Expansion Packs Theory and the meta-game.

[DimitrisM]

Expansion Packs Theory and the meta-game.

As we all know, CDPR is preparing 2 big expansions packs that will take us into new 30hour(in total) adventures. The first expansion Hearts of Stone is set in Velen/Oxenfurt with a very high chance to include the Oxenfurt Academy. Now we know the Academy was closed down by Radovid to gain assets for the war(as well as burn the libraries/books etc). So visiting Oxenfurt Academy would mean two things:
1)Geralt sneaks inside the closed Academy for some reason OR
2)The Academy is reopened.
Now the opening of the Academy can only happen if the war is over and Nilfgaard or Redania(depending on the choices of the main game) reopens it and/or restores it. If that is the case the expansions(at least the first one,I will speak about the second one later) are set some time after the ending of the main story, which could bring the richer and more appropriate meta-game(nilfgaardian banners in novigrad/oxenfurt,more/less witch hunters depending on the main game choices etc) and maybe even bring back the main characters to team up with geralt.

Now, I understand there are some holes in this theory:
1)Setting the expansion after the main quest could cause problems with side quests related to war etc. It would also mean that players will need a save and for some,it might suck to have to play the game again just for the expansion(don't get me wrong CDPR I LOVE THE GAME and enjoy my nice and slow 2nd completionist playthrough). Of course a "default save" could fix this,or they could implement something like the "witcher 2 save simulation".
2)The way I see it all this is A LOT of work and CDPR might not be willing to pull it off.

This might be a long shot,but I hope it's food for some thought.

Regarding the second expansion set in toussaint: I cannot imagine how they will pull this off without Vigo,and the only way for Vigo to be free is the deal Yen made with the emperor. Having said that I am quite convinced that at least the second expansion will be set after the main quest.

 

[Smurfin]

* THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS *


|----------------------------THE WITCHER 3 : WILD HUNT timeline ------------------------|
|-----ACT 1------|-----ACT 2------|-------ACT 3-----|------[Epilogue & White Frost]-------|....post epilogue
A................. B................. C................... D.............................................. E

CDPR has said in an interview the Expansions will take place within the timeframe of the Wild Hunt rather than after the ending (post epilogue). Most people will have finished the main story even by the time the 1st expansion comes out, and having finished the game will put us at point D from the illustration of TW3 timeline above.

Imo we won't be seeing any content beyond point E and the timeline of TW3 only happens from point A to point E, with the world state put at point D after the ending.

Since we are put in the timeframe of point D, the game will already have Vigo released. Why do you assume Blood and Wine have anything to do with Vigo ? ( I only played Witcher 2 and I don't know much about this character, I only read a bit about her on the Witcher wikia page. )

 

[DimitrisM]

Oh well,there goes my theory
Vigo plays an important role in the books when Geralt arrives in Toussaint,plus she is cousin to the Queen of Toussaint Anna. I won't spoil you anything but Dandelion and Geralt became pretty busy once they got there,so busy that they almost forgot about Ciri. Vigo and Dandelion could provide with a base to build the expansion story on.

 

[goldmembering]

I really would prefer a setting located in he lategame, afer point C

Spoiler

the batle of kaer morhen

since after that point the general story expierience falls of a bit and it feels a bit like a lo of dialogue and fetchquest, also good and well implanted onces. Before you visit the enchanted isle there is plenty to do and you overlevel quickly and a least i finished almost every quest possible because of xp gap and he warning you get. after that there isn't much to left and it rounds up quickly. So here would be the perfect place to take plays, it could also be tied in the mainstory on some sort and tweak the battle at the end, which also must be harder and the enemie levels should be adjusted acordingly, since geralt will have a higher level as well. I missed it a bit when geralt finally can wear all the armor and has all his skills set up that there isnt much left to to, enemies drop like flies and even on DM the damage you take isn't that hard, especially if you know how to use 2 of those extremely overpowered decotations.

