The Witcher Discussion Thread

The Witcher Discussion Thread

This will be a thread to discuss any and all things relating to The Witcher series of novels, games, comics etc. Talk about literally anything relating to the series in any way. I will be posting a new question/discussion topic weekly to incite discussion, but if you'd like you can ignore it and discuss anything. Weekly topics are not mandatory. Just talk about whatever here.

If you would like to be tagged when a new weekly discussion is posted, just let me know.

Callouts:

Weekly Discussion 1

What is the best game in The Witcher series, and what is your personal favourite and why? As well as main entries, more obscure games like The Witcher Adventure Game and pen and paper RPGs are allowed too.

Witcher 3 of course. Witcher 2 was decent in all terms, Witcher 1 had terrible combat, but had awesome story but Witcher 3 is definitely the best in terms of combat/story/locations/side quests. +Regis is in Witcher 3 expansion and Emiel is definitely my fav character from fantasy books.

1 and 2 were the best RPGs as well as Witcher games. The expansions for 3 get an honorable mention because they are infinitely better than the base game. 3 was dumbed down and the story was prettt mediocre. They wanted to capture the Skyrim market. Even messed up some lore. Saying 2 was just decent is major lowballing and combat in 1 is subjective. I know they had a ton of people work on 3 (like almosy triple the people who work at Bethesda) but people need to stop this 3 circlejerk.

Still haven't played the first two games, I'll get them on Steam at some point. Witcher 3 is phenomenal, especially on Death March. It's one of my favourite games of all time.

Witcher 3 DLC was effin' fantastic. Both stories were indeed better than the base game - thoroughly enjoyed them.

@darthaznable:

Saying 2 was just decent is major lowballing and combat in 1 is subjective.

Lowballing? Maybe my english is not good enough (I don't know much words). Witcher 2 was good, but not as good as Witcher 3. The story of W2 was good, personally I prefer Iorweth side. (played the game 3 times). I just like Scoiatel and fight for Aedirn was great. And fighting in the W1 is bad. Only clicking LPM multiple time to make the animation faster. Only that. Enemies who have awful animation of parring and many others. I'm not saying that game is bad, the story of Alvin was great. The Lady of The Lake and Dagon were very nice addition. That's probably my fav moment in the game. Story of Alvin as the Grandmaster is even expanded in W3 when we found Alvin's letter to Geralt. And about W3... you can say that's a circlejerk but it's great game. The Game of The Year title and ~200 awards - they speak for themselves. W3 expanded a lot of characters, for example Lambert, Eskel and Vesemir. I always wanted to see them. Or more clarification about Vampires (Sapkowski's description about Vampires was... cloudy). I'm little biased due to Emiel but I still think that Witcher 3 with those two expansions is better than W1 or W2.

If there are any suggestions for future weekly discussion topics please let me know.

Is anybody reading the new Curse of Crows comic series? Four issues are already out and the fifth and final one is coming soon.

I have had Witcher 3 for I think a year now, I've barely played it. I always try and get around to playing it, but never do.

@lubub55: Maybe which side: Iorweth or Roche have you chosen or something like that? Or what do you think about Scoiatel.

You really should.

Never played the first 2 games but the third is one of my all time favorites. I'm actually planning to replay it in the next few weeks.

@xerolot: It's called rhythm and momentum. Witcher 2 had it as well. 200 awards? Okay? Expanded? They tossed in some easter eggs. Every game does that. True expansion would be continued building towards those characters/events. Sure it expanded characters that were barely in either of the Witcher games or didn't get much development in the books in the books but it also tossed others to the back of the bus like Dandelion, Zoltan, completely cut out Iorveth, etc. This is the same industry that hands out awards before games even come out. These are the same sites who pocket money to give a high score. People who use something like awards (many of these are left up to online polls lol) to back their argument are simply foolish. Let's just ignore the terrible pacing, hilariously simplistic combat that hardly calls for variety (dodge, spam light attack, use igni), mediocre plot, a ludicrious amount of boring filler content (clear monster nest #509, sunken treasure #606, clear bandit camp #54), some of the good side quests lead nowhere, some choices that genuinely don't matter as in they have no real effect on the game. These are the devs that said the game would change as the story went on when it didn't. The whole game is so static. Vendors aren't even programmed with a sleeping schedule. No one is saying it's a bad game but it gets so much wrong.

