I will cry if we don't see Ciri. Like a little school girl. And Yen, we need to see her. I love and hate that domineering bitch as much as Geralt does, now that I'm reading the fan translations. Triss will have her hands full.
yes it is, Novigrad is the most confirmed city, dunno oxenfurt but if you consider how close to novigrad it is , i wouldnt be suprised. besides that part will be a whole region and other pictures seem to show that there will be other settlements in that region. like for example there is an artwork of a town on an islet which by the colors of of the place, like the green of the background and the red of the flag that likely means its redania controlled.Oconnell said:
Furthermore, there's other artwork about a huge tree settlement that make it possible that its brokilon or some other dryad settlement. (with a picture showing that it might be destroyed) and a palace that the nilfgardians are controlling, which for all we know could even be cintra!
I adore the characters of The Witcher world, especially those of The Witcher 2. But I came to terms a while ago that one casualty of the radical, daring open-world experiment of The Witcher 3 is going to mean that while our decisions from The Witcher 2 will likely not be contradicted, they won't be as huge as we hope. One of The Witcher 2's strengths is how variable the fates of the main cast can be. But the flip side of that means that many of the character realistically will only be referenced in letters or lore, especially if it means going to the trouble of making a character model and rehiring a voice actor for a character that is dead in half (or more) of potential imported savegames. One thing the Mass Effect games DID get right - specifically Mass Effect 3 - was making sure that every character you knew and loved from the second game showed up for a notable appearance in the third, and got more than just a single scene. Of course, ME3 ended up blowing it on a ton of other things, which is why it's not the greatest rpg ever, and just a pretty good game you should grab when it's 5 bucks.
But back on track. Essentially, I've gone through the important characters from Witcher 1/2 and rated both the likelihood of them coming back along with the necessity of them coming back (from a story perspective). Obviously there's some subjectivity here, but I've tried to consider as many perspectives as possible. I didn't tackle small-fry characters, especially those from TW1, since whether or not they return is much harder to anticipate since we don't know TW3's plot. Without further ado...
Likelihood of Return Ratings: Guaranteed/Probably/Possibly/Unlikely
Necessity of Return Ratings: Essential/Important/Relevant/Unnecessary
Triss, Yennefer, Roche, Iorveth, Dandelion, Zoltan, Vesemir: Guaranteed/Essential. All confirmed or strongly implied/stated by the devs.
Abigail: Unlikely/Unnecessary. Killable in TW1 and a natural wanderer. Enough women in Geralt's life as it is.
Adda: Unlikely/Relevant. Mentioned only in TW2 and her default state in TW2 is dead. Does not bode well. Likely a mention.
Leuvaarden: U/U. Interesting but pretty bound to Vizima, which won't feature in TW3.
Kalkstein: Unlikely/Important. An excellent staple of TW1, this fellow vanished oddly from TW2. I only recall the implication that the Kayran is one of his experiments gone wrong.
Eskel/Lambert: Possibly/Relevant. With Vesemir's return, we could see these two show up as his escort.
Thaler: Possibly/Relevant. Spymaster mentioned in TW2, so he stands a decent chance of showing up.
Yaevinn: Unlikely/Relevant. His role has been rather replaced by Iorveth in TW2, and he gets only a single mention. Given the fact that he can die in TW1 and didn't make it to TW2, it doesn't seem likely.
Siegfried: Possibly/Essential. A key compatriot of Geralt if you took the Order path in TW1, he also has a crucial role to play in the end of TW2. Dropping him would be foolish, and deprive Geralt of one of his consistent side characters.
Adam Pangratt: Unlikely/Unnecessary. He can perish in TW2, and he's not a particularly important fellow - just a merc, of which there are many more.
Anais La Valette: U/U. TW3 won't have her much older than she is in TW2, and most of the game states where she's relevant, she's spirited off somewhere to grow up safe and secure - whether with Roche or Radovid.
Mary Louisa La Valette: U/U. Given that she meets Geralt in only one path of TW1, and La Valette Castle is not going to be revisited, I'd bet against it.
Aryan La Valette: Possibly/Important. The Aryan choice is the big first choice of TW2, and his survival is important in the anti-Nilfgaard movement. He ought to reappear, perhaps in battle with the hated Black Ones.
Loredo: U/U. He lives only if you save Mottle, and players have pretty much tapped out Flotsam's story potential.
Bras of Ban Ard: Unlikely/Relevant. A cool cat of TW2's last chapter, it'd be nice to run into this fellow again, since he helped you get some of your best gear at the end of the game.
