Yennefer of Vengerberg (all spoilers)

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I like that line. I think it shows up Yen's understandable complacency. Is this still what Geralt wants/loves/values? To me the answer is no, to others no doubt it is yes.

The breakup line in "The Last Wish" is horrible, really. It would have been better to just have Geralt say he wants to end it for other reasons but I think they chickened out or believed Geralt would never voluntarily say that unless it was a curse.
 
I like that line. I think it shows up Yen's understandable complacency. Is this still what Geralt wants/loves/values? To me the answer is no, to others no doubt it is yes.

No it doesn't' mean that Geralt particularly adores such behaviour. The thing is that he knows who Yennefer is under the facade she puts in front of other people. He knows that it's just a shell she created to protect herself.
 
I have not read the books so my impression of Yennifer is based almost entire on how she is portrayed in the game and with that comes a lack of investment and interest in her character going into the game. She is often referred to as an ice-queen here on the forums, and from my understanding she is very popular among those who have read the book(s). This is something I find a bit puzzling to be honest, reading about peoples impression of the character in the game seems to indicate that CDPR captured Yennifer very well and most people feel she accurately depicted. Which would mean that she is equally cruel in the books as in the game, and I have never understood why cruelty, selfishness and a cold demeanor are attractive traits? Maybe some guys have a submissive streak and what such a domineering lady? Geralt certainly allows himself to be "guided" and "castrated" by her.

That being said, I enjoyed her very much in this game, her part in the overall plot and as an interesting fictional character, just not as a person.
 
[...] Which would mean that she is equally cruel in the books as in the game, and I have never understood why cruelty, selfishness and a cold demeanor are attractive traits? Maybe some guys have a submissive streak and what such a domineering lady? [...]
The point is exactly, that if you know her better from the book, that she is not cruel or selfish or cold. She only (wants to) appear(s) like that towards others.
 
The point is exactly, that if you know her better from the book, that she is not cruel or selfish or cold. She only (wants to) appear(s) like that towards others.

What is the difference between appearing cruel and being cruel? Surely it is hard to appear cruel if you are really kind. I don't think she is cruel to Ciri, and even though she isn't very nice to Geralt she certainly isn't cruel to him. But she is pretty much a dick to everyone else, even when they don't deserve it, and that is what made me dislike her.
 
I have not read the books so my impression of Yennifer is based almost entire on how she is portrayed in the game and with that comes a lack of investment and interest in her character going into the game. She is often referred to as an ice-queen here on the forums, and from my understanding she is very popular among those who have read the book(s). This is something I find a bit puzzling to be honest, reading about peoples impression of the character in the game seems to indicate that CDPR captured Yennifer very well and most people feel she accurately depicted. Which would mean that she is equally cruel in the books as in the game, and I have never understood why cruelty, selfishness and a cold demeanor are attractive traits? Maybe some guys have a submissive streak and what such a domineering lady? Geralt certainly allows himself to be "guided" and "castrated" by her.

That being said, I enjoyed her very much in this game, her part in the overall plot and as an interesting fictional character, just not as a person.

and this exactly shows how you intentionally blind yourself to what people say about yen, you should read this entire thread extensively and thoroughly, and probably you should read the books too to get a better handle on yen, because she is a lovely character extremely well made portrayed and presented, if you and others choose to ignore explanations , well then its your problem, people that like yen have cracked the shell and know whats under the facade.
 
and this exactly shows how you intentionally blind yourself to what people say about yen, you should read this entire thread extensively and thoroughly, and probably you should read the books too to get a better handle on yen, because she is a lovely character extremely well made portrayed and presented, if you and others choose to ignore explanations , well then its your problem, people that like yen have cracked the shell and know whats under the facade.

That seems to be the arguement everyone uses. "I should read the books". But this isn't a book this is a game, and as far as I know it did not come with a note from CDPR telling me that in order to fully enjoy the game I need to have read the books. The game(s) stand on its own separated from the books, which means that its story and characters are evaluated based on their actions within the game universe. And in the game she isn't very nice, and even if I had read the books and in them Yennifer was the sweetest, kindest and gentlest person it would not make her actions in the game any less cruel.
 
That seems to be the arguement everyone uses. "I should read the books". But this isn't a book this is a game, and as far as I know it did not come with a note from CDPR telling me that in order to fully enjoy the game I need to have read the books. The game(s) stand on its own separated from the books, which means that its story and characters are evaluated based on their actions within the game universe. And in the game she isn't very nice, and even if I had read the books and in them Yennifer was the sweetest, kindest and gentlest person it would not make her actions in the game any less cruel.

her actions in the game are not cruel, bad yes, because she recognises that they are necessary and no one but her will make those very hard decisions that need be made, reading the books is an argument because the games are a *continuation* of the books (like it or not) its cdpr's interpretation of a possible how things could have gone, and quite frankly triss isnt better than yen because cdpr totally changed her but made yen similar to the books.
 
