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[Tovarisc]

I don't have a problem with difficulty. My OCD just has a hard time accepting I have an inferior RPG character than what is possible in the game. I don't know. Why can't the stats just be same in all difficulties? Just make monsters dodge more, smarter AI, hit you harder, higher defense etc in higher difficulties.

Is this the sort of thing in all WRPGs? Maybe I just need to get used to it.

I want to play in the highest difficulty, and I want the max stats possible in the game regardless of difficulty (as you can change that at anytime). I don't know if I am using the min-max term incorrectly, but I want my RPG character to have the max stats possible.
If you couldn't change the difficulty at any time, I wouldn't mind just sticking with the DM stats.

You won't get Easy difficulty stats to Insane difficulty when you move slider. It scales that shit dynamically to match intended difficulty and stat scaling of particular difficulty setting, at least I assume it does. If it doesn't then it's huge oversight.

If you want max out stats to theoretical max (easiest difficulty), and not getting that keeps bothering you, then you just can't play on higher difficulty settings. Why getting highest possible stats on DM isn't enough even when you are maxed out DM difficulty Geralt's stats?

You guys don't understand, I want all the abilities. I want to have hard difficulty playing through the main game but eventually become a god after I beat it. Fable is the only RPG I remember letting me do this so I'll probably just have to wait for a mod.

To get all skills with max ranks in everything you more than likely will need cheats.

 

[red36]

A 'noob' (jesus people still say this? lol) wouldn't have the practice in battles as somebody on hard would have. The strategy would probably rely on mashing buttons because you've been playing easy mode, instead of using everything at your disposal.

Ask Peter Gelencser of CDPR, who seems to use it regularly out loud. Or maybe ask people who use 'lol'.

Anyways, in theory a character on easy mightn't have to if they have such an ability point advantage. They might mash their way through the tough parts because their character was so leveled up.

Particularly the alchemy path can lead to crazy OP builds, at least in W2.

 

[erawsd]

I understand. However at level 15 with ~100 points Geralt was still playing about what you would expect from that level. He runs from level 30 encounters, and faces level 15/20 encounters without about the power level one would expect from his level. In the IGN demo he's not outrageously strong.

He didnt spend 100 points though, and even if he did he'd still have been limited by the slot design of the tree.

 

[Sanctuary]

Linear is not the term you're looking for; it's branching, if anything. We're splitting hairs, but linear really isn't a term that should be abused in this manner. After all, in the world of story-based gaming, Witcher titles are among the least linear out there.

Actually, the use of the branching path is what I was using as the example that doesn't make it any less linear. The game is extremely linear. You have a very finite amount of quests that you can do in any order, but you're still stuck in a small location that is composed of a few narrow maps and you can't move forwards until it's time to hit the next chapter. Hell, staying with just the main quest shows how utterly linear it really is.

It's an open-world game that will still be populated with plenty of enemies to kill and side-quests to do once main story is over. Once I'm done with the main game I want to piledrive everyone and rule Novigrad and make all the guards my bitches

No, I get it. I just don't really see the point. But it's just a preference thing afterall.

 

[tuxfool]

You guys don't understand, I want all the abilities. I want to have hard difficulty playing through the main game but eventually become a god after I beat it. Fable is the only RPG I remember letting me do this so I'll probably just have to wait for a mod.

I don't think you can even get all the abilities in the game. Even on easy.

 

[Tovarisc]

From where this "Different difficulty settings give you different amount of skillpoints per level up" -argument is coming from?

 

[Exentryk]

You won't get Easy difficulty stats to Insane difficulty when you move slider. It scales that shit dynamically to match intended difficulty and stat scaling of particular difficulty setting, at least I assume it does. If it doesn't then it's huge oversight.

If you want max out stats to theoretical max (easiest difficulty), and not getting that keeps bothering you, then you just can't play on higher difficulty settings. Why getting highest possible stats on DM isn't enough even when you are maxed out DM difficulty Geralt's stats?



To get all skills with max ranks in everything you more than likely will need cheats.

If the stats scale dynamically with difficulty change, that'd be the best, and I wouldn't have to worry about easy stats then. I'd be happy with DM stats. But if not, then DM stats won't cut it for my OCD >_>

Anyway, mods/cheats will fix it all so no worries.

 

[Sanctuary]

From where this "Different difficulty settings give you different amount of skillpoints per level up" -argument is coming from?

