Game length?

[Garrison72]

I am in chapter 4 of TW1. I swear I must have around 40 hrs in the game. It just keeps going and going, and I love it!I know they say there will be more variety in TW2, but when I read the main quest will only be 25 to 30 hrs...makes me a little sad.

They say that there will be three separate paths through the game. Each one will focus on a different aspect of the story, so it won't be like replaying TW1 and just choosing a different faction this time around. This sounds to me like TW2 will be three medium-length connected games, which sounds ideal to me. First I want to do the path about Geralt's identity. Then I want to do the path that's a continuation of the story, picking up from the attempted assassination of Foltest. Then the third path. Put them all together, and it sounds like plenty!

like three games in one. Sounds good to me!

 

[petra_silie]

I'm very curious to learn more about this three different main aspects / paths of the gamestory because I'd like to know how the other paths refer to that path the player decides for. All three cases need to be solved, how do we handle it when we focus Geralt on one path.

 

[Kalfear]

I am in chapter 4 of TW1. I swear I must have around 40 hrs in the game. It just keeps going and going, and I love it!I know they say there will be more variety in TW2, but when I read the main quest will only be 25 to 30 hrs...makes me a little sad.

They say that there will be three separate paths through the game. Each one will focus on a different aspect of the story, so it won't be like replaying TW1 and just choosing a different faction this time around. This sounds to me like TW2 will be three medium-length connected games, which sounds ideal to me. First I want to do the path about Geralt's identity. Then I want to do the path that's a continuation of the story, picking up from the attempted assassination of Foltest. Then the third path. Put them all together, and it sounds like plenty!

like three games in one. Sounds good to me!

Yep, my only real design complaint with The Witcher is I felt it had no replay value. But that was ok as you got your money worth with such a long game the first play through!If they want to design so you have 2 replays, that works for me!Either way its pretty clear, unlike Bioware recently, CDProjekt is clearly aware that people want content for their money and putting out 20-25 hours fo content for $70.00 is not good dollar value!I applaud CDProjekt for being aware of this and its refreashing to see in action!To many designers today (not just BW but they also guilty of this) have it in their heads that DLC have created this market where everyone willing to pay $2.50-$5.00/hour per customer for content! Thats not the case and I suspect this new found arrogence on the part of some developers will cost them their studios in the long run!Sure there a few idiots out there that will buy anything and everything put out but the bulk of customers (I beleive) want value for their dollar.It sounds to me like CDProjekt is aware and concious of this and designing with it in mind. And that makes me feel all the better about TW2 and its chances at success!Plus its just refreshing to hear a compy say"hey guys, this is different then first game and this is how we addressing it". No spin, just nice refreashing truth! (claps) I respect that!

 

[Tomread]

Many are talking about DLC's but I'm not sure that CD Projekt has ever said anything about making DLC's for the witcher 2, and all the new adventures for the witcher 1 where handed out completely free. My feeling about CD Projeckt is that they still value developing good games and take pleasure to bring us the best RPG experience possible, being themselves gamers too. I really hope that they won't disappoint their fans throughout the world.A game must not be long it must be good. We always hope to have both good and long but I am ok with only good.CD Projekt will brng us a good game I'm sure of it.

 

[clst]

the producer said that's the main plot of the tw2 is shorter than tw1 but its more involving and because of the replay value ( in tw2 = there is 6 ending in tw1 only = 3) and because of sidequest the game is perhaps longer than the 1stwait and see

 

[jagerma5ter]

Another thing: Why a gap of 2007-2011 to release a shorter game ? I better stop here, otherwise I´ll complain to much. I hated, hated and hated this shorter TW2 story.

well before they were using a modified bioware engine, this time it's their own, they're working ground up.And for fucks sake look at those graphics and huge areas!

 

[username_2065749]

I must step up an defend BioWare. Both in length and replayability it has been producing GREAT games. Other games I leave and forget about, BioWare's can be played again and again. The Witcher was LONG and only its technical difficulties detracted from it. It was VERY linear, that is very true, but you didn't really feel it. BioWare's games do all they can not to be linear and the wide range of choices make the play very interesting. Sure, Jade Empire was linear but I enjoyed it. The story was GREAT. One of the best ever. And it wasn't short.TW2 feels complex and full of twists. Apparently every time you play it new things pop up. That is good. The three paths through the game(if true)look like a great idea. Even better than Dragon Age's different origins.BioWare's failing is on its greed. The addons you have to pay for and the pathetic, forgetable and unnecessary extension were all out of greed and almost ruined the whole game for me. The main game(s)are ok.The Witcher's failing is the unbelievable technical issues a player can still ram his head into even after so many patches and the enhanced edition. I hope TW2 doesn't have them.

 

[PaulieXP]

speaking of alchemy, isn't it a major area your character can expand in? in the first game there are only 2, swords and magic, now it's swords, magic and alchemy. i'm not i like the sound of that, i don't think limiting potion brewing is such a good idea, as Geralt said in the first game a witcher without his potions is only half a witcher.

Well maybe they can do something like this(would be cool): in the first playthrough you choose weapon master, then second playthrough(if you choose the same character or profile like in ME) you keep all your skills and this playthrough you go down the alchemist path. by the 3rd playthrough you could master all of them giving even more replay value than just replaying with different moral or political choices.

 

[petra_silie]

But when you keep your skills you get with every playthrough stronger and stronger. And on the third you are pretty powerful. To avoid a "piece of cake" journey then, the difficulty should raise correspondingly.

