The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings ann.

Best game of the last 10 years getting a sequel that looks amazing = what more could you possibly ask for :)
 
Damos said:
Just beat the first one. About to start my second play through. I went with Triss and a build of magic. Igni maxed out is a blast. :) This time will go Shani/Melee. I was also nice. Not this time. lol.

I really can't wait for this to come out. I haven't been this into a game since MS1 or BG2. :)

Do most people prefer melee w/ potions or the magic route?
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Actually, choice of female is less important then the choice of the side - Order, Rebels or the neutral way.
 
So the devs of TW2 were asked what differentiates their game from DA2. Their response:

Tomas Gop: “That’s quite easy, actually. There are a few things that I can easily find. First, we don’t have a generic fantasy world. I mean [the author] Andrzej Sapkowski spent a huge part of his life doing this. It’s comfortable for us. It’s consistent, it’s really working. Everything is kind of logical in this world, and it works out well for us. The other thing–I don’t really think it is possible to distinguish some of the things you’re choosing between as ‘good or bad’ or ‘good and evil.’ We always like to think about when you have a choice in The Witcher, it’s more like what I would actually do.

It’s not black and white, and that’s the most important thing. And we look better. I mean, sorry, seriously–I love Bethesda, BioWare games, I play them. But, c’mon. You cannot be indifferent to that, you cannot omit the difference. We simply look better.”
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Pretty much on the mark. Also if you check out the dev diaries, they just keep implying that Bioware really doesn't know how to craft a true and proper RPG, it's quite funny.
 
I'd say with Dragon Age Origins, Bioware succeeded, with DA 2, they failed utterly.
 
The first game ran like a festering pile of shit on day one, and my computer easily, easily met the recommended specs. So really, this doesn't mean much.
 
WabeWalker said:
The first game ran like a festering pile of shit on day one, and my computer easily, easily met the recommended specs. So really, this doesn't mean much.
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Thankfully I waited for a couple patches to pick the game up. Ran much better after EE though.
 
Derangel said:
Thankfully I waited for a couple patches to pick the game up. Ran much better after EE though.
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Yes, it did.

But the developer was way overdue on this title, having delayed it year after year, and just had to ship it.

I had been following its progress and couldn't believe how many times it was delayed. Playing it literally on day one, I saw immediately that they had released an unfinished game. I mean, it just wasn't finished. It was really, really bad.
 
WabeWalker said:
Yes, it did.

But the developer was way overdue on this title, having delayed it year after year, and just had to ship it.

I had been following its progress and couldn't believe how many times it was delayed. Playing it literally on day one, I saw immediately that they had released an unfinished game. I mean, it just wasn't finished. It was really, really bad.
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I heard that a lot early on. Which is why I waited. I think it just got to the point where CDP just had to get it released and deal with the backlash as it came. It doesn't help that Aurora was nowhere near up to task for what they were trying to do and they had to do massive modifications to it to even make the game work. From a performance standpoint Aurora is Bioware's worst engine. Hopefully the new engine they designed for Witcher 2 will actually be up to the task of running the game and it will launch in much better shape.
 
That was the problem apparently - the engine just wasn't built for what they had aimed for.

I'm not a huge admirer of this developer because I felt they were being deceptive in releasing an unfinished game to market. I actually got out my stopwatch and timed the loading screens and wrote the numbers down. I created a thread in which I revealed exactly, to the second, how much time I was sitting waiting at load screens. There were a couple of people posting at their forums who insisted that the game was perfectly fine, but their broken English, and the way they were posting, led me to suspect that they were company employees doing damage control at their own forum.

My thread, by the way, was immediately locked, and right away I was permanently banned from their forum.

Not exactly the sort of thing that leaves a good taste in your mouth. I was a day one purchaser, and felt sick for having given them one cent of my money. People always accuse the big companies, such as EA, of deceptive business practices, but I find that it's the smaller outfits such as CD Projekt that you've really got to watch.
 
If you turned the grass off it ran just fine on most any hardware.
 
The original ran fine on my system at the time on day one the only bad part was the long load bug.. but the game was so good it didnt matter to me.. i dont think it was unfinished at all content wise.
 
dajet24 said:
The original ran fine on my system at the time on day one the only bad part was the long load bug.. but the game was so good it didnt matter to me.. i dont think it was unfinished at all content wise.
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The enhanced edition was really just the version of the game they wanted, and should have, released on day one.

