The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt: Official Thread

I'd really like to see a decent CPU test. Haven't seen anyone do one yet. In particular would be nice to see if the 5800x3d with the cache helps here, or if the 5900/5950x are doing better because of their better clock speeds, etc.
I’m shocked GN hasn’t done an expose lol. Flown to Poland to meet the devs etc.
 
Have they ever done a video on a single game?
Good question, probably not, and less likely for a 2015 game but I feel the W3 conversation RE: pc performance could be part of a larger video going into other similar (recent) games (Scorn comes to mind) which have been problematic for powerful PCs.
 
you literally post the same thing in every gaming thread...anyone who gets different results than you is lying...if a game is running fine for you then according to you no one can have any issues...if you are having issues then everyone must have the same exact issues otherwise they are lying...and you will always point to Digital Foundry as your backup
I never said anything about me. I also did not say he was lying as he might not have been testing in one of those very cpu limited areas. And yes I will take the word of a site that does game testing and analysis for a living especially if 99% of players are reporting the same thing too.
 
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I'd really like to see a decent CPU test. Haven't seen anyone do one yet. In particular would be nice to see if the 5800x3d with the cache helps here, or if the 5900/5950x are doing better because of their better clock speeds, etc.
I suspect not much difference will be seen since the game is CPU limited to single threads currently and needs fixing. The 12th gen and above are really good single thread performers so they tend to get good results, but when you've got RT enabled and everything else, it really shows the limitations when the CPU is unable to feed the GPU enough data most of the time. Essentially we are at a point where modern hardware is having to brute force frames through the pipeline as opposed to everything working efficiently and giving the best possible result from any given hardware.
 
I suspect not much difference will be seen since the game is CPU limited to single threads currently and needs fixing. The 12th gen and above are really good single thread performers so they tend to get good results, but when you've got RT enabled and everything else, it really shows the limitations when the CPU is unable to feed the GPU enough data most of the time. Essentially we are at a point where modern hardware is having to brute force frames through the pipeline as opposed to everything working efficiently and giving the best possible result from any given hardware.
It seems to be just Gotham Knights, The Callisto Protocol and The Witcher 3 having these CPU issues with ray tracing while no other ray tracing games do which is strange.
 
It seems to be just Gotham Knights, The Callisto Protocol and The Witcher 3 having these CPU issues with ray tracing while no other ray tracing games do which is strange.
Spider-Man is somewhat too, when using rt reflections. The cpu usage goes very high.
 
Since consumer hardware isn't powerful enough yet, current ray tracing in games uses BVHs which place heavy load on the CPU. In fact reviews for some games mention that the CPU was the bottleneck for RT and not the GPU. (bvh = bounding volume heirarchy)

It's always been very very heavy on CPUs, it's just more noticeable now as game devs are releasing games with RT that is calculated more accurately, over a wider area and taking more light sources into consideration.

As for the Witcher 3 I suspect it's the DX11->DX12 wrapper that's the primary issue as it's not optimized or multi threaded correctly and was never really meant for wide release production - Microsoft actually had a warning similar to "we strongly don't recommend using this" on the developer SDK kit if I remember correctly.
 
Folks, I finally realized I did not have DLSS Frame Generation turned on. I right-clicked display settings, and went to graphics settings, and clicked "hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling" to on.
(3440 x 1440p, RT ULTRA+)
Novigrad framerate No DLSS frame generation: 34 FPS
Novigrad framerate w/ DLSS frame generation: 86 FPS (64% load)
Skellige Isles framerate No DLSS frame generation: 60 FPS
Skellige Isles framerate w/ DLSS frame generation: 114 FPS (90% load)

DLSS frame gen really unlocks your 4000 series GPU. No more complaints from this guy.
 

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This game is just killer! Just got to Skellig. It is like Twilight Princess, Skyrim Warcraft and GTA V had a love child. I never played it because I found the combat system too hard to learn (getting old), but now that I have the hang I am hooked. Going to play this before taking on Eldin Ring. It got a lot better after I realized, after starting from the same save with 10% health in the caverns with Kir a Metz, that I can mediate and heal. Not sure this is one I would REPLAY, but I am super impressed with the elaborate production of this game!
 
