Emhyr - The Game Non-Character vs the Book.

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Emhyr - The Game Non-Character vs the Book.

From the fan translation of the Lady of the Lake. I recommend you read this. You can also find it here: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...vbWFpbnxsaWVzdGU3MnxneDoyMmVjMGNiM2I2OTFlZDJi

Page 432, though it starts at the end of page 431.

“Geralt, follow me, please.”

The witcher rose. He looked at Ciri and Yennefer, wanting to calm them, wanting to warn them not to try any nonsense. But it was not needed – they were both extremely tired. And resigned.

“You have come a long way,” repeated Emhyr var Emreis, Deithwen Addan yn Carn aep Morvudd, the White Flam Dancing on the Barrows of his Enemies.

“I don’t know,” Geralt said calmly, “yours appears to have been longer, Duny.”

“You’ve recognised me,” the Emperor smiled. “A lack of beard and a change of behaviour changed me completely. The people who had seen me at Cintra, and came to Nilfgaard to have audience with me, no longer recognised me. And you saw me only once, after all, sixteen years ago. I was so etched in your memory?”

“I did not recognise you, you’ve actually changed very much. I figured out who you are already, some time ago. Not without outside help and guidance, I guessed what role you were to play in family incest with Ciri. And in one of my nightmares I once dreamed of hideous incest. And here you are, in the flesh.”

“You can hardly keep your feet,” Emhyr said coldly. “And your impertinence is forcing you to be even weaker. I invite you to sit in the presence of the Emperor. I grant you the privilege of... life.”

Geralt, with relief, sat. Emhyr stood leaning against a carved cabinet.

“You saved my daughter’s life,” he said. “Several times. I thank you for that. On behalf of me and on behalf of my descendants.”

“You leave me speechless.”

“Cirilla,” Emhyr said ignoring the sarcasm, “is going to Nilfgaard. In due time she will become the Empress. Like dozens of girls who become queens, without previously knowing her husband. Often times even without a good concept of the first encounter with their husband. Often they are disappointed by the first few days... and nights of marriage. Cirilla is not the first.”

Geralt declined to comment.

“Cirilla,” continued the Emperor, “will be happy, like most of the queens I just spoke about. It will come with time. I will not demand love from her but will transfer it to the son that Cirilla will bear for me. Archduke and future Emperor. An Emperor, who will beget a son. A son who will be ruler of the world and who will save the world from destruction. So says the prophecy, whose precise content, only I know...”

The White Flame thought for a moment and continued.

“It is clear that Cirilla must never know who I really am. The secret must die. Along with those who know it.”

“Sure...” Geralt nodded. “It could not be clearer.”

“You cannot help noticing,” Emhyr said after a moment, “the hand of fate in everything that has happened. All of it. Also in your actions. From the very beginning.”

“Rather, I see the hand of Vilgefortz. It was he who sent you to Cintra, right? When you were an enchanted hedgehog? It was he who made Pavetta...”

“You are shooting in the dark,” Emhyr interrupted abruptly, throwing his salamander cloak over his shoulder. “You don’t know anything. And you don’t need to know. I did not ask you here to relate the story of my life. Nor to explain myself to you. The only thing you deserve is to ensure that the girl will come to no harm. I do not have any debts to you, witcher. No...”

“You!” Geralt interrupted. “You broke a signed contract. You broke your word! You lied! These are your debts, Duny! You broke your oaths as a prince, and you have debts as an Emperor. With imperial interest. For ten years!”

“Is that all?”

“That’s it. Because that is all that is mine, nothing more. But no less! I had to introduce myself to collect the girl when she turned six. I waited on the agreed upon date, but you wanted to steal the child before that time. But the fates, of which you speak, have mocked you. During the next ten years you tired to fight destiny. Now it is your turn, you have Ciri, your own daughter, who you once shamefully deprived of parents and with whom you now want to shamelessly spawn incestuous offspring. You don’t ask for her love? Pah, you don’t have the right to her love! Between us, Duny, how can you look her in the eyes?”

