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PM The new preview of The Witcher has been published recently in German PC Games magazine. It includes also a short interview with Chief Desinger Michal Madej, and couple of new screenshots for those who are looking forward to new graphical assets!
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Preview in PC Games.
28.06.2007 @ 18:05 #5
@powaz
german game magazines are for entertainment, they are not an example of good journalism ;)
gothic 3 was and is an unfinished game, so this comparison is not wrong, but "the witcher" should stand for itself, ther´s no need of such comparisations
content of the article:
i´m german and i´ve read this article...in my opinion there are lots of interesting facts, but nothing really new, some details are new (to me)
you could ask my special things, but i will not translate the whole article...also because my english is not the best ;)
and btw german laws prohibit the sharing of scanned articles ;)
maybe that´s allowed in poland, dunno
i would only to mention this...i will not calumniate you :)
german game magazines are for entertainment, they are not an example of good journalism ;)
gothic 3 was and is an unfinished game, so this comparison is not wrong, but "the witcher" should stand for itself, ther´s no need of such comparisations
content of the article:
i´m german and i´ve read this article...in my opinion there are lots of interesting facts, but nothing really new, some details are new (to me)
you could ask my special things, but i will not translate the whole article...also because my english is not the best ;)
and btw german laws prohibit the sharing of scanned articles ;)
maybe that´s allowed in poland, dunno
i would only to mention this...i will not calumniate you :)
28.06.2007 @ 19:01 #6
I have no probs reading + understanding this article 8)
Surprisingly they say in that article women in Spakowski's Witcher world are strong, have influence, are intelligent and you shouldn't underrate them = Emanzipierte Damen - emancipated ladies page2
For the time being they don't know if CD Project wiil adapt that into the game. I really would appreciate that 'cos women just for *beep* as subjects is just *beep* ;D
Quote
despite the fact I canb't read german, thanks for sharing this!!!
and now I understand what petra call woman=s***al object in witcher....
:) maybe somebody will create a female story with th sdk...
and now I understand what petra call woman=s***al object in witcher....
:) maybe somebody will create a female story with th sdk...
Surprisingly they say in that article women in Spakowski's Witcher world are strong, have influence, are intelligent and you shouldn't underrate them = Emanzipierte Damen - emancipated ladies page2
For the time being they don't know if CD Project wiil adapt that into the game. I really would appreciate that 'cos women just for *beep* as subjects is just *beep* ;D
I can see what you see not, Visions milky then eyes rot.
When you turn they will be gone, whispering their hidden song.
Then you see what cannot be, shadows move where light should be.
Out of darkness, out of mind – cast down into the Halls of the Blind…
When you turn they will be gone, whispering their hidden song.
Then you see what cannot be, shadows move where light should be.
Out of darkness, out of mind – cast down into the Halls of the Blind…
28.06.2007 @ 20:38 #10
Yarpen -> To tell you the truth, I couldn't find much hype about the game in the article, however, that's probably because of characteristics of all german games magazines (some Poles are probably recalling polish version of PC Games... yeah, classic license - clean layout, long reviews, boredom :P). Ah well, if I'm mistaken, please correct me ;).
And so, they find interesting especially the large weapon of choices, influence of pc decisions as well as combat system, nothing you don't know from other previews...
Powaz -> Perhaps you should read the interview with Michał Madej once more, not only basing on a first site quotation :P. He never mentions that they are better than Piranhas, simply they are now in better situation in case of bug testing.
And so, they find interesting especially the large weapon of choices, influence of pc decisions as well as combat system, nothing you don't know from other previews...
Powaz -> Perhaps you should read the interview with Michał Madej once more, not only basing on a first site quotation :P. He never mentions that they are better than Piranhas, simply they are now in better situation in case of bug testing.
"I've a strong suspicion we should have been rocket scientists, or Nobel Peace Prize winners or something."
29.06.2007 @ 09:18 #11
Believe me, you can consider this article as: passed the test ;) Sure they didn't use many hype expressions. But they highlight the variety of the entire game (3 endings, non-linear quests), the graphical results of the revision of the Aurora engine, highlight that there are no common bad/good, black/white topics and you have to turn on your grey matter and they highlight the combat gameplay, far away from tedious click-o-mania sessions.