Just finished the main game, got my favorite ending that I never knew was my favorite, as I never got it before. Onto the expansions. About 100 hours for the main game thus far.
 
This game is just killer! Just got to Skellig. It is like Twilight Princess, Skyrim Warcraft and GTA V had a love child. I never played it because I found the combat system too hard to learn (getting old), but now that I have the hang I am hooked. Going to play this before taking on Eldin Ring. It got a lot better after I realized, after starting from the same save with 10% health in the caverns with Kir a Metz, that I can mediate and heal. Not sure this is one I would REPLAY, but I am super impressed with the elaborate production of this game!
On the two highest difficulty settings you don't get health back for meditating. I would learn to make use of your potions. You already know the formula for Swallow at the start of the game, which makes you regenerate 80 vitality per second outside of battle (40 in battle). The base version give you 3 charges, and you can just meditate to get them back if you have alcohol in your inventory. Food and drink is also always an option to regenerate health, although at a much slower rate.
 
I haven't even touched potions although I'm starting to use food more. I haven't done any crafting or alchemy at all. I have no intention of upping the difficulty. I'm here for the visuals and the exotic mage women. lol
Nevertheless, your potions will come in handy during battle. Who doesn't want to double their attack power to dominate their opponent?
 
I never used positions at all. I did use the mod that auto applies oils though.
 
Game is still a choppy mess for me. I am using a 4080 with 528.02 and even DLSS 3 does not make the situation any better.
 
Now even using the 13700k for the first time still runs like shit. I am less cpu limited than with the 9900k but still cant come anywhere near holding 60 fps from a cpu point. A 15700k should do the trick in a couple more years...
 
Now even using the 13700k for the first time still runs like shit. I am less cpu limited than with the 9900k but still cant come anywhere near holding 60 fps from a cpu point. A 15700k should do the trick in a couple more years...
Please recall the tessellation/hairworks controversy from this game's launch... The remaster was created to push frame generation. Expect more of this in Nvidia-sponsored games from here on out.
 
Please recall the tessellation/hairworks controversy from this game's launch... The remaster was created to push frame generation. Expect more of this in Nvidia-sponsored games from here on out.
See my post right before that one as even with DLSS 3 it ran like choppy stuttery poop.
 
So Geralt still occasionally walks on his own in random directions and at random times without me using any movement keys on my pc & keyboard. Most don't have the problem so it's not a concern for most posters. It seems to usually start after Geralt does an automatic roll after I jump over a short wall or boulder or whatever object. Or after jumping or walking off a high place. Which is probably just as bad a theory as most others on the net for why he randomly walks around on his own.

I get that Geralt or your character sometimes will take a few steps in different directions as he recovers from a short fall & the roll. So he can regain his balance. So my take on that is somehow that causes him to keep doing those random steps at random times even when he's not jumping or rolling. I have no proof of that so it's not going to stick as a cause. But anyway if anyone else is dealing with the issue and has tried ways to stop it.
 
Check your USB ports for wireless dongles. Someone in your house might be taking the p][ss :)
 
So Geralt still occasionally walks on his own in random directions and at random times without me using any movement keys on my pc & keyboard. Most don't have the problem so it's not a concern for most posters. It seems to usually start after Geralt does an automatic roll after I jump over a short wall or boulder or whatever object. Or after jumping or walking off a high place. Which is probably just as bad a theory as most others on the net for why he randomly walks around on his own.

I get that Geralt or your character sometimes will take a few steps in different directions as he recovers from a short fall & the roll. So he can regain his balance. So my take on that is somehow that causes him to keep doing those random steps at random times even when he's not jumping or rolling. I have no proof of that so it's not going to stick as a cause. But anyway if anyone else is dealing with the issue and has tried ways to stop it.
Do you have movement response set to Alternative? The Standard response prioritizes animation, which can make it seem like Geralt continues walking when you stop control. It's similar to RDR2 where they're more concerned about animation being fluid rather than the player having positive control. Alternative response fixes that.
 
