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The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings |OT| Plough 'Em All

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Salaadin

Member
Any word on the Xbox version? Video/commentary?

I feel like this is the most appropriate place to ask

I think the last bit of any news on the 360 version was that it was delayed to 2012. They havent said much of anything on it lately.


i can't really find any conclusive evidence of a ps3 version on the interwebs.. can anyone here give me a concrete answer?

No PS3 version announced. It was teased at the end of a trailer a long time ago but nothing ever came from it.
 

Thrakier

Member
When I run around it's like in some areas (f.e. if there is a lot of grass though it wasn't that noticable in the floatsam forest but very noticable in some areas of chapter) there is an invisible line or shadow which I'm moving in front of me...some meters in front of Geralt. It's a bit distracting TBH. I think it could be related to the LOD but that is already set to max, as is the Texture thing. Any ideas? Did you guys notice this as well?

Did a little research myself and found that this is a common issue, Annoying, though.

http://en.thewitcher.com/forum/index.php?/topic/24653-absolutely-horrid-texture-pop-in/
http://www.gog.com/en/forum/the_witcher_2/odd_graphical_issues_the_box_of_high_detail_textures/page4
 

Thrakier

Member
I have to say they really wasted potential with the fighting in the game. It's not bad, but it's just too easy. The whole upgrade system isn't really engaging, same is true for weapons and armors etc. - I've seen worse. But there are also games which handle this aspects a lot better. Just imagine TW2 with an level and upgrade system on the same level as Diablo 2. How cool would that be?
 

Thrakier

Member
You should have played it at launch.

So they made it easier? Harder would be nice, so item hunting would be actually worthwile. With quen and roll, nothing else matters anymore. Every enemy more or less defeats itself. Where is the point? Also, I'm almost at the end and I STILL wear the trousers from the beginning (mage trousers) because I didn't find better ones. The fuck? The game is very very great, but they really wasted tons of potential with the whole level/upgrade stuff.
 
So they made it easier? Harder would be nice, so item hunting would be actually worthwile. With quen and roll, nothing else matters anymore. Every enemy more or less defeats itself. Where is the point? Also, I'm almost at the end and I STILL wear the trousers from the beginning (mage trousers) because I didn't find better ones. The fuck? The game is very very great, but they really wasted tons of potential with the whole level/upgrade stuff.

Prior to the games first patch or so the game was literally Demon's Souls level of hardness until mid 2nd chapter.

Just read the beginning of the thread of people being so shocked about how hard the game was. It took me at least 25 times to beat the first bit of the prologue I chose, the 2nd choice where you fight in the war..

Also why not just up the difficulty?

As for the trousers, I found better trousers somewhere in Chapter 1. You have to really hunt for the good stuff.
 

Enkidu

Member
So they made it easier? Harder would be nice, so item hunting would be actually worthwile. With quen and roll, nothing else matters anymore. Every enemy more or less defeats itself. Where is the point? Also, I'm almost at the end and I STILL wear the trousers from the beginning (mage trousers) because I didn't find better ones. The fuck? The game is very very great, but they really wasted tons of potential with the whole level/upgrade stuff.
If you find the combat boring then stop abusing Quen, it's a lot more fun if you mix it up. Also, the mage trousers are part of the pre-order dlc that they made available to everyone in a patch and should never have been in the game.
 

Thrakier

Member
If you find the combat boring then stop abusing Quen, it's a lot more fun if you mix it up. Also, the mage trousers are part of the pre-order dlc that they made available to everyone in a patch and should never have been in the game.

No, I won't. I want the game force me to mix it up, otherwise I consider it broken. Yeah, I'm THAT type of a gamer. It's no fun to me to make my own rules to make it more challenging.

I see, fucking trousers. I don't even like how they look. I look like a clown. :D
 

subversus

I've done nothing with my life except eat and fap
I played it pre-patch and killed the knight on my first try.

/shrug

Nekkers in the forest were much more problematic at first.
 
When I get around to playing this on PC - what is the current difficulty that corresponds to playing on the original pre-patch difficulty? I didn't know they made it baby-mode now.
 

