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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt |OT3| Metz Some Ploughing Good Ladies In the Forest

I started this up last week and I don't know what I've gotten myself into. I've done quite a bit, like 50+ hours of sidequests, cards, exploring map and stuff and I'm only halfway through Novigrad. Am I wrong to assume that I'm not even halfway through the game?
 

nightmare-slain

Gold Member
Lol wow I assumed 60%-70%. Crazy. Novigrad is a bit of a slog to be honest. After the baron quest it's sort of just a mindless "the princess is in another castle" scenario over and over. Does skellige mix things up again?

firstly, i wouldn't say 40%. maybe if all you were doing was main story and skipping side quests (which you really shouldn't be doing). by the time i reached dandelion/went to skellige i was at about 70 hours in. my total play time was 105 hours. i felt that the skellige section was too short. maybe i played it wrong or something.

the novigrad section as you say is a drag. that was when i questioned if i really wanted to keep playing (i'm dreading it on my new playthrough). it certainly does pick up when you finally find dandelion and head for Skellige. it really is a welcome change of scenery when you get there. at least it was for me having spend a good 60 hours in Velen. just be prepared to use fast travelling a lot or spend time sitting in a boat to get between isles.
 

BumRush

Member
firstly, i wouldn't say 40%. maybe if all you were doing was main story and skipping side quests (which you really shouldn't be doing). by the time i reached dandelion/went to skellige i was at about 70 hours in. my total play time was 105 hours. i felt that the skellige section was too short. maybe i played it wrong or something.

the novigrad section as you say is a drag. that was when i questioned if i really wanted to keep playing (i'm dreading it on my new playthrough). it certainly does pick up when you finally find dandelion and head for Skellige. it really is a welcome change of scenery when you get there. at least it was for me having spend a good 60 hours in Velen. just be prepared to use fast travelling a lot or spend time sitting in a boat to get between isles.

Thanks. This is very helpful!!

I definitely have been doing side quests, not just the main. I just stay focused and don't just ride around on my horse because that's probably my least favorite part of the game (roach controls)
 
Lol wow I assumed 60%-70%. Crazy. Novigrad is a bit of a slog to be honest. After the baron quest it's sort of just a mindless "the princess is in another castle" scenario over and over. Does skellige mix things up again?

Skellige is amazing both in quests and scenery. Hard not to fall in love with the place.
 

All combat music is; my favorite is 'Blade of Silver', also known as 'Silver for Monsters'.

As for ambient, Fields of Ard Skellige is phenomenal.

So much of the music is not on the soundtrack it seems, such a shame. I love that theme too.

Get the extended OST, it has 195 tracks.

Ok so I'm level 9 and doing quests in Novigrad. What should I do to get new gear? I have mostly under leveled stuff.

Find the witcher set diagrams if you have the quest. Explore the ? areas, guarded treasures, monster dens, etc. You can also craft gear from the blacksmith/armorer is you found any diagrams and have the materials.
 

mxgt

Banned
Just finished the game, took 93 hours and did all the side quests and contracts I could find.

Got the
Ciri becomes a Witcher ending which I am really happy with
.

A really remarkable game, probably one of the best I've ever played. Now to start Hearts of Stone!
 

hydruxo

Member
Just finished the game, took 93 hours and did all the side quests and contracts I could find.

Got the
Ciri becomes a Witcher ending which I am really happy with
.

A really remarkable game, probably one of the best I've ever played. Now to start Hearts of Stone!

HoS is even better IMO, and the base game is already fucking amazing. You're in for a real treat with the DLC.
 

cormack12

Gold Member
So up to 50 hours and only just made it to Novigrad, level 12 :eek:

Still loving this. Couple of things:

Finding bombs/oils etc: I have enemies in my bestiary that are susceptible to certain types of bombs. Done plenty of exploring but not come across that specific bomb in the wild or in stock at a vendor. Do I just have to hope I come across it sooner or later?
Cash: Seems to be quite sparse. I can have like 780, then repairs cost a bit of cash, maybe craft an item, weapon or dismatnle then stocking up on a few bits of food for healing and I'm back down to being skint? This normal? I'm surprised by how expensive food is. Early game it was quite easy to keep using drowner and wolf livers. But they've dried up now.