The only reservation they have... will the entire game meet the high demands? The presented scenes promise a game that could be a welcome change in the rpg scene.
The only reservation they have... will the entire game meet the high demands? The presented scenes promise a game that could be a welcome change in the rpg scene.
I can see what you see not, Visions milky then eyes rot.
When you turn they will be gone, whispering their hidden song.
Then you see what cannot be, shadows move where light should be.
Out of darkness, out of mind – cast down into the Halls of the Blind…
When you turn they will be gone, whispering their hidden song.
Then you see what cannot be, shadows move where light should be.
Out of darkness, out of mind – cast down into the Halls of the Blind…
29.06.2007 @ 10:30 #12
Hey guys, please translate that article into English for non-germans, please.
KaerMorhen.ru - official Russian fan-site
6590
30.06.2007 @ 08:20 #16
Quote
No I am not a Gothic 3 fanboy...The game is realy crapy ,but to say things like "I'm better than you" is not very nice
Hey Powaz! We absolutely agree with you. I will talk to Michal Madej (chief designer) not to say anything like that anymore. This piece was done when Michal was in Germany on special press tour. It's probably his private opinion that was used by journalist. You're right, it's not nice (especially keeping in mind the fact that many of CD Projekt's crew are big fans of Gothic series!) and it's not professional above all else. Thanks for your opinion Powaz!
30.06.2007 @ 08:33 #17
ok, here it goes, will update as I translate. remember, i took some liberties to avoid a more lengthy direct translation.
Ok, since this is a pretty big preview, I won't translate it word by word but try to give you a good understanding. since I don't know how
much has been officially/unoff. revealed until now, I won't be able to point out SPOILERS or recognize really new information. so, read
with care:
PAGE 1
-----------------
PICTURES: (from above left to below right)
a) against this mutant a strong fighter is at your side. you don't have to give him commands.
b) the creatures of the night are eeriely well done
c) point in time: is important if magic spell should do damage, especially against groups
d) atmospheric: light-shadow effects bathe even the hardest fight in atmosphere
BOLD TEXT:
the competition should wrap up oneself - does the new star of RPG come from poland ?
ENCASED TEXT:
we don't have any bugproblems like Gothic3 (Michal Madej)
ARTICLE:
at this time 2 title dominate the RPG sector: gothic3 & oblivion
they have much in common, good vs evil, known monsters are pressed into cliche ridden roles:
orks, dragons, oger, goblins vs. men, elfs, dwarfs, old hat
CD project is working on a project which aims to blur those borders between good and evil
e.g.: Townwatch can be bribed, village ppl who get an extra income from weapons trade
you will play Geralt, one of the last 5 living witchers. those monsterhunters travel across the country and kill every
monster, if the payment is right. Geralt is the best, but he doesn't know it because he lost his memory @the beginning of the game.
a simple trick by the developers, so you don't need any background info about Andrzej Sapkowski original story (3 books).
before you start you have to choose the difficulty and control options. Here the devs tread new paths:
no matter if you choose "easy" or "hard", the fights.....(cont)
PAGE 2
----------------------
PICTURES:
a) with stronger enemies like this one, the chosen fighting technique is of vital importance
b) placed good: the red ring under the foe shows his health: the less the better
c) sly: despite their good looks you should not underestimate women
ENCASED TEXT:
emancipated women:
the polish writer Sapkowski draws an - in comparison to other fantasy books - unusal picture of women
no matter if tolkien or Howard, women always play a minor role. In Sapkowski's books and theWitcher women are
completely emancipated and therefore take over any role: queens, warriors, magicians, or spies
they are not only goodlooking but very intelligent, sometimes dangerous and have great influence on the world of witcher.
they find your weak point and use it for their own good, they are the true rulers even tough in the background. which role
women will play in Geralt's adventure is not known. Despite some interaction possiblities with prostitutes or NPCs with quests the
devs release no information. but they will take a more important role than in e.g. Gothic3 where women just don't exist.