Someone cast Axii somewhere in this thread, and it wasn't noticed.
Kind of like how the game wasn't downgraded.

 

[Krappadizzle]

Actually, the use of the branching path is what I was using as the example that doesn't make it any less linear. The game is extremely linear. You have a very finite amount of quests that you can do in any order, but you're still stuck in a small location that is composed of a few narrow maps and you can't move forwards until it's time to hit the next chapter. Hell, staying with just the main quest shows how utterly linear it really is.

This is very true.

 

[tuxfool]

From where this "Different difficulty settings give you different amount of skillpoints per level up" -argument is coming from?

Different difficulty levels provide different XP in quests. This isn't skillpoints but getting more XP means getting skillpoints more easily. But they allow you to change it midgame because if you do a lot of sidequests you might start becoming over levelled. Since they don't level scale the enemies, this is a good thing to have.

 

[red36]

He didnt spend 100 points though, and even if he did he'd still have been limited by the slot design of the tree.

Sure. At any rate we shall see how it all plays out when release hits. I'm simply pointing out the math of a level ~15 geralt having ~100 points to spend and not being insanely OP.

so i went back and checked the vid. He starts out with 110 points, is level 15, and has 68 points after leveling up the character.

that means he spent 42 points to be about level 15 in power. at 1 point per level 15 of those were 'natural'. that means a normal character might have either found 27 points of power or similar in game means of acquiring points, or the character gets more than 1 point per level.

Personally I'm expecting at level 5 you get 3 points 10 4 points(for example) etc etc. normal level ups give 1 but there are special levels that get more. IF THAT WERE THE CASE, then i would hope that easier difficulties get more points FRONT LOADED to levels 5, 10 , 15, 20, meanwhile higher difficulties stick those points in the back around level 30, 35, 40.

this would let the player get less points early, maintaining difficulty, while not hamstringing them in the long run.

Different difficulty levels provide different XP in quests. This isn't skillpoints but getting more XP means getting skillpoints more easily. But they allow you to change it midgame because if you do a lot of sidequests you might start becoming over levelled. Since they don't level scale the enemies, this is a good thing to have.

In addition to that, a dev said in easier diffiulties they were more generous with skill points. That may be, as you say, skill points in terms of getting loads of exp, or skill points as in literally they get more skill points.

 

[Jedi2016]

There is a level cap, isn't there? And haven't the devs come right out and said that it's impossible to unlock all the skills at once? You can respec to something different, but you can't have them all.

 

[Tovarisc]

Different difficulty levels provide different XP in quests. This isn't skillpoints but getting more XP means getting skillpoints more easily. But they allow you to change it midgame because if you do a lot of sidequests you might start becoming over levelled. Since they don't level scale the enemies, this is a good thing to have.

But if you get 1 skillpoint / level on Easy and you get 1 skillpoint / level on Hard with maximum being 50 levels worth of skillpoints on both settings how another is greater than another? That is what I'm not getting here or what I'm missing here?

On easy you get faster to 50 than on hard, but it doesn't mean 50 isn't 50.

Sure. At any rate we shall see how it all plays out when release hits. I'm simply pointing out the math of a level ~15 geralt having ~100 points to spend and not being insanely OP.

so i went back and checked the vid. He starts out with 110 points, is level 15, and has 68 points after leveling up the character.

that means he spent 42 points to be about level 15 in power. at 1 point per level 15 of those were 'natural'. that means a normal character might have either found 27 points of power or similar in game means of acquiring points, or the character gets more than 1 point per level.

Personally I'm expecting at level 5 you get 3 points 10 4 points(for example) etc etc. normal level ups give 1 but there are special levels that get more. IF THAT WERE THE CASE, then i would hope that easier difficulties get more points FRONT LOADED to levels 5, 10 , 15, 20, meanwhile higher difficulties stick those points in the back around level 30, 35, 40.

this would let the player get less points early, maintaining difficulty, while not hamstringing them in the long run.

I think you are putting way too much emphasis on skillpoints and use of them while fully ignoring gear aspect of the game. For e.g. on harder difficulties you are supposed to gain most of your power from your gear, not from your stats and skillpoints. Look at the gear Geralt has on that video, I bet it's kinda godtier stuff for level 15 thanks to dev cheats.

