602 réponses à ce sujet

[Drizzt ORierdan]

Jan Bartkowicz wrote...

Alright, a little off-topic question.

I'm visiting US for the first time. Austin, TX. I just found out that Dishonored developer Arkane is located here... so here's my question. Do you know anybody from the Arkane team? I would love to visit them, have a tour or whatever. I really enjoyed Dishonored, and believe there's a possibility people there know the Witcher 2 (in which I did writing and, apparently some cinematic design). Unfortunately I don't know anybody from Arkane. Any help would be very welcome.

THAT is Great!!
Cant help you with that, though... Dont even live in the US... But I would suggest in the Dishonored forums you'll have more chances for contacting smbdy...
forums.bethsoft.com/forum/18-community-discussion/

Modifié par Drizzt ORierdan, 28 janvier 2013 - 07:09 .

[Nerevar-as]

hallidio wrote...

Splinter Cell 108 wrote...

I was thinking about buying the witcher 1 and 2, should I skip number 1 and just go to 2? I hear things about number 1 not being that great but I usually don't ever play the second chapter before the first. Any recommendations would be nice.

Deffo play TW1 first! Both do differfent things better. I like them both equally. TW1 a great game though. Swamp may drive you nuts a little bit if you don't do as many quests in it as poss in one big swoop. Getting to lakeside is a big payoff though. Love that place

This. Also, don´t bother going for the fetch quests. Usually with the parts you pick during story quests is enough to finish them.

[abch4]

^^. Though you could do some side quests that may interest you if you're a pervert

[Addai]

Jan Bartkowicz wrote...

Alright, a little off-topic question.

I'm visiting US for the first time. Austin, TX. I just found out that Dishonored developer Arkane is located here... so here's my question. Do you know anybody from the Arkane team? I would love to visit them, have a tour or whatever. I really enjoyed Dishonored, and believe there's a possibility people there know the Witcher 2 (in which I did writing and, apparently some cinematic design). Unfortunately I don't know anybody from Arkane. Any help would be very welcome.

Harvey Smith is based in Austin.  He seems like a very nice guy and generous sort, I imagine he would enjoy meeting you if he is in the US himself (he does travel).  He's on Twitter, @Harvey1966 - or I imagine you could contact him through Arkane's offices but can't help you there, I'm not that connected. 

Rafael Colantonio- @rafcolantonio - and Ricardo Bare- @RicardoBare - are other Arkane peeps I know of.  I think Raf is based in France but is sometimes in Austin.  Ricardo is definitely in Austin. 

[KnightofPhoenix]

SpunkyMonkey wrote...

What you say about amoral people, choices and depth I totally agree with - but all that needs to be used in context and layed on the basic buildiing blocks of storytelling, which usually in these cases are us-them-situation-conflict-chain of events. Giving me a garbled opening, with no real starting point until the king is killed whilst throwing all this dialogue at me which reffers to people, places and events which I have no idea about is just bad.

It is a challenge all sequels face. They'd have to somehow ease new players into it, without making it a reptitive boring chore for fans of the series. If ME2 was my entry into the Mass Effect series, I would not have considered it an easy entry either. 

So I sympathize with the concern, though take severe issue with the wording (please don't comapre Star Wars, a space opera to The Witcher, it's completely different with the latter being inherently much more complicated). At the same time, seeing how I never read the books and TW1 being more or less unrelated to TW2 and I did just fine, I'd have to say that some of the fault (for lack of a better word) lies with you, in the sense that you may not have had enough time or energy for it. 

It's sad, but I don't think devs need to absolutely get out of their way to deal with this. The Witcher is a niche game that will require people to devote time and energy into understanding it and its plot and I prefer it that way. So while yes they should work a bit on making it easier to get into (for instance by avoiding us choosing the order of the prologue), they should in no way go out of their way to do so, dumbing down the game in the process. In other words, I consider it of  tertiary importance, and you'd have to accept that the game is simply not for you. 
 

Modifié par KnightofPhoenix, 30 janvier 2013 - 02:38 .

[Costin_Razvan]

They'd have to somehow ease new players into it

I personally disagree quite strongly on the notion that sequels HAVE to ease players in, they are sequels as in a continuation of a story. To me the annoyance that comes from trying ease every player is comes from the fact it's usually done in such a way that players who already know what happened get to deal with stupid dialogue about stuff their characters should know already ( See Shepard asking about the Geth in ME3 ).

