The Witcher and Racism...

[cro-mag]

The Witcher and Racism...

OK, first of, in real life, there are only two races.These are the humans, and the racists.I am a racist, I hate the racists...Now, ingame I have the same ideology: Geralt is pro Dwarf, Elf, and whatever else running around.He likes humans too, untill....... he meets, you get it, racists.Sadly, during the run, I see elves and dwarves being slaughtered, and most of the time, I am either too late to save the poor folks.Why would geralt be like this?Well, he considders himself not human, but mutant.And, during the Great War, he fought on the non-human's side.I am not trying to be political correct, hell, I am far from political correct in some ways, I think, but it is somewhat frustrating to see all these non-humans go to waste.Think of the Scoia'tel... that camp was eradicated, and not a darned thing I could do about it.Oh well, I just had to get this from my chest, I guess....Cro-Mag

 

[Mothra]

i think it's pretty good that the game shows you things you cannot alter and have no influence over no matter how hard you try.or doing one good thing can lead to 100 bad things you didn't know of. it's a little like real life and therefore makes the fantasy world that more interesting.I cared for Zoltan, Shani, Vincent, Carmen and Kalkstein, knowing that my decisions can alter their lives for better or worse.

 

[manoleus]

That's why I love that game! It makes me think like you do but as you allready saw, you have to choose your behavior! You can be polite or you can be a bastard! And Geralt is so proud of being a Witcher! He meets humans, elves, dwarfs but he speaks to them without having the race in mind. Only if he must! I like the games and movies with these kind of races! Are so magical! But don't warry! This is just a game! The truth is out there!

 

[cro-mag]

True...Still, I find it a bit sad.Imagine all these lovely dryads for one, disappearing from that plane...Would be so not good...Cro-Mag

 

[aggravaar]

And, during the Great War, he fought on the non-human's side.

Book Lore: the Great War was fought between the Northern Kingdoms and the Nilfgaard Empire. Nilfgaard used Scoia'tael for their own purposes. The Human vs non-human conflict was a sort of a facet of that war, a background conflict you might say. Geralt himself didn't officially support either side, he fought both the Scoia'tael and humans (in order to save his friends and loved ones). He was outside that conflict so he experienced the cruelty of both sides.About the racism in the game: Scoia'tael were terrorists, regardless of how glorious their cause might've been their means were far from acceptable from the moral point of view (attacking a hospital in the game, killing civillians, in the books torturing and burning villages, mercilessly killing any human they encounter).I guess the game wants to show us that there is the right and there is the wrong but, ultimately, there are bastards on both sides. The books generally went behind the ideas, so to speak, and showed a war from behind the scenes, when glory and honour give way to fear, cruelty, prejudice, civillians dying, soldiers raping peasant girls (whom they should protect). The author himself does not make a distinction between the right and wrong, he lets the reader decide. I think he wants to tell us that, in the end, there are no totally good or bad nation or races, there's only good and bad people everywhere.

 

[username_2069341]

About the racism in the game: Scoia'tael were terrorists, regardless of how glorious their cause might've been their means were far from acceptable from the moral point of view (attacking a hospital in the game, killing civillians, in the books torturing and burning villages, mercilessly killing any human they encounter).

Sometimes you get blood on your hands even if you're trying to do the right thing. I'm at the beginning of chapter four and i chose Scoia'tael for my allies. I felt for them and for their cause even though i have a u hunch they won't make it till the end of the game. Hope i'm wrong though.

 

[rhian]

Actually that's what makes The Witcher a great game. Political Correctness has no place there, not the way we know it nowadays.It's not a fluffy happy end soap opera where you can sue people for having maltreated a minority.The world is not nice, neither black and white... you always will find all kind of ugly and beautiful shades.I was sad for the elves, and also angry at them, too because they kept killing innocents... they became blind with hate, too.It always has two sides. I understand their side, but I also understand the other side.

