Eredin says 12 sentences during the whole game and.....

[EtherealSand]

I would welcome more depth to Eredin's character in Witcher 3's story. True, one can find more about him in other sources but I think there should be enough prescence of personality in this game that makes anyone who plays this game, newcomer or not, see him as more than just your cliche bad guy. One liners are great but I don't think those alone throughout the whole main story do him justice considering how big of a deal everyone in the game made him out to be.
Though it depends on what CDPR's priorities are. They might not see this as a problem and are likely more focused on solving other issues they feel are more important.

 

[Scholdarr.452]

I would say the final act has this problem, political disappointments aside, the first two acts were really good and consistent, the main problem is the final act, though I hope they eventually try to fix most problems like they did with the final act of Witcher 2.

True, but Letho was already a much more complex and better written villain in TW2 in the initial release version.

They just add some stuff to the game in TW2 but it would a whole lot more effort and time to solve most of the inconsistencies and shortcomings of the narrative in TW3, especially in the last third of the game...


One of the biggest problems I have with the depiction of Eredin in TW3 is that he has basically no real motivation. We don't know what he really wants because he doesn't act like a "normal" being. And the his ulimate motives stay in the dark which makes it hard to take him seriously as a character. Of course the completely underdeveloped Aen Elle and their whole agenda is part of the problem here.

 

[MikeKing]

Thorough entire game, you have only seen things from Geralt perspective..

I think this very important point a lot of people are missing.

Also I would like to remind people that after Witcher 1 there was a lot of angry post complaining that Alvin plot was completely unresolved. I actually thing there is more to Witcher 3 plot than people give CPD credit for.

 

[Tehellet]

That doesn't wash with me. It's also untrue - we often see things from Ciri's perspective.

The Witcher II was told almost exclusively from Geralt's perspective - more so than The Witcher III even. CDPR still managed to create a credible and interesting antagonist in Letho. I understand CDPR prioritising Geralt's relationship with Yen and Ciri but I do think it comes at the cost of Eredin and The Wild Hunt in general.

 

[kl4user]

I think this very important point a lot of people are missing.

Also I would like to remind people that after Witcher 1 there was a lot of angry post complaining that Alvin plot was completely unresolved. I actually thing there is more to Witcher 3 plot than people give CPD credit for.

If people did not give CDPR enough credit, you would see a riot here, all hell breaking loose. It is in fact because of higher standards set by CDPR itself that this troublesome sequel's issues become more poignant. I can not speak for everyone, but I felt satisfied with Alvin's plot in TW1, I don't think we we needed to make it more obvious.

 

[MikeKing]

That doesn't wash with me. It's also untrue - we often see things from Ciri's perspective.

But again only when someone is retelling her story to Geralt.

The Witcher II was told almost exclusively from Geralt's perspective - more so than The Witcher III even. CDPR still managed to create a credible and interesting antagonist in Letho. I understand CDPR prioritising Geralt's relationship with Yen and Ciri but I do think it comes at the cost of Eredin and The Wild Hunt in general.

That's true, but center of TW2 story is Geralt, in TW3 it's Ciri.
But I do agree with general consensus on Wild Hunt.

 

[Scholdarr.452]

But again only when someone is retelling her story to Geralt.



That's true, but center of TW2 story is Geralt, in TW3 it's Ciri.
But I do agree with general consensus on Wild Hunt.

Actually the center of TW2's story is Letho and his task.

 

[Rawls]

That doesn't wash with me. It's also untrue - we often see things from Ciri's perspective.

The Witcher II was told almost exclusively from Geralt's perspective - more so than The Witcher III even. CDPR still managed to create a credible and interesting antagonist in Letho. I understand CDPR prioritising Geralt's relationship with Yen and Ciri but I do think it comes at the cost of Eredin and The Wild Hunt in general.

RE: (1) The part about Ciri. I would agree that once Geralt meets up with Ciri, all portions of her game play are her perspective alone. Techincally, her game play portions from Act I could be argued to be from Geralt's perspective, since you only learn of this information when Geralt does. Also, even if the point is conceded and we agree that the game is told from two perspectives (Geralt & Ciri), they both have the same reaction to the hunt. I.E. - the hunt want's to kill Ciri, when we see it, we should either (a) run or (b) kill them. There is no discussion to be had until Avallach brings Geralt to Ge'el.