Even in the games you can see, that Yen only wears a facade, it's harder to see, of course, since these kind of things are more easily described in a book, then displayed in a game. But you need to be open minded, willing to understand ones motives and paying attention to details in order to realise that. This counts for every character of course.
 
Even in the games you can see, that Yen only wears a facade, it's harder to see, of course, since these kind of things are more easily described in a book, then displayed in a game. But you need to be open minded, willing to understand ones motives and paying attention to details in order to realise that. This counts for every character of course.

this! tyvm Vargeras.

and sorry for my poor english i should have payed more attention at suckool :p
 
That seems to be the arguement everyone uses. "I should read the books". But this isn't a book this is a game, and as far as I know it did not come with a note from CDPR telling me that in order to fully enjoy the game I need to have read the books. The game(s) stand on its own separated from the books, which means that its story and characters are evaluated based on their actions within the game universe. And in the game she isn't very nice, and even if I had read the books and in them Yennifer was the sweetest, kindest and gentlest person it would not make her actions in the game any less cruel.

Reading the books would be a good thing for you as a fan of the Witcher universe. I think you owe it to yourself.

The game is strange. W1 and 2 do have certain canon problems.
However W3 is generally a VERY good remediation.

As it is, the books dont consider the games cannon. But the games consider the books cannon.
 
I should first preface this by saying that I have only played the games and have not read the books (they are on order). I also chose Yennefer in the game. I'm also wondering why there are so many posts about Yennefer v. Triss on here and other forums as if people need to justify why they choose one or the other. In the interest of being mildly hypocritical, I am just throwing my hat in with the rest of you.

That being said, I felt Yennefer was a much deeper character. Let me explain what I mean: Triss came off as being more of a 'game character', that is, typically cute, friendly, and, for the most part, riding the coat tails of our much beloved protagonist, Geralt. This combined with her good looks and the assumed ginger obsession, probably seems like the more obvious choice for a lot of people, hence the great lengths people are going through in order to acquire additional content for her. I can understand this. But, and maybe this is just strange game mechanics, there are instances where Triss' character seems flat, one-dimensional and lacking depth due to her more 'game character' attributes. You don't really get a sense, at least in the third game, that there is a rich history between them even though there is, at least according to the games (which is what I am drawing references from).

There is also the observation made about Geralt losing his memory and that he would be able to choose his romantic interest anew. This would all make sense EXCEPT for the fact that Geralt fully regains his memory in the second game. We are never really told what that means and perhaps that is simply a deficiency in the narration.

Now before the hordes of Triss avatars descend on me, hear me out: I understand why you like her. I like her too. I just find that her character is just a little too typical and possessing too many 'game character' traits to keep me interested. There are hints of some complex situations that occurred, mostly in the second game, in their relationship but, for the most part, if you remember many of their interactions it came off as being more of a perpetual dating scenario rather than a meaningful relationship. Perhaps this is due to Triss obsessing over Geralt but her true interests lay at court and the scene on the docks where she is pursuing her 'dream job' and fleeing a real hell is only altered if you truly confess your feelings for her, then she just decides to stay. There should just be more tension in this scene, on the one hand she has this great job awaiting her and the promise of a better life and on the other hand she has the person she supposedly loves who is also trying to find and save a sister-like figure to Triss. Instead, the scene is rather flat, you either tell her you love her, or the more subtle "Stay with me" with some other strategic prompts to get her to stay. This scene should have had more depth, but because she comes off more as a 'game character', it is cut and dry.

As someone mentioned in this thread, Yennefer is a maze and Triss is more linear. I think that speaks volumes to my point.

Now, let's discuss Yennefer. I can see how people see her personality as being abrasive, complicated, and difficult. But she just comes off as a much deeper character. You can see, or maybe not see for some, that she has a troubled past, that she has some real issues outside of Geralt, that she has become cynical with the world, and that there is a much deeper history between the two of them rather than the 'perpetual dating scenario' that you find with Triss and Geralt. This can come off as bitchiness, but I didn't see it that way (and I also didn't read the books). It came off as being more real.

