New Witcher Game - Character Creation?

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It's certainly too early to speculate about the details of this new title but one of the things I am hoping will be included is the option to create your own Witcher.
I loved Witcher 3 but I prefered the choice they made for Cyberpunk 2077 in allowing you to create your own V. In the end it's a much better experience for me personally to be able to see myself in that role and that was just very limited in Witcher 3. I don't pretend to know how they could pull this off but they've already diverged from the books in many ways for the games (for the better imo) with great results so I see no reason not to continue doing what works for a game and not just what works for the books.

A more ambitious approach would have you choose a school to start which would also determine combat style but I doubt they'll go that far.
 
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I don't pretend to know how they could pull this off

well as we all know geralt is not the only witcher so they can just say we are some other witcher and allow us to create our own character. afterall CPDR has not yet confirmed this is the witcher 4 and that it follows geralts story, this could just be a spin off game. it is far too early to really speculate what the game is gonna be

the important thing right now is that we keep the hype to a bare minimum, gamers tend to hype things way outta proportion then get all butt hurt when things dont live up to their expectations
 
well as we all know geralt is not the only witcher so they can just say we are some other witcher and allow us to create our own character. afterall CPDR has not yet confirmed this is the witcher 4 and that it follows geralts story, this could just be a spin off game. it is far too early to really speculate what the game is gonna be

the important thing right now is that we keep the hype to a bare minimum, gamers tend to hype things way outta proportion then get all butt hurt when things dont live up to their expectations
The reason I felt that could be challenging is that even if they went in the past, they would have to ensure that the events of this game don't alter the lore they established in the existing Witcher games. Fans can be be so irritable when it comes to accepting change. I suppose they could go to a different land that was never fully explored in the books but honestly I might prefer if they go forward instead.

As for speculating, I think that's fine so long as we're not dealing with children who don't understand information changes throughout the development cycle. Since I'm not in that category, I'm comfortable speculating while maintaining realistic expectations.
 
The new medallion art likely suggests a protagonist from whichever school it is meant to represent (Cat, or Lynx?) rather than players having a choice of schools, but I would be very surprised if there wasn't a character creator. If the main character is original & not from the books, there is no reason not to have one.
 
I want an original character written solidly in front of me
I'm okay with that. Because you know that CDPR wrote most of the Witcher characters, there are some very, very solid characters that are not in the book. If they do the same thing again, you will enter the universe more easily.
We also saw it in Cyberpunk, they said it was a street kid, they said corpo, the 15-minute episodes did not pass, they are all the same.
Should it be like this or characters like Geralt, Arthur?
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It is much better to play a created character through his eyes and experience his feelings with him.
 
I don't know if it's a good idea to go into character creation, personally I like that there are characters already created by the developers with their specific traits, their personality, etc. But it wouldn't be a bad idea either from a point of view of "creating our own character" within this new saga, but personally I would prefer a character already created by CDPR
 
I agree!
I really want to create my own witcher :cry:

Robust Character creation
Choose my class/build
Choices and Consequences
Romance options for male and female (All options must be bisexual, limited romance in Cyberpunk was disappointing.)
 
All I ask is that they handle it a little better than Cyberpunk did. The entire thing was a bit of a dumpster fire because of that "click-bait" aspect of it, and it felt very limited.

I do look forward to experiencing the world of the Witcher from outside Geralt's perspective.
 
I think it really depends on what character creation would mean and how much impact creating your own Witcher would have on your story.

CDPR have shown that they're excellent at telling a story in an RPG with a pre-defined protagonist. I think their attempt at introducing character creation in CP2077 was mostly uninspired, so if the new Witcher will attempt this too, then they should make sure it's a meaningful change and that it is done well.

It's been more than 10 years since Dragon Age - in my opinion, this is more or less the game to have set the bar for character creation within the context of a story-driven RPG, and it hasn't moved much since then. More recently, Divinity Original Sin 2 tried to do something interesting with this, by letting you choose between a selection of pre-build characters with their own unique quests, but I'd argue that's not really any more advanced than what DA:O did back in 2009.

With this in mind, I think CDPR should consider this as the bare minimum, if they decide to go with character customisation. CDPR should also consider that, as I said above, it is more than 10 years since DA:O, and it will likely have grown to 15-20 years by the time the next Witcher title launches. So, CDPR should finally consider if meeting the bar set that long ago would be enough by their standards.

If CDPR do not think they can meet (and, in my opinion, their target should be to significantly exceed) that standard, then perhaps a predefined character (as long as that is not Ciri :p ) may be the better option for the upcoming title.
 
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I think it really depends on what character creation would mean and how much impact creating your own Witcher would have on your story.

CDPR have shown that they're excellent at telling a story in an RPG with a pre-defined protagonist. I think their attempt at introducing character creation in CP2077 was mostly uninspired, so if the new Witcher will attempt this too, then they should make sure it's a meaningful change and that it is done well.

It's been more than 10 years since Dragon Age - in my opinion, this is more or less the game to have set the bar for character creation within the context of a story-driven RPG, and it hasn't moved much since then. More recently, Divinity Original Sin 2 tried to do something interesting with this, by letting you choose between a selection of pre-build characters with their own unique quests, but I'd argue that's not really any more advanced than what DA:O did back in 2009.