Soule

Member
So they made it easier?
ha. ha. ha. one of my friends literally refused to play for a week because he thought it was broken how hard it was, it was a very satisfying moment beating the game with that kind of difficulty

When I get around to playing this on PC - what is the current difficulty that corresponds to playing on the original pre-patch difficulty? I didn't know they made it baby-mode now.
I haven't played since I beat it after like the first patch or whatever but I know there's a newer extra difficulty they added called like nightmare or something if you really want a challenge

When my laptop comes back from repair I'll be back to see how much it's changed from all these patches, might be nice to have it easy in the early stages for a change
 

scy

Member
So speaking of difficulty, whats the word on the new difficulty option? First times through the game at launch were pretty stupid easy and the above few posts have me worried that it's apparently even easier now? Damn :(
 

Yasae

Banned
ha. ha. ha. one of my friends literally refused to play for a week because he thought it was broken how hard it was, it was a very satisfying moment beating the game with that kind of difficulty
Truth is, it's too difficult on easy. Monsters still kill you in a few quick hits (queen endrega is a one hit kill on easy, for example.) It punishes you overmuch for what should be a carefree experience.

I mean it's fine if you want the game to be somewhat hardcore even on normal, but once that shit's on easy it had better be REALLY EASY. CDProjekt could use a dictionary.

Nobody start the "play the game better" argument. I know I'm bad at it; setting it on easy should alleviate some of the frustration. But it doesn't. Enemies are still crazy powerful and hit way too hard. That's poor design, albeit in an area that can be overlooked. The game is wonderful otherwise.
 

Thrakier

Member
Truth is, it's too difficult on easy. Monsters still kill you in a few quick hits (queen endrega is a one hit kill on easy, for example.) It punishes you overmuch for what should be a carefree experience.

I mean it's fine if you want the game to be somewhat hardcore even on normal, but once that shit's on easy it had better be REALLY EASY. CDProjekt could use a dictionary.

Nobody start the "play the game better" argument. I know I'm bad at it; setting it on easy should alleviate some of the frustration. But it doesn't. Enemies are still crazy powerful and hit way too hard. That's poor design, albeit in an area that can be overlooked. The game is wonderful otherwise.

The hell, I don't even...it's piss easy even on normal. You have to be really really really bad. Weird for a guy who is on a hardcore game board. ;D
 
Truth is, it's too difficult on easy. Monsters still kill you in a few quick hits (queen endrega is a one hit kill on easy, for example.) It punishes you overmuch for what should be a carefree experience.

I mean it's fine if you want the game to be somewhat hardcore even on normal, but once that shit's on easy it had better be REALLY EASY. CDProjekt could use a dictionary.

Nobody start the "play the game better" argument. I know I'm bad at it; setting it on easy should alleviate some of the frustration. But it doesn't. Enemies are still crazy powerful and hit way too hard. That's poor design, albeit in an area that can be overlooked. The game is wonderful otherwise.
Did you even try the tutorial? One hit is bull if you're using Quen.
 

Darkkn

Member
Quen really makes this game easy. Combined with improved dodge speed, the game gets too easy, even on dark difficulty. Only the second boss fight has proven to be tricky thus far.
 
I played it pre-patch and killed the knight on my first try.

/shrug

Nekkers in the forest were much more problematic at first.

The Nekkers in the forest was where I stopped playing the game because they killed me so hard. I might be able to get back into this game now, thanks.
 

Yasae

Banned
Did you even try the tutorial? One hit is bull if you're using Quen.
Ok, two hits when using quen, which I did. I did the tutorial and was fine in it, actually.

But again, one hit? Two hits? Come on guys. That's some bullshit right there callin it easy.

EDIT: Yes, Quen dissipates after one hit from the queen endrega. It normally takes about two or three hits from regular enemies to wither away. Did you guys play the game? Go back and play.
 

Darkkn

Member
Ok, two hits when using quen, which I did. I did the tutorial and was fine in it, actually.

But again, one hit? Two hits? Come on guys. That's some bullshit right there callin it easy.

