The Witcher - Impressions @ DLA

Originally Posted by chamr
Believe me, I will! …

On a side note, your new avatar disturbs me greatly. I found the previous one reassuring in an odd, forum sort of way. The new one is quite the opposite. From the Witcher, right?

Yes. Just think of her as one of the cards that collects you.

Perhaps that is a bit disturbing…

When you get to the second chapter it becomes less on rails and more open since you have a large section of the city to explore and there is multiple ways to get to the same place. I am loving this game more and more as I play it and for people who are on the first chapter you should be careful of the end because there is a hard boss fight coming up. You have to use strategy to beat it and you can't just go up and kill it just by hitting it over and over with the same style.

Originally Posted by magerette
Yes. Just think of her as one of the cards that collects you.

Perhaps that is a bit disturbing…

You're *that* far into the game already?

Funningly, the box I've seen here has written "role playing game" underneath the title "The Witcher" …

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
Funningly, the box I've seen here has written "role playing game" underneath the title "The Witcher" …

Who said otherwise?

Originally Posted by chamr
Believe me, I will! I just came to the sad conclusion that I can not justify roughly $40 for a damn map, so I'm going with the GoGammer UK version soon.

The UK limited edition (available in GAME) I bought contains:

• A world map and local map printed on alternate sides of an A3 (or larger?) sheet of rather flimsy stock.
• An excellent 200+ page A4 artbook of first class printing quality and stock except for the flimsy cover.
• A "making of" DVD (I haven't watched it yet, can't comment).
• Soundtrack CD, 29 tracks I think.
• The standard game case and manual.

As far as I know this is the most feature rich English language edition currently available. Granted I got it because it was the only edition available in the store at the time, and I don't normally bother with CE/LE versions, but this one was well worth it.

Originally Posted by JDR13
Who said otherwise?

The point is not the "otherwise", but rather that they seem to feel obliged to stress this …

They could've left these words alone. They are not needed, imho.

Originally Posted by MudsAnimalFriend
The UK limited edition (available in GAME) I bought contains:…

Problem for me (this is all subjective, of course) is that the map is the most exciting thing, and the others are of only moderate interest. Now, if the Euro LE had a couple more things from the Polish CE (e.g. the Bestiary and an english translation of one of Sap's books), it would probably be enough for me to self-rationalize the extra $40 to get it from the UK into my hot little hands here in the US.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
The point is not the "otherwise", but rather that they seem to feel obliged to stress this …

They could've left these words alone. They are not needed, imho.

Which words are you refering to? Role-playing game? Why are they not needed? I'm not saying they are needed, but what's the big deal?

I assume "role-playing game" is on the box to distinguish it from other products, existing or planned, in The Witcher brand line.

Originally Posted by JDR13
Either way, this guy claiming(iho) that KOTOR is the best RPG ever made makes me skeptical of how long he's been playing RPG's.

CRPGs? First was back in early 1982, Sir-Tech's Wizardy 1: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord for the Apple ][.

RPGs? 1976, Original D&D.

Your opinion may differ form mine. I somehow doubt, however, that lack of experience in the genre is a failing you can point to.

I stand by my comments: I consider KotOR1 to be the best CRPG of all time. You may have a different view or prefer different games; but the joy from the Revan plot twist remains my high water mark for sheer glee while playing a CRPG.

Could I have seen it coming if I was looking for it? Sure. But I wasn't and I didn't. I was chest deep in developing for the Aurora engine at the time and also had the privilege of playing with BioWare's Odyssey's toolset they used for KotOR under NDA. So most of my active attention I was soaking up the tech behind the game and just going with the story at the time.

The plot twist had me laughing so loud I woke up my wife at 2:30 am. I loved it then - and I do now, too.

YMMV.

Originally Posted by Steel_Wind
I consider KotOR1 to be the best CRPG of all time.

Welcome to our forums!

I am with JDR13 on this one. KotOR1 was indeed a very good RPG, and I replayed it several times. In fact, when I purchased KotOR2, I uninstalled it several days later (after beating it twice) to install KotOR1 again!

But you have to admit that as good as it was, it had some serious flaws. Combat was too easy and the DnD rules took out a lot of the Starwars feel (I recall the melee fighting, I could as well be yielding a greatsword instead of a lightsaber!) It felt very linear, and choices you made only resulted in minor differences storywise. The areas felt very constrained too. And the interface very consolish. The moral choices were quite foolish at times, kill the beggar to earn dark points, or give him money for light points! No grey areas either.

Now these are things that The Witcher (and other RPGs) handle in a far better manner. I share your enthousiasm though, KotOR was sure one of the most fun games I ever played.

Originally Posted by Lethal Weapon
It felt very linear, and choices you made only resulted in minor differences storywise. The areas felt very constrained too.

…and that's an understatement.

I'm not as enthusiastic one any of the points but everyone has a different personal experience, obviously. I didn't like the twist at all and the mechanics and exploration were all truncated. I do appreciate, however, that BioWare put more effort into stat-driven dialogue and alternative solutions than their earlier work, even the highly lauded BG2.

Nice to have you drop by, Steel_Wind.