The problem however with TW is that it's based off a series a books and there are quite a few things in the games that one needs to read the books for to be able to fully understand. However I did play both TW1 and TW2 without reading books and I enjoyed them both a great deal.

Finding out details from the books did enrich the experience however.

Modifié par Costin_Razvan, 30 janvier 2013 - 09:21 .

[Jan Bartkowicz]

Addai67: I'm back in Europe now, but will probably travel to Austin later this year. I'll plan my visit in advance this time. Thanks for some of those contacts.

[SpunkyMonkey]

Well last night I decided to start afresh with the game, simply because of how passionate some are on here about it - "there must be something good in there?" I thought.

I'm only edging towards the end of the prologue, but I'm already far, far more interested in the game by playing through the sections in the "correct" order - I really, really can't see why the decided to offer it as a choice as my first play-through it was utterly horrible and totally confused any kind of picture I was building with the world and events.

It's also helping having already grasped the basics of the world previously - so as I said earlier it probably would have been wise to have an "origins" style section which introduced the player to various aspects of it.

Already more enjoyable.

Modifié par SpunkyMonkey, 31 janvier 2013 - 12:49 .

[Nerevar-as]

Read the diary. It gives most background info you need, and it´s presented as the narration a supporting character made of the events some time after them. He´s usually quite funny.

[Dutchess]

Ugh, I'm doing a second play through now, trying it on hard difficulty this time. Letho is kicking my ass so hard it's not even funny. xD

[KnightofPhoenix]

SpunkyMonkey wrote...

Well last night I decided to start afresh with the game, simply because of how passionate some are on here about it - "there must be something good in there?" I thought.

I'm only edging towards the end of the prologue, but I'm already far, far more interested in the game by playing through the sections in the "correct" order - I really, really can't see why the decided to offer it as a choice as my first play-through it was utterly horrible and totally confused any kind of picture I was building with the world and events.

It's also helping having already grasped the basics of the world previously - so as I said earlier it probably would have been wise to have an "origins" style section which introduced the player to various aspects of it.

Already more enjoyable.

There are also two videos that one coudl watch to get basic bg info

World of the Witcher

World of the Witcher 2 

[Roflbox]

Nerevar-as wrote...

Read the diary. It gives most background info you need, and it´s presented as the narration a supporting character made of the events some time after them. He´s usually quite funny.

Read? You can't possibly ask people to read in a game no enough action in it.

[SpunkyMonkey]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

There are also two videos that one coudl watch to get basic
bg info

World of the Witcher

World of the Witcher 2

Super, cheers dude. Have just watched both and it certainly helps paint a bigger picture. A shame that they aren't included in the game.

I've just finished the prologue again and enjoyed it way, way more. The difference that playing the sections in chronological order has made is massive. Before it was just bizarre and I couldn't latch onto things half as well.

I am starting to see why people like the game so much a bit now. There's certainly bag and bags of depth. It's just that front end and access that needs sorting.

Roflbox wrote...

 Read? You can't possibly ask people to read in a game no enough action in it.

The thing is, you can't - not if you are looking to appease a more casual audience. Most casual gamers won't spend hours reading because they are there to play and interact with something, not read.

 My whole point is hardcore RPG fans are losing out on RPG depth, and consequentially great RPG experiences, because companies think this depth and complication puts casual gamers off. It doesn't - what puts us off is not being eased into things which the more game obsessive are already acquainted with, and having to work at getting into them (e.g. by reading when we've actually come to play something). All it's needed to resolve that is the odd cut scene, and extra section which builds up a bigger picture of the world.

Take TW2 - why couldn't the areana section at the start had a bit more work put into it, and been a mini-prologue which gave the player a brief overview of the world (eg. - this is X competitor from X area, then a bit of background on that area and history etc.) - it's not hard.

You end up with games such as DA:2 and ME:3 because game companies are totally missing the point about how to pander to a more casual audience.

ME1 and DA:O were both superb. Both had a lot of depth, but were accessible enough, and started from an easy enough point to be able to get into easily.

With TW2 all that's needed is a bit more of a worldly explanation (a few more beggining cut-scenes explaining previous events & the world would do), and a chronilogical prologue.

Modifié par SpunkyMonkey, 01 février 2013 - 09:04 .

[SpunkyMonkey]

Just want to say thanks chaps. I'm now about 1/3rd of the way into Chapter one and the whole experience is far better for following some of the advice you gave me and watching some of the background vids.

[KnightofPhoenix]

SpunkyMonkey wrote...

