The Witcher - Screens @ Official Site

The Witcher site has two new screens on offer and here's their accompanying blurb:

For today’s News of the Week we bring you two latest in-game screenshots. They show the main hero – Geralt and one of the NPC characters, during the conversation mode. When player begins a dialogue with NPC, the in-game view gets narrowed (as you can see on the screenshots) and camera automatically switches between main hero and his interlocutors.

More information.

the screens look great, especialy the one of garet himself.
Still very interested in this game

This slow trickle of screens is to keep us baited until release which can't be far away as there's talk of first look previews and footage "early march" - hope it lives up to expectations.

Very atmospheric! How long has this one been in development--I seem to remember reading about it about the time the Obsidian boards first went up.(Back around KOTOR I days)? I know it's been awhile, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

magerette, yeah according to this ign' blog "The Witcher" started as a Baldur's Gate conversion [Dark Alliance] back in 2002!

http://blogs.ign.com/The_Witcher/

What a saga--and I just read about the first year! It's hard to believe those screenies come from the Aurora engine Thanks, Wulf.

The game certainly looks impressive. It looks like they're using a 3rd person view similar to Gothic.

I hope you have full control over your character, rather than just point and click.

The graphics and combat look very good, just hope storyline is the icing on the cake

Only speaks for the Aurora engine - even the old NWN1 looks good to my eyes after all these years. The "improved" engine from the witcher looks rather impressive. Bioware abandoned that technologie way too early if you're asking me…

Originally Posted by Wulf
24. Two perspective modes will be used, isometric and third person.

No free camera mode like NWN ? Well, no complaints from me.
Everything about this game sounds great, but I have some reservations about the mouse based combat, and that's after seeing last year's videos. In my experience this kind of combat works better with a controler than with a mouse -- but maybe that's only the console player in me speaking.

@Cormac, i agree, seems there will be lots of mouse clicking but it looks like there's some skilled timing and in-fight methods involved more than just button-mashing…re: info's via lead designer Michal Madej…….

Click on an enemy to lock onto him and the Witcher will stay faced towards the enemy for the duration of combat. Double click on the ground to perform an evasion and hold down the Shift key to power up for a strong attack. He also has three different schools of combat he'll be putting points into as the game progresses; strong enemies, fast enemies and groups all have separate considerations, and the Witcher can switch between the three on the fly. He can also chain attacks; audiovisual cues will instruct the player to swing at a certain moment, and when the player times it right, the Witcher's attack will become more powerful, until he unleashes a finishing move, which is different for each type of combat school. Attacks are also much more powerful if initiated from behind, so non-player character assistance can come in quite handy when you need to face a particularly tough baddie. Weapons are also modifiable, and the Witcher has unarmed attacks as well. And if he's fighting a ranged fighter, he can deflect arrows, summon magic shields (which disappear when he attacks), and set enemies on fire from a distance. Since he's proficient in both melee and magic, the Witcher has a bevy of tactical options at his disposal. Against groups, he can strike the ground and cause them to fall down, and he can stun them.

…i'll wait and see how the game feels, the keyboard will be my main choice but it sounds like using both keyboard and mouse together will be the ideal?

Originally Posted by Wulf
…i'll wait and see how the game feels, the keyboard will be my main choice but it sounds like using both keyboard and mouse together will be the ideal?

You're probably right, keyboard and mouse. There's a lot to the combat, so much that I'm afraid it'll be a bit too hectic for me. Wont stop me from playing it, though.

Wulf, maybe you should copy your list to a normal forum thread before this newsbit is forgotten.

I'm really excited about this game… every time I hear about it I grow more and more anxious for it. It's looking great!!! The whole atmosphere of the game seems to appeal to me the most.

Glacian, I feel the exact same way

It really makes me want to read the book(s). It's my understanding that they aren't available in the U.S. however. I would love to be wrong on this but if not guess I'll have to wait for the game

Originally Posted by magerette
It really makes me want to read the book(s). It's my understanding that they aren't available in the U.S. however. I would love to be wrong on this but if not guess I'll have to wait for the game

I'm waiting for a translation too (it's already out in French but in an edition too expensive for -- to me -- an unknown author). Amazon has The Last Wish available for pre-order, with a June 1st release date.

Excellent. The story seems to be really well done and a big part of the game -thanks for the heads up Cormac.