The Witcher 1 Thread

[Deacdo]

I wonder if you can use the NA disc if you DL the EU version?

 

[RK47]

http://www.geocities.com/rkjunkmail2002/manual.pdf

Uploaded the manual. I read it during work. Hahah

 

[Trash]

http://pc.ign.com/articles/831/831264p1.html

IGN has a pretty good review of the witcher up. They tend to focus more on the negatives than on the positives, but they're spot on in what they discuss.


EDIT

On a side note, this game has me seriously hooked! I've been playing for more than a week and though I don't game nearly as much as I used to, I'm a good 10-15 hours in. Yet, I'm still having a blast in the outskirts. Well, that is after I started again from the end of the 1st chapter after the patch arrived. I've been skimping on the main quest to gamble, have drink games, become the best fistfighter, collect all the books, read the journal with it's huge amount of fun info, screw the 3 different girls, explore the map, talk to all npc's (many unnamed npc's have interesting conversations as well) and just having a blast in general. This is easily the most immersive rpg I've played in ages and I'm loving it. I also love that money keeps being very sparse. You earn a little and then usually spend it in no time on equipment, information, gambling or bribes. It helps quite a lot with the immersion factor for me. In the witcher book the main character usually loses or spends his blood money in no time either. I dig the feeling of being one step from being broke all the time. It makes finishing the different quests so much more necessary and rewarding.

The only thing annoying so far has been the loading times. Everything else is just extremely enjoyable so far. I'm amazed that there is so much to do and see in one area. Including some timed events I missed the first time (like the dwarf near the shore and the girl being assaulted by bandits). The investigation you're conducting is also very deep, with loads of information to be found for those willing to invest the time. Rpg of the year material for me, that's for sure.


Oh, about that beggar that asks for booze? You're probably talking about the guy near the bridge in the outskirts. So far I've given the chump every drop of alcohol I could get my hands on. After he got a bottle of premium wodka he told me I was a wuzz. Too bad I can't aggro on that cunts ass. Anyone found what he was after?

 

[indigo]

http://pc.ign.com/articles/831/831264p1.html

IGN has a pretty good review of the witcher up. They tend to focus more on the negatives than on the positives, but they're spot on in what they discuss.

No Oblivion mentioned :shock:

Only 6.5 in Presentation due to "big bugs" although none of those _big_ bugs presented in review...
Also I don't get those ign guys - this bad, that bad, this even more bad, that i dont like, this could be better, blah, blah, blah, great game overall, 8.5! Oh boy... Nevertheless its stil better than - this lovely, that is great, thats amazing!,blah,blah, what a crap!,2.0 overall!

 

[Whirler]

Strategyinformer cooked a one piece of smoldering poo:

http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/thew ... eview.html

Some nice quotes:

While an ardent RPGer might miss the expansive free roaming of Oblivion, the highly absorbing storyline (which has been deliberately avoided in this review so as not to spoil it for those who buy the game on this strength) coupled with a game that, for once, actually makes good on claims of early decisions directly affecting the gameplay makes it a worthy addition to the burgeoning dark fantasy genre. Perhaps not one for the hardcore role player, but an FPS gamer or MMO addict might well find The Witcher to be a great alternative to watching a DVD during the evening.

Yeah, it's good that there are still rpgs for hardcore gamers like Oblivion.

Top Game Moment: Getting drunk and seducing bar wenches is a terrific character trait of Geralt’s(...)

(...)

So, it's not the case of rating (7.7/10, gamers give it 9.3/10), reviewer is simply a moron.

 

[Volrath]

K you fuckers convinced me, I'll buy it tomorrow.

 

[Jasede]

I am considering it too, even though I already know I am going to find it distasteful. But so was Ultima 7(-2) in its gore and sexuality, while still being the best game ever.

I hope I can get Polish voices and text. It's gonna help me learn the language. If anyone has the German version, does the DVD also come with a Polish-language one?

 

[Deleted member 7219]

I am considering it too, even though I already know I am going to find it distasteful. But so was Ultima 7(-2) in its gore and sexuality, while still being the best game ever.

