The ending cinematic

[vindafarna]

The ending cinematic

Has anyone else seen the ending cinematic yet? It's quite amazing, and definitely gets me excited for The Witcher 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMlnNGubaeI

 

[whiplash27]

That was awesome. Although TW1's ending was still a bit more epic .

 

[dementedsheep]

Awesome!
Although that is one dumb rabbit.

 

[username_3586968]

I thought it was very very well done too - but I also felt it lacked something...

In my mind's eye I suppose I was expecting the Nilfgaardian crossing of the Yaruga to be in the rain, Emhyr var Emreis, the Emperor himself, watching his forces cross, perhaps a bit of dialogue from him to a General referencing the big spoiler from the books - in vein with the grittiness and dread of the situation...


Still an excellent ending...well done CD PROJEKT

 

[KnightofPhoenix]

The outro is very badass! Great intimidating music, awesome scenery and graphics. I can't wait for TW3!!

 

[Babli.480]

Just finished the game and saw this.

Simply magnificent.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

It's brilliant indeed, but i noticed that the horsemen that crushed the guy on the bridge, they are somehow not dressed in black as most Nilfgardians throughout the game, it is not important at all though, i am just a fanatic, haha!

 

[username_3586968]

I think the Nilfgardians you meet in the game are an elite detachment of the Impera Brigade (the Imperial Guard) attached to protecting Ambassador Fitz-Oesterlen during his travels in the North. Hence their uniform and armour is probably a bit different to the regular troops of the Nilgardian army - hence the full plate and grandiose detail. It could also be that these troops were especially equipped with a grandiose uniform to impress and instill fear in the Nordlings during Fitz-Oesterlen's meetings (that parts of the uniforms are dress uniforms not practical for the Brigade in war - a detail which I vaguely remember from the books).

Those horseman in the outro are probably a light cavalry scouting detachment being sent ahead of the initial echelons of the divisions of the Imperial Army crossing that section of the Yaruga - so their armour is probably designed to be light to allow them to move quickly. They are also at war - no need for the dress elements like the feathers we saw with the Impera at Loc Munne.

The Imperial Army is massive (in the books the Army had at least 300,000 men (perhaps more) crossing on both fronts at the Start of the Nilfgaardian spring offensive during the 2nd War - with at least 160,000 in the West Front (the Center Army Group tasked with the conquest of Temeria) and 46,000 men concentrated at Brenna. For this invasion it must be crossing the Yaruga at multiple points during this new invasion (the outro depicts just a fraction of the Empire's forces).

It makes sense that the Imperials have sent forward small scouting detachments ahead of each crossing force at each ford - a force that big needs a lot of eyes ahead of it.

The North is in for a very rough war.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

Damn i am so excited for that, Radovid, Henselt, and/or Saskia would also make it a tough war for Emperor Emhyr though.

 

[username_3586968]

Indeed.

Henselt/Saskia/Stennis will especially make it tough - the Pontar Valley proved almost impossible for the Imperials to conquer during the 2nd War and as the game tells us "he who controls the valley controls the North". Kaedwen stopped the Imperials all along the Pontar Valley during the 2nd War due (if I remember correctly) their occupation of the valley from Aedirn (Henselt and his General Margrave Mansfeld did a backhand deal with the Emperor which meant Kaedwen got the Pontar in exchange for not interfering with the Imperial conquest of Aederin but Henselt went back on it amd rejoined the war effort of the Northern Kingdoms after the Imperial Spring Offensive). Prior to the Battle of Brenna the valley was a stalemate for the North and the Empire, with a slight advantage to the Northern Kingdoms due to the terrain.

If Aedirn (Saskia or Stennis) or Kaedwen forces can hold the fords of the Pontar and places like Vergan the Imperials will have a very hard time in penetrating further. If the North can hold the Valley it will effectively split the Imperial war effort on to two fronts (due to the valley and the Mahakam mountains) - which proved vital in thwarting the Imperials during the second war and prevented them from concentrating their full strength at Brenna. If the Imperials take the valley and regroup their Western and Eastern Fronts on the Pontar all is lost for the North.

