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[epmode]

why is the release now back to May 17th? didn't they say it was going to release early for GOG users?

Retailers or the publisher bitched, as usual.

 

[I should be doing hw]

YES! Got notified that my eBay pre-order was shipped yesterday. For $40AU shipped I get the Premium edition, and it's uncut. That's more than half the price they are flogging it here in Aus, and it doesn't have that silly edit.

 

[Echoplx]

I downloaded the game from GOG in Australia for the pre-load in under 3 hours...?

The GoG pre-load doesn't include the bonus items, so it's 9GB compared to 16GB. And I'm assuming that the Steam servers will be hammered with everyone trying to download at the same time, making it even worse.

 

[DoctorPayne]

As already mentioned, the Steam version doesn't allow you to download bonus stuff separately from the game itself, so It's all lumped into one big 16GB download

Jesus, 7GB of bonus content, really? Dammit CDPR, I don't want your stinking papercrafts that badly, I've got a cap to worry about!

 

[Psi]

Jesus, 7GB of bonus content, really? Dammit CDPR, I don't want your stinking papercrafts that badly, I've got a cap to worry about!

It's because of the Making of DVD and bonus videos.

 

[Tokubetsu]

Shoulda gone with GoG bros =)

 

[DoctorPayne]

Okay, okay, they've broken me. No pre-load and a double-sized download is just too much. Cancellation request sent to Steam.

 

[ColonialRaptor]

I just did a fresh driver clean and install for 11.5 in prep for this game.

Feels nice to have fresh drivers with everything else cleaned out... for some reason it makes my computer feel cleaner and faster or something. It's probably just me, but it definitely feels different

 

[SneakyStephan]

I wonder how big the install is, 9GB seems tiny for an rpg.
The files are heavily compressed or what.

 

[zlatko]

Does anyone know when the Steam pre order discount of 10% goes away?

 

[Echoplx]

Does anyone know when the Steam pre order discount of 10% goes away?

When the game is released....

 

[zlatko]

When the game is released....

I know it was a silly sounding question, but when I was signing off Steam tonight it said, "last chance to get this deal on witcher 2 blah blah," so I wanted to make sure today wasn't the last day or something, since I plan to pre order Monday.

Edit: Screw it. Broke down and just paid it off in full on Steam. I hope pre-loading shows up soon.

 

[Big-E]

The game is going to be that big on Steam? Looks like I won't be playing this till June because of shitty Chinese internet that likes my average Steam download speed to be 20 kb/s even when the so called steam server is pretty close to me all things considered.

 

[Echoplx]

The game is going to be that big on Steam? Looks like I won't be playing this till June because of shitty Chinese internet that likes my average Steam download speed to be 20 kb/s even when the so called steam server is pretty close to me all things considered.

From the bottom of the Steam page: Hard Drive: 16GB

Considering TW1 was 15GB on Steam it doesn't surprise me really.

 

[bloodforge]

Pre-ordered a few hours ago on GOG, already have it preloaded, just waiting for release.

The wait is already killing me.

 

[Prime crotch]

Has anyone tried running an early copy on some old PC? If so how old, I'm worried about my Core 2 Duo 6320 not holding out.

 

[Ketchup Boy]

Ugggggh I want to play this game, but I don't have a sick PC!

 

[Corky]

It seems that the "Ubersampling" mode in Witcher 2 is designed to be a stress-test in the way Crysis was at release. This Neoseeker article reveals that it is a mode recommended for only the x4 980/i7 980x and 6990/590 cards.

Oh my, a 590 ey?

*checks benchmarks*

Yeap, that one performs 99% the same as two 560 Tis'

You better not be pulling my leg CDPR <3

 

[Minsc]

Oh my, a 590 ey?

*checks benchmarks*

Yeap, that one performs 99% the same as two 560 Tis'

You better not be pulling my leg CDPR <3

We had a very recent previewer with a GPU equivalent to a GTS 450 and they said 15-20fps on high, so a GTX 260 is a little bit faster, I think ~30fps on high on a GTX 260 is doable, but those hoping for ultra or 60fps may be disappointed.

I wonder how big the install is, 9GB seems tiny for an rpg.
The files are heavily compressed or what.

