Witcher II - Impressions Forthcoming

[coopasonic]

I just reached the town of Flotsam and I'm getting my first taste of a bigger area to explore freely. My first order of business is to buy a shirt so I can stop looking at my nasty-ass flayed back.

I had two chest pieces before I got to Flotsam. I think you missed a chest or something. Maybe you should start over.

[Jag]

Yeah, search every chest...and every house....

[Smoove_B]

I would agree that this is probably one of the best (if not the best) looking PC game I've ever played. Not just the environments but the animations and texture work. It started raining in Flotsam when I was playing last night and the way the game engine handles the rain effect (blurring the distance) is absolutely awesome.

The underlying game mechanics are are complete 180 degrees from games like Dragon Age or Mass Effect. I don't feel like I'm being dragged around by my nose (NEXT QUEST HERE) or forced to move at a particular pace. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed that from the original game and this one absolutely awards exploration and interactions (conversations) with NPCs.

I would imagine anyone more comfortable with what has become traditional RPGing (Fallout, Dragon Age, etc...) might find this game difficult simply because they don't hit you over the head with how things work or what you're supposed to be doing. Hell, I finished the first game and I'm having trouble remembering how it all works.

With respect to why anyone would play this when LA Noire was released on the same day - they are totally different games. Incidentally, I have no problem playing LA Noire for an hour and then getting up and turning it off. I lost 2+ hours last night to the Witcher in the blink of an eye.

[Tscott]

I replied with my code as they requested so they could activate a copy of TW2 on GOG.com for me. Just got a response back from a different guy who clearly didn't read any further than the first line of the email saying

Thank you for your reply.

The code itself is valid. The problem is that it's possible to confuse 0 (zero) with an O.

Please copy (CTRL+C) and paste (CTRL+V) the following code into the activation box:

[Redacted]

Hope this helps. Should any more problems arise, feel free to contact us.

Which would be great, except I can't INSTALL the game from DVDs to even get to the activation box, which was clearly detailed below. I realize these guys are probably getting flooded with problems, but this is beyond frustrating.

[rrmorton]

Oh no! El suckage. Stay strong and soon that progress bar will reach its ultimate destination.

I had two chest pieces before I got to Flotsam. I think you missed a chest or something. Maybe you should start over.

Phooey! I thought I was being very thorough, using my amulet constantly and searching everywhere. (I like how the amulet makes it easier but you still have to search around a bit for that orange glow.) I had to slow-walk into town because I was carrying so much loot (I also like how you can keep picking things up, you just can't run while burdened) but most of that is crafting stuff. And twine. Assloads of twine.

I haven't played far enough to see how big the open areas get, but so far The Witcher 2 feels like a great in-between compromise between the vast, wide open worlds of a Bethesda RPG and the richly-detailed but too-small "boxlet" type of environments you get in a Bioware RPG or the Fable series.

[coopasonic]

I had two chest pieces before I got to Flotsam. I think you missed a chest or something. Maybe you should start over.

Phooey! I thought I was being very thorough, using my amulet constantly and searching everywhere. (I like how the amulet makes it easier but you still have to search around a bit for that orange glow.)

I think I found them (not much of a spoiler if you've played for 10 minutes)...

Spoiler:

In the very first room with your jail cell. I think there was a chest there.

[rrmorton]

Well, yeah, I found those and wore them for a while. But then they got taken away later after the prologue. Or was it earlier? Time has no meaning in the early part of this game.

[coopasonic]

Well, yeah, I found those and wore them for a while. But then they got taken away later after the prologue. Or was it earlier? Time has no meaning in the early part of this game.

Yes, time is a pain to keep track of in the beginning, but I'm pretty once you can get the stuff I'm talking about there's no way for it to be taken away by the time you get to Flotsam. I could be wrong though. As you said, the timeline is hazy.

I can't imagine getting to Flotsam was much fun with no armor at all.

[Smoove_B]

Well, yeah, I found those and wore them for a while. But then they got taken away later after the prologue. Or was it earlier? Time has no meaning in the early part of this game.

Question: during the prologue, specifically before the battle did you run into anyone in the base camp before you went to meet the King? Specifically a group of soldiers looking to settle a bet?

Spoiler:

I told the solider in question his amulet wasn't magic and that he shouldn't go into battle wearing his underpants and nothing else. As a result, he survived and when I escaped the dungeon he was standing at the exit. He thanked for me saving his life and I'm pretty sure he gave me a bunch of gear and then went off to distract the guards, allowing me to escape to the ship. All I know is that when the ship landed, I was all decked out.

[rrmorton]

I can't imagine getting to Flotsam was much fun with no armor at all.

Fortunately I did have leather trousers and gauntlets and some boots. And Quen!

