Some of what I, as a old RPGr and story-designer would like to see in W3

[SystemShock7]

>SystemShock7

For whatever reason people make mods, it should of course be done voluntary and because people want to do it. What I am suggesting is investigating the potential of all the creative potential of all the people out there who would like to contribute to an official joint effort and become part of such a thing and keeping it free in the tradition of this game series (and avoid extra administrations, and costs, and legal work). I have of course nothing against people who only make mods for themselves so their games become more like they want them to be. I would like to participate in making some canon mods or DLCs myself, sure, but in order for me to do that, I would need the approval of the guys over at Cdproj.

Yes, its a videogame.
But videogames are not a static form, nor is it a measure of quality.(Remember Ed Woods: -”its just a movie!”)

What I am referring to here is how to make stuff lore-friendy and interesting at the same time. Successful Lore-gameplay integration. Yes, for the individual gamer its a matter of personal taste, but understanding of how narrative and medial structures work, how thay can be harmonized with an engaging gameplay to reinforce each others is about making something for larger groups of people according to certain cultural codes of what we call quality.
How they effectively reflect one another and synergize. That is why content who harmonize with the other content (”fits” thematically and so on) within the ”greater whole package” generally will be receive higher appreciation than stuff that does not fit - at least for those who can connect the dots. (this is why most people probably do not think that lightsabers belong in a witcher game, even though lightsabers might be cool in a context where they fit and can be explained).

Character-progression. Alright, When I talk about character progression I talk about how a character changes in relation to his/hers environment, how he/she responds to end evolves in responds to the new challenges and situations he/she face. For me, role-playing is all about immersing yourself into the character you play, a character who often is quite different than you (when it comes to abilities, past experiences but also often values), and as long as you face new situations, people and problems the character never stops evolving, learning, adapting. There is always an option to learn more or learn something else. This is what Xps, Hps, Stats and so on have tried to quantify, often quite crudely.

Hmm.. for people who can connect the dots... fantastic.
Just because you think that canon (and I believe this would be "your" understanding of canon, right?... somehow, I am sure I have had this conversation before; I digress) should be preserved in modding doesn't make you someone who "can connect the dots" while the modder who doesn't follow the canon can't. And as a matter of fact, there are many mods made for different games that fall outside of the flow a particular game and have been extremely successful because they are creative and offer a new perspective to the game. When CDPR releases the REDKit, they will not release it to the general public with the idea that anyone who downloads the REDKit becomes free labor who needs to report to CDPR and turn in their work for evaluation, nor expect CDPR to go through whatever amount of mods people release and give them their seal of approval because I am too lazy to look at the mod and see what it does. And again, something being interesting is subjective.

As for role-playing and character progression, you can't make an organic character out of 0's and 1's that evolves, learns, and adapts; it has to be quantified with numbers.I personally don't have "in-game incarnations" as I heard them called before. To me, it is more about the story, how is it told, what choices I am presented with, and what the reactions/consequences of those choices are.

I don't quite get the "video games are not static" in reply to my comment, or what you mean by "static".

 

[monotoy]

About katanas:

Yes, a katana will do more damage but only because it's a two-handed weapon.

and also it has a different function than the wakizashi which is for indoors/close quarters combat, while the katana is for outdoors / regular combat situation.

 

[monotoy]

-Make weapons more lethal and NPCs more aggressive. Non-armoured opponents like drowners and such should be much, much more vulnerable to damage.

I kind of disagree, combat is already on the easy side. I rather have a good fight than getting swamped by endless waves of monsters that I can one-shot. I see your point from a "realism" point of view, but I don't think it would make combat more interesting, quite to the contrary actually. If anything, I'd make Geralt more vulnerable.

 

[Agent_Blue]

I kind of disagree, combat is already on the easy side. I rather have a good fight than getting swamped by endless waves of monsters that I can one-shot. I see your point from a "realism" point of view, but I don't think it would make combat more interesting, quite to the contrary actually. If anything, I'd make Geralt more vulnerable.

Well, perhaps if indeed "Non-armoured opponents like drowners and such" would be "much, much more vulnerable to damage" they'd compensate for that with tactics. Now that enemy AI has been overhauled, group attacks might have a chance at being as lethal as those from an high level boss, even though the attackers themselves might be wimps.

