The Witcher (PC RPG)

[Ironwood]

Fileplanet picked up a combo patch.  One download gets everything, even does it all on one install.  Well worth bypassing the polish fileserver for fileplanet. 

Registering appears to be fucked.  For me at least.

Poo.

[Bunk]

Yep, managed to download all the updates in under a couple hours, go to install - "You must register your game".

Oh, ok, welll I assumed that since I'd played and patched the game I must have registered it, I guess not. I pull up the email from my online order and it shows the following:

Your Serial Number is:


Yep, that's it. So now I join the long list of people waiting to see which email I sent will respond with a serial number. Way to go guys. Apparently if you bought the boxed version in Canada, every single one came without a serial number.

God I love anti piracy messures that cause more harm to the legit purchaser than anyone else.

[Hawkbit]

Registering the game on the witcher site worked the other day.  Hopefully they'll have it up soon for ya.  (gotta have the key in your manual to do it)

It's virtually unplayable for me right now though... all sound is distorted and coming out of only the left speaker.  Gotta wait for a fix or something.  

[Engels]

So, although I live in the US, I got hold of the UK copy. When I go to download the patch from http://www.thewitcher.com/community/en/www/ee_update_faq.html, it directs me to a polish site which downloads at about 1/3rd of a 'normal' download, so I will be here a while. Is everyone relegated to polish servers, or did the website automagically detect my UK version and hence is patching from Poland?

[Tebonas]

Seems that way. I was relegated to the polish server as well. Worked out well. though.

[Reg]

Registering the game on the witcher site worked the other day.  Hopefully they'll have it up soon for ya.  (gotta have the key in your manual to do it)

It's virtually unplayable for me right now though... all sound is distorted and coming out of only the left speaker.  Gotta wait for a fix or something.  

Are you using the onboard sound chip? I read over on the QT3 forum that someone with a problem sounding like yours fixed it by turning down the hardware acceleration.

[Hawkbit]

I am using onboard sound.  Sadly, jerking around with the hardware acceleration in windows didn't do jack.  Thanks for the tip though. 

[Engels]

I got it up and running with the new patch. Unfortunately, I'm so far behind in the story (still in the first village) due to a computer switch, that I don't know if I have the incentive to play it through again. The combat is still completely retarded in this game.

[bhodi]

You can just power up that whirlwind slash and the fire and breeze through the game...

[Engels]

its not hard. just retarded.

[Tebonas]

So, finally finished it after holding back until the Enhaced Patch.

That was superb storytelling. The ending twist blew my mind and the fact that comments you made in the past influenced the main villain is beyond awesome.

[NiX]

I should stop reading some of the item walkthroughs for this cause I read that only 3 decisions actually influenced the ending. I know you make a considerable amount more, but only 3 are vital to the ending.

[Tebonas]

Vital maybe, but there are quite more decisions that change little things around.

[Torinak]

Has anyone picked up the Enhanced Edition retail box yet?  If so, what's the DRM on it?  (US version from Atari, or the UK "Import" version)  I've been running across mixed reports that the US edition uses the Tages DRM that breaks your game in subtle and not-so-subtle ways if it thinks you're a pirate (e.g., because it doesn't like the kind of DVD drive you use).

All I want is to be able to purchase games, install and play them without an Internet connection, and re-play them on my latest PC 5+ years from now even if the publisher or developer goes under.  I hate having to risk a dubious fix for a game I've purchased just to make it run, and I don't do torrents or other downloads even for products I've purchased.

[schild]

The protection on Enhanced Edition is SolidShield. AFAIK it's not invasive and is a simple cd-check. I can't imagine the Witcher guys (aka, the Gog.com guys) allowing invasive shit on their disc based games. I would imagine that Atari forced SolidShield on them at minimum.

    * Solidshield shapes and generate a brand new layer directly on the product code.
    * Protection of multiple executables in your product.
    * Generation of unique encryption, encoding and protection code on each protected executable.
    * The professional profiling system allows the protection layer to seamlessly integrate with products of any kind.
    * The intelligent client can automatically identify the best choices to optimize the overall protection level.
    * Optimized protection code prevents slow-downs during the software execution.
    * Binding technology to prevent the abusive usage of unlicensed software.
    * Product activation module which supports both online and offline communication with activation servers.

However, The Witcher one does not use the last 2 and if you want to play without a disc, I'm pretty sure all you need is an unwrapped EXE. Anyway, it's not "bad" as far as DRM goes. Note: I don't have the game yet, but I would've installed it without a thought.

[Sky]

All I want is to be able to purchase games, install and play them without an Internet connection, and re-play them on my latest PC 5+ years from now even if the publisher or developer goes under.  I hate having to risk a dubious fix for a game I've purchased just to make it run, and I don't do torrents or other downloads even for products I've purchased.

Really, you never patch your games?

[Torinak]

Really, you never patch your games?

I patch games I've bought when the DRM keeps me from being able to play them (a couple of systems ago, lots of games flaked out on my old CDROM and would usually fail to recognize the original CD).  However, I'd really rather not have to do that.  I'm more concerned about activation schemes not activating (and not always being patchable) several years from now.

I accumulate game (bug) patches on older hard drives, so I don't always have to re-download them.  Yes, my system is usually connected to the intarwebs, but I don't like having to rely on my Comcastic connection being up and some publisher/dev still having a live server when I have a hankering for some single-player game.

