Why almost no one reacts to stealing?

[NICK.ALTMAN]

Why almost no one reacts to stealing?

Hi. I am new to Witcher and I almost didn't play Witcher before I started Witcher 3. I must say the game is so awesome I can't wait to get home and to play it. But one thing is really strange to me. Why can you loot and steal in front of people and they don't react? Sometimes only guards react like in Novigrad and Oxenfurt, but even them not always. I mean you come to someones house you talk to them if they are important NPCs and then you loot all they have and they don't react. In Skyrim people would react if they saw you and they would attack you.

Any thoughts?

 

[iCake]

Thoughts? Apparently the devs didn't develop a complex enough "steal get consequences" system. Whether it was deemed "unnecessary" or they just ran out of time/money is anybody's guess. Is it bad that such mechanics are lacking? Of course, but I'd say all the other little things make up for it in full.

 

[Zoolock]

Would have been a nice feature even if they just made a sly comment but not really needed given the guards do react if you loot anything besides I love looting houses as some of those peasants are loaded with jewels, rare elements, gold & silver they have it all stashed away. Spent a whole night once going from house to house in Toussaint & must have cleared them all & dam that's one rich city with much better pickings than in Novigrad.

 

[PillarBiter]

Well, look at it this way. If a heavily armed mutated murderer were to rob my house, I wouldn't do a god damn thing and let him take anything he wants. Wouldn't want to spark that ire, oh no sirree.

 

[NICK.ALTMAN]

Yeah, OK. You would not attack him. But be annoyed, run for help, yel. Some reaction now and then would make the world so much more immersive.

 

[Draconifors]

One reason might be that many people would definitely find such a mechanic annoying. I personally wouldn't, having spent thousands of hours in Skyrim- but I think that a compromise between the two extremes would be ideal. Guards reacting (= TW3's mechanic) is reasonably close to that.

 

[cyberpunkforever]

maybe the normal peolpe just don't notice geralt stealing,
guards do react

 

[NICK.ALTMAN]

I was recently in the village of Ursten and I was looting as always and a man started to yell: Thief! Thief! No one else reacted but it was nice to see some reaction. A patrol nearby of the Redanian army didn't see me or react.

 

[foo_]

When you are losing count of all the different armed troops about, Yet Another Robber (or thief) isn't worth risking your life over. So the basic premise "civilians don't make a big scene" makes sense to me.
I agree though, they should act annoyed, and maybe - those you interact with - have a different opinion of you. To complete that, you'd need a stealing game mechanic whether one is seen or not. Hey, wait, I remember that game well: Thief 1-3, Styx, ...

I'm fine with CDPR having not pulled the effort to implement this. W3 is damn good as it is, and investing the effort in other parts of the game paid off well IMO.

 

[nmarques]

Of course people react to stealing... Guards do... Now you can't expect that a simple peasant would react against a bad arse witcher armed with 2 swords and crossbow! I mean, someone pops in to rob you with a G36, you would also react if unarmed?

 

[NICK.ALTMAN]

Of course people react to stealing... Guards do... Now you can't expect that a simple peasant would react against a bad arse witcher armed with 2 swords and crossbow! I mean, someone pops in to rob you with a G36, you would also react if unarmed?

Come on. Maybe some one would say; please don't steal or say something to react. This way the look just like dumb blind puppets. The game is awesome. One of the best I ever played but but this breaks the immersion a bit.

 

[iCake]

Come on. Maybe some one would say; please don't steal or say something to react. This way the look just like dumb blind puppets. The game is awesome. One of the best I ever played but but this breaks the immersion a bit.

Nothing's perfect and more often than not we have to find some compromises. Don't steal if that bothers you so much.

 

[NICK.ALTMAN]

Don't steal is not an option in this game. It is essential to survive.

 

[iCake]

Don't steal is not an option in this game. It is essential to survive.

Really? Somehow I refrained from looting people's houses and ended up rich

 

[NICK.ALTMAN]

Really? Somehow I refrained from looting people's houses and ended up rich

Well done!

 

[iCake]

Well done!

Can I have a cookie? Seriously, can I have a cookie?

I think I'll just steal from you, don't you dare make a fuss about it! :threaten:

 

[RageGT]

Really? Somehow I refrained from looting people's houses and ended up rich

True, not necessary to make money but there so many amazing items in their homes, and they were supposed to be poor. My Geralt sees it like a well earned reward for all his work. How could he live without all those beer, rotting flesh, fishing rods and army emblems, just to mention a few. And the books, aw, the books! I haven't looted all the houses in the world but it is a lot of fun for me to do it. One never knows. Early in a NG it may really help to get ingredients and components for potions, decoctions, oils, gear crafting, etc.

 

[desmondsparrs]

It is a game. The guards in cities react though, steal one thing and apparently I must be murdered lol. Justice!

It would be less fun and more annoying if it would be so. And I feel it's very important to the game's economic system for me to do so. Hoarding is how I can pay for some expensive things every now and then..

A story reason would be "man, people just steal my shit all the time..my neighbor got murdered when he reacted to it so I'll just shut my trap..this Witcher-freak looks intimidating..".

Getting murdered, robbed and raped seem to be normal everyday life for those peasants.. stealing is merely a slight nuisance to their daily routines lol.