Well, in books it is very strongly hinted, that Philippa indeed was behind murder of his father.
You're right. Irrational is the wrong word; his hatred for her is actually quite rational. He's just insane to begin with. Heh.
Here is my theory:
Dijkstra opens the stage reciting lines form Vakmeth. Vakmeth is in fact Shakespeare's Macbeth (check Act 1, Scene 7). In Macbeth three witches tell Macbeth that he is gonna become a king and some other stuff (like that no one born of a woman shall be able to harm him). Macbeth becomes ambitious, murders king and grabs the crown. Then he murders some other people who might pose a threat to him and finally is also killed.
What happened in the game: Dijkstra is disappointed that nobody recognized Vakmeth (Ves: "What's that?") and concludes that forging the alliance with Temerians makes no sense (they are stupid enough to give Emhyr the whole North and they are also cultural barbarians). He is not afraid of them, because three witches (probably met the Crones before) told him that no human could harm him. But he makes a fatal mistake and forgets about the witcher who is not human but a mutant).
I know It's crazy, but I don't have better explanation for Dijkstra's madness.
ALTERNATIVE SCENARIO
Dijkstra: "If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly. That but this blow might be the be-all and end-all here."
Ves: "What's that?"
Geralt: "Vakmeth, act one, scene seven."
Dijkstra: "You impressed me, witcher."
Geralt: "I dated Yennefer, bro."
Dijkstra: "Anyway, Geralt, what Thaler told you - put it out of your mind. There will be no truce with Nilfgaard. Redania, under my enlightened rule, will fight on until it wins. And when it does it will unite all the North. Temeria will become the vassal state of mine, under the same conditions Thaler agreed on with Nilfgaard. Anais will become the queen of Temeria and she will rule over Sodden and Brugge as well. Anais, come here!"
Anais enters the stage accompanied by two Dijkstra's henchmen.
Roche: "Traitor, you kidnapped her."
Dijkstra: "Chill. I just wanted to be sure you will accept my conditions."
Thaler: "But what about Nilfgaard? What if they win the war?"
Dijsktra: "Geralt told me that the Trade Corporation and Nilfgaardian nobility have grown tired of this war. If we fight on, Emhyr will lose domestic support and who knows...maybe he will get deposed."
Thaler: "Geralt, is it true? Shall we accept Dijkstra's conditions?"
Geralt decides what happens...
A) I wouldn't trust a man who holds your future queen hostage.
Dijkstra's henchmen must be defeated. Dijkstra takes Anais as a hostage and threatens to kill her (limited time choice).
Aa) Dijkstra, you shall not leave this place alive!
Anais dies. Roche kills Dijkstra in Dethmold style. Nilfgaard ending.
Ab) Hand over Anais and I will let you escape. You have my word, Dijkstra.
Anais survives. Roche captures Dijsktra and wants to murder him, because he threatened to kill Anais. Geralt keeps his word and insists that Dijkstra shall be set free. Roche has no choice and he must let Dijkstra go. Dijkstra and Roche become mortal enemies. Nilfgaard ending.
Ac) Hand over Anais and I will let you escape. You have my word, Dijkstra (backstab Dijkstra).
Anais survives. Roche captures Dijkstra and wants to murder him, because he threatened to kill Anais. Geralt betrays Dijkstra and does not object. Roche kills Dijkstra in Dethmold style. Nilfgaard ending.
B) Dijkstra is a patriot, just as you and Roche. You share the common goal.
Everyone survives, but Emhyr will be assasinated. Dijkstra ending.
C) Hand over Anais. We can discuss it without holding her hostage.
Dijkstra insists he will take care of her until Roche brings him a head of the Nilfgaardian envoy. Player must choose A or B.
Dijkstra is supposed to have more henchmen, of course.
Maybe I will open a new thread with a poll. Want to see what the majority of players would do.
Dijkstra: "If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly. That but this blow might be the be-all and end-all here."
Ves: "What's that?"
Geralt: "Vakmeth, act one, scene seven."
Dijkstra: "You impressed me, witcher."
Geralt: "I dated Yennefer, bro."
Dijkstra: "Anyway, Geralt, what Thaler told you - put it out of your mind. There will be no truce with Nilfgaard. Redania, under my enlightened rule, will fight on until it wins. And when it does it will unite all the North. Temeria will become the vassal state of mine, under the same conditions Thaler agreed on with Nilfgaard. Anais will become the queen of Temeria and she will rule over Sodden and Brugge as well. Anais, come here!"
Anais enters the stage accompanied by two Dijkstra's henchmen.
Roche: "Traitor, you kidnapped her."
Dijkstra: "Chill. I just wanted to be sure you will accept my conditions."
Thaler: "But what about Nilfgaard? What if they win the war?"
Dijsktra: "Geralt told me that the Trade Corporation and Nilfgaardian nobility have grown tired of this war. If we fight on, Emhyr will lose domestic support and who knows...maybe he will get deposed."
Thaler: "Geralt, is it true? Shall we accept Dijkstra's conditions?"
Geralt decides what happens...
A) I wouldn't trust a man who holds your future queen hostage.
Dijkstra's henchmen must be defeated. Dijkstra takes Anais as a hostage and threatens to kill her (limited time choice).