Risen was a little over 2GB, fully installed, and though the world is a tad on the smaller side, it's a huge game for the size none-the-less. 9.6GB is the compressed size though, then there's ~7GB of bonus stuff. So it could be ~25GB uncompressed, or it may (hopefully) keep the assets compressed and uncompress them on the fly during the gameplay as needed.

So is Shani not in this game at all?

The Witcher forums are down, but I'm pretty sure there was dev confirmation she is not in it. I've seen posts there were people said "Shani is 100% not in the game, it has been confirmed," so no Shani. Can't double check till the forums are up again monday though, but I'm pretty confident that's the story.

 

[sam27368]

Don't know if this has been posted already but The Witcher 2 is the new Crysis

http://www.neoseeker.com/news/16447-the-witcher-2-readme-reveals-uber-sampling-mode-more-options/

CD Projekt's RPG The Witcher 2 is set to launch in a matter of days, but already those who pre-ordered the game on Steam can now take a peek at the game's readme. Doing so reveals a very long list of graphics options, one of which in particular stands out: "Uber sampling."

As you'd expect, it's a high end option: "The whole scene is rendered multiple times to give best possible texture and object details and antialiasing (better than antialias and anisotropy even on highest settings)." The developer says this is intended only for those with both the best possible CPU and GPU available now (X4 980 / i7 980X and 6990 / 590).

Aside from that, count on options for textures, shadows, lighting, LOD, bloom, anti-aliasing, blur, depth of field, "vignette" (a strictly aesthetic effect), rain, SSAO, motion blur, animation, decals, and vertical sync. Keep in mind, this is just the short version.

A few of the above options are noted to be quite demanding as well, though not much compared to uber sampling. In any case, it's great to know although the system requirements are relatively modest, the studio is including bonuses for those with even better gear than what's listed.

 

[Corky]

Alright so I'll be happy if I can run the game at a steady 30 with the uber-setting presets.

Btw, does anybody know how one caps framrates in games? I know d3doverrider caps it at 60 with triplebuffering but is there a way to cap it to 30?

 

[indigo-cyclops]

Didn't they say that was a mistake?

Yes they did because it is now "May 17 0700 AM GMT."

 

[dejan]

Just bought the game from GOG. It has been a long time since I bought a game full price (indie pc games being the exception) and now that Mass Effect 3 has been delayed The Witcher 2 might very well end up being my only full price title for 2011. I lost a bit of my hype for this game, but I'm still convinced that it will be totally worth it.

 

[ColonialRaptor]

It seems that configuration image of all the different options posted earlier in the thread is real.

First thing I'm going to try is to see how close I can get to uber settings at 1920x1080 I will cry if I get it, tears of joy!

 

[Dice]

I'll be able to handle every aspect of graphics entirely individually? Yes!

 

[indigo-cyclops]

Looks like I will try running this windowed so I can keep most settings high or better. I can't believe it is almost here. Iowerth is really going to keep shit interesting i feel.

 

[ColonialRaptor]

I'll be able to handle every aspect of graphics entirely individually? Yes!

Yeah - this is it.

Apparently there is a file on the disc that is a reconfigurer or something like that and when opened it shows that screen and allows you to set all the settings before you open the game. Just the way it should be.

Brilliant uh!

 

[Zeliard]

I'll be able to handle every aspect of graphics entirely individually? Yes!

Without having to tweak everything through the config, presumably. Granted, that's an old past-time of mine at this point, but config menus are nice. Menus are nice, People Can Fly. Return to us from that decrepit console nightmare world.

 

[Minsc]

Yup, expect the configuration tool to look something like that. Everything individually settable, with your low, medium, high, ultra presets as well.

For those wanting more than ultra, we've known for a little while there's some uber options.

Don't you just envy the people who can load up the game tomorrow, use whatever preset it picks, and play for hours? Instead of going over the same 5 minutes of gameplay under 100 different configurations?

 

[Dice]

Looks like I will try running this windowed so I can keep most settings high or better. I can't believe it is almost here. Iowerth is really going to keep shit interesting i feel.

Even with total blockbuster games, I'm kind of unfocused. I often play in a 1600x900 window just so I can more easily switch to random surfing or IM or look up some chore-like things such as item crafting. The performance bonus from doing it is a nice trade for not using the whole screen.

 

[Enduin]

4890 dont fail me now, Ill be damn happy if I can get solid framerate at 1080 with high res textures and vsync, anything else I can get away with is just gravy to me.