 

[Krappadizzle]

There is a level cap, isn't there? And haven't the devs come right out and said that it's impossible to unlock all the skills at once? You can respec to something different, but you can't have them all.

Yup. Cap is 60 and you can't have all skills.

 

[antonz]

There is a level cap, isn't there? And haven't the devs come right out and said that it's impossible to unlock all the skills at once? You can respec to something different, but you can't have them all.

Skillpoints end at level 50 and the game caps at level 60.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

But if you get 1 skillpoint / level on Easy and you get 1 skillpoint / level on Hard with maximum being 50 levels worth of skillpoints on both settings how another is greater than another? That is what I'm not getting here or what I'm missing here?

On easy you get faster to 50 than on hard, but it doesn't mean 50 isn't 50.

I feel like I'm misunderstanding as well. I think the idea is that you can't reach the level cap in hard?

 

[tuxfool]

But if you get 1 skillpoint / level on Easy and you get 1 skillpoint / level on Hard with maximum being 50 levels worth of skillpoints on both settings how another is greater than another? That is what I'm not getting here or what I'm missing here?

On easy you get faster to 50 than on hard, but it doesn't mean 50 isn't 50.

Yes, exactly. Is anybody suggesting otherwise?

 

[abundant]

I don't think you can even get all the abilities in the game. Even on easy.

Even if you could, you can only have 12 abilities activated so you never become some for unstoppable god.

 

[Tovarisc]

I feel like I'm misunderstanding as well. I think the idea is that you can't reach the level cap in hard?

You should be able to hit level cap, that is 60, on all difficulty settings, afaik. Last skillpoint is given at level 50.

Yes, exactly. Is anybody suggesting otherwise?

red36 kinda is? I don't know, I guess I just can't follow his logic on this.

 

[tuxfool]

Even if you could, you can only have 12 abilities activated so you never become some for unstoppable god.

Yeah. but having all abilities maxed out still allows somebody switch what is in the slots without needing to consider a specialization as they can just change to max abilities for every encounter type.

 

[EatChildren]

I was under the impression that the difficulty worked as followed:

1 skill point per level.
50 level cap.
XP earned through quests.
XP required between each level the same.
That XP variable scaled with difficulty.

 

[red36]

I think you are putting way too much emphasis on skillpoints and use of them while fully ignoring gear aspect of the game. For e.g. on harder difficulties you are supposed to gain most of your power from your gear, not from your stats and skillpoints. Look at the gear Geralt has on that video, I bet it's kinda godtier stuff for level 15 thanks to dev cheats.

Maybe. Personally I would prefer the opposite in that one might have weaker gear in DM, or at least it matters less since enemies hit like a mack truck and take less damage. Instead it relies on players using skills well and proper preparation/knowledge of killing the enemy.

Perhaps part of this is what you mean, but knowing to prepare for a fight by coating your blade in a certain oil that 1 monster type is weak to is 1 example. That example, of course, is not unlocked by skill points, but player skill/knowledge.

 

[Tovarisc]

I was under the impression that the difficulty worked as followed:

1 skill point per level.
50 level cap.
XP earned through quests.
XP required between each level the same.
That XP variable scaled with difficulty.

Level 50 gives you last skillpoint gained through leveling, but level 60 is hard cap. Otherwise that is my understanding too when it comes to leveling and gaining skillpoints through that.

 

[msdstc]

gaming journalism is harder on games these days.... right?

 

[erawsd]

Sure. At any rate we shall see how it all plays out when release hits. I'm simply pointing out the math of a level ~15 geralt having ~100 points to spend and not being insanely OP.

so i went back and checked the vid. He starts out with 110 points, is level 15, and has 68 points after leveling up the character.

that means he spent 42 points to be about level 15 in power. at 1 point per level 15 of those were 'natural'. that means a normal character might have either found 27 points of power or similar in game means of acquiring points, or the character gets more than 1 point per level.

Personally I'm expecting at level 5 you get 3 points 10 4 points(for example) etc etc. normal level ups give 1 but there are special levels that get more. IF THAT WERE THE CASE, then i would hope that easier difficulties get more points FRONT LOADED to 5, 10 , 15, 20, meanwhile higher difficulties stick those points in the back around level 30, 35, 40.

this would let the player get less points early, maintaining difficulty, while not hamstringing them in the long run.

I'm not sure how point acquisition works via leveling. All I can say is that you can't assume that 100 points at level 15 is a "normal" amount since we know they've used console commands to inflate their numbers for demonstration. They've also never mentioned it being different based on levels.

