You guys are absolutley right!
I don't know if Ginger is still following this topic, but i hope he does.
Since my last post i´ve made some thoughts of what i would have been loved to see for the ending. I don't want to come up with new outstandings, i just want to give some examples, in my opinion easy/cheap examples how it could be solved. For my taste of course, but i think most of you guys will think quite the same.
As Ginger already said, it may be difficult to create any "active" content with the main characters after the main ending, so here my idea.
I think, the more detail, the more feeling, the more interaction, the more emotion we get in the epliogue, the less changes need to be done for the part after the main story. In generally i have two big points which really spoiled my ending. Again, the ending i've got, was exactly what i've wanted and i worked for, but the presentation of it ripped me out.
There are two points on which spoiled me off the most and i made my mind of.
Point A
For me there is a big gap/emptiness between the point you leave Yen outside the tower and the epilogue. Ciri is Geralt's and Yen's "daughter" and even if you not romance Yen, there hast to be a way more interaction at this point. You see her the last time and you only get 1 short picture and 5 seconds text in the epilogue to her.
So instead of generating new "playable" content, give us a short cutscene/video.
I would like to give two examples of how it could be implemented. I think it would give you a way better feeling with the story, the characters and there would be a kind of "interaction" the players can handle with. You don't even need to any speech synchronisation to this short scene, just create some "facial expressions" and take one of the already existing beautiful soundtracks. The most emotional scenes don't even need any spoken words to come up with.
My following examples also do not effect the ending! It does not matter what ending the player will get, or what romance we have chosen, so you dont have to take care of any variation of necessary changes in the interaction.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Example 1
After the scene with Ciri entering the portal. Create another Clip showing us Geralt coming out of the tower meeting the waiting Yen. Let Geralt be sad, or crying, shaking his head according his last promise to Yen of retrieving Ciri. Let the other closest friends come up little later on. Because real friends will know that Geralt and Yen are at the tower, real friends would come if they can!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Example 2
After Ciri entered the Portal. Create a clip, showing Geralt falling on his knees at the closed portal, holding his head sadly. Let Yen/Triss coming into the tower after the shield is broken. Let them go to Geralt laying her hands on Geralts shoulder.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As i said, you can use these scenes for every possible ending, romance or whatever else, because all characters don't know anything about the fate of Ciri towards the portal. After that you easily can go on with your already existing plot, its perfect for that. So with a little effort creating a 20 seconds video this "emotional gap" would be filled out fine!
Point B
The epilogue itself! Not the ending, but the presentation, the "loveless loading screen like picture slideshow". That is biggest thing to change. Really. It's awesome trilogy, a wonderful detailed, high quality created world, teriffic characters and the end of the story about Geralt. You can not end this with a simple slideshow. That really botherd me of, so i can not enjoy my ending even though it was exactly what i wanted.
Also here, take the already existing soundtrack, take the already existing "speeker" from the actual "epilogue slideshow". But also here, give the player some Cutscenes!
Examples: (I got the ending, Ciri is alive becoming a witcher, Nilfgaard winning the war, Romanced Triss with house in Kovier)
Instead of showing a few pictures of Ciri and Gerald and just saying "he trained her all of his skills as a witcher"
- Do a Cutscene, show us Geralt and Ciri following the footprints of a monster they're hunting together
- Let them find the monster, let them turning ther heads, showing in each others face, let them smile, let them pulling out their silverswords simultanously
Instead of showing one simple picture of Triss and Geralt at their new home
- Create a cutscene, showing them arriving hand in hand at their new house, let Geralt carrying Triss over the door sill (yeah call me romantic guys)
Instead of saying "all friends were welcomed"
- Create a cutscene, showing Geralt and Triss, sitting in the garden/house, their friends are coming visiting them in their new home, let them lough, cry, handshake, whatever you want, all is better then a slideshow!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's all up the epilogue! This is the key part of the whole discussion. Create a presentation of the endings (all of them are fine!) which are more detailed, more emotional, more extended you know. The players all know that you can do it, you've prooven this so many times to us in Geralts journey.
I think if this "presentation" is done correctly, there is no need to build up a interactive "story after the story".
But Yes, let keep the main characters in the world, let them say "hello, how are you" and "goodbye, take care of you" it would be ok, if the epilouge before is done correctly. I don't say "no" to any playable contend with the main characters, if you can do it, do it
But if you change the epilogue itself, most of the work would already be done!
There are so many ways doing it better then current one. And i still dont know why you ended the trilogy with such a simple, few seconds long slideshow.
For the loading screens it's fine, yes! For Battlefield or Counter Strike it would be fine, yes! But we talking about the great The Witcher trilogy, come on guys!
The Witcher is your "baby", you grew up with it, praise it! Celebrate it! Give it an epic, emotional, detailed, bombastic ending witch can measure up with the rest of this wonderful series!
The Witcher is worth it!
( .. I don't really have an issue with the world post-ending BUT I do with NOT providing a proper closure for Geralt seeing how this is his last chapter damn it!