 

[ColonialRaptor]

Don't you just envy the people who can load up the game tomorrow, use whatever preset it picks, and play for hours? Instead of going over the same 5 minutes of gameplay under 100 different configurations?

Nope, that's my favorite part of PC gaming

 

[Minsc]

4890 dont fail me now, Ill be damn happy if I can get solid framerate at 1080 with high res textures and vsync, anything else I can get away with is just gravy to me.

If you have a 1GB 4890 (and a 3+ core CPU), you should have no problems with high settings, might even be able to tweak a few higher than high options if you only need 30fps.

 

[Sn4ke_911]

New Review

PC Guru - 92%

 

[indigo-cyclops]

Even with total blockbuster games, I'm kind of unfocused. I often play in a 1600x900 window just so I can more easily switch to random surfing or IM or look up some chore-like things such as item crafting. The performance bonus from doing it is a nice trade for not using the whole screen.

Exactly what I do though I run smoothly smaller window. If I can keep settings on an higher or better at 720p window, I am ok with that. I love it when I can very easily switch to window mode. God damn CDP you are making this wait excruciating...

 

[Corky]

Instead of going over the same 5 minutes of gameplay under 100 different configurations?

You mean there's another way?

 

[Amir0x]

Yup, expect the configuration tool to look something like that. Everything individually settable, with your low, medium, high, ultra presets as well.

For those wanting more than ultra, we've known for a little while there's some uber options.

Don't you just envy the people who can load up the game tomorrow, use whatever preset it picks, and play for hours? Instead of going over the same 5 minutes of gameplay under 100 different configurations?

envy me!

 

[Corky]

envy me!

But how will you possibly know if that " extreme setting : particle effects " is worth the 5 fps hit, how?!


I need to go through therapy to get rid of all my pc OCD habits.

 

[Zeliard]

Don't you just envy the people who can load up the game tomorrow, use whatever preset it picks, and play for hours?

Meh, no. Preset settings annoy the fuck out of me. Let me actually customize my settings and then I'll "play for hours." Customization isn't really a part of PC gaming I want to see go away. If I wanted to press a button and play, I'd use consoles.

 

[Corky]

Meh, no. Preset settings annoy the fuck out of me. Let me actually customize my settings and then I'll "play for hours." Customization isn't really a part of PC gaming I want to see go away. If I wanted to press a button and play, I'd use consoles.

I'm pretty sure Minsc is just making a facetious comment on the fact that we pc-gamers actually love the tinkering entailed.

 

[Dice]

I'm not totally OCD. Often times, changes in geometry go unnoticed by me, SSAO off is worth the 20fps it usually gives me, and some shadow detail loss is worth the extra 10fps. Of course, this all depends on the engine. If I don't get that noticeable of a difference, I'm fine with taking a minor hit for the sake of beauty, especially in a game like this where precision targeting is not an issue. I know plenty of sections in Just Cause 2 dipped to 40s if not further with all the stuff I had jacked up, and I was fine with that. Hell, in a lot of story-focused games the cutscenes are animated at 30fps and that sudden jump down can be jarring enough that I wish I had more high-end options to push me down there during the gameplay to make the game more consistent overall.

 

[Enduin]

If you have a 1GB 4890 (and a 3+ core CPU), you should have no problems with high settings, might even be able to tweak a few higher than high options if you only need 30fps.

Yeah I have a i7 920 oc'd to 3.4ghz and the 1gb 4890 and 6gb ram. Im only a little worried cause my rig hasnt been able to hold a solid 60fps on a few recent games with most of the bells and whistles so Ive tempered my expectations on what I can do with the Witcher 2 since its PC exclusive and looks to be a powerhouse graphics wise. If only I had a couple hundred bucks lying around to buy a new GPU but alas I have to wait till the fall to try and get a SSD drive and new gpu.

 

[Corky]

Yeah Dice I certainly agree with SSAO not being worth the occasional huge hit since I feel the difference is extremely negligable in the few games I've tried it in.

 

[SneakyStephan]

Yeah that was a well placed troll hehe.
I'd have fallen for it if it wasn't for his posting history in this thread.
edit: to clarify: not that he has the habit of trolling people, but that he doesn't come across as some kind of mouthbreathing pc hater

Corky have you played Mafia 2 with AO? It looks SO much better.

