New Game+ versus starting new game

[marcpennington]

New Game+ versus starting new game

I recently finished the core game at death march, and was debating either starting a completely new game, or a new game+. I finished the game at around lvl 37, and I was wondering what would actually be a "harder" play. My experience was that the game was often quite challenging on death march up until around lvl 20 or so, then rapidly got much, much easier. Would starting a NG+ with a lvl 37 just lead to this difficulty plateau coming on relatively earlier in the playthough? I hope I phrased that question in the right way that it makes sense.

And also, for the last 10 hours or so of my previous game play through, I have noticed the game get increasingly buggy and hiccupy, with frequent saves that fail to load, and annoying bugs like when one takes an item from one's stash, a different item appears in one's inventory (I learned the hard way by losing master-crafted Witcher armor.) Has anyone noticed bugs like this carrying over to a NG+, or is it a complete reset, as I would hope?

 

[CiriusBlack]

What I noticed, was that NG+ is little bugier. And if you are looking for a challenge, then I think you should start just NG. Then you don't have anything "helpful" when you start.

 

[Jelni]

I did my first playthrough on Blood and Broken Bones and I am currently doing a NG+ on Death March and the first few hours are considerably easier, having the best potions, the best mutagens, the best oils, 12 skills etc is like having 5 to 10 levels of advantage.

 

[AtamansWrath]

Useful information, because I am currently still in my first playthrough (240h) aswell. Seems like just starting a new game would be the way to go

 

[rethla]

Yeh if you are looking for a challenge there isnt anyone in new game+

 

[Lytha]

The main difference between NG+ and NG is (aside from the potions that you already have) that some foes can one shot you quite easily. And they have ridiculous amounts of health. I made an archer deserter in HoS die by eating his own arrows, and at that point, the large amount of health became really obvious. It took quite a few of his own arrows to finally take him down - while he would shoot about 90% of my Geralt's health (cat armor, mastercrafted and legendary) away with just one arrow. The answer is obviously "Quen, block, don't get hit, use Axii"; but it felt slightly weird.

The large amounts of health make HoS bosses in particular to carpal tunnel syndrome inducing exercises without providing much more excitement. Only the Greatest Fear boss was really challenging (because even an early Greatest Fear individual can one-shot you with the special attack); the others were just a whole lot of attack clicks.

Me, I love to collect potion/oil formulae - it gives me a direct feedback about "look how Geralt grows". So I vastly prefer NG over NG+.

 

[HarelMor]

@Lytha Playing 'tennis" with the archer arrows is so much fun, i prefer it on using quen and attacking the archer with my swords.

 

[Krull32]

I prefer complete new Game. It's better balanced and more challenging.

 

[cyberpunkforever]

the game is well balanced in both options, ng or ng+, i find ng+ better, because there are more enemies and you already have the potions and oils and don't spend time in finding everything again,

 

[AtamansWrath]

@cyberpunkforever

More enemies? What do you mean by that?

 

[cyberpunkforever]

@cyberpunkforever

More enemies? What do you mean by that?

enemy gropus are larger for example, in standard game you encounter 3 enemies, (humans or monsters) in ng+ you encounter 5 or 6
not the monsters from witcher contracts, they are still the default number and they are tougher

 

[AtamansWrath]

@cyberpunkforever I see. For me personally that's not enough to get me interested in a new game+, especially since I like collecting things

 

[RageGT]

With insane hours dedicated to this game, I can say that, for me, there is nothing better than NG then NG+. Then another NG and another NG+. There is so much to discover and try in both options. It may seem easier in NG+ because we start equipped with all we could find and upgrade in NG but fact is, a pack of wolves will still kill us just like that. Trying to do contracts much before the suggested level is almost a certain death. Plus, the game gets easier as we improve as players as well, no matter if in NG or NG+.

My first run, on Just the Story, I felt like I was never going to be able to try Death March. Second one on Death March was the best for learning. After 1,550 hours playing the game, either NG lvl 1 or NG+ lvl35-42 (new NG + HoS took me to lvl 42 at the end and I started NG+ with that) are easy. But it is good that it is so. I feel more confident to experiment different styles, to challenge Skull enemies once invincible

Reached level 70 pretty soon on that lvl42 NG+ run and Guards became level 80. Damn challenging too. And a side quest in Novigrad where they get aggressive if we interfere with their extorting people and, if defeated, never show again, can suffer a glitch where they will always spawn at the same spot on each visit I do to the area. I love it! hehe

Honestly, either NG or NG+ have the same minor issues/bugs/glitches but nothing that a Save/Reload won't fix. The big scary one were all fixed, at least on the PC, DVD version with GOG Galaxy. I'd like to think that it is the same for all other versions of the game.