RE: (2) I didn't really think Letho was all that interesting either when playing the Witcher 2 (please don't hurt me). Witcher turned assassin for Foreign Monarch to save the school of the Viper? Meh. Much of the intriguing plot centered around the other characters Geralt crosses along the way. I actually like the personal story Witcher 3 tells better than the political story told in the Witcher 2 ... until they get to the 3rd Act on Skellidge, where the final battle does seem to be won with very little cost relatively speaking. Although when

Spoiler

Eredin killed Crach

I will admit I said out loud, YOU SON OF A BITCH. The stakes should have been higher at the End, and the Wild Hunt more of a threat. But up until that point, I think it was actually portrayed fairly well. There needed to be more info and threat about hte Hunt in the 3rd Act. Otherwise it was well done IMO.

 

[Scholdarr.452]

@Rawls

Well, it's imho not that important if Letho's character was all that interesting - much of that is up to taste anyway. The point is that he was well written and designed, like a real (human) being with a real, comprehensible agenda and not like a black and white all super evil villain who only has 12 super cheesy and one-dimensional dialogue lines that makes him looking like a villain from a super cheap B-movie...

Only one dialogue option with Letho at the end of Witcher 2 has more substance than the whole character interaction with Eredin in Witcher 3, sadly.

 

[MikeKing]

Actually the center of TW2's story is Letho and his task.

I disagree main point of TW2 is give Geralt his memory back everything else is just background (very very complex one though!)

 

[Tehellet]

You're right - interesting is not the right word. And I totally understand about Letho, Rawls - he's not for everyone. I guess my point is that we're given the chance to get to know him - his motivation, his character. Its done a little clumsily - the conversation with Letho at the end of W2 is essentially a big info dump - but I appreciate the interaction and I think its something we're missing in W3,

I think you guys have hit the nail on the head though. Its difficult giving your antagonist screen time when the game follows one or two principle characters. Even Letho disappears for large portions of W2.

 

[Scholdarr.452]

I disagree main point of TW2 is give Geralt his memory back everything else is just background (very very complex one though!)

If regaining his memory was his core priority all the time he would have visited a mage or oneiromancer. But actually that isn't the case. He has to clear his name instead because people think that he killed Foltest. So he has to find the true murder - Letho - and to uncover his motives.

Regaining his memory is just something that happens along the path, as it fits to the rest of the story.

 

[kl4user]

I think you guys have hit the nail on the head though. Its difficult giving your antagonist screen time when the game follows one or two principle characters. Even Letho disappears for large portions of W2.

It is not. Remember TW2 where we watched Letho and Iorveth meeting. CDPR could've showed something like this. They could've taken pages from the book and shown Ciri and Eredin or better, made it playable. They could've used Ge'els and Avallach to tells us more about their vision of Eredin and the wild hunt. They could've used Eredin's spectre like in the first game. They could've put more info in some books and notes. They could've made a much more interesting and talkative battle between Eredin and Geralt. They could've made Geralt remember something about his time with the Hunt. And more.

If regaining his memory was his core priority all the time he would have visited a mage or oneiromancer. But actually that isn't the case. He has to clear his name instead because people think that he killed Foltest. So he has to find the true murder - Letho - and to uncover his motives.

Regaining his memory is just something that happens along the path, as it fits to the rest of the story.

Indeed and as a player, I was never in a hurry to "regain my memory", the present was far more important and urgent.

 

[MikeKing]

Regaining his memory is just something that happens along the path, as it fits to the rest of the story.

That's just not true. Whole reason why is Geralt trying to lift the curse in second chapter is because Cedric told him that it would restore his memory, also after Triss tells Geralt that she can restore his memory with rose of remembrance you can even tell Roche that you don't give s*hit about assassins of kings anymore.

Restoring his memory is always Geralt's main focus in Witcher 2 no matter what.

 

[numibago]

He was one of Red Riders for 2 years... he knew what they are about...

No he doesn't. He clearly states he doesn't remember most, if anything, during his time as a rider of the wild hunt. Avalach is the only one who actually tells Geralt that he fought Eredin's projection at the lighthouse in the world destroyed by the White Frost, and that Ciri fought him aswell to save Geralt from the Hunt. In fact, if you don't know much about the books or the red riders, Avalach's explanation makes you think Ciri is being hunted by Eredin because she took Geralt from his clutches, which ends up being a contradiction to the whole "I wanna kill Ciri before her elder blood offspring destroy my world" thing.


