Stealth in TW3

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Stealth in TW3

I'm a huge fan of stealth in games, and I'd love to see some in TW3.

Now, I realise the stealth sections pretty much sucked in TW2, BUT: how about, rather than creating semi-forced stealth sections (nobody likes those!), we'd just get some gameplay tools to facilitate stealth in general? You know, a sneaking movement stance that lowers detection, and some knockout/backstab moves? I think this could work with the open world. Of course, I'm not suggesting a path for turning Geralt into an invisible assasin (Skyrim was ridiculous in this regard), just having the option when it's realistically possible.

What's everyone's thoughts?
 
Could work nicely for scouting monsters' lairs, assessing the situation and creating tactics, setting up traps, etc.

Count me in, as long as it isn't working in all cases (there should be monsters whose senses are too fine to sneak around anywhere near them, something which research will tell you) and as long as we don't end up stealing everybody's homes clean.
 
Just have us tap a button for stealth mode, but it will only trigger if lighting and cover conditions are right. I'd like it for both monsters and humans if possible. What I don't want is Oblivion style sneaking around a village and having towns people and guards say, 'Hey! You there!...Watch it!" Stuff like that would look ridiculous in The Witcher so don't even make it an option. We only sneak around enemies. Then add appropriate animations for neck breaking, stabbing etc. for people, but use a standard attack animation for monsters and give us crit. damage. Maybe even have stealth integrated on the talent tree.
 
Yeah, it would be nice. But it must be an option (with better results more often than not, of course) and there must be an adaptation to the environment. It would be ridiculous if your head is visible over the crate you are using as cover and they still don't see you.
 
CDPR could take a lot of pointers from fantastic stealth games like Thief and SC Chaos Theory. Noise, light and other elements can be implemented. Forced stealth sections suck, and turning Geralt into a stealth ghost as a player option (like Skyrim) will also suck, just like you said OP.

And like slimgrin said, make it around enemies only, because creeping around a village or an empty field would totally kill the experience. Still, not forced around certain enemies/places, but an OPTION :)
 
AhmadMetallic said:
CDPR could take a lot of pointers from fantastic stealth games like Thief and SC Chaos Theory. Noise, light and other elements can be implemented. Forced stealth sections suck, and turning Geralt into a stealth ghost as a player option (like Skyrim) will also suck, just like you said OP.

And like slimgrin said, make it around enemies only, because creeping around a village or an empty field would totally kill the experience. Still, not forced around certain enemies/places, but an OPTION :)/>

They shouldn't go over the top with this. A simple mechanic with toggle sneaking on/off that will work as long as you stay out of sight and ocassional "monster heard something, so hold still for a moment"-events will suffice, I think.
CDPR have burdened themselves with enough work, as is, I think, so complex stealth mechanics should be far down their priority lists.


I can imagine having it in the skill trees though. Replacing Training/Magic/Alchemy/Swordsmanship with Training/Preparation/Combat could work nicely. The former including talents to improve stealth, traps, potions, poison, probably yyrden, the latter including swordsmanship, bombs, throwing knives, signs. Of course you can still focus more on certain aspects in every tree than on others.
Just what came to mind, spontaneously, can't tell if there's any major flaws or something, but choosing between a more preparation-heavy and a more direct approach, seems more witcher-y to me than choosing between melee-heavy and signs-heavy. Never felt the urge to go anywhere near the magic tree, tbh.
 
With inclusion of the kind of awkward, but fun stealth sections in TW2 setting a bit of a precdent I'm curious what folks would think about the inclusion of some level of stealth mechanics in TW3?

