My Take on what Witcher 4 could be storywise.

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My Take on what Witcher 4 could be storywise.

I hadn't been able to get into the Witcher games until Witcher 3. I had bought Witcher 2, but my computer at the time simply wasn't up to par enough to play it. (I got at most 10 FPS). Once Witcher 3 came out though, I had a decent computer, and I remembered about the Witcher 2, got the Witcher 3 played it and fell in love with. (Though I must admit I never had a chance to go back and actually play Witcher 2).

I am a person who read the full books of The Lord of the Rings, (and you know how long winded those can be). So I love reading about history, back stories, etc. The sheer amount of information in the games biography, books, notes, etc. is just staggering. Despite all that though I have to admit again, I never actually read the books these games are based off, nor do I know all the lore (or if I read it at some point, I simply don't remember).

LIke for instance.. The things which stood out to me:

* There's always MALE Witchers, are there female ones as well? You never hear of them in Witcher 3 or any of the lore you can read in it. Ciri is close, but she never went through the trial of the grasses. Did they ever put females through it?
* What about the other schools? Now there is alot to read about them, but I'd like to know more. What makes them tick? Why are there even different schools? What really makes them different? Who leads them? WHy did the different Witcher schools break off from one another?
There's alot of story here that needs explaining. More to that later.

I adored the story of the Witcher 3 and its DLC's. So much so I was very sad to see it end. There's still so much potential in the story.
So here's where I think I'd like to put in my 2 cents, if anyone at cdprojektred is listening, or well.. reading..
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I think the new story should take place a good 50 years or so from the end of the events in Witcher 3 and its DLC's. This would allow for a clean slate without undoing any of the events themselves. Some characters may not be around anymore from age, but some of the younger ones are now old and either leaders, or key members in the community. Something stories, quests, and shout outs to the earlier games events can still happen for immersion sake.

So what IS the new story going to be about? Well it could be about alot of things. Personally I think a continuation of the events that kind of went un checked and forgotten from Witcher 3 would be prime story telling material.

The Wild Hunt for example, I almost see their defeat like the defeat of the Empire in Star Wars, when luke first blew up the death star. Sure they were defeated, Geralt drove them back, and they failed in their mission. But does that mean they are entirely defeated? Not by a long shot, just like the Empire wasn't defeated the first time around either. I'm sure The Wild Hunt would not stand for an enemy or place to exist which could potentially thwart their plans in the future either.

No, I daresay it would make sense that The Wild Hunt would come back again, and this time much more determined, and with a whole new mission of securing a permenant residence in the lands that know of with a declaration of even perhaps an all out war between the ethereal Wild Hunt army and "The Continent".

Now if events in The Witcher 3 are to be taken at face value, it took a combined effort of Ciri, Geralt, and his host of alllies to stem back the what I would consider a small detachment of Aen Elle from Ri Na Lia. (I'm sure 99% of you know who they are, but for those who don't, the Wild Hunt are Aen Elle Elves from Tir Na Lia, a specific cavalry unit I should surmise lead by a general to ride out and find slaves from other worlds).

But lets look back at the Witcher 3 and its current story. What is going on in the world? At the time the world was torn with war. The group known as Witchers were slowly but surely dieing out, (and arguably the only real defense against the Aen Elle and The Wild Hunt), and there was work about that we lost track of. What about the Lodge of Sorcerresses? They were onto something, they had a goal which was never fully explained or delved into. Which makes sense since they are very quiet and to themselves, but still SOMETHING was going on with them.

The more fantastical beasts, and beings were being hunted by Nilfgard, and pushed out of the city, killed, hated on, etc, and I would imagine that would continue for the next 50 years.
Vampires are still strong, Witcher 3 having shown that many of them have very deep hold on all things human related politically, and many of the Rich, and famous are actually vampires themselves. (Such as Orianna I believe her name was).

Their defeat at the friend of Geralt, namely Regis, as Regis himself stated, would not be forgotten most likely ever, and he had to get out of the country for a very very long time.
As I mentioned previously as well, the Witcher schools are in an extreme dissarray, falling apart, and ultimately slowly but surely failing as no new recruits will most likely ever be trained as new witchers.

To say the least.. The lands of "The Continent" are surely ripe for an invasion. So lets recap on the recap quick.

The only real defense against the Aen Elle, the Witchers are a dieing breed and very few left. Vast amounts of the land don't even belive in magical things anymore thanks to the eradication of anything magical/fantastical, and so their ability to defend thsemeslves against such fantastically magical beings as the Aen Elle and the Wild Hunt would be like taking candy from a baby.