ARTICLE (cont from pg1):
always play out the "same", meaning the difficulty settings don't influence character values than the form you control your alter ego.
in easy you get many help tips, e.g. for mixing potions, on hard you should like to experiment, cause you're completely on your own.
you can customize the controls: choose mouse and you get an isometric view, everything is activated thru mouse-clicks. if you choose keyboard+mouse then the camera sits on your shoulder, you move thru WASD, mouseclick is attack,interaction with NPCs and objects. both options work very well but for Geralt's journey the shouldercamera is more intense. Now you start your adventure, an amnesic like mentioned before, the tutorial is imbedded into the story: some bandits try to attack KaerMorhen, a stronghold of the witchers. Textboxes explain your basic functions and fighting while you find yourself in your first fight. Here the Witcher distances itself from the competion: no mouse-click orgies, more timing and tactics. you have 3 styles: quick(=easy foes), strong(=armored and tough foes) and Group(=group). later in the game Geralt has two swords: A Steal and a sliver sword. steal is good against humans, silver good against monsters. To start a fight....(cont)
PAGE 3
-------------
PICTURES:
a) hard boulder: thanks to a good armor and a big weapon this foe should not be fooled, to get rid of him quickly...
b) softboiled: a flame spell and the fighting style: strong help but get ready for a long fight !
c) surrounded: you only have a survival chance if you move skillfully
d) it will be light: with special potions Geralt can see in absolute darkness - Sam Fisher sends his regards
ENCASED TEXT:
it is in your hand:
in witcher decisions do not only influence the current quest, but the continuation of the overall story as well
e.g.
guard the weapons of some harbourtownsman on the beach. after a little monsterslaying an elf appears and asks you to
give him the crates:
decision:
The Quest is paramount: you kill them all, Quest canceled: you give him the weapons, nothing big
your employer is delighted will happen (you think)
this happens in the background:
your employer gets cold feet and confesses his the elves use the weapons for their deeds: they
shenanigans to the townguard, investigations follow represent the terrorists of TheWitcher, attacks follow
you don't know anything of it
consequences for the player:
Gotcha:a dwarf which would have important information thru the new wave of terror a few important characters die,
for you gets arrested who you would have needed later
result:
did run bad: in both cases a harmless decision influences the course of the game hours later. because you don't know when the consequences
to a special decision will occur, you should proceed with caution.
ARTICLE (cont from pg2):
....click on your enemy.you start a series of attacks, as soon as the mousepointer changes you have to click again to start the next
wave of attacks (which get stronger the more often you succeed). up to 5 attackcombos are possible with the last always being a deadly one.
additionaly you have magic/spells. you can choose between 5 magic spells and add.potions.
e.g. whirlwind to knock your opponent off his feat and then a finishing sword move (=mortal combat greets you !!!!)
this system demands more concentration of the player than the competition, a wrong timed reaction ends the fight pretty quickly.
Like in all RPGs you collect/gain experience. Character progression is unusual. you can only tune yourself during a meditationphase (e.g. sleep)
CD project does not use Numbers cause they say they are not suited for good comparison against each other than a special skill system which directly
influences the gameplay. if you choose botany Geralt starts to find and use herbs which was NOT possible before. alchemy enables potion
brewing skills. 15 categories with 250 skills are featured in the character options which can be attributed to Stamina, Strenght, Agility
and Intelligence. 5 magical skills and 6 fighting styles (3 per sword) round up Geralts traits.
You don't get Quests if you talk with every ....(cont)
PAGE 4
----------------
PICTURES:
a) advanced: the more attackseries you can perform after each other, the quicker the monsters will go down
b) then: colorfull detailed world, opulent magic effects. although the aurora engine produced pretty pictures it's dated
c) today:cd project changed 90% of the engine, nice light, water, weather-effects
ENCASED TEXT UPPER RIGHT:
the witcher is based on BioWare's Aurora-Engine, first used in NWN(2002). the devs rewrote 90% of it. Most important changes were
the switch from GL to DirectX9 and implementation of the Karma Physics System from Unreal2. this enables new effects: lightmaps,
bump and environmental mapping, a new skybox, better weathereffects. a special tool by CD called TexturePaint enables the mappers
to quickly create reality-near textures. all these changes won't let you recognize the Aurora engine anymore.
