[GENERAL] Things you wish you knew before you started

[scrobes]

[GENERAL] Things you wish you knew before you started

I'm sorry if this has been posted before - if so, you can delete it, it's okay.Just thought it'd be fun to share thoughts about what you would have like to have known, generally, about the game when you first started.Mine would be:Geralt actually appears to run faster with his sword drawn, in Group style than normally with sword sheathed. Useful for running around the Swamp in Act2. (makes sense like you're going to charge your enemy)

 

[Corylea.723]

No, the Signs aren't wimpy, just because they seem so when you first get them. Put enough points into Aard, and you can knock down foes six times your size. Put enough points into Igni, and you can kill just about anything.

 

[username_2078226]

Put enough points into Igni, and you can kill just about anything.

Which, in my opinion, is a problem with TW. Igni should be only as powerful as the fighting skills of Geralt. The wolf clan, I believe are warrior-class witchers, not mages.A spell too powerful takes the fun out of combat. Choose rather the deadly dance of swordplay and enjoy the gameplay.On topic, mine would be:In Act V, you will not have constant access to your innkeeper inventory. That's a real kick in the pants.

 

[johnjsal]

No, the Signs aren't wimpy, just because they seem so when you first get them. Put enough points into Aard, and you can knock down foes six times your size. Put enough points into Igni, and you can kill just about anything.

Yeah, I love using Igni and have been pretty much since the beginning. I thought Aard would be used a lot, but I use Igni much more, although I maxed out bronze points for Aard but did not do the Student, etc. talents for Igni. Attacking at a distance doesn't seem that useful.The other signs, however, seem useless. I got level 2 in each, but I probably won't buff them up. I see no need to use them, as things die fast enough anyway without wasting time with the other signs.

 

[Corylea.723]

I wish I'd known, when I started, that the important questions about Geralt (Who brought him back from the dead and why, and is the absence of his memory intentional on the part of that person/organization/entity, or was it accidental?) are not answered at the end of the game. I went through the game quickly, because I really wanted to know the answers to those questions, and I was crushed when I got to the end and discovered that the answers weren't given. I went through the game again, savoring it more this time, but well, you only play The Witcher for the first time once, and I wish I'd known that the answers weren't there beforehand so that I'd have taken my time and enjoyed the ride more.Of course, much as I enjoy the combat, the setting, the relationships among the characters, and so on, the most important aspect of the game to me is the story and especially that part of the story that deals with who Geralt is and how he came to be that way. I found that much more interesting than who stole the mutagens -- that's just theft, albeit theft on a grand scale -- but bringing somebody back from the dead is a BIG DEAL. I imagine things would be different for players who weren't as interested in the story as I was or for those players who are too sophisticated to believe that even a company as kind to its customers as CDPR would give the answers in Game 1 when they could use the suspense to sell Game 2. Oh, and JohnJSal, I found Quen very useful in

Spoiler

breaking the striga's curse. Geralt casts Quen and just stands there, while the striga tries fruitlessly to hurt him. I find it much more fun than running around the sarcophagus all night.

 

[johnjsal]

Of course, much as I enjoy the combat, the setting, the relationships among the characters, and so on, the most important aspect of the game to me is the story

I agree. This is my first time playing The Witcher (Act 3 right now). I tore myself away from WoW to play TW (because I was tired of WoW and desperately wanted a break from it) and it was just such an amazing contrast. I mean, I've played plenty of RPGs with great stories, but I guess WoW was so dominating lately that it's been a while, so playing TW and getting so involved in the story is just an amazing experience. I love how it progresses and I just feel really swept up in it.

I imagine things would be different for players who weren't as interested in the story as I was or for those players who are too sophisticated to believe that even a company as kind to its customers as CDPR would give the answers in Game 1 when they could use the suspense to sell Game 2.

Hmm??? Is there going to be a sequel? I guess I'm not surprised, but it hadn't even crossed my mind.And by the way, about your point about how we never find out about how Geralt comes back to life, oddly enough I actually never really thought that that *was* something that was going to get answered. There was one distinct moment where I said to myself "Ooh, I wonder if this has to do with how he died and came back to life" but mainly I've been playing just to keep going through the story. There are so many layers to it, it's definitely enough to keep me interested. But I see your point, since it's obviously a significant event. The devs could have just made him injured or something for a few years, but to kill him and res him is definitely intriguing in its own right.

 

[scrobes]

Put enough points into Igni, and you can kill just about anything.

