HUD & Haircuts / Monster Climbing & NG+ Poll

[ONLY_ONCE]

HUD & Haircuts / Monster Climbing & NG+ Poll

After watching a few recent gamescom interviews with devs, some said that they don't know if players will be able to disable HUD elements in the final game.
Also one dev said he didn't know if we could change Geralts hairstyle in the final game but he hopes so. Another dev said at E3 2014 that he doesn't know if monster climbing was in the game but said that would be so awesome and devs still have yet to confirm or deny NG+.

 

[TacticalAce42]

New Game plus is a MUST. Thats is all.

Edit: I take that back! I love the idea of no Hud at all and no NPC/monster names/bars. I play with absolutely nothing on my hud in Skyrim and boy oh boy do you reach another level of immersion. It feels so natural, and makes your attacks feel more satisfying. Im thinking mods will take care of that push comes to shove.

 

[BER7ERK]

what is NG?

 

[Geralt_of_bsas]

As for the HUD dont worry, we will get mods almost surely.

Hairstyles im surprised what they said, but since they added it in TW2 later by popular demand, I think they will try to include it as long as there's no really serious problem or obstacle.

Climbing monsters is probably a no, there would need to be some really big monsters for that, and considering those might be very rare and powerful if they exist at all, the mechanic might not be worth the trouble, because it will be used little through the game.

I like New Game +, with some simple stat scaling and possibly increased loot, it would be great just to have an increasing difficulty level, however I dont want important NG+ specific content only.

 

[daddy300]

What is the point of having NG+ if it wont reward us with anything... Might as well start the 'New Game' again.

It would have to increase difficulty significantly and add unique things just for NG+ like armors sets or skills that are only unlocked in NG+ Pehaps lock more powerful skills we used on last playthough.

NG+ is not necessary if not made properly.

 

[BroccoliSouP]

I would like to point out that it would be cool if the breath panel under water would be less invasive. It little bit ruins atmosphere. Otherwise I agree with most of the things apart from climbing monsters. I mean it would be cool to climb them but at this stage of development it is impossible to archieve.

 

[ONLY_ONCE]

Hey guys that is great and all, but I will be playing on consoles and I would like for CDPR to make these options mandatory on all platforms from the get go.
Please dont tell me to go buy a PC, I have played on consoles my whole life and I remember specifically asking devs to give me and other players options for disableing the HUD and enemy healthbars when they were working on rise of the white wolf. Then TW2 came to XB360 and it still did not have these options.
I know CDPR can do this for fucks sake Dragon's Dogma on last gen consoles gave us all these GREAT options in the pause menu. Serious, I would have never even bought Dragon's Dogma if I knew I couldn't turn all that shit off when I wanted to. So I am kinda worried that CDPR still thinks the HUD & Enemy Healthbars & Floating Names & Text is cool without the options to turn that stuff off. Guess what... It's NOT COOL without these options. Just saying it's about as cool as QTE's.
Anyways, I have wanted these options since WAY before TW2, and damn it I'm going to fight for them tooth & nail. @Marcin Momot Can you please send this to the right people, or at least let us know what you know about all this stuff when you can thanks.
& Cheers

 

[Sibladosi]

I don't really whant a free roam mode, and I don't think there will be one. Depending on the ending it might not make sense. I remember a interview saying that although it will not have one, however you will be given alot of "warnings" before you engage on a last sequence, giving you the chance to complete unfinished quests.
The New Game + mode it would be nice if, like you guys said, we have some rewards, like diferent armors or maybe even the possibility to unlock a diferent ending, since there will be 898678 of them =P (but this might not be a good idea).
Costumise Hairstyles it is a YES, and it is ver likely already in the game (The CE statue Geralt is with a diferent hairstyle than in the trailers for exemple). Costumize HUD and anymies health bar it is also A YES!
But like the last option says, anything that they put in the game will probably be enjoyable =D
:yes:

 

[BlackWolf500.298]

Yeah, I think in terms of HUD elements I think I definitely NEED the ability to turn certain things off an leave others on.
Maybe even the ability to turn off Witcher sense.

As for the "riding monsters"... to be honest: I don't need it. But if it makes others happy, sure...

NG+ would be interesting. No must have but definitely nice. And after-story free roam could also be awesome. Especially if you have the ability to create quests with the mod tools.

 

[Cs__sz__r]

I would like to point out that it would be cool if the breath panel under water would be less invasive. It little bit ruins atmosphere. Otherwise I agree with most of the things apart from climbing monsters. I mean it would be cool to climb them but at this stage of development it is impossible to archieve.

That's what I was thinking, on the breath meter. Can't remember since it's been two years since I played, in Skyrim did you at least start gasping for breath? I remember the shit fit over not having a breath meter.

As per the poll:

HUD- Yes, it should have a toggle option, easy stuff.

Haircuts- Yes, sometimes I liked to have different hairstyles on different playthroughs.

Climbing big monsters- Yes and no. As Broccolisoup points out it's too late to implement it. Having never played it and only seen it I praise Dragon's Dogma approach to this.

Floating Texts/Healthbars, etc.- Same as HUD.

NG+- No. This still makes no sense to me. You can't just throw this kind of thing in, it has to be built up with and around the game. Souls series has it sure, it's a core mechanic of the game, a game which is not story but gameplay and lore driven. Dogma has it, sort of a core of the game, I think, but the game is also not hugely story driven, it seems to me anyway. Finally a very much story driven game, The Last of Us. Don't really understand why it has it. I guess maybe it was easier to implement being a narrative and not open at all game, that and lots of stealth where you're encouraged to not fight.

