so rend being all glitchy makes this ursine armor kind of unappealing
but it looks so much cooler than the other armor
All the Ursine gear, even the swords, give giant boosts to your adrenaline generation; if you land a lot of attacks (even light attacks) and have Rage Management equipped you can build up adrenaline to use signs and the like faster than by using stamina on a stamina-use character. My stamina is used for Whirl to build more adrenaline, and then for Rend to cut through shields and the like
I finally came back to the game after about a week off (I mean I did play non-stop for like 6 days, a break was warranted) and god damn. Still not done, but fuck me.
Big story spoilers
Vesemir hit me like a sack of bricks. I really fucking liked Vesemir.
I'm curious though, does not recruiting Letho, Keira, or Ermion lead to the other Witchers dying? Because Lambert got bailed out by Letho and Keira, and Eskel was saved by Ermion. If that's what happens, holy fuck that outcome would suck super serious balls.
I didn't have Letho, and Lambert got saved by Keira by herself, and even though I did have Ermion, Eskel only had a scene where he got saved by Ciri. At least, that's what I remember.
I think my favorite unimportant NPC is the armorer in Hierarchy Square.
"Top Notch Swords!" he proclaims, when I approach him to upgrade my armor.
His animation and character model with that line, is also really good. Like "Fuck, this could fool me," good.
So, after finishing yesterday I've got a lot of thoughts about this game.
I love how choice is presented in this game. Very rarely do you have a decision point and then the game will go: "okay, now for the consequences of that action. Welp! Looks like you chose the Bad Option." Decisions will have unintended consequences, but they don't feel unfair. I also love how the end game scenarios play out. There's no decision-o-tron 9000 after you beat the final boss. There's you, Geralt, just wanting your daughter to be safe. And she's going to do what she wants to do, there's no dialogue trick to get her do what you want.
I also appreciate the way your previous decisions dovetail into the different endings. The epilogue was also great. Really well done. A lot of the cutscenes were very well done, from top to bottom. The voice acting was great, the nonverbal cues were head and shoulders above the competition, the music was great, and the cinematography was great (outside of random deer sometimes appearing in cutscenes). That scene on the Misty Isle was just gutwrenching, as well as the final scene at the tower.
Dijkstra, you're not a bad sort and all, but if you think I'm going to let you murder Roche and Ves (and also Thaler I guess) just so you can turn the North into a god damn Redanian Imperium then I guess you have another thing coming
I have the distinct feeling, in the wake of this, that I'm going to wish I had gone the Roche path and saved Anais
Crafting all the superior potions requires, like, 25 or so White Gull
That's a lot of White Gull
I, uh, think I'm just gonna use some console commands, because that seems super tedious to grind for the money and materials.
The only things that should really be bottlenecking you in terms of materials are the cordials, I think. Cherry Cordial is always in short supply for me
Are you still running low on money at this point? I don't think I've gone under 20k in like 20 hours
Crafting all the superior potions requires, like, 25 or so White Gull
That's a lot of White Gull
I, uh, think I'm just gonna use some console commands, because that seems super tedious to grind for the money and materials.
The only things that should really be bottlenecking you in terms of materials are the cordials, I think. Cherry Cordial is always in short supply for me
Are you still running low on money at this point? I don't think I've gone under 20k in like 20 hours
Yeah, well, remember when I mentioned that I had 15k and then a guard attacked me for no reason and stole 12k of that?
Been having trouble getting back to over 5k since then.
As for the cordials, the inkeeper at Oxenfort has an infinite supply of the liquor I would need (just need to back out of the sell panel and then go back in).
