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[Trust me. I'm a PhD]

I am currently LOVING the Witcher right now (like Bloodborne levels of love; what a great freaking year, am I right?^^), but fast travel is bugging me a little. I guess Ubisoft spoiled me with the ability to go to a hub from anywhere. Poor roach has too carry my butt from wherever I am to a sign post and then I can fast Travel. Feels like adding an unnecessary step, but it is a fairly minor complaint overall. Still on my GOTY short list^^

 

[Fee]

I couldn't seem to google up what Death March difficulty changes about the game. I'm aware of the no hp regen from mediating, but what are other other changes besides stuff hits harder and has more hp?

 

[shinobi602]

The detail CDPR went through in this game is friggin commendable. Anyone notice that when Geralt sheathes a sword, he actually pushes the sheathe upwards with his left hand so the sword smoothly goes in.

They could have just not even cared to animate that but they did. So good.

 

[Noobcraft]

So the griffin is causing me so much grief lol. I'm playing through on the hardest difficulty and the thing keeps downing me because I can't dodge it reliably.

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

MORE ENDING SPOILERS:

Spoiler

Huh that's interesting! I was wondering what the other endings would be. In mine Nilfgaard takes over the northern kingdoms since there was no one to stop the invasion (killed Radovid) but allows Temeria to become the free vassal state (Roche will be pleased). Same thing with Ciri occurred with me though. I love how they framed the very last scene in the game and cut to black. I've got to say though, the entire plot with Avallac'h was so good and I loved the quest called "Through Time and Space". Seeing the worlds of the Aen Elle, Aen Saevherne, etc. was one of the highest points for me.

MORE ENDING SPOILERS:

Spoiler

What excited me the most about that quest was the realization that the future Witcher games starring Ciri could happen on other planets. That sent shivers down my spine. A unique sci-fi twist to a high fantasy series? Hell fucking yes. That world with the rocky pillars and red grass... Unf.

Also...

Spoiler

Vesemir. ;_;7
Shocked CDPR left such a gaping plothole at the end of the game, though. Vesemir is still narrating and claims that he and Geralt would meet up for drinks like the old times. Come on, guys. You're normally good with the little things even, and that's HUGE.

 

[Onimusha78]

I wan't Vessimer to come with, I don't trust this woman

 

[erawsd]

So the griffin is causing me so much grief lol. I'm playing through on the hardest difficulty and the thing keeps downing me because I can't dodge it reliably.

Look at the beastiary and exploit his weaknesses. Dont just try and dodge and hit him with your sword, you'll just make things way harder than it needs to be.

 

[His Majesty]

So the griffin is causing me so much grief lol. I'm playing through on the hardest difficulty and the thing keeps downing me because I can't dodge it reliably.

He has a wide reach so dodging is hard. Keep your distance and roll. Igni is very effective and when you shoot him out of the air you can also get a few hits in. I think the bestiary specifies Aard as his weakness but I had an easier time with Igni.

 

[Beefy]

Finally got a hair and beard trim. Geralt doesn't look like a hobo now.

 

[Apoleptica]

Finally picked up that dlc Temeria armor.

 

[Teasing_Pink]

The detail CDPR went through in this game is friggin commendable. Anyone notice that when Geralt sheathes a sword, he actually pushes the sheathe upwards with his left hand so the sword smoothly goes in.

They could have just not even cared to animate that but they did. So good.

The different swords even get their own unique sheaths to boot.

Far cry from the standard "unsheathed sword hovers a couple inches from your back" that most developers default to.

I'd like to believe CDPR will usher in a new era of animators caring about such fine details, but I won't hold my breath.

 

[hawk2025]

The detail CDPR went through in this game is friggin commendable. Anyone notice that when Geralt sheathes a sword, he actually pushes the sheathe upwards with his left hand so the sword smoothly goes in.

They could have just not even cared to animate that but they did. So good.

And then there's the jumping animations...

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Just saw the scene with the Baron

Spoiler

saying the incantation for his daughter to become a lubberkin. Sheesh. That was pretty damn moving and harsh.

This game. Wow.

 

[King Cobra]

Just saw the scene with the Baron

Spoiler

saying the incantation for his daughter to become a lubberkin. Sheesh. That was pretty damn moving and harsh.