Free Roam- I'm guessing after ending play. No, they've said there will be a warning of no return and it it'll make no sense as such to reverse the effects of the ending.

 

[Vigilance.492]

I couldn't care-less about Monster Climbing. If it's appropriate then sure, but Monster Climbing as a mechanic is better suited to games where it's a CORE gameplay mechanic, like Dragon's Dogma.

I also couldn't care-less about NG+. In games like Dark Souls, where the Gameplay pretty much drives the entire game and the story can be practically ignored if the player so chooses, NG+ makes 100% sense. However in something like The Witcher, which is more heavily story driven it's not really as important.
However I've always been a big supporter of Free-roam. Unless it wouldn't make sense story-wise, it just always "feels right" having post-story free-roam in open world games.

Disabling Text and HUD elements would be nice, especially since I frankly think many elements of the HUD are very unnecessary or overly large... However no doubt it'll get modded eventually, so it's not a huge issue (For me as a PC player).

Haircut options are a must quite frankly. It would feel weird being able to customize Geralt's hair options in 2 and then being forced to only 1 in the sequel. Although if it came as part of some post-launch patch, I'd be happy. Many people won't like the Beard though, and they talked about the Beard growing in real-time, so I'm just not sure how they can't have some kind of customization and way of removing/shortening it, unless they scrapped that feature.

 

[DuranA.111]

Yes to everything except NG+, it's a dumb thing even in a game like Dark Souls it's handled badly.

 

[ONLY_ONCE]

@Vigilance
Well if CDPR Team can add my Classic, yet Modified Geralt end game unlockable character/skins from TW1 & TW2.
Then we will All be set when it comes to the looks of the Geralt we like and know best.
I personaly like them All & I want to play them All somehow in TW3. That is why I came up with this idea, to pay homage to the fans of the witcher games and CDPR Team as fans and creators of Geralts evolution since TW1.
It will be very cool & nostalgic in a way dontcha think?

 

[BER7ERK]

Still no idead what NG+ means. New Game whatever...

But isnt it obvious that a game like that with a huge open world and all that stuff get free roam after the last mission?
I mean, it isnt TW2 where there are a few sidequests and many of them are related to the main story.
It would be stupid if there is no free roam at the end to explore the rest of the map and finish the remaining contracts and sidequests.

 

[Lieste]

Still no idead what NG+ means. New Game whatever...

But isnt it obvious that a game like that with a huge open world and all that stuff get free roam after the last mission?
I mean, it isnt TW2 where there are a few sidequests and many of them are related to the main story.
It would be stupid if there is no free roam at the end to explore the rest of the map and finish the remaining contracts and sidequests.

Geralt may not be in a condition to freely explore the remainder of the map. He may not even be able to use a spoon even.

 

[BER7ERK]

Geralt may not be in a condition to freely explore the remainder of the map. He may not even be able to use a spoon even.

Which would be just as stupid.
Would be bad game design, simple as that...
There was a game which did it like that and people got really mad.

 

[Lieste]

Well it would be fitting for the Witcher saga. He has been at death's door at least three times already ~ once in Sword Of Destiny, Time Of Contempt and Lady Of The Lake... probably more than that too, as these are only the ones I am aware of (have read, or know of from events in the games* I am currently filling in the gaps). He is already carrying one crippling injury (the leg referred by Berengar in TW, and by Letho in TW2)... a worse one would end his career. He also joins Triss and Yennefer as 'once dead'-ish.

There are going to be no more Geralt the Witcher Games ~ so this might be a hint that his adventures are over, if not his life.

 

[Vigilance.492]

Still no idead what NG+ means. New Game whatever...

Essentially it's when you start a new game (Or the game auto-starts it like the Souls series) after beating it, and you get to keep all your equipment from your previous playthrough (Levels gained, Armor & Weapons at least), but all enemies become more powerful.

So let's say you beat The Witcher 2. You reach the end with: Every potion recipe, 50 of each herb type, Forgotten Vran Sword, Armor of Ysgith and level 25.
Then if it had a NG+ option, you would have everything listed above, right from the very start, including how powerful the weapons/armor is, but the enemies would be even tougher then before. You'd have things like your Adrenaline/Group Finishers, Upgraded Quen etc, to use right from the start also.

 

[Cs__sz__r]

Still no idead what NG+ means. New Game whatever...

But isnt it obvious that a game like that with a huge open world and all that stuff get free roam after the last mission?
I mean, it isnt TW2 where there are a few sidequests and many of them are related to the main story.
It would be stupid if there is no free roam at the end to explore the rest of the map and finish the remaining contracts and sidequests.

Or when you get to the, "Abandon all hope ye who enter here, for this is the path of no return" signal you could just go do what you want and put it off however long.

 

[BER7ERK]

Essentially it's when you start a new game (Or the game auto-starts it like the Souls series) after beating it, and you get to keep all your equipment from your previous playthrough (Levels gained, Armor & Weapons at least), but all enemies become more powerful.

So let's say you beat The Witcher 2. You reach the end with: Every potion recipe, 50 of each herb type, Forgotten Vran Sword, Armor of Ysgith and level 25.
Then if it had a NG+ option, you would have everything listed above, right from the very start, including how powerful the weapons/armor is, but the enemies would be even tougher then before. You'd have things like your Adrenaline/Group Finishers, Upgraded Quen etc, to use right from the start also.

Sounds cool. But in a game like TW3 it should rather be an option, like you have to activate it in the menu after you beat the game.