ENCASED TEXT BELOW:
so that the witcher hooks you and the created universe convinces, the devs took great care for the environment:
all is moving in the world of the witcher, NPCs have their own agendas and daily routine, traders ..... "trade" on the marketplace,
prostitutes tease you, the hangman enforces court orders, geese and chickens run around. if it starts raining all the NPCs outside
will seek shelter under the roofs. in the night they go to sleep, making way for bandits and gangs. But the tavern is open 24/7.
campfires during day are deserted (you can meditate !!!!), at night they are crowded. all of this makes the world more "realistic".
ARTICLE (cont from pg3):
....villager. Day/Nightcycle and different dialogue options play a vital role.If you find the right person that doesn't mean you'll
get the info right away: some need money, items or are influenced if Geralt is part of a certain group. a further small detail which
emphasizes the RP character of the game. IF u do get the quest, the game throws decisions at you at a constant pace, which influence
gameplay and show their results only hours later in the game. CD project therefore forces you to stick with a certain decision. the
typical quicksave-try-quicksave scenario does not work. A high level of replayability is guaranteed. Geralt's adventure gives you 3
different endings, which depending on previous decisions can vary again....(cont)
PAGE 5
------------------
PICTURES:
a-c) no special text
e) calculating: as VanHelsing of the middle ages you roam the country, killing monster after monster. at least the money's right !!!!
f) moral: in the witcher you often have to make morally questionable decisions: will you help that little boy ?
g imprudent: you should not make Geralt your enemy. Thanks to his excellent abilities he's a pitiless enemy.
ENCASED TEXT ABOVE:
3 different heroes with different motivations and fates.
Gothic3 column:
an unknown hero is thrown into prison, maybe he's a criminal or made the wrong enemies...
he does not inhabit any special abilities, he grows as the game progresses, mostly thru
some master training him or thru a guild he's part of. the main target in the first part
of gothic was to escape prison, then work for his own benefit.
Oblivion column:
the unknown hero sits in prison, nothing is known how he got there or why.
skills are dependent on Race, Profession and Class. afterwards guild membership brings
you more skills. in the beginning only the escape from prison drives the player, later
he realizes that hell endangers all and the amulett of the king binds him to act.
witcher column:
Geralt was trained from childhood on to fight monsters. Geralt is the only witcher possible
of developing feelings like friendship, love or hate. thru genetic and organic mutation Geralt
possesses superhuman skills (e.g. immortality, Immunity against poison). additional he is trained
in swordfighting and magic (or sorcery). Geralt cares first for his own good. Who pays well gets
his services. Only the attack @Kaer Morhen he really wants to solve !!!
ARTICLE (cont from pg4):
so you fight thru the world of the witcher, investigating who and why attacked KaerMohren. A world the devs
have carefully infused with life: streets give the feeling of real life, the weathereffects paint postcard-panoramas
on your screen. during sunrise, chunks of mist still lay in the valleys, enshrouding the houses. sundown the shadows
get longer and the sun disappears as a violett fireball, mirrored in the beautiful water. if the weather gets ruff,
leaves get whirled around by the wind, lightning brightens the sky. baffling what CD Project could get out of the
Aurora Engine. Template were the cities of medival europe in looks, architecture and arrangement. the outer....(cont)
PAGE 6
------------------
INVERVIEW WITH MICHAL MADEJ:
PC GAMES: in comparison with Gothic3/Oblivion, how big is the gameworld ?
MM: hard to answer: the size of the gameworld depends on how much you can do/explore/try out in it. the game will last
for about 60-80 hours, like Gothic2+Addon. but it is hard to compare, e.g. we have a big city which is 3 times the one in G2.
additional we have other areas like dungeons, ruins and castles. I think therefore there's much the players can do. it is a
very big world.
