The Witcher II

[Evnissyen]

I know, I found it. I used the email and they sent me a download url. Really quick download, even quicker install.

...But after installing the patch I had to not only reset my graphical settings (they keep downgrading... my system can handle the graphics and animation very capably, thank you very much) but also had to remap the keyboard again... sigh... not a big deal, just a minor annoyance.

A larger annoyance: having to be at a specific place in order to search for something or open a door. This reminds me of the issue in the original issue where people were complaining about having to cursor-scan the entire place to find objects... though really all they needed to do was hit tab in order to highlight them, and then point and click... much easier than the current system.

...And I also don't like the new inventory system. With the old one, there might've been a limited number of boxes to place stuff in, but at least you were able to organize your stuff for easier accessibility.

[sirdilznik]

A larger annoyance: having to be at a specific place in order to search for something or open a door. This reminds me of the issue in the original issue where people were complaining about having to cursor-scan the entire place to find objects... though really all they needed to do was hit tab in order to highlight them, and then point and click... much easier than the current system.

Use the force, Luke. Let go of your conscious self... Wait, no that's not right. Use the schwartz... wait that's not right either, but I'm moving in the right direction since it required an item... Use your medallion. Press "z", or whatever you remapped it to, and your medallion will emit an outward pulse that will temporarily highlight anything you can pick up as well as any place of power and alert you to any meanies that may be lurking about within range.

[Evnissyen]

Ahh... the medallion.

Talk about an obscure function.

Anyhow... I remapped that to H. Just so you know. Not like it's important, but... it's good that people know these things, I think.

[sirdilznik]

Another heads up. The 1.2 patch is out and it fixes more issues, adds more key remapping options and adds another free DLC which allows you to give Geralt stylish new hairdos. I'm going to go with the old school Witcher 1 hairdo myself, I feel you need to know these things.

Edit: And yes it does reset your video config again (grrrrrrr) but at least the auto-detect did a more reasonable job of detecting my "optimal" settings this time. I would imagine it will reset your custom key bindings too since that's one of the things altered in this patch. God bless CDPR for putting out patches this swiftly, many larger companies with more resources take much longer to put out a single patch, but their patching process still leaves much to be desired.

[Evnissyen]

http://www.en.thewitcher.com/the-witcher/2/

...Ahh, nice. Downloading now.

I'm looking forward to some of the balancing fixes they mentioned in the announcement, although from how they described it, it sounds like they only addressed the prologue.

The biggest problem I have is that the keyboard commands have not been working properly in-combat. I mean... granted you should only be able to throw bombs when you're not in melee... but in melee you're supposed to be able to cast signs... and this is a major problem. Maybe it comes down to concentration issues, I don't know, but the original Witcher never had this issue.

Sometimes, my character just won't move. He's attacked, and he doesn't bother drawing his sword, and by the time I get him to draw his sword his vitality's already down 50%. Also... Geralt's supposed to be this sort of super-fast expert swordsman... but any scoia'tel is faster than him, and much better at blocking (again, that comes down partially to the keyboard commands not being adequate, but with the scoia'tel it's automatic, whereas with Geralt, you have to direct him to parry each time... and as a skilled witcher he's supposed to respond to these attacks at lightning speed.)

...I mean... I'm not looking for an imbalance in favor of Geralt, but Geralt is absurdly weakened in this game, to the point that he's no more skilled than your common guard and often a really burly, utterly untrained thug. (And anyone who's played the original Witcher knows very well how extensive and intensive their training is.)

(And always it's the Witcher's little toys -- the potions and bombs -- which allow him to survive -- not swordfighting, which is supposed to be his specialty and to which he's supposed to have no equal except among other Witchers.)

Sometimes I try to throw something -- when out of range -- and the system won't throw... .and in the meantime Geralt gets [very quickly] killed... by a bunch of thugs with no formal training.

...But still... atmosphere, some of the characters/political intrigue, conflict of loyalties and motivation... the children which actually behave like children... all of this adds up. Mood is important, and so are the people who populate the world.

[sirdilznik]

Geralt's responsiveness is something CDPR addressed. I think they said something along the lines of it should be enhanced in a future patch (1.3 presumably). As far as casting signs in melee I remember that you could cast without fear of being interrupted in the first Witcher, I'm personally fine with the way it works now, I feel it's more of an improvement in Witcher 2 and was more of a deficiency in Witcher 1. It's akin to a mage trying to cast a spell while in melee in D&D where anyone and everyone within melee range gets a free attack of opportunity on said mage and any successful attack will interrupt the spell and likely cause spell failure. Usually I find I can cast a sign, like Igni for example, in melee immediately following a sword attack that knocks the enemy back or stuns them. Obviously this won't work if you're surrounded since you're liable to get slashed from behind. .

[Nevermore]

I'm waiting the console port, to take a look. Probably it will release at hte end of 2001.

[Evnissyen]

Intercourse the console!

I blame the console-prepping for my having to use my keyboard for everything instead of just pointing and clicking like in the original Witcher.

I mean... if you can't point and click... that's not a PC GAME, guys... .

[Evnissyen]

I hope BW doesn't mind me posting this link, but you have to sign in to watch it and anyhow it only features footage of the actual game (though censored)... because it contains 'adult' references... whatever... if BW doesn't want it here I won't be offended of he deletes this, but otherwise... I felt it was just too funny and too good a review to pass up:

http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_ ... rified%3D1