Maybe you got lucky, but on the system I played on, which was well above spec, the first battle, outside the castle, was a total slideshow, and hugely disappointing considering how long I had waited for the game's release.

The forums were flooded with people complaining about bugs, crashes to desktop, and of course the ridiculously long load times, so it wasn't just me.

And yeah, people were severely pissed off, especially because fucking CD Projekt was shutting down threads left, right, and center. Honestly, people bitch about Ubisoft or EA being dictatorial - but I've NEVER seen a company shut down legitimate threads for a buggy game the way CD Projekt did during the initial release of their game. It was very bad, and left an extremely foul taste in my mouth. If there's one way to really piss off a day one customer it's to shut down their thread when they have a legitimate complaint, and ban them for life from your forum.
 
I'm glad I waited for the EE release given these horror stories. My experience was fine out of the box, other than the work needed to add the Euro release death animations, blood and trophy cards. I played it on an e8400 and ATI 3850 512 and it ran great at 16x12 HQ.

I hope this release goes better than that since I preordered as well.
 
Ruiner said:
I'm glad I waited for the EE release given these horror stories. My experience was fine out of the box, other than the work needed to add the Euro release death animations, blood and trophy cards. I played it on an e8400 and ATI 3850 512 and it ran great at 16x12 HQ.

I hope this release goes better than that since I preordered as well.
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I suspect that the release will be fine. Derangel identified the problem with the first game - it was attempting to use an engine for something it wasn't built to do.

That said, I've noticed these past couple of months that gamers have become nearly impossible to please, and I'm wondering if people are maybe going to get a surprise here. Paradoxically, people are screaming at developers to change their ways, and yet every change that's been made has been met with harsh criticism. Dragon Age 2 is the perfect example of that.

Some people seem to have had some weird kind of love affair with The Witcher, and I suspect that those people might be the ones complaining on release day. Early word is that The Witcher 2 takes fewer than 25 hours to reach full completion, for example, and that it's much more action oriented. I wonder if people aren't going to scream that this new game isn't The Witcher. People looking for more of the same might be in for a shocker.

We'll have to see. Personally, I absolutely loathed the first game - but that doesn't mean I'm going to dislike this one. I'm cautiously optimistic.
 
WabeWalker said:
Early word is that The Witcher 2 takes fewer than 25 hours to reach full completion, for example, and that it's much more action oriented.
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Source on the 25 hours to completion?

Personally I didn't play the witcher when it first came out, only got the EE a couple of months ago and I've been enjoying it. More action oriented would be fine with me, I dont really like the timing based combat of the first one, its not terrible, but its not good either. I dont know where the stereotype of RPGs needing god aweful combat mechanisms comes from, I'd love an RPG with a good action orientated combat mechanism cut/pasted from a hack and slash.

I dont think people love it as religiously as you think Wabe, its just that you are vocally hating of anything The Witcher so to you it appears everyone else loves it... kinda like how you defend some games to the death that other people think are just average or sub-par.
 
WabeWalker said:
That said, I've noticed these past couple of months that gamers have become nearly impossible to please, and I'm wondering if people are maybe going to get a surprise here. Paradoxically, people are screaming at developers to change their ways, and yet every change that's been made has been met with harsh criticism. Dragon Age 2 is the perfect example of that.
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Sure, core PC fans are screaming for changes, and the big devs do the opposite to push console sales.

That aside, it would be hard to argue that devs are more frequently using early buyers as beta testers. Gamers of every ilk hate that.
 
Tudz said:
Source on the 25 hours to completion?

Personally I didn't play the witcher when it first came out, only got the EE a couple of months ago and I've been enjoying it. More action oriented would be fine with me, I dont really like the timing based combat of the first one, its not terrible, but its not good either. I dont know where the stereotype of RPGs needing god aweful combat mechanisms comes from, I'd love an RPG with a good action orientated combat mechanism cut/pasted from a hack and slash.

I dont think people love it as religiously as you think Wabe, its just that you are vocally hating of anything The Witcher so to you it appears everyone else loves it... kinda like how you defend some games to the death that other people think are just average or sub-par.
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Arkham Asylum combat in an RPG... yes. YES. They should do this.
 