@darthaznable:

pacing, hilariously simplistic combat that hardly calls for variety

Are you aware, that the same things that you wrote here are also in the W1 and W2? In W2 you can roll all the time, overall fighting is very similar and that "rhythm and momentum" in not even near being realistic either so what's the point?

some of the good side quests lead nowhere

Where side quest should lead? It's side quest not story quest. Side quest in W1 or W2 were the same, if we are talking about this aspect - leading nowhere.

some choices that genuinely don't matter as in they have no real effect on the game

I agree with you that some choices have no real effect on the game like strategy before battle of Kaer Mohren but the most important choices have effect.

Few examples:

Tree choice? - effect, Baron and kids are alive or not,

All choices around Geralt-Ciri relations - effect, Ciri dies or not

Ciri-Emhyr choices - effect, Ciri becomes empress or not

Choose Djikstra or Roche and friends - effect,

Btw In the previous games are choices too. And most of them don't matter. Just like in the W3. For example in W2 there's only two important choices.

it also tossed others to the back of the bus like Dandelion, Zoltan

Dendalion had whole, long story quest and side quest. For Zoltan had his part in story quest and in side quest too. + Dendalion shows up in the expansion. You can see how Dendalion changes when in-love that's something.

completely cut out Iorveth

Iorveth and Saskia were made only for W2. Cd Project Red said so before.

The whole game is so static.

Just like W1. Only W2 is better because you have 2 different plot lines.

Vendors aren't even programmed with a sleeping schedule

Yup, they should fix that.

Witcher 3 is amazing game both base game and expansions great gameplay story graphics etc one of if not the best RPG games all time in my opinion over year on still playing it current doing replay on death march.

Witcher 3, followed by Witcher 1. Witcher 2 was great but felt too linear where Witcher 1, I felt like I had a lot more freedom.

I love the Witcher music for all 3 games.

Especially the Hearts of Stone OST.

@lubub55: YouTube the unreleased music Playlist, I'm listening to it now.

@slimj87d: This one?

People should check out the amazing artwork over on the CD Projekt Red website:

https://www.candb.com/en/artcollectivegallery/94/cd-projekt-red.html

@xerolot: W2 had great pacing. W1 took a minute but 9nce it got the ball rolling it didn't stop. They aren't trying to be realistic. Witchers are basically super soldiers. In Witcher 2 you roll yes but you make far greater use of your signs and in most fights you basically have to in order to survive. No one mentioned realism so why bring it up?

By leading somewhere I mean they could have some significance. Look at the monster hunting quests where depending on how you treated the creature, it would effect a certain side quest later on (don't want to spoil people who havent done that quest. Then you look at the quest with that Nilfgard princess (?). Starts strong then conflict comes, depending on what you say she reacts and then that's it. You don't get anything else out of it and you never see her again. An awful side quest. Just because previous games were like that doesn't give 3 some kind of excuse. Especially qhen they said 3 would evolve over the course of the main quest.

The heist was centered around Ciri. It sodn't expand on Dandelion at all. He had a love interest...that's it. We aren't talking about expansions, we're talking base Witcher 3. And again, Dandelion in the expansion didn't do anything at all. Zoltan has his own quest but he might as well have been any other NPC becauee that's how forgetable it was. Only the Ciri/Geralt/ and love interest choices mattered.

Iorveth was cut from 3 due to constraints. Basically the whole plotline got scrapped.

When I say static I mean the game doesn't change. Everything is the world is the same from beginning to end.

@lubub55: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Unofficial (Unreleased) Soundtracks - - - BIG Collection: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_eztCDu33iFtgbVGHADQ6FI6mXkJpNhf

@slimj87d: Time to listen.

@darthaznable: I downloaded a mod for W3 that made everyone 2 to 5 levels above Geralt and let me tell you, it really forced me to use EVERYTHING Geralt had. Yarden, bombs, oils, quen, etc.

I had a ton of more fun with the combat system. Since I couldn't risk getting hit, I had to strategically roll and parry at critical times.

Only useful on PC of course.

Witcher has the best vibe for me. Sometimes I activated the game simply to walk around Temple District or Murky Waters and to listen phenomenal soundtrack. Very good story and characters like Thalar, Kalkstein or Vincent Meiss. Big amount of subtle refferences to the books. Controls had been infuriating at the beginning but eventually I got used to it.