 

[monotoy]

Well, perhaps if indeed "Non-armoured opponents like drowners and such" would be "much, much more vulnerable to damage" they'd compensate for that with tactics. Now that enemy AI has been overhauled, group attacks might have a chance at being as lethal as those from an high level boss, even though the attackers themselves might be wimps.

the only way I can see squishies being lethal is by basically overrunning you by numbers, unless they have ranged attacks.

I have to admit though, I liked how points in group silver took care of them drowners

 

[Randomdrowner2015]

Hmm.. for people who can connect the dots... fantastic.
Just because you think that canon (and I believe this would be "your" understanding of canon, right?... somehow, I am sure I have had this conversation before; I digress) should be preserved in modding doesn't make you someone who "can connect the dots" while the modder who doesn't follow the canon can't.

No, of course not, some people might just not care abut ”canon-stuff”, how stuff fits together to form a greater whole at all. They are free to do so, just as people who wants to try increase such qualities and consistency are free to do so to.

And as a matter of fact, there are many mods made for different games that fall outside of the flow a particular game and have been extremely successful because they are creative and offer a new perspective to the game.

Of course. This follows an old tradition in art as being produced as meta-perspective, commentary, satire, fan-fiction, mockery or critique to the work in question (lets say the Witcher story) and/or its makers.

When CDPR releases the REDKit, they will not release it to the general public with the idea that anyone who downloads the REDKit becomes free labor who needs to report to CDPR and turn in their work for evaluation, nor expect CDPR to go through whatever amount of mods people release and give them their seal of approval because I am too lazy to look at the mod and see what it does. And again, something being interesting is subjective.

Hey! I did not say that they had to do it right? But if some modders and developers wants to do it and take that opportunity to enrich the game in accordance with the lore and story, what is the harm?

As for role-playing and character progression, you can't make an organic character out of 0's and 1's that evolves, learns, and adapts; it has to be quantified with numbers.I personally don't have "in-game incarnations" as I heard them called before. To me, it is more about the story, how is it told, what choices I am presented with, and what the reactions/consequences of those choices are.

What I am talking about here is that the character behaves like "lifelike" and learn things through interactions with the other characters in the gameworld This is nothing strange really.

For example:
A. Geralt finds a blood-trail in the forest = the quest ”The lone Hermit” begins.
It also begins if Geralt happens to find the entrance to the cave without following the blood trail – if arriving to it from a direction not crossed by the blood trail.

B. Geralt does not find the trail = The quest ”the lone hermit” does not activate.

If A= Geralt finds a wounded witcher. It turns out he is from that Cat school (or whatever) Interacting with this character and choosing to help him (not kill him or leave him to his fate) leads to Geralt befriending him. This in turn leads to Geralt learning a special combat technique from him (that this school has perfected and Geralt is unfamiliar with) This allows the player to perform a new type of combat move. The cat-witcher comments that Geralts movement and posture is a bit strange and unorthodox performing the move, but that probably is the wolf-school training leaking through and that it seems good and deadly enough, just as long as he remember to stay light on is feed, shift the wight a bit forward when performing it and not use it under the influence of thunderbolt (body gets too tense and injury is clear possibility).

About roleplaying: well sure, RPGs encourages and tries to ”tempt” people to play as the character, but how much they immerse, meta-game, etc is of course another story and a matter of taste and playing style.

I don't quite get the "video games are not static" in reply to my comment, or what you mean by "static".

I mean that just they are an evolving form of media and that they are governed by certain types of (also evolving) expected quality-standards and expectations. That is why there are games, movies, books etc that can be considered to be of higher or lower quality. But something being a game, movie or whatever is not a measure of it being an example of quality within the medium in question.

 

[Randomdrowner2015]

the only way I can see squishies being lethal is by basically overrunning you by numbers, unless they have ranged attacks.

I have to admit though, I liked how points in group silver took care of them drowners />/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>

I can give you many examples, but its getting late over here in Stockholm, so I might write a longer post tomorrow. But for now consider this: Why must/do you expect certain generic or more lowly enemies to always be a challange? What about the trained and heavily armed Nilfgaardian death squads looking for him or the assassins etc.. Should not drowners and nekkers only be a real danger when they attack in groups?

Why do we assume that Geralt always must have his silver sword (who cuts magically animated flesh like a butcher clever cuts meat instead of just bouncing of with only little or no significant damage done ) ready at hand?