“The end justifies the means,” the Emperor said flatly. “I do it for the future of the world. For its salvation.”

“If you have to save the world like this,” the witcher lifted his head, “this world would be better off disappearing. Believe me, Duny; it would be better to perish.”

“You are weak,” Emhyr var Emreis said gently. “Do not get excited, you look like you’re about to faint.”

He moved from the cabinet, pulled up a chair and sat down. The witcher’s head was indeed spinning.

“The Iron Hedgehog,” Emhyr var Emreis said calmly and quietly, “was a way of forcing my father to cooperate with the usurper to the throne. After the coup, my father, the Emperor was deposed, imprisoned and tortured. He did not break; however, because the usurping Duke devised something else – before his eyes, he had a hired sorcerer turn his only son into a monster. The sorcerer also had a sense of humour. In our language, Emhyr means hedgehog. My father did not break then, so he was killed. I was driven by mockery and insults to the forest and chased by dogs. Fortunately they did not pursue me too fiercely, because the sorcerer botched the job, and from midnight until dawn I returned to human form, it saved my life. I was just thirteen years old. I knew several people on whose fidelity I could rely on. But even so, I had to flee the country. A crackpot astrologer called Xarthisius had read in the stars that the cure to the spell could be found in the North, beyond the Marnadal Steps. Later, as the Emperor, I gave him in payment for his services a tower and good equipment. At that time he had to work with borrowed equipment. As for what happened at Cintra, you already know, and I won’t waste your time. The truth is that Vilgefortz had nothing to do with it. First, I still didn’t know him. And second, I still felt a deep aversion to sorcerers. To this day, I still do not like them.

Oh by the way, when I reclaimed the throne, I apprehended the sorcerer who had served the usurper and who had turned me into a monster in front of my father. I, too, showed a sense of humour. The sorcerer’s name was Braathens, which in our language is the same as the word ‘fried’.

“Well, enough digression, back to the subject at hand. After the birth of Ciri, Vilgefortz secretly visited me in Cintra. He introduced himself as a confidant of those who remained faithful to me in Nilfgaard. He offered me his help and soon demonstrated that he could help. When I asked incredulously the motives for his actions, he did not deny relying on my gratitude. His plans were to win wealth and power, which the future Emperor of Nilfgaard would provide him – me. A mighty ruler who would rule half the world and raise offspring, who would dominate the whole world. The wizard bluntly admitted that he wished to achieve a high position. Then he pulled out a scroll tied with snakeskin and acquainted me with the content. So I knew of the prophecy, I learned about the future fate of the world and I realised what I must do. And I have come to believe that the end justifies the means.”

“Of course.”

“Meanwhile, in Nilfgaard,” Emhyr ignored Geralt’s comment, “my business was on track. My supporter had gained more and more influence and had won a group of army officers and cadets over to our side and prepared for a coup. However, I was also imperative. In person. The rightful heir to the throne and imperial crown, the rightful Emreis of the Emreis lineage. I would be the flag of revolution. Between you and me, a lot of revolutionaries harboured a hope that that was all I would be. Those who are still alive still can’t get over it. But I digress. I had to go home. It was time that Duny, Prince of Maecht and false prince of Cintra, claim his heritage. However, I had not forgotten about the prophecy. I had to go back there with Ciri. But Calanthe was very carefully looking over my shoulder.”

“She never trusted you.”

“I know. I think she knew something about the prophecy. She would do anything to stop me and Cintra was in her power. It was clear, I had to go back to Nilfgaard, but in a way that no one would know that I was Duny and that Ciri was my daughter. Vilgefortz suggested a way. Duny, Pavetta and their child were to die, disappear without a trace...”

“The faked sinking ship.”

“Right. While sailing from Skellige to Cintra we had been driven by magic to the Sedna Abyss, where Vilgefortz pulled our boat into the maelstrom. I, Pavetta and Ciri would be closed in a specially protected cabin and survive. The crew...”

“They would not survive,” finished the witcher. “Then began your journey over the corpses.”

“It started a little earlier,” he said after a moment in a dull voice. “When it became clear that Ciri was not on board.”