The Wild Hunt was haunting Geralt in the 1st game meaning they always wanted the Hunt to be a highly significant plot element for the trilogy, and when they do make the 3rd game, which happens to be titled Wild Hunt, the Hunt plays more of a secondary role for a large part of the game. They only show up chasing Yennefer and Geralt after White Orchard, and then disappear until you find Ciri in the Isle of Mists. So, suddenly after White Orchard the Hunt loses all kind of interest in Yen and Geralt? What's the point of that cutscene with them being chased by the Hunt? It would make sense they wouldn't do anything while you're running around inside Novigrad for example, seeing as that would draw unwanted attention on them, but not haunting Geralt in Velen, even if only on spectral form doesn't make much sense imo.
In one hand we have the premise that Eredin doesn't really see Geralt as a threat, which doesn't make much sense after what was seen during W1, but i could understand that. In the other hand though you have the fact that the Hunt actually tried to catch or kill Geralt and Yen while they're travelling to Vizima, to meet the Emperor and learn that Ciri is back in the witcher world, but once they do get there, the Hunt doesn't try to stop them anymore. To me it seems inconsistent... At least having Geralt try to learn more about his time as a Red Rider, when his amnesia was such a big deal during W1 and W2, would seem natural. After all humans are curious by nature, and even if Geralt is a mutant, he's still human... Eredin also clearly showed an interest in him and his actions during W1, so far as saying that in the end his choices only ended up creating more pain and suffering for those involved. But then suddenly Eredin doesn't care about him, his actions or even see him as a threat even though during the flashbacks on W2 Geralt is seen killing many riders once they take Yen, and later kills lots more at the Hanged Man's Tree with Letho and the other 2 Viper school witchers. Eredin even goes as far as calling him his greatest champion in W1 due to the chaos and death that followed him, and yet he didn't think Geralt would try to foil his every plan to catch Ciri? That he wouldn't do anything to defend her? A villain that is supposed to be a conqueror and a powerful military leader that does not try to stop the single BIGGEST threat to his plan seems rather idiotic. So in conclusion, Eredin is either supposed to have the intelligence of a chicken or was outright badly written. The way the game is right now regarding the Hunt, Imlerith is much more a villain than Eredin could ever be, seeing as him killing Vesemir has a much greater impact in the story than Eredin ever does with his bad one liners. Hell, Imlerith killing Vesemir makes Ciri lose control and nearly destroy Kaer Morhen along with everyone she deeply cares about.
Eredin is just too passive to actually have any relevance to the story as it is.


Regarding Letho and his disappearance for a big part of W2, it's different. It actually made sense storywise. Letho was for all purposes an assassin of kings. He wouldn't be a very good assassin, something that would assume a certain degree of stealth and deceit, if he was always showing up around every corner. With the Hunt should be the exact opposite though, they should be much more visible since they're considered an omen of war/natural disaster by most while some don't even believe they're real, both things that any good military leader would use to his advantage, even more so considering the witcher world is in chaos and at war.

 

[inanimate_object]

That's just not true. Whole reason why is Geralt trying to lift the curse in second chapter is because Cedric told him that it would restore his memory, also after Triss tells Geralt that she can restore his memory with rose of remembrance you can even tell Roche that you don't give s*hit about assassins of kings anymore.

Restoring his memory is always Geralt's main focus in Witcher 2 no matter what.

That's incidental. Geralt needs to lift the curse to continue searching for the Kingslayer. The amnesia plotline in Witcher 2 is very weird and its difficult to say that this was Geralt's primary motivation over the course of the story.

 

[Sooxzay]

Eredin should have tortured Skjall. And hunt down more villages to get Informations about Ciri.

Compared to joffrey lannister he is not that badass.

But it was okay. Hoped for more hate and revenge too.

 

[MikeKing]

That's incidental. Geralt needs to lift the curse to continue searching for the Kingslayer.

Not really, on Roche's path they are trapped on same side of the fog as Geralt and he even knows where after he interrogates that elven prisoner.

 

[Scholdarr.452]

That's just not true. Whole reason why is Geralt trying to lift the curse in second chapter is because Cedric told him that it would restore his memory, also after Triss tells Geralt that she can restore his memory with rose of remembrance you can even tell Roche that you don't give s*hit about assassins of kings anymore.

And even if you do so you still got with him to Loc Muinne, trying to catch the kingslayer. TW3 has three acts, not only one. And of course Geralt wants to have his memory back, who wouldn't? Nevertheless that is never the most pressing issue for him in TW2 and never the topic that bring the whole game forward. But I maybe we can agree on a compromise, with Geralt searching for an option to regain his memory and with Geralt trying to find Letho in order to clear his name and to find out more about what happened. There is no problem with having more than one goal.

 

[moonknightgog]

That's just not true. Whole reason why is Geralt trying to lift the curse in second chapter is because Cedric told him that it would restore his memory, also after Triss tells Geralt that she can restore his memory with rose of remembrance you can even tell Roche that you don't give s*hit about assassins of kings anymore.

Restoring his memory is always Geralt's main focus in Witcher 2 no matter what.

No...the point there was to be able to reach Triss and free her.