Constructive opinions based on the gameplay videos that are released in 2015 (NO DOWNGRADE TALK)

[Vigilance.492]

In short. Random encounters during the "fast travel". It just always feels weird to me that a game boasts about its lively and involving world, but then provides a mechanic to bypass it.

If people want to bypass the lively involving world, only they are missing out.

Look I'd rather have no Fast Travel at all, or only have a logical transportation system like the Silt Strider's in Morrowind, but ultimately Fast Travel doesn't do any harm as long as the world is designed to not encourage it.
Skyrim for example gave me no reason to explore after the first 10-20 hours. There was like 5 dungeons repeated throughout the whole world, severe lack of enemy variety, Dragon encounters became more of a chore than fun and your only other method of transportation was a Horse that controlled like absolute fucking rubbish. Hence I started just fast travelling everywhere because I didn't give a shit about the world.
Red Dead Redemption however I never once used fast travel. The world was so engaging, Horse Riding was so enjoyable, atmosphere was incredible and the world just felt so intriguing and fitting for the setting that I never ever wanted to use fast travel and miss something.

All The Witcher 3 needs to do is have a similar situation to Red Dead, where you want to explore, and you don't want to fast travel because you might miss something insanely cool out in the world and I don't see anything wrong with the mechanic existing. It's completely and 100% optional, and I for one won't be using it, I suggest the same to everyone.

Also I'm sorry, but your idea is terrible. Dragon Age Origins used a similar system in that whenever you used the travel system on the map you were given random encounters, and it was one aspect of the game that I fucking loathed. It feels like walking through the grass in Pokemon and "A wild Manticore appears", which is just in general horrid design (Well for a non-Pokemon game).

 

[mxYELLOW]

I've read that they borrowed elements from Batman Arkham games when it comes to the combat system. Does this mean we will get a dodge/counter icon? I haven't seen one on the videos but perhaps it can be turned off?

 

[Nilhilion]

- The Signs need to have some effect clarification in the selection wheel to remember what they do.

Actually each sign has a brief description in the selection wheel in the upper left corner (e. g. 00:11-00:19: Igni: Deals fire damage, Aard: Telekinetic blast)

As for my suggestions, even though it's been pointed out quite a few times I'll repeat.

- footsteps and hooves sounds should differ according to surface Right now it's like every thing's a cobblestone road. Sounds should be different on rocks, grass, dirt, snow etc.

- snow/mud footprints

- splash when horse enters water

- animal name tags very distracting and immersion breaking. Please consider disabling outside of combat.

- door opening animation it's just silly Like Geralt is opening every door with aard

- water splash when Geralt is diving

HUD customisation not only on/off but also the size, especially for the mini-map. Please consider changing horse stamina bar to be less distracting or make an option to turn it off. If all else fails please make it easily moddable.

Those are of course minor annoyances and of little consequence. Everything else is simply mesmerising. Great improvement over TW2 it seems. The only thing that really worries me a bit is (this is based on reviews and an interview with Marcin Iwinski)

- 30 fps even on PC it is not more cinematic. It's simply laggy and choppy. If the game can't run 60 fps on high settings on a rig with a graphics card well above the recommended settings something isn't right. I am aware that optimisation is in progress, but it's an issue important enough to point it out.

- no footage of M+K controls but since there is a separate thread for that I won't go into details. I just hope CDPR will do M+K justice and make it as good an input as a controller.

That said I applaud CDPR on a job well done. Attention to detail is noticeable, and art design a pleasure for the senses. If the narrative is as good as previous titles and combat engaging even after 200 hrs I'm gonna get my dream game. And I shall sing praises from rooftops and send love letters to the dev team. And flowers and cookies. But that shall be decided come May.

 

[TheDeathRun]

I've read that they borrowed elements from Batman Arkham games when it comes to the combat system. Does this mean we will get a dodge/counter icon? I haven't seen one on the videos but perhaps it can be turned off?

There is no dodge/counter icon (or if there is, it has never been shown). They were likely referencing the flow of combat in Arkham, since in TW3 Geralt seems capable of moving from one enemy to another quite smoothly.

---------- Updated at 10:54 PM ----------

HUD customisation not only on/off but also the size, especially for the mini-map. Please consider changing horse stamina bar to be less distracting or make an option to turn it off. If all else fails please make it easily moddable.

Marcin Momot confirmed in the HUD thread that "regarding the HUD, you will be able to change the size of icons as well as hide certain/all elements".

 

[kofeiiniturpa]

Also I'm sorry, but your idea is terrible. Dragon Age Origins used a similar system in that whenever you used the travel system on the map you were given random encounters, and it was one aspect of the game that I fucking loathed. It feels like walking through the grass in Pokemon and "A wild Manticore appears", which is just in general horrid design.

