The Witcher 3: Two Areas Are Over 52 Square Miles by Themselves?

[Vigilance.492]

Isn't the small boat Geralt controls too small for open seas?

Maybe there could also be smugglers around the coasts of the maps also.

To my knowledge the boat he will use is fine for open seas, or at least you can get fairly far out in it (You'll be using it to travel across any body of water in Skellige, much of which is off the Islands and open water), the major problem would be a storm, now that would fuck him up. Obviously it's slightly silly that he can travel from Novigrad to Skellige just in his little dinghy, but that still makes far more sense than opening your map, selecting a Skellige fast travel point and left-clicking.

I'm sure there will be caves and various other enemies hanging around the coast ready for a fight.

 

[Scholdarr.452]

@Vigilance Isn't the small boat Geralt controls too small for open seas?

Maybe there could also be smugglers around the coasts of the maps also.

I think Geralt wouldn't risk to travel on his own in a small boat above the ocean. That makes little sense to me. He's no sailor. He'd just pay someone with a bigger cargo vessel to bring him from point A to B (like "normal" people usually do). These smaller boats should really be limited to get from one island to another, if at all, but not for the "big ocean". Respect the lore and believability.

 

[frivolousam]

Obviously it's slightly silly that he can travel from Novigrad to Skellige just in his little dinghy, but that still makes far more sense than opening your map, selecting a Skellige fast travel point and left-clicking.

Respect the lore and believability.

Well, they can only do so much for lore and believability for the gameplay. It would be good if it's done in immersive ways but if it's even only fast travel with a click we'd have to comply. Tho I think it's likely we'll see at least one immersive travel option.

I thought the small boat was just for travel around the coasts of the map, reaching visible islands or finding secret ones around Skellige or secret cliff caves etc.

 

[thislsmadness]

That was what I used to think was going to happen since it was mentioned in one of the E3 2013 Interviews.

Basically they said that Geralt would hop in his boat and after he sails a little bit out into the ocean he'll reach a "Cut-off Point", a loading screen will appear and then you'll be at Skellige, or you could pay to get a ship across.

However if I remember correctly, that same article did say they weren't sure, and were toying around with the ideas. So it could be that such a system proved too annoying to implement (Or perhaps they felt it would be tedious to have to go pay for a ship every time, or sail out X distance in the open water - personally I don't think so - it would be a huge immersion thing for me - but I can see them thinking that way) and they just decided to run with a typical Fast Travel.

But unless I'm mistaken we still aren't 100% sure. Fast Travel to CDPR might still mean having to pay for boat and then it "fast travels" you over. They've never been 100% precise on how the system works, so we'll have to wait and see.

It wouldnt surprise me if the first trip requires you to actaully ride the boat out there, and then you can zip between them using the fast travel points.

 

[Scholdarr.452]

It wouldnt surprise me if the first trip requires you to actaully ride the boat out there, and then you can zip between them using the fast travel points.

I don't think that this would be a better solution. And then again Skellige is too far away from Novigrad.

 

[thislsmadness]

I don't think that this would be a better solution. And then again Skellige is too far away from Novigrad.

The game already has fast travel as a convenience option. The boat option would still be there as well. However, If you are standing somewhere in Skellige and want to zip to a fast travel node you unlocked in Novigrad, I cant see why that should be restricted. It would be silly to have to fast travel to the Skellige harbor (loading screen) grab a boat and travel to Novigrad harbor( another loading screen), and then fast travel to whever you originally wanted to go (incurring a third loading screen).

 

[Scholdarr.452]

The game already has fast travel as a convenience option. The boat option would still be there as well. However, If you are standing somewhere in Skellige and want to zip to a fast travel node you unlocked in Novigrad, I cant see why that should be restricted. It would be silly to have to fast travel to the Skellige harbor (loading screen) grab a boat and travel to Novigrad harbor( another loading screen), and then fast travel to whever you originally wanted to go (incurring a third loading screen).

I only want that as an additional option, not an exclusive one. For those people who don't like fast travel at all.

 

[thislsmadness]

I only want that as an additional option, not an exclusive one. For those people who don't like fast travel at all.

Oh, sure. I'm not fond of fast travel either, but on really large maps I do use it to travel vast distances. For instance, when I played GTA V I started out making the trek from the city to the country each time. Eventually, I got a little tired of it so I would fast travel.

 

[EliHarel]

The game already has fast travel as a convenience option. The boat option would still be there as well. However, If you are standing somewhere in Skellige and want to zip to a fast travel node you unlocked in Novigrad, I cant see why that should be restricted. It would be silly to have to fast travel to the Skellige harbor (loading screen) grab a boat and travel to Novigrad harbor( another loading screen), and then fast travel to whever you originally wanted to go (incurring a third loading screen).

OK, yeah, I see your point. Makes sense to allow it.

 

[frivolousam]

So this seems realistic to me. And shows that when CDPR said it's 20% bigger than Skyrim, they took Skyrim's dungeons into account and since then maybe made the game even bigger.

8.5x8.5 km (72.25 km^2) Novigrad+No mans land.
8x8 km (64 km^2) Skellige
Source: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=790583

Skyrim: 6.85 x 5.41 km (37.1 km^2 119 x 94 in game cells)
Source: https://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/39338/how-large-is-skyrim

Seems each outer areas are around 20% bigger than Skyrim's outer area.

ps: I haven't read the sources, just copied a post from another forum.