Interviews and Articles Part 2

[Garrison72]

I was so excited for Witcher 3 as an old and true fan of the series, but lately even when there is a new article I genuinely feel uninterested. I don't even bother reading the Witcher 3 articles anymore, because CDPR team just regurgitate the same stuff over and over again to the point where it seems like they are ignoring the question that they are asked.
Don't judge me, I genuinely feel this way. I know this is how it's supposed be and CDPR is doing what they should, but I cannot help it.

I get the feeling their revised NDA looks like this:

It's interesting they've done the Q&A with the forums which have been fairly informative, yet the mainstream interviews are largely rehashes. I suspect when they start doing the big push a couple months before release, then we'll get more specific info. I'm approaching that stage where I need reassurance about the game, won't deny it. I want to know what's going to occupy us in this 100 hour adventure, what mechanics will be like, what the PC version will be like, etc.

 

[DarthasBinar]

Why is the Witcher 3 not winning in the most wanted category? Vote people!
http://thegameawards.com/nominees/

 

[Vigilance.492]

Why is the Witcher 3 not winning in the most wanted category? Vote people!
http://thegameawards.com/nominees/

Because it forces you to vote through Facebook or Twitter, so I sure as fuck ain't bothering to vote.

I think the fact that The Witcher 3 has already won so many of these, and still is able to chill in second place behind the third game in an objectively way more mainstream and popular series, is already a pretty massive achievement as it is.

 

[ShoMee]

Why is the Witcher 3 not winning in the most wanted category? Vote people!
http://thegameawards.com/nominees/

Because no one really takes "The Game Awards" seriously. For crying out loud, Ubisoft is nominated for the "Developer Of The Year" category.

I don't know, maybe it's just me (I'm quite sure it's not just me), but Geoff Keighley would have to make this year's show bloody amazing to convince me it's worth anyone's time after the last year's disaster that was VGX.

 

[JackalJ]

I'm sceptical about any gaming oriented show to be fair and interesting. The fact that at the GJA Southpark and dayz had won in so many catagory's is beyond me.

 

[ReptilePZ]

http://venturebeat.com/2014/11/22/the-birth-and-growth-of-the-polish-game-industry/

 

[dani168]

https://www.behance.net/gallery/21500317/The-Witcher-3-Steelbooks
The Witcher 3 Steelbook!

 

[Luxorek]

https://www.behance.net/gallery/21500317/The-Witcher-3-Steelbooks
The Witcher 3 Steelbook!

The Waifu Steelbook looks sooo damn good.

This one is so much better too than the one they've chosen. Geralt attacking the WIld Hunt on a horse?! Take my bloody Orens!

 

[Garrison72]

The first is still my fav because they nailed Geralt's look, but they're all great.

*cat call Triss and Yen*

 

[Kinley]

This one is so much better too than the one they've chosen.

I think all of these will be used, it just depends from which region you buy your copy of W3.

 

[Luxorek]

I think all of these will be used, it just depends from which region you buy your copy of W3.

Yep. I've just noticed their post on FB.

So the one we already knew about is for CE. The one with Geralt on the horse [Skellige version] and the one with the waifus [Novigrad version] are for pre-ordering apparently. What if pre-ordered the CE, CDPR ? I want those other steelbooks damnit :lol:

 

[Sagitarii]

On 23rd Mr. Blacha posted a couple of interesting posts in Polish side of the forums, here is the translation.

(for those wondering what happened to our interview, we have some issues with time among other things - I hope it will be resolved soon)

The issue of the engagement of Geralt was for us, the writers, one of the most difficult problems to solve. The trouble came from couple of reasons:

- Many players don't know Yennefer at all. The forum is not representative in this respect, because it brings together the core fans and the game will be played by a wider range of people.

- Triss was Geralt's partner in the previous installments of the game, but again you have to acknowledge the fact, that not every player will be familiar - for example, many console players.

- From books we know, that Yennefer had a particular bond with Geralt. But the common experiences of Triss are livelier and more up to date. And sincere (because of amnesia).

- Oh and do not forget about Ciri. She's not a sexual partner, but then, love life is not just about sex. If Ciri is back in Geralt's life, it must be assumed, that Geralt begins to look at the world with her mind (sorry for being enigmatic, but I do not want to reveal the details).

- There's plenty of other novelties and subtleties and various design issues that deserve separate treatment.