The Vampires being at odds with humans more so now than ever is at an all time high with Regis killing Detlaff, and loyal friends with Geralt who is human. Despite the differences between Geralt and humans the odds they have, I doubt to the vampires that makes much difference.

This to me, and the ending and loose threads that Witcher 3 lent us really opens up a whole new exciting potentials for Witcher 4.
Potential main stories, side stories, and over all arching story I forsee with all of this?
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Firstly, of course, the imminent invasion of the known world by the Wild Hunt and Aen elle.

The Witcher schools. This could be a major part of the main story. Bringing them back together. Calling them in aid, and dealing with their internal squabbling, and political side of the Witcher schools help against the coming storm.

ANd yet another major decision and choice selection through the story and something which can really be played on with the whole "evil for the greater good" dillema. Do you re enact the Trial of the Grasses? Find the lost techniques, and inject life back into the Witcher schools in defense of this threat? Or do you find a new way to keep the lands safe?

This could be played out in an epic scene with all the Witcher schools coming together to argue, fight, and debate about that very decision.

Or it could play out that after all is said and done no decision was made, but that that decision comes to pass and is decided on at the end of the story after you defeat the invasion, (if you defeat it).
But the Witcher schools and Witchers being your only true defense against the magical beasts, maladies, and dangerous beings that live in other planes, and how down in the dumps the Witchers are is not the only point we've talked about.

For while you're trying to get the squabbling scraps that remain of the Witchers up to par, you still have the problem with the Vampires, who I'm sure like the Wild Hunt more so than the HUmans, and as an important side story, and or major event turner, getting the vampires on your side against the wild hunt, which in and of itself could be a daunting, exciting, and adventerously long story in and of itself, filled with very hard fights, and even more difficult decisions to be made. But if you make the right decisions, make the right calls, and in some cases, make the right real sacrifices, you can gain their trust, just enough that they'll tolerate your kind to fight back the wild hunt, but if not.. You have yet a new enemy to worry about.

But alas, even that isn't enough would it be? Even if you had them you still cannot fight back an invasion if the humans themselves refuse to believe their demise is imminent. While some may still believe in it, and trust the Witchers, and Geralt, not all will, nor will I think Nilfgaard would believe, or want to do anything about it, or believe teh Wild Hunt would try. I doubt Nilfgaard or many of the humans truly understand how powerful the Aen Elle can be, or that the Wild Hunt wasn't an army as they thought, but a small detachment of cavalry at best which almost bested them anyway 50-80 years prior.

Of course in those 50-80 years stories and songs were written that got well away from the truths, and truths stretched to the breaking point of what actually happened, to the point where most people think they fought off a horde and massive army of ethereal beings and so therefore will be no problem if they happen to come knocking again...
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Just this would make for an amazing story for Witcher 4, but you also have so many side things which can happen. The Lodge again for instance, side stories, missions, quests, and people to meet with the different witcher schools.

The ending of the game would also allow for new and interesting developments. Perhaps a large part of the world re welcomes beings such as Elves, and doppelgangers back for aiding against the invasion, and fighting side by side with humans.
(It's one of the things which touched in stories like Lord of the Rings, where you see 2 races who were always so much at odds with each other, fighting together as friends), this could easily come to be in Witcher 4 at the end, humans finding these rather odd ball races aren't quite so bad as they originally thought.
But of course this in and of itself would be a dilemma which would need fixing, it wouldn't be easy to convince humans or these other races to fight with each other, even in the face of such insurmountable odds.

Perhaps at the end of the story as well, the Witcher shools are re enacted as defenders,and not seen as much as freaks or mutants? Or perhaps they are left to die out, who knows?
Or perhaps new ways of training them are found....
The potential in Witcher 4 is limitless.

Note on main character and Trial of the Grasses:
While I understand many people like being able to create your own character you must understand that if you do this, you'll want to play that character "however you want" This lends many problems to story telling, and really limits what the writers and developers can do with the story. You simply cannot make a game and story as in depth, expansive, and immersive as Witcher 3 and make it open ended in terms of who you play as either.

For this reason I think the new protaganist should be a new Witcher of the developers and writers choosing, at most the player being allowed to choose between male or female, and customizing their looks, but thats it. personality, etc. is all up to the writer and developer. (Similar to mass effects).
It would be quite interesting actually to have this be a relatively "new" witcher. Perhaps a Witcher is attempting to re make the Trial of Grasses, and actually succeeds but also goes missing along with his notes. You are that witcher, who is then perhaps taken under geralts wing for training.
Meanwhile through the story, and shown to you through the beginning of the game the nightmares you get from the trial, and the pain and endured being turned into a Witcher.
This would put the player in an interesting situation, and makes your voice at the decision of re enacting the trial of grasses really profound, and even more so for the player who's seen what its like first hand through their characters eyes first hand.