Nekkers are horrible fuckers when there's like 4/5 of them.
 
And Blood & Wine'll be here before you know it!

Eagerly anticipating a release date, hope it's sometime next month, and not later in the quarter.

Finding bombs/oils etc: I have enemies in my bestiary that are susceptible to certain types of bombs. Done plenty of exploring but not come across that specific bomb in the wild or in stock at a vendor. Do I just have to hope I come across it sooner or later?
Cash: Seems to be quite sparse. I can have like 780, then repairs cost a bit of cash, maybe craft an item, weapon or dismatnle then stocking up on a few bits of food for healing and I'm back down to being skint? This normal? I'm surprised by how expensive food is. Early game it was quite easy to keep using drowner and wolf livers. But they've dried up now.

Nekkers are horrible fuckers when there's like 4/5 of them.

You can buy bomb diagrams from a trader outside Novigrad/Oxenfurt (
Herbalist hut
)

Don't waste gold on repairs, use the repair kits you find from chests. I wouldn't bother dismantling stuff at this point, it costs a lot and there isn't anything that you need to craft apart from the Witcher sets. I never once bought food from a vendor, in fact I sold all food I had. Just loot everything in sight (not in the cities though) and you'll never run out of basic materials, food, etc.

Necrophages are my least favorite enemies to fight. Always in groups, dodging and running away....just annoying. Use Axii, especially if you have the Puppet skill unlocked, on nekkers and let them kill each other.
 

Flipyap

Member
Cash: Seems to be quite sparse. I can have like 780, then repairs cost a bit of cash, maybe craft an item, weapon or dismatnle then stocking up on a few bits of food for healing and I'm back down to being skint? This normal? I'm surprised by how expensive food is. Early game it was quite easy to keep using drowner and wolf livers. But they've dried up now.
Have you been to the bank in Novigrad? It's in the town square market, a nondescript stall owned by a dwarf, to the left of the blacksmith's stall.
It lets you exchange all the foreign currency you've been gathering along the way. All of my Geralt's money woes went away the moment I got there (which sucks, because I actually enjoyed having to worry about money and caring if I get paid for my Witchin')
 

Woorloog

Banned
Superior Insectoid Oil, where can i find it? It isn't where google results suggests it might be (and one possible seller is dead in my game).
It is the only one i'm still missing.
 

X-Frame

Member
Just beat the main game, and immediately bought the Season Pass. Jumped right into HoS and wow the new territory in north Novigrad and monsters are way more difficult.

Whereas Death March at the end of the main campaign was too easy, I'm getting my butt kicked now.
 
Superior Insectoid Oil, where can i find it? It isn't where google results suggests it might be (and one possible seller is dead in my game).
It is the only one i'm still missing.

I don't think it has a set location, I recall getting all superior diagrams from random loot chests.

Just beat the main game, and immediately bought the Season Pass. Jumped right into HoS and wow the new territory in north Novigrad and monsters are way more difficult.

Whereas Death March at the end of the main campaign was too easy, I'm getting my butt kicked now.

Yup, HoS raised the difficulty a bit. If you're having trouble with the spiders running away every time you try to hit them, use Axii to slow them down.
 

cormack12

Gold Member
You can buy bomb diagrams from a trader outside Novigrad/Oxenfurt (
Herbalist hut
)

Cool, I'm in Novigrad now so will look out for that seller. To be fair I haven't found many repair kits at all in the wild. Have to keep seeing smithies. I'm not that fair up the Axii tree, got full delusion, might have to unlock puppet, thanks for the tip.

Have you been to the bank in Novigrad? It's in the town square market, a nondescript stall owned by a dwarf, to the left of the blacksmith's stall.
It lets you exchange all the foreign currency you've been gathering along the way

That sounds helpful :) I even declined taking a dive to Fishgulper for the coin, but felt bad and was pleasantly surprised to see I could give him some of the purse back but keep my legend/reputation intact. Nice touch I thought.
 

