The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - An Open Letter

[ztki]

I still love it how the comunity reacts to CDPR's decisions about delaying the game. Where other comunities often hate the devs for delaying, here it is the opposite. Of course, there will always be some people who will be disappointed, though the vast majority remains more then positve. I am sure that even sad people will be greater for it in the end. And as I said after the first delay: CDPR, please, take even a whole year for all I care, just make the game as best as you can (of course in a reasonable amount of time, noone actually wants a year's delay . Though if it was to be pushed to November 2015, so be it. I will gladly play the game even then.)

 

[Scholdarr.452]

What astounding goals is everyone talking about? People make it sound like they are trying something that nobody has done before. Other than world size I don't honestly see what's so groundbreaking for The Witcher 3. I know it may sound weird to say that, but an open world RPG isn't anything exactly new.

Connecting a story-driven approach (with proper pacing and deep choice and consequence) with a lifelike, immersive environment and with a a huge open world completely free for exploration and with gorgeous visuals and new technologies?

Yeah, many have tried before. Everbody - without expection - failed in the past few years. It's actually the Golden Grail of RPGs to combine these elements in a meaningful way without failing in any element. Of course CDPR could just make another Skyrim. But that's neither what many people expect nor what was promised to us...

 

[glesson.685]

What astounding goals is everyone talking about? People make it sound like they are trying something that nobody has done before. Other than world size I don't honestly see what's so groundbreaking for The Witcher 3. I know it may sound weird to say that, but an open world RPG isn't anything exactly new.

Story-centric rpg in a detailed open world 35 times bigger than Skyrim with high production value, economic system and a "living" world is a very high goal. I'm confident to say they overestimated the limits of the current hardware when they set their goal in the first place. The goal we saw in the early trailers. I still think TW3 will improve the genre and push it further, but it won't be live up to the initial plans.

 

[His_Majesty]

What astounding goals is everyone talking about? People make it sound like they are trying something that nobody has done before. Other than world size I don't honestly see what's so groundbreaking for The Witcher 3. I know it may sound weird to say that, but an open world RPG isn't anything exactly new.

Combining a huge open world with a focus on storytelling is something few RPG's have achieved. Certainly none in the last decade.

 

[Windebieste]

Screw prematurely released, early access and unfinished games.

I'd rather have to endure the delay and experience the game as it should be rather than deal with a buggy, feature crippled title that's just a shadow of what it can potentially be.

-Windebieste.

 

[Sardukhar]

Of course CDPR could just make another Skyrim. But that's neither what many people expect nor what was promised to us...

"Hey, have you ever thought of joining the College of Winterhold?"

To the Archmage. Of the College.

...I just..


yes, I liked Skyrim, but Witcher 3 is a crazy amount more ambitious than Skyrim. And I'm grateful they are at least taking the shot.

"Have you ever thought..."

Urgh.

 

[Senteria]

You guys happy now?

 

[dragonmoony]

View attachment 8340​

Thank you CDPR for delaying the game, to make sure you deliver the quality that you and your fans want. Thank you. Keep up the good work!
I wish you all the best.

 

[Shakewixx]

right now im only interested in the witcher 3. if a litle more developing time give us a better game so be it.

patience is a gift not many have but is well rewarded

 

[Geralt_of_bsas]

It wasn't meant as an excuse. I don't want developers implementing stuff for a certain "effect" if they are no fully convinced of it themselves. Stuff doesn't have to be controversial or original, the devs themselves should just like it. I have no idea how Bioware internally came to the ending in ME3 and whether they really like it or not. That's mostly speculative and given Boware's obvious mainstream appeal in general I'd say the whole discussion about it is a bit out of place...
I just want CDPR to develop a game they 100% like themselves. That's how really good games are made imo. Of course you can almost never make true mainstream games that way because such an approach doesn't offer much space for compromises. But also these games are often the most remarkable ones, the real classics.

A certain interview with Swen Vincke from Larian comes to my mind again:


http://pcgmedia.com/interview-with-ceo-of-divinity-series-developer-larian-studios-swen-vincke/

That's what I fear when reading such statements about implementing stuff the devs don't like themselves. Maybe it's just a minor thing but even following the approach is imo wrong, at least from a creative point of view. Of course you're following business principles and games that completely build on that stuff sells millions of copies but as a core-gamer myself I can't say I like that. I actually don't like it at all. Such thinking makes video games just more boring, more uniform, more of the same. Not following what "players want" is also a way of offering variety and probably even inventing a new demand. Without that every new game will mostly be based on what worked in other game before and the result will be that many games more or less play and feel the same (I mean we're already experiencing that in the AAA games market)...

For the guy from Larian speaking, that must've been easy, sure I make the game for myself, and by mere luck it doesnt completely sabotage the idea of people liking it, great, there is no problem.

But when you want to to something, for yourself, and you are relatively certain most people will not like it or think its right AT ALL, thats when serious choices are to be made, and imo in that situation, you have to try to understand what you personally want, might not always be the best, I mention this because you say again
"develop a game they 100% like themselves. That's how really good games are made imo. Of course you can almost never make true mainstream games that way", and I dont personally think Blacha was talking about a mainstream game as you call it at all.

