Topic: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt thread

@Ralizah Yeah it is one of the best games I've played at hiding which is the 'best' decision. You could be making what you think will be the nicest outcome, but ends up turning out horribly wrong for someone involved.

Oh dear... Things went horribly sour in The Witcher 3

I reported in to Kiera about the previous "Towerful of Mice" quest before following up with the quest to help find the items that a merchant was supposed to be bringing her

Really big spoilers in the following tags

... On the other hand I utterly clobbered some guy in Gwent!

Bah... damn you and your light grey, medium grey, dark grey and such and such moral choices Witcher 3!

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Aww, poor Kiera. I took her up on her offer (she still puts Geralt to sleep afterwards), and, during the confrontation, managed to talk her into going to Kaer Morhen instead. The woman is probably in need of a moral compass. On the other hand, she likely doesn't realize just how awful chemical warfare can be, and it's not unusual for persecution and/or poverty to really wear people down to the nub. Of course, I wasn't going to let her do the unthinkable, so I'm glad the game didn't force me to go the violent route. I probably shouldn't have cheated on Yennefer, but, at that point, I hardly knew the character (getting to know her better in Skellige now, since she's a huge part of the story). I was actually really close to getting Geralt to confess his feelings to Triss in Novigrad, but certain events transpire, and it just didn't... feel right.

LOL The more I talk, the more this game sounds like some trashy romantic drama.

It kinda is @Ralizah as everyone wants to jump Geralt's bones. Especially in the previous games apparently

Triss' voice, or rather her american accent, bothers me actually.

Everyone else is unashamedly British who isn't Nilfgaardian. Yen... Might be American but she hides it well. Geralt has a weird non accent (but like he's been eating gravel all his life)

But Triss is american and I'm not sure there's any story reason why... Slightly puzzling

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy I try not to pay attention to details like that (accents and names) in fantasy media. Either fantasy is PAINFULLY well-thought-out (AKA Tolkien) and every detail is intentional and has a historical and social context to it, or else it just feels like a slap-dash analogy for things in real life, to some degree. TW3, as well-constructed as it is, is still definitely the latter.

It's one reason I prefer near-future, grounded Sci-Fi, personally. Social and historical context for the past is a matter of experience for your own society and research for the societies of others, so you just have to mix and match elements that already exist to paint a portrait of a future time. No need for reams of fictional histories to get things right.

Geralt is a really transparent hetero male power fantasy. He's tough and cool and has scars and is feared by the townsfolk. As you point out, the dude sounds like he gargles gravel every morning before breakfast. Lesser men bow before him. Women everywhere want him.

Mmm he's a bit of a Gary Stu (What I've heard is the male equivalant of a Mary Sue) And yet...

...I still quite like Geralt as a character @Ralizah

I think it's a testament to the good writing & the moral quandries and as you said the world itself (even if it is a more crapsack one) is constructed quite well...

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy I think he's imperfect and idiosyncratic enough to not feel like a bland self-insert character who doesn't need help from anyone else. Power fantasies don't necessarily need to be bad characters. I think he's perfectly fine insofar as he's the player's vehicle to explore TW3's complex moral landscape.

IMO, The Witcher 3 is at its best with character writing, atmosphere, and visual design (because the environments in this game are, as you have probably noticed, almost mind-bogglingly sumptuous at times). Even the creepy, gross areas have a dark, entrancing beauty to them.

Very true @Ralizah

Just got to the Bloody Baron and did Ciri's Flashback episode with the king of wolves

The purple haze to the evening sky as you lead the child to safety looks lovely...

... and yet panning the camera behind at the start of it towards the crones' bog all you can see is dark blue skies that gives the more gnarled trees an otherworldly and unnatural feel.

Really appreciating the visual design of the game this time around.

Also the combat and dodging feels much better with Ciri's teleports rather then Geralt's kinda naff side step like dodge.

Never quite enough movement to him for my liking... especially as I keep trying to use the alt Igni sign and keep getting clobbered 😅

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy I didn't realise you could fight with Kiera like that. I'm not one to say no in a video game when there might be a sex scene, so I took her up on her offer (also wasn't sure of the status of Geralt's and Yennefer's relationship then). I wasn't paying much attention at the time as to why she wanted the notes, so I just happily helped her as much as possible.

@Ralizah If you're in Skellige now getting to know Yennefer better, then you're probably just about caught up with me (I'm notoriously slow in video games). Anyway, enjoy the rest of the game.

I didn't realise you could either @crimsontadpoles! As I already said to Ralizah earlier I got the send her to Kaer Morhen end the previous time I played this... Completely threw me for a loop that it could end so sourly!