There is never really a situation, if you are using quen, where you get sniped so quickly that you would not have time to dodge away. Enemy hits you hard -> quen lost -> roll away and cast new quen -> winnar.
 

scy

Member
Truth is, it's too difficult on easy. Monsters still kill you in a few quick hits (queen endrega is a one hit kill on easy, for example.) It punishes you overmuch for what should be a carefree experience.

Queen is a pretty terrible example :/ "This enemy meant to be really, really hard and the game tells you to try not to directly engage it is difficult!" doesn't seem quite as meaningful.
 

Yasae

Banned
There is never really a situation, if you are using quen, where you get sniped so quickly that you would not have time to dodge away. Enemy hits you hard -> quen lost -> roll away and cast new quen -> winnar.
Still doesn't negate the fact that the game isn't easy when it's on easy. If you can use rolling and avoid everything at any difficulty, that's skill and not a set of parameters determined by the game. I'm glad you know how to exploit the underlying mechanics - that's exactly what you're doing - but it does not change the fact that enemies still hit awfully hard on easy. I wouldn't equate one hit kills with easy gameplay in general and I think that's a very reasonable stance. Let's not pull the pro gamer bullshit, I can see through it.

Again, the game punishes you for making mistakes - which I'm going to make a lot of if I'm putting it on easy in the first place.
 

Yasae

Banned
Queen is a pretty terrible example :/ "This enemy meant to be really, really hard and the game tells you to try not to directly engage it is difficult!" doesn't seem quite as meaningful.
And yet the difficulty should override that to some degree. Yes it should ramp up in relative difficulty for more powerful enemies, but it's still a one hit kill or close to it. That would not coincide with my definition of easy.

Come on guys, give me some concrete evidence I'm wrong without pulling the pro gamer horseshit. That doesn't work.
 

Darkkn

Member
It's certainly above the average game difficulty, but that is mostly because games are still getting progressively easier at default difficulty.

I probably died more playing God of War 3 at normal than i did playing W2 pre-patched on normal. It's certainly not as hard as games like ninja gaiden(that requires finger dexterity that some people just don't have) or Dark Souls.

The Witcher 2 difficulty is the kind of difficulty that does not require extraordinary gaming skills(like gaiden games), it's more about positioning, tactics, preparation etc. and of course some skill. It's hard for me to believe that someone keeps dieing to for example those Enderga Queens over and over, because the game gives you many options to explore with potions, traps, bombs etc.

This game has a pretty simple RPG system that people should be able to figure out powerful combinations to make the game pretty easy for themselves.
 

scy

Member
Not necessarily sure how "That particular fight is meant to be hard" is a pro-gamer thing.

Also, I actually don't think the Queen Endrega one-shotted me even on harder difficulties, though it's been awhile. The entire point of the fight is you're supposed to not get hit. Use traps and bait the charge. That's exactly how you're told to do the fight and it's meant to be difficult since they're the goddamn Queen; there's all of, what, three of them in the entire game? This isn't just some random thing killing you. You're not meant to sit there and trade blows with it.

This isn't "lulz pro-gamer!" but "try playing the game." Mashing "A" until you win isn't the point of easy difficulty and that's all you're saying it should be. That what the game throws at you shouldn't matter. The death is an impossibility. Play how you want because screw encounter design.

Difficulty settings aren't here to completely strip the game bare. You still have to play it by their rules. Lowering the difficulty doesn't mean you can play and ignore every facet of the game besides the killing dudes button.
 

Kyaw

Member
Well, the game pre-patch was certainly hard but nothing manageable.

It had a inverse difficulty curve.

Prologue - Hard
Chapter 1 - Hard
Chapter 2 - Medium
Chapter 3- Easy
Epilogue - Easy as ABC

It has to do with the power of Quen and 200% rolling I believe.
They should let us utilise blocking and riposting more than rolling and magic shield.
 

Yasae

Banned
Not necessarily sure how "That particular fight is meant to be hard" is a pro-gamer thing.

