In defense of Roach

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Um that was in response to you saying "I strongly disagree that having your horse pop into existence out of nowhere is better " . Do you not see the connection?

Sorry I've lost your point. I do think it's better to have the game spawn the mount a little further away to create the illusion than it's not, rather than to simply pop it in where you are. Not quite sure if we're disagreeing here. Anyway, Red Dead Redemption might have done this better (without spawn bugs etc.) I just have to take your word for it since I've never played it (REALLY want to though).
 
I was playing yesterday and Roach had her head buried in a trough so when I whistled she simply ignored me. I had to lol at that.
 
Sorry I've lost your point. I do think it's better to have the game spawn the mount a little further away to create the illusion than it's not, rather than to simply pop it in where you are. Not quite sure if we're disagreeing here. Anyway, Red Dead Redemption might have done this better (without spawn bugs etc.) I just have to take your word for it since I've never played it (REALLY want to though).


You really should try it. It sucks it's only an Xbox game because it really is one of the better open world games out there and has a really nice crafted setting that you don't see often since most open word games are either Fantasy or modern day with a few post apocalyptic/Sci-fi worlds thrown in. It did pretty much everything involving horses better but in this game's defense RDR was a game about Cowboys specifically so horses did play a much larger and more important role in it, where as in TW3 horses are just basic transportation and for a racing minigame, nothing more
 
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I was playing yesterday and Roach had her head buried in a trough so when I whistled she simply ignored me. I had to lol at that.

See! I love that shyte...I love that she ignores me when she's all tuckered out and just trying to get a god damned drink (like I was doing in the tavern just moments before). If I was her I'd do the same thing.

---------- Updated at 11:12 AM ----------

You really should try it. It sucks it's only an Xbox game because it really is one of the better open world games out there and has really nice crafted setting that you don't see often. It did pretty much everything involving horses better but in this game's defense RDR was a game about Cowboys specifically so horses did play a much larger and more important role in it, where as in TW3 horses are just basic transportation and for a racing minigame, nothing more

Yeah totally...I hear ya. I wish I could but I'm all PC. I've heard a lot of TW3 was inspired by Red Dead Redemption. Maybe someday it'll come to PC.
 
My only complaint about the horse is that it doesn't always turn where I point my mouse I find that particularly frustrating on winding roads. I don't know if that was a design choice or if its some sort of glitch but its kind of a pain all the same.
 
Hear hear! I love Roach too, and devs outdone themselves with her behaviour and pathfinding.

Only thing to complain about is that I wanted to choose a horse myself(a colour that is) and make it my main Roach. It would still be sweet to do, but otherwise I've nothing to complain about, and she's a companion that never fails me. :happy:

EDIT: The only trouble(it happened one time) I've had with Roach's 'auto-canter and gallop' is where there is a fork in the road. But then I actually take over and steer myself and it isn't an issue anymore.
http://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/44/?

---------- Updated at 07:22 AM ----------

Yes there is. I'm not sure how you missed it as they explain it at the very beginning of the game. You hold down shift (or whatever button gallop is on your console) while on a road/path and it "auto-drives" or well is supposed to make her keep following said road without you needing to steer. It mostly works but she doesn't follow the path in the middle and so often randomly veers off and into things or slips off ledges ect.
I have never once put Roach on auto pilot. Why would you do that? Would a real horse know magically where to go? Maybe Roach has a GPS?

Roach is fine. I agree with the OP.
 
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My only complaint about the horse is that it doesn't always turn where I point my mouse I find that particularly frustrating on winding roads. I don't know if that was a design choice or if its some sort of glitch but its kind of a pain all the same.

Yeah I hear ya...I just kind of like the fact that she doesn't follow directions perfectly. Just like a real horse would. Being tentative about that jump off the cliff or whatever. She just seems very real to me as an actual horse that I would be riding into crazy and dangerous situations.

I just haven't personally seen this in any other game before (haven't played Red Dead Redemption).
 
I have never once put Roach on auto pilot. Why would you do that? Would a real horse know magically where to go? Maybe Roach has a GPS?

Would a real horse jump off a mountain because you told it to? It's a mechanic used to simplify traveling long distances. It's more realistic to think that the horse is actually being commanded, but we're relinquishing that to Geralt for simplification.

Plus it's not a GPS. The horse just sticks to the path, or is supposed to. Do you really think horses, after being bred and trained, don't know how to follow a path if the rider doesn't intervene? Horse riding is about letting the horse know when it's okay to open up and when it's better to rein in. It's about the simplest pressures and tightness, more with your legs than your hands. You don't "point a horse" and then it goes. It's a symbiotic partnership, and horses are very intelligent animals, in my experience with them.

But I digress too much. The point is it's fine, yes. But it also has flaws. Nothing wrong with talking about both, and from peoples opinions I've seen, the horse gets a lot of love even with it's faults.
 
I do not use auto path with the horse so that isn't an issue. The horse moves pretty well in all respects for me. 90 hours plus and zero glitches with Roach.

So here I am, at the top of the tallest mountain I could find in Skellige next to water (had to jump and dive) and I get an Idea....so i summon Roach, find a nice run up spot to the edge and slap leather, full speed and.........Roach squats, buries its hind legs in the snow and rears back a a bit, sliding to an abrupt halt....I thought to myself, well played RED...well played.

I thought it was kinda cool Roach wouldn't bail over the edge on purpose even though I was at full gallop and tried to force it over.
 
I agree with what OP said, Roach is fine and she/he (what gender is Roach?) is a horse and behaves like one, Roach has its own horse things. Definitely much much better than DA:I.
 
Roach is a useless horse. Won't stay on the path. Turns up in the weirdest places.

Roach is a great tank. Aggros mobs until I'm ready to deal with them. Never dies.
 
only thing that bother me with roach is how she gets stuck on smal rocks and sometimes do not want to jump over fences and jump down from smal cliffs , and also, i feel she is to much of a coward to be a witchers horse. I like the fear meter but it goes up to fast and why is she afiad of bandits? And bandits horses do not fear me why :S?
 
Agreed. For me, Roach is more than a mount, she's a fully fledged companion a bit like the dog from Fallout. After fighting for your life in the wilderness, it's good to see a friendly (horse)face come through the trees.

Sure, Roach can do some odd things but it's part of her charm. Except when in the middle of a race :)
 
Roche is awesome. Some of the best horse animations I've seen. That said, she does suffer from odd movement and questionable behavior sometimes, but so does Geralt.
 
Roach is fucking kickass, I can't see why anyone would have an issue with her
She does motherfuckin' handstands. She eats motherfuckin' grass. She can stand on two legs while going down a motherfuckin' mountain. She gives no fucks when you hang motherfuckin' decapitated monster heads on her. She learns to motherfuckin' fly in Skellige when you ride down mountains.
Best horse in video games.

Best motherfuckin' horse in video game alright. Though I don't understand the design decision of pressing W to walk, shift to canter, and double shift to gallop
Whereas with Geralt, it's W to run and shift to sprint. Why can't we have that with Roach? W to canter and shift to gallop. And those annoying sticky keys :/
 



Gotta love Roach. One time I coudn't find her anywhere even though I had called her many times. And guess where I found my dear companion after she had pop up on minimap. Inside the inn nearby, keeping company to some lonely peasant woman! :D That was understandable because it was raining afterall. And Roach did found her way out of the inn by herself so yep, I do like her.
 

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