This game. Wow.

This scene actually made me feel something, kudos to cdpr they have a master piece here.

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

The different swords even get their own unique sheaths to boot.

Far cry from the standard "sword hovers a couple inches from your back" that most developers default to.

I'd like to believe CDPR will usher in a new era of animators caring about such fine details, but I won't hold my breath.

There's a good damn reason they have this hanging at their office...

They are not the norm, and never will be. They are one of the very last few developers who create AAA experiences with the same heart you'd feel from a finely crafted indie game. They pour an unbelievable amount of love and care into their games. Sadly, companies like Ubisoft or EA aren't about that kind of development.

Just saw the scene with the Baron

Spoiler

saying the incantation for his daughter to become a lubberkin. Sheesh. That was pretty damn moving and harsh.

This game. Wow.

This scene actually made me feel something, kudos to cdpr they have a master piece here.

Finish the Baron's questline to find his daughter and wife. The chain will keep getting better, and it's one of the first time you'll feel your choices truly, truly matter.

 

[woen]

For the "Family Matters" main quest, what do I need to when they say

Spoiler

Investigate all remaining leads in Velen and fin the Baron's wife ? I already finished the Keira quest and there is no indication of what to do to find the wife. I have to do "Ladies of the Wood" or "In Ciri's Footage" ?

 

[nib95]

What difficulty for someone who's played Witcher before, but isn't exactly a master gamer. Story and Sword or Blood and Broken Bones? Not even considering Death March.

 

[loaf of bread]

Can we not post endgame spoilers of a 100+ hour game thats been out for 2 days in the OT spoiler tagged or not?

Its one thing if the games been out for a while but if you want to talk about major endgame spoilers it'd be nice to use the spoiler thread at least until the games been out a while.

 

[Scrawnton]

I'm kind of disappointed the media was touting this as an open world game. I bought it expecting that and quickly found out it's not an open world game. Just very giant separated maps. That's upsetting

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

For the "Family Matters" main quest, what do I need to when they say

Spoiler

Investigate all remaining leads in Velen and fin the Baron's wife ? I already finished the Keira quest and there is no indication of what to do to find the wife. I have to do "Ladies of the Wood" or "In Ciri's Footage" ?

Go to the village near the swamp

Spoiler

where the children are after finding Johnny, and talk to the man there. He has a quest for you to rid an evil spirit from the area. Do that quest, and things will go on.

I'm kind of disappointed the media was touting this as an open world game. I bought it expecting that and quickly found out it's not an open world game. Just very giant separated maps. That's upsetting

I personally don't feel that's a very valid complaint given the size of the regions you do explore and the fact that each of them are their own instanced open worlds. Velen on it's own feels bigger than Skyrim.

 

[ctfg23]

Can your horse die?

 

[orthodoxy1095]

This scene actually made me feel something, kudos to cdpr they have a master piece here.

Absolutely. Moving moments in games usually have some amount of cheese or cliche to them, but given the Baron's character and presentation, the whole scene just seemed so much more real. He's really a character with some nice depth.

Finish the Baron's questline to find his daughter and wife. The chain will keep getting better, and it's one of the first time you'll feel your choices truly, truly matter.

Oh boy, that's exciting and worrying!

 

[erawsd]

What difficulty for someone who's played Witcher before, but isn't exactly a master gamer. Story and Sword or Blood and Broken Bones? Not even considering Death March.

You can switch difficulty at anytime. You could start on Story and Sword and if you find that too easy, crank it up a notch.

 

[Sevyne]

I'm barely making any progress in the main story. The side-questing is just too well done. Some have their own interesting little stories and characters. They make you actually want to do them. Simply amazing.

 

[Metroidvania]

Can your horse die?

Not as far as I'm aware.

Have definitely been abusing it for long falls, similar to Shadowmere from Skyrim.

 

[SlasherJPC]

I'm kind of disappointed the media was touting this as an open world game. I bought it expecting that and quickly found out it's not an open world game. Just very giant separated maps. That's upsetting

I'd still call this an open world game for the most part. These maps are huge. If anything isn't the main one just as large as some other games open worlds?

