The Witcher Enhanced Edition (Director's Cut) - Discussion Thread

[Ethan_Hunt]

Finally completed the second chapter last night. I'm willing to bet this is the longest chapter in the entire game. But it contained an amazing set of side quests and the main ones were really fun too. The most memorable quest in this chapter (to me) was Shani's party. It came as a total surprise and I wasn't really excepting it to be so creative, but I guess this game is full of surprises. Initially, I invited Seigfried and he turned out to be a wet blanket for the party. So ditched his sorry arse and re-loaded my save. Invited Zoltan and as expected, everyone loved him and his humour. Dandelion had some interesting facts to offer and the next thing I know, I was inebriated and barely able to walk. Managed to complete that quest and thank heavens Kalkstein's house was nearby. Crashed at his place and the next time I'm drinking that heavy, I'll remember to upgrade my Stamina stat which enhances my intoxication level resistance.

The only quest I missed in this chapter was 'Finders Keepers'. Had no clue where the con-artist was located. I visited almost every section of Vizima, yet didn't locate him. Anyway, the Golem's fight was interesting. I can't believe it took me close to 20 minutes to kill him with my sword and magic attacks. When I looked up the guide online, it said that I had to trap him between those posts which attracted a strong lightning bolt. Now that was a completely douche-y move on my part. Nevertheless, it was an easy fight. Wrapped up the contract quests and also beat Munro on Dice poker to initiate my professional level.

It seems all my orens are being spent on purchasing those dam books. Why in the f*ck are they so darn expensive? I was mainly busy purchasing armour and weapons in the sequel, but in this game I haven't even explored those parts. I currently have around 6k orens. Let's see how chapter 3 turns out.

 

[ALPHA17]

It seems all my orens are being spent on purchasing those dam books. Why in the f*ck are they so darn expensive? I was mainly busy purchasing armour and weapons in the sequel, but in this game I haven't even explored those parts. I currently have around 6k orens.

Yes, this was one of the reasons in the latter game killing monsters garners effective tactical knowledge that can be deployed against them later.

Currently who are you supporting, The Order of the Flaming Rose OR the Scoia'Tel?

P.S. -- You can take Carmen to the party if you wish to although it ruffles a fair few feathers. =P

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

Precisely! That's what I liked about the second game. Though reading book makes more sense, but it shouldn't have been such an expensive affair.

About the alliance, after a lot of thought, I decided to support the Socia'Tael. I have always favoured the under-dogs and their reason for rebelling is fair too. Why should non-humans being frowned upon and be treated like dirt?

There is this dialogue which Yaevinn says during his conversation, prior to the quest "Force to Recon". He asks Geralt whose side would I be taking in the battle and I pick the Human side of the conversation tree and it goes something like this:

Geralt: "Yaevinn, I'm a wicther. I was created to protect Humans from monsters, whether they have tentacles or scales or walk around on two feet giving lofty speeches"

Yaevinn: "I must admit you amuse me, but I shan't mock you. I'll also refrain from correcting your reasoning. But think how the Humans you protect treat you. Do they deserve your loyalty?"

That got me thinking. He was actually right. Most of the Humans I have come across, always seem to use a Witcher for their own selfish purposes. Most of the humans in Vizima tend to scorn at the non-humans and are always suspicious about them. Of course not all humans are that way, but those knights are definitely not the welcoming bunch. It's difficult to take a moral high ground when so much is at stake out here. Going by the Witcher 2's choices, I felt quite empowered when I had supported Iorveth. His side of the story was really amazing and more meaningful. I hope the same carries on out here too.

As for Carmen, I read what happens in that part and it's quite hilarious. That would have been a treat to watch. BTW I hate Dandelion's character design in this game. While in the second game, he definitely looks and plays the part that he's supposed to.

I just completed 'A posh reception' quest in chapter 3 and boy things really got intense with Princess Adda.

 

[ALPHA17]

Precisely! That's what I liked about the second game. Though reading book makes more sense, but it shouldn't have been such an expensive affair.