Geralt raised his eyebrows.

“Alas,” said the Emperor flatly. “I underestimated Pavetta in my plans. This melancholy girl with downcast eye constantly watched me and my intentions. Just before leaving she smuggled our daughter back to the mainland. I raved. She, too. She had an attack of hysteria. In the scuffle... she fell overboard. Before I could jump in behind her, Vilgefortz pulled the ship into the maelstrom. I hit my head and lost consciousness. I survived only by a miracle, caught in the rigging. I woke up and bandaged up. I had a broken arm and...”

“I wonder,” said the witcher coldly, “what a man feels after murdering his wife?”

“Worse than a mangy dog,” Emhyr replied promptly. “I felt worse than a mangy dog, like a true scoundrel. Even the fact that I never loved her didn’t change that. The end justified the means. However, I regret her death, I did not want it and I did not plan it. Pavetta died accidentally.”

“You’re lying,” Geralt said dryly, “and it does not become an Emperor. Pavetta could not live. She would have denounced you. She would never let you do what you intend to do to Ciri.”

“She would have lived,” Emhyr contradicted him. “Somewhere else... Somewhere far away. There are many remote castles... perhaps Darn Rowan... I would not have killed her...”

“Even for the purpose that justifies the means?”

“Always,” the Emperor rubbed his forehead, “you use a less drastic solution. There are always many options available.”

“Not always,” said the witcher, looking into his eyes. Emhyr avoided his gaze.

“Just what I thought,” Geralt nodded. “Finish your story. Time is running out.”

“Calanthe guarded her granddaughter like the apple of her eye. I could not even dream of kidnap... My relationship with Vilgefortz had cooled considerably, and I still held a grudge against other sorcerers... But the military and aristocracy were pushing me to go to war, encouraging me to attack Cintra. The nation needed living space and the vox populi would consider this my test as Emperor. I decided to kill two birds with one stone. I would take in one fell swoop, Cintra and Ciri. The rest you know.”

“Yes, I know,” said Geralt. “Thanks for the chat, Duny. Appreciate that you take the time, but let’s not wait any longer. I am very tired. I’ve seen the death of friends who followed me here from the end of the world. To save your daughter. They did not even know her; except for Cahir; none of them had seen her. They came to save her because there was something in them that was worthy and noble. And for what? To find death.

I don’t think that is fair. And if anyone is interested, I’m not satisfied. Because a story in which good people die and the rogues live is bullshit. I have no more strength, Emperor.

Call your men.”

“Witcher...”

“The secret must die along with those who know it, you said so yourself. You have no other way out. There are no other solutions. If I escape from prison I’ll come for Ciri. It is the price I must pay and you know it.”

“I know it.”

“You can spare Yennefer’s life. She does not know the secret.”

“She,” Emhyr said seriously, “would pay any price to take my Ciri. And to avenge your death.”

“True,” said the witcher. “I almost forgot how much she loves the girl. You’re right, Duny. We cannot escape our destiny. I have a request...”

“I’m listening.”

“Let me say goodbye to both of them. Then I am at your disposal.”

Emhyr stood up, walked to the window and stared out the dark portal.

“I cannot deny this. But...”

“Do not worry; I won’t say anything to Ciri. It would hurt her severely, if I told her who you are. And I cannot hurt her.”

After a long silence, Emhyr turned from the window.

“Maybe I do have some debt to you,” he turned on his heel. “Listen to what I have to offer. Once, long ago, when people still valued truth, honour and pride, they stood behind their words and feared only shame, it would happen that a person sentenced to death could escape humiliation by being handed a dagger or razor, and stepping into a tub of warm water and opening a vein. Do you think that...”

“Command a tub to be filled.”

“Do you believe,” the Emperor said quietly, “that the Lady Yennefer would accompany you in the tub?”

“I’m pretty sure. But I will have to ask. She has quite a rebellious nature.”

“I know.”

Yennefer agreed without hesitation.

“Full circle,” she said, staring speculatively at her wrist. “Uroboros is biting his own tail.”