 

[Garrison72]

I must step up an defend BioWare. Both in length and replayability it has been producing GREAT games. Other games I leave and forget about, BioWare's can be played again and again. The Witcher was LONG and only its technical difficulties detracted from it. It was VERY linear, that is very true, but you didn't really feel it. BioWare's games do all they can not to be linear and the wide range of choices make the play very interesting. Sure, Jade Empire was linear but I enjoyed it. The story was GREAT. One of the best ever. And it wasn't short.TW2 feels complex and full of twists. Apparently every time you play it new things pop up. That is good. The three paths through the game(if true)look like a great idea. Even better than Dragon Age's different origins.BioWare's failing is on its greed. The addons you have to pay for and the pathetic, forgetable and unnecessary extension were all out of greed and almost ruined the whole game for me. The main game(s)are ok.The Witcher's failing is the unbelievable technical issues a player can still ram his head into even after so many patches and the enhanced edition. I hope TW2 doesn't have them.

I had virtually no technical issues with the Enhanced Edition. Cd Projekt went out of their way to provide a stable game. And I love Bioware's games too.

 

[tw-fan-bg]

!!! The game should be at least 50 hours long if one wants to complete all quests. !!!Nobody can make me believe

 

[cinarea]

just be cool. 30 hrs for main quest? I think they were saying the same about firs Witcher, it ended in about 80 hrs doing all the quests, x3 plays, so just be cool guys

 

[clst]

i think the same the game to finish main scenario 35-40 h and 15 -20 hours molre for sidequest= 50-60 hours but with 16 ending and if you see the picture with the story line and choice xd you say you replay value is huge i say the game for the fan will be 200 -300 hours

 

[mrbenis]

Speculation and navel-gazing aside, if the game ends up being as short or as low-quality as some of the bioware/jowood trash then you're going to see on these forums, first. And then all the talk about supporting PC players and the devs doing their best to ensure great gameplay and a meaningful game story won't save them from the backlash.Or it might, somehow the shameless COD4 rehashes seem to sell more and more with each release.

 

[vilgefortze]

Shouldn't be too short. We've been speculating, debating and anticipating it for far too long. If it ends up being too small, I don't know what exactly I'll do, but it'll be drastic, and painful.On the other hand, we don't want it to be too long either. Games tend to get too long with hundreds of hours of sidequests. For some, I'd say thousands of hours of sidequests, like Oblivion (with mods/new adventures and stuff). Witcher should be a more compact game. A clearly defined plot. A good number of sidequests, not too many, so that the focus remains on the main quest.I'd say 30-40 hours of main quest with around another 30 hours of sidequests, at max. If the main quest is longer, say around 50 hours, more sidequests can be included, say 40-50 hours. If the total gameplay time exceeds around 100 hours, I'd say they overdid it. If it's less than 50 hours I'd say they could have done more .

 

[feddo]

I'd say 30-40 hours of main quest with around another 30 hours of sidequests, at max. If the main quest is longer, say around 50 hours, more sidequests can be included, say 40-50 hours. If the total gameplay time exceeds around 100 hours, I'd say they overdid it. If it's less than 50 hours I'd say they could have done more .

I agree Something else I enjoy in games is a sidequest that takes AAAAGES but you only do because you want to.. that was really poorly explained, but an example is Final Fantasy X - you could do the main story and all the side quests (unlocking summons etc) and then there was like a bestiary place where, if you had a capturing weapon, you could go and capture every creature of each area. To fill it took hours and hours and hours, i never did it, but the option was there for people who had made an awesome character or whatever, and didn't want the end of the game to mean "alright lets start over", the option was there to continue, but with a purpose, rather than just roaming around

 

[rhalle]

This is why I haven't pre-ordered. I anxiously await W2 (six months away!) but CDPR looking as if they are trying their hardest to play with the big boys and Gaming Business Model 2.0 gives me pause.Add that to the touted multiple story paths integrated into the game-- they haven't mouthed the word "replayability" explicitly, yet-- but I wonder about the game's length, and about how much GoG-distributed DLC designed to fill in all the manufactured gaps they might have in store.CDPR is usually unusually cool towards the fanbase, but W2 could be 10 hours long. We don't know, because they've said nothing. We're all assumig it will be your typical 30 hours, or perhaps double that for a full playthrough, NV-style. Either one is enough for me, personally; but we don't know-- CDPR may very well have a game with a full playtime in the low teens of hours and dreams of a DLC money-bath. That there hasn't been a peep out of them on this issue, but that we've got pre-orders available and lots of hype raises an eyebrow.As for Bioware, currently they are working furiously to take the same game they've made for a decade and strip it of all features that hinder it from becoming a COD:BO clone or an Asian button-masher, surely at the behest of EA suits. They aren't an RPG company with roots in PnP and DnD anymore. That's officially over. They make cinematic shooters and beat-em-ups with dialogue trees and, more importantly, with 5 and 10m sales targets. It seems to me that CDPR-- also flirting with that awfulness, like every game company-- still holds on to some of the old goodness; the quality of writing and maturity levels and refreshing lack of stifling political correctness that cripples and makes stereotypes out of BW games is superior anything BW will ever make again.Anyway: CDPR, how about an unequivocal statement on game-length out of the box? That means no calculations that include multiple playthroughs or DLC we'd have to enhance our copies with later for the "full" experience. Please, put my fears to rest.