[Yegolev]

The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Now Available on Impulse
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition is also loaded with value, including the multilingual game allowing you to play with any combination of voice-over and subtitles, two new adventures with full voice-over, the D?jinni Adventure Editor, the Official Soundtrack CD, a Music Inspired by The Witcher CD, an official game guide, a Making-of DVD with behind-the-scenes video footage, and a map of The Witcher?s world.*
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition is now available for $39.99 through Stardock's new digital distribution platform, Impulse.

*Soundtrack, Game Guide, Making of DVD and Map will be available in a patch post-release.

http://www.impulsedriven.com/

I do not understand the asterisk, but I do believe Stardock hates DRM.

[KallDrexx]

New Console Witcher announced: link

trailer at witcher.com

[ashrik]

I had heard so much about this game, I really wanted to get into it.

But the multiple unintuitive control sets and horrid combat put an end to that dream real quick. I assume they'll retool that whole system for the consoles, and hopefully make combat a bit more fun than watching your cursor change colors.

[sidereal]

New Console Witcher announced:

Thank God.  Everyone's all "Oh Witcher this" and "Witcher that".  So I try to install it and it runs like a slideshow.

My PC gaming days may be coming to a close, barring Flash games and Football Manager. 

[Stormwaltz]

NECRO'D FOR HUMOR.

So I got Atari's Enhanced Edition box recently.

It comes with a map of the world, a booklet with a chapter or so of the first Witcher novel, a "game guide" that tells you how to play through the whole thing, a DVD "making of", a CD soundtrack, and a CD of music inspired by the game -- not actually in the game, just... kind of aural fan fiction, I guess.

But no manual.

 

[UnSub]

NECRO'D FOR HUMOR.

So I got Atari's Enhanced Edition box recently.

It comes with a map of the world, a booklet with a chapter or so of the first Witcher novel, a "game guide" that tells you how to play through the whole thing, a DVD "making of", a CD soundtrack, and a CD of music inspired by the game -- not actually in the game, just... kind of aural fan fiction, I guess.

But no manual.

 

With all those extras, there was no room in the box for it.

[jakonovski]

NECRO'D FOR HUMOR.

So I got Atari's Enhanced Edition box recently.

It comes with a map of the world, a booklet with a chapter or so of the first Witcher novel, a "game guide" that tells you how to play through the whole thing, a DVD "making of", a CD soundtrack, and a CD of music inspired by the game -- not actually in the game, just... kind of aural fan fiction, I guess.

But no manual.

 

The euro version has one, so maybe you just got a "pre-opened" copy?

[gryeyes]

Great avatar

[Stormwaltz]

The euro version has one, so maybe you just got a "pre-opened" copy?

If so, Best Buy has a lot of 'splainin to do.

[tmp]

edit: checking Wikipedia only the Russian version didn't have manual for some reason. It should be included in any other box.

[Sir T]

My copy of the encahnced version came with all that and the manual.

[Khaldun]

The euro version has one, so maybe you just got a "pre-opened" copy?

If so, Best Buy has a lot of 'splainin to do.

Very possibly. I bought a MMO from Best Buy once some years ago and found that the copy had already been registered. Took it back, got irate, and one clerk stationed over by the games quietly admitted to me after I calmed down and was browsing titles that they'd had a problem with a guy who'd been fired for opening boxes, snatching registrations and reshrinkwrapping stuff. I dunno whether he was just trying to placate me--there are other points in the process where someone could harvest registrations--but it wouldn't surprise me. There have been all sorts of pretty credible stories about BB's Geek Squad running amok with data on machines they service, so moosing around with inventory doesn't seem like so muh of a stretch from that.

[JWIV]

Internal Witcher 2 video leaked!   

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/09/18/the-witcher-2-presentation-video-leaked/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JciyoGmnGyo

[Xuri]

WTB original language-pack for Witcher 2.

[JWIV]

WTB original language-pack for Witcher 2.

I'm hoping it's just an internal guy doing the VO work right now for the purposes of the demo.

[tmp]

I'm hoping it's just an internal guy doing the VO work right now for the purposes of the demo.

Yah, that's placeholders. In any case i think one of features in EE they added was ability to run the original voice pack with english/whatever subtitles so that should cover Xuri's request, since i doubt they'll remove such option from the new game.

[gryeyes]

So happy Witcher did so well,completely deserved. I love seeing these awesome games turning up from completely unknown foreign studios.

[Lucas]

"six years later..."  :necromancy:

So, I just beat the game for the first time (probably took me around 60 hours or a bit more); like I said in another post, in my previous attempts the whole swamp mess in Chapter 2 represented a big hurdle for my overall enjoyment.
------------

Such an ambitious and, in the end, very good game, if you consider this was their maiden attempt at producing something of this scale: it's sparse and incoherent in places (not uncommon when it comes to european CRPGs, in that I would compare it to Larian's projects, especially the first 'Divinity' game), but also fascinating and quite atmospheric, thanks to the setting created by the original author of the books.

They could have easily trimmed down a lot of secondary stuff: the plot is quite good as it is, the characterization of Geralt excellent without the need of endless trips around Vizima or in THOSE DAMN FIELDS IN CHAPTER 4 (hate you, Alina-Celina quest  ).

I played it on "normal" difficulty, so I ended up with a lot of spare ingredients, and without the need for many potions. Combat is...Yeah well, good for what it is, although I prefer other approaches.

Now, of course, I'm eager to move on to the second chapter of the series.

Finally, as far as personal tastes go with european CRPGs, I would put it below Gothic 1 (yep, really) but slightly above Divine Divinity (for fairness, I'm only taking into account the first game of those series).