I think I finally get it now. It took a while but after savoring this game's story I understand CDPR's writing genius. (tl;dr)
I enjoyed this game the second I bought it. I enjoyed every thing about it (except for maybe the items you could only equip when you were at a certain level) I even felt like a kid again opening a Christmas present when I got that large collector's edition in the mail. I still remember what I was doing on the day I got it in the mail. I was shadowing a media production company in the heart of Indiana. After I got in the car to go home, I realized that the package surely would have arrived while I was gone. I gave a holler so loud in the car I gave myself a sore throat. No, I wish I was joking. But this isn't about me. This is about CDPR right now. Sorry for digressing..
It is now 2/27/2016 and I am still playing The Witcher 3. But I believe I finally comprehend why this game is so good. The real, genuine reason. It dawned on me when I reached Skellige and met up with Yenneffer. I had romanced her before in countless other playthroughs (each time I would act hostile to Yen, even though I knew I was going to have her retire with Geralt at the end of the story). This time I tried to change things up. Even though I vastly prefer a happy ending with Triss in this game, I decided to be nice to Yen instead.
Okay, I can tell some of you are getting itchy keyboard fingers. Try and hold off on hitting that back button because I can assure you this is not another insipid romance thread. Anywho....
I noticed that Yenneffer was reciprocating the niceness I was showing to her. Whereas in other games, like Mass Effect 3, if I choose to be a complete asshat to....oh, I don't know, Liara? She reacts in exactly the same manner as if I had given her a sugar-coated statement of encouragement, or at least close to it. Same with many other characters. Oh they probably talk back and give you some lip whenever you make Shepard tell them off but...it doesn't feel organic.
In the Witcher 3, it's as if CDPR...you know, respects the characters Sapkowski has thought up. They treat the writing itself with respect as well. If I'm an asshat to Yenneffer, it turns the relationship toxic, albeit we still end up together at the end if I make the right choices with Ciri. In other words, I only make the relationship toxic with Yen if I make it so with my dialogue choices. A self-fulfilling prophecy as you may say. But that's not even half of how impressed I am with this game's RPG mechanics. Even if you're toxic to Yen, you can still end up together and make your own happy ending with her so it's not like you're punished for making RPG decisions in an RPG game. What am I getting at you ask?
Not only does CDPR probably respect the writing, the characters; but they also respect the RPG experience! Making choices is all well and good but there's really no incentive to do so if you're punished for making a decision to go a certain way. Not many other developers, if at all, seem to quite get this concept. And even when they get close to realizing it, they mess up badly by railroading the player into an ending the developers deign as appropriate or suitable for the choices you made along the way. I want to thank you CDPR. And that's no small feat; since I am playing the game right now and had to ALT+TAB because I couldn't resist the inexorable pull to this forum anymore.
I hope I do not come across as a brown noser or an ass kisser. Because this is something I hold close to my chest. And please, the avatar I am using right now is more of an ironic statement in regards to the industry at large, rather than the shining beacon of light that is CDPR. Honestly, I really just wanted to make this thread because I believe that going above and beyond the call of interactive development duty should be rewarded. Many people today just want to make a fuss when they see a flaw, but have no inclination to praise when a developer clearly knows what they're doing and-more importantly-clearly cares about the product they offer to the consumer.
CDPR, you've given a very tired and jaded video game fan hope for the future.
