I prefer a new cast of supporting characters, i don't see any reason that will bring any of the characters there, well even Dandelion has his tavern and kind of rooted to Novigrad. We might see Thaler plotting again, maybe we can see characters from the books, i think it will be a lot more appealing then having NPCs from the base game.
Well, I don't see any reason why Geralt should go in Toussaint either.
Having something still related somehow to Ciri would bound the expansion to the main quest, making it coherent with the base game.
Also, having Dandelion would mean having Priscilla too, and this could give to that character a sense of closure.
It is hard to explain why any of them (including Geralt) would go to Toussaint during the main quest, but the writers could probably find a reason. Also, during the story of the base game, it is difficult to add main NPCs to an expansion, because their quests there could conflict with main quests that are active at the same time and would require them to be present elsewhere. If the expansion is before the beginning of the main quest but after the ending of TW2, then it cannot include Ciri, Triss, or Yennefer for story reasons, but perhaps Dandelion could be there. After the ending, anything would be possible in theory. But I think the expansion will probably be playable during the main story, as I recall one of the developers saying earlier that both expansions will be implemented that way.
I don't mind if CDPR includes an option for you to be able to play Blood and Wine discretely, without a pre-existing character. They gave us that option with HoS. I would just like for them to also include the option to continue on with your pre-existing character for obvious reasons.
Well, I don't see any reason why Geralt should go in Toussaint either.
Having something still related somehow to Ciri would bound the expansion to the main quest, making it coherent with the base game.
Also, having Dandelion would mean having Priscilla too, and this could give to that character a sense of closure.
I came across speculation that the A Night To Remember trailer was set in Beauclair
It might be just some random city but it does bare resemblance to the screenshots of Beauclair which got me thinking if this is a trailer for actual content in the expansion. Obviously just speculation but I figured I'd put it out there to gather a discussion.
If that picture is used to market Blood and Wine, then it is not unreasonable to assume that it indeed shows Beauclair. The trailer was made before the release of the base game, but work on the expansions has already started by that time, so an early low detail version of the city (suitable to be shown from the distance) and Toussaint landscape could have been available. According to this post, a level designer was seen working on BaW 1-2 months before TW3 was released.
Well, I don't see any reason why Geralt should go in Toussaint either.
Having something still related somehow to Ciri would bound the expansion to the main quest, making it coherent with the base game.
Also, having Dandelion would mean having Priscilla too, and this could give to that character a sense of closure.
While I agree that it doesn't make sense for this DLC to be during the main game, I'm 100% confident it will be the case because it will take too much work to make it fit into a post-ending content considering endings then would have been taken into account.
I think it will be sort of a closed adventure unrelated with anything we did in the main game and played as such.
Can you give me a link as to where CDP confirmed that this will happen during the main game? I don't believe they have made such statements yet.
And it's very immersion breaking for Geralt to abandon his quest in Velen and go far south to Toussaint. The Man of Glass was one thing, since it all happens in Velen and we can treat it as just another side quest, albeit a massive one. The distance between Toussaint and Novigrad is rather big. To get from Novigrad to Toussaint, you'd have to cross Redania, Temeria, Cintra and part of Nazair. That's 4 countries. Can you imagine someone pursuing a really important quest, perhaps one of the most crucial quests in his life, crossing 4 countries just to attend a fancy party? It's like Geralt is pursuing Ciri in Poland and decides to peace out and head to Spain for some other side activites. It's ludicrous
This post by theta77 is in a thread about Hearts of Stone, but it specifically says that "both expansions will be integrated with the vanilla game", and that items obtained in the expansions may be used in the main game.
Can you give me a link as to where CDP confirmed that this will happen during the main game? I don't believe they have made such statements yet.
And it's very immersion breaking for Geralt to abandon his quest in Velen and go far south to Toussaint. The Man of Glass was one thing, since it all happens in Velen and we can treat it as just another side quest, albeit a massive one. The distance between Toussaint and Novigrad is rather big. To get from Novigrad to Toussaint, you'd have to cross Redania, Temeria, Cintra and part of Nazair. That's 4 countries. Can you imagine someone pursuing a really important quest, perhaps one of the most crucial quests in his life, crossing 4 countries just to attend a fancy party? It's like Geralt is pursuing Ciri in Poland and decides to peace out and head to Spain for some other side activites. It's ludicrous
I don't recall them telling that either but I know it will be like that. DLC ends up being like closed adventures. If you think you can integrate this DLC into the main plot I fear you will be disappointed. It will have its own plot but I suspect being unrelated with the main one. That's why I think that such type of DLC works well in a post-ending scenario. The fact that CDPR pretty much said that main plot characters won't be in the DLC should tell you how of little relevance to the main plot this adventure will be.
I know I'll love this DLC but we should be realistic about it and manage our expectations.
