somewhat disappointed by Ciri's storyline [SPOILERS]

[sparrow_ger]

somewhat disappointed by Ciri's storyline [SPOILERS]

The Witcher 3 was an amazing experience, surely one of the best games of the recent years. However, I found the ending of the Ciri storyline (and the mechanisms behind it) quite disappointing. I played the game as I play all non-linear games: I never looked in a walkthrough and just made all decisions in a way that felt right to me. I ended up with the worst possible ending (Geralt sitting alone in a hut, which is swarmed by monsters).
At first I thought: Wow, did I do so much wrong? Is it really that hard to get positive endings in this game?
So I got curious and looked for an ending guide. When I read about the mechanisms that decide about the ending, I was very disappointed (to say the least). But before going into the details, let's look at the final of the Bloody Baron sidequest first, which is an exceptional example for what non-linear storytelling should be like.

Bloody Baron storyline (last part):
I decided to free the "horse-demon". I was really surprised when I saw that this eventually lead to the death of the Baron and his wife. But when I decided to help the "horse-demon", I knew that I was helping the kids, but also taking a risk by releasing some dangerous entity. After seeing the results of this action, I understood the chain of events. I also knew what I could have done different, to get a different outcome. And the ending wasn't all good or bad, since at least the kids were saved.
To sum it up:
- I knew when I was making an important decision
- the outcome was surprising, but understandable
- the outcome wasn't just good or bad
- I know what I could have done different to change the outcome

Unfortunately everything that was done right here, was done wrong in the Ciri storyline.

Ciri storyline:
Of the countless dialogues you have with Ciri, only 5 have an influence on her surviving the ending or not. Those dialogues choices weren't even anything special, so I had no idea at all that they would decide Ciri's fate, while all other dialogues are totally irrelevant.
Even after looking it up in an ending guide, it doesn't make sense to me. To let her survive the ending, I most get more positive than negative points from those 5 dialogues. When she asks me to participate at a meeting with sorceresses I have to refuse to earn a positive point. But when she asks me to accompany her while visiting a grave of some dude from Skellige (who she only knew for two days or so) I have to agree. How the hell was I supposed to know that those decisions would influence the ending, without looking into a walkthrough? I also didn't like that the endings split in bad (Ciri dies) or good (Ciri lives) ones.
To sum it up:
- I had no idea when I was making important decisions
- the outcome wasn't understandable at all
- the outcome was just bad
- I had no idea what I could have done different to change the outcome, before looking into a walkthrough

While I didn't like the mechanics that lead to Ciri's fate at all, I found the Triss/Yen story and it's effect on Geralt's fate done way better:

Triss/Yen storyline:
In my ending Geralt ended up alone. I was romancing Triss and Yen, because I thought it would end up as it does in Bioware games (threesome or forced decision). I was surprised to see that this course of action lead to Geralt be refused by both ladies. But I understood it. Geralt was basically cheating both of them and got what he deserved. I knew when I was making important decisions with regards to the romances and I know what I could have done different, to get a different outcome.
To sum it up:
- I knew when I was making important decisions
- the outcome was surprising, but understandable
- the outcome was just bad, but well deserved
- I know what I could have done different to change the outcome

I think it's a shame that Ciri's storyline, which is basically the main storyline of the game, is one of the worst designed ones. And that's not only because of the stupid mechanisms that lead to the outcome. There are other issues as well (Eredin speaking less sentences throughout the whole story than Dijkstra's Troll; rushed events after Eredin's death; ...), but this text is long enough already

 

[Willowhugger]

I think they were trying to illustrate to players that Ciri is in a very vulnerable emotional place and your decisions are going to be more meaningful to her than you might think.

 

[Scholdarr.452]

I think they were trying to illustrate to players that Ciri is in a very vulnerable emotional place and your decisions are going to be more meaningful to her than you might think.

Yes, they were "trying hard"...and that's about it.

That sums it up pretty well. :shuriken:

 

[DeGorro82]

Just looking from different angle.

1.- Ciri are running when on her youth age, this make her fragile as she had to escape from a horde sadistic army. Plus, she's not ordinary "Run+Escape+Hide". She had to cross inter-dimension and had to adapt to the new world ASAP. Then when she can adjust to the new world, her teleport-trail are found by the hunt, and she had to jumping over and over again. This making her life from youth to young adult (Age 21) pretty scary.

1.+ So, when she met with person who be nice to her, praise her and defending her, this will melt her heart. This apply to the Skellige dude.

2.- After she's running and jumping dimension, she decide now is the time to get helped by Geralt and Yennefer. Eventually they met, she give her life-safety to the hand of Geralt and Yen. But this eventually led to death of Vesemir and hard work from other people who helped on the Kaer Morhen's defense. She's disappointed with herself to let other got hurt by the Wild hunt were it shouldn't be happen if she's not asking Geralt's help. This lead her to make decision that her own safety and future are not for them to control or help that could hurt back people around them.

2.+ When Geralt allow her to met the Lodge of Sorceress alone, she's respect Geralt for knowing her wish, that she can also do something for herself without other interrupt her decision.

3.- Drinking as we know not making problem go aways, and instead, we will thinking about that over and over again. Her past running from the hunts is a bad experience, plus Vesemir death. Drinking making worst of all.

3.+ By playing snow ball, she's not thinking about her past life and worries about the hunt. For a single moment, she just feeling happy playing snow ball. No wild hunt, just happy throw snow ball.

4. We all agree, Geralt accepting money from Emhyr is just outrage.

5.- Ciri had been travel together with Avallach for some times and he help Ciri a lot of times from a dire situation. Again, as Ciri never live a normal life... any good treatment to her are considered highly valued. Ciri knows that using her jumping inter-dimension would be sniffed by the Wild Hunt, but she sacrifice it so she can find the cure to lifted Avallach's curse. Remember, the reason Ciri appear was because Avallach got cursed by Eredin. If this never happen, Ciri had a small chance appearing to her homeworld.

5.+ When Ciri discover that Avallach intention was not to help her sincerely, this broken her heart. Avallach was experimenting her. Avallach's lover also tell Ciri that, he hate Ciri for have the Elder Blood. Why ? Because Elder Blood were begin by Lara Dorren who Avallach love and engaged. But break the words and choose a human sorcerer in the past. He despise a Lara Dorren's blood that inside a human. Knowing this, Ciri gone mad. But Geralt can swift her anger towards having fun destroying Avallach's office, so she won't go deep anger but let the problem go.

So atleast this is what I thought that Ciri characteristic are became confident to fight the White Frost, and she had the reason why have to fight AND survive.