No need to be sorry, we have different priorities regarding this. I don't think it's terrible at all. A lot of games have used such a mechanic in the past (and some it the present too), and I've found them to be much more involving and interesting than the Oblivion/Skyrim/Fallout 3 -esque stuff we're apparently going to have now (which I - in turn - despise for offering nothing but a lazy solution to a problem that deserves more thought and involvement put in it).

 

[dragonbird]

One of the lesser issues I have is that the fast travel mechanic they have looks completely uninspired and just "thrown in because big world needs it". There's no involvement or intrigue with such a thing at all (once all the needed roadsigns are found, the whole devolves into hopping around the map "because why not"), and it looks dull. A wasted opportunity for additional - even if minor - gameplay variety, if you ask me. Conveniency is one thing, but this just feels artificial.

While I can appreciate that this may be something you don't like in games, I think that the purpose of the thread was to point out flaws that can be fixed in the time remaining. You appear to be suggesting a major redesign?

 

[Scholdarr.452]

No need to be sorry, we have different priorities regarding this. I don't think it's terrible at all. A lot of games have used such a mechanic in the past (and some it the present too), and I've found them to be much more involving and interesting than the Oblivion/Skyrim/Fallout 3 -esque stuff we're apparently going to have now (which I - in turn - despise for offering nothing but a lazy solution to a problem that deserves more thought and involvement put in it).

Well, to give Skyrim some justice, I liked its option to drive from one city to another on a cart for some coins. You could even just watch the surrounding while sitting on the cart.

Of course that wouldn't really fit to someone like Geralt, but it was kind of immersive for a fast travel mechanic.

 

[TheDeathRun]

Well, to give Skyrim some justice, I liked its option to drive from one city to another on a cart for some coins. You could even just watch the surrounding while sitting on the cart.]

As someone who spent hundreds of hours modding Skyrim... I'm pretty sure the ability to watch the scenery from a moving cart is thanks to modders. Vanilla Skyrim had a glorious load screen instead.

 

[OliverDK]

I say it again: the video was shot at bright daylight so of course it's bright and not as dark. The game will look completely different during nighttime or during bad weather. And by the way, it's a common misconception that medieval times were all "dark", quite the opposite. That misconception is based on our tendence to connect "dangerous times" with "darkness". That's the formula for the "film noir" for example. But actually, even during the most dangerous times, the world can be as bright as possible if the sun shines and the sky is blue...

I wouldn't call that mainstream-oriented neither here, since Skyrim was pretty much "dark and gritty" compared to other games.

I don't argue that medieval times was not colorful because I know they was, but as far as I know it was not like this. Don't get me wrong I am by no mean an expert in the medieval times, but while I know that medieval times was colorful I do believe that the colors was much more subtle and not so bright at that time in our history -especial among the peasants. So in other words I am not against that the world is colorful but I would have liked it to be more subtle and discreet and not such much BANG bright colors in your face here, there and everywhere. If it was tone down a bit it would have been perfect - like in the earlier trailers.

And yes I would have loved if they had went for the more dark and gritty feeling of Skyrim. To me it just makes for a better atmosphere and more mature feeling.

But I also realize that all this is completely subjective. That is also why I try to be very careful writing to me so much because that's how I feel about it.

 

[kofeiiniturpa]

While I can appreciate that this may be something you don't like in games, I think that the purpose of the thread was to point out flaws that can be fixed in the time remaining. You appear to be suggesting a major redesign?

Not much to "re"-design with the road signs, I'd think. It's a barebones teleportation system from the looks of it.

A comprehensive random encountersystem might be too much to ask, but certain tweaks to the fast travel should be in the realm of possibilities. Not that I really expect it to change in any large manner, but at least I've said what I think of it.

 

[JackalJ]

- 30 fps even on PC it is not more cinematic. It's simply laggy and choppy. If the game can't run 60 fps on high settings on a rig with a graphics card well above the recommended settings something isn't right. I am aware that optimisation is in progress, but it's an issue important enough to point it out.

- no footage of M+K controls but since there is a separate thread for that I won't go into details. I just hope CDPR will do M+K justice and make it as good an input as a controller.

Nobody said the game will be locked to 30 FPS, it just means that when you have a pc that is around the recommended specs you will get 30 fps on high settings. If you have a better system you will get a higher fps obviously. (depending on your resolution ofcourse.) Nobody, ever, said anything that TW3 will be locked to 30 fps on pc and yet people keep bringing it up...

And I'm sure CDPR has made the M+K controls work better then the gamepad, just because journalists haven't played M+K doesn't mean it doesn't exists.

 

[Scholdarr.452]

As someone who spent hundreds of hours modding Skyrim... I'm pretty sure the ability to watch the scenery from a moving cart is thanks to modders. Vanilla Skyrim had a glorious load screen instead.

