The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

[Cerb]

I recently bought an Xbox One controller for Windows in preparation for the Witcher 3. Although I preferred to use K&M for Witcher 2, I'm hoping the controller is better in part 3 as I typically prefer to use a controller for third person action games like the AC Unity, Batman Arkham series etcetera..

It wasn't moving and aiming, so much as having to have many buttons mapped, some of which couldn't be remapped, holding buttons to change modes or have overloaded single presses with mods (like the ctrl menu, and dodging*), etc.. Oh, and the default shitty motion-sickness-inducing FOV. Once I got an FOV fix, I learned to work around the rest, but it was still very clearly not designed with a keyboard in mind.

* double-tap to dash/dodge works easily on keyboards, as a way other multiplatform games have done it.

 

[Merad]

I agree. The alchemy and inventory UI in Witcher games has always been terrible and it looks like it's the same in this game. It shouldn't have to override your entire screen when you access it, at least not on PC.

Eh, I would certainly prefer that but really I'm having a hard time thinking of a non-MMO title that had inventory and character panels that didn't take over the screen.

For the most part the UI looks like an improvement over TW2, at least. Very glad they went back to a grid inventory. List inventories are the bane of my existence...

 

[StinkyPinky]

I don't get why anyone would play games like this with a controller on a PC. Controller is just inferior for these types of games. It's just slower and less precise. You only need to look at the bumbling around on those videos to see them struggling with it.

 

[norseamd]

* double-tap to dash/dodge works easily on keyboards, as a way other multiplatform games have done it.

Actually I have major problems using this setup and games that use this for certain moves like the Witcher 2 and Chivalry: Medieval Warfare for certain mechanics means I am basically not able to use them. I am able to use other buttons like q,e, r, f, and the spacebar but needing to mess up the tempo I use on the movement buttons gives me problems and I just never use the dodge mechanics. I still need to learn how to use parry with any skill as I usually use movement, range, rolling, along with the right mixture of quick and powerful striking to fight enemies. My current game is stuck on the first fight with Letho although I can see how I can win it I just need to raise my skill to do so.

 

[zinfamous]

I don't get why anyone would play games like this with a controller on a PC. Controller is just inferior for these types of games. It's just slower and less precise. You only need to look at the bumbling around on those videos to see them struggling with it.

action-oriented games that don't require aim pretty much beg for gamepads, imo. Especially if they are combo-driven.

I much prefer KB/M whenever possible, but some designs really do play better with a gamepad, or are so poorly-ported, that the KB/M ends up being inferior.

It's all about preference. I don't get why people play a game like TeS in first person--freaking retarded if you ask me--but that's what preference is all about.

 

[escrow4]

Eh, I would certainly prefer that but really I'm having a hard time thinking of a non-MMO title that had inventory and character panels that didn't take over the screen.

For the most part the UI looks like an improvement over TW2, at least. Very glad they went back to a grid inventory. List inventories are the bane of my existence...

Witcher 1 inventory:

They should have adjusted that for the armor types and additions, but the UI is consolized. It all started with Witcher II, the focus is console. Grid fine, full screen no. And the initial pause has a row of icons in the middle, perfect for console + TV, not a monitor. If this had remained PC only *sigh*.

 

[norseamd]

It's all about preference. I don't get why people play a game like TeS in first person--freaking retarded if you ask me--but that's what preference is all about.

Actually when I first got Morrowind I hated FPV and would play in TPV all the time and only use FPV in fighting and picking up items and crap.

Since I got Skyrim I love FPV and only use TPV to look at my character and surrounding and to look for hard to find items in grass and other terrain.

 

[Merad]

Witcher 1 inventory:

Oh, I see what you mean. Yeah, I agree that the more compact layout is better on PC, but doesn't annoy me too much when the inventory pauses the game anyway.

 

[Carfax83]

I don't get why anyone would play games like this with a controller on a PC. Controller is just inferior for these types of games. It's just slower and less precise. You only need to look at the bumbling around on those videos to see them struggling with it.

I play with whatever is the most effective solution for a particular game. As such, blanket statements like what you made is a gross generalization, because like zinfamous said, third person action games with lots of button pressing and where aim isn't important typically play better with a controller.

When I bought DAI for instance, I fully intended to use M&K just as I had for DAO and DA2. But Bioware had butchered the PC controls so badly, that they forced me to use the controller, and to my surprise, I found that the game plays SO MUCH better with the controller than it does with M&K.

