After reading the books, do you feel sympathy for the character of Ciri?

[Mizzen01]

After reading the books, do you feel sympathy for the character of Ciri?

SPOILERS OF THE ENDING!!!

A question for the readers. I'm not saying that Ciri is a bad literary character, but I would like to know if readers are fond of Ciri in the game, knowing that in the books she was "Falka" of the gang of the rats, a juvenile gangsta guilty of the murder of innocent people, and knowing the image of spoiled girl that the author describes in the books, even when she´s already adult.

In my case, I have enjoyed the game a lot and it's already one of my favorites, side by side with Mass Effect, but I didn't care a lot about Ciri's story during the game. My first goal at the ending of the game was to know what happen with Geralt, Triss, Yennefer, the other witches and sorceresses, Dandelion, Zoltan, etc. and if Ciri lives, dies, becomes a witcher or the empress was pretty secondary. Also, I´m not interested in an hypothetical TW4 with Ciri as main character. I can´t feel sympathy enough for her and don´t want to play an entire game controlling this character.

I´m curious about what other readers think, or better, feel, about the character.

 

[Zyvik]

No,I don't feel any sympathy for Ciri,but the books have nothing to do with it.I tolerate Ciri in the books,but absolutely hate her in the games.Game version of Ciri doesn't resemble her book self at all.She is by far the worst character in TW3.

 

[RiseOfRose1]

Felt sorry for her, she was on the run and has been her entire life and it seems the only people that deeply care for her are her loved ones. Well at least she is a free woman now if you got the witcheress ending and I'm not angling to start an argument or something but Ciri for TW4.

 

[Rawls]

Hmmmmm... I'll bite.

Spoiler

I liked Ciri in the books. Her stint as "Falka" in the rats makes some sense when you consider (1) she believed that everyone she care about was dead and that she had lost everything which can understandably lead to a destructive point of view, (2) she for the first time in her entire life felt free from the rule of others - her whole life she lived in an extremely restrained environment (minus the couple of months she lived on a farm after the fall of Cintra) as princess of Cintra, then a Witcher in Trainer and then Sorceress in Training and (3) she's a teenager who is arrogant, rebellious and still unwise. While I wouldn't have taken the path that she took, I certainly understand her motivations for doing so.

And while all was well, she had no reason to change. Bonhart changed her perspective by showing her the pain that destructive lifestyle can bring. After she escapes from Bonhart and lives with the Nilfgaardian Hermit Philosopher who's name escapes me, she has changed. It's at this point that her character becomes very interesting.

I like her in the game as well. I do think she is a little too kind in the games. The arrogance is mostly gone. I understand the choice from a design perspective for CDPR though. They had to introduce a character who was instantly likable and whom you cared for like a daughter. Making her more cocky and brash would not serve the feeling CDPR was likely going for. I liked her story for the most part, and loved it from Isle of the Mists to Bald Mountain. I did not like that she "defeated" the White Frost at the end, but that is a lore issue, not a character issue for me.

I would like to play a game as her. If she didn't have a dark side, she would not make a very good monster hunter. Geralt has proven himself to be blood thirsty (perhaps more accurately state willing to commit murderous acts of violence to accomplish his ends) on more than one occasion, and he has more than 100 years of wisdom and life experience. I think a game from Ciri point of view would certainly be interesting and I would happily purchase if it comes out.

 

[Mizzen01]

But she choses to stay with a band of absurd juvenile criminals - as all the juvenile criminals - and become herself a thief and cold-blooded murderer. In my oppinion, there is no justification for that in any case. In the books, Geralt never kills without a really good reason, as she does. Really, do you feel simpathy for a character like that?

 

[Zyvik]

I absolutely hate how 'male-centric' her character is.The game is all about Geralt-Ciri father-daughter relationship and completely forgets that she has a mother too.Geralt,Avallac'h,Vesemir,Skjall - these are the most important relationships she has in the game,yet she barely exchanges a word with Yennefer and Triss.Ciri-Yennefer relationship is one of the most fucked up things ever in the game.And let's not forget the Empress ending,in which Dandelion says that she "inherited a political instinct from Emhyr and a sense of human decency from Geralt".Again,she has two fathers who had influence on her,but no mother.Yen apparently had no influence on her daughter.

 

[RiseOfRose1]

Hmmmmm... I'll bite.

Spoiler

I liked Ciri in the books. Her stint as "Falka" in the rats makes some sense when you consider (1) she believed that everyone she care about was dead and that she had lost everything which can understandably lead to a destructive point of view, (2) she for the first time in her entire life felt free from the rule of others - her whole life she lived in an extremely restrained environment (minus the couple of months she lived on a farm after the fall of Cintra) as princess of Cintra, then a Witcher in Trainer and then Sorceress in Training and (3) she's a teenager who is arrogant, rebellious and still unwise. While I wouldn't have taken the path that she took, I certainly understand her motivations for doing so.

