Interview The Witcher 2 Interview

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: CD Projekt; Witcher 2, The

<p>Russian fansite Kaermorhen.ru had the opportunity to ask CDProjekt's Tomek Gop a number of questions about The Witcher 2. <a href="http://www.kaermorhen.ru/modules.php?name=Articles&amp;pa=showarticle&amp;artid=359" target="_blank">Here's the english version</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>How would you describe the combat system? Will it be easier than in TW1? More casual?</strong><br /> I think it's too general to say whether it will be easier or not. Because now we have combat system that is more advanced. I mean it took more time to design this system. Some features were taken from The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf. Some of them we took from previous projects. But it was only a small part, most features were created specifically for TW2. There was a lot of work and a lot of features. We have worked for few years, only on combat system alone. But on the other hand we want to be sure that on the easiest difficulty level the combat will be really easy, easy to learn. But if you are a hardcore player and if you want to learn all these advanced features, you have to play more then you did in The Witcher 1. So it's hard to become a master in combat.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p><strong>Once you mentioned that Geralt&rsquo;s memories will play important part in TW2 plot. Could you give us more details on that topic?</strong><br /> Without spoiling, it's really hard. But let me give you an example. In TW1 you had flashbacks that were connecting right here and right now with what you have done previously in the game. And in TW2 you will have them as well but additionally you will have more things like that but connecting not with things you did in TW2 but you have done in TW1 and also even before both games!</p>
<p>...</p>
<p><strong>Will there be mode of active (tactical) pause?</strong><br /> Well it's not going to be like total pause but more of a way to slowdown the gameplay. It will give you advantage to choose a sign or a sword. But for example you will not be able to meditate during the fight or drink potions. This will be impossible, but choosing tactics will be allowed.<br /> <br /> <strong>So no potions through the fight anymore?</strong><br /> Yes. The alchemy works slightly different. You can meditate anywhere and you can drink any potions that you like, but you can't do it in the fight. You have to prepare for combat beforehand. On the other hand you don't need to find a fireplace to meditate.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>No potions during fights? I'm not sure I like this one. Do combat situations where you'll be in desperate need of a bit healing to prevent dying not occur?</p>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/101346-the-witcher-2-assassins-of-kings-interview.html">Gamebanshee</a></p>

 

[commie]

Actually quaffing potions during a fight is pretty stupid so at least that bit seems ok.

 

[CrunchyHemorrhoids]

I never liked the ability to heal in the middle of a fight, takes away most of the sense of danger, difficulty and drama.

However, I didn't find that to be the case in the witcher, most of my healing came from those health regen potions that I'd drink*before* going into a hard fight.

In fact for me one of the most pleasurable aspects in the witcher was the preparation for fights. Before heading into a crypt that I knew was full of ghouls I'd sit down, craft some swallow to regen my health, craft some cat's eye to see in a dark crypt, craft some necromancer's oil to make sure my blade was effective against them. It contributed to the idea that I was a professional monster hunter who took advantage of their strengths and weaknesses.

I'm glad that they're keeping this aspect of having to prepare for fights unlike some D&D adventurer who rushes into the unknown and compensates with an endless supply of healing potions.

 

[poetic codex]

I agree with the previous two posters. The inability to quaff potions in the middle of the fight is a good thing. Especially when combined with having to prepare for combat beforehand.

Hopefully, they also design the combat to facilitate those things. For example, only Witchers who invested in enough intelligence should be able to know enough about the weaknesses of certain rare creatures and have a better idea of how to prepare. If you encounter a creature you've never heard of before, that fight should be much harder than usual. Surprise encounters where you don't have time to prepare should also be harder than usual.

No potion chugging + needing to prepare beforehand = good things, imo

 

[Phelot]

Well, I gotta admit that in TW1 the potions seemed like quick shots that were apparently stored on Geralt's shirt in quick little pouches, so it sort of made sense that you could quickly guzzle them down. In other words, they look like they were physically designed to be consumed during a fight.

 

[MapMan]

If executed right, this can have huge (and positive) impact on action in the game. Especially on higher difficulty levels players should pay atleast as much attention to preparing to fights as to actual fighting (button mashing? )

 

[OuterSpace]

Hopefully stealth will allow to spot and prepare for combat encounters before they happen. If not, people will spam save and reload so they can buff up before encounters.

 

[markec]

If executed right, this can have huge (and positive) impact on action in the game. Especially on higher difficulty levels players should pay atleast as much attention to preparing to fights as to actual fighting (button mashing? )

Or it will be like in DA:O with regenerating health between fights.