It's the Western Front - Temeria and Redania which will probably suffer the initial and most powerful hammer blows though. The Emperor especially will be seeking to avenge his bloody nose from Brenna on those two kingdoms which especially thwarted his forces in the West....

 

[Aver]

Indeed.

Henselt/Saskia/Stennis will especially make it tough - the Pontar Valley proved almost impossible for the Imperials to conquer during the 2nd War

They didn't conquered it because they had pact with Henselt. Not because they wasn't able to do so. They also had pact with Foltest. They just wanted to conquer all kingdoms one by one.

They won't have any problems with conquering Pontar Valley. They are not doing this in Henselt style. They just keep sieges until defenders starve to death or surrender.

 

[username_3586968]

Henselt successfully held up the Entire Eastern Army Group under Ardal aep Dahy in the Pontar valley after the beginning of the Spring Offensive - this was after their pact failed. This failure by the Eastern Army meant that the Western Army had no support at Brenna.

Besides the Pontar is established to be difficult to take and relatively easy to defend (if you have a reasonably good commander). You could easily resupply most of those towns as long as you control the opposite bank.

Yes the Nilfgaardians might try constant sieges of Vergan and other places but it would be difficult to maintain those considering the wider geography of the Pontar - the mountains would make getting supplies through to the besiegers difficult and there is no way that the surrounding countryside could sustain a large invading force for long. It would also act against their strategic goals of linking up the Western and Eastern Fronts, North of the the Mahakam mountains and on the Pontar.

Sieges take time, effort, resources and tie down loads of troops (making those troops useless beyond the local operations against isolated and relatively insignificant towns and forts and vulnerable to disease due to their concentration). If the Nilfgaardians want to avoid making the same mistake they made in the 2nd war (the failure of the Eastern Army to secure the Pontar and cross North of the Mahakam mountains and be there to support the Western Army at Brenna) they are going to have to move more quickly than they did in the previous conflict - which could play into the hands of the Nordlings in the Pontar if they have enough good troops and a good commander there.

 

[Aver]

Henselt successfully held up the Entire Eastern Army Group under Ardal aep Dahy in the Pontar valley after the beginning of the Spring Offensive - this was after their pact failed. This failure by the Eastern Army meant that the Western Army had no support at Brenna.

Kristin did the same thing with with Western army. It's easy to keep army busy. It's harder to defeat it.

Sieges take time, effort, resources and tie down loads of troops (making those troops useless beyond the local operations against isolated and relatively insignificant towns and forts and vulnerable to disease due to their concentration).

But it's their tactic and it works perfect. Infantry keep sieges and cavalry going deep into country. They have the best cavalry on the world and infantry is just burden (too slow to keep up with main army) for it anyway.

Blitzkrieg all the way.

 

[raptorrex888]

Those Nilfgardians just never learn do they?

"We got beaten the last two times we tried this"
"Maybe THIS time will be different"

 

[Aver]

Those Nilfgardians just never learn do they?

"We got beaten the last two times we tried this"
"Maybe THIS time will be different"

In past they have beaten mainly because of wizards. Twice. Now there are no wizards in Northern Kingdoms.

 

[username_3586968]

Kristin did the same thing with with Western army. It's easy to keep army busy. It's harder to defeat it.

On the Western Front the terrain was different than it is in the Pontar valley. That terrain denied the Imperials their ability to maneuver and allowed Henselt and Demawend to defeat the Eastern Army by a process of sound tactical defence followed by speedy counter attacks after the defeat of the Central Army at Brenna. Whereas in the Western Front the Nordlings had to send support from the Central Front to finish off de Wett's force as the terrain (while suitable for guerrilla warfare) was not conductive to allow the Nordlings to win through such tactics alone. The Eastern Nordling Forces defeated the Eastern Nilfgaardian army without support from the Central or Western Front.

