Witcher has a retarded AI?

[cardtrick]

Abigail has nothing at all to do with the OP. He's not talking about fighting the Beast, but about the optional quest when you save the girl who's about to be raped at night and then escort her to her house, protecting her from spectral hounds along the way.

Anyway, I had trouble with this quest on my first runthrough, although I don't know if it was for the same reason as the OP.

The issue is that there are two quests that generate spectral hounds along exactly the same path at night. One of those is escorting the girl home, and the other is lighting candles at the five altars for the priest guy. In my case, I was already working on the altars when I ran into the girl, so I ended up trying to do both quests at once, which made things very difficult. Normally, the altar quest is easy, since you're alone, but when you have the girl with you being chased by her own hounds, and she then runs in to attack the new hounds that the altar spawns, it becomes very easy for her to die. Still, once I realized what was happening it wasn't too bad, and I was just careful around the altars and used the push spell to break up groups of hounds that were attacking her while I used the group style to kill them. I did have to use a couple of potions, though.

 

[MetalCraze]

yes I was talking about the girl from the tavern. and yes I had two such quests at once. but by the moment when she got attacked by my and her own dogs I already had no reasonable saves to rollback to.

@Madman: also no one asks her to run away. the defensive behavior could be the best solution in this case.

the game is good though, though quests mostly look like classic hack'n'slash - and arpgs could be better than that.
I'm playing through chapter 2 right now and what I don't like is that the player gets enough bronze points to get almost all skills in that range. which may kill the replayability. I hope it won't be like that with silver and gold ones (I didn't read other spoiler-topics about the witcher - you can understand why).

 

[JarlFrank]

Gold are pretty scarce, you get almost all silvers too, but not that quickly. When you level up you get 3 bronze, but with silvers you only get 2 and with gold only 1, which makes leveling up more meaningful. Also, you're in Chapter 2 now? Good, then the real fun begins. Chapter 2 and 3 are the best in my opinion, and the ending is pretty fun too. The Choice and Conseuqence parts are also nice, when you have to choose between Order and Scoia'Tael.

Also, watch the Polish short series "Wiedzmin". It's good. Really good. No, not the movie, the movie is shit, it's basically scenes of the series cropped down to movie length. I really liked the series and am already looking forward to reading the books once they're all translated. Witcher rocks.

 

[Nael]

The Choice and Conseuqence parts are also nice, when you have to choose between Order and Scoia'Tael.

Or neither

 

[MetalCraze]

I hope. because chapter 1 was too linear with only few non-linear choices.
also I wish The Witcher had more locations like Kaer-Morhen (or how was it written in english? I have the russian version). now the design of that castle was golden and atmospheric. almost reminded me of how it was done in Undying. the following village and the city where I am now look too generic though.

 

[Durwyn]

Also, watch the Polish short series "Wiedzmin". It's good. Really good. No, not the movie, the movie is shit, it's basically scenes of the series cropped down to movie length. I really liked the series and am already looking forward to reading the books once they're all translated. Witcher rocks.

WTF! The Witcher series and movie in poland are considered to be a violent rape of Sapkowski's books.

Really serious advice... wait for The Witcher Saga books translation... don't ever watch this POS.

Edit: Skyway, just wait for next chapters.. It's get only better and sweeter after you finaly got to Vizima.

 

[JarlFrank]

For someone who hasn't read the books yet the series seems pretty good. But the movie is truly shit. Totally incoherent and... well, what to await from something that actually *is* the series, only cropped down to a movie format?

 

[Durwyn]

Jarl... please forget the series... just get the books. You'll see that you've been blind, and you'll pray to gods for forgivness.

Geralt in japan samurai armor and using katanas... fuck it still gives me creepers after all that time.
Only positive is the main actor playing geralt. Hovewer his voice is too dramatic and calm.

 

[MetalCraze]

I've seen the series. I got bored with them though. they seem to have lots of holes and unneeded scenario moves. and also a total lack of magic. but what I've liked when I saw them - is that the elves were shown like the bad guys.
Sapkowski took a great move from the usual generic "elegant and wise elves" stuff.

 

[JarlFrank]

Not bad guys, really. Rather, oppressed people who are desperate and therefore use violence to survive in a cruel world full of prejudice and hate. And therefore, they become prejudiced and hateful by themselves.

 

[MetalCraze]

so they are acting like bad guys.
though I've never said there are good ones.

ah - and also - the sex thing is so over the top. though as far as I know the book had the same stuff.

 

[dragonfk]

Jarl... please forget the series... just get the books. You'll see that you've been blind, and you'll pray to gods for forgivness.

Geralt in japan samurai armor and using katanas... fuck it still gives me creepers after all that time.
Only positive is the main actor playing geralt. Hovewer his voice is too dramatic and calm.

If there ever is safe thing for one to watch the film/series its before reading the books. Although you'll receive handfull of spoilers about events from the two first books(which are by the way a gathering of stories about Geral), but there are no spoilers for the Witcher Saga(which contains 5 books and begins with, I presume it will be so translated, Blood of Elves). After reading the books no one will be able to return to TV series. So enjoy yourself Jarl, while you can .