Do you have movement response set to Alternative? The Standard response prioritizes animation, which can make it seem like Geralt continues walking when you stop control. It's similar to RDR2 where they're more concerned about animation being fluid rather than the player having positive control. Alternative response fixes that.
I just checked and it's set to Alternative and in the last few hours I haven't had the random movement problem. I may have set it to on recently without realizing what its function really does. I did google it after reading your post this morning. That could be the fix, thanks.
 
New patch today fixes screen space reflections and adds a "performance" mode for ray traced global illumination. The usual slate of fixes is also included.

https://www.thewitcher.com/en/news/47491/patch-4-01-list-of-changes

PC-SPECIFIC
  • Fixed an issue where the Screen Space Reflections setting wasn't working on PC despite being turned on. Players who had previously set their SSR setting to high may notice a performance impact.
  • Added a new performance mode for ray-traced global illumination, which can be toggled by players with compatible hardware. It improves frame rate by prioritizing performance over range and precision.

CONSOLE-SPECIFIC
  • Fixed an issue where consoles could create a higher amount of saves than their set limit, resulting in various issues with saving the game or user settings being reset.
  • Improved Screen Space Reflections quality on next-gen consoles.
  • Optimized ray-traced global illumination on next-gen consoles to improve the performance of Ray Tracing Mode.

QUESTS & GAMEPLAY - Available on all platforms
  • Battle Preparations - Fixed an issue where it could be impossible to interact with Avallac'h during the objective "Let Avallac'h know everything's ready."
  • Family Matters - Fixed an issue that could cause the game to crash during the transition to Ciri's Story: Out of the Shadows when speaking to the Bloody Baron.
  • King's Gambit - Fixed an issue where it could be impossible to participate in the fistfight with the second Vildkaarl due to an invisible obstacle.
  • Wine Wars: Belgaard - Added a retrofix for the issue we fixed in 4.00, where the quest couldn't be completed if the player destroyed one of the required monster nests during exploration.
  • A Dangerous Game - The armor in Caesar's room should now change its appearance when the Alternate Nilfgaardian Armor is turned on.
  • Axii Puppet - Increased the health and damage dealt by the puppet.
  • Adrenaline Rush mutation should now work according to its description.
  • Various small fixes to quests and cutscenes.

LOCALIZATION - Available on all platforms
  • Fixed various issues with Arabic localization.
  • Added the localized versions of Orianna's song "Lullaby of Woe" in Korean and Simplified Chinese.
  • Adjusted Priscilla's lip-sync animation to match her voice-over in Simplified Chinese during the song "The Wolven Storm".

Please note: these are only the most notable changes. The patch contains other minor fixes that didn't make it into this list.

Unlisted changes:
  • Added options to turn off vignette effect and chromatic aberration.
 
So I am on the home stretch. I think I am on the last main non DLC quest. I used a cheat command to add EVERYTHING in my inventory so I could get some cool armor sets before finishing. I am a bit overencumbered now, by like 2000, so I had to mod the game. Now I have every weapon and armor set in the game and no weight limit. I am wearing Forgotten Wolf gear because it looks like the show, but I doubt that is the best set. I really wanted Wolf gear, but I have so much stuff in my inventory I can't find it! I am not even sure it is there.

You know you are into a game when you go for in game haircut for your character to spiffy him up but you yourself are two weeks overdue for a real world haircut!

What is the best/coolest armor set in the game? I can beat the game with any set I am sure but I am just wondering. I'm a smack em with the sword until they die type player. Cheers!
 
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So I am on the home stretch. I think I am on the last main non DLC quest. I used a cheat command to add EVERYTHING in my inventory so I could get some cool armor sets before finishing. I am a bit overencumbered now, by like 2000, so I had to mod the game. Now I have every weapon and armor set in the game and no weight limit. I am wearing Forgotten Wolf gear because it looks like the show, but I doubt that is the best set. I really wanted Wolf gear, but I have so much stuff in my inventory I can't find it! I am not even sure it is there.