Even if its 25 hours to completion, as long as it was 25 good hours, who cares? It's probably just a median anyway, not every single person is going to take 25 hours to beat the game. Just like ME2, took me 18 hours, while a friend of mine needed 40.

And I don't think anyone cares what they do to the combat system either as long as: a) it's not worse than TW1 and b) every other part of the game is intact (you know, stuff that matters in an RPG, like dialogue, quests, writing, choice & consequence, etc).
 
AceCR42 said:
Even if its 25 hours to completion, as long as it was 25 good hours, who cares? It's probably just a median anyway, not every single person is going to take 25 hours to beat the game. Just like ME2, took me 18 hours, while a friend of mine needed 40.

And I don't think anyone cares what they do to the combat system either as long as: a) it's not worse than TW1 and b) every other part of the game is intact (you know, stuff that matters in an RPG, like dialogue, quests, writing, choice & consequence, etc).
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Honestly 25 hours sounds about right, depending on how the game is reviewed at release I might buy it, I really need to finish the first one before I consider buying the second one because I'm terrible at buying games that I never finish.
 
They have made changes.

Chiefly, they're aiming for quality over quantity. My guess is you're going to be hearing from some people saying they finished it in fifteen hours. If the developer is saying twenty five, you can bet that somebody somewhere will just fly through it in way less time. Happens with EVERY game.

I'm remaining cautiously optimistic that The Witcher 2 will be the game I had hoped the original was going to be, but wasn't. Any changes they make will be welcomed.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/114/1146395p1.html
 
WabeWalker said:
They have made changes.

Chiefly, they're aiming for quality over quantity. My guess is you're going to be hearing from some people saying they finished it in fifteen hours. If the developer is saying twenty five, you can bet that somebody somewhere will just fly through it in way less time. Happens with EVERY game.

I'm remaining cautiously optimistic that The Witcher 2 will be the game I had hoped the original was going to be, but wasn't. Any changes they make will be welcomed.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/114/1146395p1.html
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I'm not too concerned with the gameplay time because I usually take time to explore and usually end up spending much more time in the game then it takes to simply finish the story, as long as they include plenty of side quest I don't really care if the main story is only 25 hours or so long.
 
sculelos said:
I'm not too concerned with the gameplay time because I usually take time to explore and usually end up spending much more time in the game then it takes to simply finish the story, as long as they include plenty of side quest I don't really care if the main story is only 25 hours or so long.
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My feeling exactly. I'd much rather have six great side quests rather than two dozen mediocre ones.

I'm just saying, I'll bet that somebody finishes this title on the second night of the second day, and says they finished in fifteen hours or something like that. You can see it coming.
 
I've spent 27 hours on Witcher 1 and im only on chapter 2.. good game, absolutely love it, had it for nearly 4 months now.. but I wish I could just finish the dam thing before Witcher 2 comes out:p
 
I'm yet to see anywhere that it says the game will be 25 hours :p They said they're going quality over quantity but no where did it say an actual length. The original Witcher is probably close to a couple of hundred hours if you decide to do all the side quests and are playing it for the first time.
 
The Minimum Requirements

Processor: Core 2Duo 2.2 GHz or dual core AMD 2.5 GHz
RAM: 1GB Win XP/ 2GB Vista/7
Graphics: GeForce 8800 512MB or Radeon (HD3850 512 MB)
HDD Space: 16 GB

The Recommended Requirements

Processor: Quad Core Intel or AMD
RAM: 3GB Win XP/ 4GB Vista/7
Graphics: GeForce 260 1GB or (HD4850 1GB)
HDD Space: 16 GB
 




















http://www.eurogamer.net/gallery.php?game_id=12368#anchor



Map:





Boxart:




New songs from one of the preorder OSTs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boG1Mj6l5Jw&feature=related



Collectors Edition ($130):

witcher2_contents_collectors.jpg


GAME DVD
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings game DVD.

MAKING-OF DVD
All the cinematic materials related to game - trailers, dev diaries, gameplay footage, interviews and making-of exclusive video.

OST CD
Audio-CD with in-game music.

ETUI
Box with all the contents of The Witcher 2 Premium Edition.

WORLD MAP
A map of the game's world.

