[SPOILERS] Guides are wrong (?) about Ciri's fate

[Scaena]

[SPOILERS] Guides are wrong (?) about Ciri's fate

**** WARNING: heavy spoilers about the ending coming through****

Acknowledgment - There are already many threads regarding the game's endings, but this specific thread points out a specific subject. I ask the mods, if need to, to move it to another appropriate thread. Thank you.

So, after 320 hours I finished my first playthrough, and although I enjoyed the outcome, it was not what I was expecting - Ciri becomes empress.
Because I didn't want any spoilers, I never looked out for what endings I might get, but after I ended it, I looked for them.

From the three possible endings I prefered the one that Ciri becomes a witcher. Now here comes the thing. ALL the guides I've seen after, mention that for that ending to trigger, is mandatory that Geralt CAN'T go to with Ciri to Vizima to see the Emperor during the "Blood on the Battlefield" main quest and go straight to Velen. I did go see Emperor and also did all the side quests, including Reason of state and siding with Roche. So all fits in and Ciri becomes empress.

But something was bugging me. I went with Ciri to see lodge, and now I know that it counts as not being a positive reaction towards Ciri. And also, I gave a thought about the result of Reason of State and I made the decision to go back, load the beginning of Final Preparations (chapter III) and made some changes.

Before I put my huge tin foil hat, I would like you to know all my decisions (at least, regarding to the guides, the ones that are important to Ciri's fate):

1- Blood on the Battlefield - played snowball with Ciri (she's happy)
2- Blood on the Battlefield - Went to see the emperor (more on this latter)
3 - While at the emperor - I didn't accept his money (Ciri's happy)
** This is where I reloaded a previous save ***
4- Reason of State side quest - (Dijkstra takes command and Roche dies)
5- Final preparations - Ciri goes alone to see the Lodge (Ciri's happy)
6- Child of Elder Blood - Where we wrecked Avalac'h's laboratory (Ciri's happy)
7- Went with Ciri to see Skjall's grave (Ciri's happy)

Other pertinent Side Quests previously done:
8- An Eye for an Eye
9- A Deadly Plot
10- Redania's Most Wanted

Boom, Ciri is alive, white frost is gone and she has a brand new Witcher sword.
To be clear only the points that differ from my two endings of Ciri the Empress and Ciri the Witcher are points 4 and 5.
I could have done everything the same again, but this time going again with Ciri to the lodge, but being honest, I don't really want to do all that again.

*** TIN FOIL HAT ON ***
One thing I think it might be pertinent, is how you choose to go (or not) to see the emperor in Blood on the Battlefied. If you remember, it goes like this:
You face two options first (the wording is not exact):

1- Visit the Emperor
2- Go to Velen

If you choose to visit the emperor, Ciri will ask Geralt if he thinks she could go. Here are the choices:
1- Yes, she should go
2- No, she shouldn't
3- Geralt says she should make her own decision.

If you choose the 3rd option, Ciri really wants Geralt's opinion and you are left with the final decision:
1- Go see the emperor
2- Go to Velen

The fact that Geralt demonstrates that he does not want to impose his decision to Ciri by choosing: "Gotta make your own decision" (even if it's Geralt that makes the last call) might be important in how the game sees the confidence Geralt gives to Ciri.

I also conclude that not going with Ciri to the lodge is only important depending on how many positive "points" you already have. Unless this action adds/removes more "points" to her happiness/confidence than we expect to.

Finally, Reason of State - or the lack of it. Although it might seem awkward, I think this is the most game changing decision regarding wheter Ciri becames an empress or a witcher and not the trip to see the emperor. If Nilfgardian wins the war, Ciri becomes Empress. Of course you still require to have a certain amount of happiness "points" regarding Ciri.
Got to mention that if you don't do the side quests that leads to Nilfgardian win the war, Radovid will take charge of the north, and so, Ciri won't be an empress - Can someone confirm this please?

*** TIN FOIL HAT OFF ***

Need to mention, that when Ciri is going to face the White Frost and we see her memories, the one that she is with Geralt in Vizima holding hands with him and she smiles after he declines the reward it's also present.

TLDR
1- Although many guides says it's mandatory to NOT visit the Emperor during "Blood on the Battlefield" main quest for Ciri to become a witcher. I went to see the emperor and Ciri is now a witcher. Also I think the Nilfgaardian winning the war is the prime decision for Ciri become an empress.
2- That, or not going with Ciri to see the lodge has a bigger impact then we might think.
3- Or, it's just a bug introduced in patch 1.0? and it was supposed to happen like the guides state.


As anyone experienced the same thing?
Thank you for reading and sorry for my bad english!

 

[Arianann]

This was already known and talked about for a while. In fact, the Prima guide, which came out same time as the release of the game, had all of these outcomes. It's all about how many "good" or "bad" points you have with Ciri, and the outcome of "Reason of State".

 

[thewerewolf01]

Not only does Ciri need to see the emperor, Nilfgaard needs to win the war. If you finish Reason of State in favor of Djikstra, or if you ignore the quest altogether so Radovid doesn't die, then Nilfgaard doesn't take the north and the emperor is killed by his own subjects who insurrect against him. As a result Ciri does not become empress as her father isn't there to hand over the throne to her.

The empress ending therefore has the most requirements, you need to 1) inspire Ciri by having at least 3 out of 5 "good points" with her, 2) she needs to see the emperor, AND 3) Nilfgaard needs to rule. If #1 is false she dies, if #2 or #3 are false she becomes a witcher.