Placing it in spoiler tag for the sake of ease of reading my point.

After reading that, and I never bothered to read the full books and only checked this part out of curiosity about book Emhyr I really have to wonder if the CDPR writers ever ONCE bothered to give this a glance when they were writing Emhyr, his interactions with Geralt in the game and the dialogue between the two because I see fuck all in terms of similarities.

Book Emhyr is not the cold bastard that the game makes him out to be, a pragmatist? Absolutely, but not a cruel or cold man. Read the exchange and see how Emhyr regrets his Pavetta's deaths, how the war with Cintra was something he started after the nobility and military pushed him into it after he proved that he wasn't going to be their puppet.

Also note how Geralt refers to him by Dunny and Emhyr doesn't act like he has a stick up his ass about his titles and powers but talks with Geralt neutrally, and although he feels obligated to keep Ciri's lineage a secret and thus remove Geralt from the equation along with Yennefer he doesn't do so without remorse or hesitation, indeed Geralt pushed Emhyr to finish it instead of just throwing him in some prison. Geralt and Yennefer both accept their fate...and yet Emhyr ultimately let's them go.

Why? Because he promised Yennefer he would keep Ciri happy and then she collapsed emotionally as she realized Geralt and Yennefer were going to die...and Emhyr let Ciri go after telling her the truth: That he was her father.

Somehow, in some fucking way I am supposed to reconcile THAT with that pathetic and shallow Emhyr that we get in the game? Really CDPR? Did the fact you had Charles Dance as a voice actor get to the heads of your writing team that you felt you had to write him like Tywin when he is NOTHING like that?!
 
For the sake of my own sanity I have taken to ignoring the books until proven otherwise in-game, mostly exactly because of Emhyr's entire storyline and motivation. There is just no way that the nobility would have let him live after figuring out that Ciri was his daughter and that he had sacrificed so much in an attempt to capture her in the past. That is the whole reason why he feels forced to do away with Geralt and Yennefer.

Book!Emhyr is maybe my favourite Witcher character, but I enjoyed Game!Emhyr for what he was in the context of the game. He is less talkative, in a lot of ways less human, but at least he manages to project an air of authority and whoever animated him gave him enough expression to keep him from just being a giant stonewall. To sum up: It could have been worse. At least they did not go with the "this were his least lucid years" line of character development.
 
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I didn't even read the books and my first reaction to in-game Emhyr was "ugh, they are making a Tywin 2.0", except less interesting and impressive.
 
Weird, I read all the books several times and found Emhyr pretty much perfect. To me it made sense that Emhyr would be very matter of factly. It has been years since they all saw each other, there was no reason for any big emotion anymore. But I feel like this is all very subjective tbh.
 
Wow,

Amazing how two people can read the exact same bit of text and come away with completely different readings. The version of Emhyr above is one you are saying is neither cold nor cruel, however, my reading of the man is that he is monstrously hypocritical and cruel. Sadistic? No. Spot-on, though, as a man who will do ANYTHING to achieve his ends.

A man who due to, 'reasons of state' (small R) is willing to force Ciri into a loveless marriage which he intends to create children with despite the fact she's his own daughter. A man who invaded Cintra not because he wanted to conquer it but because he wanted to kidnap his own daughter.

The amount of self-justification and suppression of basic decency going on is amazing.

The thing is, Emhyr feels kind of bad for Pavetta's death but look at the stuff he's freely admitting to like his plan to imprison Pavetta after impregnating her so he could sire the girl he wants to impregnate later! This after he's planning to murder all of the crew of the ship to cover his escape.

Emhyr is a terrible-terrible person with a SUPREME amount of ability to frame his actions as for the greater good.

Which fits pretty well with the depiction in the game, actually, except Ciri has forgotten all the previous stuff he's done.
 
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No it doesn't. Think what you will about his plans but the way he acts is very damned different to Geralt and Geralt himself also acts very differently towards Emhyr.

A man who due to, 'reasons of state' (small R) is willing to force Ciri into a loveless marriage which he intends to create children with despite the fact she's his own daughter.