And while all was well, she had no reason to change. Bonhart changed her perspective by showing her the pain that destructive lifestyle can bring. After she escapes from Bonhart and lives with the Nilfgaardian Hermit Philosopher who's name escapes me, she has changed. It's at this point that her character becomes very interesting.

I like her in the game as well. I do think she is a little too kind in the games. The arrogance is mostly gone. I understand the choice from a design perspective for CDPR though. They had to introduce a character who was instantly likable and whom you cared for like a daughter. Making her more cocky and brash would not serve the feeling CDPR was likely going for. I liked her story for the most part, and loved it from Isle of the Mists to Bald Mountain. I did not like that she "defeated" the White Frost at the end, but that is a lore issue, not a character issue for me.

I would like to play a game as her. If she didn't have a dark side, she would not make a very good monster hunter. Geralt has proven himself to be blood thirsty (perhaps more accurately state willing to commit murderous acts of violence to accomplish his ends) on more than one occasion, and he has more than 100 years of wisdom and life experience. I think a game from Ciri point of view would certainly be interesting and I would happily purchase if it comes out.

I wouldn't say dark side but she has that Scarface effect where if you piss her off to certain limit she will destroy you. Although when this happens it causes uproars (Whoreson Jr and Temple Guard) but it would be interesting I would gladly welcome and army of soldiers into Ciri's sword.

 

[Rawls]

But she choses to stay with a band of absurd juvenile criminals - as all the juvenile criminals - and become herself a thief and cold-blooded murderer. In my oppinion, there is no justification for that in any case. In the books, Geralt never kills without a really good reason, as she does. Really, do you feel simpathy for a character like that?

Oh some of Ciri's actions are unjustifiable... she did bad things plain and simple ... but I understand them. I understand how a person in her circumstances could be attracted to that lifestyle. I have no problem sitting in her shoes for a video game.

Also the Ciri you would be playing as in the game, no longer has the same perspective as the Ciri who joined the rats. So you get the dark past and the current good intentions ... the point of view character jackpot for narrative purposes!

 

[Scryar]

Hmmmmm... I'll bite.

Spoiler

I liked Ciri in the books. Her stint as "Falka" in the rats makes some sense when you consider (1) she believed that everyone she care about was dead and that she had lost everything which can understandably lead to a destructive point of view, (2) she for the first time in her entire life felt free from the rule of others - her whole life she lived in an extremely restrained environment (minus the couple of months she lived on a farm after the fall of Cintra) as princess of Cintra, then a Witcher in Trainer and then Sorceress in Training and (3) she's a teenager who is arrogant, rebellious and still unwise. While I wouldn't have taken the path that she took, I certainly understand her motivations for doing so.

And while all was well, she had no reason to change. Bonhart changed her perspective by showing her the pain that destructive lifestyle can bring. After she escapes from Bonhart and lives with the Nilfgaardian Hermit Philosopher who's name escapes me, she has changed. It's at this point that her character becomes very interesting.

I like her in the game as well. I do think she is a little too kind in the games. The arrogance is mostly gone. I understand the choice from a design perspective for CDPR though. They had to introduce a character who was instantly likable and whom you cared for like a daughter. Making her more cocky and brash would not serve the feeling CDPR was likely going for. I liked her story for the most part, and loved it from Isle of the Mists to Bald Mountain. I did not like that she "defeated" the White Frost at the end, but that is a lore issue, not a character issue for me.

This post summarizes it pretty well. While I like her in the games, I think the books version is more interesting. They sanitized her too much in the games,stripped her off of every attribute which may be interprented as controversial or even straight "bad". She is too perfect, too idealized and idealistic.Her defeating the White Frost and becoming empress is just stupid and shouldn't have been in the game
But I understand why they did it. They had to make her as likeable as possible for new players. Unfortunately it took away some depth that would have been possible if some of her evil actions in the books would have had a bigger impact on her character... or any influence at all..
Though I really like her relation with Geralt, which pretty much saved the story for me (which is pretty mediocre overall) and absolutely do not miss the books relation between her and Yennefer.

 

[Mizzen01]

You would prefer a despicable character in the game, as she´s in the books? More arrogant and spoiled, as she´s in the books, and killing without a good reason, just because she´s angry and stupid?

 

[Guest 3842753]

I liked Ciri though I thought her outcome would not have depended so much on Geralt's decisions as that doesn't jive with my impression of her from the books.
I also thought the interaction between her and Yennefer was strangely lacking. It wouldn't have taken much - just a few light/close moments between the two where Ciri doesn't look hesitant. It seems like a small but key detail that wouldn't have any impact on other relationships/plot yet it wasn't in the game. It would be great if a RED chimed in on why this was the case.

 

[zanzibar_007]

She is too perfect, too idealized and idealistic.Her defeating the White Frost and becoming empress is just stupid and shouldn't have been in the game
.

Well she saves many Worlds and Life in many worlds, but in Heroic Fantasy it's only a cliché, when you have nothing to say in your story. sorry CDPR, but for you Ciri was only a burden...