Dethmold: U/Relevant. Despite the fact that the only way for him to live is Roche's path/save Triss, Dethmold is an entertaining fellow who really would make a great random encounter mission where he tries to take vengeance on Geralt for mucking up his plans so badly in TW2.
Cynthia: Possibly/Essential. The most powerful magical Nilfgaard character players have yet encountered, Cynthia has a key role in TW2, and can survive most gamestates, unless you flatly decide to off her. Given the importance of Nilfgaard in TW3, it'd be a huge mistake to leave her out.
Henselt: Possibly/Essential. Henselt is one of the most memorable characters of TW2, and he lives through the majority of games - and is one of the two strongest rulers in the North. Crossing paths with Geralt one more time would make for a great conflict.
Natalis: Possibly/Essential. He survives all gamestates and is Temeria's only hope in TW2. Despite being 'only a soldier,' he's the most effective Northern general, and given the war setting of TW3, it makes a ton of sense.
Letho: Possibly/Relevant. If you kill him, he's dead, if you don't, he says he'll never show up again. Though we'd love to run into this charismatic meatbag again, The Witcher 2 is really Letho's story, and bringing him back could undermine the drama of Geralt's final choice of TW3 - especially if you just end up killing him, or having the choice again, for some other reason. And if he comes back and wreaks havoc, it will make Geralt's choice of mercy in TW2 look stupid. Better to perhaps leave him riding off into the sunset.
Philippa Eilhart: Probably/Essential. She cannot die in TW2, despite many places in the script where she could/would/should have died - in the prison cell, when she warps into an owl, later in Loc Muinne, etc. The fact that she is a guaranteed survivor of TW2 means this clever sorceress deserves a spot in TW3.
Radovid: Probably/Essential. As KOP will attest, Radovid is a crucial character to TW1 AND TW2. He can end the game as the most powerful Northern leader. He never really loses in Loc Muinne, ANY way you slice it. Radovid has an actual character arc and good development, we NEED to see where he ends up in TW3 as a result of his schemes - as well as the fate of the Order of the FR.
Renuald aep Matsen: U/U. Despite his cool role in TW2 chapter 3, he's little more than an Elite Mook.
Saskia: Probably/Essential. Another core character of TW2, one of the biggest decisions of the game is how she ends up - free, a slave, or dead. As the last dragon, she also is important in the fight against the Black Ones.
Sile: Possibly/Important. The Lodge's plans are wrecked, and Sile probably doesn't make it out of numerous TW2 games alive (assuming vindictive players.) She's not as clever or relevant as Philippa, so I can see her being offstage even if she lives.
Shilard: U/U. The Emhyr's orders to off him stand regardless of whether Geralt intervenes. He's not long for this world.
Stennis: Possibly/Relevant. Lynched or a King, Aedirn is going to be trashed by the Black Ones either way. I can't really see him having a huge contribution to TW3, but I'd like to see him nonetheless.
Ves: Possibly/Important. Her arc is incomplete. Roche will return, and so should she.
But back on track. Essentially, I've gone through the important characters from Witcher 1/2 and rated both the likelihood of them coming back along with the necessity of them coming back (from a story perspective). Obviously there's some subjectivity here, but I've tried to consider as many perspectives as possible. I didn't tackle small-fry characters, especially those from TW1, since whether or not they return is much harder to anticipate since we don't know TW3's plot. Without further ado...
Likelihood of Return Ratings: Guaranteed/Probably/Possibly/Unlikely
Necessity of Return Ratings: Essential/Important/Relevant/Unnecessary
Triss, Yennefer, Roche, Iorveth, Dandelion, Zoltan, Vesemir: Guaranteed/Essential. All confirmed or strongly implied/stated by the devs.
Abigail: Unlikely/Unnecessary. Killable in TW1 and a natural wanderer. Enough women in Geralt's life as it is.
Adda: Unlikely/Relevant. Mentioned only in TW2 and her default state in TW2 is dead. Does not bode well. Likely a mention.
Leuvaarden: U/U. Interesting but pretty bound to Vizima, which won't feature in TW3.
Kalkstein: Unlikely/Important. An excellent staple of TW1, this fellow vanished oddly from TW2. I only recall the implication that the Kayran is one of his experiments gone wrong.
Eskel/Lambert: Possibly/Relevant. With Vesemir's return, we could see these two show up as his escort.
Thaler: Possibly/Relevant. Spymaster mentioned in TW2, so he stands a decent chance of showing up.
Yaevinn: Unlikely/Relevant. His role has been rather replaced by Iorveth in TW2, and he gets only a single mention. Given the fact that he can die in TW1 and didn't make it to TW2, it doesn't seem likely.
