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The Witcher EE rocks imo
- Thread starter spaceman
- Start date
How does the EE version compare to the original release? I only got so far and basically lost interest, due to the clunky combat system. Definitely had a neat storyline, and i would like to finish the game. If the EE version fixes some of the games "oddness", i might pick up the new version and give it a shot.
That sucks.
I do not know how the EE compares to regular as I have only played the EE. There are some NICE textures and effects and the characters look awesome.
The combat is kind of clunky but still ok and the story, characters, environment all make for a great game.
My 280 just kills me. I can't believe how smooth it is with anything. I even ran the Crysis demo on all high 1920x1200 w/ 2XMSAA just fine.
Looks like i'll have to give the EE edition a shot. I purchased the first edition but never played it through, the main reason being the load times.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witcher_(video_game)#Enhanced_Edition
They are claiming 80% reduction on load times.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witcher_(video_game)#Enhanced_Edition
They are claiming 80% reduction on load times.
ya, the witcher is a gorgeous game. I always wanted to play it but didnt find the time till the EE dropped. TO be honest, theres not that big of a difference. some upgraded effects and textures, but still the same game.
I do have a question. I just bought fable2, and I am afraid i wont go back and finish the witcher if I am far from the end of the game. I am at the point where you go to the party and make love ot the princes and then donvaoan or whatever his name is asks you to go to the swamp and kill the salamandra?
how much farther do I need to go hour wise?
I do have a question. I just bought fable2, and I am afraid i wont go back and finish the witcher if I am far from the end of the game. I am at the point where you go to the party and make love ot the princes and then donvaoan or whatever his name is asks you to go to the swamp and kill the salamandra?
how much farther do I need to go hour wise?
silent-circuit
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I too thought the combat was... well, horrible, honestly. If it's the same (I suspect it is) then there's no real reason for me to go back.
to my best knowledge the only thing that was censored was the 'booty cards'. throughout the game you get to sleep with quite a few characters. the game gives you a card with some nice picture of the girl - except theres some nudity which is why it got taken out.
its actually very easy to fix, just look for a patch online and it ads it in.
The load times are SIGNIFICANTLY better. Not the first load of the day, mind you, but all the little load screens between saving a game, loading a game, and most importantly moving in and out of houses. Remember how stepping into an abandoned house load times were the same as loading a whole new game? Only to find nothing and have to wait again just to step back out onto the street? That's all gone. It takes only a 4- or 5-count to go into or to go out of a little area. Even the big areas load much better.
There is still a bit of "clunky" combat. But, mostly its just repetitive. Human or monster? Pick steel or silver. Click, wait for timing, click, repeat until dead.
The big thing is the inventory management system. So, so, so, so much better. There is an actual invintory managment system. You click one button and it sorts your inventory into groups, and then arranges it with potions on the top, food on the bottom. You know exactly what you have. Then its a matter of meditating, clicking on the formula that you want to turn into a potion, and it makes it for you. If you are missing ingrediants, it is much easier to figure out which ones you need.
Some people say that they think the graphics are slightly better, but I think they may be reading into that. Mostly it just goes so much smoother and that probably accounts for the better visuals.
If you haven't played through it much, I encourage you to do so. But, you MUST approach it as an RPG and not a hack-and-slash. There is MORE to this game through side-quests than meets the eye. Sure, there is a definite storyline, and you can chug through that somewhat linearly. But, you'll miss so much. I know I did.
I played through Act I mostly following the main storyline and only completeing the side-quests if they happen along the way. Now that I'm in the thick of Act II, I realized that there was so much content I missed. I missed a lot of the freebie's, a lot of the characters, and a few good items. But mostly, I missed at least an hour of gameplay.
Now that I'm in Act II, I am spending a lot of time talking to random people to pick up the smaller quests. There is a lot of humor, a lot of excitment, and some cool bits just through the side quests that you don't get if you just follow through the main plot.
Act II is much better than the prologue and Act I, and I'm told that Act IV and V are even better.
There is still a bit of "clunky" combat. But, mostly its just repetitive. Human or monster? Pick steel or silver. Click, wait for timing, click, repeat until dead.
The big thing is the inventory management system. So, so, so, so much better. There is an actual invintory managment system. You click one button and it sorts your inventory into groups, and then arranges it with potions on the top, food on the bottom. You know exactly what you have. Then its a matter of meditating, clicking on the formula that you want to turn into a potion, and it makes it for you. If you are missing ingrediants, it is much easier to figure out which ones you need.
Some people say that they think the graphics are slightly better, but I think they may be reading into that. Mostly it just goes so much smoother and that probably accounts for the better visuals.
