The Last Wish - How was it handled?

[Lesota]

I speak for none other than myself, but when I did read the interview with Sapowski, I did find his comments to be rude or demeaning towards games. There may have been something lost in translation to me.

He just generally grumpy and don't like games at all. For me and maybe I'm completely wrong, it seems that he don't want to recognize that he got international fame only because the games, not because his books. He was and is very popular in eastern Europe, maybe in western too, but his books don't even officially translated to english. Only after witcher1 they start slowly doing it.

 

[wright1978]

On that I agree with you, making the wish the reason they were in love was silly

But since they didn't develop the love triangle at all I'm at least happy that they gave us an option to reject Yen

There's a degree of it that up for interpretation. Does Geralt want to move on and is breaking the wish the last fetter. I'd prefer to have been able to acknowledge Triss as a reason, would have played well to yen's anger and bed throwing antics too.

 

[inanimate_object]

Ok this I can understand

Maybe they were just pissed that the writer of the books doesn't think of their games anything more than fanfiction
lol

But isn't that exactly what it is? CDPR took an existing piece of fiction and said what if.

 

[wright1978]

But isn't that exactly what it is? CDPR took an existing piece of fiction and said what if.

No they went and paid the author to adapt his characters and world into a continuative adaptation. Just because they decided to start after the last book doesn't make it any less valid an adaptation than thousands of films do to books every day.

 

[Zyvik]

I speak for none other than myself, but when I did read the interview with Sapowski, I did find his comments to be rude or demeaning towards games. There may have been something lost in translation to me.

I think Sapkowski was just tired of people asking him about the games,with which he had no involvement.

Also,you shouid always take everything that Sapkowski says with a grain of salt.He has a very peculiar sense of humor.He said once,that people almost never laugh at his jokes,in the best case scenerio they weep,and in the worst they punch him in the face.He's a male version of Yennefer in many ways.

 

[xxgwxx]

He just generally grumpy and don't like games at all. For me and maybe I'm completely wrong, it seems that he don't want to recognize that he got international fame only because the games, not because his books. He was and is very popular in eastern Europe, maybe in western too, but his books don't even officially translated to english. Only after witcher1 they start slowly doing it.

It's weird because I actually read that he cooperates with and advises gamemakers quite frequently.

 

[inanimate_object]

No they went and paid the author to adapt his characters and world into a continuative adaptation. Just because they decided to start after the last book doesn't make it any less valid an adaptation than thousands of films do to books every day.

Paying for the license means you have creative authority on whatever YOU produce. It has no claim on what the source material is. So in short, CDPR is producing fiction based off content they are clearly great fans of. There should be no controversy here. The game is a piece of fanfiction. I don't see what's wrong with Sapkowski drawing a clear line between where HIS creative property ends and where CDPR's creative property begins.

 

[Zyvik]

He just generally grumpy and don't like games at all. For me and maybe I'm completely wrong, it seems that he don't want to recognize that he got international fame only because the games, not because his books. He was and is very popular in eastern Europe, maybe in western too, but his books don't even officially translated to english. Only after witcher1 they start slowly doing it.

He never said,that he didn't like the games,he never played them and doesn't want to.He might come across as a bit arrogant,but it's important to remember,that The Witcher saga is the only polish fantasy saga,which gained worldwide recognition.So,of course he's very proud of his work,and it upsets him,that people in the West are more interested in the games.

 

[wright1978]

Paying for the license means you have creative authority on whatever YOU produce. It has no claim on what the source material is. So in short, CDPR is producing fiction based off content they are clearly great fans of. There should be no controversy here. The game is a piece of fanfiction. I don't see what's wrong with Sapkowski drawing a clear line between where HIS creative property ends and where CDPR's creative property begins.

Unless people start calling licensed films/TV Series based on books fan fiction then its the wrong term imo. Most people who hear the word fan-fiction would think unlicensed material. It's an alternate canon based on a book series.

 

[sidv88]

Paying for the license means you have creative authority on whatever YOU produce. It has no claim on what the source material is. So in short, CDPR is producing fiction based off content they are clearly great fans of. There should be no controversy here. The game is a piece of fanfiction. I don't see what's wrong with Sapkowski drawing a clear line between where HIS creative property ends and where CDPR's creative property begins.

I see the relationship between Sapkowski's works and the Witcher games as similar to that of George Lucas and the Star Wars expanded universe (books, comics, games, etc) before the Disney buyout. Mr. Lucas did give the license for others to create works in the Star Wars universe, but said something to the effect of "I'm only in charge of my universe. I can't be in charge of all the other people's (book, game, comic) universes."

And when Lucas sold to Disney, they made a statement saying they are going to overwrite the Star Wars expanded universe stuff. If Mr. Sapkowski ever writes more Witcher books, the games may be overwritten in a similar fashion.

 

[Lesota]

He never said,that he didn't like the games,he never played them and doesn't want to.He might come across as a bit arrogant,but it's important to remember,that The Witcher saga is the only polish fantasy saga,which gained worldwide recognition.So,of course he's very proud of his work,and it upsets him,that people in the West are more interested in the games.