As above poster said this has been known for a while, the guides aren't wrong.

 

[Scaena]

Not only does Ciri need to see the emperor, Nilfgaard needs to win the war

I think you didn't understand what the point was (if not, my apologies). What I quote, I already stated previously, and that's why I got Ciri the Empress end. All correct and nothing to add, but was not the point.
My point was, many guides state that for the Ciri the Witcher ending to happen, is mandatory that you don't go to Vizima with Ciri to visit the emperor, and that is not true (as you can read in the OP). So it's not like you said and I quote: "... if #2 OR #3 are false she becomes a witcher". I got her to be a witcher with #1True, #2True and #3 False.

Anyway, thanks for replying. Cheers!

 

[dragonbird]

So you've read some guides that are wrong? Or you misread the guides? The Prima Guide is clear, and what it says matches the game.

- For Ciri to die, you need to make the wrong choices for the majority of Ciri decisions (Drinking instead of Snowballs, Taking coin from Emhyr, Going with her to the Lodge, Giving her the necklace, Not visiting the grave)
- For Ciri to live and become Empress, you need to make the right choices for the majority of the Ciri decisions (Snowballs, refusing coin from Emhyr, telling her to visit the Lodge alone, trashing the lab, visiting the grave) AND she needs to have visited Emhyr AND Emhyr must still be in power (Reasons of State completed, Roche decision)
- Everything else gives you Ciri as a witcher.

Some websites rushed to put a guide within a few days of the game coming out, and those guides were written by people who hadn't actually played the game. If they're wrong, maybe you could point it out to them?

 

[thewerewolf01]

So it's not like you said and I quote: "... if #2 OR #3 are false she becomes a witcher". I got her to be a witcher with #1True, #2True and #3 False.

That is exactly what I said. :| If #2 OR #3, i.e. either one of them, are false, she becomes a witcher. You need #2 AND #3, i.e. both of them, true for her to become empress. In your ending, #1 was true but #3 was false, ergo she becomes a witcher.

The majority of guides I've found for this game have been corrected in recent months so they're much more accurate now than they were when the game was first released, so perhaps you are misreading them as Dragonbird said?

 

[Scaena]

That is exactly what I said. :| If #2 OR #3, i.e. either one of them, are false, she becomes a witcher. You need #2 AND #3, i.e. both of them, true for her to become empress. In your ending, #1 was true but #3 was false, ergo she becomes a witcher.

The majority of guides I've found for this game have been corrected in recent months so they're much more accurate now than they were when the game was first released, so perhaps you are misreading them as Dragonbird said?

Sorry mate, you're dead right. I misread and I apologise for that.
This thread was supposed to be about some type of warning for those that just google "how to get X ending" and don't mind to be spoiled and in the end just get a crappy guide. Well, I did a pretty messy job on that, but fortunately you guys explained it much better than me. I didn't mention the Prima Games guide because it's not directly available to everyone. Theirs is accurate and it was a poor choice of words on my part to not mention it in the first place, appearing that ALL guides are incorrect.

@Dragonbird - Just would like to make it clear that although I have the Prima Games guide, I didn't use it (or any other one) to follow up choices in what regards to story/questing. I just got curious after I ended my first run.

No more beating on the dead horse. Thanks all for the input and lets move along. NG+ it's on our doorstep!

:cheers:

 

[ilanther]

If #1 is false she dies,

All that is known for sure is that she hasn't been seen since Tor Gvalcha events, nothing more. She may be dead, but she may live in one of the other worlds. It is up to your imagination and interpretation, but you cannot state this as definitive. I understand that for you she dies, but for me and many others she lives. Maybe she's with Sir Galahad again?

 

[cyberpunkforever]

if nilfgaard wins the war, ciri can also become witcher, everything depends on the happiness points

 

[ale666]

if nilfgaard wins the war, ciri can also become witcher, everything depends on the happiness points

Ciri can become a witcher even if radovid wins, did this on my last playthrough just to screw van emries over, there are some neat little details which are different in the ending sequence.

 

[Suffragette]

When I finished the game Ciri became a witcher and Temeria became a vassal state of Nilfgaard, even though I failed Reason of State. (I did all the parts, killed Dijkstra, but got a message I'd failed the quest anyway.) After the battle, while I was getting Ciri's sword for her, I found a bunch of Nilfgaardian soldiers fleeing from Radovid's men, even though Radovid is supposed to be dead. Did I get a different ending because I failed Reason of State? Is Radovid really still alive? Does he rule a free Redania while Temeria becomes a Nilfgaardian vassal? The summing up at the end didn't say one way or the other. I'm confused.

 

[Paprikamann]

When I finished the game Ciri became a witcher and Temeria became a vassal state of Nilfgaard, even though I failed Reason of State. (I did all the parts, killed Dijkstra, but got a message I'd failed the quest anyway.) After the battle, while I was getting Ciri's sword for her, I found a bunch of Nilfgaardian soldiers fleeing from Radovid's men, even though Radovid is supposed to be dead. Did I get a different ending because I failed Reason of State? Is Radovid really still alive? Does he rule a free Redania while Temeria becomes a Nilfgaardian vassal? The summing up at the end didn't say one way or the other. I'm confused.

That's (probably) a bug. Other users have mentioned it, too.

 

[Suffragette]

That's (probably) a bug. Other users have mentioned it, too.

Thank you...I'll search for it. Sorry to re-post a known issue.