Even after they released patches and tweaks for M&K control, I still use the controller because it just fits perfectly with the game.

As for other games like the Batman series or Assassin's Creed, I've always used a controller because I'm just much better with one in those types of games. And I've tried both.

A controller just suits some games more than others. Maybe the Witcher 3 will be one of them. I'm going to try it with a controller first to see how it feels, and if I like it, I'll stick with it. If I don't, I can easily revert back to M&K.

 

[escrow4]

For those who want to be ultra-prepared, there are 4 Witcher books that have official translations out now retail (not fan translations), I think one was just released this or last year. The first is short stories. Next three are background. There are actually 3 more, but they are not officially out yet. All of the books bar one were published in the 90s. I'd bet money there are games out yet to be made from local work/cultures that would be exceptional . . . . . not just US centric. The second short story collection is coming after the game is released.

Anyway, those 4 will give you a whole pile of info before the game is out. Now I have some reading to do . . . . . :whiste:

 

[tidy]

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[zinfamous]

Exactly. It's painful to watch. Even in a game like the first Assassin's Creed that involves no ranged weapons at all, the mouse is still a massive trump card. You can't snap the camera around rapidly and precisely with a controller, so you're always at a disadvantage in terms of your situational awareness.

Most of the arguments for gamepads revolve around the analog sticks facilitating finer speed control, but I find that in most cases (like AC) this extra control provides no meaningful advantage, and even if it does, the advantage is vastly outweighed my the advantages of the mouse. For example, in games with lots of third person driving, I'd always choose being able to rapidly assess my surroundings (pretty important when navigating traffic at speed) over granular speed control (I can achieve virtually the same outcome with pulse modulation anyway).

Of every OTS third person game that I've been told is supposedly "better with a controller", I've never found a single one that has been.

The first AS game is a PS3/X360 game...why would a gamepad ever be so flippantly discounted?

The game was made for a gamepad.

Yeha, I love a mouse for camera awareness, but it is never needed in that type of game with autotargeting. One can complain about such a thing, sure, why not....but it is there because it was designed for a gamepad.

 

[tidy]

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[zinfamous]

Exactly my point. The game was designed for the gamepad and still plays 100x better on with the mouse.

Controlling the camera with a gamepad is stifling and uncomfortable in much the same way an excessively narrow FOV is stifling and uncomfortable. Assassin's creed involves a lot of sprinting to escape from guards, thus it is in the player's best interest to be able to take in their surroundings as rapidly as possible. One can perform a 360° pan in AC with the mouse and keyboard. Try achieving that on the gamepad without some extreme digital contortionism.

nope.

sorry, just can't agree with that. It was far too easy to escape and leap and get to safe zone with a gamepad..in the rare cases that such was necessary (come on man--your'e an assassin, that shit should never happen). You aren't going to sprint and jump with a 360 perspective in midair--you can't do that shit in real life and expect to survive, so if you want immersion, why pretend that an ability to do that is somehow good? And for fuck's sake, you don't need it: the game is about running and jumping. Why ever do things that one can't realistically do in a game that aims to create as realistic physics and environment as possible?

and not for any AC game, tbh. AC2 demanded I hit J and H and B and T to make the infant do shit in the prologue...I was like, "fuck the hell out of this game, gonna plug in a gamepad and make it work." ..which I only procured two years later (true story) Then, the game played right....like I said, I prefer KB/M when at all possible, but designers sometimes think otherwise, so work with it.

 

[tidy]

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[norseamd]

So I had some success at first fighting Letho on my first run but then I started to have bad viewpoint changes and so I basically started to get hit and I could not do much even while running away from him and he basically just squashed me. Still I had a good tempo so I think this is possible. Was looking up stuff on the internet while alt-tabbing and so the game crashed and I went on to something else but I feel like it is possible if I try again and focus on everything.

 

[norseamd]

Well I am now at the Dwarf fortress.

 

[Arcadio]

I got Witcher 3 for free. Don't know if I should play it. I've never played any Witcher game.

 

[VashHT]

I got Witcher 3 for free. Don't know if I should play it. I've never played any Witcher game.

I'll take it if you don't want it. If you're into stroy driven RPG's you may want to give it a chance though, but you probably want to play at least witcher 2 before it.

