The Witcher (PC RPG)

[Mosesandstick]

Has anyone here read any Sapkowski?

I think his books are supposed to be 'fairly' dark, I haven't had time to read them unfortunately.

[hal]

I got the first one from Amazon UK. I guess I am 1/3 of the way through. It is very much like the game. A really gritty world. The only bright spot is sex and that is really bright. A little more of Gerald's thoughts and feelings but not much different then the game. I think at least the first of the novels will be published in the US this spring. It could well be all of them (6?). I am not sure as I type this.

[Cryo]

Beautiful and very fun game, it's a refreshing and quite innovating RPG. I liked the combat and the alchemy systems very much.

Definitely a must try, especially if you're fond of RPG games. While sometimes the loading times can be bothering (it has been improved with the latest patch) and the UI is a bit cumbersome, it has a very interesting story and a fun gameplay.

[Fraeg]

hmm bought the game hesitating to open it up as my desktop falls a bit short on specs

AMD 64 2200+ (or maybe that is 2000+ :P)
2 gig ddr ram
geforce 8600 GTS 512mb
WD 100gig 7200rpm

anyone playing this, and able to enjoy it on an older system/cpu?

[Phildo]

Your processor's about the same as mine, but you have more RAM so you shouldn't have any problems.

[sidereal]

Yahtzee does The Witcher.  He is not amused.

[Samwise]

Unfortunately, I have to agree with him that it's basically a single player mamorpiguh.  That might be why I sort of lost interest in it after a while.  I still plan to finish it someday, but the fact that playing through Vampire:Bloodlines for the 9th time is a higher priority for me than going back to The Witcher is pretty telling.

[rattran]

I restarted it due to a system rebuild (forgot to save the savegames) and lost interest in the first chapter. Even with the faster loading times, it's not much fun a second time through.

[Rasix]

Yahtzee does The Witcher.  He is not amused.

He has valid gripes.  The UI is bad, the combat is uninspired, and there's a lot of running around.  The "collect 10 ghoul wangs" type quests though are purely side quests, completely skippable, and can be completed by doing stuff for the main quest in just about every instance.  The combat, uninspired as it is, is at least fun to watch and not annoying, unlike recent games I've played PotBS (avatar) and Assassin's Creed where it was a bother.  At times playing either of those games I found myself wishing it was more like Witcher's combat.

Funny enough though, tend to like the single player MMO type games since not ironically, I like to play most MMOs like single player games. Morrowind, Oblivion, Mount & Blade have all been games that have grabbed me for a while mainly due to the freedom they allow.  Witcher is much, much more on rails than the games I have mentioned though.  The world shrinks and expands based purely on where you are in the story.

The story is what I really liked in the game (and what's somewhat lacking in Beth Soft's take on this type of game).  It's pretty well done and gives you choices that make a difference in how future events unfold.  Sure it's just branching parts of a timeline that lead to the same end, but it's better than your choices just moving the good/evil slider and not much beyond that.  At times I actually regretted decisions I made and felt bad about them when I saw how it played out.  That doesn't happen very often in any games I play anymore. 

Obviously I didn't find enough wrong to stop me playing the game once my technical difficulties were taken care of.  I can see how some would get put off; the game is a fun experience in a package that at times can be pretty shabby.

[Tebonas]

What Rasix said.

Yahtzee never had a chance to see the story and the story changes due to your decisions. As that is what makes the Witcher what it is, a first look at that game can never do it justice.

Plus, Yahtzee admits that he doesn't like CRPGs, so he might not be the one to ask about their quality.

Good thing I watch him because he is funny. 

[schild]

I feel like I should pay him to review an MMORPG.

Note: I got about as far as Yahtzee. He's right. PC Master Race indeed.

[KallDrexx]

I feel like I should pay him to review an MMORPG.

Note: I got about as far as Yahtzee. He's right. PC Master Race indeed.

He did review TR

[schild]

He did review TR

I said MMORPG.

Not MMORPS.

[Tebonas]

Thats not an insult you know. I always felt superior to the short attention span Nintendo generation and told them so. And they can't even remember to do anything about it. Its like Memento all over again! 

[MrHat]

I feel like I should pay him to review an MMORPG.

Note: I got about as far as Yahtzee. He's right. PC Master Race indeed.

Me too.  Turns out, I like other people in my MMOs.

Also, I laughed when he said that out loud.

[Sky]

Tebonas

Don't believe his lies.

[Stormwaltz]

Edit/deletion: I evidently hit reply rather than edit...

[Stormwaltz]

CDProjekt to re-release Witcher as what I can only describe as "the patched version."