PG: with the size/scope come the bugs....how do you tackle those problems ?
MM: we have still 3 months of development, but the game runs (apart from minor bugs) stable. @the moment we are working on performance,
so not only High-End Systems run Witcher well. work on animations and sound as well. less than 2-5% of the game have bugs. I don't think
we will have problems like G3, which had many bugs: KI, the fighting system, balancing and the storyline had bugs. we have a different
starting position since PiranhaBytes did only develop but we have a complete testing center with many testers working on the game.
PG: why a game for adults ?
MM: well, we wanted to use Sapkowski's book as background and therefore there's sex, alcohol and violence (THE GOOD STUFF<-my opinion, not in the article).
Sapkowski doesn't focus his books on this, he only wants to give you an realistic world.
PG: How will the german version be changed ?
MM: There are different solutions for the whole world, after signing our contract with ATARI we got a few guidelines. in the german
version we reduce the amount of blood and omit a few finishing moves. there will be definitely a german-only version.
PG: so there are no plans to get a special uncut version out ?
MM: this is for ATARI to decide, right now we are working on an adapted german version.
PG: How do you predict the success of theWitcher ?
MM: I think it will be successful in germany because it's similar to Gothic. I think it will do good in the whole of europe. We have
more fear if it can manage what Gothic didn't: conquer the american market. because there exists the point of view to present everything
in "Black & White". there's only Good against Evil. we have a totally different culture and history and know it's not only good and evil
alone, the positon is important and this shows the game, with which we should have success in Europe. In America we still have to persuade.
ENCASED TEXT BELOW:
First Impression:
CD Project's Witcher is a game with great promise. Especially the fighing/decision system
sound very interesting. Questionable is only if they can maintain the high-flown goals
across the whole runtime of the game. Up till now only a few little scenes were shown.
We'll see. The fights look already now very dynamic and tense.
PICTURES:
a) Michal Madej: chefdesigner for CD Project
b) Not for germany: finishing moves
c) ugly: the hellbrood you're up against strikes you with awe
d) brute: Geralt is not squeamish: the german version takes some of it back
ARTICLE (cont from pg5):
districts are inhabited by the poor: mud, dirt, unkempt humans. in the night the possibilty of an attack rises.
in the inner areas of the castle citizens and trader roam the streets, doing their thing. in the tavern the same:
ppl drink, a bear dances, in the background music plays. you can get money in boxfighting, challenging other visitors
of the tavern. here the witcher fightsystem is applied again, only without the sword but with the finishing moves.
or you try a round of poker. detail: Geralt can get pretty drunk and his vision blurs, even his tone changes (voice ?).
if you are a real good drinker you can even take part in a drinking contest. in the backrooms of the taverns, women wait
to comfort you for money. Sapkowski's book is geared to adults !
Ok, since this is a pretty big preview, I won't translate it word by word but try to give you a good understanding. since I don't know how
much has been officially/unoff. revealed until now, I won't be able to point out SPOILERS or recognize really new information. so, read
with care:
PAGE 1
-----------------
PICTURES: (from above left to below right)
a) against this mutant a strong fighter is at your side. you don't have to give him commands.
b) the creatures of the night are eeriely well done
c) point in time: is important if magic spell should do damage, especially against groups
d) atmospheric: light-shadow effects bathe even the hardest fight in atmosphere
BOLD TEXT:
the competition should wrap up oneself - does the new star of RPG come from poland ?