Originally Posted by Lethal Weapon
Welcome to our forums!
The areas felt very constrained too. And the interface very consolish. The moral choices were quite foolish at times, kill the beggar to earn dark points, or give him money for light points! No grey areas either.

Now these are things that The Witcher (and other RPGs) handle in a far better manner. I share your enthusiasm though, KotOR was sure one of the most fun games I ever played.

Hey - I didn't say that KotOR 1 for the PC was the best. I referred to the game as primarily an XBox title - and the Xbox version is the one that played best.

The controls on KotOR 1 PC didn't "feel consolish" - they WERE "consolish"! The title is not primarily a PC Game. Few ports play at their best as a port - and KotOR1 is no different.

IMO, you need to assess a game as it was intended to be played. With KotOR1, the resolution the game was intended to support on the original Xbox, and at the time the original Xbox title was released, and playing the game on a Bat Wing controller in front of the TV. That's the game that got trailers on TV, in the movie theaters and which won Game of the Year. Judging it by a port 18 months later is doing it a disservice.

You need to judge a game as it was intended to be played at the time it was released.

FWIW, the designers at Bio who worked on the game far prefer it on the Xbox.

None of that has much to do with The Witcher though.

For the record, I completed the game over this past weekend. It has some rough edges which show up as the game progresses. Act IV and inventory management being the biggies - but it's still a 4.5/5 game and a must buy for any CRPG fan.

The updated post - now a review - is on our site. This is now a "review" as opposed to a "First Impression". I hate authors who hold out an article as a "review" based only on a partial play through - I find it to be deceptive and misleading.

.Robert

Originally Posted by Steel_Wind
Hey - I didn't say that KotOR 1 for the PC was the best. I referred to the game as primarily an XBox title - and the Xbox version is the one that played best.

Can't really argue with that, I'm a PC-only gamer. Although I did get the impression that you meant that KotOR was the best RPG title in all platforms. Incidentally, KotOR's highlight for me was not the (predictable) twist, but the temple summit - I never expected to find Bastilla there .

Originally Posted by Steel_Wind
The updated post - now a review - is on our site. This is now a "review" as opposed to a "First Impression". I hate authors who hold out an article as a "review" based only on a partial play through - I find it to be deceptive and misleading.

Nice to see a reviewer giving a score only after having completed the game. I just read it, overall a very good review focusing on both the positives and the negatives - although I would have prefered you had written more about the choices and consequences (it's the game's motto after all) and also the living world, NPC schedules etc. I was particularly pleased your team is interested in modding the Witcher, Wyvern is one of my favourite NWN mods (far better than the OC IMO) and perhaps you will be able to correct some of those inventory issues you mention - if the devs don't that is.

Keep up the good work.

While I feel BG2 is the best cRPG ever, I have to agree with Steel_Wind here that the Revan twist is exceptionally good. It really is one of my best gaming moments, I was actually chuckling during the confrontation, thinking "Oh my! Oh my! Woho! Oh my!".

It was a like-a-child-on-christmas-eve experience.

Also, let's not forget the fact that it's Star Wars, people. That alone gives it an edge - The Jedi have a "coolness factor" of 11 out of 10. Swinging a lightsaber, to me, is cooler than a sword any day.

I have to admit I place KotOR relatively high on my list, there's just something about Star Wars when it's done right (too often it's not). KotOR (maybe 2 as well) is probably the only Star Wars game I feel have a good enough story and background to truly exist in the SW universe. More often than not there's some silly element that makes me go: "Eh? George Lucas would never write that, it doesn't fit at all!".

KotOR suffers a bit from the Aurora 2,5D issue though, much like The Witcher. Not having a true Z-axis means you have to run around fences and have cut off zones, instead of actual jumping and free movement everywhere. Invisible walls is a big issue.

My dream RPG is probably Gothic gone KotOR, or KotOR gone Gothic (depending on perspective). A rock solid Star Wars RPG with Gothic atmosphere and exploration. I've been dreaming about such an RPG for years.

I'd say KotOR is probably the 6th game on my top ten RPG list, with BG1-2, Gothic 1-2 and PS:T above it. All these games have exceptional replay value, fun combat and a well written story. If KotOR had been built like Gothic 2: NotR, it would probably be my all-time favourite, or at least be in the race with BG2 for the top title.

Originally Posted by Maylander
More often than not there's some silly element that makes me go: "Eh? George Lucas would never write that, it doesn't fit at all!".

One word: metachlorians.

Originally Posted by Maylander
While I feel BG2 is the best cRPG ever,

You have good taste my friend. I would say it's a toss-up between the BG and Gothic series for me. BG 1&2 are, without a doubt, the best party based crpg's I've ever played imo, while the Gothics are probably my favorite games of all time.

Originally Posted by Maylander
Also, let's not forget the fact that it's Star Wars, people. That alone gives it an edge - The Jedi have a "coolness factor" of 11 out of 10. Swinging a lightsaber, to me, is cooler than a sword any day.

The funny thing is, I'm a huge Star Wars fan, but I just wasn't blown away by KotOR. Don't get me wrong, I though it was fun and it was definitely a very high quality production, but it wasn't one of those games that had me thinking about it all the time when I wasn't playing it. I've never replayed it since, and I never played, or desired to play, KotOR 2.