[rrmorton]

Spoiler:

I told the solider in question his amulet wasn't magic and that he shouldn't go into battle wearing his underpants and nothing else. As a result, he survived and when I escaped the dungeon he was standing at the exit. He thanked for me saving his life and I'm pretty sure he gave me a bunch of gear and then went off to distract the guards, allowing me to escape to the ship. All I know is that when the ship landed, I was all decked out.

Spoiler:

LOL. Poor Newboy. I selected the encouraging dialogue choice and then found his corpse outside the dungeon. I guess I sealed his fate. Which might explain why I'm still nude up top. Fun game! I love it when actions have consequences.

[coopasonic]

Well, yeah, I found those and wore them for a while. But then they got taken away later after the prologue. Or was it earlier? Time has no meaning in the early part of this game.

Question: during the prologue, specifically before the battle did you run into anyone in the base camp before you went to meet the King? Specifically a group of soldiers looking to settle a bet?

Spoiler:

I told the solider in question his amulet wasn't magic and that he shouldn't go into battle wearing his underpants and nothing else. As a result, he survived and when I escaped the dungeon he was standing at the exit. He thanked for me saving his life and I'm pretty sure he gave me a bunch of gear and then went off to distract the guards, allowing me to escape to the ship. All I know is that when the ship landed, I was all decked out.

Hmm you may be right about that being the source. I handled that interaction the same way, but I could swear I had clothes earlier.

[e1123]

As far as chest armor in Flotsam...

Spoiler:

There is a sweet-looking one in Loredo's that you can get really early, so don't buy one like I did.

[hepcat]

I've come to the conclusion that I missed a few things during the prologue. Methinks I may start over (I just got to chapter 1 last night).

[Octavious]

I bet it'll work for you this time, Dr. Octagon. I had to go back to the original game a second time (after the big patch was released) to try to get into it and that time it sunk its hooks in deep. I played well into the game, probably 40 or 50 hours, but I didn't reach the end. I'm loving the sequel so far. It's shaping up to be one of those games-that-make-me-remember-why-I-love-games games.

I think you might be right. I loaded it up last night as was really digging the atmosphere. I have a better video card then when I played it last so I can really crank up the settings. I'm still on the fence about the combat unless I'm missing something. Click..wait for flaming sword...Click... Rinse and repeat. Seems so disconnected from the action, but maybe it gets more involved as you level up?

[Smoove_B]

I've come to the conclusion that I missed a few things during the prologue. Methinks I may start over (I just got to chapter 1 last night).

It's not just a straight-line through the prologue. There are a few side quests and TONS of loot, particularly herbs for potions. Resist the urge to just mainline through everything and revel in the awesomeness that can be found in aimless wandering.

[Tscott]

[coopasonic]

:grund:

When you reply again make sure to summarize everything briefly ie:

Unable to install, data2.cab is unreadable off the DVD. Your CSR [insert name here] told me I could get a code to download off GOG.com if I supplied my CD Key. Here is the key: xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxx-xxxxxxx

If they gave you a ticket # or reference number or anything, include that as well. If they are in disaster mode the best way to get service is to give them everything they need in one place. Don't make them dig through the email thread for any info.

I've worked in a couple support jobs and those are the kinds of things that make the job easier.

[Tscott]

I did exactly that. And they replied that the code I'm giving them is invalid, even though someone else said it was valid in a previous reply.

[Tscott]

Finally everything resolved, I got a link and have set up a GOG.com account, and it's finally downloading.

[coopasonic]

Glad to see they finally came through for you, even if it was 3 days later. Hopefully you'll find the game was well worth the hassle.

[rrmorton]

Glad to hear you'll be up and running in time for the weekend, Tscott!

(hopefully)

[Tscott]

It seemed like it took forever to download, verify and install- around 3-4 hours. Then I had to track down where I backed up my Witcher 1 save to import that.

I finally got a chance to run the game, and it started out as a slide show. I've got a Quad Core Processor, 3GB of Ram but only a GeForce 8800GT - which I think is the bare minimum card they require for this game. Thus, I've done nothing much yet but fiddle with the graphics so far. After toying with settings at high quality and getting not quite acceptable results, I finally dropped it down to medium settings (but kept the decals at high) and things look and play pretty good - and it doesn't have that annoying blur every time I look around.

I can't wait to get into this game now for reals...