Siegfried: Possibly/Essential. A key compatriot of Geralt if you took the Order path in TW1, he also has a crucial role to play in the end of TW2. Dropping him would be foolish, and deprive Geralt of one of his consistent side characters.
Adam Pangratt: Unlikely/Unnecessary. He can perish in TW2, and he's not a particularly important fellow - just a merc, of which there are many more.
Anais La Valette: U/U. TW3 won't have her much older than she is in TW2, and most of the game states where she's relevant, she's spirited off somewhere to grow up safe and secure - whether with Roche or Radovid.
Mary Louisa La Valette: U/U. Given that she meets Geralt in only one path of TW1, and La Valette Castle is not going to be revisited, I'd bet against it.
Aryan La Valette: Possibly/Important. The Aryan choice is the big first choice of TW2, and his survival is important in the anti-Nilfgaard movement. He ought to reappear, perhaps in battle with the hated Black Ones.
Loredo: U/U. He lives only if you save Mottle, and players have pretty much tapped out Flotsam's story potential.
Bras of Ban Ard: Unlikely/Relevant. A cool cat of TW2's last chapter, it'd be nice to run into this fellow again, since he helped you get some of your best gear at the end of the game.
Dethmold: U/Relevant. Despite the fact that the only way for him to live is Roche's path/save Triss, Dethmold is an entertaining fellow who really would make a great random encounter mission where he tries to take vengeance on Geralt for mucking up his plans so badly in TW2.
Cynthia: Possibly/Essential. The most powerful magical Nilfgaard character players have yet encountered, Cynthia has a key role in TW2, and can survive most gamestates, unless you flatly decide to off her. Given the importance of Nilfgaard in TW3, it'd be a huge mistake to leave her out.
Henselt: Possibly/Essential. Henselt is one of the most memorable characters of TW2, and he lives through the majority of games - and is one of the two strongest rulers in the North. Crossing paths with Geralt one more time would make for a great conflict.
Natalis: Possibly/Essential. He survives all gamestates and is Temeria's only hope in TW2. Despite being 'only a soldier,' he's the most effective Northern general, and given the war setting of TW3, it makes a ton of sense.
Letho: Possibly/Relevant. If you kill him, he's dead, if you don't, he says he'll never show up again. Though we'd love to run into this charismatic meatbag again, The Witcher 2 is really Letho's story, and bringing him back could undermine the drama of Geralt's final choice of TW3 - especially if you just end up killing him, or having the choice again, for some other reason. And if he comes back and wreaks havoc, it will make Geralt's choice of mercy in TW2 look stupid. Better to perhaps leave him riding off into the sunset.
Philippa Eilhart: Probably/Essential. She cannot die in TW2, despite many places in the script where she could/would/should have died - in the prison cell, when she warps into an owl, later in Loc Muinne, etc. The fact that she is a guaranteed survivor of TW2 means this clever sorceress deserves a spot in TW3.
Radovid: Probably/Essential. As KOP will attest, Radovid is a crucial character to TW1 AND TW2. He can end the game as the most powerful Northern leader. He never really loses in Loc Muinne, ANY way you slice it. Radovid has an actual character arc and good development, we NEED to see where he ends up in TW3 as a result of his schemes - as well as the fate of the Order of the FR.
Renuald aep Matsen: U/U. Despite his cool role in TW2 chapter 3, he's little more than an Elite Mook.
Saskia: Probably/Essential. Another core character of TW2, one of the biggest decisions of the game is how she ends up - free, a slave, or dead. As the last dragon, she also is important in the fight against the Black Ones.
Sile: Possibly/Important. The Lodge's plans are wrecked, and Sile probably doesn't make it out of numerous TW2 games alive (assuming vindictive players.) She's not as clever or relevant as Philippa, so I can see her being offstage even if she lives.
Shilard: U/U. The Emhyr's orders to off him stand regardless of whether Geralt intervenes. He's not long for this world.
Stennis: Possibly/Relevant. Lynched or a King, Aedirn is going to be trashed by the Black Ones either way. I can't really see him having a huge contribution to TW3, but I'd like to see him nonetheless.
Ves: Possibly/Important. Her arc is incomplete. Roche will return, and so should she.