If you haven't played through it much, I encourage you to do so. But, you MUST approach it as an RPG and not a hack-and-slash. There is MORE to this game through side-quests than meets the eye. Sure, there is a definite storyline, and you can chug through that somewhat linearly. But, you'll miss so much. I know I did.
I played through Act I mostly following the main storyline and only completeing the side-quests if they happen along the way. Now that I'm in the thick of Act II, I realized that there was so much content I missed. I missed a lot of the freebie's, a lot of the characters, and a few good items. But mostly, I missed at least an hour of gameplay.
Now that I'm in Act II, I am spending a lot of time talking to random people to pick up the smaller quests. There is a lot of humor, a lot of excitment, and some cool bits just through the side quests that you don't get if you just follow through the main plot.
Act II is much better than the prologue and Act I, and I'm told that Act IV and V are even better.
This. There are a couple of patches out there that un-censor the cards. However the American version of the Enhanced Edition accidentally turned off some of the blood effects. So, also look for a patch to increase the blood and gore.
If you stop by TheWitcher.com/forum there is a thread devoted to uncensoring it. You send this guy an email, and it auto-responds with links to the uncensored patch. It works like a charm.
I did this to my US Version, works wonders for the game.
I agree with the OP, best RPG i've played in a long time. Then again, NWN/NWN2 is still top on my list, I'm pretty partial to them.
Silent,
The combat is horrid, but if that stops you from playing this excellent game, you have serious issues. (You remind me of a co-worker, who refuses to try TF2 because of the "cartoonish" graphics. Another loss for him.)
silent-circuit
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There's an awful lot of combat from what I saw. It's a horrible interface for combat. Thus, poor design. How do I have serious issues, then? Really, that statement makes no sense. I'm not complaining about graphics quality / style, but the actual gameplay mechanics... and not some mini-game or something, but the entire combat system, which no one in this thread has defended yet. It's a perfectly valid reason no to play the game.
It is weak, childish and button mashing (Clicky?), I agree. It is a poor design, I'm not defending it (combat system). I'm defending the entire game.
The statement makes sense, as you are dismissing a great game by one flaw. Which really isn't a flaw, more of a handicap.
The problem is, there is nothing wrong with the combat system. It works, which says a lot compared to some games.
Not playing the game because of the bad combat design is a poor excuse. If you can get off your high horse and live with it, you will find a superb game.
Same goes for everyone who refuses to play because the US version of the game is censored. It is still a GREAT game censored. If you really have issues with it, get off your ass, install the hacked files and enjoy.
Just pisses me off when people complain about the stupidest things, in reality these things are miniscual. Just like everyone who complains (and refused to play) about the camera in NWN2. WTF seriously. At least these small problems or flaws do not make the game unplayable. Maybe annoying, but defiantly not unplayable. (Especially compared to games like Alone In the Dark, which is unplayable because of the bad design)
Sorry about the OT rant.
It's a great game. I had a problem after reformatting my C partition where my Games folder is a whole other partition. The game won't run, and others are fine. I guess I'll be reinstalling it, including the hour long EE patch and starting over.
Luckily I was only about 5 hrs in though.
Luckily I was only about 5 hrs in though.
Combat is a gameplay feature and probably should be scrutinized more, especially from a RPG reviewing standpoint. I'm indifferent on the combat though, the have been occasions where the 3rd person view simply gets in the way (the fight with the beast in chapter 1 can be a pain). Otherwise it's pretty much click at the right time to chain combo or switch swords if a human shows up in a beast fight or vice versa.
I'm just starting chapter 3, I do kind of wish that you could teleport between local places of power because crossing the same swamp 7 times in a quest and avoiding all battles is just boring.
Also, Geralt is to RPGs as Shaft or Dolemite is to action films.
I'm just starting chapter 3, I do kind of wish that you could teleport between local places of power because crossing the same swamp 7 times in a quest and avoiding all battles is just boring.
Also, Geralt is to RPGs as Shaft or Dolemite is to action films.
Nenu
[H]ardened
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The load times are SIGNIFICANTLY better. Not the first load of the day, mind you, but all the little load screens between saving a game, loading a game, and most importantly moving in and out of houses. Remember how stepping into an abandoned house load times were the same as loading a whole new game? Only to find nothing and have to wait again just to step back out onto the street? That's all gone. It takes only a 4- or 5-count to go into or to go out of a little area. Even the big areas load much better.
There is still a bit of "clunky" combat. But, mostly its just repetitive. Human or monster? Pick steel or silver. Click, wait for timing, click, repeat until dead.
The big thing is the inventory management system. So, so, so, so much better. There is an actual invintory managment system. You click one button and it sorts your inventory into groups, and then arranges it with potions on the top, food on the bottom. You know exactly what you have. Then its a matter of meditating, clicking on the formula that you want to turn into a potion, and it makes it for you. If you are missing ingrediants, it is much easier to figure out which ones you need.