With this in mind, I think CDPR should consider this as the bare minimum, if they decide to go with character customisation. CDPR should also consider that, as I said above, it is more than 10 years since DA:O, and it will likely have grown to 15-20 years by the time the next Witcher title launches. So, CDPR should finally consider if meeting the bar set that long ago would be enough by their standards.

If CDPR do not think they can meet (and, in my opinion, their target should be to significantly exceed) that standard, then perhaps a predefined character (as long as that is not Ciri :p ) may be the better option for the upcoming title.
Interesting that you got to crediting Dragon Age and Divinity when Elder Scrolls did all of that years before.

In any case I don't think excelling at something is an indicator that you can't be good at something else. You can't grow or innovate by doing the same thing over and over. The predetermined character worked for the witcher franchise in the same way the opposite worked for dragon age as you pointed out so either one can work.

I didn't find anything "uninspired" about the character creation for CP2077, in fact that game demanded character creation. It would be preposterous for a cyberpunk title to not allow you to look however you wish. Whatever flaws there were doesn't negate that achievement and doesn't mean they can't improve on it going forward.

If they're going to move away from Geralt only to shackle players with another character who, let's be real would look almost exactly the same, then it would be a step backward. It would be a similar character, with similar experiences, similar reaction to those experiences and therefore a less personal story. I felt far more engaged and involved as V than I ever did as Geralt.
 
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Interesting that you got to crediting Dragon Age and Divinity when Elder Scrolls did all of that years before.

In any case I don't think excelling at something is an indicator that you can't be good at something else. You can't grow or innovate by doing the same thing over and over. The predetermined character worked for the witcher franchise in the same way the opposite worked for dragon age as you pointed out so either one can work.

I didn't find anything "uninspired" about the character creation for CP2077, in fact that game demanded character creation. It would be preposterous for a cyberpunk title to not allow you to look however you wish. Whatever flaws there were doesn't negate that achievement and doesn't mean they can't improve on it going forward.

If they're going to move away from Geralt only to shackle players with another character who, let's be real would look almost exactly the same, then it would be a step backward. It would be a similar character, with similar experiences, similar reaction to those experiences and therefore a less personal story. I felt far more engaged and involved as V than I ever did as Geralt.

Not entirely sure what you mean by Elder Scrolls doing what DA:O did in terms of story-driven character creation, but that's besides the point - it's an area in RPGs that has lacked any meaningful advancements in years.

It seems your focus is more on the looks of the character, which I agree is an important aspect of character creation, but I myself was referring to character customisation in terms of the game story, the character's path through it and the gameplay mechanics that tie into it. I would also agree that CP2077 needed a character creation system, owing to the fact it was based on a pen and paper RPG, but I think it fell short of the potential and, I believe, the ambition of what the developers wanted to achieve with it. Developing a character creation system that does not even meet a benchmark from over 10 years ago (or, in your opinion, 30 years ago, with the Elder Scrolls) is hardly what I would call an "achievement".

With that in mind, all I'm saying is that unless CDPR are serious about implementing a robust, meaningful character creation system, with some interesting ideas to push things forward, then I would prefer CDPR to instead focus on what they're good at. I would still expect that predefined character system to advance things in terms of choice and consequence - simply recreating TW3 with a different story would also be a disappointment from my perspective.

I don't quite understand why a predefined character would automatically mean they would have to be a carbon copy of Geralt, so I don't think this argument has much merit.

All that said, I would be happy to see a character creation system from CDPR for the next Witcher title, but only if it's actually innovative and worthwhile. I'm not trying to advocate for CDPR to abandon their ambitions for character creation, I would just like to see them really commit to it this time around.
 
It seems your focus is more on the looks of the character, which I agree is an important aspect of character creation, but I myself was referring to character customisation in terms of the game story, the character's path through it and the gameplay mechanics that tie into it. I would also agree that CP2077 needed a character creation system, owing to the fact it was based on a pen and paper RPG, but I think it fell short of the potential and, I believe, the ambition of what the developers wanted to achieve with it. Developing a character creation system that does not even meet a benchmark from over 10 years ago (or, in your opinion, 30 years ago, with the Elder Scrolls) is hardly what I would call an "achievement".

If you meant the game story then whether the character is predefined or customizable doesn't matter. Having a customizable character doesn't make the game story, paths or mechanics any better or worse

With that in mind, all I'm saying is that unless CDPR are serious about implementing a robust, meaningful character creation system, with some interesting ideas to push things forward, then I would prefer CDPR to instead focus on what they're good at. I would still expect that predefined character system to advance things in terms of choice and consequence - simply recreating TW3 with a different story would also be a disappointment from my perspective.
I understand, but they didn't just become good at that overnight. Witcher 3 is the third instalment so it took them 3 tries to get it right. Witcher 1 wasn't the strongest in the franchise. That's my point. CP2077 is the Witcher 1 of this series and so they can be "good at it" just the same as Witcher 3 because they will refine and get better.

