better? I cannot wait haha. The only slight negative I have found is the swamp, I hate the swamp...if I engage in the monsters I actually die a lot, so I end up running away especially in Chapter 3. Do you guys also just run through?

BTW, the Witcher Soundtrack is amazing, it will be the music to my life! I listen to it on my way to class and when I read/study ...lool ›››

To some the atmosphere is weaker, to me it is just different - and it's a good thing, as the sequel feels fresh. You might not experience too many Slavic references and motives; the plot of Witcher 2 also changed the game's pace to more urgent and hectic, but you still get plenty of memorable and atmospheric moments, vistas, characters, dialogues and music. They are just different from Witcher 1, that's all.

Also, if you have a good PC, you're going to experience one of the best graphics out there.

[KnightofPhoenix]

thesums said:

1. If the combat has changed, I should not mind at all. What I am inquiring is the plot, atmosphere, decision making, quest design. ›››

Oh you're in for a treat my friend. TW2 is unrivaled in that regard.

The atmosphere is weaker, though it's still decent in that regard and it more than makes up for it by its superior cast of characters, its more intricate plot, and its much more complex and better written story

[Geksi]

thesums said:

Thanks for the reply, while weaker atmosphere is a never something good (although Witcher 1 is so rich I would not mind it toning down a little), better characters definitely sounds promising.

It gets better? I cannot wait haha. The only slight negative I have found is the swamp, I hate the swamp...if I engage in the monsters I actually die a lot, so I end up running away especially in Chapter 3. Do you guys also just run through?

BTW, the Witcher Soundtrack is amazing, it will be the music to my life! I listen to it on my way to class and when I read/study ...lool ›››

Yap chapter 4 and 5 are realy surprising especialy enviorment and atmosphere they have.
As for swamp, i was doing the same thing as you. At first i was killing monsters just to recieve some exp but then i realized it's not worth it and half of monsters are too strong to kill. Anyway enjoy the game and i hope you will like Witcher 2 as you did first one

[Corylea]

TW2's story is more political and less personal than TW1's, and more of the characters in TW2 are assholes; fewer characters are nice or ordinary. The entire experience is faster and more streamlined, less leisurely and detailed.

So whether you'll like TW2 more, less, or the same as TW1 really depends on what kinds of things you like. Certainly TW2 blows most other RPG's out of the water ... but only you will know whether the differences in TW2 improve your experience of the game or make it worse.

Personally, I like TW1's balance of elements better than TW2's, while still respecting TW2 and thinking that CD Projekt RED made something amazing there. But politics annoy me, and I prefer a larger number of nice characters and a smaller number of characters who are interestingly nasty; people who love politics and interestingly nasty characters like TW2 a lot more.

When you've finished both games, you can come back and participate in the very long thread in which people discuss which of the two games they prefer.

[thesums]

Corylea said:

TW2's story is more political and less personal than TW1's, and more of the characters in TW2 are assholes; fewer characters are nice or ordinary. The entire experience is faster and more streamlined, less leisurely and detailed.

So whether you'll like TW2 more, less, or the same as TW1 really depends on what kinds of things you like. Certainly TW2 blows most other RPG's out of the water ... but only you will know whether the differences in TW2 improve your experience of the game or make it worse.

Personally, I like TW1's balance of elements better than TW2's, while still respecting TW2 and thinking that CD Projekt RED made something amazing there. But politics annoy me, and I prefer a larger number of nice characters and a smaller number of characters who are interestingly nasty; people who love politics and interestingly nasty characters like TW2 a lot more.

When you've finished both games, you can come back and participate in the very long thread in which people discuss which of the two games they prefer. ›››

Thanks for the reply. But really? Characters become more nasty? In TW I basically hate everyone except Shani, Seigfred and Triss who seem to be the only ones I can trust. Nonetheless I love evil characters, all this corruption and deception add so much richness and depth into the game. Choosing which is the lesser evil, wow, splendid.

[Corylea]

thesums said:

Thanks for the reply. But really? Characters become more nasty? In TW I basically hate everyone except Shani, Seigfred and Triss who seem to be the only ones I can trust. ›››

Well, maybe your truster is broken.

Vincent Meiss, Kalkstein, and Zoltan Chivay are all trustworthy. Let's see, who else? Carmen, Leuvaarden, the druids, the gardener, Vivaldi, Raymond, Thaler, Morenn, Vesna, and several of the characters you'll meet in Chapter 4.

