The Witcher - Preview @ GameSpy

Also from Gencon and GameSpy comes this preview of The Witcher. They seem to be using the demo from E3, so much of the territory has been previously covered. With that in mind, here's a bit on potions:

The game has a rather interesting take on potions. Players have alchemy abilities and can mix their own potions and create new ones by mixing ingredients found in the game. Some potions will give great benefits, in Madjei's demonstration he put together a night vision potion that makes certain situations in the game much easier to navigate. Some potions, however, will have unpredictable or even dangerous effects, so down the hatch and hope for the best. As the Witcher drinks potions, he also develops a level of toxicity that rises the more potions consumed. That provides some strategic choices in deciding just when to use potions.

More information.

As you say, not much new here. I wonder what he means by this though:

The Witcher uses a leveling system that actually disguises levels.

Haven't heard that before..

I'll be more interested to see what people have to say after the Games Convention. Is anybody else wondering if they will release that beta version they plan to show there as a demo?

Thats an odd way of putting it isnt it ?

It might mean that after gaining experience you buy skills on the different
skill trees, without actually having a statistic telling you which level you are
or getting a level up notification (something like Vampire i.e).

Originally Posted by magerette
Is anybody else wondering if they will release that beta version they plan to show there as a demo?

I am trying to remember If CD Project has confirmed a Demo (there is
a problem with their community site right now). If so its possible. I would
expect it closer to the release though (didnt they push it back to Oct ?)

Originally Posted by JonNik
(didnt they push it back to Oct ?)

Yes. The GameSpy article notes this, too. It's supposed to be out in late October (around 10/24 according to some retailers).

Originally Posted by JonNik
Thats an odd way of putting it isnt it ?

I am trying to remember If CD Project has confirmed a Demo (there is
a problem with their community site right now). If so its possible. I would
expect it closer to the release though (didnt they push it back to Oct ?)

No plans for the demo before realese at 26 october 2007

This looks like it might be one of my purchases this year. Have high hopes for this one.

The wait's getting intolerable. I'm suspicious this might be my GOTY.

I'm just hoping it comes together nicely. I anticipate that it will, but as always I'm concerned about bugs …

Originally Posted by txa1265
I'm just hoping it comes together nicely. I anticipate that it will, but as always I'm concerned about bugs …

Hopefully after so many delays they will squash as many bugs as it will be needed, preferably all of them.

The delay should also mean that the Bioshock train has moved on and people will be ready for a new experience!!

Originally Posted by Corwin
The delay should also mean that the Bioshock train has moved on and people will be ready for a new experience!!

I still think Two Worlds could have benefitted from that …

The leveling system sounds like the one in VTM:B. You get points for overcoming challenges, you use them to buy 'powerups'. Rather than getting a bunch of powerups at once in the form of levels, you get them more gradually. I liked the system in VTM:B, it meant that one of the problems J.E. Sawyer was blogging about a while back is mitigated. You don't get to a point in a level and not be able to hack something because of a choice you made hours ago to buy a different skill. If you keep some XPs in reserve you can just buy the skills as you need them.

Not much new except the leveling thing. I don't really know; it doesn't sound that much different from the normal leveling, maybe Badesumofu is right and it is like vtm but I don't think so, I think it more the normal kind of leveling just altered a little