It is one of the places where the developers improved on the previous game and that is what makes me like these folks so much more than EA, UBISOFT and ACTIVISION.

Okay rabid fanboy leanings aside, I think it was a design decision as well because Geralt has lost his memory and he is re-learning, gleaning the skills he learnt over time. Also since the pogrom against Witcher's their existence and the information of monsters has also been distorted thus explaining why these books / tomes are so coveted.

About the alliance, after a lot of thought, I decided to support the Socia'Tael. I have always favoured the under-dogs and their reason for rebelling is fair too. Why should non-humans being frowned upon and be treated like dirt?

There is this dialogue which Yaevinn says during his conversation, prior to the quest "Force to Recon". He asks Geralt whose side would I be taking in the battle and I pick the Human side of the conversation tree and it goes something like this:

Geralt: "Yaevinn, I'm a wicther. I was created to protect Humans from monsters, whether they have tentacles or scales or walk around on two feet giving lofty speeches"

Yaevinn: "I must admit you amuse me, but I shan't mock you. I'll also refrain from correcting your reasoning. But think how the Humans you protect treat you. Do they deserve your loyalty?"

That got me thinking. He was actually right. Most of the Humans I have come across, always seem to use a Witcher for their own selfish purposes. Most of the humans in Vizima tend to scorn at the non-humans and are always suspicious about them. Of course not all humans are that way, but those knights are definitely not the welcoming bunch. It's difficult to take a moral high ground when so much is at stake out here. Going by the Witcher 2's choices, I felt quite empowered when I had supported Iorveth. His side of the story was really amazing and more meaningful. I hope the same carries on out here too.

I think that is the game speaking to us on the counts of racism, bigotry and male chauvinism prevalent in current societies as well in those of the Western past (lack of female knights in the Order).

Even I like the Scoia'Tel path a lot more although the original game had a lot more ambiguous overtones than the latter title. You will understand in the ending.

Either way this game makes you realize the importance of good story telling and mature dialogue.

That would have been a treat to watch. BTW I hate Dandelion's character design in this game. While in the second game, he definitely looks and plays the part that he's supposed to.

Did you get the extra content from GoG.com? Just download the artbook for both titles and you will realize how much the pre-production aesthetics and values have improved.

I just completed 'A posh reception' quest in chapter 3 and boy things really got intense with Princess Adda.

Gotta Catch 'em all. =P

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

Okay rabid fanboy leanings aside, I think it was a design decision as well because Geralt has lost his memory and he is re-learning, gleaning the skills he learnt over time. Also since the pogrom against Witcher's their existence and the information of monsters has also been distorted thus explaining why these books / tomes are so coveted.

Correct. The books do play a vast role in identifying the key aspects of a creature/location/NPC which mildly justifies their purchase. The Journals in the Witcher series have always been brief and appropriately drafted. The entries do deserve a full read. I'm not a huge fan of reading; books or otherwise. But this game clearly has a variety of deeply engaging content, thus making it impossible to ignore the reading aspect.

I think that is the game speaking to us on the counts of racism, bigotry and male chauvinism prevalent in current societies as well in those of the Western past (lack of female knights in the Order).

Even I like the Scoia'Tel path a lot more although the original game had a lot more ambiguous overtones than the latter title. You will understand in the ending.

Either way this game makes you realize the importance of good story telling and mature dialogue.

Amen! It's a distinctive world the CDPR has created and with the amount of decisions one has to take in this journey, one can only help but wonder how such brilliant ideas were even contrived in the first place. I do hope that this developer doesn't succumb to the ever greedy sequel desires of the current generation and ends the series gracefully with Witcher 3. They have a bright future ahead of them and no point in just harnessing it towards one franchise. Cyberpunk should probably give us a good perspective of their diversity.

Did you get the extra content from GoG.com? Just download the artbook for both titles and you will realize how much the pre-production aesthetics and values have improved.

I just skimmed through the initial parts of the Art-book and I'm shocked at the amount of research these people have put into developing this game. The cemetery parts, especially, are so eerie. The latter parts were a bit spolierific, so decided to go through it once I complete the game.