I hope I can get Polish voices and text. It's gonna help me learn the language. If anyone has the German version, does the DVD also come with a Polish-language one?

I've never met a gay person before who hated sex as much as you do.

 

[indigo]

Hope you english guys also get Sapkowski's short story included in the bundle, as we have in polish edition - its just great! I haven't read Sapkowski's books before and it helped me introduce myself to this specific atmosphere. BTW I wonder how popular Sapkowski is in western countries, because imho (i only read that one short story ) his style and overall feeling is very Slavonic.

 

[Trash]

I've never met a gay person before who hated sex as much as you do.

Fear of the unknown? :wink:

Hope you english guys also get Sapkowski's short story included in the bundle, as we have in polish edition - its just great! I haven't read Sapkowski's books before and it helped me introduce myself to this specific atmosphere. BTW I wonder how popular Sapkowski is in western countries, because imho (i only read that one short story ) his style and overall feeling is very Slavonic.

In the english collection edition the first witcher book is not included. This is also the only one of his books to have been translated in english so far. Bought it awhile ago though, and while the translation from polish to english sometimes feels a bit stilted the short stories themselves are awesome. Defenitely a big recommendation and I can't wait for more of Sapkowski's witcher books to be translated.

 

[Oarfish]

Perhaps not one for the hardcore role player, but an FPS gamer or MMO addict

Dear god. Has hardcore roleplayer now been redefined as oblivion loving larper?

 

[Deleted member 7219]

Perhaps not one for the hardcore role player, but an FPS gamer or MMO addict

Dear god. Has hardcore roleplayer now been redefined as oblivion loving larper?

Well according to most gaming editorials, Oblivion is the single best RPG ever made, except of course maybe Final Fantasy VII or Kingdom Hearts 2.

 

[Catalina]

I am considering it too, even though I already know I am going to find it distasteful. But so was Ultima 7(-2) in its gore and sexuality, while still being the best game ever.

I'm in the same boat. I find avoid extreme violence and gore distasteful, and try to avoid it. But The Witcher *really* looks like a game I'd want to play.

 

[bozia2012]

While an ardent RPGer might miss the expansive free roaming of Oblivion, the highly absorbing storyline (which has been deliberately avoided in this review so as not to spoil it for those who buy the game on this strength) coupled with a game that, for once, actually makes good on claims of early decisions directly affecting the gameplay makes it a worthy addition to the burgeoning dark fantasy genre. Perhaps not one for the hardcore role player, but an FPS gamer or MMO addict might well find The Witcher to be a great alternative to watching a DVD during the evening.

What a load of horseshit. FPS/MMO addict? - they won't get a fuckin clue what this game/world/books (oh sorry should be franchise) is about. Just read some comments on teh inernets from uninformed people (OMFG i went to forest and ther was a chick withe everything on display LOL) - how they will be dissapointed when they will torrent the game only to see there's no phat lewt, no bloom and lots of talking (not clicking through dialogues - it's easy to fuck yourself up)

I'd say you will love "the Witcher" if you loved Troika/BI games (all of them). And these were made for a totally different crowd.

And remember - play only on hard difficulty. Fights are extremely hard (at least at the beginning - later they're just hard) and you level up slower.

 

[Monolith]

And the mouse coursor isn't changing to show you when to click agian. And there's no quest-compass. I didn't know about the slower levelling though.

 

[Hamster]

And there's no quest-compass..

There is, but you have to activate it manually for each quest.

 

[indigo]

In the english collection edition the first witcher book is not included.(...)

oh its a shame then, cause its a great intro CDP/Atari could manage to hire a professional translator and include Sapkowski's text also in international releases, too bad they didn't.