 

[Corky]

Yeah that was a well placed troll hehe.
I'd have fallen for it if it wasn't for his posting history in this thread.

Corky have you played Mafia 2 with AO? It looks SO much better.

I did actually play mafia 2 with all settings turned on and I can't really say that I noticed the AO effect, maybe it was subtle yet there but I don't remember it.

 

[Zeliard]

I'm pretty sure Minsc is just making a facetious comment on the fact that we pc-gamers actually love the tinkering entailed.

Bah, it's 7 AM on a Sunday morning and I haven't had my coffee yet, so I'M SORRY MINSC.

I'm not totally OCD. Often times, changes in geometry go unnoticed by me, SSAO off is worth the 20fps it usually gives me, and some shadow detail loss is worth the extra 10fps. Of course, this all depends on the engine. If I don't get that noticeable of a difference, I'm fine with taking a minor hit for the sake of beauty, especially in a game like this where precision targeting is not an issue. I know plenty of sections in Just Cause 2 dipped to 40s if not further with all the stuff I had jacked up, and I was fine with that. Hell, in a lot of story-focused games the cutscenes are animated at 30fps and that sudden jump down can be jarring enough that I wish I had more high-end options to push me down there during the gameplay to make the game more consistent overall.

But the key there, of course, is the ability to actually change those settings individually. That's one of the beauties of PC gaming - you can sacrifice certain elements for others depending on what's hitting your frames harder or what you personally find better-looking.

Generally these days you find that sort of thing in PC exclusives. PC games ported from console, or developed "simultaneously," are often devoid of anything but the most minimal of graphics settings even though that didn't use to be the case in previous gens.

 

[Minsc]

Yeah that was a well placed troll hehe.
I'd have fallen for it if it wasn't for his posting history in this thread.

Corky have you played Mafia 2 with AO? It looks SO much better.

Don't worry, it wasn't a troll, if anything a joke. I'm in the group of people that will play for 10 minutes and then tweak for 30 (or more). I totally respect and am envious of the PC gamers who just want to play the game and don't have any desire to tweak it, and am happy to see both groups happy, tons of options and auto-detection, unlike in Metro 2033 where you couldn't tweak individual settings apart from a couple.

 

[fredrancour]

Here I was playing through the original witcher, all grateful that the game just barely manages to be playable on my crappy laptop on min settings, and I peek into this thread out of curiosity to see this talk of fancy pcs? I wish I wasn't a student so I had money for nice things. For me, the witcher 1 is running well if the framerate stays out of single digits (which isn't close all the time ) I think I'm officially going to have to abandon consoles as of this gen and get a semi-decent pc. I look forward to playing witcher 2......eventually

 

[SneakyStephan]

Don't worry, it wasn't a troll, if anything a joke. I'm in the group of people that will play for 10 minutes and then tweak for 30 (or more). I totally respect and am envious of the PC gamers who just want to play the game and don't have any desire to tweak it, and am happy to see both groups happy, tons of options and auto-detection, unlike in Metro 2033 where you couldn't tweak individual settings apart from a couple.

Didn't mean your post history suggest you troll, but that it suggests you aren't some mouthbreathing pc hater who hasn't actually seen a gaming pc up close and would actually mean it.

Here I was playing through the original witcher, all grateful that the game just barely manages to be playable on my crappy laptop on min settings, and I peek into this thread out of curiosity to see this talk of fancy pcs? I wish I wasn't a student so I had money for nice things. For me, the witcher 1 is running well if the framerate stays out of single digits (which isn't close all the time ) I think I'm officially going to have to abandon consoles as of this gen and get a semi-decent pc. I look forward to playing witcher 2......eventually

Well I'm going to repeat here what I've said a thousand times before, if you have a decent dual core on your desktop or better then you are only 100 - 220 dollars away from respectively a mid end or a high end pc.
Money that earns itself back in the price difference of multiplatform games within a year or two. (and exclusives too obviously)

20-40 dollar games vs 50-60 dollar games.

It has never been cheaper (or easier) to turn to pc gaming.

 

[ColonialRaptor]

Of course playing a game with all the settings maxed at 15fps is totally not worth it.

That's what the playing around with the configs is all about, trying to find the highest frame rate with the most negligible changes in graphics fidelity and IQ.