In any case, we had different ideas on how to implement threads of Geralt's relationships with the girls. Each of them had its advantages and disadvantages. As a result, we decided to do it according to three principles:

- So that the player was able choose his own way.
- So we can reproduce the situation from the books as well as possible and to create NPC of flesh and blood.
- So that we liked it. (Contrary to what people think, we often do things, that we do not like, but we know that will appeal to players).

The result is this: we have provided interesting female characters with their advantages and disadvantages, not shown merely as a partner for romance and we put your hero in certain situations with these girls. Also we try to choice was difficult. *
You [as fans] have the context in mind - wider or narrower, depending on whether you read the book and played the previous games - and given in the situation, choose what you want.
I think it's a good deal.

* Tough choice = tears, guilt, sleepless nights, silent "sorry", kissing a print a screenshot, maybe even rage quit ... (*dreamy*)

Replying to a comment referencing to dating sims (jokingly).

It is not like that.
At the shallowest level, you choose between two cool girls, with whom you shared the past.
But there is a deeper layer - hidden feelings, the choice between pride and love, between care and selfishness, between comforting someone and awakening their illusions.

Seriously - you will be the ultimate judge, because between the intention and the realization - the gap can often be immense. It may ultimately be a big 'meh'. The only thing I can promise is that we tried to do everything so that everyone, sensitive to the emotional relationships between the characters and to the meta-gameplay, will be happy.

This part is much more emotional, than the previous ones.

I'm not saying that everyone will cry like a beaver [that's a polish phrase - means CRY VERY VERY MUCH], but in my opinion, there should be tissues with tasteful wolf logo in the Collector's Edition.

Smiki55: "Bad. Very bad.. If you want to create a masterpiece, it must be appealing to you in the first place."

In video games the ultimate director and "final contractor" is the player. Especially in Witchers, where the story can be told in different ways. Writer is satisfied when the player can play in their own way and feels, that he got everything he needed to enjoy the game. This goal must be achieved in spite of a writer to various technical, production and budget constraints.

My satisfaction comes not from the story perfectly the way I would like, but IMO from player satisfaction. Perhaps masterpieces follow different rules, but it's hard for me to speak subjectively, because I've never created a masterpiece and I don't know how it really is. The only thing I can base things upon is my professional experience.

 

[Mohasz]

Thanks for sharing, it's been quiet in here lately. Some interesting bits there.

"Contrary to what people think, we often do things, that we do not like, but we know that will appeal to players"
I wonder what they specifically mean by that. :hmm:

 

[JackalJ]

"The result is this: we have provided interesting female characters with their advantages and disadvantages, not shown merely as a partner for romance and we put your hero in certain situations with these girls. Also we try to choice was difficult. *
* Tough choice = tears, guilt, sleepless nights, silent "sorry", kissing a print a screenshot, maybe even rage quit ... "

Please don't turn into GoT and get everyone killed.... Of course it depends on your choices but don't force decisions on me like ME and other 'decision driven' rpg's have done.

 

[Cake_Eater]

Decisions should have consequences.

 

[Sagitarii]

"The result is this: we have provided interesting female characters with their advantages and disadvantages, not shown merely as a partner for romance and we put your hero in certain situations with these girls. Also we try to choice was difficult. *
* Tough choice = tears, guilt, sleepless nights, silent "sorry", kissing a print a screenshot, maybe even rage quit ... "

Please don't turn into GoT and get everyone killed.... Of course it depends on your choices but don't force decisions on me like ME and other 'decision driven' rpg's have done.

Where does it say, that everyone will die? Tough choice doesn't mean death - there are often worse things to choose from.

Also that last part was written in a slight joking tone.

 

[ReptilePZ]

there should be tissues with tasteful wolf logo in the Collector's Edition

 

[Sagitarii]

@ReptilePZ You kinky little bugger!

OK. That's all posts translated for now (apart from one, which wasn't anything big).

 

[Aes Sídhe]

everyone will cry like a beaver

 

[Garrison72]

Cry like a beaver...bit of a mistranslation there.

My opinion on killing characters off, if and when it must be done - leave out the ceremony. That's not how death works for real, ordinary people. You hear about it second hand, you witness it and its swift and brutal, and your mind is left reeling. The writer should not ease the player into this or attempt to justify it from a moral standpoint, ie, 'he died but it was for a good cause'. Two movies that violated this are Gladiator and Saving Private Ryan. The posthumous melodrama at the end lessened the impact.