Also, I actually don't think the Queen Endrega one-shotted me even on harder difficulties, though it's been awhile. The entire point of the fight is you're supposed to not get hit. Use traps and bait the charge. That's exactly how you're told to do the fight and it's meant to be difficult since they're the goddamn Queen; there's all of, what, three of them in the entire game? This isn't just some random thing killing you. You're not meant to sit there and trade blows with it.

This isn't "lulz pro-gamer!" but "try playing the game." Mashing "A" until you win isn't the point of easy difficulty and that's all you're saying it should be. That what the game throws at you shouldn't matter. The death is an impossibility. Play how you want because screw encounter design.

Difficulty settings aren't here to completely strip the game bare. You still have to play it by their rules. Lowering the difficulty doesn't mean you can play and ignore every facet of the game besides the killing dudes button.
Oh no, my friend, I didn't. Slippery slope complete. And that's exactly the thing, it shouldn't be hard. I'm playing on easy, remember??? You're trying to make the argument that I'm so inept I can't be bothered to play the game right, based on your fairly limited personal experience.

It's true, I find the flow of battle clunky sometimes. Enemies will reach in with a 30ft attack and get hits while you're rolling away, more will spawn out of camera view etc. I think those are cheap and poorly designed attributes contained within the very capable combat system. It's gotten noticeably better post-patch, but I still find a lot of foes warping into an attack animation mid-stumble (not unlike Risen or the Gothic series,) magically getting in free hits. And so help you god if you get hit in the back, which is likely given how much you have to roll.
Kyaw said:
Well, the game pre-patch was certainly hard but nothing manageable.

It had a inverse difficulty curve.

Prologue - Hard
Chapter 1 - Hard
Chapter 2 - Medium
Chapter 3- Easy
Epilogue - Easy as ABC

It has to do with the power of Quen and 200% rolling I believe.
They should let us utilise blocking and riposting more than rolling and magic shield.
Agreed for the most part, though I still think the player isn't given enough crowd control options early on. None of the signs affect multiple enemies at the start, and you can't even select an attack-all style like in the first game. There's a bit too much reliance on avoiding hits altogether.
 

scy

Member
Oh no, my friend, I didn't. Slippery slope complete.

I'm glad you know how to exploit the underlying mechanics - that's exactly what you're doing...

That was in regards to rolling and spell use, for the record. So, yes, you very much did imply that the game should not be about using the tools available to you.

You're trying to make the argument that I'm so inept I can't be bothered to play the game right, based on your fairly limited personal experience.

Actually, you're making that argument. I'm just saying you're expecting too much out of a difficulty change and that some things, even at a lowered difficulty, are still meant to be challenging; still meant to require playing the game by their rules. I never once said, or implied, that you're inept.

Agreed for the most part, though I still think the player isn't given enough crowd control options early on. None of the signs affect multiple enemies at the start, and you can't even select an attack-all style like in the first game. There's a bit too much reliance on avoiding hits altogether.

This I can agree with, though. Signs feel a bit weak, at least at release time (no idea what they're like now), with the exception of Quen being stupid amounts of good. Due to the way Parry worked, fights were mainly "don't get hit" roll->Quen fests (or, for those of us who did no Quen files, roll -> roll more) and then the occasional targeting woes. Targeting issues were doubly annoying due to the lack of good area of effect or crowd control outside the use of traps or bombs. And, admittedly, traps for random fights was an annoying prospect for me :(
 

Jokab

Member
I played the game at launch on normal, and I agree, the Queen Endregas were ridiculous. To kill one I believe I had to use all my available traps and then kite her with Igni for a long time, probably around 5 minutes, which is way too long for a simple mob. There was barely any skill involved either, it just took way too long. I kited her to the zone where she wanders back, then went back in and took a few more shots. It was an unbalanced enemy for sure, no other enemy in the game gave me that much trouble or took that long.
 

Kyaw

Member
Agreed for the most part, though I still think the player isn't given enough crowd control options early on. None of the signs affect multiple enemies at the start, and you can't even select an attack-all style like in the first game. There's a bit too much reliance on avoiding hits altogether.