 
Cramblit;n9841751 said:
* There's always MALE Witchers, are there female ones as well? You never hear of them in Witcher 3 or any of the lore you can read in it. Ciri is close, but she never went through the trial of the grasses. Did they ever put females through it?

There are no female witchers in the official lore. The reason for this is that the Trial of Grasses was designed speciffically for a male organism. To mutate a female, mages would have to do a seperate research.

What about the other schools? Now there is alot to read about them, but I'd like to know more. What makes them tick? Why are there even different schools? What really makes them different? Who leads them? WHy did the different Witcher schools break off from one another?

There's not much information about the witcher schools in the books. The Cat and Griffin schools are the only ones that mentioned there (Viper, Bear and Manticore were invented in the games). Witchers of the Cat school have a reputation of amoral maniacs. One of its members - Brehen, appears in the books and he definitely lives up to his school's reputation. Fun fact: a Polish pen-and-paper role playing game called The Witcher: A game of imagination mentioned that the Cat school is the only witcher school wich accepts women into their ranks. But it's definitely not canon.
 
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Zyvik;n9855461 said:
There are no female witchers in the official lore. The reason for this is that the Trial of Grasses was designed speciffically for a male organism. To mutate a female, mages would have to do a seperate research.

That's what I assumed.


[There's not much information about the witcher schools in the books. The Cat and Griffin schools are the only ones that mentioned there (Viper, Bear and Manticore were invented in the games). Witchers of the Cat school have a reputation of amoral maniacs. One of its members - Brehen, appears in the books and he definitely lives up to his school's reputation. Fun fact: a Polish pen-and-paper role playing game called The Witcher: A game of imagination mentioned that the Cat school is the only witcher school wich accepts women into their ranks. But it's definitely not canon.

Then that definetly seems like something they can play with.

 
CDPR could create their own lore. Nearing the end of Witcher 3 it seemed like most Witcher schools were in the verge of being wiped out due to lack of new initiates.
They could create a story, a prequel or future one where they successfully made a female Witcher.

But their Dev team put their entire resource into 1 game, so I doubt they'll make a new Witcher unless cyberpunk 2077 is so phenomenal they can pay for a large team to work on two AAA at once. Cyberpunk 2077, expect sequels of this game.
 
timetravelingcat;n9879511 said:
But their Dev team put their entire resource into 1 game, so I doubt they'll make a new Witcher unless cyberpunk 2077 is so phenomenal they can pay for a large team to work on two AAA at once. Cyberpunk 2077, expect sequels of this game.

As far as I know, they are already working on two AAA games, Cyberpunk and another one that is in an early stage of development, the studio is being continuously expanded with new people. The other game may or may not be Witcher, although I recall it was said it will not be Witcher.
 
This topic can be overwhelming to those like me who are immersed in mostly environment mods. Another way of saying playing for the graphics. I may catch up on the W3 story eventually. Which would help to contribute to a conversation about a future Witcher.
 

Wrayk

Forum regular
Subject matter for a Witcher 4 game is obvious (to me)

I'm a big fan of the Witcher books and games, and it seems to me that there's a big gap between the books and games that could serve as the subject matter for a new Witcher game. Specifically, I'm talking about the events between the end of the Lady of the Lake book and the first Witcher game: the Wild Hunt kidnaps Yennefer, Geralt makes it back to his world, Geralt pursues the Wild Hunt, Geralt finds Letho & his buddies, the group finds & battles the Wild Hunt, Geralt offers himself for Yennefer, Letho takes care of Yennefer, Geralt escapes the Wild Hunt.

Rob
 
Hm... I dunno. While that could be interesting, it's rather limited as far as stories go. It also would be too similar to Wild Hunt, with Geralt chasing after Yen, not Ciri.

Personally, I'd rather have a prequel of sorts... maybe following Vesemir (and others) in the heyday of Witchers, when monsters were more prevalent in the world, and people didn't yet know everything about them. CDPR could follow multiple characters paths, maybe even make a new - player created - Witcher the main character?
 
warbaby2;n10318902 said:
maybe following Vesemir (and others) in the heyday of Witchers, when monsters were more prevalent in the world, and people didn't yet know everything about them.
Personally, this would be my preference. Vesemir is rather an intriguing fellow.
 
Agreed on the post above. Go back to when Witchers were much more needed. It doesn't even have to be about established characters. Let us follow a new initiate as he goes through his training (a bit of a longer intro) and then onto his life as a witcher.
 