Some people say that they think the graphics are slightly better, but I think they may be reading into that. Mostly it just goes so much smoother and that probably accounts for the better visuals.
If you haven't played through it much, I encourage you to do so. But, you MUST approach it as an RPG and not a hack-and-slash. There is MORE to this game through side-quests than meets the eye. Sure, there is a definite storyline, and you can chug through that somewhat linearly. But, you'll miss so much. I know I did.
I played through Act I mostly following the main storyline and only completeing the side-quests if they happen along the way. Now that I'm in the thick of Act II, I realized that there was so much content I missed. I missed a lot of the freebie's, a lot of the characters, and a few good items. But mostly, I missed at least an hour of gameplay.
Now that I'm in Act II, I am spending a lot of time talking to random people to pick up the smaller quests. There is a lot of humor, a lot of excitment, and some cool bits just through the side quests that you don't get if you just follow through the main plot.
Act II is much better than the prologue and Act I, and I'm told that Act IV and V are even better.
Thanks, your post addressed most of what I want to know.
I stopped playing the first version at ACT III due to non continuing mission bugs.
I'll get the update as it sounds worthy and is hopefully fixed
mlapgw
Gawd
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I'm really enjoying the game right now. I don't usually like this type of game. I bought Oblivion and only played it long enough to do that first side quest with the merchant that gets dead people's goods. I just couldn't get into the game. I gave it to my son.
This game I like. I play the over the shoulder view. I bought the EE version from England. It took a day and half to download.
I'm on act 4 now.
The complaint I have is that since act 3 the game crashes on me from time to time. Never happened in the first two acts but does now. Seems to be doing it at a rate of about one crash for every four hours of play. The crash usually causes the sound to go bonkers and the screen to freeze. I am wondering if it does not like my sound card.
This game I like. I play the over the shoulder view. I bought the EE version from England. It took a day and half to download.
I'm on act 4 now.
The complaint I have is that since act 3 the game crashes on me from time to time. Never happened in the first two acts but does now. Seems to be doing it at a rate of about one crash for every four hours of play. The crash usually causes the sound to go bonkers and the screen to freeze. I am wondering if it does not like my sound card.
Which viewpoint did you use? I use the low over-the-shoulder view (F2). I don't like the first-person viewpoint (F3) as it felt clunky and akward. This is much better as a 3rd person vantage. Then it just becomes a click and wait for the right timing. As you upgrade your weapon styles (ie: strong silver), your attack sequences change. It adds interesting twists to the look of combat. it remains the same point and click and then click again at the right time, but at least it adds new looks to the fight sequence.
How is this any different from any FPS where you just pull the trigger and aim? Obviously that is over-simplifiying FPS, but my point remains. The Witcher's combat system is a bit over-simplified. But, it is only one aspect of an incredibly rich game. I find that the combat, while used a lot, is only a mechanic and that what makes The Witcher great is its flavor, not its mechanics. If mechanics ruled, then the Witcher would have been counted a failure from day one... look at the original inventory system (or lack thereof).
Remember, this is an RPG and not a WoW grind fest.
Pretty sure the European version is automatically uncensored. And I don't know about international shipping, but GoGamer.com has the uncensored version. Check to see if they ship to Europe.
CrimsonKnight13
Lord Stabington of [H]ard|Fortress
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All European releases of the original & EE are uncensored. Buying it local or by a website within country would work best.
Nenu
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I'm having a similar problem with Kings Bounty
Add The Witcher and my next month+ is spoken for lol !!
evilcartman
[H]ard|Gawd
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Agreed. I just finished my second run-through, but this time with EE installed. I think I enjoyed the game more the second time through than I did the first time. I absolute love it. I might go through a third time and just do some crazy, whacked-out build and see if I can make it all the way through.
Midway though Chapter 3 on my second playthrough. First time I played shortly after release with 1.2 and now EE. The load times were pretty good with 1.2 but they seem a bit faster now. Graphically the only difference I can see is that FSAA works without the white pixel artifacts all over in the swamp and other areas with trees that it suffered from at release. The improved inventory is great as it makes alchemy much easier to manage. The one thing I really was looking forward to is more diverse character models that I remember the developers talking about after the complaints of NPCs having the same models over and over but I don't seem to see any difference. A few cutscene issues still seem to be around such as drawing one sword in a cutscene and then having the opposite or no sword drawn when it switches back to gameplay or having the different swords in a cutscene on your back than you have equipped.
I don't know why anyone would dislike the combat system; I enjoy it much more than click-fests like Diablo or just sitting and watching my character attack in D&D games while I queue spells or potions. Absolutely love the game, by far my favorite fantasy aka swords+magic RPG on the PC or any other platform.