 

[uglabuth]

I am not trying to be political correct,

Actually you are.

hell, I am far from political correct in some ways, I think, but it is somewhat frustrating to see all these non-humans go to waste.Think of the Scoia'tel... that camp was eradicated, and not a darned thing I could do about it.

The Scoia'tel are racists as well. If they had the upperhand, they wouldn't treat humans kindly. In case you don't get the analogy: People are not nice just because they belong to a minority.

 

[username_2070876]

You people talk about this stupid game like it's you whole life. Maybe you should turn off your computer and go get one.

 

[Mothra]

No, we talk about the THEMES, IDEAS, FEARs, LOVES and PHILOSOPHIES that are presented in that game and those adhere or mimick the ones we have in real life.ALL GOOD MEDIA/ART/LITERATURE DOES THAT ! And it presents different views and takes on it in a non-preachy fashion which spark discussion.Iintelligent people across the world have been engaged for centuries in discussions about those exact things. It will never stop and it doesn't matter what medium you chose. As long as it raises questions and/or presents you with analogies/parables for it, a game can have the same value as a good book, movie or poem. You should learn to see past those things. It gets only creepy when ppl start dressing up like Geralt or try to start drinking poison. Or when their heads explode because they got some crash or have no walking in OTS.If I wouldn't have a life I would have never found those themes and questions in TheWitcher and would have never participated in that discussion.I would be on the CallOfDuty4 messageboards and write something like:"yo USA GO ! AL QUAIDA must die ! GAME is awesome but please make in next patch so I can make head explode of infidels and give lots of blood and maybe portable nuke like in Crysis (which sucks), if you seek me online:look for FRAGOR"

 

[uglabuth]

You people talk about this stupid game like it's you whole life. Maybe you should turn off your computer and go get one.

You are not by any chance -very- closely related to the kid banned in this,http://www.thewitcher.com/forum/index.php?topic=8145.0thread?

 

[cro-mag]

You people talk about this stupid game like it's you whole life. Maybe you should turn off your computer and go get one.

Eh?You got a RL?AND JUST WHO SAID YOUR ALLOWED TOO????JKBut if I followed the story ingame a bit, well, till near end Chapter three, I have the impression he did fight on the non-human side.He considers himself non-human even.Still...Oh well, after all, everything is nothing more than a matter of interpretation.What is good to one, is evil to the other....Cro-Mag

 

[Seeker.217]

Well In on my second run with the game and on the first run I want with the Non humans and they where just as bad as humans I don't want to give away to much for those that have not finish the game yet.there are many many shards of grey in the game that's what make it so fun to play you really have to think thing out and there is no wrong or right in the game.

 

[rhian]

You people talk about this stupid game like it's you whole life. Maybe you should turn off your computer and go get one.

Dunno, but this is a rather cocky statement about our life. In fact, most computer-gamers I know have a very rich life with loads of friends (no, I am not talking about cockroaches and imaginary voices in the head).I see nothing wrong in discussing a computer game and its content.Well what comes next might not be be political correct... but to hell with it ;D

 

[starwolf]

You people talk about this stupid game like it's you whole life. Maybe you should turn off your computer and go get one.

Dunno, but this is a rather cocky statement about our life. In fact, most computer-gamers I know have a very rich life with loads of friends (no, I am not talking about cockroaches and imaginary voices in the head).I see nothing wrong in discussing a computer game and its content.Well what comes next might not be be political correct... but to hell with it ;D

You got a problem with the voices in my head? When playing as Geralt, I roleplay very immersively, and get tempted just to confront all the petty racism I encounter when walking through the town, especially the Trade district... but what good would it do, going up to the locals, and reaming them out (or decking them)? It would just confirm their anti-witcher prejudices. And much as I would like to remain neutral, Geralt feels less and less kinship to humans, besides the select few human friends (Dandelion, Shani....)...Back to the topic, Racism, intolerance, prejudice, insanely violent reactions to real and perceived oppression... all very real issues, and encountering the issues and the ambiguity of life's choices (and consequences), as well as one's powerlessness to change things.... Geralt has incredible power and skills (his swordsmanship, his drive and ability to make the streets safer even for those without gratitude), and yet he is powerless to effectively change or to overcome the situations he encounters in daily life... no matter what he does, the political situation and the circumstances just get worse... Adds richness, texture, and depth to the game.

