The Witcher - Original Script Unlocked

Dhruin

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RPG Codex poster 1eyedking has worked out how to unlock the original English dialogues in The Witcher that were cut by Atari (presumably to save money on voiceovers), sometimes changing the text dramatically. Here are the details:
1. Open Windows's Registry Editor (Start->Run->type "regedit"). Navigate towards 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARECD Projekt RedThe Witcher' . Double-click the 'Language' tab. Enter '1' in 'Value Data' without the commas. Close the Editor (it saves the changes automatically).
2. Go to your Witcher's Data folder inside the directory where you installed the game.
3. Rename 'lang_3.key' to 'lang_1.key'.
4. Rename 'dialog_3.tlk' to 'dialog_1.tlk'.
5. DO NOT rename anything else. The game will still look inside voices_3_00.bif to get the dialogue wave files, for example.
As usual, please make appropriate backups and use separate saves in case of any problems. This will still leave the (shorter) recorded voiceover in place, which may prove distracting for some players - YMMV.
Thanks, Melvil!
More information.
 
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Interesting ... worth a try for the study value alone.
 
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Cool, I didn't expect this till after the toolkit was released.
 
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"about possibly releasing the uncut dialogues " - I have been waiting for this issue to be fixed. They refer themselves as perfectionists and I take my chances before playing the game.
 
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Nice work! I just got the Witcher myself and am holding out for the 1.2 patch. However, Lukasz from CDProject stated that the dialogs being accessed are unofficial versions which are bugged and somewhat outdated. While personally I think it might be interesting to see the differences between the original and "butchered" versions, life's too short to replay an RPG twice! (unless it's a really good one!).

Personally, given the devs claim that they'll probably look into in eventually I think I hold out for that...
 
Yeah the dev was quite disparaging about them:

Dziadu said:
Guys...

What you are talking about is nothing but bugged, unofficial version of dialogues and journal which was for internal use only. Sorry to be the one to tell you that but if you look closer at this texts you'll se how bugged they are Wink. These are absolutely NOT OFFICIAL dialouges and journals.

So, congratulation 1eyedking since you were able to discover some of "dev mysteries" Smiley but there's no way we can call it "COMPLETE ORIGINAL SCRIPT" for The Witcher!!! Wink Please remember that these dialogues and journals are not part of the game and may contain many, many bugs. You may use it on your own responsibility - CD projekt will not support it in any way.

EDIT: What more (I just received this info from production team) - Most of the "original" Wink dialogues are from early version of the game, some of them are outdated, some are bugged and some might even be in polish Grin. One thing is clear - it's not very reasonable to use them...
 
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That dev answer was a PR damage control (or bullshit putting it more bluntly), not a honest answer or comment. Both replies - from Lukasz on rpgcodex and on official forums from Dziadu are almost identical - and especially the former one got a few blunt comments later as well.
 
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I'm waiting for a get rid of or crack the copy protection that breaks it when run under win2k...
 
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Both replies - from Lukasz on rpgcodex and on official forums from Dziadu are almost identical - and especially the former one got a few blunt comments later as well.

More than just a few. The whole "bugged and outdated" comment seemed to rile them up the most.
 
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Some examples, maybe this would help you decide whether to install this fix.

Let's just have a look at the famous dialogue with a dwarf from promotional video:
Polish:
A dlaczego kuska wchodzi w piczke? Taki jest naturalny porzadek wszechrzeczy. Ludzie od zawsze zarli się z krasnoludami i elfami. Nie mnie decydowac, z czyjej winy.
English1(uncut brought you by 1EYEKIND):
Why do pricks go in cunts? It's the natural order of things. Humans have always had it in for dwarves and elves. Not me to decide whose fault it is.
In-game English:
Humans have always hated dwarves and elves.

My comment: English1 pretty much summarizes what dwarven smith is saying. Unfortunately, it's not even a half as good as Polish. As 'prick' sounds rather vulgar and offensive, 'kuska' is just inherently funny and sounds like a diminutive. No one would take it as a serious insult. So maybe this wasn't the best example. But consider that this particular sentence was much harder to translate than most of the others and still that "buggy developer secret" is much more picuteresque and similiar to Polish than that butchered In-game English.

Still the same dialogue:

POL: Nic. Ale jaka oszczędność surowca! Przy produkcji idącej w setki sztuk można zaoszczędzić na drewnie i zrobić więcej, dajmy na to, drewnianych mieczyków dla dzieci
ENG1:Nothing. But the savings! Think of the wood you save when you're producing them in the hundreds, and that wood can be used to make wooden swords for kids, for instance.
ENG2:Nothing.But think of the savings! When you're producing them in the hundreds, all that extra wood can be used to make other goods, like wooden swords for children
ENG3:Nothing. But all that extra wood can be used to make other goods.

Comment: This one's clear, isn't it? Some 'unimportant' and 'unnecessary' sentences have been deleted.