[RLMullen]

Low – for inexperienced gamers Geralt meets weaker opponents and receives less
damage, while he himself deals more damage Most battles can be won using only
a sword
Medium – for mid-advanced gamers The opponents’ levels are normal The gameplay
is balanced Most battles can be won using a sword and magical signs
High – for very experienced gamers Opponents deal high damage, and it’s harder
to acquire items Many battles require the use of a sword, magic and alchemy
Insane – for unusually skilled gamers who expect an extremely high difficulty level
Opponents deal very high damage and no saved game can be loaded if Geralt dies
This difficulty level is harder than High

Where is the difficulty option for the folks who have been playing video and computer games for 35 years, but still aren't hardcore enough to be considered "inexperienced gamers" by the sadists who developed this thing? I'm not averse to challenge, I studied "Fighter Combat: Tactics and Maneuvering" in my multi-year attempt to get proficient at Falcon 3.0, but having to reload the first battle in the tutorial(?) fifteen times goes beyond mere challenge. I'm glad I bought this on Steam else I'd have broken the DVD by now.

After I finally defeat an entire platoon of guards and get to the ballistea, I'm continually jumped by another group of guards before I can figure out how to shoot the stupid thing. This may be fine in a dramatic sense, but it's really not the way to introduce new players to your game. I'm reading the game guide that came with the Steam version, and it says that the next fight is quite challenging. I can't wait . The OO effect is the only thing motivating me with this title now.


Edit: delete extraneous apostrophe... I'm my own grammar nazi.

[ericb]

Low – for inexperienced gamers Geralt meets weaker opponents and receives less
damage, while he himself deals more damage Most battles can be won using only
a sword
Medium – for mid-advanced gamers The opponents’ levels are normal The gameplay
is balanced Most battles can be won using a sword and magical signs
High – for very experienced gamers Opponents deal high damage, and it’s harder
to acquire items Many battles require the use of a sword, magic and alchemy
Insane – for unusually skilled gamers who expect an extremely high difficulty level
Opponents deal very high damage and no saved game can be loaded if Geralt dies
This difficulty level is harder than High

Where is the difficulty option for the folks who have been playing video and computer games for 35 years, but still aren't hardcore enough to be considered "inexperienced gamers" by the sadist's who developed this thing? I'm not averse to challenge, I studied "Fighter Combat: Tactics and Maneuvering" in my multi-year attempt to get proficient at Falcon 3.0, but having to reload the first battle in the tutorial(?) fifteen times goes beyond mere challenge. I'm glad I bought this on Steam else I'd have broken the DVD by now.

After I finally defeat an entire platoon of guards and get to the ballistea, I'm continually jumped by another group of guards before I can figure out how to shoot the stupid thing. This may be fine in a dramatic sense, but it's really not the way to introduce new players to your game. I'm reading the game guide that came with the Steam version, and it says that the next fight is quite challenging. I can't wait . The OO effect is the only thing motivating me with this title now.

Unlike the first game though you can change the difficulty on the fly now. It's a much better idea to start the prologue on easy, get used to the combat: the different clicks for different sword swings and using the keys for magic and then bump it to normal when you're more confident. Hell, I played the first one and still had to switch to easy for some of the fights because of frustration with reloading. Magic use is pretty much mandatory on normal along with running around and separating those groups out some so you're not fighting 4-5 at once.

[Tscott]

I'm still in the starting areas, so I may change my tune later, but I'm really enjoying the combat in this game so far. I'm playing on normal currently (until I get forced to change). I died a few times last night, including the first time I dropped down in that ballista area, but overall it didn't seem too bad. I learned quickly that the game doesn't like you to stand still swinging your sword while 3 guys attack you at once. So I've taken to using a lot of dodging (space), a lot of stunning/trapping, and determined that running away to regroup and using the environment tactically are perfectly fine options in a fight. Take the squishy guys out first, then stun the armored guys/guys with shields and try to do as much damage while they're down. When they start attacking again, dodge away and stun them again.

[coopasonic]

Yeah I've been tempted to drop to a easy a few times now, but have avoided it so far. I did use potions and QUEN for the first time this morning when fighting two wraiths in a very small area with no place to hide at all. QUEN is very useful when you are having trouble getting even one good swing in. QUEN get some good strong attacks in, run until you can QUEN again.

[rrmorton]

Tscott speaks the truth! So does Coopatroopa! You just gotta roll away from the pack and choose your moment to strike. Get in for one or two quick strikes against the weaker foes on the outside of the mob then roll out again. When it's down to one-on-one, I find it a lot easier to parry blows. And always have your QUEN defenses up.

You can find books which detail the best strategies for killing various monsters, like bleeding attacks or traps.

I'm mixed on the UI. I love the meditation screen and the wiggly World of Goo skill tree and the inventory screen. I don't love the limited, console-style scrolling item list or the way the info panels for stats open in corner boxes. I haven't seen an easy way to compare new equipment with items you already have equipped. And that sharp-looking font feels like it belongs in a Valve FPS rather than a fantasy RPG.