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

Sorry for not updating for weeks now, but was completely swamped at work, so didn't get much time to post daily updated. Anyway, I finally managed to complete the game last night. Clocked exactly 60 hours and 40 minutes according to gameplay time tracker with Geralt being at level 40.

About the game, I'd probably not have enough words to describe how utterly amazing this it was, just like it's sequel. I hate myself for not playing this first and then playing Assassin's of Kings. There was so much in this game, which I can somehow now (faintly) associate with the second game. CD Projekt Red had got everything right in the story department. The gameplay, though clunky at first, managed to grow on me. The only thing I didn't manage to create in this game were bombs. I was brewing potions all the way. But after playing both the games, I find it hard to believe the amount of changes which CDPR decided to bring in the second game. It still remains my best RPG till date, no two ways about it.

Although, I would still want just one small part rectified in their future games. Quest failure needs to be addressed properly. It's very easy to over-look on certain aspects of the game and miss so much side activities due to it. They should really be more clear about what exactly is required in the quest and provide opportunities for players to put more effort into completing it and not just provide vague clues. For instance, I had this side quest from chapter III called 'Won't Hurt a Bit' wherein I had to collect a different variety of teeth for Zahin Schmartz. I had collected most of the rare creatures teeth that I could find and when I met him towards the end of the chapter and gave him my final findings, the quest still needed more. I was totally confused as to what f*cking teeth did I miss? I viewed a walkthrough, made a checklist and realised I didn't provide him the most silliest teeth of all; a Beast fang. WTF? I could have literally got it from any common dog when I was in Vizima, but after the events in the final chapter, there are no dogs left. Luckily, I stumbled upon those armoured hounds who gave me the missing piece of this quest and it was finally complete. Believe me, I was this close to the end and it was really annoying me. This is something which I really feel they should work upon. Also, possibly try to incorporate a New Game + option for people who opt for multiple play-throughs.

With that said, I'm glad I played this title, even though it took up almost an entire month; it was bloody worth it. Nice to see an RPG from 2007 which can still holds it's rank. Also, once again, thank you ALPHA17 for pushing me to play these game and your constant devotion to this series; it's truly remarkable. Black_Hawk I hope your listening (now that I have tagged you), being a fellow RPG lover, do not miss this game and it's sequel. You'll regret not playing it.

I'm doing away with RPG games at the moment and will resume my next venture with (possibly) Dragon's Dogma. That won't be until I clear my existing backlog, which had piled up at a pain-staking rate. But Witcher 3, you better deliver. Thank you CDPR for this wonderful experience.

 

[ALPHA17]

About the game, I'd probably not have enough words to describe how utterly amazing this it was, just like it's sequel. I hate myself for not playing this first and then playing Assassin's of Kings. There was so much in this game, which I can somehow now (faintly) associate with the second game. CD Projekt Red had got everything right in the story department. The gameplay, though clunky at first, managed to grow on me. The only thing I didn't manage to create in this game were bombs. I was brewing potions all the way. But after playing both the games, I find it hard to believe the amount of changes which CDPR decided to bring in the second game. It still remains my best RPG till date, no two ways about it.

Yes, the second game is a retooled beast in itself, different engine, different combat systems, improved rest functionality, LoD of the environment around you and fluidity.

All this without deviating from the track of providing the player will a legitimate, mature and thought provoking narrative(s), choice and consequences. Also a world that reacts to you naturally, not like you are written in-to the system like an aberration.

Although, I would still want just one small part rectified in their future games. Quest failure needs to be addressed properly. It's very easy to over-look on certain aspects of the game and miss so much side activities due to it. They should really be more clear about what exactly is required in the quest and provide opportunities for players to put more effort into completing it and not just provide vague clues. For instance, I had this side quest from chapter III called 'Won't Hurt a Bit' wherein I had to collect a different variety of teeth for Zahin Schmartz. I had collected most of the rare creatures teeth that I could find and when I met him towards the end of the chapter and gave him my final findings, the quest still needed more. I was totally confused as to what f*cking teeth did I miss? I viewed a walkthrough, made a checklist and realised I didn't provide him the most silliest teeth of all; a Beast fang. WTF? I could have literally got it from any common dog when I was in Vizima, but after the events in the final chapter, there are no dogs left. Luckily, I stumbled upon those armoured hounds who gave me the missing piece of this quest and it was finally complete. Believe me, I was this close to the end and it was really annoying me. This is something which I really feel they should work upon. Also, possibly try to incorporate a New Game + option for people who opt for multiple play-throughs.