You know you are into a game when you go for in game haircut for your character to spiffy him up but you yourself are two weeks overdue for a real world haircut!

What is the best/coolest armor set in the game? I can beat the game with any set I am sure but I am just wondering. I'm a smack em with the sword until they die type player. Cheers!
Finding all the Witcher gear diagrams is part of the fun, though. The Blood & Wine DLC adds the Grandmaster diagrams which add the set bonuses. They're level 39-40. Higher level versions of the Witcher gear (Legendary affix) become available in NG+.

The Forgotten Wolven set is made for a hybrid build, so you're not getting a lot of perks for a pure melee build.

I like the Griffin set, myself. I like my build as a sign casting melee hybrid, and the Griffin set complements that playstyle. I also think it's the best looking one.

For a pure melee build, the Hen Gaidth set from Blood & Wine is the best, in my opinion. It offers superior defense, chance to stun, good armor piercing, critical hit chance, and critical hit damage bonus. It looks great, to boot. The set bonus is the cherry on top, healing you every time you hit an enemy.

The New Moon set is a good alternative since the Hen Gaidth set is easy to miss (it appears in a small slot in the wall of a one-time dungeon that you won't even get a prompt to interact with unless you hump the wall). The artifact version of the New Moon set offers the best critical chance and damage bonus in the game, but offers no set bonus.

You'll want to pair both of these sets with the Viper Venomous Silver and Steel swords. Both, again, are available in the Blood & Wine DLC and are highly missable.

The old fallback before any of the DLC is the Wolf set, which has a good bleeding chance and faster Adrenaline Point gain.

Since you cheated to get all the gear, then I guess you don't have to worry about missing any of this stuff.
 
Finding all the Witcher gear diagrams is part of the fun, though. The Blood & Wine DLC adds the Grandmaster diagrams which add the set bonuses. They're level 39-40. Higher level versions of the Witcher gear (Legendary affix) become available in NG+.

The Forgotten Wolven set is made for a hybrid build, so you're not getting a lot of perks for a pure melee build.

I like the Griffin set, myself. I like my build as a sign casting melee hybrid, and the Griffin set complements that playstyle. I also think it's the best looking one.

For a pure melee build, the Hen Gaidth set from Blood & Wine is the best, in my opinion. It offers superior defense, chance to stun, good armor piercing, critical hit chance, and critical hit damage bonus. It looks great, to boot. The set bonus is the cherry on top, healing you every time you hit an enemy.

The New Moon set is a good alternative since the Hen Gaidth set is easy to miss (it appears in a small slot in the wall of a one-time dungeon that you won't even get a prompt to interact with unless you hump the wall). The artifact version of the New Moon set offers the best critical chance and damage bonus in the game, but offers no set bonus.

You'll want to pair both of these sets with the Viper Venomous Silver and Steel swords. Both, again, are available in the Blood & Wine DLC and are highly missable.

The old fallback before any of the DLC is the Wolf set, which has a good bleeding chance and faster Adrenaline Point gain.

Since you cheated to get all the gear, then I guess you don't have to worry about missing any of this stuff.
I just wanted to up Geralt cosmetically before the final battle since I haven't come across any really good stuff. I am short on time for this type of game. Too much real work to do for crafting. I waited until the end the cheat, however.
 
I just wanted to up Geralt cosmetically before the final battle since I haven't come across any really good stuff. I am short on time for this type of game. Too much real work to do for crafting. I waited until the end the cheat, however.
I don't take issue with how anybody wants to play the game. It takes me around 150 hours to do just one playthrough of this game, so I understand if you don't have time for that. I would suggest doing the Witcher diagram scavenging quests either way as they were some of my favorites in the game. They generally take you around the map to places you otherwise might miss.
 
The Witcher 3: Patch 4.01 Tested! Better RT Perf But Console 60FPS Suffers


I didn't notice any issues in framerate mode on my Series X, but they nerfed ray tracing mode hard to try to improve performance. RTAO is completely broken now. I haven't noticed any weirdness on the PC version. It runs nearly perfectly now.
 
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