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The Witcher 1 Thread

Joined
Apr 10, 2015
Messages
139
I love this game, but by God does the combat make me want to jam nails into my eye sockets. It's perhaps one of the clunkiest games I've ever played, especially since the design of it seems to want to engender a more action oriented style of play, a la TW2. The core of it seems to be to try and avoid taking damage in the first place, but it falls apart the moment you realize that there's no fluidity of motion whatsoever, and you can be damaged by attacks that aren't even properly visually represented. Thankfully you can start tanking better by chapter 2, so it becomes less of a problem, but chapter 1 with the dogs is an absolute slog. It's pretty much kiting until you recharge your endurance so you can use the aard sign to instantly kill something, which even then doesn't always work, because the animation might not register properly.

This is speaking from the perspective of someone who has played this game only on vanilla hard mode, and on the "hardcore" FCR difficulty, FYI. I've been replaying it over the past few days and the need to vent is intense.
 
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moon knight

Matt7895's alt
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Apr 7, 2015
Messages
1,101
Location
Italy
I love this game, but by God does the combat make me want to jam nails into my eye sockets. It's perhaps one of the clunkiest games I've ever played, especially since the design of it seems to want to engender a more action oriented style of play, a la TW2. The core of it seems to be to try and avoid taking damage in the first place, but it falls apart the moment you realize that there's no fluidity of motion whatsoever, and you can be damaged by attacks that aren't even properly visually represented. Thankfully you can start tanking better by chapter 2, so it becomes less of a problem, but chapter 1 with the dogs is an absolute slog. It's pretty much kiting until you recharge your endurance so you can use the aard sign to instantly kill something, which even then doesn't always work, because the animation might not register properly.

This is speaking from the perspective of someone who has played this game only on vanilla hard mode, and on the "hardcore" FCR difficulty, FYI. I've been replaying it over the past few days and the need to vent is intense.

Try to learn and use alchemy, that would make the combat better, deeper. Of course, it doesn't fix the animations and controls, but that is a great limitation of the Aurora engine. Which was a bad engine even back in the days of Neverwinter Nights.
 

Frozen

Arcane
Joined
Jan 1, 2014
Messages
8,303
Haven't played it in years...now im in the mid of second chapter swamp-dike-swamp fetching around...and im kind of stuck...can anyone help me?
All quests I have are on wait (cant improve further) the only thing that can is Kalksteins quest about gaining info on mage tower (I already have a book about it from way before) but when I return to Kalkstein nothing happens.
As I recall maybe I have to go from place of power in the swamp with the thingy he gave me to trigger it or what? The thing is I cant find the place of power in the swamp ( around Melitele shrine? but there is nothing around.)
 

pippin

Guest
If I remember correctly all the quests and info bits you get about the Mage Tower during chapter 2 carry on to chapter 3. The bits about Kalkstein and Leuvaarden carry on as well. Also I think the place of power has to do with a golem fight? At least I think it is. You're not supposed to harm or kill the guy you escort back to this cottage in the swamp

he's a cannibal

But you can do the quests without him.
 

Frozen

Arcane
Joined
Jan 1, 2014
Messages
8,303
I just solved the problem...journal is kind of murky.
I needed to find a second book ( the one from grandpa cannibal I already had).Vivaldi had it.
 

pippin

Guest
The journal is fine but you have to keep track of what you're doing. Yeah at first I was confused as well since most rpgs tend to have autoconclusive chapters. It was nice to see this new model, with proper detective work and global problems and etc.
Many people liked chapter 4, but I felt it was somewhat out of place. But the story needed you to get away from the shitstorm.
 

moon knight

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The journal is fine but you have to keep track of what you're doing. Yeah at first I was confused as well since most rpgs tend to have autoconclusive chapters. It was nice to see this new model, with proper detective work and global problems and etc.
Many people liked chapter 4, but I felt it was somewhat out of place. But the story needed you to get away from the shitstorm.

I actually think that "out of place" was intended. IIRC, they say it in one of the dev's journal videos in the EE.
 

Neanderthal

Arcane
Joined
Jul 7, 2015
Messages
3,626
Location
Granbretan
Chapter 4 were heart o game weren't it? I mean this is where you interact with Alvin, give him all the answers that he spits back at you at end. You finalise your relationship with Triss or Shani and Alvin is lost, creating the antagonist of that game. The Dimeritium amulet is introduced, which makes your righteous killing of the "monster" Jaxque DeAldersburg suddenly a sickening execution of a boy you swore to protect and fail. That last one was theme of game for me, we've got no right to decide who's the monster, and when we do we fuck up.
 

Starwars

Arcane
Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Messages
2,829
Location
Sweden
I'm starting a replay of this... for some reason. Not sure what else to play and I've always been meaning to try and go through the 3 games now that they're all released. Though I highly doubt I'll manage.

Witcher 1 still looks really impressive to me, especially considering its age. The atmosphere is awesome, they really have a talent for that.

What a mess the Chapter 1 opening cutscene is though (with Shani, Alvin, the beast and all that). The bit where the villagers are yelling at each other is downright hilarious.
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
I'm starting a replay of this... for some reason. Not sure what else to play and I've always been meaning to try and go through the 3 games now that they're all released. Though I highly doubt I'll manage.