@crimsontadpoles I'd be way ahead if I hadn't stopped playing weeks ago. But yeah, I'm taking my sweet time as well. I just want to be done before Cyberpunk releases, so I'm in no real rush.

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy To be honest, I don't like Ciri's teleporting at all. Geralt feels like he has a natural rhythm to his movements, which makes fights fun and balletic. It feels almost Monster Hunter-esque when you really get a feel for it. By contrast, Ciri's teleporting feels jarring and breaks the rhythm of the fight. Although, considering you don't play as her very much, it's not a huge deal.

I think it's because I've come off of Soul Reaver @Ralizah.

The combat was clunky but Raziel did have a decent dodge... That was tied to the X button. So now I'm rolling all over the place as Geralt 😅

Still, I couldn't quite get the rhythm right the first time after coming off Dark Souls 2 either.

Luckily it's not too challenging on the second difficulty level. Plus I've got plenty of alchohest to make endless amounts of Swallow if it does get tougher

-EDIT-

And I think there MIGHT be a quest involving Crippled Kate's... or at least something in a quest line might be near the area?

Passiflora hosts the Gwent Tournament if I remember right though

Seeing as it's been a few dats I'll update my progress

I'm level 11 now with all the basic Griffin School Gear and completed Velen's part in the main story (for now) I know I did it the last time I played, but I killed the tree spirit this time around too. I know the Crones and I'll keep them as close as I can (as the saying goes for enemies). Have yet to go with the Bloody Baron to get Anna though

• I did the Witcher contract Wild At Heart I let the werewolf kill the sister of his wife (whom she'd let get murdered out of jealousy) , before he then begged me to kill him
• I did the manor quest... Meeting up with Letho in the process. I remembered a little too late that Letho was trying to fake his death. Stilll... He's on his way to Kaer Morhen at least
• Did the contract for the monster by the gates attacking Redanian soldier supplies I snarkily said I was out for a stroll though and ended up having to fight them...

Did some Gwent quests as well and got a bunch of good cards.

Also encountered my first two notable glitches.

One being a minor graphical one where the dwarf banker turned into Rayman with invisible arms and visible hands (I have screenshots lol)

The other more notable glitch was for the High Stakes City Players Gwent questline as it completed itself early. Hopefully it'll uncomplete itself when I progress the storyline in Novigrad and I can challenge the other two players...

🎵You flee, my dream come the morning...🎵

... Been humming "The Wolven Storm" since it was performed in the Kingfisher. Loved it the first time round and soon as the lute started I remembered it. Not gonna get that out my head anytime soon... 😅

The High Stakes City Players Gwent questline sorted itself out when I met Dijkstra... Beat him and the elf afterwards... Now have a ridiculous 15 Power Ciri in all 4 decks!

Haven't done a whole lot else. I met the guy whom was tied up at the beginning to be offed by Drowners... Really should've left him to them... Cut him down myself

Also went to the island with the singing That Rock troll was too adorable even if he may've ate some corpses... I painted the bird thing for him too 😂

Oh and here's that Dwarven banker who glitched out a little last time and became Rayman

I'm... not seeing the comparison.

It sounds like you're enjoying your time with the game, though. Even when the rock trolls are doing horrible things like eating people, I have a big of a hard time bringing myself to kill them. They're clearly sapient, but also seem to lack a basic moral compass, which makes it difficult to judge them by my more human standards of conduct.

@Ralizah No! Kill them all! Every monster must die! I was quite ruthless when required during my playthrough.

@JohnnyShoulder Well, I'll kill them if I have to. But I don't care for it. They're fairly innocent creatures, all things being equal. Not like bandits. They've eaten of the fruit, and still chose to be evil, so I feel no remorse when Geralt starts slicing them in half.

The pictures aren't the best of showing the graphical glitch @Ralizah but his arms disappeared so he just has hands... or at least his forearms went

I am enjoying the Witcher III ... I said before I did think it was a solid game and I have to admit I'm appreciating it a lot more this time round

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy I had a strange glitch where Geralt had his arm in a weird 'L' shaped position, almost like it was in a cast but with no cast showing. It would not allow me to change armour either, and I had one of the lamest sets on. It only lasted a few days until it got fixed with a patch, but it was quite funny watching Geralt trying to point or gesture with his arm stuck in that weird position!

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Ha I just got past the bit where the Inn owner from White Orchid appeared in Novigrad and had a bit of a disconnect. I was like, White Orchid is miles and miles away and there is a war and frontlines between and the roads are terrible and they managed to get across just to shout at Geralt?

I've just left Novigrad and am on Skellige. About Level 19 I think. I have just focused on contracts, sides quests and story. Haven't done all the question marks unless I run into them naturally.