GAME GUIDE
The Witcher 2 strategy guide for both novice and experienced role-playing fans.

GAME MANUAL
A rulebook and interface explanation to help you get started.

PAMPHLET AND COIN
A physical representation of one of the in-game items.

PAPERCRAFTS
Two papercraft dolls - Geralt and one random character for collectors.

GERALT’S HEAD
Ultra-detailed head sculpture of Geralt of Rivia. Marble imitation.

ARTBOOK
Extensive documentary of game's graphical assets with descriptions. Including concept art, cover renders and stories behind Art of The Witcher 2. Approximately 200 pages.

DICE
In-game based poker dice (5 pcs.) together with a handy bag.

PLAYING CARDS
Playing cards (stadard 54 pcs. set) with in-game graphics.

CARDS GUIDE
A guide for all those that need tips and trick on how to win in dice and cards.

STICKERS
Three stickers with Witcher 2 graphics.

TEMERIAN OREN
One Temerian Oren, a fine example of King Foltest's currency.

BIG PAPERCRAFTS
Draug - one of the most deadly monsters in-game, now available as a doll for your desktop.

DLC
Roche Commando Jacket - one of the best character customization items to be found in-game. Exclusively for Collector's Edition.

BOX
Thick cardboard box with Medallion image, to hold all you valuable Collector's Edition contents.
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Standard Edition:

640212_bundleLG.jpg




Mininum System Requirements:• OS: Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista SP2 / Windows 7 (32/64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 Ghz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+
• Memory: 1 GB Windows XP / 2 GB Windows Vista and Windows 7
• Video Card: 512 MB RAM, supporting Pixel Shader 3.0 (Nvidia GeForce 8800 or ATI Radeon HD3850)

Recommended System Requirements:• OS: Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista SP2 / Windows 7 (32/64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad or AMD Phenom X4
• Memory: 3 GB Windows XP / 4 GB Windows Vista and Windows 7
• Video Card: 1 GB RAM, supporting Pixel Shader 3.0 (Nvidia GeForce GTX260 or ATI Radeon HD4850)

Additionally:• Sound Card: compatible with DirectX 9.0c
• HDD: 16 GB of disc space
• Disc Drive: DVD x8, compatible with DVD9
• Instalation requires administrator access.
• Game supports Xbox 360 controller for Windows.
 
Wow, its looking pretty fucking good. I prordered it a few weeks ago when my local store was offering a free mouse and mouse pad with preorders. I still haven't finished The Witcher 1 but still I can't wait for this to come out.
 
Release date for this?


Screens look pretty nice, also saw a pretty good trailer a few months ago.
 
I like those screen shots. The amror has layers and depth unlike Dragon Age 2 where its all flat and just a single layer.
 
FUCK this game is going to be so awesome! I can't wait to play it! I hope the soundtrack is as good as the first one was, I still listen to it on a weekly basis
 
Wow, this looks amazing. Though I'm tempted to go for the Collector's Edition, what is the best place to buy a regular edition (digital download preferred) in the US?
 
GoG is directly from CDProjekt so that's the best way if you want to get it digitally, otherwise Steam is always a safe bet.

This game is gonna own so much.
 
I need to see this game on my own PC - running.

Until that time I'm not going to make any comment. Honestly, I thought the screenshots for the first game, which were released about two years before the game itself was released, looked way, way better than anything I ever saw in-game. And of course the engine just plain sucked.

This developer is good at marketing - I'll give them that much.
 
GriMReapeRAK said:
Wow, this looks amazing. Though I'm tempted to go for the Collector's Edition, what is the best place to buy a regular edition (digital download preferred) in the US?
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gog probably.
IIRC you get one of old gog games for free as a bonus and you get completly drm free Witcher 2 copy which you can install on all 5 of your laptops for example :D
 
WabeWalker said:
I need to see this game on my own PC - running.

Until that time I'm not going to make any comment. Honestly, I thought the screenshots for the first game, which were released about two years before the game itself was released, looked way, way better than anything I ever saw in-game. And of course the engine just plain sucked.

This developer is good at marketing - I'll give them that much.
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Man wabe, have you ever played/beat the first one? Dude its one of the best PC RPG's ever man. This game will deliver, make no doubt about it.
 
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