I don't quite understand why a predefined character would automatically mean they would have to be a carbon copy of Geralt, so I don't think this argument has much merit.

All that said, I would be happy to see a character creation system from CDPR for the next Witcher title, but only if it's actually innovative and worthwhile. I'm not trying to advocate for CDPR to abandon their ambitions for character creation, I would just like to see them really commit to it this time around.
My point here is kind of moot now since you said you weren't referring to character creation but in fact the game story but if you don't understand what I mean. Put together a list of major RPG's in the last 20 years and the lead protagonist for each title. Almost assuredly 90% of those characters will be the same guy just slightly different, rescuing some damsel or fighting for revenge. If you don't see the point then that's ok but my final thoughts on that is that it's good to have different perspectives in these games but developers almost always default to the same one because that's what sells. Having a customizable character at the very least gives some semblance of control to the players, one of the best things on the forum here is just seeing ppl share their version of V and how they see themselves as the hero instead of what they're told the hero should be.
 
If you meant the game story then whether the character is predefined or customizable doesn't matter. Having a customizable character doesn't make the game story, paths or mechanics any better or worse

Maybe there's some misunderstanding here, so let me explain what I meant. In Dragon Age, for example, you pick an origin story for your character, siimilar to how you choose Nomad/Corpo/Street Kid in CP2077, only in DA:O you have more options and the choice of your origin story has a bigger effect on your story.

I'd argue that having a predefined character allows the writers to create a story that is a lot more fleshed out, because it is specifically tailored to that one character. For example, Geralt already had a belief system, a past and a circle of friends that was already established. You start the game with your character already living in the world. It is often time the case with custom characters, that they can feel disconnected from the world, as you need to give player a freedom to determine who exactly their character is going to be, meaning that there are more limitations for the writers to consider.

So, if CDPR aim to introduce character creation into a franchise that is heavily story-driven, then I would hope they have some very good ideas on how they can make this work well, as CP2077

I understand, but they didn't just become good at that overnight. Witcher 3 is the third instalment so it took them 3 tries to get it right. Witcher 1 wasn't the strongest in the franchise. That's my point. CP2077 is the Witcher 1 of this series and so they can be "good at it" just the same as Witcher 3 because they will refine and get better.

I personally think The Witcher 1 is one of the best RPGs out there, and I enjoy it just as much as TW3. To each their own, but my point is that I am coming at this from the point of view of somebody who actually enjoyed what CDPR's earlier efforts were trying to achieve.


My point here is kind of moot now since you said you weren't referring to character creation but in fact the game story but if you don't understand what I mean. Put together a list of major RPG's in the last 20 years and the lead protagonist for each title. Almost assuredly 90% of those characters will be the same guy just slightly different, rescuing some damsel or fighting for revenge. If you don't see the point then that's ok but my final thoughts on that is that it's good to have different perspectives in these games but developers almost always default to the same one because that's what sells. Having a customizable character at the very least gives some semblance of control to the players, one of the best things on the forum here is just seeing ppl share their version of V and how they see themselves as the hero instead of what they're told the hero should be.

My point is that this doesn't necessarily have to be true. You could have fleshed out customisable characters with a variety of backgrounds and characteristics. DA:O dabbled in this in 2009 but it seems like something that nobody has really tried to seriously pursue or improve on since.

That said, I don't necessarily want CDPR to try and improve on that system in particular, I would just hope - if they do introduce character creation - that they'd have some system in mind to really push the genre forward in the sense of offering strong charter creation without sacrificing the storytelling strengths that a predefined character would offer - or at least, minimising that sacrifice to such a significant extent.

To me, CP2077 sacrificed character customisation in order to have a stronger story. That is why I don't think they quite got it right there, as I don't think there was signigicant enough difference between the various character paths in the context of either the plot or game mechanics.

That said, a custom character that is limited to being a Witcher might be a good starting point for CDPR, since the character class would still be predetermined, but they could then focus more on customising the character's place in the world and their path through it.
 
I hope there is character creation. I can completely understand other fans being leery about a new saga that has character creation, because we know the Witcher games as surrounding a single specific protagonist. And we all got into the Witcher world because of Geralt's story. But I really think that there is so much that CDPR can expand on. I really think they can have an even bigger world with an amazing storyline and let us create our own Witcher/Witcheress. CDPR has been very creative with the Witcher world, so I have full faith that they could pull off something like that if they gave themselves the time (which they should). There are plenty of avenues they could go down, and I know all of this is just speculation (we can all dream). Maybe a custom character could be trained at the Lynx school and Witchers/Witcheresses are being trained again because they're needed in the world. And they could have plenty of options for character classing. I said it before, and I stand by it; A game like Mass Effect allowed the player to have a custom character, but also had an amazing storyline and it flowed naturally. CDPR could pull it off, maybe even one-up them (Mass Effect).
 
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Go with Baldurs Gate 3. Origin and Custom Characters. I wouldnt mind to play Celeb like in Death Stranding, but Ive figured it not everybody's cup of tea.
 
I'm open to idea but I would also like if CDPR had some creative liberties to create a new character with a unique story which is not a part of books. Though they would need a damn good writer to accomplish something like that.
 
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