On the other hand I wonder how anyone could reasonably translate into english terms from slavonic/polish mytology - for example "Strzyga", if it is translated into Lamia thats not quite it, since Lamia comes from greek mythology. I'am maybe quite offtopic here, sorry.Anyway imho it may be far more easier for polish/russian/czech/other slavian players to fully 'feel' and immerse into the Witcher's world than it is for english/german/other non-slavian players. Its like with japanese manga - we europeans aren't capable of understanding it as much as japanese do.Same with Witcher's slavonic atmosphere.
I am less concerned with europeans, we do share a lot after all, but as for americans,australians here imho understanding some Witcher's aspects can be out of reach (its not your fault od course). I think they're probabely gonna to compare it extensively to J.R.R. Tolkien to help themselves, but its definitely not the same - imho those are two very different worlds with Tolkien beeing much more universal.

 

[Trash]

Nah, apart from the not so great translation it was pretty easy to read the stories. The world is not that much different from most fantasy. Granted, it's rather dark, deals with a lot of problems that our society's in some way have and feature plenty of mythological beasties. Personally I think that most people with a little suspension of disbelief and some imagenation can read this. Then again, if you can't do that you probably shouldn't read fantasy or sf.

BTW Strzyga was translated as stryga as far as I remember.

 

[bozia2012]

And there's no quest-compass..

There is, but you have to activate it manually for each quest.

...and it just points you to the location related to the quest.

Example: you need to talk with the local crimelord. The compass points you to his house - nevermind if he's there or not.
Lots of quests doesn't have quest tracking - you may only be given a general clue where to search (like go to the swamps). Quest compass is here only for practical reasons (works like more like a real compass not some high-end GPS device) and does not make doing quests easier.

 

[cardtrick]

And there's no quest-compass..

There is, but you have to activate it manually for each quest.

The quest compass in The Witcher is totally inoffensive, anyway. It isn't available for all quests, and all it does is highlight the point on your map where you have been told to go, which is often not the right place for the quest, anyway. (So, for example, it will point to a house or a guardpost, but not to the actual NPC you have to find . . . which makes perfect sense, and means that you actually have to think about where they might be at different times of day.) As far as I can recall, it never points you towards anything that no one has talked to you about. It relies on character knowledge, rather than magic, and certainly doesn't spoil any quests or put you on autopilot.

EDIT: bozia2012 beat me to it.

 

[muds_animal_friend]

- Vesna (shagadelic female): "meet me in the old mill tomorrow, at sundown. Bring some wine". Next day I go help Odo, he says there's some weeds attacking him at night. I acept and then, automatically, it's night again. Bye bye, Vesna? (I didn't verify if she will be at the mill anyway, though)

She won't wait for you all night. You mus be there at the sundown

She isn't there. I guess it had to be in the next day I rescued her. I missed the oportunity, apparently. What now?

I followed the same sequence of events. It was extremely amusing trying to get the utterly shit-faced drunk Geralt to the mill before dawn while fending of monsters every five feet only to find drowners awaiting me instead.

She'll be there the next day at dusk anyway. Possibly she’ll be there every day until you show up at the right time. Don't forget to bring wine.

 

[cardtrick]

utterly shit-faced drunk Geralt

Haha, I still can't decide if I like this feature or if it's completely infuriating. I'm leaning towards infuriating . . . the blurred vision, staggering, and decreased combat abilities would be fine, if only you didn't walk so slowly.

 

[RK47]

Damn, everything works smoothly on my new system except for the sound. It keeps cracking up for some reason. Annoys me since the dialogue sometimes get messed up as a result. Updated my directX, i'm using on-board sound card, could that be the problem?

 

[bozia2012]

utterly shit-faced drunk Geralt

Haha, I still can't decide if I like this feature or if it's completely infuriating. I'm leaning towards infuriating . . . the blurred vision, staggering, and decreased combat abilities would be fine, if only you didn't walk so slowly.

Walkin slowly is the only downside. I liked the quest in which you had to kill some "plants". The questgiver put a nice tempo on the alcohol-absorption so when I went outside the house I had to fight 10ft tall "plants" while being completely drunk.

 

[scypior]

utterly shit-faced drunk Geralt

Haha, I still can't decide if I like this feature or if it's completely infuriating. I'm leaning towards infuriating . . . the blurred vision, staggering, and decreased combat abilities would be fine, if only you didn't walk so slowly.

I found it extremely amusing. Better immersion :D