I agree the Journal although powerful was easy to get confused in and did not offer any assistance on the status of said Quest / Objective. This is a major improvement in the sequel where the Journal was comprehensively updated.

One of the few reasons even I have not experienced all the side-quests in the original title even after going through it for ~4 times.

With that said, I'm glad I played this title, even though it took up almost an entire month; it was bloody worth it. Nice to see an RPG from 2007 which can still holds it's rank. Also, once again, thank you ALPHA17 for pushing me to play these game and your constant devotion to this series; it's truly remarkable. Black_Hawk I hope your listening (now that I have tagged you), being a fellow RPG lover, do not miss this game and it's sequel. You'll regret not playing it.

Thanks for the kind words, I just enjoyed the game because had no baggage and expectations attached when this title was purchased on the side (from Chandigarh).

Also great that you are enjoying the series. Not all my friends think the same on RPG's but feels good when you can relate and discuss on a point, deliberate your choice at a certain point in the game. Breaking stereotypes in game about righteous and wrongful acts is secondary, just the world created is more humane and organic than say SKYRIM (and I don't say this lightly).

I'm doing away with RPG games at the moment and will resume my next venture with (possibly) Dragon's Dogma. That won't be until I clear my existing backlog, which had piled up at a pain-staking rate. But Witcher 3, you better deliver. Thank you CDPR for this wonderful experience.

Fair winds, White One. Trust in CD PROJEKT RED to deliver, I do.

 

[quan chi]

How you find the torches or the cat potion? In the crypt its total darkness. So many options makes it confusing.

 

[Jc36]

It's been a long time but I think you had to make your potions, especially cat and tawny owl. The ingredients shouldn't be too hard to find.

 

[quan chi]

It's been a long time but I think you had to make your potions, especially cat and tawny owl. The ingredients shouldn't be too hard to find.

Okay I think its the unknown potion. I think I don't have the option for alchemy yet.

 

[quan chi]

The game crashes so much.[DOUBLEPOST=1421753318][/DOUBLEPOST]The beast fight is just stupid. Unnecessarily tough.

 

[quan chi]

No doubt I am loving this game. However is there any solution for the crashes? I have spend around 16 hours in this game & it must have crashed more than that.

 

[Jc36]

Try installing the 4gb patch from http://www.ntcore.com/4gb_patch.php and patch witcher.exe, or use the Steam key to get the free GOG version which seems to be better.

 

[quan chi]

^^Thanks for the reply. Will see them.

So many quests, sub quests & side quests its difficult to keep a track of all. Still better than mass effect.

 

[quan chi]

After spending 25+ hours on this game I can say that this game is really different. It was really good so far. I am in chapter 3. Almost all the side quests are interesting and almost different. This is a good thing since in most of the other games we have repetitive boring side quests.

 

[quan chi]

It seems this game is long.

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

Yes it is. With the side content added, it can easily go above 50 hours. It's completely worth it though as the story, characters and the world just draws you in. The same holds true for Witcher 2 as well.

 

[quan chi]

Yes I am close to 40 hours & I am in chapter 4. Anyways don't know about witcher 2 but this game has one of the best locations with equally enchanting music.

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

Music is an absolute strong point in this game. It's slavic nature and the countryside tunes are very mesmerising. For an 8 year old game, it still holds up quite well. The combat wasn't really something I admired, but it grew on me. Maxed out Geralt towards the end.

 

[quan chi]

Spend around 2-3 hours in 4th chapter this chapter is funny I think most of the story revolves around a love triangle. Voice acting at some places are really bad. Some situations ( or animations) really feels funny when actually they are serious. Still The game is kickass!