Aa) Dijkstra, you shall not leave this place alive!
Anais dies. Roche kills Dijkstra in Dethmold style. Nilfgaard ending.
Ab) Hand over Anais and I will let you escape. You have my word, Dijkstra.
Anais survives. Roche captures Dijsktra and wants to murder him, because he threatened to kill Anais. Geralt keeps his word and insists that Dijkstra shall be set free. Roche has no choice and he must let Dijkstra go. Dijkstra and Roche become mortal enemies. Nilfgaard ending.
Ac) Hand over Anais and I will let you escape. You have my word, Dijkstra (backstab Dijkstra).
Anais survives. Roche captures Dijkstra and wants to murder him, because he threatened to kill Anais. Geralt betrays Dijkstra and does not object. Roche kills Dijkstra in Dethmold style. Nilfgaard ending.
B) Dijkstra is a patriot, just as you and Roche. You share the common goal.
Everyone survives, but Emhyr will be assasinated. Dijkstra ending.
C) Hand over Anais. We can discuss it without holding her hostage.
Dijkstra insists he will take care of her until Roche brings him a head of the Nilfgaardian envoy. Player must choose A or B.
Dijkstra is supposed to have more henchmen, of course.
Maybe I will open a new thread with a poll. Want to see what the majority of players would do.
Even so, from what I have heard, Phillipa is easily among the most powerful of sorcerers. To go ahead in that fashion, I doubt anyone could be so mad knowing what someone is capable off, it just seems unlikely. In my eyes Radovid is a reflection of Hitler, feeding off of the peoples need for a scapegoat, and intelligently doing so. Yeah he is insane, but from what I saw from him in the game (I have not played TW1 or 2, and not read nay of the books), he was a controlled madman (IE he was intelligent).
I felt the entire quest was done poorly. Radovids ship (which BTW is not heavily guarded at all) just happens to be in the harbour of a city where there is a clear danger to him (some mages possibly still around, non-humans burnt at the stake, etc., I doubt his foreign affairs minister, or whatever they would have had, would not have tried to eagerly prevent him from going there).
The bridge was easily stacked with commandos without anyone batting an eye, heck as soon as the action took place all the barriers came out instantly. You CANNOT pull something off like that in a city so heavily infested with supporters of the Eternal Fire and Radovids troops (the former essentially being fanatics and fans of Radovid).
The simple pace of the quest... The lack of guards Radovid brings along with him... The lack of action from Radovids troops immediately after the event... etc. etc.
Well, most of these "subterfuge" scenes don't make much sense. Dijkstra should have had much more guys there, this way it just doesn't make sense. Then again Menge is too stupid to just have someone shadowing Geralt to lead him to Triss and the Witch Hunters are also not able to recognize the bard running around in a ridiculous outfit that has escaped them a while back and is now freely moving through their city.
I have a more simple one: fisstech, the same Radovid's being using in the past 6 months.
Completely agree. He was so rational throughout the game, calculating, sure, but rational. Then he shits on the floor and starts an impossible fight after citing Macbeth.
Makes sense..
On top of that he had some of the best lines and a fantastic voice actor to boot. For shame.
It was so lazy that anyone could've come up with better ideas.
He could've poisoned the vodka knowing that Geralt wouldnt die. Then you have to decide if you wanna avenge your friends knowing that without Dijkstra war would go for shit for northern kingdoms, or you could let him go.
He could've waited until Geralt is gone and kill them.
Compared to other quest and outcomes (look at the Baron questline!) this is just sad.
He could've poisoned the vodka knowing that Geralt wouldnt die. Then you have to decide if you wanna avenge your friends knowing that without Dijkstra war would go for shit for northern kingdoms, or you could let him go.
He could've waited until Geralt is gone and kill them.
Compared to other quest and outcomes (look at the Baron questline!) this is just sad.
Yes he is very good both in english and russian versions.
I hated this part... because I really liked Dijkstra as a character, he felt real and grounded, and his cleverness shone through in times where it was obvious he had a distaste or outright dislike for someone like Geralt or Philippa he nonetheless saw the usefulness in keeping them alive. The fact that he was such a fool as to take on 3 potently powerful fighters at once was only the tip of the stupid iceberg as far as I'm concerned. I wish there had been a way to spare his fate altogether and at least let him go with his life, though I'm sure that would have been far from the end of trouble for them.
I agree. It really didn't make any sense. It is out of character when it comes to Djikstra and completly unnecessary when it comes to storytelling.
I understand they wanted to add some twist and drama to it, but they should have ended the quest with Radovid dead and them drinking and celebrating, something similar to Kaer Morhen scene with Geralt, Lambert and Eskel. Maybe even a chance for Geralt to get his tattoo if he missed it in the 2nd game? =)
I understand they wanted to add some twist and drama to it, but they should have ended the quest with Radovid dead and them drinking and celebrating, something similar to Kaer Morhen scene with Geralt, Lambert and Eskel. Maybe even a chance for Geralt to get his tattoo if he missed it in the 2nd game? =)
Act 3 in TW2, although certainly bad on a gameplay level and set in a square mile that's supposedly a "city", was still very good on a story level. It was the proper culmination of everything that had occurred in the game to that point.