Hm, maybe you're right. It was still nice though.


And since we're already talking about "fast travel". Can anyone confirm that horses will have more than two speeds or gaits? We've seen a slow gait/speed and a very fast speed/gait (that depleted the horse's stamina pretty fast). I hope there is some kind of "travel speed/gait" which is kind of fast but doesn't strain the horse so much that it has to slow down soon...

I know CDPR is working on the horse right now and that the horse is their biggest issue. So I hope we'll get something like that, especially on PC where you can't control movement speed by simply adjusting the pressure on the analogue stick...

 

[Nilhilion]

Well, to give Skyrim some justice, I liked its option to drive from one city to another on a cart for some coins. You could even just watch the surrounding while sitting on the cart.

In Wild Hunt you can hold a button and Roach will automatically follow the path if you're on the road. So you can look at the pretty flowers

---------- Updated at 03:11 PM ----------

And yes I would have loved if they had went for the more dark and gritty feeling of Skyrim. To me it just makes for a better atmosphere and more mature feeling.

A simple solution to make everyone happy is either make the "colorfullness" adjustable in the settings or easily moddable, like with ENBs for Skyrim.

 

[Rocquito]

I'm still more worried about combat system or skills evolution, but regarding colours the oversaturation of TW 2 was pretty bad for my tastes. A saturation level option should do the work pretty well.

 

[frivolousam]

In Wild Hunt you can hold a button and Roach will automatically follow the path if you're on the road. So you can look at the pretty flowers

Why "hold a button" tho? tap would be nicer. Freeing hands now and then could help you relax a bit. In FC4 I tap auto drive key and go and make a coffee, when I return I'm in the designated location -almost every time.

 

[Nilhilion]

Nobody said the game will be locked to 30 FPS

Neither did I. But that's what they're aiming for it seems, and it's not a good sign. The need for SLI GTX 980 Ti just to have 60 fps on 1080p on PC is very excessive. I point it out simply to make it possible for recommended rig to maintain 60 fps. I don;t care much for fur tech, ponytail dangling in the wind and other gimmcks. I point it out in hope of CDPR noticing it and making it possible to adjust settings so that 60 FPS 1080p is possible without a NASA computer.

 

[Scholdarr.452]

In Wild Hunt you can hold a button and Roach will automatically follow the path if you're on the road. So you can look at the pretty flowers

I would like that. But I don't think it's confirmed.

I don't argue that medieval times was not colorful because I know they was, but as far as I know it was not like this. Don't get me wrong I am by no mean an expert in the medieval times, but while I know that medieval times was colorful I do believe that the colors was much more subtle and not so bright at that time in our history -especial among the peasants. So in other words I am not against that the world is colorful but I would have liked it to be more subtle and discreet and not such much BANG bright colors in your face here, there and everywhere. If it was tone down a bit it would have been perfect - like in the earlier trailers.

You're actually wrong on that. Medieval times were pretty colorful in clothing and general appeal. It was even more colorful than today's world in some aspects. And that also applies for peasants, not only for rich people or nobles. You're right though that the colours used by the rich were better and even brighter than those used by poorer people. Still pastel colors (like often used today) were much less common than in medieval times than bright colours. That's partly due to the dying methods and the materials (often wool and linen) and partly due to fashion. We shouldn't fall for the misconception that medieval peasants wore only dirty brown clothes or something along these lines...

Small example for the clothes simple workers wore in the 13th century:
View attachment 9770

It's actually one of these general misconceptions of past times. Like the misconception that Roman or Greek temples and statues were all "white" while they were actually almost all brightly colored.

 

[theLaughingStorm.108]

Neither did I. But that's what they're aiming for it seems, and it's not a good sign. The need for SLI GTX 980 Ti just to have 60 fps on 1080p on PC is very excessive. I point it out simply to make it possible for recommended rig to maintain 60 fps. I don;t care much for fur tech, ponytail dangling in the wind and other gimmcks. I point it out in hope of CDPR noticing it and making it possible to adjust settings so that 60 FPS 1080p is possible without a NASA computer.

Uuuuh, turn down some settings and don't play the game at ultra? Seems pretty simple.

 

[archaven.84]

latest trailers look pretty awesome. if this is the final game i'm satisfied. but a small gripe is geralt face. he's very CHUBBY now. on a side note, i'm thinking to upgrade to GTX970 SLI. can it max ultra on 1440p? thanks

 

[JackalJ]

@Nilhilion23 No one is aiming for anything, it it meas that with the recommended spec's you can play on high settings and have 30fps. So in a way that's the minimum for the recommended specs. And recommended specs mean different things to different people. Some say recommended is medium on 30fps others find high at 30fps to be recommended. If thats not good enough for you, get a better card or another one. Or play around with the settings.