 

[Last Hearth]

I think level ups don't just increase your skill points, it also increases you basic stats such as hit points, base damage etc, and that on the harder difficulties the boosts you get from level ups on those stats are decreased. So if you get 100 extra hit point per level on normal might be only 50 on hard.

 

[Exentryk]

Even if you could, you can only have 12 abilities activated so you never become some for unstoppable god.

Even more of a reason why you should be able to learn all skills, and then plan and mess around with all of them to see what's the best possible 12 ability combo you can come up with. Locking out skills is bad game design imo.

 

[RenegadeXV8]

Even more of a reason why you should be able to learn all skills, and then plan and mess around with all of them to see what's the best possible 12 ability combo you can come up with. Locking out skills is bad game design imo.

I take it you haven't played very many CRPGs, because most of them are like this.

It's not "bad game design", it's about making you think about how you want to develop your character. If you're allowed to have everything, then what's the point of skillpoints? Might as well just have Geralt automatically learn a random skill every level.

 

[red36]

I'm not sure how point acquisition works via leveling. All I can say is that you can't assume that 100 points at level 15 is a "normal" amount since we know they've used console commands to inflate their numbers for demonstration. They've also never mentioned it being different based on levels.

Right but being that Geralt seemed to be around the right power level for 15 we can possibly surmise that 42 is in the right region. Yes, staggered points is just a theory, since we havent, to my knowledge, found out exactly how points are accumulated.

 

[tuxfool]

Even more of a reason why you should be able to learn all skills, and then plan and mess around with all of them to see what's the best possible 12 ability combo you can come up with. Locking out skills is bad game design imo.

This idea goes almost contrary to the games core concept. Choices matter and for them to matter they have to be hard at times.

 

[Krappadizzle]

Even more of a reason why you should be able to learn all skills, and then plan and mess around with all of them to see what's the best possible 12 ability combo you can come up with. Locking out skills is bad game design imo.

You gotta make hard choices. That's the point of the game. It's very different than a traditional Bethesda rpg.

 

[Tovarisc]

Right but being that Geralt seemed to be around the right power level for 15 we can possibly surmise that 42 is in the right region. Yes, staggered points is just a theory, since we havent, to my knowledge, found out exactly how points are accumulated.

You get points by;

• Leveling (1/level is what we know)
• Places of power (1/place, those stone pillars)
• Allegedly some quests reward you with point

Also you keep putting a lot weight on skillpoints while you keep ignoring gear. Unlocking e.g. sword skills and attacks mean very little if you are level 15 with level 2 sword, that sword will have major impact on your effectiveness against level 15 monsters.

 

[Exentryk]

I take it you haven't played very many CRPGs, because most of them are like this.

It's not "bad game design", it's about making you think about how you want to develop your character. If you're allowed to have everything, then what's the point of skillpoints? Might as well just have Geralt automatically learn a random skill every level.

I have not played any CRPGs. Sometimes it is hard to tell how good the skills are without actually using them. So, basically, you can't really come up with the best build until you've really experimented with all of them to see whats the best.

Skillpoints still have a point as you have to decide what skills you need early on, and what to leave for later.

This idea goes almost contrary to the games core concept. Choices matter and for them to matter they have to be hard at times.

You still have a choice as to what skills to get early on and what to leave for later. I understand that this is how the devs wanted the game to be, and that's fine. I'm planning on learning all skills via mods anyway, so not too fussed.

 

[abundant]

You gotta make hard choices. That's the point of the game. It's very different than a traditional Bethesda rpg.

Even those don't allow you to unlock all of the skills.

 

[Exentryk]

Even those don't allow you to lock all of the skills.

Yeah, I am starting to think this a common WRPG thing. I am new to WRPG. Infact, W3 is my first one.

 

[red36]

You get points by;

• Leveling (1/level is what we know)
• Places of power (1/place, those stone pillars)
• Allegedly some quests reward you with point

Also you keep putting a lot weight on skillpoints while you keep ignoring gear. Unlocking e.g. sword skills and attacks mean very little if you are level 15 with level 2 sword, that sword will have major impact on your effectiveness against level 15 monsters.

However we DON'T know that it's 1 per level ALL the time. Unless you have a link handy, there are still other potential factors even if those 3 things are the source of points.