EDIT: I speak of PLOT integration....not gameplay integration.
And that is, IMHO, the weakness of Heart of Stone. The fact that...it makes no sense. It doesn't fit particularly well any timeline of the game and of the Witcher series.
It cannot be between Witcher 2 and 3, because Geralt was travelling with Vesemir to find Yennefer.
It cannot be during the third act because Geralt
is in Novigrad looking for a way to defeat the Wild Hunt
and it cannot be after the ending because the ending doesn't modify the expansion setting.
And while I appreciate the fact that you can talk to Yennefer, Triss and Ciri about your scar, is not enough. You can't talk to them about what's happening, you can't tell them why they have to wait, you can't ask them for help.
And it will be even worse with Blood and Wine, because the setting is a totally different place. In an RPG I need a valid reason to move my character in a certain way. I cannot go in Toussaint just because I paid 20 buckets, that's metagame.
And that is, IMHO, the weakness of Heart of Stone. The fact that...it makes no sense. It doesn't fit particularly well any timeline of the game and of the Witcher series.
It cannot be between Witcher 2 and 3, because Geralt was travelling with Vesemir to find Yennefer.
It cannot be during the third act because Geralt
is in Novigrad looking for a way to defeat the Wild Hunt
and it cannot be after the ending because the ending doesn't modify the expansion setting.
And while I appreciate the fact that you can talk to Yennefer, Triss and Ciri about your scar, is not enough. You can't talk to them about what's happening, you can't tell them why they have to wait, you can't ask them for help.
And it will be even worse with Blood and Wine, because the setting is a totally different place. In an RPG I need a valid reason to move my character in a certain way. I cannot go in Toussaint just because I paid 20 buckets, that's metagame.
the devs already said the expansions have nohing to do with the main story,
the expansions are like big contracts, new adventures, that's ll, it is not a problem that you can't talk to the main characters about the expansion, for there is no relation between the expansion and the main story and main characters
the devs already said the expansions have nohing to do with the main story,
the expansions are like big contracts, new adventures, that's ll, it is not a problem that you can't talk to the main characters about the expansion, for there is no relation between the expansion and the main story and main characters
He is right. There's no sense. Everybody wait on a boat and we go to Toussaint. I dont understand too. ( Same HoS. HoS also have perfect storytelling and side quests. I accept this.)
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You know game has really really quality storytelling but Most important the game includes realistic life and realistic character emotions. However, the main story is going disconnection expansion story.
I see your point, but to be fair, with that logic like half the side quests make no sense. Why chase monster-contracts which could have Geralt killed / wastes time, while he is searching for Ciri.. etc.
It would perhaps be a nice idea to point it out in game, that it's a self contained story. I can't see how they would fit it in, in the main story either
I see your point, but to be fair, with that logic like half the side quests make no sense. Why chase monster-contracts which could have Geralt killed / wastes time, while he is searching for Ciri.. etc.
It would perhaps be a nice idea to point it out in game, that it's a self contained story. I can't see how they would fit it in, in the main story either
I know that, but I can't blame the sidequests because...well, those are secondary contents.
But they are even shorter than the main quest, so it's not a big deal. But an expansion is way longer than a standard side quest. So at least some additional dialogues with the main characters in order to extablish a connection between the main quest and that content would be really appreciate.
I don't want to sound unreasonable. But as role-playing game I found myself unable to full role playing Geralt in the expansion because what I was doing was...unreasonable, 'cause it stopped what was happening with Ciri without even the possibility to confront with the main characters on that topic.
I see your point, but to be fair, with that logic like half the side quests make no sense. Why chase monster-contracts which could have Geralt killed / wastes time, while he is searching for Ciri.. etc.
It would perhaps be a nice idea to point it out in game, that it's a self contained story. I can't see how they would fit it in, in the main story either
Contracts make some sense though. Geralt is looking for clues to find Ciri and does some contracts along they way. An expansion storyline requires Geralt to stop look his main quest for at least several days.
I'm not sure why hearts of stone wouldn't work after the main game. the stuff that happens in the storyboard before the credits doesn't happen instantly.
and it makes sense during as well. you take a contract, because you need money/want to help. then you get dragged along a chain of events. if you feel like geralt wouldn't care about the mark on his face and would just ignore a clearly very powerful and menacing character, then you can do just that, and come back to it after your business with the wild hunt is finished. going on with the quest and complaining that it doesn't make sense, well.. it doesn't make sense to me.
I think picking up a contract from a notice board is easy to rationalize. and what happens after seems almost as pressing as the issue with the wild hunt
since it's implied that geralt will meet an ill fate if he doesn't do what o'dimm wants.
giving a good reason to travel to a completely different region mid-game will be a lot harder I think. they probably won't play the "powerful character makes you do it"-card twice.