[thesums]

I have made some questionable decisions in game I would like to discuss and ask which path did you guys take? I try to do what I would do if I were Geralt.

TW1 SPOILERS up to chapter 3:

-------------------------

1. When you end up with the witch in the cave did you let the angry mob kill her or not?

ANS: I chose to save her
- she only knows about these evil events but did not perform the killings.
- I just had sex with her .... (refer to the section below on this)

2. Did you help Siegfed kill the elves?

ANS: I did.
- It seemed that the elf leader is filled with vengeance
- Siegfed helped me out before with the Cockatrice (although he was utterly useless and like died/fainted)

3. During the bank intrusion/hostage situation how did you solve the situation?

ANS: I chose to negotiate, but after talking to the elf I had no choice but to kill the elves
- because they are crazy people who just wont listen

4. Did you kill the vampire prostitutes/courtesans or not?

ANS: I saved them and killed the guards
- seemed like the brother was oppressive
- And again I had sex ....(refer to the bottom)

5. Triss or Shani?

ANS: Triss
- She already saved me 2 times, I owe her.
- In that circumstance, a mage would be more able to protect the boy
- Triss was talking about magic coming from the boy, so it is only appropriate that he stays with a magic user.

ISSUES

1) Sex Cards: I feel this concept is terrible because:
- You are forced to have sex because you want the card...a solution would have been to offer another card for not having sex, like "resist temptation card" or like a "purity card", or "fidelity card"
- I like need to have sex with prostitutes to get the card....there is this urge to collect ( i guess it does motivate people to play the game XD) Although of course there are times where sex is appropriate, like if it is Triss, Shani or... the Vampires...haha.

What do you guys think about the Sex Cards? As much as I want to collect more, it seems Triss and I have become serious at this stage, so for roleplaying sake I guess I have to stop.

[thesums]

Corylea said:

Well, maybe your truster is broken.

Vincent Meiss, Kalkstein, and Zoltan Chivay are all trustworthy. Let's see, who else? Carmen, Leuvaarden, the druids, the gardener, Vivaldi, Raymond, Thaler, Morenn, Vesna, and several of the characters you'll meet in Chapter 4. ›››

SPOILERS
------------

O.O Some of those are shady....Vincent, Thaler, Leuvaarden like terribly shady....
- Vincent I really hate, he put me in jail in chapter 2, screw him!
- Thaler asking me to get documents from the princess that is suspicious.
- Leuvaarden is best described as a snake, you cannot trust this guy, he is plotting something...
- Raymond, I liked him before his death
- Carmen I was trying to get the sex card but it turns out she has a werewolf boyfriend (i am still on that quest)
- Vesna: minor character, I was trying to get the sex card but somehow forgot to meet at the mill....arrrghhh!
- Gardener: He lost the witcher silver blade, I do not like this guy either
- Vivaldi: nothing against this guy
- Kalkstein: he is crazy, made me lose so much money getting into the tower. He only gave me 1000 orens, and I have to spend 500 on each book i think so that in itself is 1000 orens WTH!


Ok I did like Raymond before he died. And Carmen ...I still cannot get the sex card from her but it seems that she loves a werewolf (still on this quest).

[Guy N'wah]

1. When you end up with the witch in the cave did you let the angry mob kill her or not?

Yeah, you could argue that she was an accessory to the killings. But the Reverend and the mob want Abigail to die so they can go on pretending they were tempted. Geralt properly reminds them to reclaim their decency before they pile sin upon sin. This is one of the most powerful scenes in the game, and it is one of the few choices where the game will later tell you that you chose badly.

[KnightofPhoenix]

thesums said:

What do you guys think about the Sex Cards? ›››

I hate them with a passion. It was misogynistic, ridiculous and painfully obvious immaturity in an otherwise mature game and story.

[Gilrond]

The plot with Abigail and the villagers is one of the best in the Witcher 1 it has lot's of secrets on which one doesn't even get clear answers.

Eventually Geralt learns that the demon came because of villagers misdeeds. But there was something that I didn't really understand. What exactly happened when Geralt went to face the beast? What or who killed all the villagers? The wrath of the demon, or something else?

Also, what was those words about the puppy being tortured by children and becoming a beast? (Which Alvin said in the trance while connecting to the demon). It was rather unclear.

[Guy N'wah]

So long as this is in General, we probably ought to use spoiler tags.