I'm increasingly happy with my rig's performance. Every time I load the game I turn up one or two more advanced graphics effects and I haven't had that horrible slowdown come back. I even jacked it back up to 1920x1200 and it's very playable and quite spectacular looking. I don't know what exactly made my computer choke and die but I've seen it happen in other games like Monday Night Combat and Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It wasn't ubersampling, I know that much.

One downside is now that I'm in a much larger area, when I die in combat the reloads take a lot longer. Oh well. Extra incentive to not die. I love the depth and difficulty of the combat system. You can't have that thrill of victory without the agony of defeat.

[coopasonic]

I haven't seen an easy way to compare new equipment with items you already have equipped.

I haven't checked in the shop interface (or remember at least), but in your inventory. When you look at an equippable item, the item currently equipped in that slot appears in the right corner.

[rrmorton]

Yeah, I think I saw that. It just seems inconsistent. And I don't like the way the item on the list that you're looking at expands in the list itself... I find it disorienting in tandem with the info boxes. I keep thinking I'll get the hang of it sooner or later.

Is there a way to sort your list to easily sell all your Junk items?

[coopasonic]

Is there a way to sort your list to easily sell all your Junk items?

Don't you (and I) wish. With all the categories they have at the type why isn't there a junk category? I can't remember which game had the "sell junk" button, but I could sure use one of those. I'd also love to sort by weight. The weight of crafting ingredients can really add up.

[TiLT]

Is there a way to sort your list to easily sell all your Junk items?

Don't you (and I) wish. With all the categories they have at the type why isn't there a junk category? I can't remember which game had the "sell junk" button, but I could sure use one of those. I'd also love to sort by weight. The weight of crafting ingredients can really add up.

You're thinking of Dragon Age 2, a game that had a junk category just so it had an excuse to give you absolutely useless items (and I mean that in the literal sense. They had no use whatsoever, even as makeshift weapons).

I haven't run across any junk in The Witcher 2 yet. Equipment I won't use because I've got something better, sure. Junk? No.

Keep in mind that you aren't supposed to pick up everything you find in this game. If you find yourself routinely hitting Space to pick up everything when looting something without even looking at what you're looting, you're going to run into trouble fast. Start making those hard decisions now. Do you really need to pick up that stack of cloth? Are you sure it's a good idea to take that guy's shovel? Do you really need more than 50 bits of iron ore?

[hepcat]

This game has a character named Marty Beaver. That is all.

[RLMullen]

I backed the difficulty to the "noob, u suk, have you ever played a game before" level, and I made it through the prologue and into Flotsam. Now that I have a handle on the mechanics, I'll bump the difficulty to normal.

I'm really digging the ambiance and flavor (adjectives escape me at present) of this game. The world seems real in a sense that is unlike any game I've ever played. The characters and their motivations along with the good voice acting couples with the political backstory to create a game that makes it easy to suspend one's disbelief. I hope this continues throughout the other 99% of the game.

... and bonus points to the the developers for finding a computer/video game artist who has actually seen a naked woman in real life!!

[Booner]

I have to say that the opening segment of Chapter 2 was one of the most engrossing bits of video gaming I've ever played. Even though it's not particularly challenging, the whole atmosphere is just fantastic.

[hepcat]

Love the game, hate the way they're handling the DLC, updating the game and registration. Trying to download the bonus content and it keeps downloading the same file over and over again. They're aware that they are having issues with their authentication servers and have a patch they're working on, thankfully.

[Daehawk]

I just installed and started the game. I have it set to ULTRA settings and its a tad choppy. Going to have to figure out all the settings to change to get it smooth yet stay nice looking. Had no trouble with the first game. Also I've tried to re bind my keys for movement and such and it wont allow me to use my arrow keys. Sometimes games let you use them anyways so I hope they work. If not im not sure what Ill do.

[Tscott]

They've announced a patch coming out sometime next week that will improve the ability to map keys, among other stuff. If you can hold off until then, it'll be fixed for you. If you can't hold off until then, it's possible to edit the .ini file to allow use of the arrow keys

[Daehawk]

Thank you. Now to fix my choppy play.

I knew I had enough computer to run this game. Seems it is the ubdersampling setting that was slowing me down. After reading stuff on the web it seems to be the problem for many people. I turned everything up to ULTRA at 1920 x 1200 but turned the uber one off and the game is smooth as can be and still looks great. I cant see anything thats changed in the graphical look.

I also got the left and right arrows working but the up and down refuses to work. Going to keep at them. On that note does anyone know what the number pad's zero key is called? is it num_0?

[Daehawk]

Gave up on the controls. Ill wait on the patch. I'd get 2 working and the other two either would not work at all or would copy what one of the others was doing.

I'm now in the castle and protecting the King from you know what. So far very fun. The fighting is a tad hectic. Multiple enemies seem a little too much at this early stage of the game. They are really throwing them at me right now.