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

You can switch difficulty at anytime. You could start on Story and Sword and if you find that too easy, crank it up a notch.

Note that you will only get the achievement for playing on the lowest difficulty you did

 

[Scrawnton]

I personally don't feel that's a very valid complaint given the size of the regions you do explore and the fact that each of them are their own instanced open worlds. Velen on it's own feels bigger than Skyrim.

No, you are right. The areas are very big. But I wanted to be immersed in a true open world game and not have to fast travel. I'm pretty upset that's not what this is.

The game is very fun and the side quests are very engaging, but man this took a lot of wind out of my sails with my excitement level.

 

[Courage]

I finally found where I can get the Enhanced Swallow manuscript!

 

[mgs2master2]

can you guys post ending spoilers in the spoiler thread and keep it out of here if possible?

 

[woen]

Go to the village near the swamp

Spoiler

where the children are after finding Johnny, and talk to the man there. He has a quest for you to rid an evil spirit from the area. Do that quest, and things will go on.

.

Spoiler

I don't remember any Johnny ?

 

[Baldwin_the_First]

I need this in my life:

Anyone know where i can find it?

Hmm, does it really change like so between upgrades? I've only upgraded the default armor that you get, and it didn't change aesthetically, only in the stats.

 

[Wreav]

So I thought I selected to simulate a save file, but haven't seen the option to make my choices. Do i have to get through this first village quest chain about Yennefer first?

 

[Beefy]

Can your horse die?

Well mine has run into and under the sea and returned so doubt it.

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

Spoiler

I don't remember any Johnny ?

Spoiler

Then you haven't found the place yet. It's a swamp with an old woman named Gran looking after children. Follow the trail of sweets.

 

[Beefy]

I finally found where I can get the Enhanced Swallow manuscript!

Where was it for you?

 

[Yeul]

MORE ENDING SPOILERS:

Spoiler

What excited me the most about that quest was the realization that the future Witcher games starring Ciri could happen on other planets. That sent shivers down my spine. A unique sci-fi twist to a high fantasy series? Hell fucking yes. That world with the rocky pillars and red grass... Unf.

DONT LOOK ENDING SPOILERS.

Spoiler

Oh my god that's so true, I was thinking the same thing. I loved the entire vibe of it - like you could tell some places were lived in (like the area where the White Frost had taken over with all of the houses) or even the place where you looked into the sky and saw two moons/planets and like these crazy white contrails in the sky and it being once an ocean, but it had a mystery that made me want to explore. I have no doubt CDPR could pull it off after what they did with TW3. Ciri was an amazing character and playing her was crazy amounts of fun. When you're going up against Caranthir, it's so incredibly OP then when jump back to Geralt and you have to beat him it's like oh shit now I have to actually use tactics lmao.

And yeah, Vesemir! Was it Vesemir that was narrating? I thought it was an older Dandelion because there was one cutscene where he's like "Ciri and I, the bard Dandelion", but I could def be mistaken! Anyways, I got really upset during that scene and how Ciri just lost it and it took Avallac'h to stop her I was just like ;-; When you realize that Avallac'h was supposed to marry Lara Dorren before she fell in love with the human mage you're like...oh wow no wonder you took an interest into helping Ciri. There was one moment where you confront him about the elven girl in his lab and she's like "Oh Avallac'h hates her" and when you tell him that you can say "If you hate her why are you helping her? What's the connection there?" and he's just like "None at all. You don't expect me to reveal my true feelings do you?" I was like man....he cares about her lol.

My god this game.

 

[woen]

Spoiler

Then you haven't found the place yet. It's a swamp with an old woman named Gran looking after children. Follow the trail of sweets.

Spoiler

So it's another main quest, I can't finish the Baron's story without finding the witch. Thanks.

 

[toastyToast]

I need this in my life:

Anyone know where i can find it?

Good to see ponytail is canon hairstyle

 

[erawsd]

I'm kind of disappointed the media was touting this as an open world game. I bought it expecting that and quickly found out it's not an open world game. Just very giant separated maps. That's upsetting

Velen/Novigrad alone is bigger than many other open world games. Basically, what youre saying is that if the whole game was just Velen/Novigrad then its a "real" open world. However, since they also have another massive area and a few smaller ones too, its not? That doesnt make sense.