I think the sort of crowd control in early game is just the technique of separating the enemies.
When you hit them, you push them farther back. If you continue this in a combo manner, you are essentially crowd controlling, just not with traditional 'group style' or spell effects.

I hope they improve the combat with more depth and balance in Witcher 3.
I do really enjoy the combo style and animations of the combat.
 

scy

Member
I played the game at launch on normal, and I agree, the Queen Endregas were ridiculous. To kill one I believe I had to use all my available traps and then kite her with Igni for a long time, probably around 5 minutes, which is way too long for a simple mob. There was barely any skill involved either, it just took way too long. I kited her to the zone where she wanders back, then went back in and took a few more shots. It was an unbalanced enemy for sure, no other enemy in the game gave me that much trouble or took that long.

I think my first kill was me stacking traps forever and luring her into it.

She's not even a fun fight, though, if you opt for actually engaging her :( It's just bull charge a lot and playing the ranged game or ducking in for practically negligible damage for awhile.
 

Salaadin

Member
I think that separating parry from the vigor meter was the best combat change. Id say that 75% of my problems early on at launch were because I either parried too much and couldnt use magic because my vigor was empty or used magic too much, preventing me from parrying. Witchers are supposed to be balanced in swords and spells but having two key actions like that tied to one meter was pretty weird.
 

Yasae

Banned
That was in regards to rolling and spell use, for the record. So, yes, you very much did imply that the game should not be about using the tools available to you.
No, I said it punishes you overmuch for making mistakes. Spacebar to roll, use it all the time, still very easy to get killed. If I roll in the wrong direction or make a small error - NOPE YOU'RE DEAD, SORRY. Shouldn't have made that tiny mistake! Gotta persecute you for that, even though you're playing on "easy!"
Actually, you're making that argument. I'm just saying you're expecting too much out of a difficulty change and that some things, even at a lowered difficulty, are still meant to be challenging; still meant to require playing the game by their rules. I never once said, or implied, that you're inept.
Then they shouldn't call it easy. Sorry, but I disagree and so do Merriam-Webster.

Like I said, I don't care about any of this stuff on normal or above. If you're going to have lower difficulties, though, do it right or don't do it at all. The fact that the queen endrega is a drag on any setting only drives home the point of the occasionally poor balancing TW2 has. It's not fun? So then why is it in the game if it's not fun?

This I can agree with, though. Signs feel a bit weak, at least at release time (no idea what they're like now), with the exception of Quen being stupid amounts of good. Due to the way Parry worked, fights were mainly "don't get hit" roll->Quen fests (or, for those of us who did no Quen files, roll -> roll more) and then the occasional targeting woe. Doubly annoying due to the lack of good area of effect or crowd control outside the use of traps. And, admittedly, traps for random fights was an annoying prospect for me :(
Yeah, and that does seem to be what it boils down to. I always liked the parrying in Assassin's Creed - coincidentally some people found that very difficult to pull off - and I'd like a system incorporating more of those big brawl elements.

It's still taking me a while to get used to TW2's fighting system. The tutorial helps, but you're still left to fend for yourself against larger and fiercer enemies. I'd like to be able to learn in that manner without being punished so harshly. It's a game, not a gauntlet. It could stand to ease up.

Sorry about the "pro-gamer" attacks. I haven't had lunch, it's almost 4pm, and I'm unreasonably grouchy.
Really.
Salaadin said:
I think that separating parry from the vigor meter was the best combat change. Id say that 75% of my problems early on at launch were because I either parried too much and couldnt use magic because my vigor was empty or used magic too much, preventing me from parrying. Witchers are supposed to be balanced in swords and spells but having two key actions like that tied to one meter was pretty weird.
Definitely agreed. I thought the first implementation was bad and negated parrying to non-use. Now, even with your health getting chipped away, it's at least one more trick in your bag.
 

RedSwirl

Junior Member
Well, the game pre-patch was certainly hard but nothing manageable.

It had a inverse difficulty curve.

Prologue - Hard
Chapter 1 - Hard
Chapter 2 - Medium
Chapter 3- Easy
Epilogue - Easy as ABC

It has to do with the power of Quen and 200% rolling I believe.
They should let us utilise blocking and riposting more than rolling and magic shield.