Another example:




ENG1:
Geralt: Zoltan Chivay, in person, a very bearded person. Good to see you.
Zoltan: You managed to get inside the town, Geralt. Very good, always plenty of work for a witcher in Vizima
Geralt: And you, Zoltan? How did you manage to get in?
Zoltan: Nasty nonhumans will always find a way to sneak into human homes, disturbing their peace, pouring sand in the cogs of their mills and factories.

ENG3:
Geralt: Zoltan Chivay. Good to see you.
Zoltan: You got inside the town okay? Plenty of work for a witcher in Vizima.
Geralt: How did you manage it?
Zoltan: Nasty nonhumans will always find a way to sneak into human homes.

Another 'unnecessary' info cut. Yes, I think you can live without it, but what are you playing RPGs really for? For making 'go here-kill that man-get the reward and xp' quests or maybe rather for dialogues and atmosphere?

Another one:

ENG1: Progress is like a herd of pigs. The herd's very existence brings many benefits. Pork knuckle, sausage, lard, and trotters in aspic. One word: benefits! But it's no small wonder that there's pig shit all over the place.
ENG3: Progress is like a herd of pigs. The herd brings many benefits, but no one should wonder at the all the shit.

Comment: Come on, everybody knows what comes out of pig, there's absolutely no need to read it aloud.

Conntiniuing:

ENG1: And witchers will be needed always, everywhere, no matter where that pig herd leads us. As old King Dezmod used to say looking into his chamber-pot after using it: "The rational mind cannot possibly grasp this."
ENG2: Witchers will always be needed, no matter where that pig herd leads us

Comment: No one cares about what some king used to say. Knowing it won't give you exp, therefore is not important, therefore you wouldn't even notice that somthing's missing. Oh, would you?

Dialogue with bartender:

ENG!:
B:Well, who do we have here? Swordies on his back, grey hair... Let me guess, you run away from a circus?
G:Oh, I'm in stitches, you have some circus experience, too?
B: Ooo! Sharp tongue. A good fellow! What can I get ya?
ENG3:
B: Well, well...Swords on your back, white hair... You run away from a circus?
G:You have circus experience, too?
B:Sharp tongue, good fellow! What can I get ya?

Ok, that's not the prime-quality joke, but notice that the cut version of this dialogue doesn't make ANY sense at all! This time they not only ruined the atmoshpere, but also altered the meaning.

Geralt speaking to himself in front of the Vyzima's hospital with his deep, murky voice:

POL:
Szpital Lebiody - tu trafiaja ofiary plagi Catriony, jeszcze dwa etapy do konca: Stara Wyzima i Pieklo. Psiakrew, ale jestem mroczny.
ENG1:
Lebioda's Hospital - where they take all the victims of the Catriona plague. Two stages after this - Old Vizima and Hell. Damn I'm gloomy.
ENG3:
Lebioda's Hospital - where the plague victims end. Two stages follow - Old Vizima and Hell.

That's this famous Geralt's sarcasm. I believe it is still there with us in the third version of the monologue, which obviously has so well hidden innuendo that we're just to stupid to notice it.


Some of the quotes from Talar, a fence:

ENG1
Geralt: The guards found a witcher's sword at your place.
Talar: First of all, the cocksucking guards. Second, why do you care?

ENG3:
Geralt: Guards found a witcher's sword at your place
Talar: Why do you care?


ENG1: Fell off your horse? Where'd you get that idea?
ENG3: Where'd you get that idea?

ENG1:
Geralt:How did you get Berengar's stuff?
Talar: I'm a plowing fence. You know who a fence is, or do I need to draw you a picture? You think I ask every fucking thief where he got his goods?

ENG3:
Geralt: How did you get Berengar's property?
Talar: I'm a fence. I don't ask every thief who he plowed for his goods

Comment: In this case, they were mainly swearings that were deleted, so some people may preffer the in game script over the uncut one. But consider who the Talar is: a fence, crafty fellow who was brought up on the street. What kind of langueage would you expect from him? A refined or not refined one? In which case is this character more believable?

And finnally:

Polish: Patelnia mu raz, dwa przygrzmocisz i zara inaczej bedzie gadal. Jestes kobieta, miej swoja godnosc, do diabla!
English1(the uncut one): Slap him around with a pan, he'll sing a different tune. You're woman, have a little dignity, dammit!
English3(in-game): Hit him with a pan, then tell your brother. Think of your children!

Comment: Cut, cut, cut! Less words equals more money, that's obvious, who gives a toss about the atmosphere? Nobody, that's clear!

Bottom line: Developers are saying that 'the uncut line' is derivated from the early version of game and thus is outadted. I wouldn't say so. The uncut script for the most part is just a faithful translation from the original Polish, while the in-game one looks like...yeah, the early sketch of the dialogues. The only outdated thing I've noticed in the uncut one is that the name Coleman is changed into Brick. Other players say that it also changes the names of some other characters and plants, but it is still much closer to the Polish than in-game one.
 
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