 

[ShinGnosis]

I'm betting one of the expansions will have something to do with saskia.

I mean she's a dragon....when has any RPG been able to stay away from dragon's when given half a chance? You can imagine the round table discussions at CDPR... so we could make something with a troll that has a tummy ache.... or... we could do something with that dragon.... and we could do something with (yet another) werewolf... or... well, we could do something with that dragon.... or we could do something with (yet another) vampire.... or, you know, we could do something with that dragon... because it's a friggin dragon and all..... lol

 

[goldmembering]

I'm betting one of the expansions will have something to do with saskia.

I mean she's a dragon....when has any RPG been able to stay away from dragon's when given half a chance? You can imagine the round table discussions at CDPR... so we could make something with a troll that has a tummy ache.... or... we could do something with that dragon.... and we could do something with (yet another) werewolf... or... well, we could do something with that dragon.... or we could do something with (yet another) vampire.... or, you know, we could do something with that dragon... because it's a friggin dragon and all..... lol

yeah saskia would be nice I would really enjoy that, but it's not easy to inplement her easily since geralt influences her life in a major way or not at all, also she can't be a main char since she is already dead depending on your decisions... And either geralt nows her secret or doesn't thats a lot things to consider and hard to make consistent with witcher 2. Look a Roche he doesn't mention anyhing about part 2 if you traveled with him or not if you "betrayed" him or not he doens'T mention it, was a real lackluster for me would not want that with saskia.

 

[FuhrerGrifter]

After we finished the game we have Geralt trying to help Iorveth so here we have this new story Expansion with more secondary quest, more witcher contracts, new rare and epic griffin, cat, wolf, viper, osuna pieces.
meanwhile we have to play as Ciri trying to found Saskia she have two swords now and you can dress her like you want.

the second expansion is about the witchers and kaer morhem.
Here Geralt become a secondary character you can use Ciri, and Geralt send you to talk with Triss and Yennefer and here you can use Triss and Yennefer sometimes you have secondary quest, contracts, treasure hunting quest with two new schools
=)

P.S: sorry i dont want to spoil my kind of history i put saskia in there so ppl can know about what im saying, and i dont put a lot of things in my second history cdpr can do or not this thing and if someone need it just let me know and i can give you the 2 full "expansions"

 

[OptoNick]

2)The Academy is reopened.
Now the opening of the Academy can only happen if the war is over and Nilfgaard or Redania(depending on the choices of the main game) reopens it and/or restores it. If that is the case the expansions(at least the first one,I will speak about the second one later) are set some time after the ending of the main story, which could bring the richer and more appropriate meta-game(nilfgaardian banners in novigrad/oxenfurt,more/less witch hunters depending on the main game choices etc) and maybe even bring back the main characters to team up with geralt.
.

That would be the best possible scenario, I really hope that at least some of these points will happen eventually after the ending of main story, with an add-on or without it.

Toussaint expansion could be fitted into mid-game: in Vyzima we can find a letter from Fringilla to Yen - she's not imprisoned by the moment, but have some urgent and unpleasant things to do in Beauclair. That's where a quest could come in, for example.

 

[devivre]

I doubt the academy will be opened. During war there's no reason to do so - especially not with Radovid as ruler - and I'm also pretty sure that the expansion is not set after the ending.

So yeah, maybe Geralt has to sneek in to get something important.

Or there's a monster in the academy, Geralt is asked to investigate and while doing so he discovers something bigger. And I guess it might have something to do with the eternal fire cult. But if so that would probably set it to D in the earlier mentioned timeline somewhere before the assassination plot or so. I doubt it will be related to the main story since there's not much space in it for more.

 

[Smurfin]

Spoiler

Maybe that's what Reason of State quest is for, but dunno what would happen to Radovid if it were failed.

 

[devivre]

Spoiler

Maybe that's what Reason of State quest is for, but dunno what would happen to Radovid if it were failed.

Wish it were but I doubt it. The outcome of this quest seems to go in too different directions.