 

[Aristotelian]

To be honest for any kind of rpg/fps game I've always preferred keyboard/mouse, and if I understand things right (that the camera will be rotatable in the Witcher 3) this sounds great. I think that's an argument in favour of immersion as you'd be able to see a wider perspective around Geralt. I received a copy for free too, and am itching to upgrade...

 

[zinfamous]

To be honest for any kind of rpg/fps game I've always preferred keyboard/mouse, and if I understand things right (that the camera will be rotatable in the Witcher 3) this sounds great. I think that's an argument in favour of immersion as you'd be able to see a wider perspective around Geralt. I received a copy for free too, and am itching to upgrade...

Me too--I'm surprised to find, though, that I have been placed in some sort of camp, especially "pro-gamepad" camp, because I'm really not. I'm just pro whatever works best for me. gamepad happens to work best for ~2% of the games that I enjoy.

I'll be honest that I found Witcher 2 played better for me on a gamepad, but I couldn't get into that game well enough to play more than 20 hours anyway. I'm going to try to start it up, yet again (failed twice with Witcher 1, over so many years)

I'm also in a current temporary situation where my desk and computer chair are on their way to the other side of the country, and all I really have is a couch and coffee table. I've tried to angle this table at the corner of the couch to better use my bulky mechanical and mouse, but there isn't enough space for arms, and of course the height is all fubar. The most comfortable position is to sit back with keyboard in lap and mouse on couch, but clearly that isn't ideal for any kind of precision. I am, therefore, in the unfortunate situation where I am more or less forced to play gamepad games for these couple of months, unless I get used to the mouse on a non-flat surface--I think I'm going to cobble something together for that.

..also, my speakers are gone, and all I have are really turdy headphones and even turdier 2x 3W shitbox speakers embedded in my display.

Pray for zinfamous.

 

[Merad]

So I had some success at first fighting Letho on my first run but then I started to have bad viewpoint changes and so I basically started to get hit and I could not do much even while running away from him and he basically just squashed me. Still I had a good tempo so I think this is possible. Was looking up stuff on the internet while alt-tabbing and so the game crashed and I went on to something else but I feel like it is possible if I try again and focus on everything.

Honestly, most of the boss fights in TW2 are rage inducing. I finished the game last night, and nearly wanted to rage quit the

Spoiler

final dragon fight. I finally got through it by constantly casting upgraded quen so I didn't get murdered every time the dragon hit me and knocked me down. It still took about 10 minutes to kill her because the fight is literally roll in, hit once, roll away.

I really hope they've improved boss fights and combat in general in TW3.

Anyway, I don't know what to play for the next 2 weeks. I don't want to get sucked too much into a new game before TW3 launches....

 

[norseamd]

Me too--I'm surprised to find, though, that I have been placed in some sort of camp, especially "pro-gamepad" camp, because I'm really not. I'm just pro whatever works best for me. gamepad happens to work best for ~2% of the games that I enjoy.

Many old consoles games run through emulators work much nicer on gamepads. Also even PC platformers might work with gamepads more efficiently than mouse and keyboard.

 

[Fire&Blood]

Honestly, most of the boss fights in TW2 are rage inducing.

The one I found the most annoying, to avoid spoilers I'll describe as the one where you'll hear "Yrden, trap it with Yrden!" a whole lot. Good to see them move away from QTE's, add extensive UI element toggles, even a CA filter off/on switch.

I've been convinced that this is the RPG to play for a while, all the recent info I digested recently has reinforced that opinion, if anything it's all even more hype inducing. Many games take shortcuts and "force" the player to experience everything in them via scripted events. Other studios tend to put less work so they drive you to go through the work they put in. CDPR went to great detail with W3 but doesn't "force" the player through it.

For example, you may or may not sail to an island via a boat. You may or may not encounter harpies on that trip. You may or may not find out that the boat is destructible. You may or may not see that when the the harpies grip the boat with their claws, it has an impact on the boat's path or that it can be flipped over.

I'll be here to eat my words but it won't come to that. May 19 2015 will mark the launch of the best RPG ever.

 

[Stringjam]

I don't see anything to complain about on the graphics front. Really, as soon as graphic fidelity hit the point of Metro / Crysis 3, I was pretty satisfied.

At this point, I think better AI, scripting, and animation helps immersion more than nitpicky texturing.

The more behaviors in the AI tree, and the more NPCs can seem "real" the better. Now that most big devs are also using a lot of mo-cap, animation has taken a big leap forward.

This looks like a game you can sit down with and take your time - - I think I'm going to really enjoy it.