The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

[Gryz]

In case anyone was still on TW3's case about graphics, I'd say it looks pretty good:
https://imgur.com/gallery/MgEuL

Those screenshots actually prove the point that the graphics are in fact a bit disappointing. Don't look at the amount of details. Look at the lighting. And shadows. The lighting in those screenshots is very bleak. There are hardly any shadows. The grass is the same equal color from top to bottom. No shadows from grass, no shadows on the grass.

There are much better examples of screenshots that show that TW3 is doing some things correctly. I always like jim2point0's screenshots of several games. He seems to compose his screenshots in such a way that the lack of shadows and bland lighting is much less noticable.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jim2point0/

 

[JeffMD]

Those screenshots actually prove the point that the graphics are in fact a bit disappointing. Don't look at the amount of details. Look at the lighting. And shadows. The lighting in those screenshots is very bleak. There are hardly any shadows. The grass is the same equal color from top to bottom. No shadows from grass, no shadows on the grass.

Your bait is not welcome here boy.

 

[JeffMD]

I've got one more side quest in white orchard to do, the one where I need to craft a potion. Had to use a guide to find some of the other quest locations. Surprising I'm still level one looks like it will take time to get myself leveled up.

Keep checking the board and running to those ? marks, and loot everything. There are enough quest in WO to hit level 5 easy, so if you are only 1 you have lots to do. That said... trying to do a lot of quest at low levels is hard. Many of them require taking down packs of lvl 2 and 4 mobs which usually means you should be a level higher. protip, you can kill a lot of higher level mobs from the safety of your horse, master your swing timing!

 

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[sze5003]

Keep checking the board and running to those ? marks, and loot everything. There are enough quest in WO to hit level 5 easy, so if you are only 1 you have lots to do. That said... trying to do a lot of quest at low levels is hard. Many of them require taking down packs of lvl 2 and 4 mobs which usually means you should be a level higher. protip, you can kill a lot of higher level mobs from the safety of your horse, master your swing timing!

I think some of those other cards on the board are a bit tougher. I will have to go around to the ? Areas and find loot. I was just focusing on side quests but I'll have to look up some contracts too.

 

[Attic]

While i'm on horseback if I hold "A" on xbox controller (this is the sprint key if you are walking) then it doesn't auto take me to my next quest marker or checkpoint.

I thought a tutorial early on in the game mentioned that while on horseback you could effectively auto travel (not fast travel) to your next point of interest by holding "A". The horse does move somewhere while holding "A", it just seems to be fairly random.

Anyone gotten this to work?

 

[sze5003]

While i'm on horseback if I hold "A" on xbox controller (this is the sprint key if you are walking) then it doesn't auto take me to my next quest marker or checkpoint.

I thought a tutorial early on in the game mentioned that while on horseback you could effectively auto travel (not fast travel) to your next point of interest by holding "A". The horse does move somewhere while holding "A", it just seems to be fairly random.

Anyone gotten this to work?

Are you sure it didn't say the horse will auto travel along a road or path? That's what I remember seeing in the tutorial.

 

[Gryz]

..

 

[cmdrdredd]

While i'm on horseback if I hold "A" on xbox controller (this is the sprint key if you are walking) then it doesn't auto take me to my next quest marker or checkpoint.

I thought a tutorial early on in the game mentioned that while on horseback you could effectively auto travel (not fast travel) to your next point of interest by holding "A". The horse does move somewhere while holding "A", it just seems to be fairly random.

Anyone gotten this to work?

No, it will follow the road if you hold A and don't press a direction.

 

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[Artorias]

Is it just me, or did they change Zoltan's voice actor?

Only from the 1st game, TW2/TW3 have the same voice actor.

 

[zinfamous]

This is easily the best RPG to release since I can remember. It shits on Skyrim.

I'm not there yet, personally--if you want to go by pure story and quality side quests...yeah, this already beats Skyrim by level 5 or so, where I am...but Skyrim was much more to me. (the faction quests were rather special--I still prefer that world to this one)


combat though...rofls. not even close.

 

[KentState]

I'm not there yet, personally--if you want to go by pure story and quality side quests...yeah, this already beats Skyrim by level 5 or so, where I am...but Skyrim was much more to me. (the faction quests were rather special--I still prefer that world to this one)


combat though...rofls. not even close.

Even though they are both open world, I feel that Skyrim has less forced structure. For example, you can be any class, multiple races and tailor your appearance. In Witcher, you are Geralt, class is witcher and race/sex is what it is. Looting is also much different between the two where Witcher limits what you can pick up or interact with. Skyrim would let you fill your bags with almost anything. TES and Fallout while similar are much more sandbox IMO.

Personally, while I love the art style and graphics of Witcher 3, I still find Skyrim to be more to my liking. The combat in either first or third person felt like I had more control.