Woorloog

Banned
I don't think it has a set location, I recall getting all superior diagrams from random loot chests.
That's what i'm afraid of.
I really, really hate random loot... My best bet is probably find out a "guaranteed recipe" location (since such things do seem to exist) and just save and re-load until i get what i need.

I'd like to start a new game plus but since i only need one thing, Superior Insectoid Oil, i'd prefer to find it first so that i don't need to find Insectoid and Enhanced Insectoid Oil recipes again (IIRC, NG+ removes all recipes and formulas but not potions themselves).
 
Cool, I'm in Novigrad now so will look out for that seller. To be fair I haven't found many repair kits at all in the wild. Have to keep seeing smithies. I'm not that fair up the Axii tree, got full delusion, might have to unlock puppet, thanks for the tip.

Always enhance your weapons and armor at grindstones and armorer's tables you find, and use the right oil on your blade. The extra dps and armor is very helpful.

That's what i'm afraid of.
I really, really hate random loot... My best bet is probably find out a "guaranteed recipe" location (since such things do seem to exist) and just save and re-load until i get what i need.

I'd like to start a new game plus but since i only need one thing, Superior Insectoid Oil, i'd prefer to find it first so that i don't need to find Insectoid and Enhanced Insectoid Oil recipes again (IIRC, NG+ removes all recipes and formulas but not potions themselves).

Your best bet would by searching any ? locations on your map. The 50+ smuggler's caches in Skellige will likely have the missing diagram you're looking for.
 

Woorloog

Banned
Your best bet would by searching any ? locations on your map. The 50+ smuggler's caches in Skellige will likely have the missing diagram you're looking for.

Gonna take fucking forever. I'd very much prefer start a new game rather than search the world yet again. (Yet if i start again, i also need to find the two lesser Insectoid oils. Argh.)
Ugh. Besides, i hate sailing, so slow and annoying.
 
Yup, didn't mind the sailing but got annoyed fighting all those sirens for 1 xp at every ? location.

Also didn't help that the Lord of Undvik quest glitched on me and I never got the
horn that blows the sirens out of the air

Good source of materials and gold though. Probably made 20k from those caches - selling relics, and have 15k worth of relic armor stashed away for the next dlc.

Rising Sun and Zirael armor sells for almost 1.5k crowns to the right armorer.
 

Woorloog

Banned
I have Mastercrafted Ursine set, along with every other mastercrafted Witcher gear and an enormous amount of crafting materials. As it is, the only thing i'm missing is the Superior Insectoid Oil. (And gold but... eh. I could sell all my herbs and get a tidy sum...)
Random loot doesn't really matter me one bit, and pretty much all remaining quests are small, short, easy to miss ones that do not offer any XP at my level (37 or 38, can't recall). I really don't have anything meaningful to do without New Game+ :/

I think i'm going to just cheat the recipe for myself, if that is possible.
 
I crafted something of a Witcher Gear, and it told me to hang onto it even if I find something better. Does this mean that the item progresses as I level, or can I upgrade the weapons/armors? Didn't really get it.

Also, I did a couple of quests in Novigrad and most recently the Triss stuff even though I'm already lvl 14 (Triss quest is lvl 10). I was wondering how long the game takes place in Novigrad from this point and how it would work if I head off to Skellige, which I'm planning to do when I'm around level 16. Does one go back and forth for quests between Velen and Skellige or can you 'clean up' Novigrad/Velen and then pretty much do the rest in Skellige?
 

Woorloog

Banned
(Crafted) Witcher gear can be upgraded (with a minor exception of Viper swords) , so do not sell that stuff. You'll find recipes for upgrades eventually.
 
I crafted something of a Witcher Gear, and it told me to hang onto it even if I find something better. Does this mean that the item progresses as I level, or can I upgrade the weapons/armors? Didn't really get it.