Excessively long paragraph quoted from the press release. I love the opening statement:

The Witcher Enhanced Edition will be a completely polished product, something rarely found on the PC market. Of course, it would have been best if the original edition could look that way. There were a few ways the original game didn’t quite live up to our high expectations, but now we're trying to make up for it. Work is being done on two levels: one concerns the removal of technical obstacles that hinder the player from properly using the game and thus gaining enjoyment from it. Some of those elements include the loading times, which will be reduced by 80%, the stability of the game on different PC configurations, as well as an array of smaller fixes that will increase interactivity and precision in combat. The other level consists of very important changes that are not usually found in patches. First and foremost, the English-language version will, for the most part, be completely re-done. The amount of text in that version was reduced compared to other language versions and that was said to cause a significant decrease in immersion and atmosphere. Now the English version will be as polished and atmospheric as the other language versions. Speaking of other language versions, most of them will be improved in some way. Significant changes will also be made in the German version, where we are planning to re-record the voices for many of the characters. The most important improvements concern those elements of the game that players criticized the most. For example, over 50 new supporting character models will be added, so that the player won't run into the same person too often. The inventory panel will be re-designed and improved, and some elements of the main game screen will be polished. However, one of the biggest changes that will greatly increase the player's immersion in the game world will be improvements concerning dialogue scenes. Both Geralt and non-player characters will get over 100 new animated gestures which will make their body language during conversations much more natural. Additionally, the facial animation and lip-sync system will be re-created, making the faces of the speakers now even more natural, as well.

There's a YouTube link of the new version here:
http://www.wargamer.com/news/news.asp?nid=5259

[schild]

Paying for a better version is highway robbery. This should be patch.

What a bunch of jerks.

[Rasix]

What a bunch of jerks.

That. 

[rk47]

I think you need to read carefully on what they're doing. People jump to conclusions too easily.
I recommend a later edit of your jerk statement in green. 

[Velorath]

The rest of the press release:

Adam Kiciñski, head of CD Projekt RED spoke about publishing and the availability of The Witcher Enhanced Edition in different parts of the world: "Our goal is to make the Enhanced Edition available to all players all over the world. We are currently negotiating with our publishing partners to confirm availability dates. Our release date in Eastern Europe is May 16, and thanks to the great support from fans, we’re confident that we will be able to bring the game to stores around the world on that date, as well. The retail release will be quite important for us, as we’re not just improving the game itself, but want to improve how the title is packaged. For example, aside from the game DVD, we are planning to include a DVD with the D'jinii Mod Editor, as well as two additional adventures, a video DVD with extended material detailing the making of the game, a music CD with 29 tracks from the game, a music CD with 15 tracks of music inspired by the game, an 80-page instruction booklet, a 112-page official guide written by the game’s developers, and a 50-page short story written by Andrzej Sapkowski. There will also be a map of the game world. As you can see it is quite an elaborate release and it is important to us that fans all over the world be able to buy this version of the game. Especially considering it will not be more expensive than the standard edition of the game! Fans that have already bought the game need not worry, however, because the new content and improvements will be available to them in the form of a downloadable update."

The Witcher Enhanced Edition not only means changes in the game's mechanics or better graphics, however. There's also an included mod editor called D'jinni that allows players to create or modify their own adventures in the world of The Witcher, as well as two completely new adventures created by CD Projekt RED. The first adventure, entitled “The Price of Neutrality,” tells the story of Geralt coming back to Kaer Morhen and finding a mysterious camp near the stronghold (3 new quests), while the second one focuses on Geralt’s close friend, Dandelion, and his troubles in Vizima City (5 quests).

[Rasix]

I don't see "For Free" anywhere in that bolded section. 

[Velorath]

I don't see "For Free" anywhere in that bolded section. 

I wouldn't see a problem with charging a small amount for the mod editor and the new content.  However, from the thread here (from red name Dziadu down near the end of the page):

Ok, official confirmation Syvere - all mentioned content will be free for users with registerd "standard" version of the game:)

[Rasix]

OK. Now they're not jerks.  I performance improvements + inventory enhancements would make trying out the new dialog worth it. 

I can see the other stuff being worth something, just not much to someone that already has the game.  Depends on the quality of the additional pre-game modules and the mod editor not sucking.

[Velorath]

 
I can see the other stuff being worth something, just not much to someone that already has the games.  Depends on the quality of the additional pre-game modules and the mod editor not sucking.

According to a .pdf they have up with the press release, the modules and the mod editor are supposed to be available for download on March 14th, so we'll at least be seeing that stuff sooner rather than later.

[hal]

I think some one GETS it. This is an excellent Role Playing Game. Great story. It is not twitch, FPS, it is being inside of a movie. Pure entertainment. Pure story and story telling. I cheer this decision. It may not be your cup of tea but it is on target and as an inty studio they have done well.

[schild]

Well neat. I'll finally get to play the game.

[Morfiend]

Damn, kind of bummed about this. I mean its a good thing. But I started playing this again last week and am finally near the end. I really like the game, but I dont think I would want to play through it twice.

[Zetleft]

Kinda glad I waited on purchasing this game now.  I'll check it out when the new version hits.

[UnSub]

I've had a copy of this sitting on my shelf for a while that I was planning to start this week.

Guess I'll hold off. 

[Jashan]

Damn, kind of bummed about this. I mean its a good thing. But I started playing this again last week and am finally near the end. I really like the game, but I dont think I would want to play through it twice.

Seconded. We'll have to shelve it and hope the improvements get us through playing through all the mumorpuger content. Again.

[Velorath]

CD Projekt Group also just acquired a majority ownership in another Polish developer, Metropolis.  I'm not sure why exactly, since Metropolis has pretty much only released shitty games, but there you go.

[Azazel]

I just ordered this game from the UK a few days ago, should be here in a week or two (works out to cost about half the lcoal price). I guess it will go into the great pile of "to be played eventually" games.

[Bunk]

Cool, now I'm glad I set it aside for a while, I'm only in the second or third chapter. The loading times were one of the biggest things that drove me away.

And I love modding tools.