I don't know why anyone would dislike the combat system; I enjoy it much more than click-fests like Diablo or just sitting and watching my character attack in D&D games while I queue spells or potions. Absolutely love the game, by far my favorite fantasy aka swords+magic RPG on the PC or any other platform.
I think what broke my playing steak was the stupid plant monsters in the swamp, because i could NOT target the damn things. I'd die over and over, and i KNOW i could have killed the damn thing if the game had let me target them.
Sometimes i could, sometimes not. And it wasn't selected plants, but sometimes the same one. If i ran away, i might be able to hit the damn thing on the second try, or the third, or the fourth. Eventually i gave up.
I didn't think the combat system sucked, but it was buggy, and that is a deal breaker for me. The game doesn't get to frustrate me with buggy combat, unless i can completely bypass said combat some other way.
Meh. It was a good game, and i enjoyed playing it, but i have a very low tolerance for bugs.
I will probably pick it up again, as i do support RPG makers, and god knows there are few enough around anymore.
Sometimes i could, sometimes not. And it wasn't selected plants, but sometimes the same one. If i ran away, i might be able to hit the damn thing on the second try, or the third, or the fourth. Eventually i gave up.
I didn't think the combat system sucked, but it was buggy, and that is a deal breaker for me. The game doesn't get to frustrate me with buggy combat, unless i can completely bypass said combat some other way.
Meh. It was a good game, and i enjoyed playing it, but i have a very low tolerance for bugs.
I will probably pick it up again, as i do support RPG makers, and god knows there are few enough around anymore.
yeah but I fear that buying here will net me the spanish version which I hate
It's not too big a deal, from what I remember. They cut the nudity playing cards out as well as some spoken dialogue - though really funny spoken dialogue. (paraphrasing) "I fucked a she-elf once" and "Go suck some dwarf cock!" among others.
I personally bought the UK edition because I despise censoring of any kind, but some people don't mind it.
GoldenTiger
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I own the original UK version... can I patch to the EE, or do I have to re-buy the whole thing if I want it ? I never played it even though I owned it since near its launch, but am interested in doing so now.
? I never played it even though I owned it since near its launch, but am interested in doing so now.I think what broke my playing steak was the stupid plant monsters in the swamp, because i could NOT target the damn things. I'd die over and over, and i KNOW i could have killed the damn thing if the game had let me target them.
Sometimes i could, sometimes not. And it wasn't selected plants, but sometimes the same one. If i ran away, i might be able to hit the damn thing on the second try, or the third, or the fourth. Eventually i gave up.
I didn't think the combat system sucked, but it was buggy, and that is a deal breaker for me. The game doesn't get to frustrate me with buggy combat, unless i can completely bypass said combat some other way.
Meh. It was a good game, and i enjoyed playing it, but i have a very low tolerance for bugs.
I will probably pick it up again, as i do support RPG makers, and god knows there are few enough around anymore.
What version were you playing and what view? I had no problems targeting in combat with the over the shoulder view. I didn't like the controls in isometric or third person. I'd probably have used third person for the better view behind me in combat if it had the mouse look like over the shoulder as the view. I never ran into any bugs when I played through 1.2 aside from some crashes at loads and cutscenes and so far none in the EE. 1.0 and 1.1 were pretty unplayable for me, I couldn't even get past the prologue from crashes back then.
As for the echinops and other plant monsters they go down really easy with the fire spell for incineration and strong silver style provided you can target them.
I own the original UK version... can I patch to the EE, or do I have to re-buy the whole thing if I want it
Yeah, you can patch the UK version to the EE
What version were you playing and what view? I had no problems targeting in combat with the over the shoulder view. I didn't like the controls in isometric or third person. I'd probably have used third person for the better view behind me in combat if it had the mouse look like over the shoulder as the view. I never ran into any bugs when I played through 1.2 aside from some crashes at loads and cutscenes and so far none in the EE. 1.0 and 1.1 were pretty unplayable for me, I couldn't even get past the prologue from crashes back then.
As for the echinops and other plant monsters they go down really easy with the fire spell for incineration and strong silver style provided you can target them.
Hehe. I honestly don't know, except i bought it when it was released in the states. Patched it at least once. And i always played over the shoulder, as that looked the best to me. anyway, we'll have to see, i have a lot on my gaming plate right now.
I believe that if you buy the non-EE version and then patch it to the EE, you can pick any language you want. If I had wanted to, I could have patched my US version to use the Polish languages should I have wanted. The EE or 1.4 patch is 1.0GB in size, and you can download the 500MB language package of your choice.
That might be an option for you.