ENCASED TEXT:
we don't have any bugproblems like Gothic3 (Michal Madej)
ARTICLE:
at this time 2 title dominate the RPG sector: gothic3 & oblivion
they have much in common, good vs evil, known monsters are pressed into cliche ridden roles:
orks, dragons, oger, goblins vs. men, elfs, dwarfs, old hat
CD project is working on a project which aims to blur those borders between good and evil
e.g.: Townwatch can be bribed, village ppl who get an extra income from weapons trade
you will play Geralt, one of the last 5 living witchers. those monsterhunters travel across the country and kill every
monster, if the payment is right. Geralt is the best, but he doesn't know it because he lost his memory @the beginning of the game.
a simple trick by the developers, so you don't need any background info about Andrzej Sapkowski original story (3 books).
before you start you have to choose the difficulty and control options. Here the devs tread new paths:
no matter if you choose "easy" or "hard", the fights.....(cont)
PAGE 2
----------------------
PICTURES:
a) with stronger enemies like this one, the chosen fighting technique is of vital importance
b) placed good: the red ring under the foe shows his health: the less the better
c) sly: despite their good looks you should not underestimate women
ENCASED TEXT:
emancipated women:
the polish writer Sapkowski draws an - in comparison to other fantasy books - unusal picture of women
no matter if tolkien or Howard, women always play a minor role. In Sapkowski's books and theWitcher women are
completely emancipated and therefore take over any role: queens, warriors, magicians, or spies
they are not only goodlooking but very intelligent, sometimes dangerous and have great influence on the world of witcher.
they find your weak point and use it for their own good, they are the true rulers even tough in the background. which role
women will play in Geralt's adventure is not known. Despite some interaction possiblities with prostitutes or NPCs with quests the
devs release no information. but they will take a more important role than in e.g. Gothic3 where women just don't exist.
ARTICLE (cont from pg1):
always play out the "same", meaning the difficulty settings don't influence character values than the form you control your alter ego.
in easy you get many help tips, e.g. for mixing potions, on hard you should like to experiment, cause you're completely on your own.
you can customize the controls: choose mouse and you get an isometric view, everything is activated thru mouse-clicks. if you choose keyboard+mouse then the camera sits on your shoulder, you move thru WASD, mouseclick is attack,interaction with NPCs and objects. both options work very well but for Geralt's journey the shouldercamera is more intense. Now you start your adventure, an amnesic like mentioned before, the tutorial is imbedded into the story: some bandits try to attack KaerMorhen, a stronghold of the witchers. Textboxes explain your basic functions and fighting while you find yourself in your first fight. Here the Witcher distances itself from the competion: no mouse-click orgies, more timing and tactics. you have 3 styles: quick(=easy foes), strong(=armored and tough foes) and Group(=group). later in the game Geralt has two swords: A Steal and a sliver sword. steal is good against humans, silver good against monsters. To start a fight....(cont)
PAGE 3
-------------
PICTURES:
a) hard boulder: thanks to a good armor and a big weapon this foe should not be fooled, to get rid of him quickly...
b) softboiled: a flame spell and the fighting style: strong help but get ready for a long fight !
c) surrounded: you only have a survival chance if you move skillfully
d) it will be light: with special potions Geralt can see in absolute darkness - Sam Fisher sends his regards
ENCASED TEXT:
it is in your hand:
in witcher decisions do not only influence the current quest, but the continuation of the overall story as well
e.g.
guard the weapons of some harbourtownsman on the beach. after a little monsterslaying an elf appears and asks you to
give him the crates:
decision:
The Quest is paramount: you kill them all, Quest canceled: you give him the weapons, nothing big
your employer is delighted will happen (you think)
this happens in the background:
your employer gets cold feet and confesses his the elves use the weapons for their deeds: they
shenanigans to the townguard, investigations follow represent the terrorists of TheWitcher, attacks follow
you don't know anything of it
consequences for the player:
Gotcha:a dwarf which would have important information thru the new wave of terror a few important characters die,
for you gets arrested who you would have needed later
result:
did run bad: in both cases a harmless decision influences the course of the game hours later. because you don't know when the consequences
to a special decision will occur, you should proceed with caution.
ARTICLE (cont from pg2):
....click on your enemy.you start a series of attacks, as soon as the mousepointer changes you have to click again to start the next
wave of attacks (which get stronger the more often you succeed). up to 5 attackcombos are possible with the last always being a deadly one.
additionaly you have magic/spells. you can choose between 5 magic spells and add.potions.
e.g. whirlwind to knock your opponent off his feat and then a finishing sword move (=mortal combat greets you !!!!)
this system demands more concentration of the player than the competition, a wrong timed reaction ends the fight pretty quickly.