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Snake_Foxhounder;n10459932 said:
Let us follow a new initiate as he goes through his training (a bit of a longer intro) and then onto his life as a witcher.
Perhaps it could be rather interesting, and disturbing -- ay -- to experience the painful story of a young lad, torn from his family by fate, who undergoes the Trial of the Grasses -- the torment of becoming a witcher -- to grudgingly fight monsters, and is condemned to defend mankind from a world of horrors. Basically, Lambert. Heh. Jests aside, however, I think an extremely reluctant hero might prove an intriguing, complicated protagonist.

Whereas Geralt possess, at times, a nobility of character and sensitivity, which set him apart from the other witchers, Eskel seems more 'professional', while Lambert is all prickles, and Vesemir seems . . . world-weary. (Naturally, the last still holds my interest most, for it prompts the question: How did he become that way . . . ?)

 
They (CDPR) have to be very careful with this game. Bioware made a huge fuck up when they ended Shepards trilogy and they jumped forward and the lore went out the window and it became a horrible mess. While I say they can only go forwards in time or back, going forwards seems like a really silly idea because as people have said the witchers are pretty much extinct. I would either like to go back in time to a place where witchers were not so rare or having Ciris story continued. I cant really see anything else working. Creating your own character sounds fun on paper, but if they do a voiced protagonist it often looks and feels very wrong to have the same voice for multiple looks.Often when you go forwards to create new lore you end up forgetting the old lore and that can really play havok with the old immersion.

Anyways, we're probably a good 10-15 years away from any of this becoming a reality so......
 
I Hate to say this because in any other game serie I would never say this... But I want a remake or a reboot or spin off. No sequel. I don't want them to take risk when it comes to the integrity of the original trilogie. CDPR said once they would stop before failing. Stop when the Witcher is at his best. They should stick to that idea. From an artistic point of view it's the best thing to do. BUT redoing in a better way the trilogie would be a great hommage to their own work in the future or why not trying to reinvent a sequel to the book just like they did but with a different direction than they took with this trilogy.

If I were them I would remake the first one and change entirly the story. GI would start with Geralt chasing the hunt to save Yen and make him meet Letho for the first time. I think I would love a game entirely on this part of the story, After that a remake or even better an alternative story of the first one and second. Why not one only game game relating Witcher 1 and 2 together with better links in matter of stories between the two stories (and in addition the cut content from dol blathana).

In fact I would love a redone trilogie with a story redone but still in the idea of continuing the books. If they go for spin off I am fine with it too. I have nothing against expanding the Lore. But no sequels. It will never be as good as we would want it to be. Because we would want too much.
 
I don't believe that doing a spin-off or going back in time will be a positive. As previously noted, CDPR has to be very careful about the those topics, as there are already created characters that the public knows and loves, there are the books, the extensive lore and it would be very risky going back and revisiting already establish character.


minicrom;n10525452 said:
I Hate to say this because in any other game serie I would never say this... But I want a remake or a reboot or spin off. No sequel. I don't want them to take risk when it comes to the integrity of the original trilogie. CDPR said once they would stop before failing. Stop when the Witcher is at his best. They should stick to that idea. From an artistic point of view it's the best thing to do. BUT redoing in a better way the trilogie would be a great hommage to their own work in the future or why not trying to reinvent a sequel to the book just like they did but with a different direction than they took with this trilogy.

I would like to disagreed about remakes, the original series are amazing and should be kept the way they are. However I had an idea of continuing the story, without messing up with the original trilogy.

So I could imagine the story starting something like 15-20 years after the ending of the 3rd game, where we are told that the White Frost was created not end world, but to magically seal "a demon / curse / terrible evil", and by stopping the White Frost this started weakening the magical seal and affecting all the different worlds. The world of the witcher that we all know will experience, something like a week where the night never comes (suggestions) and afterwards the monsters will start reappearing in the world in larger numbers and more aggressive than ever. Eventually with time, this will lead to a need for new witchers to be created.

And this is basically where the story starts, with having the option to create a fully customization witcher, with the ability to chose his school, even his mutations, creating better role-playing experience and replay-ability. Note that for story telling purposes, there must be a some sort of already establish character traits for the witcher. Also you will have the option to transfer your choices from the 3rd game, thus impacting the world and giving even more replay-ability.

I have a lot of ideas, how to further continue the story from here, but there are a lot of possibilities and I'm sure that everyone can think of a number of possibilities.

So what do you think about this idea, I tried tp create the need for witchers once again into the world, thus avoiding the possibility of possibility of impacting the already loved characters, places and environments.
 