What if he finds himself in a position where he has the option to, and decides to give it to someone who really needs it more than him too survive when the drowners attack the riverbank farm? Temporarily giving the stout and honest farmer his sword might actually give the poor man the edge he needs as he will slice them up if he manages to hit them. All while Geralt suddenly has a tougher job having not only to rely on his training, steel sword, potions and signs, but also making sure the Monster focus on him and not the significantly less quick and battle-hardened farmer.

Or what if he loose the sword when falling into an underground cave and the choice is
A ) Flee out in the daylight and return later with a new silver sword. B ) Use stealth to find and recover the sword somewhere in the dark without being detected by the beastly monsters
C) Attack the cursed beasts without his silver sword in an effort to either kill them all OR do as the devastated mother in the village begged the witcher and spare her monstrous son leading the savage warewolves by wearing him down and lifting the curse after subduing him.

Or what If Triss gets mortally wounded and Geralt needs to dispatch the fanged horror who got the drop on them quickly enough to save her before she bleeds out.

 

[destroyraiden]

1. I like the whole mod and dye your gear and clothing! I'm a stickler for that in Fable and frankly in TW2 I was literally a freaking broke joke NOTHING I owned matched I was a real pauper and I hated it I at least wanted to dye all my rags black so I'd match and look at least presentable! Once I kill that jerk for the ghost armor I wear it all the time its the only decent outfit I can get!

2. Can I drink potions during battle? Or if not for the sake of lore purposes could you guys somehow bring the whole meditation animations in for the Xbox? I saw a PC video where Garalt would get down, get out his poison kit and then drink and meditate in the xbox version I get the screen wheel of poisons so I just head cannon. Seeing him actually having to do a process like that to me is better and gives me a reason for why I can't do that mid battle. Also on a related note when I played the game before reading the books or watching the show I didn't understand at all why I couldn't use it in battle after watching the show and reading only then did I get the purpose of there is a process.

Also I assume like the TV show Garalt's eyes get really creepy when he takes his poisons can npcs react to that? I really liked that idea that his eyes change but every npc I team up with when I'm high as a kite is Ok with my eyes going creepy. I find that really odd.

3. I want spandex space enacted for this game! I really really hate storing my stuff in some bar somewhere or just dropping it because I become slower then molasses at somepoint when I'm too heavy. I'm a person who loves to have my stuff when I want it as I need it I don't care if caring around 9,000 items is excessive I don't find that lore breaking at all my stuff is there I'm annoyed to have limit on my inventory. Between my horse, me, my npc buddy(s), and my ship I should be able to fit it all.

4. I agree with the post that unarmored people and monsters should be sliced in two with relative ease after all they showed up with no substantial protection to a sword fight so it should be like a hot knife through butter on them when I cut them. Depending on the animal if they have thin scales or bug like exoskeletons I shouldn't have to hit them 90 times and throw up several fireball attacks and breakup the mines to kill them on normal they should fall with two good wacks of the sword or with the right spell launch it's ridiculous to have them like a rock. high armored brutes should take time to kill a monster with a turtle shell strength skin or exoskeleton shouldn't be like the brute just 3 hits or two well placed spells.

5. Skills should not be limited to the point they were in TW2 I could only focus on being one thing a swordsman or mage what if I want to be both and be good at both? I didn't like that limitation I wanted to have the points to make a well rounded character and I physically can't do it the game once beat won't even save the points I do have like ME does so I replay at level 1 all the time and I hate it. If you can't or won't give me the point system to make a well balanced character or a hybrid class at max on whatever two areas I pick at least save all my points from my 1st playthrough so I can keep making myself better with other playthroughs till I've maxed out all my areas.

6. I like the idea of learning higher magic via the sorceresses or finding other witching schools to teach you their stuff. In the books they say Garalt has the blood of a sorcerer and that if he wanted he could be very great at it yet you can't learn anything they do? I know in book there is supposibley a reason but also in book they said you can't torture a witcher yet they've broken that several times in the TV and the game so maybe this one can slide too?

7. They mentioned hunting a vampire down in the game article so could that be Regis? Can he come into the game? He is awesome and I'd love it if he recruits himself to go with you and you get to be an intense fighting duo. Seriously I love the idea of Regis and Garalt taking on enemies what a killing brigade they'd make! I also really love their relationship they have its a friend father mentor thing Garalt relies on Regis for knowledge, wisdom, and in a few cases strategy not letting the old vampire's skills go to waste. Regis had a great and intriguing personality that if it could be brought over in its entirely would be awesome as a constant friend and possibly npc partner on some of your monster hunting quests. Like if you're hunting the night fiends you can ask him to come with you to help for the sake of having company while you work. If you invite him your fight becomes harder but heck you get to team up with a shape shifting vampire whose immune to fire.