Like in all RPGs you collect/gain experience. Character progression is unusual. you can only tune yourself during a meditationphase (e.g. sleep)
CD project does not use Numbers cause they say they are not suited for good comparison against each other than a special skill system which directly
influences the gameplay. if you choose botany Geralt starts to find and use herbs which was NOT possible before. alchemy enables potion
brewing skills. 15 categories with 250 skills are featured in the character options which can be attributed to Stamina, Strenght, Agility
and Intelligence. 5 magical skills and 6 fighting styles (3 per sword) round up Geralts traits.
You don't get Quests if you talk with every ....(cont)
PAGE 4
----------------
PICTURES:
a) advanced: the more attackseries you can perform after each other, the quicker the monsters will go down
b) then: colorfull detailed world, opulent magic effects. although the aurora engine produced pretty pictures it's dated
c) today:cd project changed 90% of the engine, nice light, water, weather-effects
ENCASED TEXT UPPER RIGHT:
the witcher is based on BioWare's Aurora-Engine, first used in NWN(2002). the devs rewrote 90% of it. Most important changes were
the switch from GL to DirectX9 and implementation of the Karma Physics System from Unreal2. this enables new effects: lightmaps,
bump and environmental mapping, a new skybox, better weathereffects. a special tool by CD called TexturePaint enables the mappers
to quickly create reality-near textures. all these changes won't let you recognize the Aurora engine anymore.
ENCASED TEXT BELOW:
so that the witcher hooks you and the created universe convinces, the devs took great care for the environment:
all is moving in the world of the witcher, NPCs have their own agendas and daily routine, traders ..... "trade" on the marketplace,
prostitutes tease you, the hangman enforces court orders, geese and chickens run around. if it starts raining all the NPCs outside
will seek shelter under the roofs. in the night they go to sleep, making way for bandits and gangs. But the tavern is open 24/7.
campfires during day are deserted (you can meditate !!!!), at night they are crowded. all of this makes the world more "realistic".
ARTICLE (cont from pg3):
....villager. Day/Nightcycle and different dialogue options play a vital role.If you find the right person that doesn't mean you'll
get the info right away: some need money, items or are influenced if Geralt is part of a certain group. a further small detail which
emphasizes the RP character of the game. IF u do get the quest, the game throws decisions at you at a constant pace, which influence
gameplay and show their results only hours later in the game. CD project therefore forces you to stick with a certain decision. the
typical quicksave-try-quicksave scenario does not work. A high level of replayability is guaranteed. Geralt's adventure gives you 3
different endings, which depending on previous decisions can vary again....(cont)
PAGE 5
------------------
PICTURES:
a-c) no special text
e) calculating: as VanHelsing of the middle ages you roam the country, killing monster after monster. at least the money's right !!!!
f) moral: in the witcher you often have to make morally questionable decisions: will you help that little boy ?
g imprudent: you should not make Geralt your enemy. Thanks to his excellent abilities he's a pitiless enemy.
ENCASED TEXT ABOVE:
3 different heroes with different motivations and fates.
Gothic3 column:
an unknown hero is thrown into prison, maybe he's a criminal or made the wrong enemies...
he does not inhabit any special abilities, he grows as the game progresses, mostly thru
some master training him or thru a guild he's part of. the main target in the first part
of gothic was to escape prison, then work for his own benefit.
Oblivion column:
the unknown hero sits in prison, nothing is known how he got there or why.
skills are dependent on Race, Profession and Class. afterwards guild membership brings
you more skills. in the beginning only the escape from prison drives the player, later
he realizes that hell endangers all and the amulett of the king binds him to act.
witcher column:
Geralt was trained from childhood on to fight monsters. Geralt is the only witcher possible
of developing feelings like friendship, love or hate. thru genetic and organic mutation Geralt
possesses superhuman skills (e.g. immortality, Immunity against poison). additional he is trained
in swordfighting and magic (or sorcery). Geralt cares first for his own good. Who pays well gets
his services. Only the attack @Kaer Morhen he really wants to solve !!!