In the IGN demo his gear would, if anything, make him MORE powerful than average, not less. Sorry, but you keep insisting I'm ignoring armor. I'm not. Repeating yourself isn't making it true. I'm analyzing the skill point behavior under the supposition that in the IGN demo the player has at least above average gear, in keeping with the general practice of making the player extra powerful for demo purposes.

 

[Grady]

Did I see someone post that in hardest difficulty killing enemies dont give you xp? The fuck...

 

[Tovarisc]

I have not played any CRPGs. Sometimes it is hard to tell how good the skills are without actually using them. So, basically, you can't really come up with the best build until you've really experimented with all of them to see whats the best.

Skillpoints still have a point as you have to decide what skills you need early on, and what to leave for later.

You still have a choice as to what skills to get early on and what to leave for later. I understand that this is how the devs wanted the game to be, and that's fine. I'm planning on learning all skills via mods anyway, so not too fussed.

Witcher 3 has potion that allows you to reset your skills meaning you can swap skillpoints from skills to other skills, and experiment with different builds. You just, most likely, can't have everything at once and maxed out.

Edit:

Did I see someone post that in hardest difficulty killing enemies dont give you xp? The fuck...

Last I heard you don't get XP from killing monsters on any difficulty, only from completing quests.

 

[bounchfx]

ugh I can't take it anymore. time to reinstall witcher 2 to play for an hour or two

 

[EatChildren]

Locking out skills is bad game design imo.

It's the CRPG design of the West drawn from table top games, and a defining factor of the genre circa Fallout/Arcanum. In those games being able to max everything would break the fundamental philosophy of the design.

Did I see someone post that in hardest difficulty killing enemies dont give you xp? The fuck...

Fairly certain you don't get XP for killing anything on any difficulty, full stop. XP is allocated by completing quests. The reward economy for exploring and killing shit comes in the form of materials and loot.

 

[tuxfool]

Witcher 3 has potion that allows you to reset your skills meaning you can swap skillpoints from skills to other skills, and experiment with different builds. You just, most likely, can't have everything at once and maxed out.

Edit:
Last I heard you don't get XP from killing monsters on any difficulty, only from completing quests.

It should be noted that respeccing has a penalty in that you lose ability points gained from places of power.

Edit:Maybe?

 

[red36]

Im asking someone on the witcher forum who has the game how the skill points work. Hopefully we can resolve the question tidily and soon.

It should be noted that respeccing has a penalty in that you lose ability points gained from places of power.

orly? interesting. I wonder if those places of power get their points filled back such that you can reacquire them or if they are simply gone and irretrievable.

 

[Corpekata]

It should be noted that respeccing has a penalty in that you lose ability points gained from places of power.

This has to be like a bug or oversight and not intentional design right?

 

[Tovarisc]

This has to be like a bug or oversight and not intentional design right?

More likely very severe penalty for not planning ahead with skillpoint distribution.

 

[friday]

I thought having to choose a build and stick to it was RPG rule number 1?

You can't have everything just because you want it, then you would be playing skyrim.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

Would you guys with TW2 experience recommend playing TW3 on Hard for someone who's played a lot of the Souls games and Bloodborne?

I can't really think of anything that has similar combat to what I've seen of the Witcher games

 

[tuxfool]

This has to be like a bug or oversight and not intentional design right?

Maybe, but I could swear I got this info from some official channel, I just don't remember where. So possibly take it with a grain of salt.

 

[RenegadeXV8]

Would you guys with TW2 experience recommend playing TW3 on Hard for someone who's played a lot of the Souls games and Bloodborne?

I can't really think of anything that has similar combat to what I've seen of the Witcher games

The combat isn't really that similar, but if you like challenging games then might as well play on Hard or Dark.

Do note that at least in TW2, enemies killed you in 2-3 hits in Dark difficulty.

 

[Exentryk]

Maybe, but I could swear I got this info from some official channel, I just don't remember where. So possibly take it with a grain of salt.

I remember it as well. I think it was mentioned in that GOG stream by that dev controlling the game (Lukasz?)

 

[Admiral Woofington]

The combat isn't really that similar, but if you like challenging games then might as well play on Hard or Dark.

Do note that at least in TW2, enemies killed you in 2-3 hits in Dark difficulty.

I remember entering that cave in the post-intro area. The first town. Jesus fucking christ. Got rekt so many times.