 

[J_C]

If executed right, this can have huge (and positive) impact on action in the game. Especially on higher difficulty levels players should pay atleast as much attention to preparing to fights as to actual fighting (button mashing? )

Or it will be like in DA:O with regenerating health between fights.

If this happens, I will be very dissapointed. I mean, really, if I had to make a list about the worst things about modern games, the No1 would be regenerating health. No matter what game I'm playing, regen sucks.

 

[Metro]

How on Earth could the combat be easier/more casual than the first one? Good God. As far as potions go, they weren't even required in the original unless you played on the highest difficulty setting (not counting things like sight enhancement in the dark*) -- hell did anyone ever bother making the bombs?

* And apparently even that isn't needed anymore:

Will we be able to switch night vision on and off without using elixirs?
Let me explain it this way. When you're playing The Witcher and it gets dark, normally it's too dark for you to see anything and yet you can see. This means Geralt has better sight, he can see better than other regular people. So if you want to enhance your vision with even better sight you use night vision elixir to see almost like at day light, but even without any elixirs it will be brighter.

 

[deuxhero]

Meh, given that I kept a torch around (because all the other weapons for its slot are 100% useless) and only used Cat for hard cave fights (and then I may have just used Agni)

 

[Azrael the cat]

If executed right, this can have huge (and positive) impact on action in the game. Especially on higher difficulty levels players should pay atleast as much attention to preparing to fights as to actual fighting (button mashing? )

Or it will be like in DA:O with regenerating health between fights.

If this happens, I will be very dissapointed. I mean, really, if I had to make a list about the worst things about modern games, the No1 would be regenerating health. No matter what game I'm playing, regen sucks.

TW1 had regenerative health between fights. Slow but it was there. I remember taking a 'go-slow' tactic after some of the harder optional fights to make sure I could heal up enough before getting into the next combat.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

As an example: the fight against the Koschtschei or however this beast was called. It would cause massive bleeding and soon my health would be almost as zero, so I would drink a poition to stop the bleeding, but this would increase toxicity too much since I already was buffed with potions so I had to drink white honey and then white raffards to get back a chunk of HP. No potions mid-fight seems to indicate no fights difficult enough to warrant potion imbibing mid-fights. Maybe I'm reading too much into this.

 

[WarHamster]

Actually quaffing potions during a fight is pretty stupid so at least that bit seems ok.

This.

One of my pet peeves in CRPGs has been potion-quaffing in the middle of a fight, especially if it is instantaneous (both the action of quaffing and the effect of the potion). I'm so tired of CRPG fights which basically boil down to battles of potion attrition, where tough opponents can be won by just slowly chipping away their HP and spamming healing potions. In effect using the 'brute force and ignorance' tactic. Boring! Once you cannot rely on replenishing your health repeatedly in a fight with pots, you actually have to think and maneuver in the fight and do your best to avoid getting hit. And that is a major .

 

[tehRPness]

I still don't get that oldschool roleplaying gamers actually liked The Witcher.

 

[Darth Roxor]

I still don't get that oldschool roleplaying gamers actually liked The Witcher.

Boobie cards

 

[CrunchyHemorrhoids]

As far as potions go, they weren't even required in the original unless you played on the highest difficulty setting

I thought it was pretty clear that the game was balanced for the "hard" setting.

 

[Archibald]

As an example: the fight against the Koschtschei or however this beast was called. It would cause massive bleeding and soon my health would be almost as zero, so I would drink a poition to stop the bleeding, but this would increase toxicity too much since I already was buffed with potions so I had to drink white honey and then white raffards to get back a chunk of HP. No potions mid-fight seems to indicate no fights difficult enough to warrant potion imbibing mid-fights. Maybe I'm reading too much into this.

Depends on the design of encounters. Maybe they`ll make good enough encouners so your pre-combat and combat decisions will decide the outcome of the fight instead of the number of potions you have. So i`d say it will be either incline or massive failure.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

No potion chugging + needing to prepare beforehand = good things, imo

I'm expecting a flood of reviews along the lines of "combat is too hard".

 

[Gerrard]

Will we be able to switch night vision on and off without using elixirs?
Let me explain it this way. When you're playing The Witcher and it gets dark, normally it's too dark for you to see anything and yet you can see. This means Geralt has better sight, he can see better than other regular people. So if you want to enhance your vision with even better sight you use night vision elixir to see almost like at day light, but even without any elixirs it will be brighter.

Good, because that's how it should have been from the start and it's actually accurate to the books.