ARTICLE (cont from pg4):
so you fight thru the world of the witcher, investigating who and why attacked KaerMohren. A world the devs
have carefully infused with life: streets give the feeling of real life, the weathereffects paint postcard-panoramas
on your screen. during sunrise, chunks of mist still lay in the valleys, enshrouding the houses. sundown the shadows
get longer and the sun disappears as a violett fireball, mirrored in the beautiful water. if the weather gets ruff,
leaves get whirled around by the wind, lightning brightens the sky. baffling what CD Project could get out of the
Aurora Engine. Template were the cities of medival europe in looks, architecture and arrangement. the outer....(cont)
PAGE 6
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INVERVIEW WITH MICHAL MADEJ:
PC GAMES: in comparison with Gothic3/Oblivion, how big is the gameworld ?
MM: hard to answer: the size of the gameworld depends on how much you can do/explore/try out in it. the game will last
for about 60-80 hours, like Gothic2+Addon. but it is hard to compare, e.g. we have a big city which is 3 times the one in G2.
additional we have other areas like dungeons, ruins and castles. I think therefore there's much the players can do. it is a
very big world.
PG: with the size/scope come the bugs....how do you tackle those problems ?
MM: we have still 3 months of development, but the game runs (apart from minor bugs) stable. @the moment we are working on performance,
so not only High-End Systems run Witcher well. work on animations and sound as well. less than 2-5% of the game have bugs. I don't think
we will have problems like G3, which had many bugs: KI, the fighting system, balancing and the storyline had bugs. we have a different
starting position since PiranhaBytes did only develop but we have a complete testing center with many testers working on the game.
PG: why a game for adults ?
MM: well, we wanted to use Sapkowski's book as background and therefore there's sex, alcohol and violence (THE GOOD STUFF<-my opinion, not in the article).
Sapkowski doesn't focus his books on this, he only wants to give you an realistic world.
PG: How will the german version be changed ?
MM: There are different solutions for the whole world, after signing our contract with ATARI we got a few guidelines. in the german
version we reduce the amount of blood and omit a few finishing moves. there will be definitely a german-only version.
PG: so there are no plans to get a special uncut version out ?
MM: this is for ATARI to decide, right now we are working on an adapted german version.
PG: How do you predict the success of theWitcher ?
MM: I think it will be successful in germany because it's similar to Gothic. I think it will do good in the whole of europe. We have
more fear if it can manage what Gothic didn't: conquer the american market. because there exists the point of view to present everything
in "Black & White". there's only Good against Evil. we have a totally different culture and history and know it's not only good and evil
alone, the positon is important and this shows the game, with which we should have success in Europe. In America we still have to persuade.
ENCASED TEXT BELOW:
First Impression:
CD Project's Witcher is a game with great promise. Especially the fighing/decision system
sound very interesting. Questionable is only if they can maintain the high-flown goals
across the whole runtime of the game. Up till now only a few little scenes were shown.
We'll see. The fights look already now very dynamic and tense.
PICTURES:
a) Michal Madej: chefdesigner for CD Project
b) Not for germany: finishing moves
c) ugly: the hellbrood you're up against strikes you with awe
d) brute: Geralt is not squeamish: the german version takes some of it back
ARTICLE (cont from pg5):
districts are inhabited by the poor: mud, dirt, unkempt humans. in the night the possibilty of an attack rises.
in the inner areas of the castle citizens and trader roam the streets, doing their thing. in the tavern the same:
ppl drink, a bear dances, in the background music plays. you can get money in boxfighting, challenging other visitors
of the tavern. here the witcher fightsystem is applied again, only without the sword but with the finishing moves.
or you try a round of poker. detail: Geralt can get pretty drunk and his vision blurs, even his tone changes (voice ?).
if you are a real good drinker you can even take part in a drinking contest. in the backrooms of the taverns, women wait
to comfort you for money. Sapkowski's book is geared to adults !
30.06.2007 @ 08:37 #18
mothra - GREAT job!!! Thanks very much for your help!!!