 

[LadyRolePlay]

First thing, NOTHING is wrong what so ever about discussing ideas in a game. We do with movies or the news or a good book, a good game will cause such discussion.I have just finished chapter four with my first character, going into five, and I LOVED that chapter, so much was said there. I am playing Geralt through as a neutral. He tries to do the right thing, or most right thing in the moment, regardless of which side is pushing him to do something for them.First thing was an incident where he saves two ladies souls in chapter four. He has a flashback to the first chapter (in that one I saved abigail so don't know what happens if you don't save her). And there is this long inner dialog where he says, it wasn't that he picked the lesser of the two evils or who broke the law or did not, but the fact that he's a Witcher and a Witcher solves problems.Over and over my Geralt has tried to stay OUT of this whole war deal, and going into Chapter five is neutral, but he makes an interesting comment on terrorism (the elves and dwarves) to the effect that though there may be injustices when terrorists are allowed to win or rule the day or when their acts are ignored and it is 'rule by terrorists then what you have in essence is rule of anarchy and fear. I just got t through that part and I do have a save and will replay it out to see that cut scene. I KNOW there are three ways to play this, but IMO the neutral path just feels right for me. It's a very difficult one to play in some regards as from the end of chapter four on, you have to fight both the order and the non humans.

 

[hogger49]

What i like about this game is that there is no politicial correctness. The point of this is, just like in real life, groups will often hold themselves out as having the 'righteous' cause and be justified for their violent acts. Whether you choose the Scoia'tel or the Order, in either case they're nothing more than opposite sides of the same coin when they resort to senseless violence. I've played through twice and both times landed on neutrality. The lessons here are that choices can have untold consequences and intentional acts of kindness can have results you never intended. I think the one quest where you're investigating the torn up bodies in the cemetary and you come across the talking ghoul was a good case in point. It tells you that the destruction is being caused by a band of lawless Scoia'tel. You find them and they give you a choice: yeah, you can kill them or let innocents die in the crypt. I went to rescue the innocents. Not only did Siegfried damn near "knight" me, but my relationship with the non-human faction soured. How the hell did that happen? I would not have anticipated that consequence. Any rate, I like that this game makes you think about choices. Yes, this may be a "game," but the choices you make and the unforseen consequences are very much reality-based. The point is, virtually nothing is ever black and white. And be careful of people who tell you it is--especially if it involves violence of any kind. Very seldom do you have all the information until much later in the story.

 

[WarNerve76]

The Witcher and Racism...

OK, first of, in real life, there are only two races.These are the humans, and the racists.I am a racist, I hate the racists...Now, ingame I have the same ideology: Geralt is pro Dwarf, Elf, and whatever else running around.He likes humans too, untill....... he meets, you get it, racists.Sadly, during the run, I see elves and dwarves being slaughtered, and most of the time, I am either too late to save the poor folks.Why would geralt be like this?Well, he considders himself not human, but mutant.And, during the Great War, he fought on the non-human's side.I am not trying to be political correct, hell, I am far from political correct in some ways, I think, but it is somewhat frustrating to see all these non-humans go to waste.Think of the Scoia'tel... that camp was eradicated, and not a darned thing I could do about it.Oh well, I just had to get this from my chest, I guess....Cro-Mag

It's important for the game world to have elements that you are not able to always effect. It gives the world a sense of realism,danger,and urgency. If you were able to affect every outcome and save every person in distress that you come across,Geralt would feel much less "realistic" a character, and start to feel more like a "superhero". Which he is not. I believe a large part of the appeal of the Witcher series is it's strong parallels with the "real world" and all of it's flaws.

 

[devivre]

11 year old thread necro, not bad

However, after all these years there's no need for continuing this discussion which is why I'm closing this thread.