 

[zinfamous]

Even though they are both open world, I feel that Skyrim has less forced structure. For example, you can be any class, multiple races and tailor your appearance. In Witcher, you are Geralt, class is witcher and race/sex is what it is. Looting is also much different between the two where Witcher limits what you can pick up or interact with. Skyrim would let you fill your bags with almost anything. TES and Fallout while similar are much more sandbox IMO.

Personally, while I love the art style and graphics of Witcher 3, I still find Skyrim to be more to my liking. The combat in either first or third person felt like I had more control.

for story--for RPG--I much prefer being locked into a character/class/personality, it always works better. For gameplay, I like Skyrim allowing anything...but it basically allows too much with endless leveling, endless skill points, endless everything.

I absolutely love TES games allowing you to start off and focus your character any way you want, down to appearance with the detailed character editor, but you have to sacrifice story at that point, no question. I like both for different reasons.

Witcher 3 is a great, huge world so far...but still doesn't feel nearly as open and endless as Skyrim to me. I mean...you just go anywhere there, more or less flawlessly. Size matters not!

 

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[BusyBeaverHP]

Of Skyrim's open roles versus Witcher's fixed role. The comparison here is that Skyrim is a duck: it can fly, walk, and swim, but isn't the best at any of them... while Witcher is a horse: a majestic creature built to sprint.

While Skyrim can offer many roles, it doesn't do them to the fidelity and depth that the Witcher can with just one.

 

[escrow4]

Skyrim is generic good vs evil rubbish from 1995 back when Wheel of Time was in. Witcher is real life wrapped in a fantasy skin. Full of nasty people doing nasty kinky things and you in the middle of it. I'd take men beating the stuffing out of their wives, relentless poverty, random hangings, vicious racism and drunken singing trolls over generic Lvl 50 character killing three dragons in 2min after a few hours of playing.

The biggest issue I have with III isn't the combat, which is fine, its the stupid consolized UI and inventory. While isn't alchemy organized by type? Why don't letters and maps have their own section? Why is inventory full screen? Why is everything full screen and built for a TV? Why do I feel like shooting myself every time I scroll through 536 crafting diagrams and you can ONLY scroll? Where is the organization? Why can't you chuck diagram's you've crafted or are crap compared to your armour in another section?

For the quests, the best option is you being one level higher. If you are Level 5, forget any quests above Level 8. Level 8 is barely doable. If you just follow the main quest (really not a good idea) you'll likely level up as the devs intended, but if you mix a whole of pile of side quests and contracts in you'll be more rounded. You get no experience if you are 3 or more higher levels than the monster you are killing (I think). And on combat, you don't need to pick one skill to lead to another skill, you just need points. And you can only have 12 active skills and 4 mutagens active at one time - match the mutagen colour to the skill colours for a fat old boost. You really want a couple in combat, plus the delusion skill, plus the potion one to increase duration plus some of the other skills that only have one point.

That map of Velen has Novigrad and Oxenfurt, around 70+ question marks and at least one or two side quests/contracts in more than a dozen villages not counting random events or treasure quests. Then there is Skellige and Kaer Morhen either. Beat that Skyrim. I only have done one part of a quest that could be considered a fetch quest and that was leading a goat (don't ask).

 

[Red Hawk]

Witcher is real life wrapped in a fantasy skin. Full of nasty people doing nasty kinky things and you in the middle of it.

*record scratch*

Ok, just what real life is this supposed to represent? Because my real life isn't full of nasty people doing nasty kinky things with me caught in the middle of it, nor do I want it to be that way. I think people get caught up in the gritty feel of stuff like The Witcher (or Game of Thrones) and confuse it for "realism". No, the merciless pessimism and cynicism of those works is no more "real" than any other work.

 

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[Cerb]

And now for something completely different.

The lighting is good, the foliage under the shadows less so (check out that ground texture in the top one, too).

This is what I have >2x the VRAM the game uses for (again, note the ground texture, as well as the close ups)...

Overall, atmosphere is pretty cool, though (ignore the sword clipping). This area here is where light shafts actually would make sense (if I didn't have them turned off due to overuse).

MSAA settings seem to have zero effect, too. Might have to see what driver FXAA looks like.

 

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[Mem]

How on earth did you manage that?

As for textures, I see a fair bit of texture pop-in or stuck low resolution textures, especially during cut-scenes. It often happens to peoples faces. I'm am pushing the limits of my 2GB VRAM though.

Not seen any issues myself,however I do have 280x OC 3GB so don't know if that makes any difference.

Overall the game is very polished for a RPG,sure there will be more patches etc but good effort in bug squashing for its initial release.

 

[HeXen]

I probably shouldn't have bought it. I still haven't got around to playing it and now have no real interest in doing so.

 

[XiandreX]

Just starting playing today and so far (very limited time in-game) its fantastic.
Lots going on, definitely a labour of love in this one.
After the Inn scene I decided to go swimming and herb collecting.
Such a serene feel... anyways back to the game... will give more feedback later

 

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