Timeline Issues

[Riven-Twain]

Calling games fanfiction is disrespectful as hell, imo.

I think the games have done well enough on their own to be immune to any disrespect in the term. However, the games are made by fans of the books, and they are fiction based on the books. Incidentally, Sapkowski doesn't much care for the games, from what I've read, so he probably thinks of them as 'fan fiction'.

 

[dragonbird]

Calling games fanfiction is disrespectful as hell, imo.

Only if you choose to take it that way. It's a common enough description.

 

[shawn_kh]

Hello everyone,

i have questions to understand better... everything
i've searched on internet but the more i read, the more confused i get

when does tw3 takes place? how many years after tw2 events? Geralt looks 20 years older
Geralt died at the end of the books? so the games are like... fan fiction?

sorry if this was already posted, just close it and please point me to that tread
thanks

You are not the only one who is confused
There are some inconsistencies in the timeline, and It is a subject of debate among many fans.

 

[Paul_cz]

Only if you choose to take it that way. It's a common enough description.

I think the games have done well enough on their own to be immune to any disrespect in the term. However, the games are made by fans of the books, and they are fiction based on the books. Incidentally, Sapkowski doesn't much care for the games, from what I've read, so he probably thinks of them as 'fan fiction'.

The term fanfiction has a negative connotation, and in my opinion it is inaccurate anyway.
Games would be fanfiction if they were made noncommercially by people who did not go and get the rights to the franchise from Sapkowski.
But CDP did and is making the games with his blessing, which is why calling them that is disrespectful.

Now whether they are canon or not is a different topic and that is up to everyone's personal interpretation.
Personally I consider them canon, especially since they will finish the storyline that Sapkowski left completely unfinished in the saga (Wild Hunt).

As for the timeline, there is this:
http://witcher.wikia.com/wiki/Timeline

Not sure how accurate it is, haven't inspected it.

 

[GuyNwah]

As to "fanfiction", yeah, the word is so often used to describe second-rate, unauthorized amateur work that as long as you understand that others here are not using it as pejorative, and you have no foundation for claiming they are, I can understand your objection.

But Sapkowski is the sole creator of the Witcher, and only he determines what is canon. He has denied that the games have any status as canon, so no claim that they do has any foundation.

 

[Riven-Twain]

Literally, it is fiction made by fans, after all. The developers have repeatedly mentioned their admiration for Sapkowski's work, and demonstrate that admiration with the details they include in their games. There are terms which need not always be pejorative in all contexts, and I think this is one of them. It may be an over-simplification of their achievement as game-designers to call it 'fan fiction', but the description, if unflattering and a bit deflating, seems accurate. In any event, it does look a far sight better than your average fan fiction, and I think most of us here are profoundly impressed with the company's work. However, would CD Projekt Red have succeeded without Sapkowski's writings, from which to draw inspiration?

 

[Paul_cz]

Ok. If I was one of the devs who spent decade working on this, I would be a little pissed if mods on my own forum called my work fanfiction.
But hey, maybe I am the weird one.

I do think CDP would be successful without Sapkowski. Their talent would be used to create games in different universe, but the talent is there, with or without him.
Anyway, not going to derail any further.

 

[Xvenger]

The only solid hint we got is from The Trail video that said "Temeria 1272" and we see a big battle to which we assume is (spoiler for W2) Nilfgaard vs. The northern kingdoms. So this means all the events that happened on Witcher 2 occurs before 1272. Now if anyone can find a date in W2 to cross reference this, you'd get a rough estimate to your answer.

I also don't think Geralt actually aged much at all. We know he has white hair from his transformations and we've just never really seen the him with a full grown beard until now AFAIK. Looking at the gameplay footage now where he hardly has a beard makes him look the same age to me. different look from previous games ye but not older. He just kinda looks and sound like Old Solid Snake from metal gear 4 lol

 

[EliHarel]

The books say that the Peace of Cintra was signed in 1268. The battle of Brenna took place in the same year.

TW1 opens by saying the northern kingdoms nursed their wounds for five years, so it should be 1273, but the game begins at 1270.
TW2 opens by saying that 6 years have passed since that memorable battle, meaning it should be 1274. So for two games they're consistent about the "5+ years since the great war", so it's reasonable that they just confused the "1270" date in TW1.

But then The Trail trailer of TW3 takes place in 1272.