On topic, mine would be:In Act V, you will not have constant access to your innkeeper inventory. That's a real kick in the pants.

Very good one this! Well said.

 

[velkito]

...that it was that addictive xD

 

[Corylea.723]

...that it was that addictive xD

*laugh* Good one!I'd add to this, that it would make other RPG's seem uninteresting in comparison. Play all those other RPG's FIRST, because you're less likely to want to after having experienced The Witcher.

 

[Gamewidow]

well ... stupid as it sounds -- and please, just laugh to yourselves! ---, i wish i had figured out how to move from one place to another smoothly the first time around. It never once occurred to me in .... five? six ? times through the game that i could click and hold ... aargh! :wall:so there you have it ... that is how truly unskilled i am as a gamer, i would click on a location and wait ... then click again, and wait ;D ... heaven forbid he took a weird path somewhere!

 

[username_2070046]

@ game widow we all learn something new when we play or do something enough times -------------- the human mind starts to wonder what would happen if I tried it this way this time my first time I didn't know they had game manuals so made my own : ;D

 

[Corylea.723]

well ... stupid as it sounds -- and please, just laugh to yourselves! ---, i wish i has figured out how to move from one place to another smoothly the first time around. It never once occurred to me in .... five? six ? times through the game that i could click and hold ... aargh! :wall:so there you have it ... that is how truly unskilled i am as a gamer, i would click on a location and wait ... then click again, and wait ;D ... heaven forbid he took a weird path somewhere!

I did this in the beginning, too. Unskilled But Determined Gamers Unite!

 

[Laivasse]

I'd wish I'd known exactly how strict the game is in punishing bad dialogue choices (answer: not very strict at all). Sometimes if you say something to tick someone off, they'll break with the convo and all subsequent attempts to talk to them just result in a one-liner. At first I assumed that that was it for the entire game and that I'd blown my chance to talk to the NPC in question, so opted to reload a few times. Little did I know that making them friendly again was just a matter of waiting a while, or even easier, just exiting/reentering the area.

 

[Corylea.723]

I'd wish I'd known exactly how strict the game is in punishing bad dialogue choices (answer: not very strict at all).

Except for the autopsy. The first time I did it, I thought I'd be able to run down the entire list of choices that Shani was giving me. I was surprised and sorry when I discovered that you only get one pick.

 

[tlazolteotl]

Hmm ... charged quen?That can only reduce your foes to a certain % of their health, so it's safe to use if you don't want 'em dead.Anyhow, in response to the OP, in my first game I didn't know when I'd get a silver sword ... and consequently got pwned by a certain monster due to my reliance on steel sword styles.

 

[infernox3470]

I wish I knew how to make rubedo/albedo dominant potions and how to manage my inventory better. Also wish I knew how to make money faster.

 

[Maerahn.155]

That having the Drowner Repellant talisman is actually MORE of a pain in the you-know-what than not having it, since you can't harvest any herbs while they're in the vicinity but when you try to get rid of them they run off.... until you give up chasing them and go back to harvesting herbs again. Then they follow you back so that you can't. Repeat until you scream and smash your head on the keyboard. :wall:What sort of chuffin' *talisman* is it, anyway? A bit of ribbon? Huh! :whatthe: "Hee hee, me kill da witcher.... aaah - NOOOO! Him got da pret-tee ribbon! RUN AWAAAAAAAYYYY!!!""Pah....

 

[starfire71]

I wish the same thing game widow did, that you could just hold the mouse down to run. In fact I did not know that until this post and game widow said it lol You can laugh at this one if you like, I am a serious hard core RPG player as well! I've playing RPG's for nearly 20 years now lol

 

[Eldariel]

I wish Rubedo/Albedo/Nigredo were explained somewhere. Then I wish I'd known there's a better way to do combat than just chaining attacks. Additionally, I wish I'd known how to efficiently deploy Quen and Yrden. I also wish I'd known all the fistfights are a breeze so I wouldn't have wasted talents on them. And I wish I'd known all the books/knowledge you can get for free so I wouldn't have wasted thousands buying them. I also wish I'd known that high toxicity gives penalties way before killing. Then I wish I'd known what all the "Pain", "Precise Hit" and stuff were all about. Finally, I wish I'd known about the meteors/runes and the sword-stuff before chapter 3 and buying the lightning rod.Second playthrough with difficulty mod installed, things progressing in a much more interesting manner. I not only know all this, I must know all this to survive.

 

[ifayra]

I wish I knew how much fun this game is before starting, then I would have started much earlier