The terrain in the Pontar proved crucial 1. it denied the Nilfgaardians their ability to move their cavalry as effectively. 2. use of strategic points in that terrarin forced the Eastern army to detach seizable forces to deal with strongholds which could not be bypassed due to the mountains in the Pontar valley and 3. the terrain forced Ardal aep Dahy to deploy his forces over too great a distance - allowing the Nordlings to defeat him piece by piece as he retreated south and before his force was cut to bits at Aldersberg - him with it.

But it's their tactic and it works perfect. Infantry keep sieges and cavalry going deep into country. They have the best cavalry on the world and infantry is just burden (too slow to keep up with main army) for it anyway.

Blitzkrieg all the way.

Their tactic was to isolate strong points - not to besiege them unless absolute necessary (such as when investing an important strongpoint or city). Getting caught up in multiple and ineffective siege battle runs counter to the tactic of blitzkrieg - it slows down the whole advance and just destroys all momentum. Ardal aep Dahy's decision to besiege and burn every village and city he could take in Aedirn and the Pontar slowed his advance to a crawl and prevented him of completely his main objective - cross and debouch the Pontar and join Coehoorn and the Central Army Group for the main battle at Brenna.

Cavalry without infantry support (and viz versa) is suicide - many a battle and campaign has been lost by cavalry running off and not co-ordinating their movements or attacks with the infantry and the other troop types (countless battles of the medieval and early modern period attest to this). Nilfgaard might have the best cavalry in the world but a force that relies on a single arms component to win battles or has them so isolated that they have no other support is doomed to failure. Even if your infantry are rubbish - it is best to have them on the field supporting you and not 20 miles away besieging a useless strongpoint that can be easily bypassed.

In past they have beaten mainly because of wizards. Twice. Now there are no wizards in Northern Kingdoms.

Only on certain paths there are no mages. And I don't think all of them were either at Loc Munne or caught up in the following massacres. Surely a number must have survived...particularly those who aligned themselves with the Kings in the first place.

 

[Aver]

On the Western Front the terrain was different than it is in the Pontar valley.

And what is your point? King Kristin still engaged whole western army using only his army of rebels.

It's not like they lost in Pontar Valley. They just were stuck there. Just like on the west side of front. If they just would be patient they would win.

Cavalry without infantry support (and viz versa) is suicide - many a battle and campaign has been lost by cavalry running off and not co-ordinating their movements or attacks with the infantry and the other troop types (countless battles of the medieval and early modern period attest to this). Nilfgaard might have the best cavalry in the world but a force that relies on a single arms component to win battles or has them so isolated that they have no other support is doomed to failure. Even if your infantry are rubbish - it is best to have them on the field supporting you and not 20 miles away besieging a useless strongpoint that can be easily bypassed.

We can't compare Witcher world to medieval times. Have you heard about an army of 300 000 men in our history? We are talking about fantasy world. Nilfgaard won most of main battles even tho they fought only using cavalry and I believe they will use same tactic again.

Only on certain paths there are no mages. And I don't think all of them were either at Loc Munne or caught up in the following massacres. Surely a number must have survived...particularly those who aligned themselves with the Kings in the first place.

Of course not everyone died, but what mage will help NK now? They slaughtered even innocent mages and they still hunt mages, even after Loc Muinne. They just dance like Nilfgaard wanted.

 

[username_3586968]

And what is your point? King Kristin still engaged whole western army using only his army of rebels.

It's not like they lost in Pontar Valley. They just were stuck there. Just like on the west side of front. If they just would be patient they would win.

My point is that Henselt beat the Eastern Army whereas Kristin did not defeat the Western Army and had to be saved by Temerian Reinforcements. I suggest that terrarian played a factor in Kristin's lack of success compared to Henselt. My ultimate point is that the Pontar Valley is difficult to conquer for anyone - Nilfgaard included. If it were not difficult to conquer then Nilfgaard would have taken it easily in the 2nd War due to their numerical superiority - the reality is they didn't.

We can't compare Witcher world to medieval times. Have you heard about an army of 300 000 men in our history? We are talking about fantasy world. Nilfgaard won most of main battles even tho they fought only using cavalry and I believe they will use same tactic again.