Heh, I was actually VERY surprised that he was almost unknown to english audience before the games. Funny, but I guess even a late fame is still a fame.

 

[xxgwxx]

Heh, I was actually VERY surprised that he was almost unknown to english audience before the games. Funny, but I guess even a late fame is still a fame.

Well it's not really that surprising imo. Many people have ever heard of Martin's ASOIAF only because of the tv show. But now George is not really happy with GoT...but that's another story lol

 

[inanimate_object]

I see the relationship between Sapkowski's works and the Witcher games as similar to that of George Lucas and the Star Wars expanded universe (books, comics, games, etc) before the Disney buyout. Mr. Lucas did give the license for others to create works in the Star Wars universe, but said something to the effect of "I'm only in charge of my universe. I can't be in charge of all the other people's (book, game, comic) universes."

And when Lucas sold to Disney, they made a statement saying they are going to overwrite the Star Wars expanded universe stuff. If Mr. Sapkowski ever writes more Witcher books, the games may be overwritten in a similar fashion.

This is how I see things as well. And in addition, I believe any derivative content not created by the author is by its very nature, secondary and a piece of fan-fiction. George Lucas never has to answer for all the greatness or the faults of Star Wars derivatives and I think Sapkowski wishes the same. Fairly certain he meant for Geralt and Yennefer to both die. If not, he would have written more. But in his head, the story was complete.

 

[Zyvik]

Heh, I was actually VERY surprised that he was almost unknown to english audience before the games. Funny, but I guess even a late fame is still a fame.

He was trying to bring his books to the english market for 15 years,but publishers always refused him.They basically told him,that because his polish,he knows shit about fantasy,and should write something about communism and such.

 

[Gilthoniel]

I dunno, maybe they are dead but what's this about than? -

Birds, sand, rosemary flowers and apples and they don't look like a ghosts.

Beautiful and also sad moment. Btw. I like when Geralt says to Yen "I love you" in the books - she always replies "I know" Except in the Last Wish game scene, where she actually said "and I love you" for the first time...

 

[Zyvik]

Beautiful and also sad moment. Btw. I like when Geralt says to Yen "I love you" in the books - she always replies "I know" Except in the Last Wish game scene, where she actually said "and I love you" for the first time...

She also said "i love you" to him during the party on Thanned.

 

[CTPhipps]

Well, despite all that happened between Geralt and Triss in the first two games, Yennefer is Geralt's one true love. And CDPR also acknowledges this and the default slate when starting TW3 is that Geralt and Triss broke up, because he went to find his one true love. It's only later in the game when the players can choose to go against this and choose Triss. And we're not trying to bash Triss, we just know more about her past than non-book readers, and we just want to point out that she is not as sweet and innocent as non-book readers think, and these non-book readers coincidentally always think Yen is the devil incarnate, which she isn't.

I *AM* a book reader and choose Triss.

---------- Updated at 08:28 PM ----------

Exactly! We Yen fans like Triss also. But it seems Triss fans only love Triss and blindly hate Yennefer.

Which is ridiculous because you can like Betty AND Veronica. The thing is, of course, I don't think the Yennefer of the game is very Yennefer-like. Yennefer of the books is more like Triss of the first game in that she's hot-tempered and manipulative but she's never amoral. The version in the video games is more like Morrigan Vengerberg.

---------- Updated at 08:28 PM ----------

Ridiculous view that apart from being wrong does nothing but start up another instance of the pointless Yen vs Triss war. How about we don't further feed the fire that derails threads into bickering?

Probably right. Nothing is silier than fanboys and girls talking about who a character's destined true love is.

 

[leinad312]

I've only read The Last Wish and Blood of Elves years ago when they came out in english, I really don't remember much from them. So I'm not really a book reader yet I still chose Yennefer. Triss' portrayal in the games is a bit too Mary Sue for my tastes. Unless you look underneath the underneath, she just appears too perfect.

 

[Hazevamp]

I personally don't mind Yen, I just hate how one sided the romances are. I also dislike Geralt when he's with Yen along with her treatment of him.

As for how "The Last Wish" was handled. I'm just glad Geralt doesn't auto say "I still love you, Yen." at least I have the option to dump her. Although I wish they could have had a real discussion about Triss, the memory loss, and how Geralt was affected by it all. My biggest issue however is after the quest. Geralt only mentions picking Triss like one or two times. Other than that everyone assume Yen is the default choice and Geralt can say nothing to correct this.

 

[CTPhipps]

I personally don't mind Yen, I just hate how one sided the romances are. I also dislike Geralt when he's with Yen along with her treatment of him.

As for how "The Last Wish" was handled. I'm just glad Geralt doesn't auto say "I still love you, Yen." at least I have the option to dump her. Although I wish they could have had a real discussion about Triss, the memory loss, and how Geralt was affected by it all. My biggest issue however is after the quest. Geralt only mentions picking Triss like one or two times. Other than that everyone assume Yen is the default choice and Geralt can say nothing to correct this.

I did the Cerys Kingmaker quest afterward and she's teasing me a lot about being henpecked by Yennefer.

Kind of awkward.