A man who wants to save the entire damned world . Cruel? Exactly how so is he cruel in any way? Hypocritical I can take, ruthless even but cruelty is another matter. Emhyr does what he thinks he needs to do...until he gives up his plans.

Or are you reading only what you want to read about him?

A man who invaded Cintra not because he wanted to conquer it but because he wanted to kidnap his own daughter.

Also because the nobility was breathing down his neck and always hated him? Sorry but blaming Cintra on Emhyr is overblown, also Calanthe is kinda a damned bitch frankly.

While you overlook the fact that everything Emhyr did with regards to Ciri and Pavetta was driven out of desire to save the world since otherwise it would fall, which just so happens to be true, I don't.

The thing is, Emhyr feels kind of bad for Pavetta's death but look at the stuff he's freely admitting to like his plan to imprison Pavetta after impregnating her so he could sire the girl he wants to impregnate later! This after he's planning to murder all of the crew of the ship to cover his escape.

The main takeaway of Book Emhyr is that although he does bad things he doesn't do them without hesitation or regret or remorse. He does feel bad about Pavetta and as he says he would have jumped in the water to save her life.

He also does feel quite hesitant about Geralt's fate...and ultimately back away from it. Emhyr is not some cruel monster that you want to portray him as.

Which fits pretty well with the depiction in the game, actually, except Ciri has forgotten all the previous stuff he's done.

No it doesn't. Not in the way he interacts with Geralt and Yennefer. Book Emhyr sits down with Geralt talks to him in great detail about his plans to the point that Geralt accepts his inevitable fate and even welcomes it, whereas game Emhyr acts like the male version of Yennefer but without any sympathetic side to him.

An irrelevant argument anyway, view the book version as you will but the game paints him as a cold bastard with no damned nuance or complexity, hence why he's a non-character. The book version is clearly a complex and very nuanced character, not all that different from say Foltest.

I didn't even read the books and my first reaction to in-game Emhyr was "ugh, they are making a Tywin 2.0"

Exactly, that's what they were aiming for but without any of nuance or subtleties, depth or complexity of Tywin. Remove W2 and everything Emhyr did as a chessmaster and he's a shallow, pathetic, weak, cold leader who betrays the very person who fought so hard and sacrificed so much in order to give Emhyr half the north on a silver platter.
 
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A man who wants to save the entire damned world . Cruel? Exactly how so is he cruel in any way? Hypocritical I can take, ruthless even but cruelty is another matter. Emhyr does what he thinks he needs to do...until he gives up his plans.

Or are you reading only what you want to read about him?

I view cruelty as different from SADISTIC. Emhyr may not WANT to do his daughter harm but he will still do it if he feels it is necessary for his ambitions/goals/to save the world.

Also because the nobility was breathing down his neck and always hated him? Sorry but blaming Cintra on Emhyr is overblown, also Calanthe is kinda a damned bitch frankly.

While you overlook the fact that everything Emhyr did with regards to Ciri and Pavetta was driven out of desire to save the world since otherwise it would fall, which just so happens to be true, I don't.

Trying to control destiny is a tricky-tricky thing and, bluntly, his interpretation of the Prophecy is rather questionable. Especially since it also means his grandson will rule the world.

He also does feel quite hesitant about Geralt's fate...and ultimately back away from it. Emhyr is not some cruel monster that you want to portray him as.

Emhyr redeems himself despite his many evils in the fact he cannot do the UnforgiveableTM. He backs away from that and thus avoids being totally evil.

I give him kudos for this.

I also agree with the SHAPE of your argument. While I think of Emhyr as someone who can flip off his conscience like a lightswitch, someone who is capable of love and affection but who can suppress it a near-complete level, I do think that the game did us disservice by not having any of his history alluded to. All we know of Emhyr from the game is that he's a conqueror and Ciri's father and ostensibly seems to love her.

Which is a shame.

This is an EPIC story and deserves to be told in game.

We should able to learn all of these details.

Why were they left out?
 