The problem is that blocking and riposting deplete the same energy meter that Quen does, so why not just use Quen?

Even post-patch though there are sections of chapter 1 for instance that are pretty difficult without the right potions and enhancements. Preparation is really half the game here.
 

Kyaw

Member
The problem is that blocking and riposting deplete the same energy meter that Quen does, so why not just use Quen?

Yeah that was the real problem. Maybe they should have some kind of magic meter much like the current one and an additional stamina meter for blocking/riposting?
 

Thrakier

Member
The whole upgrade system is totally broken. You have no feeling at all for "oah, +30 to vitality, that's worth a lot more than +2 on damage signs" or whatever. It just feels kinda random and unimportant.
 

Yasae

Banned
I have to ask again because no one answered. Am I really the only one plagued by that horrible texture pop in?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuqTsj9Mjeo

LOD is set to max obviously.
I believe that may be affecting me, as there does seem to be quite a bit of LOD pop-in despite being on the highest settings (minus ubersampling and cinematic depth of field.)

I'll have to check again, but I'll let you know my findings. It can be trickier to spot in grassier areas at the beginning of the game where I am.
 
The whole upgrade system is totally broken. You have no feeling at all for "oah, +30 to vitality, that's worth a lot more than +2 on damage signs" or whatever. It just feels kinda random and unimportant.

If you take a lot of damage go for the vitality, if you cast a lot of signs then go for the +2 damage. I'm not seeing the randomness.
 

Thrakier

Member
If you take a lot of damage go for the vitality, if you cast a lot of signs then go for the +2 damage. I'm not seeing the randomness.

Because it doesn't matter.

I believe that may be affecting me, as there does seem to be quite a bit of LOD pop-in despite being on the highest settings (minus ubersampling and cinematic depth of field.)

I'll have to check again, but I'll let you know my findings. It can be trickier to spot in grassier areas at the beginning of the game where I am.

I found it incredibly easy to see in grassy areas. However you can notice it in floatsam as well. When you come out of the inn, just look at the vendors tent straight ahead. If you get closer to the tent, items will load. I never noticed it before someone mentioned though. But now I see the pop in everywhere and it's quite strong.
 

Thrakier

Member
Uh yeah it really does, what difficulty are you playing the game on?

At least it doesn't on normal. Also...what's with that mutagens? They explained it in the tutorail, I have tons of those...however, I can't use them. I can't mutate the skills, they are worthless. And what's up with the prices? Sometimes I see high prices in the menues and don't even get a FRACTION of that from the vendor. I think they could've handled all those aspects much better. I don#t have a feeling of "that's a good item" besides the damage for weapons or the +armor. I now have Vrans Armor +35 with enhaancements. Is that good? Bad? I don't know. I just roll on. Just think about Diablo 2 where the upgrade system worked tons better...this in TW2...mmmh. Amazing.
 

Edgeward

Member
Nerf Quen and Nerf Rolling and you'd have a satisfyingly difficult game.

If they also made blocking not take up vigor and instead just have you take chip damage, you got yourself a deal.


At least it doesn't on normal. Also...what's with that mutagens? They explained it in the tutorail, I have tons of those...however, I can't use them. I can't mutate the skills, they are worthless. And what's up with the prices? Sometimes I see high prices in the menues and don't even get a FRACTION of that from the vendor. I think they could've handled all those aspects much better. I don#t have a feeling of "that's a good item" besides the damage for weapons or the +armor. I now have Vrans Armor +35 with enhaancements. Is that good? Bad? I don't know. I just roll on. Just think about Diablo 2 where the upgrade system worked tons better...this in TW2...mmmh. Amazing.

Only certain skills have a slot on your skill tree to allow you to add a mutagen. Just highlight a skill that you added and has an empty circle on the top part of the icon and press Y if using a pad and you can select a mutagen.

The prices are 24:1, so I would suggest just modding it so that's back to Witcher 1 scale of 5:1

http://www.witchernexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=67
 
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