One thing though. If you watch the film/TV series and consider it utter failure please do try to give the books a chance, because they are worth it. Everyone who has read and is a fan of G.R.R. Martin should find TW books as a fine read. To be honest for many years Spakowski's books were considered by me as a ultimate fantasy classics. It has changed the moment I read GRRM or Erikson, but still they are very high in my private TOP10 books.

 

[Madman]

come on, i can't belive you like the series. its piece of shit to be honest, at least in comparison to books. Do you imagine that sapkowski had problems with his heart after the whole production process and seeing the movie?

 

[dragonfk]

come on, i can't belive you like the series. its piece of shit to be honest, at least in comparison to books. Do you imagine that sapkowski had problems with his heart after the whole production process and seeing the movie?

Madman notice I never said directly what I think about the series. But considering my advice at the end of the post you could safely presume I dont hold the TV series in high regard. And you wouldnt be wrong.

 

[Durwyn]

Yeah and one of the producers went to jail but sadly not for utter failure of movie and series,but corruption proposal :D

 

[JarlFrank]

Well, I haven't read the books yet, so I dunno how much the series has raped the setting of Sapkowski. But I liked it. And I like the characters. When the books are even better, great thing! Can't wait for the translations!

Btw, hasn't one of the books already been translated? Should I begin with that one?

 

[dragonfk]

Well, I haven't read the books yet, so I dunno how much the series has raped the setting of Sapkowski. But I liked it. And I like the characters. When the books are even better, great thing! Can't wait for the translations!

Btw, hasn't one of the books already been translated? Should I begin with that one?

You mean "Last Wish" the first from prequels for The Witcher Saga. I see no reason not to begin with it, other than supposedly poor translation. But I dont think there will be any new translation in near future, so yeah go for it.

 

[Azarkon]

I concur with the criticism. However, having the girl run away would not have been ideal, either, for the reasons stated above. The issue is that she has to be threatened (or else there is no challenge) but must react to the threat in a manner that makes player intervention relatively straight-forward. Having her run requires that the player chase after her (and the monsters on her) and with the attack delay in Witcher this is a problem. Having her charge into battle or stand still, however, is inconsistent and immersion-breaking. Really, the best compromise that I can see, given Witcher's combat system, would be for her to put some distance between herself and the fight, and to shout out for help (but also to defend herself) if the dogs ever got on her.

 

[Nutcracker]

The "uninitiated" always seem to be under the impression that swordplay is driven by some wild improvisation with your movements. You'd be right if all you knew about sword fighting came from watching The Princess Bride or the LOTR movies. But in truth there really isn't much warrant for variation in your technique once you learn the proper technique.

What makes you the expert on proper technique?. The modern sport of Fencing has about as much relevance to genuine sword combat as chess does to real war strategy. The weapons you use in fencing are nerfed and would be completely ineffective in real combat, especially against armoured foes. Furthermore, it's done in a two dimensional arena which bears no resemblance to a real battlefield. The techniques are of no use in actually disabling or killing a person, all it is is based on flicking their torso with the end of your sword. The only thing it might really teach you is speed and coordination.

 

[Nael]

The "uninitiated" always seem to be under the impression that swordplay is driven by some wild improvisation with your movements. You'd be right if all you knew about sword fighting came from watching The Princess Bride or the LOTR movies. But in truth there really isn't much warrant for variation in your technique once you learn the proper technique.

What makes you the expert on proper technique?

10-11 years of competitive fencing in the sabre technique. 15 years overall fencing instruction.

The modern sport of Fencing has about as much relevance to genuine sword combat as chess does to real war strategy. The weapons you use in fencing are nerfed and would be completely ineffective in real combat, especially against armoured foes.

The last time I checked, TW was not a strategic wargame. I'm not talking about the Hundred Years War here where you have a line of hundreds of men fighting with a similiar line. We're talking personal combat here, where Fencing technique reigns supreme.

Furthermore, it's done in a two dimensional arena which bears no resemblance to a real battlefield. The techniques are of no use in actually disabling or killing a person, all it is is based on flicking their torso with the end of your sword. The only thing it might really teach you is speed and coordination.

In combat you have adrenaline on your side. Merely "flicking someone's torso" with the end of your sword is just going to piss someone off. A concentrated and direct strike on an unprotected region of your opponent is what fencing is all about (EDIT: In simpler words, there is a point system in fencing in case you did not know that favors certain blows over others, but does penalize for some types of strikes). That's why you learn things like the pirouette and the feint in order to fence. You avoid all contact until you are ready to cause a mortal wound. Therefore someone who is just waving their arms about trying to flick someone's torso is probably going to end up with a very sharp pointy blade in their ribcage from someone who knows how to take advantage of a hole in the armor or defense of their opponent.

And that is what I was saying about the combat in TW is that you follow a "flow" in combat through the combinations much like in fencing. If you fail at any point in your attack you back out and begin your attack (see also: technique) again. Obviously you do make small variations in real fencing where you see your opponent is favoring, but overall it is a memorization of dance moves; knowing where to step given a situation, and doing it precisely.

 

[Madman]

come on, i can't belive you like the series. its piece of shit to be honest, at least in comparison to books. Do you imagine that sapkowski had problems with his heart after the whole production process and seeing the movie?

Madman notice I never said directly what I think about the series. But considering my advice at the end of the post you could safely presume I dont hold the TV series in high regard. And you wouldnt be wrong.

that was not directed to you, should have quoted Jarl, sorry