What players want is not always a dumbed down simple mainstream game, or a crappy casual collectibles based RPG, or any other terrible thing the witcher fans likely dont want.

 

[AvengerGrim]

Refreshing to see some kind comments and understanding over here, I took a look at the Steam hub and now I am boiling...

 

[joshmosh]

To be honest most AAA open world RPG titles (and there aren't that many truly open world games in the genre) released over the past few years have been underwhelming. Skyrim was a great place to walk around in, but the story, the combat, the dungeons.... they were all lacking. It takes extensive modding to elevate that game to resemble something close to greatness. I wouldn't even call Dragon Age Inquisition an open world game, but it had elements of it so I'll give my take on it as well. It was a disappointment. The story failed to keep me engaged throughout, and petered out to a formulaic, anti-climatic ending that left me deeply unsatisfied. Bioware are still great at writing characters, but it seems like they have lost the magic when it comes to the overall story. And they're too obsessed with giving players the illusion of choice without the actual consequences that should come with. The combat system is pretty much an MMORPG without the flexibility and depth you find in good one.

Before I completely lose track, all I'm saying is that we, and by we I mean fans of this genre, could do with a game that truly delivers a great all-round experience at launch. If CDPR needs more time to deliver that, I'm game.

 

[Sardukhar]

Refreshing to see some kind comments and understanding over here, I took a look at the Steam hub and now I am boiling...

Well, they don't have our loving community and fair and just moderators.

<Cracks knuckles.>

<Hides behind ReptileGZ>

 

[Cheylus]

yes, I liked Skyrim, but Witcher 3 is a crazy amount more ambitious than Skyrim. And I'm grateful they are at least taking the shot.

How so?
I'm sorry they didn't communicate enough of the game for me to have a good opinion of TW3. I'm still waiting for exciting news about the game. Did I miss something?

 

[Charlemagne]

A (Short) Open Letter to CDPR on the Recent Delay

Thank you.

Thank you so much. Thank you for not rushing your game. Thank you for not being okay with shipping something that isn't finished or at its best. Developers and publishers around the world need to learn from you. We don't want unfinished games. We don't want an insane amount of bugs that make it unplayable. We understand if there are a few, but we want the developers to make their best games possible. Thank you, thank you so much. Take as long as you need on any game. Never change.

Charlemagne

 

[Scholdarr.452]

For the guy from Larian speaking, that must've been easy, sure I make the game for myself, and by mere luck it doesnt completely sabotage the idea of people liking it, great, there is no problem.

How exactly do you come to the idea that it must've been easy for Larian?

But when you want to to something, for yourself, and you are relatively certain most people will not like it or think its right AT ALL, thats when serious choices are to be made, and imo in that situation, you have to try to understand what you personally want, might not always be the best

That's not how he put it. Instead he said that they quite often do something they personally don't like. There are perhaps some very rare occasions when your own taste is so "special" that you fear nobody else would like it but in that statement it more appears that this isn't the case here.

What players want is not always a dumbed down simple mainstream game, or a crappy casual collectibles based RPG, or any other terrible thing the witcher fans likely dont want.

Now you interpet way more into it than I've said. There is a wide range of how to design a game. I don't think CDPR wants to make something along the lines of what you write here. But there is a certain inherent danger if you constantly ask yourself whether a good amount of players like what you do or not. It's the danger of indirectly making a game that is more mainstream than you initially planned. Maybe it's just a few features, maybe it's more than that. The problem I have with that is that you limit your passion and your own creativity that way. It's following the idea of games being simple products that satisfy demands than the idea of games being art that are the cooperative creative work of a bunch of passionate people. And these two principles are always in conlict but the more the bigger you envision your game and the more copies you have to sell. It needs a whole lot of self-confindence to not make a game following market demands or player wishes (however they are measured...) on a greater level and you should indeed be proud on that if it's the case. I wouldn't personally be that proud of the opposite tbh...

 

[Sardukhar]

How so?
I'm sorry they didn't communicate enough of the game for me to have a good opinion of TW3. I'm still waiting for exciting news about the game. Did I miss something?

Did you miss the part where ReptileHZ is around? Or, god forbid, Guy? Because this looks like bait, to me... anyway.

Here, peruse this for info: http://forums.cdprojektred.com/threads/30456-Interviews-and-Articles-Part-2

That's kind of a lot.

What, exactly, are you looking for in terms of information that isn't in there?

 

[KingHochmeister]

Refreshing to see some kind comments and understanding over here, I took a look at the Steam hub and now I am boiling...

Both you and I agree that the steam forum is not a good place to go to if you want to remain sane, hahaha

 

[EliHarel]

Internal development decision. That's all we're likely to get. Hell, it might not even be something we'd understand, coding issue, art asset issue, legal issue, who knows. Probably a few things. Ah, speculation.

I suspect ducks. Rabid duckery.

Damned ducks.

View attachment 8300

 

[Sardukhar]

Damned ducks.

View attachment 8300

The ducks did THAT? Those evil, evil little flappers! Honey garlic sauce for the lot!

Kinda looks more like a chicken, though.