8. I agree Garalt needs skin in sex scenes too and not just his torso really girls play to look at him.

9. I like this whole piece here:

- Geralt romantically leaves Triss for Yen and does not have much trouble with it (Triss was just a friend with benefits anyway in W1-W2)

- The same as above but he feels torn and still have feelings for Triss (Triss was not a F-buddy in W1-W2) Geralt can either a) be open with this emotional conflict (Results in Yens initial anger, but she eventually learns to grudgingly accept it as long as Triss stays away from her man) or B ) keeps it to himself (and it eats at Geralt who feels a bit suffocated by yen, and Triss who longs for Geralt, might lead to an affair with bad fallout) or C) tells Triss that he will always love her too but that he chose to be with Yen (Triss eventually learns to accept it) and D) Tells Dandilion, who does not manage to hide this from Triss (results in some drama and continuing bickering between Triss and Yen, Geralt remains conflicted and stoically stressed by the ordeal)

- Geralt choses Triss over Yen. Although he still loves her, he loves Triss more (see above for similar variations and complications)

All this stuff needs to be well written.

- Geralt declares that he can not chose between them an loves them both. This could end in a Stalemate of sorts between Triss and Yen in their competition for Geralt which they could eventually grow to either a) accept it or B ) it drives a serious wedge between them resulting in some violence, burnt hair and them never wanting to see or speak again.

You get the idea.

Way more complex then ME's I pick girl A and she forgets I cheated and loves me and scored girl forgets and goes to normal mode within a mission. I'd like to see an over time type of relationship heal (in the case of Yen) or a relationship fallout when the scored girl is notified and yes both of them fighting while he's choosing and fighting if he doesn't pick eventually it ends up not with cat fight but with maybe the lodge moves and tries to kill Yen or Ciri or if you pick Triss Yen leaves but does something drastic during a mission that kills or nearly kills Triss. And its clear either way the scored girl isn't going to give up w/o a fight.

10. I agree with this too:

A possiblity for the player to adapt strategy and ”path”.
Like: What if Geralt had an option to help Vergen and his friends when on Roches path in W2?
Another example is being able to fix (or partially repair) earlier mistakes that you caused or did not have an option to solve – as long as they did not have a final outcome (like death, you can not undo killing Aryan of course). Such undertakings should be not be easy, but with given effort and appropriate cost, doable (for example fining out how to use the dagger on Saskia if you chose to go after Triss instead of Escorting Philippa in W2)

The mechanic here is to provide the player with some increased agency when it comes to role-play in accordance to Geralts core values (Such as being loyal to friends, staying neutral or fighting for the oppressed /lesser evil etc). This is often a very important but all to often overlooked detail in RPGs who instead rail-road you overly much. I found that box when I was helping Roche yet when I opened it I got a sword or something why not the dagger that cures the dragon? I found the box so I should've also gotten the item to save the dragon. There were points that I think yes my friends could've approached me for help that didn't interfere with my helping the other side like helping my dwarf frieds even though I'm on Roche's path doesn't do anything to effect Roche I'm visiting that shore my friends are there and need help fortifying their place I'm not in the war but I don't want my friends to die once I lift the curse so I help them maybe even give them estimates on the manpower they will face because I'm living in the camp whose going to come over and crush my friends I think I should pass intel along that I know and tell them to leave while they still can.

11. Triss needs to be help accountable by Garalt over the lies she told him in TW2 and also the attempted mind control she was going to employ on him I don't care how neutral he's suppose to be she was trying to make him a zombie for herself he needs to make her answer him as to why she'd do that to him and be angry about this info.

 

[destroyraiden]

It is already in the game. For example during rain electric damage is higher.

In AC3 they did have the weather effect your game when it snowed and you ran you could become thigh deep making your progress labor intensive and slow it got alittle annoying but it did add to the world so characters being upset by rain and putting on hoods from their sacks or shivering when standing still in the snow would be great or if there is thick fog they misstep and fall slightly.

