The Witcher 1 Thread

Just about finished with Act 4 now. Can't help but feel that this could've sorta been combined with Act I in some way. The whole wedding background makes for an interesting setting I think and could've probably been incorporated with the Act I Beast stuff somehow. As it stands, I think these two acts are kinda weak on their own. The whole Vodyanoi/Dagon thing could've been cut as it's just not particularly interesting. And when Act 4 comes around, it kinda feels the story gets cockblocked a bit.

 

Unlike many others I don't think Act IV is the highlight of the game (Acts II and III would be that for me), but I really love what it does to the pacing of the game, giving you some breathing room and also allowing you to bring a few secondary storylines to their conclusion before the main story really kicks on again. I think the game would be much weaker without it. It does play a role in the main story as well, so it's not pure filler, and as an individual story it's really cool despite having some stuff that's not all that great nor in line with the lore. Something that games tend to get wrong (TW2 and TW3 included, although they're by no means the worst offenders) is a constant fake urgency that makes it hard to justify all the fucking around, drinking, gambling, monster hunting, sidequesting and pointless exploration, i.e. the fun stuff, but TW1 manages to find a near-perfect balance with this, usually letting you do stuff at your own leisure without constantly telling you to hurry but also managing to build up some real intensity when it's required. Act IV basically outright tells you to just hang around, kill some time and do whatever you want until the dust settles, and it's really refreshing coming so late in the game. I wish more games had parts like that.

 

1 and 4 are the most slavic ergo the best.

 

Can't say I agree with you but I get what you're saying here. For me, I think it's mostly due to the fact that game cockblocks you (for what, the third or fourth time?) with Azar Javed escaping yet again, and then you're stuck doing a bunch of busywork again (some of which is interesting). The Salamandra storyline is way too drawn out in my opinion, with not much interesting happening for the most part, and in Act 3 I think it *feels* like it's going to come to a close but nope... And then that questline just lies dormant for basically the entirety of Act 4. I found that rather annoying.

But again, I really enjoy parts of Act 4. The wedding setting is really fresh and a great background for some dark shit to go down. It's interesting to meet Berengar. The areas are *fantastic* visually speaking. But for me, it just grinds the game to a halt it comes around.

Act 2 and 3 are the strongest for me. Just entered Act 5 now, don't remember much of it.

 

I recently started a new playthrough of TW1. On the camera issue, I find myself switching between Low Iso (F2) and OTS (F3). OTS is decidedly better in enclosed areas like crypts and caves, but Low Iso is generally better in open, outdoor areas for its "all around" awareness. I warmed up to Low Iso a lot when I figured out that holding down Mouse Button 3 zooms down to near-OTS levels. This works really well for running (and as we all know, Chapter 1 has lots and lots and lots of running).

High Iso limits your view distance too much. Enemies can be almost on top of you before you're aware they exist.

 

This

If you guys want to enjoy this game(s) 70% more - read tha bookz! If you do you'll never notice shitty combat system

 

Actually, Act IV is the most important for the storyline.

 

Do you have any data to back this up?

 

It arguably is the most important if

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you pay attention the the Grand Master's monologue during the endgame.

 

Hmm, but even if we assume that

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the grand master is Alvin,

act 4 does mostly influence the Scoiatel vs Flaming Rose subplot and is not linked to much else, iirc.

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Which would mean that the most important happening for the main story is Alvin tp'ing away, but that happens at the very end of the chapter.

Granted, I've played through the game only once, so I might have missed some of the C&C surrounding the Grand Master. Still, I think it will mostly change some flavour text, won't it?

 

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If you think that the motivation of the Grand Master is flavour text, sure. Jacques de Aldersberg's ideals are mainly shaped by your conversations with Alvin during Act IV. Of course, the result will be more or less the same regardless of what you choose, but it doesn't really make Act IV any less vital to the overall story. Cut Act IV and you'll cut an important chunk out of the game's main villain and his development, even more so than any of the earlier chapters.

The Grand Master being Alvin is not really even up for debate, it's completely obvious and pretty much confirmed in TW3.

