[TwistedBiscuit]

Like the title says. I know that Iorveth's cause it to make life better for non-humans, but what is Roche fighting for?

[dragonbird]

For Temeria. He's loyal to his country and his king, so he wants to find Foltest's killer and get justice/revenge.

[TwistedBiscuit]

What does he have against non-humans then?

[dragonbird]

TwistedBiscuit said:

What does he have against non-humans then? ›››

Nothing. He opposes the Scoia'tael, and Iorveth in particular, because they attack humans - as far as he's concerned, they're terrorists. But he never shows any sign of being generally against non-humans.

I'm suspecting you haven't played Roche Path yet? Try it. It probably isn't what you're expecting it to be.

[TwistedBiscuit]

That makes it sound like Roche's path is the "good" choice, which I've heard many people praise the Witcher 2 for its lack of a good/bad side. Can you explain to me as to WHY someone would take Iorveth's side, and/or dislike Roche? (I'm on my first playthrogh at the moment, right before you choose your side.)

[slimgrin]

TwistedBiscuit said:

That makes it sound like Roche's path is the "good" choice, which I've heard many people praise the Witcher 2 for its lack of a good/bad side. Can you explain to me as to WHY someone would take Iorveth's side, and/or dislike Roche? (I'm on my first playthrogh at the moment, right before you choose your side.) ›››

Sure, if you wanted a crap load of spoilers, you can look it up on the numerous threads on the topic. But it's better to at least play each path and form your own opinion, because in addition to grey morality, there are complex motivations from the various characters. Some you'll identify with, other you won't. So there is no one reason to side with Roche or Iorveth.

[Guy N'wah]

TwistedBiscuit said:

That makes it sound like Roche's path is the "good" choice, which I've heard many people praise the Witcher 2 for its lack of a good/bad side. Can you explain to me as to WHY someone would take Iorveth's side, and/or dislike Roche? (I'm on my first playthrogh at the moment, right before you choose your side.) ›››

Read everything and listen carefully to everyone around you; you'll learn a lot more about what Roche is doing in Flotsam and what Iorveth's goal is. Neither choice is "bad"; neither is necessarily "better" than the other. And remember, he who controls the Pontar controls the North.

[TwistedBiscuit]

Well, apparently you can only have sex with Ves if you choose Roche's path. I've made my decision, thanks all.

[slimgrin]

TwistedBiscuit said:

Well, apparently you can only have sex with Ves if you choose Roche's path. I've made my decision, thanks all. ›››

Whatever cranks your wheels.

[FoggyFishburne]

TwistedBiscuit said:

Well, apparently you can only have sex with Ves if you choose Roche's path. I've made my decision, thanks all. ›››

Now that's what you call being a straight up pragmatist! ^^

[dragonbird]

TwistedBiscuit said:

That makes it sound like Roche's path is the "good" choice, which I've heard many people praise the Witcher 2 for its lack of a good/bad side. Can you explain to me as to WHY someone would take Iorveth's side, and/or dislike Roche? (I'm on my first playthrogh at the moment, right before you choose your side.) ›››

I'd misinterpreted your post - I thought you were someone who had tried Iorveth and was now trying to rationalise taking Roche. People have a lot of different reasons for picking one path over the other on their first playthrough (and I agree with Foggy who has just said in another thread that your first playthrough usually becomes your canon).

If someone picks based on their OWN ideology and has strongly-held beliefs, then they may think that picking the OTHER side would go against their own beliefs. The beauty of this game is that it doesn't work that way.

But if you pick based on possible sex partners, you should be safe. Of course, you'll miss out on the two possible sex partners that only come up on Iorveth Path, but that's something to look forward to on your second playthrough.

[TwistedBiscuit]

New Question: How boring is Chapter 1 on your second playthrough? And also dragonbird, why is the first playthrough normally the canon, I would've thought it the other way around

[slimgrin]

I think you're just going to have to discover the answer to these and many other of life's burning questions on your own.

[dragonbird]

TwistedBiscuit said:

New Question: How boring is Chapter 1 on your second playthrough?