Gilrond said:

The plot with Abigail and the villagers is one of the best in the Witcher 1 it has lot's of secrets on which one doesn't even get clear answers.

Eventually Geralt learns that the demon came because of villagers misdeeds. But there was something that I didn't really understand. What exactly happened when Geralt went to face the beast? What or who killed all the villagers? The wrath of the demon, or something else?

Apart from the ones Geralt killed (in self defense, of course), I'd agree that it was the wrath of the Beast. I can't say whether the villagers fell victim because the Reverend did not heed Geralt's advice to tell the villagers to stay inside, or whether they were enticed into coming to the lynching, or whether they were driven from their homes by fear or manifestations.

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Also, what was those words about the puppy being tortured by children and becoming a beast? (Which Alvin said in the trance while connecting to the demon). It was rather unclear.

The thing is obscure, and probably intended to be obscure. Words spoken by a shaman, prophet, or Source in a trance are often not meant to be interpreted by the conscious, logical mind. It is not the factual content, but the emotions, spirits, or truths conveyed by the images the words create in your mind.

The same child who tortures small animals may grow up to commit brutal crimes as an adult. It may be no more than an allusion to that, or it may be that Alvin, who has seen things none of us would dream of in our worst nightmares, is recalling an actual incident. Someone who's an expert in the books may be able to shed more light than I can.

So the gist of Alvin's trance speech, embellished by its imagery, is that the cruelty of humans has brought about the vengeance of the Beast. But I won't go so far as to say that the reason the Beast has come in the form of a dog is that the formative act was the torture of a puppy.

[Costin Moroianu]

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What do you guys think about the Sex Cards? As much as I want to collect more, it seems Triss and I have become serious at this stage, so for roleplaying sake I guess I have to stop.

I like them. Geralt's never been one who doesn't sleep around and well it was nice artwork from CDPR. I prefer them to most of the sex scenes of TW2 besides Triss and Ves.

I do like a serious story, but it doesn't mean I have to take every single element of the game seriously and I don't take sex cards seriously.

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people who love politics and interestingly nasty characters like TW2 a lot more.

People like me don't love the "nasty" characters, they love the realistic manner in which such characters are portrayed, their humanity that is. People are complex creatures but generally when a character is considered nice it's a very one sided affair and/or they don't feel as real as more grey characters.

I feel that the characters of TW2, besides a few exceptions, are more realistic, more human and more complex then most characters in TW1. That is why I like TW2 more then TW1, because it provides me with characters that feel like real people.

As for politics. The reason I like a political conflict in a game, or several, is because any political conflict is a conflict of people which is what makes it so interesting. It's people fighting over ideals, ideas, power, greed and so on.

Dragon Age: Origin's best point in the entire game is the Landsmeet. It shows the best character in the game at his finest hour and without it DA:O would have been a piece of crap story wise.

In fact while people like Zevran, Oghren, Sten and Loghain are interesting they do suffer quite a bit because of the nature of the pathetic main plot: As in kill a Dragon.

Whereas in TW2 people like Roche, Saskia, Henselt, Dethmold, Radovid, Letho, Phillipa and Iorveth shine in the political conflicts of TW2. They are better characters because of the conflicts.

I do not feel the need to be ego-stroked by a game by having people who act nice to me and agree to my every whim and/or have a hypocritical morality. Siegfried is a well done nice guy. He has true morality and honor, but he is a very notable exception.

I want my decisions to be challenged, I want people to hate me for the things I've done in the game. I want characters who don't give a fuck for my character.

[thesums]

I agree with everything regarding the awesomeness of the Witcher, hope I can complete this game soon (yea I am not exactly fast/good at games)! Well except I still like Dragon Age Origins although I do see where you are coming from. But DAO, being the Grey Warden and all is still cool. There are some tough decisions such as the one with the elves vs werewolves, templars vs mages etc. Unfortunately the sequel DA2 is garbage.

BTW I have some questions about the gameplay
1) these Bloedzuiger monsters, how do I evade the poison splashes? The description says skilled witchers can do it but it seems that even if I dodge far back with double-tap the poison still gets me.

2) I upgraded the group silver talent which states that I can incinerate enemies 75 percent of the time, and I plan to upgrade it with the Igni which is supposed to raise the percentage....however, why does the skill not work? I hold the left mouse button to release this attack but it just seems like a normal attack to me and there is no fire animation...HELP!