 

[Beas7ie]

I finished the standard game and am now on a NG+ playthrough. It's fun to keep all your gear and abilities, but sometimes the leveling of enemies can be a bit wonky. So far there hasn't been anything super game breaking but it's something to keep in mind.

Personally, if you're not planning on making drastically different choices, then I would go with NG+. If you want to make different choices to get different outcomes in quests and/or get different main endings after the main quest then you should probably just start a new game.

 

[PandaChef]

When replaying, better to start new save or NG+?

I have just finished the game and want to do a second playthrough. Is it better to start completely afresh with a new save or do a NG+ with the old save? I want to do different answers regarding Witcher 2 decisions, can you do that in NG+?

Also regarding Hearts of Stone, what level should you be when starting it? Should I start a new save for it or use old?

 

[The.Gent]

I have just finished the game and want to do a second playthrough. Is it better to start completely afresh with a new save or do a NG+ with the old save? I want to do different answers regarding Witcher 2 decisions, can you do that in NG+?

Also regarding Hearts of Stone, what level should you be when starting it? Should I start a new save for it or use old?

Well I can tell you this...the level cap is lvl 70. So u CAN do a NG+ but once you beat it again you cant do another NG+ you have to restart ALLLLLLLLLLLLL over and loose EVERYTHING you earned from lvl 0. Thats whats holding me back from starting a new game all over again. Im not loosing all the gold, and gear i saved and made since May 19th. I have over 100k gold...no way am i loosing that and all my armor and weapons that took me months to get.

---------- Updated at 06:24 PM ----------

I have just finished the game and want to do a second playthrough. Is it better to start completely afresh with a new save or do a NG+ with the old save? I want to do different answers regarding Witcher 2 decisions, can you do that in NG+?

Also regarding Hearts of Stone, what level should you be when starting it? Should I start a new save for it or use old?

Well I can tell you this...the level cap is lvl 70. So u CAN do a NG+ but once you beat it again you cant do another NG+ you have to restart ALLLLLLLLLLLLL over and loose EVERYTHING you earned from lvl 0. Thats whats holding me back from starting a new game all over again. Im not loosing all the gold, and gear i saved and made since May 19th. I have over 100k gold...no way am i loosing that and all my armor and weapons that took me months to get.

 

[CiriusBlack]

I have just finished the game and want to do a second playthrough. Is it better to start completely afresh with a new save or do a NG+ with the old save? I want to do different answers regarding Witcher 2 decisions, can you do that in NG+?

Also regarding Hearts of Stone, what level should you be when starting it? Should I start a new save for it or use old?

I started my NG+ ages ago, but yes there was a change to redo Witcher 2 choices, cause I had one guy in my NG+ who wasn't there in my first game. You start NG+ like normal game, choosing tutorials, Witcher 2 choices etc. You can bring there money, potions, items, armors... what you collected earlier. Crafting diagrams, Gwent cards and quest items disappear and you need to collect those again.

Hearts Of Stone is around lvl 30 or 32, so you need to play it with your old save or HoS only with default Geralt (he is lvl 32 and there are some default items in his inventory). Or you can start another game and play HoS when you get enough levels.

If you want, for example, to start with more difficult settings and you want some help and good gear at the start, you can pick NG+. If you want more challenge and collect absolutely everything again, then NG. You can also start HoS now and get some better gear there and after that start NG+. So it's up to you what you want to do next.

I played HoS first alone and again in NG+. Some like to start new game for it and some uses old saves.

Spoiler

You can get few extra dialogues in your game if you start it during your game and before Isle Of Mists, but that too is up to you is it worth the trouble. Those dialogues aren't anything super special, just nice few extra dialogues and couple very short little stories.

 

[Lytha]

Just a quick note: HoS is for level 30+ in NG.

If you want to do HoS in NG+, then you should be level 60+.

 

[cyberpunkforever]

NG+ all the way! you can do anything you want, different decisions, everything, you choose everything again,
recommended level for hearts of stone in standard new game is 30, an din NG+ is 60, that's just recommended, you can start whenever you want

 

[witcherfan69]

NEWGAME+ is broken too many bugged quest which dont get fixed