Not especially, as you almost certainly missed something the first time. But if you don't think you want to play it again, just keep a savegame from just before the Chapter 1 fight against Letho and start from there. That's also usually a fairly good place to backtrack to if you're wanting to try a different specialisation (sword/mage/alchemy).

If you're not playing in Dark Mode, you may want to start at the beginning next time so that you can experience that. So many choices

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And also dragonbird, why is the first playthrough normally the canon, I would've thought it the other way around

That's up to the individual. Some people think the first playthrough is canon because the decisions you make are the ones your gut tells you to make. Others make the second playthrough canon because you know what you're doing by then. I often have the second playthrough as my canon one, but in the case of TW2, it was definitely the first playthrough.

[Guy N'wah]

TwistedBiscuit said:

New Question: How boring is Chapter 1 on your second playthrough? And also dragonbird, why is the first playthrough normally the canon, I would've thought it the other way around ›››

Chapter I is very rich in detail, much of it not surface stuff you are directly led to but have to discover for yourself, and I find it is boring only if you rush through it.

But when I want a short game, I start from a save just after the initial events of Chapter I (through meeting Síle).

[TwistedBiscuit]

slimgrin said:

I think you're just going to have to discover the answer to these and many other of life's burning questions on your own. ›››

This is probably the answer I really need. I just get like this when I find a great game, because I'm scared I won't get everything out of it.

Edit : Did the choice of giving Iorveth his sword or helping Roche matter? I thought that was when you chose, but now I have this Crossroads quest...

Double Edit: My gut says Iorveth (I highly suspect this has something to do with my feelings towards the Elves in Dragon Age), but my brain says Roche. HELP!

[Guy N'wah]

TwistedBiscuit said:

This is probably the answer I really need. I just get like this when I find a great game, because I'm scared I won't get everything out of it.

You can't get everything out of this game on one play, so just don't worry about it; it takes at least four to six, just to get the main parts.

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Edit : Did the choice of giving Iorveth his sword or helping Roche matter? I thought that was when you chose, but now I have this Crossroads quest...

You can still decide for either Iorveth or Roche. If you take Iorveth's path, the choice you made will change the way the next segment will play, but nothing beyond that.

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Double Edit: My gut says Iorveth (I highly suspect this has something to do with my feelings towards the Elves in Dragon Age), but my brain says Roche. HELP!

You have to listen well to a number of characters in Act I to figure out what Iorveth is up to. If you do so, you will be able to see that it is no less right to follow Iorveth.

If you have reached the "Crossroads" and have not found a reason to follow Iorveth, I would proceed by remembering Thaler's advice, "Listen to Roche in every ploughing thing, because though he's a prick, he's also a patriot."

[TwistedBiscuit]

Guy N said:

If you have reached the "Crossroads" and have not found a reason to follow Iorveth, I would proceed by remembering Thaler's advice, "Listen to Roche in every ploughing thing, because though he's a prick, he's also a patriot." ›››

All I really think about Iorveth at this point is that he is not a bad person at heart. ):

[dragonbird]

Go with your gut. As others have said, you'll miss some things whatever choice you make, so just do what comes naturally, then do it differently next time. There's no right/wrong answer.

[Costin Moroianu]

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That's up to the individual. Some people think the first playthrough is canon because the decisions you make are the ones your gut tells you to make.

Pretty much. I personally very very rarely change my major decisions in future playthroughs of any RPG I play and the only reason I did so in TW2 ( and it was really only 1 decision ) was because of the fact the game was giving me a great deal of different content and even then I was very hesitant about it and to this day I have replayed Iorveth's path only 3 times while Roche's...uhm I guess over 6 ( lost count ).

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All I really think about Iorveth at this point is that he is not a bad person at heart. ):

Sure, ignoring the fact he was looking to commit genocide on the humans ( he wanted to throw the humans into the sea and he burnt down entire villages, men, women, children ) and no Roche and the humans did not despite the oppression elves endure because there is a key difference between oppressing an entire people and ethnic cleansing.

What one has to remember is that Iorveth and his Scoia'Tael do not represent all elves.