I fight with my wife all the time, we have both had difficult pasts and we are both very different people and perhaps because of this, I resonated with Yennefer far more. I can see that underlying their relationship, there is something more, something deeper, but that the vagaries of circumstance and the complexities present on the continent have forced both of them to adapt thereby making their relationship much more multifaceted than a cut and dry romance. There is history there and you can see it. There are two different personalities there and you can see it. There are two philosophical systems at play within each of them and you can see it. You can see what might be observed as 'contradictory forces', but often, as in literature, relationships of this nature become far deeper, and far richer because of it. So while on the surface, she can just seem like she is trying to control Geralt or give him a hard time, it's believable, and you can also see in other instances when the facade weakens and her true feelings come forth. All of this made me like her all the more because she seemed like a far more believable person than the alternatives.

I don't think there is any warranted criticism for people that pick Triss, but I also don't understand the shallow interpretations that people have of Yennefer. Maybe people prefer the simpler option of the two: one that just wants to be with you, comes off as being more friendly of the two, doesn't really give you a hard time, and is generally the 'cutsey, girl next door, damsel in distress' kind of vibe. I get it, I really do. But for me, and I think for several others (especially those on this thread, not to mention the people that have a broader sense of the total lore of the world and the protagonist in particular) can see the forest for the trees and others are only looking at surface level characteristics and behaviors without ever questioning why they might be there.

If you want to pick Triss just because she is more your type, then that makes sense to me. If you want to pick Triss just because 'you hate Yennefer and think she's a bitch', that seems rather silly, for there is far more than meets the eye.

I think that is enough for this wall of text.

Happy Trails.
 
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Yen's actions on saving Ciri at any and all costs reminds me a lot of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars - Revenge of the Sith, and his attitude toward protecting Padme... Obviously they can be powerful forces for good, but it's understandable how other characters become concerned over their often drastic actions.
 
Yen's actions on saving Ciri at any and all costs reminds me a lot of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars - Revenge of the Sith, and his attitude toward protecting Padme... Obviously they can be powerful forces for good, but it's understandable how other characters become concerned over their often drastic actions.

I disagree, when Yen is curing UMA, shows me how altruistic she is, for me she is the kind of person who talks a lot, most ot the time is annoying, but when you knows better, you see how her actions are fullfilled with love.

I had no doubts about who Geralts should romance after that scene, i imagined the Lady of the Lake ending :crybaby::crybaby::crybaby:
 
@dzbrown

hats off to you sir, very eloquently said (or rather written), i agree with everything you said in your post, and actually i have said as much myself in earlier posts, though not as eloquently (you damned native english speakers :p )
 
I disagree, when Yen is curing UMA, shows me how altruistic she is, for me she is the kind of person who talks a lot, most ot the time is annoying, but when you knows better, you see how her actions are fullfilled with love.

I had no doubts about who Geralts should romance after that scene, i imagined the Lady of the Lake ending :crybaby::crybaby::crybaby:

Anakin was capable of great kindness too. He went out of his way to help his padawan, help his troops, freed slaves, etc. And he even helps Jar Jar.

It's the rage I find similar... When Yen is giving Triss the beatdown in Lady of the Lake, and Ciri says "This is not a discussion, but a lecture!", and Yen gives Ciri a hate stare... Like Anakin, lashing out at those they're supposedly protecting (Padme/Ciri).

Also Yen dies to save Geralt, Anakin dies to save Luke.
 
I read all the novels before starting to play Witcher 3 and I already had my eyes set on Yen from the get go.

Throughout the game I really started to warm up to her even more than I thought..and then The Last Wish quest happened...and it only solidified my choice that Yennefer is the only romance option that should be available to Geralt in my opinion...Triss is just an afterthought and it shows throughout the game.
 
I read all the novels before starting to play Witcher 3 and I already had my eyes set on Yen from the get go.

Throughout the game I really started to warm up to her even more than I thought..and then The Last Wish quest happened...and it only solidified my choice that Yennefer is the only romance option that should be available to Geralt in my opinion...Triss is just an afterthought and it shows throughout the game.

As implemented in game, not sure why they even bothered with the half-assed romance with Triss.
 
As implemented in game, not sure why they even bothered with the half-assed romance with Triss.

if you are referring to W3 it was for the triss fans, because if there wasnt then they would all go to poland and skin them, if you are talking in general then i didnt understand why, maybe because they wanted a counter for yen? though it took them going completely off canon with triss to be presented in the games in oposition to the books, tbh i would have prefered if they hadnt made the rollercoaster that was triss in W1-2, but whats done is done, triss was a nice character with all the changes but nothing more, imo she could never compare to yen.
 
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