(Moderators; I didn't know where to post this but since the brunt of my criticism is based on the technical aspect of the game I chose this forum. It may belong in Gameplay or another topic. I leave that to your discretion.)
Greetings.
First things first: I LOVE this game. The world, the writing, the music, the ambiance, the feel of the game; it is all so well done. From the first moments of the game all the way through to the end this game takes the world of Andrzej Sapkowski's vision and allows the rest of us to immerse ourselves in it. From the Killing Monsters trailer to the Bloody Baron's complicated plight to the insidious terror of the Witches of Crookback Bog, to the horror of predatory politics in Redania and Novigrad to the raw, untamed grandeur of Skellige... it's just magnificent. There are moments in this game that just take one's breath away. And they are not few and far between. This game really and truly is a masterpiece.
With that said there is something I wanted to talk about. i know this game is finished but I just wanted to put this out there as I sincerely hope to be a CDProjekt Red fan and customer for many years to come and, throughout the Witcher 3 experience, there is one aspect of the game that consistently dragged the rest of it down. Namely: controlling the main character.
In the Witcher 2 I never felt out of control. I never felt like I had to be careful and delicate in order to get Geralt to do what I wanted him to do. I felt calm and confident at all times. In the Witcher 3, on the other hand, there are a number of situations in which I feel like I'm a puppeteer trying to get Geralt to dance by pulling strings. The controls feel like they are in between me and Geralt instead of feeling immediate and intuitive. And, to be clear, I play with BOTH a Mouse and Keyboard setup as well as a controller and often switch back and forth between them.
So what's wrong?
Well, from my perspective the single biggest impediment to feeling immersed in the game is simply that you guys, the devs, started trying to think for the player. Or, said another way, you created scripts to make decisions for us.
All of a sudden there are scripts deciding when I've got a sword in my hand and which sword it is. Before the option to turn this off was implemented I actually died repeatedly when I'd end up in situations where I had enemies of both types (fighting a specter near a place of power north of the Herbalist in White Orchard and wolves showed up, or fighting dogs near John Verden in Velen and drowners got involved for example) and I'd watch Geralt endlessly sheath one sword to draw the other depending on which target the soft lock algorithm was choosing. In the Witcher 2 none of that was necessary. The player decided which sword to use and which enemy to attack. If they got it wrong they got hurt or died. No need to think for them.
Even worse there are now scripts dramatically changing the way my controls behave depending on whether or not I've got a roof over my head or not. 95% of the time I decide whether I'm walking or jogging by toggling the CAPSLOCK key on and off or pushing the analog thumbstick halfway or all the way toward the edge of the arc. But if I walk into a cave that all changes. No matter what I do with the CAPSLOCK key or the thumbstick Geralt is walking and I have to press a button to jog. I've been playing this game since the first week it came out. I love it. I have no idea how many hours I've put into this game. Yet this one mechanic has never ever EVER failed to annoy me. It is unnecessary, intrusive and, if you think about it, a little bit insulting. I don't need you to "help" me control Geralt. I can understand (although I don't agree with it) taking away the ability to sprint. But you've chosen to change the way my controls behave. This just feels SO wrong. Every. Single. Time.
There are also moments when animation trumps control. This is particularly noticeable when trying to loot a body that you've managed to step on top of or when swimming. Not as dramatic a problem but it does illustrate the overall theme. The game is deciding what Geralt is doing.... while the player looks on in frustration.
So, to sum up? I'd suggest that you put a little more faith in your players. Teach them things like which sword to draw and then let it be. They (we) either get it right... or we fail. Don't hand hold. Don't try to think for us. It's intrusive, unnecessary... and very frustrating.
In any case, thank you so much for all of the Witcher games. Thank you for creating such a magnificent world. Thank you for the love and dedication you've shown over the years and for the unprecedented respect you've shown your customers.
Cheers
Greetings.
First things first: I LOVE this game. The world, the writing, the music, the ambiance, the feel of the game; it is all so well done. From the first moments of the game all the way through to the end this game takes the world of Andrzej Sapkowski's vision and allows the rest of us to immerse ourselves in it. From the Killing Monsters trailer to the Bloody Baron's complicated plight to the insidious terror of the Witches of Crookback Bog, to the horror of predatory politics in Redania and Novigrad to the raw, untamed grandeur of Skellige... it's just magnificent. There are moments in this game that just take one's breath away. And they are not few and far between. This game really and truly is a masterpiece.
With that said there is something I wanted to talk about. i know this game is finished but I just wanted to put this out there as I sincerely hope to be a CDProjekt Red fan and customer for many years to come and, throughout the Witcher 3 experience, there is one aspect of the game that consistently dragged the rest of it down. Namely: controlling the main character.
In the Witcher 2 I never felt out of control. I never felt like I had to be careful and delicate in order to get Geralt to do what I wanted him to do. I felt calm and confident at all times. In the Witcher 3, on the other hand, there are a number of situations in which I feel like I'm a puppeteer trying to get Geralt to dance by pulling strings. The controls feel like they are in between me and Geralt instead of feeling immediate and intuitive. And, to be clear, I play with BOTH a Mouse and Keyboard setup as well as a controller and often switch back and forth between them.
So what's wrong?
Well, from my perspective the single biggest impediment to feeling immersed in the game is simply that you guys, the devs, started trying to think for the player. Or, said another way, you created scripts to make decisions for us.
All of a sudden there are scripts deciding when I've got a sword in my hand and which sword it is. Before the option to turn this off was implemented I actually died repeatedly when I'd end up in situations where I had enemies of both types (fighting a specter near a place of power north of the Herbalist in White Orchard and wolves showed up, or fighting dogs near John Verden in Velen and drowners got involved for example) and I'd watch Geralt endlessly sheath one sword to draw the other depending on which target the soft lock algorithm was choosing. In the Witcher 2 none of that was necessary. The player decided which sword to use and which enemy to attack. If they got it wrong they got hurt or died. No need to think for them.
Even worse there are now scripts dramatically changing the way my controls behave depending on whether or not I've got a roof over my head or not. 95% of the time I decide whether I'm walking or jogging by toggling the CAPSLOCK key on and off or pushing the analog thumbstick halfway or all the way toward the edge of the arc. But if I walk into a cave that all changes. No matter what I do with the CAPSLOCK key or the thumbstick Geralt is walking and I have to press a button to jog. I've been playing this game since the first week it came out. I love it. I have no idea how many hours I've put into this game. Yet this one mechanic has never ever EVER failed to annoy me. It is unnecessary, intrusive and, if you think about it, a little bit insulting. I don't need you to "help" me control Geralt. I can understand (although I don't agree with it) taking away the ability to sprint. But you've chosen to change the way my controls behave. This just feels SO wrong. Every. Single. Time.
There are also moments when animation trumps control. This is particularly noticeable when trying to loot a body that you've managed to step on top of or when swimming. Not as dramatic a problem but it does illustrate the overall theme. The game is deciding what Geralt is doing.... while the player looks on in frustration.
So, to sum up? I'd suggest that you put a little more faith in your players. Teach them things like which sword to draw and then let it be. They (we) either get it right... or we fail. Don't hand hold. Don't try to think for us. It's intrusive, unnecessary... and very frustrating.
In any case, thank you so much for all of the Witcher games. Thank you for creating such a magnificent world. Thank you for the love and dedication you've shown over the years and for the unprecedented respect you've shown your customers.
Cheers
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