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I like the game's Emhyr, obviously didn't have as much presence as he had in the saga. But I didn't find him much different than in the books. He was always cruel, but cruel for a reason. Always had one goal and he would do anything to achieve it.

Like in history, there is a thin line between a tough, but brilliant ruler and a mass murder. Hard to categorize Emhyr as one of these.
I found him well written, not perfectly, but it definitely felt like a conversation in the books.
 
I think Emhyr would have benefitted from us seeing more of his private interaction with Ciri, wheter by listening in or reading the letter he wrote or even by having a Ciri gameplay section that is about their talk. I mean we had one where Ciri was just racing a horse against the Baron and one where she was discussing her love life in a sauna for no apparent reason (yes, let us mix your open wounds with sweat, that helps the healing process), we might as well have one of "the biggest challenge she ever had to face".
I also agree with the SHAPE of your argument. While I think of Emhyr as someone who can flip off his conscience like a lightswitch, someone who is capable of love and affection but who can suppress it a near-complete level, I do think that the game did us disservice by not having any of his history alluded to.
I really like this description of Emhyr.
 
I feel that with W3 CDPR totally broke with the books. And it even is okay in some way. Every medium has the right to interpret a story according to its needs. I see the games merely as Fan Fiction now, rather than a real continuation. And somehow this helps me accepting a lot of plot holes. But it leaves me hoping for another book from Sapkowski again - sadly highly unlikely.

Edit: Sad though, that I can't see it as a real continuation.
 
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A man who wants to save the entire damned world . Cruel? Exactly how so is he cruel in any way? Hypocritical I can take, ruthless even but cruelty is another matter. Emhyr does what he thinks he needs to do...until he gives up his plans.

Alvin was also just saving the world.. so he made Vizima to burn with thousands dead.. Emhyr was nothing but self-proclaimed savior, who would drown the world in blood to achieve his goals... and there are plenty of such examples within Witcher world... thats why Geralt's words to Vorhes hit the bulls eye - "neutrality is important to pursue, because there are no causes or men worth following..."

but, regarding W3, Emhyr was not portrayed as some evil character, at least not anyhow different to other rulers who just wanted to fulfill their plans of domination.. if Foltest was not killed by Letho, he would be hardly anyhow different. and lets not forget Radovid.. compared to Radovid, Emhyr is probably lesser evil..he at least doesnt burn witches and nonhumans at the stake...
 
I feel that with W3 CDPR totally broke with the books. And it even is okay in some way. Every medium has the right to interpret a story according to its needs. I see the games merely as Fan Fiction now, rather than a real continuation. And somehow this helps me accepting a lot of plot holes. But it leaves me hoping for another book from Sapkowski again - sadly highly unlikely.

Edit: Sad though, that I can't see it as a real continuation.

In what other ways did the broke with the books?

Its funny how they clearly pandered to book fans with TW3 (and made a sequel to the books instead of the games) and (some) book fans think they failed in that regard
 
In what other ways did the broke with the books?

Its funny how they clearly pandered to book fans with TW3 (and made a sequel to the books instead of the games) and (some) book fans think they failed in that regard

For instance I agree with OP. So Emhyr and his motives are one example and they are one of the biggest parts of the plot.

Another big part of the story is the Witch Hunt. The way CDPR did it, they turned all Mages into helpless sheeps. That's the last thing they are. Now I don't want to dive into the whole discussion about how much damage a mage can do against thousands of Witch Hunters until they capture him, there's a whole thread about that. But they are deceiving, powerful and resourceful. And well... they could have and would have teleported out of Novigrad in an instance.

Another big part is Eredin (I think I just covered all the main pillars of the main story, didn't I?): The way CDPR wrote him he's just eeeevil. Very, very eeevil. And he has like 10 sentences throughout the game. That's not at all what he is in the books. If I remember correctly Ciri even fancied him, when she first met him. Like sexually.

Also Avallac'h: His plans for Ciri in the books are very different to the ones in the game. I even can imagine them changing, but CDPR never explained that.

Then there are little details like how Dopplers don't act the way the lore tells us. Dudu wouldn't stay Whoreson Junior. He couldn't stand having his "perversion" in his head.