Welp i never even said who id like to see, but its obvious it would be Ciri 
/>
besides her id love to see regis aswell, and it isnt as unlikely as some of you might think, if I'm not mistaken there was an interview or something that sapowski said that regis actually survived. furthermore the no mans land is more or less the area that regis used to live. so it wouldnt be so farfetch if cdpr decided to give him a cameo.
others id like to see are the dryads, specifically their leader (forgot her name >
/>besides her id love to see regis aswell, and it isnt as unlikely as some of you might think, if I'm not mistaken there was an interview or something that sapowski said that regis actually survived. furthermore the no mans land is more or less the area that regis used to live. so it wouldnt be so farfetch if cdpr decided to give him a cameo.
others id like to see are the dryads, specifically their leader (forgot her name >
Novigrad is the birthplace of the Cult of Eternal fire. So I am hoping for some side quest tracing back Jacque de Aldersberg's journey (would be perfect with flashbacks or playable sequences as Jacques!). That would be amazing, and a nice way to complete the circle.
KOP, your avatar change was so dramatic it made me jump out of my seat a little.
I dunno if You people saw/heard this one: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LRsNFKfOh4o[/media]
It's just sound, but still. Not great quality either. Something to get on.
Seriously though, some people in comments are just damn dumb, do not mind the bastards
"Evil is evil..." (Gonna love it, but to be fair, but still Geralt, listen to the damn Vesemir! Quit being a dang hero, you are the Witcher. )
It's just sound, but still. Not great quality either. Something to get on.
Seriously though, some people in comments are just damn dumb, do not mind the bastards
"Evil is evil..." (Gonna love it, but to be fair, but still Geralt, listen to the damn Vesemir! Quit being a dang hero, you are the Witcher. )
Well, Yennefer is all but officially confirmed. I seriously doubt that they wouldn't end the witcher games series without having Yen make an appearance.
Eredin Breacc Glas, A.K.A the King of the Wild Hunt will most likely be the end boss to the game given his role as the main villian alongside Emhyr var Emreis, who I also think will make an appearance as well.
I think that the second rider on the Game Informer magazine cover is Ciri, given the smaller stature and white/pale-blonde hair that is visible form under the hood.
Roche(The horse) is confirmed because you actually have horseback riding and Geralt names all his horses Roche.
I hope Saskia and Iorveth make an appearance if you choose the Iorveth path in TW2, or Roche(the asshole) and Anias if you choose the Roche path in TW2.
Dandelion, Zoltan, and Triss will almost certainly make an appearance given their roles in the past games.
Based on the confirmed locations in TW3 (Novigrad and skellege), I do believe that La Valette castle will be a location you can return to. So meeting Aryan and Louisa La Valette is a possiblilty.
John Natalis is also a possibility as he is regent of Temeria in the Roche path if you give Anais to him, he will also be fighting Nilfgaard so you might be meeting him on the battlefield against the Empire's forces.
Radovid V will likely make an appearance since he is the only member of the four major northern kings Guaranteed to survive the events of TW2, and Novigrad is in Redania if I remember correctly.
Eredin Breacc Glas, A.K.A the King of the Wild Hunt will most likely be the end boss to the game given his role as the main villian alongside Emhyr var Emreis, who I also think will make an appearance as well.
I think that the second rider on the Game Informer magazine cover is Ciri, given the smaller stature and white/pale-blonde hair that is visible form under the hood.
Roche(The horse) is confirmed because you actually have horseback riding and Geralt names all his horses Roche.
I hope Saskia and Iorveth make an appearance if you choose the Iorveth path in TW2, or Roche(the asshole) and Anias if you choose the Roche path in TW2.
Dandelion, Zoltan, and Triss will almost certainly make an appearance given their roles in the past games.
Based on the confirmed locations in TW3 (Novigrad and skellege), I do believe that La Valette castle will be a location you can return to. So meeting Aryan and Louisa La Valette is a possiblilty.
John Natalis is also a possibility as he is regent of Temeria in the Roche path if you give Anais to him, he will also be fighting Nilfgaard so you might be meeting him on the battlefield against the Empire's forces.
Radovid V will likely make an appearance since he is the only member of the four major northern kings Guaranteed to survive the events of TW2, and Novigrad is in Redania if I remember correctly.
Ciri and Yennefer HAVE to be in TW3.
You can't end Geralt's story without them playing a part.
It's sad that a lot of people who became Witcher fans via the games don't know who those characters are.
And it's not the fault of those fans that they haven't played a role in the last two games,
but they are so important and central in every Witcher book Sapkowski wrote, Geralt's story simply
wouldn't be complete without them.
But I trust CDPR and I hope they'll adress that in TW3.
You can't end Geralt's story without them playing a part.
It's sad that a lot of people who became Witcher fans via the games don't know who those characters are.
And it's not the fault of those fans that they haven't played a role in the last two games,
but they are so important and central in every Witcher book Sapkowski wrote, Geralt's story simply
wouldn't be complete without them.
But I trust CDPR and I hope they'll adress that in TW3.