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Well I must say I don't really like it because I like to see the white frost like the global warming from the witcher universe. So the white frost being created would not please me. Also this story as you say would lead to a mean to create your own Witcher. Why not but this would worry me in the the first place. Indeed each game I played with character editors except maybe Mass Effect was weak from a narrative and intensity (related to emotions) point of view... Imean narrative in a cinematographic way (Dark Souls is one of the most powerful game I have ever played).

say I would go with remake, reboot or spin off because at this point I see no satisfactory continuation to he serie possible... I have always be against a Witcher 4 from the beginning and I doubt it will change sadly. Remakes or reboot are not ideals but it's the safest thing to do to preserve the artistic value of The Witcher. We all know what unnecessary sequels have done to amazing pieces of art. And it's exactly what Witcher 4 would be. Unnecessary.

As you say yourself, the original trilogy is already awesome, perhaps perfect for me. So why would you want an unneeded sequel that could ruin everything? Nobody wants a new Mass Effect Andromeda which is the best exemple in recent memory...
 
I really think they should make Ciri the main character in the next Witcher. Geralt is the biggest badass in existence but i think it would make for an awesome game.It would keep the legacy of geralt preserved but we also still get more awesome witcher story and gameplay.
 
Typ093;n10670131 said:
I really think they should make Ciri the main character in the next Witcher.
I thought same... And then I celebrated my 18th birthday and grew up. Ciri as protagonist will bury the next Witcher game and CDPR along with it. Bye-bye REDs, it was a fun ride.

First, prequels are generally shit, and interquels are usually even worse and people generally don't like them, SW: Rogue Wan is a poster child example of both. Second, not many people liked Ciri as a character even in The Witcher 3, she was the bane of her own book saga. Third. Even if people liked Ciri, not many of them would like to play as one. See, Witcher is an RPG series, even if too cinematic at times. Her lines are already written out in books, why would anyone want hear them again in a video game format? In modern RPGs, people tend to either roleplay or relate to a written out character. Historically it's so happened that RPGs tend to be played by men and would prefer to roleplay as male characters. BUT, even if the opposite was true, no sane girl would like to play an RPG where the main character is bitchy dumb hysterical
recusant teen; She's a rogue and a thief, her morals are a diametrical opposite of Geralts. Even if we forget the writing, the gameplay for such character means stealth, thievery and killing on the sly. What kind of 'The Witcher' is this shit pile?
(The Legend of Korra video game adaptation flopped for that reason among everything else, a shitty protagonist no one would relate to)
Fourth. This is Cyberpunk year, welcome aboard. Fifth, a sequel would ruin The Witcher 3, where we as Geralt already administrated Ciri's faith and possible future.
 
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Oh please, not Ciri as the main protagonist.
Would be kinda boring story and there are three endings of Witcher 3 for Ciri and I don't see how they can make it up in one game ... okay, there is one way. But again a game where your former descisions doesn't matter would pi** me off extremly.
"What? Ciri was the empress in your playthrugh. Now she is a wannabe witcher. Live with that!" ...this would be awfull

I don't know if there will be ver a new WItcher game. But when I hope the story takes place loooooong after TW3 or looooong before the first books.
If you see/meet a character from books than just as a cameo or a little questgiver.
CDPR is amazing in creating own characters and a game full of it would be amazing.

I only need the Witcherverse for a good gane, not the characters, if you know what I mean.
No Wild Hunt again and stuff, new ideas.

There are so many great ideas and stories. A game that takes place "shortly" after The Conjunction of the Spheres, many creatures and the WItcher are needed, the Witchers are new and heroes. Or a bit later, a small numbre of people start to see the witchers as a treat, but it is a time where many witcher schools and witchers exist... etc. yada yada yada.

So many ideas, no need for recycleing the old stuff again and again :)
 
I definitely don't want Ciri as the main character, but I ABSOLUTELY want more Witcher games (insert "hurry up and take my money!" MEME). What I'd personally love to see is CDPR make another Witcher game (and potential trilogy or more, etc.) that's set around 20-30 years down the road after Blood & Wine's ending. Perhaps something happens that re-ignites a major need for Witchers and we could follow a new Witcher from his beginning, or CDPR could even hire a professional author to write a book or three as bridge books that would effectively 'set the stage' for the next set of games where they could create some new sorceresses / sorcerers, monarchs, political situations, main characters for our Witcher to meet and befriend, have potential romances with, or make enemies with along the way etc. and this time we'd have the opportunity to write the story ourselves from the beginning with a young, more brash, less experienced Witcher.

Just tossing my two cents in there. :)
 
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I think it would be intresting, But like other have said Female Witchers are unheard of... Keep in mind i said unheard of an not Completely impossible? With the witcher many things are possible im guessing. Just needs the proper writing.
 
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