Not sure what to make of it.

Edit: in TW2's opening, after the game says "6 years have passed", it sets the date at 1271.

 

[dragonbird]

Not sure what to make of it.

That there are a lot of discrepancies in the timeline. It doesn't add up.

 

[frynse]

Generally I've learned not to think too much about the timeline as it's full of holes, even within the game themselves.

 

[DukeAlmighty]

Hello everyone,

i have questions to understand better... everything
i've searched on internet but the more i read, the more confused i get

when does tw3 takes place? how many years after tw2 events? Geralt looks 20 years older
Geralt died at the end of the books? so the games are like... fan fiction?
sorry if this was already posted, just close it and please point me to that tread
thanks

My advise would be to not pay so much attention to exact years, but simple event chronology which is as follows:

First Nillfgard invasion of Northern Kingdoms (War ends with Nordling victory at Sodden Hill)
after few years
Thanedd coup
Second Nillfgard invasion (War ends with Nordling victory at Brenna and Peace signing treaty at Cintra)
Geralt "dies" and Ciri take them to Isle of Avallach [end of books story]
after few years
Witcher 1
after 1 month
Witcher 2
Nillfgard invades North
after six months
Nillfgard invasion is stopped and war is at stalemate
Witcher 3 Wild Hunt

 

[EliHarel]

@DukeAlmighty the Thanedd Coup was part of Emhyr's strategy, so it didn't take place a few years before the second war, but in the same one. It was very close in date to the border incident in Dol Angra that sparked the war. I think it was part of the lesson Emhyr learned from Sodden - how decisive the sorcerers can be. So he took them out of the equation. As well as planning on receiving a certain girl on the side. The third war, in TW3, shows similar lessons learned - this time he's taking out the kings, because he saw how instrumental they could be in uniting the armies.

And TW2 takes place 1 month after TW1.

 

[DaddyDee]

Is there anywhere I can read ( not watch youtube videos) the stories/ time line of both the witcher games?

 

[dragonbird]

Is there anywhere I can read ( not watch youtube videos) the stories/ time line of both the witcher games?

Good point. In terms of timeline, each of the games only has an elapsed time of a few weeks (except possibly for the time interval between the Prologue and Chapter 1 in the first game, which may be a little longer)

There are story summaries at the wiki:
http://witcher.gamepedia.com/The_Witcher_storyline
http://witcher.gamepedia.com/The_Witcher_2_storyline
but the second one in particular is more about the choices you make than what actually happens.

Anyone else know of where there may be one? If not, I may have a little job to do tomorrow...

 

[cyberpunkforever]

so, Geralt really died at the end of the books?

 

[nordelaire]

so, Geralt really died at the end of the books?

The end is open to interpretations, according to the game interpretation he did die but was quickly resurected.

 

[SMiki55]

As for the timeline, there is this:
http://witcher.wikia.com/wiki/Timeline

Not sure how accurate it is, haven't inspected it.

Bloody inaccurate, on both wikis. The only proper timeline is here, unfortunately in Polish only.

---------- Zaktualizowano 20:00 ----------

so, Geralt really died at the end of the books?

Well, I strongly recommend to read "Season of Storms", which translation you can find here

 

[Sephira]

Bloody inaccurate, on both wikis. The only proper timeline is here, unfortunately in Polish only.

Thanks for the link, very interesting (GT helped me obviously), the timeline needs to be updated then.

 

[EliHarel]

I've been keeping track of the specific dates since Tower of the Swallow, writing them down as they're mentioned as well as what pages they were mentioned at, so that it's easy to jump back and read more information about the event since I didn't bother writing them in detail, just headlines. For example, Yennefer "dies" in Sedna Abyss at August 31. Leo kills the rats at September 9. Ciri kills 4 of Skellen's crew in Dun Dare during Saovine, October 31.

I might skim through the earlier three books to catch more dates here and there. I sadly didn't think about doing it from the first book. The only reason I started is because I felt a giant mess with jumping back and forth between dates and characters - do Yennefer's events in Skellige take place during Ciri's captivity? Before? After? This made it easier for me to keep track.

I wanted to make this detailed timeline once I'm done somewhere, and I realize the wiki is as good as place as any. There's actually nothing at all of the year 1267, where most of the books take place. Should I submit my excel file to someone, or do it myself?

(I'm still in Lady of the Lake so it's not done)