Sign Confusion
I was just looking over the signs skill tree and am somewhat confused about how the signs are working.
From what I remember, the idea was that you had 5 base signs, and then each sign had an alternate version. From looking at the signs tree, this goes something like:
Base Aard: Regular Aard from Witcher 2
Alternate Aard:360 Aard with a lower chance of knock-down
Base Igni:A fire spray dealing damage across a 135 degree angle or so.
Alternate Igni Fire stream. Likely more damage over time, but can only hit one enemy/a string of enemies
Base Quen: One hit shield absorb
Alternate Quen: Redundant Shield that provides health when hit
Base Yrden: ?
Alternate Yrden: Trap and slow-down time
Base Axii: Stun/Sleep one opponent
Alternate Axii: Turn one opponent
Where I'm confused is that I was under the impression the signs were "alternate" versions, and not straight-up upgrades. As in, the older versions would still have their uses. We can see how this is true with Aard and Igni, as they have drawbacks to the new versions that would mean they weren't always the best option. But with Quen and Axii, I don't see why, once you have the alternate version, you would go back to the original.
Quen provides a shield that returns health, instead of just a one-off block, and Axii makes your opponent fight for you, instead of just taking them out of the fight. Hence, what use would the old signs be? I'm not really disappointed by this, I'm all for straight up upgrades, I'm just wondering if I've just missed something.
Also, does anyone know what the base Yrden is? Is it the slow-time affect? If so, wouldn't the alternate just be an upgrade (slow down + trap)?
Lastly, since the alternate versions must be unlocked in the skill tree, do they also need to be "equipped" like other skills to be used?