 

Hm, ok, but it doesn't change anything about what happens in the game, does it?
The story will unfold the same way (necessarily so since the conversations happen very late in the game, so unless CDP has developed some potato-fueled time-traveling code...) and even if his motivations were different - his actions were not.
Even act 5 stays the same, I think? Hence, flavor text.

 

Act V change based on your choices (and a choice you made in Act III).

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About the Grand Master, his actions don't change, what you say to Alvin only matters in terms of "his motivation".

 

And if act 4 didn't happen then the mutagens would never have been half inched.

 

I was generally friendly toward Siegfried, but I ended the game as a neutral ninny. The one thing that disappointed me about TW1 was...

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...I didn't believe Siegfried would ultimately go along with the Grand Master's plan. That was inconsistent with the character of Siegfried from Act II. I thought it was more likely he would protest and be killed by The Order.

Also...

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I had forgotten just how insane the Grand Master's plan really was. Totally nuts. I guess I kind of liked that, since a lot of game stories try to rationalize the villain.

 

Same here. Ultimately both sides were being shown as fanatic idiots. Siegfried seemed reasonable enough over the course of the game, but

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during the end of act 4 he's absent, so instead of following along with one side, I decided to go fuck you all.

But I would have expected from

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the earlier interactions with him that you are able to convince him at some point to adopt a more open stance towards the Scoiatel or at least see the folly in the grand master's schemes.

Unfortunately such a possibility never seemed to arise. And maybe it would be too much idyllic fairytale world for TW anyway.

 

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I don't remember it that clearly, but I think that if you take the neutral path, in your final meeting in the epilogue you can convince Siegfried that he's not exactly fighting the good fight, at least to an extent.

I don't think Siegfried staying loyal to the Order was inconsistent with his character in any way, as even though he's shown as an idealist, he also comes off as a really loyal guy that wants to believe that he's doing the right thing, no matter what kind of a shady or shitty job he's ordered to do. Without Geralt or someone else to convince him otherwise, it's no wonder he stays on the Grand Master's side even after shit hits the fan.

 

I could only convince him to

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stop killing civilians. He would then proclaim that he will rather focus on the true enemy, the Scoiatel.

Maybe there are other options, though, depending on your previous actions.
You are probably right about him being a very loyal character. What happens in Act 5 should however make it clear to him that

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the order is betraying many of his ideals.
That's assuming he knows about that stuff or is not going all

 

For those criticizing Grand Master: and what the fuck did you do to save human race?

 

Only SJW were on the elves side in tw .

 

LOL probably


About Sigfried

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He was a knight that...yes, had some principle, but he was also extremely loyal and fanatic. He ends up to be as retard as his father was, so that really didn't bother me much.

 

Siegfried:

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Siegfried expresses reservations about killing Squirrels even after he wins the battle in the swamp. He seems disgusted by it, and mentions that the elves were desperate and starving. Also, there are other Order knights who don't like Siegfried because he doesn't hate the Squirrels enough. I'm thinking mainly of the knight you meet in the inn in Act III - the one who asks you to help find his vampire whore sister.

To me Siegfried seems like the kind of character who would turn his back on the Order once they let him in on the secret knowledge about Lord Xenu and how all the world's problems are caused by millions of disoriented alien souls who were murdered in volcanos.

It would be interesting if you could get Siegfried to turn his back on the Order at the end depending on whether or not you invite him to Shani's party.

The Grand Master:

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Did anyone else notice that the GM's vision of the future is populated by skullheads? If you read the lore book about skullheads, it says they're an extinct race of creatures from the past only known through fossils discovered by archeologists.

 

I got myself Witcher 1 even tho I really hate action-adventure RPG of this kind. The whole serie received too much praised not to try it (and it was on sale on Steam). Are there any essential mod to enjoy this ?

 

Essential? I can't think of any I would call essential.

Last time I played it I used Rise of the White Wolf, which I think is quite good, but certainly not essential.

Even though you generally don't like games of this kind, I do think it's worth giving The Witcher a try.

 

What I meant by essential is ''really good''. Any restored content one ? Cool and simple up-graphic ones ? etc.