 

[Vidpixel]

The way all the various quests have been intertwining with one another is seriously impressive. I haven't been this invested in the lore and story of a game in quite some time.

 

[loaf of bread]

No, you are right. The areas are very big. But I wanted to be immersed in a true open world game and not have to fast travel. I'm pretty upset that's not what this is.

The game is very fun and the side quests are very engaging, but man this took a lot of wind out of my sails with my excitement level.

I dont understand your complaint at all. You dont have to fast travel at all. The only areas that are separated are skellige and the main world. I'm not even going to count stuff like the prologue, Vizima, and Kaer Morhen. These are contained quest related areas. Its no different than a loading screen when entering a city in Skyrim.

 

[Starsunder]

this game is fucking amazing and looks beautiful

like, i know for a fact this'll be in my top 3 games of the year, and may be number 1.

 

[Big Green Anus]

Still in Velen! Is there a reason why I'm seeing

Spoiler

witch hunters

even though I save

Spoiler

Trish

, which should had prevented the

Spoiler

witch hunts

?

 

[Apoleptica]

This thread is turning into nothing but black bars. Maybe you guys should consider going into the spoiler thread?

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

DONT LOOK ENDING SPOILERS.

Spoiler

Oh my god that's so true, I was thinking the same thing. I loved the entire vibe of it - like you could tell some places were lived in (like the area where the White Frost had taken over with all of the houses) or even the place where you looked into the sky and saw two moons/planets and like these crazy white contrails in the sky and it being once an ocean, but it had a mystery that made me want to explore. I have no doubt CDPR could pull it off after what they did with TW3. Ciri was an amazing character and playing her was crazy amounts of fun. When you're going up against Caranthir, it's so incredibly OP then when jump back to Geralt and you have to beat him it's like oh shit now I have to actually use tactics lmao.

And yeah, Vesemir! Was it Vesemir that was narrating? I thought it was an older Dandelion because there was one cutscene where he's like "Ciri and I, the bard Dandelion", but I could def be mistaken! Anyways, I got really upset during that scene and how Ciri just lost it and it took Avallac'h to stop her I was just like ;-; When you realize that Avallac'h was supposed to marry Lara Dorren before she fell in love with the human mage you're like...oh wow no wonder you took an interest into helping Ciri. There was one moment where you confront him about the elven girl in his lab and she's like "Oh Avallac'h hates her" and when you tell him that you can say "If you hate her why are you helping her? What's the connection there?" and he's just like "None at all. You don't expect me to reveal my true feelings do you?" I was like man....he cares about her lol.

My god this game.

E N D I N G S P O I L E R S:

Spoiler

I swore it was Vesemir's voice as narration, but maybe I was wrong? Especially considering how many times the voice says Dandelion during the time you spend rescuing him.

I agree that Ciri was a blast to play. The faster combat, teleportation, etc. Felt more like a character action game than an RPG near the end, when you're facing some of the Wild Hunt.

My only real gripe with the story was the way the Wild Hunt was defeated. They have a legion of riders, all those hounds, etc... And yet we don't see much of them until near the end, where we end up basically eliminating them in a few chapters/quests. The death of Eredin felt very, very lackluster.

 

[UpDownLeftRight]

Near ending spoilers!

Spoiler

Holy Shit Yen! That's one hell of a spell!

 

[GavinUK86]

Jesus Christ Geralt is a handsome fella with the short, floaty haircut and a goatee.

 

[loaf of bread]

Guys. Use the spoiler thread for ending spoilers. It doesn't matter that you tagged them or not. They aren't appropriate to post in the OT 2 days after release.

 

[LurkerPrime]

The mission design continues to be superb, even in more linear areas. There will be offshoots or easily-missed spots with glorious treasures, needing only a keen awareness to find. The mission itself, though mostly running through corridors, still manages to be varied in locale, enemy, and approach. For those curious, the quest I'm talking about is

Spoiler

Geralt & Keira's Elven Ruins Adventures... or whatever it's called. Not done yet.

I'm continually floored by the production values of the Witcher 3; not only graphically, but also design wise. So impressive.