Witcher 1 still looks really impressive to me, especially considering its age. The atmosphere is awesome, they really have a talent for that.

What a mess the Chapter 1 opening cutscene is though (with Shani, Alvin, the beast and all that). The bit where the villagers are yelling at each other is downright hilarious.

I'll always defend Chapter 1 because of its originality and ballsiness. It is weird and folklorish and very much NOT like other RPGs of modern times.

It also tends to be where Kotakuites tend to lose the game.
 

bozia2012

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Amigara Fault
Codex 2014 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again!
I'll always defend Chapter 1 because of its originality and ballsiness. It is weird and folklorish and very much NOT like other RPGs of modern times.

It also tends to be where Kotakuites tend to lose the game.
Chapter 1 is bleak as fuck. The evil is just so unpoetic compared to the usual fare.

Before you reach the city there are no lighter counterpoints, everything is shit. (save for the side quest in the mill huehue)
 

Starwars

Arcane
Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Messages
2,829
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Sweden
The atmosphere is pretty much all it has going for it though (and I do love that part of it, I really missed the heavy folklore feel in the other games). Other than that, it's pretty shitty and a whole lot of running back and forth.

I forgot how bad some of the writing is... Alfred Nabel? Really?
 

Old Hans

Arcane
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Messages
1,443
What a mess the Chapter 1 opening cutscene is though (with Shani, Alvin, the beast and all that). The bit where the villagers are yelling at each other is downright hilarious.

yea that cutscene, everything happens way too fast. It always annoyed me.
 

Miner Arobar

Educated
Joined
May 28, 2015
Messages
64
Agreed, I found the cutscene and the beginning of Act I very confusing (where am I? Yes, that's a very evil dog. Oh, I'm in the same pub. That's nice. And there's this girl who acts as if she's seen me before). But the outskirts main quest, with you saving the villagers from an evil they brought upon themselves and the villagers not being particularly grateful as a result, was really nicely done. And as an area, I found it a good deal less annoying than the swamp, which was a very crowded swamp.
 

Starwars

Arcane
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Jan 31, 2007
Messages
2,829
Location
Sweden
A bit into Act II now. Remember why I finished the game in the first place, the atmosphere really is something else in this game. Despite the roughness and shitty combat, the game tends to draw you in in a way that neither of the other two games do I think.

Hopefully I'll manage through the shitty swamp area and... whatever else was after the Trade Quarter (I remember liking that area but don't remember much after it).
 

Akratus

Self-loathing fascist drunken misogynist asshole
Patron
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May 7, 2013
Messages
0
Location
The Netherlands
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Insert Title Here Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
bSQF4AV.jpg
 

Gord

Arcane
Joined
Feb 16, 2011
Messages
7,049
I'm currently playing it for the first time as well, taking my time with it though.
The atmosphere is great, as is the art direction, which really helps a lot with the dated engine.
What's not so great is some occasional spots of very bad writing (some lines sound as if they have been written at 4 in the morning after drinking heavily) and e.g. how some quests have you constantly running at opposite parts of the maps. Also fucking drowned dead (see Akratus' pic).
Combat is, well, bearable, but it won't win any awards.

It may not be one of the all-time classics of the genre, but it's still a pretty good game, imo. Typical rough gem.
 
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Akratus

Self-loathing fascist drunken misogynist asshole
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Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Insert Title Here Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
It gets really good at the last act, in my honest opinion. It was the only part I had *real* fun on in my most recent third playthrough, for a trilogy playthrough. Because I had already played it twice before I just rushed it, the combat was boring and I wouldn't touch a sidequest with a ten foot pole, unless it was necessary for the import or some favorable outcome.

I bet the most codexian playthrough would be full order, but I went full Gwynblaed and supported the Scoia'Tael at every turn, and I'm dissapointed by the lack of elves in The Witcher 3.
 

Starwars

Arcane
Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Messages
2,829
Location
Sweden
I've done most of the investigation quest in Vizima. I don't remember how it ended up in my first playthrough but this time I actually found the body of the real detective (in the crypt in the graveyard). I didn't do that on my first playthrough. The entire investigation quest is really fucking cool I have to say, it's a shame it's kinda hampered by the writing (localization probably) and the clumsily set up dialogue trees. But as a quest, it's superb. It actually feels like you're investigating. What a far cry from that piece of shit investigation quest where you hunt the serial killer in the Witcher 3.

Also, Vizima's a great location (only in the Temple Quarter so far though). I remember thinking it was easily the best RPG city I've seen in a 3d game and I think I can still stand by that. The atmosphere is dead on, the size of it is spot on (not too small, not annoying large), it looks beautiful, it has interesting characters. It's great.

Enjoying the game a lot more than I remember, however, now I'm gonna enter the swamp...
 

bozia2012

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Codex 2014 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again!
I remember there used to be huge shit storm about the bad quality of english localization.

Is there any fix for that so it reach the potato's level?
Even the original is also awkward, but it had all those potato bits inside. They'd have to put some reindeer blood, lingon and cuck-sheds to achieve similar results in Sweden.
 

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