Just want to say thanks chaps. I'm now about 1/3rd of the way into Chapter one and the whole experience is far better for following some of the advice you gave me and watching some of the background vids.

It's gonna keep getting better from there. Keep us posted about your opinion

[Chromie]

SpunkyMonkey wrote...

The thing is, you can't - not if you are looking to appease a more casual audience. Most casual gamers won't spend hours reading because they are there to play and interact with something, not read.

Well Witcher 2 isn't meant for a casual audience.

The arena also was added to the game much later in a patch. 

Modifié par Skelter192, 04 février 2013 - 07:56 .

[abch4]

Skelter192 wrote...

SpunkyMonkey wrote...

The thing is, you can't - not if you are looking to appease a more casual audience. Most casual gamers won't spend hours reading because they are there to play and interact with something, not read.

Well Witcher 2 isn't meant for a casual audience.

The arena also was added to the game much later in a patch. 

I don't know, i dont think they intended for the first part to be that hard, the dev said as much in an interview and also explained they wanted to make the game more accessible to the casual audience. Someways into chapter 1 the game becomes easy IMO. Completed it on dark without the dark mode sets, but then again Quen is too OP

[SpunkyMonkey]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

It's gonna keep getting better from there. Keep us posted about your opinion

Will do sir. I'm actually quite gobsmacked by just how much a difference it has made.

Skelter192 wrote...

Well Witcher 2 isn't meant for a casual audience.

The arena also was added to the game much later in a patch.

I too have read that they intended it to be more accessible to a casual audience.

The thing is 99% of games companies are sales motivated, so will tailor their games so that casuals are catered for whether we like it or not. What people like yourself do by refusing to accept that is make things harder - and the games you want poorer - by refusing to accept small adjustments to make the game both sellable, and enjoyable.

All TW2 needed was a better start & front end IMO. It's still got some flaws, but I'm enjoying it far more now.

Instead, game companies are missing the point and are totally changing the way they thing about RPGs in order to snag the COD audience. They don't have to do that - they don't have to sacrifice the depth an complexity which many love, including casuals (just takes us longer to get there) - all they have to do is make that more accessible.

However, because hardcore gamers don't acknowledge or bare with the game companies, they go the whole hog and apply an ME2 template to games, in order to snag casuals with dumb, fancy explosions and gimmicks.

It just makes for poor games.

Modifié par SpunkyMonkey, 06 février 2013 - 09:34 .

[billy the squid]

SpunkyMonkey wrote...

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

It's gonna keep getting better from there. Keep us posted about your opinion

Will do sir. I'm actually quite gobsmacked by just how much a difference it has made.

Skelter192 wrote...

Well Witcher 2 isn't meant for a casual audience.

The arena also was added to the game much later in a patch.

I too have read that they intended it to be more accessible to a casual audience.

The thing is 99% of games companies are sales motivated, so will tailor their games so that casuals are catered for whether we like it or not. What people like yourself do by refusing to accept that is make things harder - and the games you want poorer - by refusing to accept small adjustments to make the game both sellable, and enjoyable.

All TW2 needed was a better start & front end IMO. It's still got some flaws, but I'm enjoying it far more now.

Instead, game companies are missing the point and are totally changing the way they thing about RPGs in order to snag the COD audience. They don't have to do that - they don't have to sacrifice the depth an complexity which many love, including casuals (just takes us longer to get there) - all they have to do is make that more accessible.

However, because hardcore gamers don't acknowledge or bare with the game companies, they go the whole hog and apply an ME2 template to games, in order to snag casuals with dumb, fancy explosions and gimmicks.

It just makes for poor games.

Accessible is a fairly broad term and the ME2 example is  good one when it's taken to the more extreme ends. And hardcore gamers refusal to acknowledge making things easier is not the reason some companies make it more "accessible" they do it for the larger market. 

Now if CDPR were to make the prologue better, which they did by adding a tutorial in the extended edition. Or by limiting the order in which you choose the initial conversations with Roache, to make the chronological line better. That, is accessible. That is fine. Same with the combat from TW1 to TW2, and even there I think the back and sidestep option they are including in TW3 are a big improvement over rolling everywhere. There are other things in the mechanics which I had issues with, but not with the storyline nor the characters.

It get's to a point when people start to complain, that the story is too hard to follow, I don't get this charcter, who's this king? Etc. at which point it's going to affect the game to it's detriment, because the political intreague is the heart of the game. It's anathema to start simplifying storylines for people who can't either be bothered or can't spend the time.