I write more, if I can think of more. That is everything that came to my mind right now.

(Please note how I did not take Radovid into my explanation, because I feel like him going mad is a reasonable continuation of how he was pictured in the books.)
 
For instance I agree with OP. So Emhyr and his motives are one example and they are one of the biggest parts of the plot.

Another big part of the story is the Witch Hunt. The way CDPR did it, they turned all Mages into helpless sheeps. That's the last thing they are. Now I don't want to dive into the whole discussion about how much damage a mage can do against thousands of Witch Hunters until they capture him, there's a whole thread about that. But they are deceiving, powerful and resourceful. And well... they could have and would have teleported out of Novigrad in an instance.

Another big part is Eredin (I think I just covered all the main pillars of the main story, didn't I?): The way CDPR wrote him he's just eeeevil. Very, very eeevil. And he has like 10 sentences throughout the game. That's not at all what he is in the books. If I remember correctly Ciri even fancied him, when she first met him. Like sexually.

Also Avallac'h: His plans for Ciri in the books are very different to the ones in the game. I even can imagine them changing, but CDPR never explained that.

Then there are little details like how Dopplers don't act the way the lore tells us. Dudu wouldn't stay Whoreson Junior. He couldn't stand having his "perversion" in his head.

I write more, if I can think of more. That is everything that came to my mind right now.

(Please note how I did not take Radovid into my explanation, because I feel like him going mad is a reasonable continuation of how he was pictured in the books.)

Mages? wasnt it explained enough in Witcher 2? the whole Loc Muine fiasco.. does it really needs to be explained again? Lodge killed off kings, and got blamed for it.. plus Radovid really hates Phillipa...

Eredin? YES, he is evil. He wants to kill Ciri. thats enough of a reason for Geralt to want him killed... besides the fact he is rassistic old Elf, that wants to wipe out all humans, yet because he doesnt have means for it (yet - aka portal) he and his raiders limited themselves to kidnapping and enslaving people.. not evil enough?? (btw, he was exactly like that in books..)

Avalla'ch was always focused on stopping the white frost. in books he thought Ciri's child will do it, so he forced her to sleep with Auberon, yet (due to being very old elf,therefore pretty much impotent) that plan backfired with Eredin forcing Ciri to poison him with fisstech.. anyway, his entire research was pointed towards elder blood (guys, really read what you find in his laboratories, not just the one at the end of the game, but also the one you go with Keira Metz)

And for Dudu, if you payed attention, he transformed Whoreson's junior business into legal business... thats what he was best at...
 
For instance I agree with OP. So Emhyr and his motives are one example and they are one of the biggest parts of the plot.

Another big part of the story is the Witch Hunt. The way CDPR did it, they turned all Mages into helpless sheeps. That's the last thing they are. Now I don't want to dive into the whole discussion about how much damage a mage can do against thousands of Witch Hunters until they capture him, there's a whole thread about that. But they are deceiving, powerful and resourceful. And well... they could have and would have teleported out of Novigrad in an instance.

Another big part is Eredin (I think I just covered all the main pillars of the main story, didn't I?): The way CDPR wrote him he's just eeeevil. Very, very eeevil. And he has like 10 sentences throughout the game. That's not at all what he is in the books. If I remember correctly Ciri even fancied him, when she first met him. Like sexually.

Also Avallac'h: His plans for Ciri in the books are very different to the ones in the game. I even can imagine them changing, but CDPR never explained that.

Then there are little details like how Dopplers don't act the way the lore tells us. Dudu wouldn't stay Whoreson Junior. He couldn't stand having his "perversion" in his head.

I write more, if I can think of more. That is everything that came to my mind right now.

(Please note how I did not take Radovid into my explanation, because I feel like him going mad is a reasonable continuation of how he was pictured in the books.)

