Witcher or SoZ

[Vaarna_Aarne]

SoZ is a fun game that allows a lot more freedom. I can see playing it again and again, much like I play Jagged Alliance 2 over and over (though the combat in NWN2 is not so great, so I am in NO WAY saying that it is as good as JA2).

On a completely unrelated note, and I will be hung for even asking this I'm sure, but how is JA2? It's coming to GOG soon and I've been tempted to grab it. X-Com is one of my favorite games of all times, and I've gotten good fun out of some Fallout Tactics multiplayer.

JA2 is one of the best games ever. The combat is undisputedly the lord and master of all combat.

 

[Livonya]

On a completely unrelated note, and I will be hung for even asking this I'm sure, but how is JA2? It's coming to GOG soon and I've been tempted to grab it. X-Com is one of my favorite games of all times, and I've gotten good fun out of some Fallout Tactics multiplayer.

JA2 is one of he best games ever made. Seriously.

The actual game play is just fantastic.

The voice acting is also really, really good. The mercs will feel like real people after some time that will make you laugh and smile. You will enjoy spending time with them. And when one of your new friends dies, which they will, then you will feel a loss.

The story/plot is just enough to keep you moving towards a goal, but the game play is very open. You can do what you want.

And, as I said, the actual game play is just fantastic. Difficult, gritty, hard, and very tactical.

Plus, as if you need another reason to be convinced, there is a freaking fantastic mod community for the game. Seriously.

I don't have the link with me, but I am sure someone will post a link, or you can find it in another thread.

JA2 is amazing.

- Livonya

 

[WanderingThrough2]

Should one play JA1 first?

 

[Silellak]

Should one play JA1 first?

This was my next question.

 

[Rhalle]

The Witcher is excellent, and the plot does actually have alot of hidden layers to it.

On those levels it does what it does better than any game ever made.

Much of the Witcher is like that; it doesn't announce itself, which keeps it out of view for many players.

As a total experience Witcher is far superior to SoZ; the only reason to choose SoZ is if you are hungry for a taste of retro-NWN1-ish sort of adventuring.

 

[1eyedking]

On those levels it does what it does better than any game ever made.

Much of the Witcher is like that; it doesn't announce itself, which keeps it out of view for many players.

As a total experience Witcher is far superior to SoZ; the only reason to choose SoZ is if you are hungry for a taste of retro-NWN1-ish sort of adventuring.

It's that subtlety and intelligence what sets it apart from others.

Beside the first "YOUR CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES" bit, never there is something thrown in bluntly.

 

[Silellak]

On those levels it does what it does better than any game ever made.

Much of the Witcher is like that; it doesn't announce itself, which keeps it out of view for many players.

As a total experience Witcher is far superior to SoZ; the only reason to choose SoZ is if you are hungry for a taste of retro-NWN1-ish sort of adventuring.

It's that subtlety and intelligence what sets it apart from others.

Beside the first "YOUR CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES" bit, never there is something thrown in bluntly.

I did find it fascinating that the Witcher is the only game I recall playing where the "choices and consequences" aspect almost has a tutorial of its own.

"You made a choice - this is a consequence. It will happen quite a few times, in ways you don't expect. Good fucking luck."

 

[Livonya]

Should one play JA1 first?

Personally, I think JA1 was a great game as well.

But JA2 is better.

There is also something between JA1 and JA2, but I don't remember the name of it.

Playing multi-player JA was loads of fun. Taunting your opponent with some sub-par punk or with the high end Mike was always fun.

The whole franchise was great, but JA2 is the true gem.

- Livonya

PS: My dream game has always been a D&D game/plot with a combat engine that worked similar to JA2. So essentially a finished ToEE. My biggest regret in 25 years of computer gaming is that ToEE wasn't finished and perfected. The combat engine in ToEE was almost perfect, but it simply wasn't finished, nor was the rest of the ToEE game. Hopefully, ToEE won't be the last gasp of turn based D&D.

 

[Silellak]

Should one play JA1 first?

Personally, I think JA1 was a great game as well.

But JA2 is better.

There is also something between JA1 and JA2, but I don't remember the name of it.

Playing multi-player JA was loads of fun. Taunting your opponent with some sub-par punk or with the high end Mike was always fun.

The whole franchise was great, but JA2 is the true gem.

- Livonya

PS: My dream game has always been a D&D game/plot with a combat engine that worked similar to JA2. So essentially a finished ToEE. My biggest regret in 25 years of computer gaming is that ToEE wasn't finished and perfected. The combat engine in ToEE was almost perfect, but it simply wasn't finished, nor was the rest of the ToEE game. Hopefully, ToEE won't be the last gasp of turn based D&D.

Is there much plot connection between JA1 and JA2, or are they fairly stand-alone?

Does JA2 have multiplayer?

Sorry for all the questions. It's looking like this will be my next game after SoZ, so I'm just trying to decide if I should do JA1 or jump right to JA2.

 

[Rhalle]

I did find it fascinating that the Witcher is the only game I recall playing where the "choices and consequences" aspect almost has a tutorial of its own.

"You made a choice - this is a consequence. It will happen quite a few times, in ways you don't expect. Good fucking luck."

It's the only game that currently does the "consequences" fad thing and gets it right.

It works (and even the amnesia trope works) because Geralt's neutrality is explicitly at the center.

About as much of the major plotline/s that can be reasonably expected to change as a result of 'consequences' gets changed; and the ending still has a great surprise twist.

The storyboards of your choices (that I really dislike in any new game, tbh) get a pass from me in Witcher; that the voiceover is given to Dandelion also helps it.

What upsets me about the CDProjekt console business is that there's no way the subtle and truly mature undercurrent (the thing making Witcher truly special) can survive once they begin consciously cross-platforming.

 

[DefJam101]

I read the book, horribly translated as it is, they really did nail down the atmosphere of the series. It seems odd at first, but when you read the book, things start to fall into place. You realize that the world is more an examination of fairy tales and their effect on human views of the world than actually parodying them.

Unfortunately, the translation sucks balls and I desperately want to learn Polish just to read these damn books.

 

[Heresiarch]

Is there much plot connection between JA1 and JA2, or are they fairly stand-alone?

Does JA2 have multiplayer?

Sorry for all the questions. It's looking like this will be my next game after SoZ, so I'm just trying to decide if I should do JA1 or jump right to JA2.

Their plots are seperated. No worries about not understanding what happened in the first game when playing 2.

JA2 doesn't have multiplayer. However, there's a on-going project implementing a multiplayer feature in it, which is already in beta-testing IIRC.

Just playing single player without mods JA2 is already one of the best game released ever. Extremely fleshed out and interesting characters, excellent combat system, fantasticly open played, and very moddable.

No need to play 1 if you can't afford the time, many things are different in 2 and almost everything in 2 is better.

 

[goatvomit]

There is also something between JA1 and JA2, but I don't remember the name of it.

Deadly games was between JA1 and JA2.

 

[Raapys]

If you're going to play JA2, get 'Patch 1.13'( http://ja2v113.pbwiki.com/ ). It's a fan-made modification that makes an already great game *alot* better.

 

[Delirious Nomad]

JA2 is one of the best games ever. The combat is undisputedly the lord and master of all combat.

Best combat with guns ? I'm with you.
Without guns ? Temple Of Elemental Evil has even more tactical options (imo).

Witcher or SoZ ?
SoZ is my cup of tea, the boring Witcher is not. Are you looking for gameplay or story ?
With some needed and serious patching (and community additions) I can see SoZ sitting on my drive for along time.

 

[Volourn]

SOZ has shitty gameplay. Easy combat 4 THA W!