It took me over a month to play through TW2 a few hours a night or every weekend when I got time, yet I don't regret any of the time I spent reading the journals and paying attention to the charcters and story. It is a complicated game and a lot to take in. But as with books you don't simplify it so it's easier to read so people can get through it in two weeks.

Modifié par billy the squid, 06 février 2013 - 10:17 .

[The Hierophant]

billy the squid wrote...

No he can't. But I'll do it for him. The first is the opening scene, where there is nudity. But the worst you see is bare breasts. The second is the "Lesbomancy" scene whereby there is some again nudity and again it's pretty tame. And the scene is more funny than anything else. Everything else is optional and I didn't enter into any of those options, the exception being with Triss, because I want to carry that through into TW3, there appear to be only 3 others from what I can remember. All of which are hardly anything to scream to the rooftops about or say "OMG! Porn!" And if he considers that explicit, then I'm happpy to tell him to unbunch his panties, when he's clearly being daft. And as you pointed out. None of his examples have anything to do with the Witcher.

Including Mary's rescue, and Flotsam's brothel i was thinking of those exact scenes you had mentioned. So far the use of the word gratuitous is an exaggeration as there's no depiction of the penetration of genitals in the TW games. Judging by the language people use to critique TW2's sex/nude scenes you'd swear that it was a Larry Flynt production.

Plus i agree with KoP's and your assessment of the validity of Phillipa, and Cynthia's scenes as there were clues about Triss's fate.

Modifié par The Hierophant, 06 février 2013 - 10:41 .

[SpunkyMonkey]

billy the squid wrote...

Accessible is a fairly broad term and the ME2 example is  good one when it's taken to the more extreme ends. And hardcore gamers refusal to acknowledge making things easier is not the reason some companies make it more "accessible" they do it for the larger market. 

Now if CDPR were to make the prologue better, which they did by adding a tutorial in the extended edition. Or by limiting the order in which you choose the initial conversations with Roache, to make the chronological line better. That, is accessible. That is fine. Same with the combat from TW1 to TW2, and even there I think the back and sidestep option they are including in TW3 are a big improvement over rolling everywhere. There are other things in the mechanics which I had issues with, but not with the storyline nor the characters.

It get's to a point when people start to complain, that the story is too hard to follow, I don't get this charcter, who's this king? Etc. at which point it's going to affect the game to it's detriment, because the political intreague is the heart of the game. It's anathema to start simplifying storylines for people who can't either be bothered or can't spend the time.

It took me over a month to play through TW2 a few hours a night or every weekend when I got time, yet I don't regret any of the time I spent reading the journals and paying attention to the charcters and story. It is a complicated game and a lot to take in. But as with books you don't simplify it so it's easier to read so people can get through it in two weeks.

Good post Billy. By "Accessible" I'm essentially meaning easier to get into, and also less reliant on the player having to work to enjoy the game. Some players might enjoy that work so it should be available and they should be rewarded with more depth, however that shouldn't be essential to enjoy the game itself IMO. (For example journal entries should available and paint a fuller and deeper picture of events, but for you shouldn't have to read them for key points, or ones essential to enjoy the game - which in TW2 you don't to be fair).

The prologue really did affect the plot for me. The order I played it in meant I couldn't latch on to key events or characters because of the randomness of it all. Playing through it straight has made a BIG difference, as now Chapter 1 makes far more sense - first time round I'd got to chapter one without any real clue what was happening, just that I was on the run for allegedly killing a King.

I've also benefitted from that 1st playthrough as I am more familiar with the chracaters/places/events. On a first run through I think the small addition of giving a few character backgrounds for Arena competitors could have helped paint that picture for new/casual players. Nothing too eleborate, just a conversation or two with the competitors revealing bits about the world and past events.

They shouldn't simplify the game that's for sure, nor should they hold the players hand through it. They should just add an easier, less complex layer of story somewhere at the start of the game to build a broader picture of things for those unfamiliar with the game and books IMO.

It's almost embaressing how much more I'm enjoying the game now. I've just done all the side-quests in Chapter 1 and am progressing towards the Kayren. I still find combat a slight issue - the randomness of Geralt's attacks does often reduce gameplay to button-bashing. I would much sooner have had a dedicated slash/stab/whatever set of moves as the unpredictability of his attacks makes me feel as if I'm relying on luck as much as skill.