Luckily Sapkowski is here to tell for her something much better in many ways.

 

[Scryar]

Well she saves many Worlds and Life in many worlds, but in Heroic Fantasy it's only a cliché, when you have nothing to say in your story. sorry CDPR, but for you Ciri was only a burden...

Luckily Sapkowski is here to tell for her something much better in many ways.

i always liked that the Witcher games were not like 90% of other fantasy games about the chosen hero saving the world from the big bad evil.
In Witcher 1 is was actually the antagonist, who tried to save the world and our protagonist who (unintentionally) prevented de Aldersberg's attempt because he didn't believe in the threat. The white Frost was also still lore-friendly at this time, as it wasn't something that could or should be defeated, but just something that will happen at some point.
Witcher 2 was about a bunch of powerful people who acted in their interest and thought themselves perfectly justified while doing so.
I really liked how much the story distinguished from the usual power fanatsy.. No matter what we did, we couldn't prevent that Nilfgaard's plan succeeded.
We could only influence the degree of our "failing".
For some reason CDP thought they have to make a "chosen hero saves the world(s)" story out of Witcher 3 in the last 15 minutes. Completely unnecessary and straight lore-breaking on top. At least it's not us, the protagonist., who saves the world, but that doesn't make it much better.
So yes, Ciri was a burden for CDP. But nobody forced them to make that completely overpowered ms. perfect who saves the universe out of her. She was not overpowered in the books, she was not perfect in the books and she was never supposed to defeat the White Frost in the books. If they would have stuck to the "original" Ciri they could have made a whole different story. Without Ciri onehitting Wild Hunt soldiers and the White frost being this big bad evil instead of a natural event that will happen in the next 3000 years.

 

[Charcharo]

You would prefer a despicable character in the game, as she´s in the books? More arrogant and spoiled, as she´s in the books, and killing without a good reason, just because she´s angry and stupid?

There is a difference between a good person and a goo character.

Darth Vader is not a good person. Yet on the screen, he is a force to be reckoned with.

Sand Dan Glokta is DEFINITELY not a good person... he is closer to a monster than that. Yet as a character, I loved him.

Bella Swan from Twilight is supposed to be a good person... yet ... uhm... ugh.... yeah... you get where I am going... she is a terrible character all in all.

 

[Mizzen01]

Please, I was asking if people who read the books feel sympathy in the games for a character that in books is a murderer and pretty spoiled and arrogant, because is not the same thing to read about a character and to play as her in a role game. Sorry, but other things about the plot of the games, her relatioship with Yennefer or Geralt, etc. are not related with this question.

PS. Charcharo, the first thing I say is that I don't think Ciri is a bad literary character. She can be a good character and not inspiring sympathy. Maybe there is people that don't want to "be" Ciri in a game of rol, as my case.

 

[zanzibar_007]

There is a difference between a good person and a goo character.

Darth Vader is not a good person. Yet on the screen, he is a force to be reckoned with.

Sand Dan Glokta is DEFINITELY not a good person... he is closer to a monster than that. Yet as a character, I loved him.

I love The LADY in The Black Company, she killed her own twisted sister, and she is reputed to be a cold-hearted Bitch, but she falls in love with Croaker, funny...:hmm:

---------- Updated at 09:21 PM ----------

Please, I was asking if people who read the books feel sympathy in the games for a character that in books is a murderer and pretty spoiled and arrogant, because is not the same thing to read about a character and to play as her in a role game. Sorry, but other things about the plot of the games, her relatioship with Yennefer or Geralt, etc. are not related with this question.

Well it's a book and a game. yeah i know, it's not real, you see...

 

[ph3s]

There isn't any good character in the books, try to don't go black and white. Wither's books were "many shades of grey" before it was mainstream

 

[GuyNwah]

Moderator: Do not pretend that insulting each other is an acceptable use of the forum. Posts have been deleted. Any repeat will result in action against your accounts.

 

[CongoJack35]

In the books I think she did what she had to do to survive before and after the frying pan, I guess by the end of the game she has developed a bit of a messiah complex with her you're but a Witcher comment. I did find the way her and Yen's relationship was I guess kinda subdued the way I remember they had cleared a lot of the tension between them before Rivia but that coulda just been the translation I read.

 

[KingHochmeister]

Almost every character in the Witcher books is capable of doing evil, hell, the first short story you read about Geralt in the Last Wish book he outright MURDERS three men for just talking shit about him and rivians in general instead of solving the issue peacefully, did you sympathize with him at first?

As for Ciri, I mostly found her in the books to be a despicable self-entitled brat who lost almost everything dear to her and was forced on a very dark path in her life, that entire section with the rats was very uncomfortable to read and it highlights that anyone with just the right circumstances can become a monster.

However, after she meets Vysogota she slowly regains her sanity,thankfully. Did I sympathize with Ciri? Not really, but after the time with Vysogota she definitely became more "relatable".