Witcher 2 has the best story. Especially I like the fact that without playing at least twice you won't be able to discover everything the plot has to offer. For example(SMALL SPOILER): if you had decided to follow Roche at the end of Act I, you won't know what's the deal with the dragon. However graphic was a little to colorfull for my taste. Music, while still good, is also worse. And beceuse of that vibe suffered significantly in my eyes. I welcomed much better (in my opinion) controls. And Letho of Gulet, one of the best villains in the history of RPGs.

Witcher 3. Easily the best in terms of mechanic and graphic. Very good vibe and excellent music. Story and charaters however... I was worried that it might be very difficult for the developers to properly introduce Ciri and Yennefer at this point of the saga. And in my opinion they failed. For me, game Yennefer is completely unlikeable, devoid of any reedeming qualities. There is no explanation for her relationship with Geralt, no explanation for her... "specific" behaviour. Ciri's backstory had been treated similarly poorly. Mother-daughter relation beetwen Yen and Ciri (so crucial in the books) is almost non-existent. Messing with a lore. Lack of Iorveth. Importing saves from Witcher 2 is pointless. Portrayl of Eredin and the Wild Hunt is a joke. And the whole Triss vs Yennefer issue... It's quite terryfying how much shit people are willing to throw at each other beceuse of differences in tastes. If you don't know what I mean, I suggest checking out comment section below some videos on YouTube regarding this particular case.

Overall, Witcher 3, while extremly enjoyable and fun, dissapointed me in most crucial things: plot and characters.

Exapnsions on the other hand are pure gold. Hearts of Stone is easily the best expansion/DLC I've ever played. I still have to finish Blood and Wine though...

For me Witcher 2 is the best beceuse of plot and characters.

Tell me if you'd like to be tagged whenever a new weekly discussion is posted.

@the_wspanialy: 3 seemed to bank on the books because it would take too long to cram everything in the game. The game was overly long enough anyway. Lol

@slimj87d: I mean that's the mod. I'm judging the base game. The only reason I picked Witcher 3 up again was because of that mod. It reminded me of 2 mixed with a more Dark Souls style of combat. I also like the way enemies are scaled with that mod as well.

@lubub55: Feel free to tagg me. As for a topic for next disscusion, maybe The Best Villain?

@slimj87d Mate, thanks for the link. I finally found that goddamn track! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf85I077I14&index=22&list=PLyWEavPIU4D50P1Nj073yIlO-dXB7m58T

@the_wspanialy: Yeah, lots of songs on there that you've been trying to find forever.

What platform does everybody play on?

@lubub55: Xbox one

PC mustard race. I couldn't play this at 30fps and even more downgraded graphics. lol

PC. It's so cheaper to build a good PC, specially if you use Reddit hardwareswap.

Consoles have become a rip off.

PC

I play on PS4 and Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is definitely my favorite. IMO Wild Hunt was the best game of 2015

In before the hate, but I couldn't get past the Witcher 3's combat. Geralt just felt so clunky to control. The world building was the best I've seen in a single player RPG. Novigrad was the most fully realized city medieval city I've seen in any game ever. Skellige was a beautiful place to just get lost in. As a sandbox in which to tell a story, Witcher 3 is nigh unparalleled, but the core of any game for me is the actual gameplay.

The mechanics on display in Witcher are just paltry compared to games like the Souls series, or Dragon's Dogma. Perhaps I'm asking for a bit too much to have the best everything in one game, but the Witcher 3 was so close, it annoyed me we couldn't just have it all.

@lawz: I heard that there's somewhere a mod that changes combat a little.

This is what I'd say too.

@tparks: Oh hey Tparks. I remember we were talking about "book Geralt is/isn't the same character as game Geralt". I was talking there that games are non canon so you are wrong, but now Lubub showed me that Sapkowski (who said that games are non canon) sold ALL the rights to the Cd Projekt so that means games are canon. Sorry friend, my mistake. I should research more information before posting something.

@xerolot: Sapkowski's comment has confused a lot of fans. He has a weird outlook at the games too, since he doesn't like video games. He's never played a game before, including the Witcher series, which seems really strange to me. lol.

@tparks: I know about that. He's just "old date" person and an boor who count only about money. But at least his books were nice and universe is great.

@xerolot: Agreed

Xbone

No Witcher thread is complete without;