To clarify, I'm not suggesting turning Geralt into Garrett (though I do think they share some similarities in personality) . I don't think that pickpocketing, throat slitting or lock picking are called for. I recognize that Geralt is a predefined character with canon from both books and games detailing his personality and behavior. And, as much as I like stealth games, I'm not looking to turn him into an assassin or burglar. However, I would argue that he is exceptionally pragmatic and will utilize any tool at his disposal. While, I don't see him breaking into homes to loot the good silver, I DO see him quietly following a monster to its lair, scouting out the lair while the monster sleeps and prepping his chosen battle ground to keep the odds in his favor (ie, laying an ambush).

To me, this has the potential to add another strategic element to prepping for taking down a big monster... Investigation about a monster's location/habits/strengths/weaknesses, track or follow monster to lair, equip the right weapons/armor/potions/signs, lay traps, fight.

Thoughts?
 
Here's a thread on the subject I started sometime ago: http://en.thewitcher.com/forum/index.php?/topic/34100-stealth-in-tw3/
 
Well I was rather opposed to it before reading your post, but you convince me, that if done right, it could add something. Good post. ;)
 
Whoa, thanks for the link Kodaemon. Pretty much exactly the type of thing I was thinking... Great minds ;)/>.
 
Tough question. TW2 stealth is indeed mediocre, but it was a nice break from combat only. I tend to associate Witchers with stealth. Basically, if they can't do it better than TW2, then don't bother. If they can, it has great potential in monster hunting and infiltration scenarios( Keadweni camp, chapter 2.)
 
Please no.
The parts in TW2 felt extremely out of place, and were kind of obnoxious since it was obviously thrown in as a second thought. I would rather have them just spend time on what this series is good at - no one plays these games for its riveting stealth sequences.
 
I like stealth games in general. I liked the stealth sequences in TW2, even though stealth mechanics had a lot to be desired, and I do not mind to have a stealth approach to some missions as on option. May be not a forced stealth in order to successfully complete a quest though, but one of the options.
 
if they could somehow emulate the stealth from assassin's creed 3... it would be excellent. Geralt would need traversal moves where he climbs things, crouches, rolls, and snaps to cover. not necessarily "snap" but something along the lines of Tomb raider where he crouches automatically behind cover, but isn't stuck to the cover.
 
slimgrin said:
Just have us tap a button for stealth mode, but it will only trigger if lighting and cover conditions are right. I'd like it for both monsters and humans if possible. What I don't want is Oblivion style sneaking around a village and having towns people and guards say, 'Hey! You there!...Watch it!" Stuff like that would look ridiculous in The Witcher so don't even make it an option. We only sneak around enemies. Then add appropriate animations for neck breaking, stabbing etc. for people, but use a standard attack animation for monsters and give us crit. damage. Maybe even have stealth integrated on the talent tree.
excellent points. I agree wholeheartedly with ur points. Maybe you hit a button to go into a scouting mode to learn about enemies and set traps. I always thought that the way the witcher set traps in the middle of battle in witcher 2 was weird. and no sneaking in towns or near NPCs.

Geralt is a rogue anyway, so this works perfectly. Imagine scouting to learn secrets and using that info in dialogue option.s
 
I loved stealth in TW2, it was handled much like in Deux Ex: HR and allowed you to avoid killing. But I'd like this approach to be universal, I mean, ok you could avoid killing some guards but why were you happily killing them at other times?

(Act 1 spoiler) For example, if you refuse Iorveth's stupid plan of running through the whole town with swords and instead lead him to the barge as a prisoner, you're still forced to kill the guards on the barge. And Geralt implies that it's ok, after all, they're paid by Loredo. C'mon, why in that case did you care not to kill them earlier while engaging in thievery at Loredo's? Surely Geralt could instead put Iorveth in a cell and crawl around the ship removing the guards or something. Otherwise it's really strange behavior, as if he changed his mind and decided that killing guards is ok, after all.
 
I'd like to see Geralt in a Loredo's situation: secretly infiltrating in the enemy's house and stealing some objects incidentally which can be useful to him. It makes more sense than to steal the homes of the poor people.... This would be more closer to Geralt The Hunt-Monsters
 
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