 

[username_3650136]

.
-Less variation in stats between equipment like similar swords, armour in terms of weight, material and so on, save for epic and very rare stuff.

-A much more logical carrying capacity with a sliding increase in movement penalty.

-Animations, actions and their proper time:

Just listing the points in which I totally agree on. Have any thoughts on the new features that are going to be implemented? Stuff like sailing, riding, and the monster hunting mechanic. What do you think about player driven economy?

 

[Randomdrowner2015]

Just listing the points in which I totally agree on. Have any thoughts on the new features that are going to be implemented? Stuff like sailing, riding, and the monster hunting mechanic. What do you think about player driven economy?

I have not seen or heard anything about those things, except some screenshots.
So I would like to get all the relevant details before I say something more in depth about these things. But as a general rule, when it comes to proficiencies, I think its important that they fits the character. What does Geralt know about sailing? etc

So If anyone have any details about what CDProj have in mind regarding what is mentioned above, please let me know.

 

[Randomdrowner2015]

I have not seen or heard anything about those things, except some screenshots.
So I would like to get all the relevant details before I say something more in depth about these things. But as a general rule, when it comes to proficiencies, I think its important that they fits the character. What does Geralt know about sailing? etc

So If anyone have any details about what CDProj have in mind regarding what is mentioned above, please let me know.

Anyone?

 

[eva02langley]

The problem here is that CDPR opened a pandora box when they said we want our fans opinion. I really believe it is going to produce a train wreck if they are not careful. Be careful CDPR, it's your game, not your fans game.

 

[Randomdrowner2015]

The problem here is that CDPR opened a pandora box when they said we want our fans opinion. I really believe it is going to produce a train wreck if they are not careful. Be careful CDPR, it's your game, not your fans game.

No doubt about that. Its all about "separating the wheat from the chaff" and deliver something that you as a maker and producer can be satisfied and proud of.

 

[GuyNwah]

The problem here is that CDPR opened a pandora box when they said we want our fans opinion. I really believe it is going to produce a train wreck if they are not careful. Be careful CDPR, it's your game, not your fans game.

When you do that, it's like throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what will stick. That's not to say it's bad. It's just messy and random.

CDPR have been good at listening for what is thoughtful, well developed, fitting, and feasible. They've incorporated fan suggestions and fan work before, and they'll do so again when it's appropriate. The fact that they don't comment on everybody's pet idea or bete noire is not a sign that they're not listening. If I were in their shoes, I wouldn't either; it's too easy for things a developer says casually in the way of commenting on or trying to expand on an idea to be taken as some sort of promise.

So this activity is going to be messy. It's going to produce disagreements and confusion. At the end of the day, it's the developers' job to synthesize it into a coherent whole, and that's the time we should let them do their job.

 

[dragonbird]

The problem here is that CDPR opened a pandora box when they said we want our fans opinion. I really believe it is going to produce a train wreck if they are not careful. Be careful CDPR, it's your game, not your fans game.

Yes, they need to be careful, but they do need to get fans' opinions, positive and negative.

As Guy has pointed out, the danger comes in when a developer starts to make promises, or anything that remotely resembles a promise, to ACT on fans opinions. The same problems arise when a developer starts to share too much about the development progress just because fans want it. Too much can change, and those changes come across as broken promises.

We've seen from the videos that they read the forums on TW2, and have acted on the feedback in quite a few areas - the QTEs, the unbalanced combat, various other combat issues. This all probably came from reading the forums, but CDPR didn't respond at the time, they just took note and decided to do better. I'd expect the same to happen regarding TW3 feedback now - they'll read it, they'll make some changes based on what people are saying, but they won't be posting in the forums to say so.

 

[Agent_Blue]

The problem here is that CDPR opened a pandora box when they said we want our fans opinion. I really believe it is going to produce a train wreck if they are not careful. Be careful CDPR, it's your game, not your fans game.

Honestly?

Do you believe the same ballsy people who just criticized one of the most popular RPGs of all time in front of a camera would then chicken out or loose focus and drive and give in to every fan's whim?

Nah, it's possible, but I don't think so. I'm sure Todd Howard thought SKyrim's UI was the greatest thing since sliced brioche but it took thousand's of added up fans' play hours to provide convincing testimonial that it's not.

Additionally, this forum appears quite small, homogenous and sound to me, if you compare it against some other places where games are discussed. They won't have much trouble sifting through the posts.