I am also really enjoying the alchemy & traps side of things more. Again because there was only a brief section displaying these at the begining I negleted them before. If anything I hope that TW3 forces the player to rely on these a bit more, and makes researching and planning even more key to beating certain monsters. Drowners & Nekkers etc. can be there for cannon fodder of course, but the inclusion of semi-common enemies who can only be defeated by preparing the right oils/postions/traps etc. would be something I'd love to see (if implemented right).

Have an hour or two free tonight so already looking forward to tonights playthrough!

Modifié par SpunkyMonkey, 07 février 2013 - 08:45 .

[Haplose]

SpunkyMonkey wrote...
I am also really enjoying the alchemy & traps side of things more. Again because there was only a brief section displaying these at the begining I negleted them before. If anything I hope that TW3 forces the player to rely on these a bit more, and makes researching and planning even more key to beating certain monsters. Drowners & Nekkers etc. can be there for cannon fodder of course, but the inclusion of semi-common enemies who can only be defeated by preparing the right oils/postions/traps etc. would be something I'd love to see (if implemented right).

That's actually a huge step back from The Witcher 1. Unfortunately the entire monster-hunting business took a back seat.
As did the alchemy, importance of monster lore and alchemical ingridients (my biggest expense, by far, in TW1 were... books!).

I imagine that's partially because the developers decided that they want separate skill trees and one of them shall be Alchemy - so they needed to tone down the base effects, so that characters without that focus can easily get by, while specialists benefit.

IMHO that failed for a number of reasons: limitations in the application of Alchemy, shorter potion duration, potion timers running during cutscenes and dialogues, Alchemy not available at all for certain tough boss fights and, last but not least,  weird random/farming mechanics for the Mutagens. All this makes the Alchemy tree the least desirable of the 3, at least for me (I do realize that you can get some seriously overpowered character by farming and stacking Greater Mutagenes... but farming is way to tedious and drop rates way too low for me to bother).
A great pity that it's not actually needed... like at all.

I have great hopes for the Witcher monster-slaying business in The Witcher 3, though. Just hope they'll go for quality over quantity.

[Dutchess]

I'm trying an alchemy build now and it is pretty fun. I'm still not using traps, but have discovered the use of bombs. I killed Traut's five goons by setting them on fire with a bomb and then tossing a grapeshot to finish it.

[SpunkyMonkey]

Haplose wrote...

That's actually a huge step back from The Witcher 1. Unfortunately the entire monster-hunting business took a back seat.
As did the alchemy, importance of monster lore and alchemical ingridients (my biggest expense, by far, in TW1 were... books!).

I imagine that's partially because the developers decided that they want separate skill trees and one of them shall be Alchemy - so they needed to tone down the base effects, so that characters without that focus can easily get by, while specialists benefit.

IMHO that failed for a number of reasons: limitations in the application of Alchemy, shorter potion duration, potion timers running during cutscenes and dialogues, Alchemy not available at all for certain tough boss fights and, last but not least,  weird random/farming mechanics for the Mutagens. All this makes the Alchemy tree the least desirable of the 3, at least for me (I do realize that you can get some seriously overpowered character by farming and stacking Greater Mutagenes... but farming is way to tedious and drop rates way too low for me to bother).
A great pity that it's not actually needed... like at all.

I have great hopes for the Witcher monster-slaying business in The Witcher 3, though. Just hope they'll go for quality over quantity.

Had a brief but enjoyable playthrough last night and decided to take Iorveth's side instead of Roche's this time, so will see what reprecusions that has

It will be interesting to see how things progress  for TW3 with alchemy and traps etc. Personally I like the way that the Kayran situation was handled and would like to see that happen on a semi-regular basis for other monsters in TW3.

So through general play, and as a reward for searching/gathering knowledge, you learn that various monsters can only be harmed in a certain way, or with a certain oil etc. Then if you take the time to develop those potions you can defeat said beasts and get some of the games best rewards.

I know the game does that currently, but none of the enemies I've encountered so far have been almost invulnerable without a certain oil/potion/trab setup. It would be great if, no matter how many levels you gain, certain baddies just won't die without a certain method of attack or alchemical setup.

It would also be nice to be forewarned of such battles. The main bugbare I have with alcemy is that you only tend to use it after you've already been defeated by a monster. It would be nice to see a certain species from a distance and know that you have to prepare to face them etc.

As you say, quality over quantity.

[sympathy4sarenreturns]

I played The Witcher 2 on hard. It was a solid challenge. I employed lots of tactical traps with a nice blend of signs and sword. Pretty solid combat system, with some glaring flaws but a nice blend of action and tactical. Looting and interface need work. But the story and writing...friggin stellar.