It's similar enough to allow some observations and comparisons to be made - not wild ones I grant you (yes there was no medieval armies numbering 300,000 strong in our world) - but the idea that you don't send in cavalry without infantry support of some kind is a strategy I think has precedent between the Witcher's world and our world - unless you can show otherwise. I mean if Blitzkrieg and sieges work in the world of the Witcher than surely infantry support for cavalry theory also works as well.

Which battles are you referring to? In all the major battles from the books I remember (from Sodden to Brenna) involving Nilfgaard I seem to recall Nilfgaard always involved some sort of infantry component. If not I'm sure these stories of the Nilfgaardians winning battles without any infantry support is a reference to some skirmish involving Imperial cavalry against undisciplined forces during the inital phases of both wars or an over statement of the power of the Imperialcavalry airbrushing out the actions of the Nilfgaardian equivalent of "the poor fucking infantry" in some of their victories.

Of course not everyone died, but what mage will help NK now? They slaughtered even innocent mages and they still hunt mages, even after Loc Muinne. They just dance like Nilfgaard wanted.

As I said - not every ending results in massacre. Some do, some don't. In some endings the mages are dependent on Redania to keep the conclave and council in existence. We must also remember how mages are treated in the Empire - much, much worse than they are treated in the North (even with occasional pogroms and massacres). For many mages (even if the massacre happens in your particular game) the coming War might come down to a choice between which pack of bastards to serve and I would hazard to guess many would pick the North out of fear of the Emperor's witch hunters scaring them more than what Radovid might do to them.

 

[Aver]

My point is that Henselt beat the Eastern Army whereas Kristin did not defeat the Western Army and had to be saved by Temerian Reinforcements.

Ok I did some reading and Eastern Army was beaten in southern Aedrin (not in Pontar Valley) - near Dol Blathanna and they lost because Central army was beaten. There didn't have plans to join central army in Brenna. Their task was to keep army of Keadwen and Aedrin from battle for Brenna.

Kristin didn't have reinforcements from Temeria. Cidaris and Skiellge helped him.

I agree that Pontar Valley isn't easy terrain but it shouldn't be a problem for Nilfgaardian army.

Which battles are you referring to? In all the major battles from the books I remember (from Sodden to Brenna) involving Nilfgaard I seem to recall Nilfgaard always involved some sort of infantry component. If not I'm sure its a reference to some skirmish involving Imperial cavalry against undisciplined forces or an over statement of the power of the Imperial nobility in the cavalry airbrushing out the actions of the Nilfgaardian equivalent of "the poor fucking infantry"

There was no Nilfgaardian infantry in battle for Brenna. About Sodden there is no such information if there was infantry or not. Someone said in books that Nilfgaard use infantry for sieges and keeping supplies lines safe and they use cavalry for main battles.

As I said - not every ending results in massacre. Some do, some don't. In some endings the mages are dependent on Redania to keep the conclave and council in existence. We must also remember how mages are treated in the Empire - much, much worse than they are treated in the North (even with occasional pogroms and massacres). For many mages (even if the massacre happens in your particular game) the coming War might come down to a choice between which pack of bastards to serve and I would hazard to guess many would pick the North out of fear of the Emperor's witch hunters scaring them more than what Radovid might do to them.

Most of great mages died on Thanned. Most of those who survived was in Lodge and if we are talking about mages then only Lodge did mater during second war. Now lodge is hated by Northern Kings. For me northern mages aren't worth a penny right now. But it's my opinion.

 

[KnightofPhoenix]

Those Nilfgardians just never learn do they?

"We got beaten the last two times we tried this"
"Maybe THIS time will be different"

They have 2 advantages now. 2 kings are dead with Temeria and Aedirn destabilized (potentially even Kaedwen). Nilfgaard can buy the loyalty of many nobles in either country (like they did with Maravel and potentially Louisa La Valette).
And at the very least the Lodge is defeated if not destroyed, and potentially a mage hunt took place.

On the flip side, they do not have Scoia'Tael allies to harass behind enemy lines.

But strategically, Emhyr's move is sound and his plan was ingeniously simple.