I haven't read the books and I also had problems with most of the things you said
Especially Eredin, after two games of build up the Wild Hunt were rather generic villians who had almost no screentime (especially the King was wasted I agree)

The Witch Hunt conflict was too black and white, turning Radovid into a madman and the mages (like you said) into innocent sheeps was silly
Avallach did seem off in the game to me too (especially after you to his lab and discover he has ulterior motives) but in the end he was still on Ciri's side for whatever reasons
 
Mages? wasnt it explained enough in Witcher 2? the whole Loc Muine fiasco.. does it really needs to be explained again? Lodge killed off kings, and got blamed for it.. plus Radovid really hates Phillipa...

That does not explain how the mages are so easily hunted.
 
Mages? wasnt it explained enough in Witcher 2? the whole Loc Muine fiasco.. does it really needs to be explained again? Lodge killed off kings, and got blamed for it.. plus Radovid really hates Phillipa...

Eredin? YES, he is evil. He wants to kill Ciri. thats enough of a reason for Geralt to want him killed... besides the fact he is rassistic old Elf, that wants to wipe out all humans, yet because he doesnt have means for it (yet - aka portal) he and his raiders limited themselves to kidnapping and enslaving people.. not evil enough?? (btw, he was exactly like that in books..)

Avalla'ch was always focused on stopping the white frost. in books he thought Ciri's child will do it, so he forced her to sleep with Auberon, yet (due to being very old elf,therefore pretty much impotent) that plan backfired with Eredin forcing Ciri to poison him with fisstech.. anyway, his entire research was pointed towards elder blood (guys, really read what you find in his laboratories, not just the one at the end of the game, but also the one you go with Keira Metz)

And for Dudu, if you payed attention, he transformed Whoreson's junior business into legal business... thats what he was best at...

Eredin was way more interesting in the books (how he tried "wooing" Ciri when they first met by giving her flowers, tried talking her into his plan etc)..the game on the other hand just paints him like a one-trick-pony.. "I'm evil blah blah blah" :p ...just not enough to make you fear or dread him as a character. Not much of a threat even if compared to regular wraiths, drowners or trolls you run across in the game...just one more bad guy off my kill list.. The Wild Hunt desperately need more attention...but I will not post anything more here as it's pretty much off-topic.... Emhyr though could have been given more screen time or fledged out trough other characters' dialogue / plot lines...a quest involving Voorhis and Vilgefortz could have done wonders to flesh them all out..
 
Mages? wasnt it explained enough in Witcher 2? the whole Loc Muine fiasco.. does it really needs to be explained again? Lodge killed off kings, and got blamed for it.. plus Radovid really hates Phillipa...

Eredin? YES, he is evil. He wants to kill Ciri. thats enough of a reason for Geralt to want him killed... besides the fact he is rassistic old Elf, that wants to wipe out all humans, yet because he doesnt have means for it (yet - aka portal) he and his raiders limited themselves to kidnapping and enslaving people.. not evil enough?? (btw, he was exactly like that in books..)

Avalla'ch was always focused on stopping the white frost. in books he thought Ciri's child will do it, so he forced her to sleep with Auberon, yet (due to being very old elf,therefore pretty much impotent) that plan backfired with Eredin forcing Ciri to poison him with fisstech.. anyway, his entire research was pointed towards elder blood (guys, really read what you find in his laboratories, not just the one at the end of the game, but also the one you go with Keira Metz)

And for Dudu, if you payed attention, he transformed Whoreson's junior business into legal business... thats what he was best at...

You have a very angry way of making arguments.

To the mages: You are talking about why Radovid is pursuing them. I made a different point about them being not helpless.

To Eredin: Again you misunderstood my point. You are talking about how he is perceived evil by Geralt and Ciri, and you are right about that. But he has motives. They don't get laid out in this game. It's not about how it appears to Geralt and Ciri, it is about how CDPR mae him into this Hollywood Antagonist, that he isn't.

To Avallac'h: I already said I can imagine him changing this way. But nobody told the story like that.

To Dudu: I payed attention, thank you very much. But if you would've payed attention in the books: Transforming into somebody means beeing that somebody for a Doppler. Meaning Dudu would constantly feel the urge to rape, torture and kill innocent women. Regardless of the business being legal or not.
 
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