Also, I did a couple of quests in Novigrad and most recently the Triss stuff even though I'm already lvl 14 (Triss quest is lvl 10). I was wondering how long the game takes place in Novigrad from this point and how it would work if I head off to Skellige, which I'm planning to do when I'm around level 16. Does one go back and forth for quests between Velen and Skellige or can you 'clean up' Novigrad/Velen and then pretty much do the rest in Skellige?

You'll be able to upgrade the Witcher sets as you level, so yes, hang on to them till you are the required level to use them.

You can complete everything in your level range in Novigrad and then head to Skellige, or head there straight away. You can always fast travel from one location to the other, and you'll be moving back and forth later in the game.

edit: top of the page Skellige love ;)

 
This is one of those games that I really hope has a fan-made flowchart of all the story decisions and outcomes. Almost done with Novigrad, and I was again blown away with all the different ways the game was allowing me to try and figure out stuff. Heck, I'm not even sure if the thing I was trying to figure out is always the same depending on how the conversation with
Corrine about Ciri
goes.

Also, I've gotten really good at Gwent. So many people to play in Novigrad.
 

trh

Nifty AND saffron-colored!
I'm at a point where I have to decide between yen and triss and I kinda just feel like laying down on the floor and stare at the ceiling instead
 

X-Frame

Member
Thanks for the replies. Also, what to do with books? I feel like they're weighing on me, and I can't seem to put them in a stash.

There's a bookstore right in the Novigrad square as well at one of the corners, sort of hidden. I always forget where he is, but look for the Merchant map symbol and you can sell him all your books.

He only has around 200-300 crowns though to buy your books, so by the time I discovered him I couldn't even sell him all of my books before he ran out of money.
 

OrochiJR

Member
I'm pretty far in the story right now and am probably facing the endgame soon. Current main quest is
Battle Preparations
.

My only minor complaint with the game is that, since I haven't bothered with searching for and upgrading any Witcher armors, my Geralt looks like a complete dork half of the time. Right now he is sporting blue assassins pants, purple boots and a black sweater that makes him look like a white rapper because it's two sizes to big (some kind of Skellige armor, can't remember the name). But that's completely on me.

Anyway, since I'm wrapping up the main story soon I wanted to know if I can finish up sidequests and contracts, and eventually Hearts of Stone, after the main story is done?
 
Thanks for the replies. Also, what to do with books? I feel like they're weighing on me, and I can't seem to put them in a stash.

A lot of traders will buy books, just sell them. Good idea to read them first, some have very interesting stories and description of events, and some add entries to your bestiary.

It's rubbish anyway, Aard and the crossbow are the way to go.

Yeah but would have still liked to have it on me.

I'm pretty far in the story right now and am probably facing the endgame soon. Current main quest is
Battle Preparations
.

My only minor complaint with the game is that, since I haven't bothered with searching for and upgrading any Witcher armors, my Geralt looks like a complete dork half of the time. Right now he is sporting blue assassins pants, purple boots and a black sweater that makes him look like a white rapper because it's two sizes to big (some kind of Skellige armor, can't remember the name). But that's completely on me.

Anyway, since I'm wrapping up the main story soon I wanted to know if I can finish up sidequests and contracts, and eventually Hearts of Stone, after the main story is done?

Craft a set of Witcher gear that complements your playstyle (signs, fast attacks, etc). You will look good and get a lot of stat benefits.

Certain side quests may get locked after beating the main story, so good idea to wrap them up before you proceed. HoS is not affected in any way.
 
Alright.

I made it to the beginning quest of Act three.

For those that have finished it, does the game just become a rollercoaster ride with quests?

Story spoilers ahead:
I went into the Isle of Mists as 25 and am now 29 starting the third act. I haven't even had a chance to craft my Superior Armor yet because the game keeps putting me in quests I can't get out of. I'm a little concerned I won't read 34 without cheating(I'm on PC). I wish the quests scaled to your level. I think I might be over leveled for all the story stuff going forward

Outside of all that. I still really love the game and can't wait to see how it all wraps up!
 

Staf

Member
Just got the Ursine armor. Wish i could keep this look game through, it looks way better than the upgraded ones.
 
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