Man, Phillipa sure did an efficient job of reminding me of why I did not like her in Witcher 2. I love her and Geralt's exchange when they get the stone.
big spoilers for the end of the game, and matters of state
Djikstra's empire has very little resemblance to Redania. It resembles DJIKSTRA, if anything. He never shows himself, rules from the shadows,and basically rules in a way counter to what the peasantry thinks it wants (rapid industrialization and consolidation of power) but ultimately appears to be making big improvements almost immediately, and non-humans aren't living in fear, nor are mages
this is at the cost of privacy, because a man like Djikstra sees enemies in every shadow. In the epilogue, the game very explicitly tries to shove down your throat the idea that Sigi's mean are trying to root out any insurrection in its infancy, because he of all people knows how effective a knife in the dark can be. It's a super interesting dichotomy.
So I assume I'm progressing through Act 2 at a much faster clip, if only because there are fewer sidequests
It's going to be slowing down a lot now, though, because now that I have the Mastercrafted Ursine set I can start clearing off all the points of interest on the map. Ain't nothing going to stop me now.
big spoilers for the end of the game, and matters of state
Djikstra's empire has very little resemblance to Redania. It resembles DJIKSTRA, if anything. He never shows himself, rules from the shadows,and basically rules in a way counter to what the peasantry thinks it wants (rapid industrialization and consolidation of power) but ultimately appears to be making big improvements almost immediately
this is at the cost of privacy, because a man like Djikstra sees enemies in every shadow. In the epilogue, the game very explicitly tries to shove down your throat the idea that Sigi's mean are trying to root out any insurrection in its infancy, because he of all people knows how effective a knife in the dark can be. It's a super interesting dichotomy.
Oh yeah. Well, Emhyr isn't too far off that, either. Except he's also very overt. Dancing on the barrows of his enemies and such
So I assume I'm progressing through Act 2 at a much faster clip, if only because there are fewer sidequests
It's going to be slowing down a lot now, though, because now that I have the Mastercrafted Ursine set I can start clearing off all the points of interest on the map. Ain't nothing going to stop me now.
I honestly think there are way too many points of interest in the game.
Especially in Skellige. Like, pretty much all of the ones in the ocean are just those smuggler caches, and the stuff I pick up there might as well be crowns for how often I sell them to a vendor without using them.
There have been a few times when POIs have looked interesting, given me a fun challenge, or have given me loot worth the effort, but the vast majority of them feel like pointless filler.
big spoilers for the end of the game, and matters of state
Djikstra's empire has very little resemblance to Redania. It resembles DJIKSTRA, if anything. He never shows himself, rules from the shadows,and basically rules in a way counter to what the peasantry thinks it wants (rapid industrialization and consolidation of power) but ultimately appears to be making big improvements almost immediately
this is at the cost of privacy, because a man like Djikstra sees enemies in every shadow. In the epilogue, the game very explicitly tries to shove down your throat the idea that Sigi's mean are trying to root out any insurrection in its infancy, because he of all people knows how effective a knife in the dark can be. It's a super interesting dichotomy.
Oh yeah. Well, Emhyr isn't too far off that, either. Except he's also very overt. Dancing on the barrows of his enemies and such
continued ending and matters of state spoilos
The epilogue focuses a little on how he's not policing Velen in the immediate wake of his rise to power, but I think he's ultimately the '''''best''''' choice.
Posts
Steam ID - VeldrinD | SS Post | Wishlist
Don't think so, but I'm also using the Cat School passive skill, so I'm lowering my damage a bit.
Plus even just one piece of heavy armor slows your stamina regen like crazy.
Don't care. Gotta look cool.
just stacking the stuff the set provides you with
Steam ID - VeldrinD | SS Post | Wishlist
I look like Tyler breeze and now this is the best game
All the Ursine gear, even the swords, give giant boosts to your adrenaline generation; if you land a lot of attacks (even light attacks) and have Rage Management equipped you can build up adrenaline to use signs and the like faster than by using stamina on a stamina-use character. My stamina is used for Whirl to build more adrenaline, and then for Rend to cut through shields and the like
How is Rend glitchy?
The best part of this
I'm using a 360 controller; I just hold down Heavy Attack for Rend, Light Attack for Whirl, and I haven't put any points into signs
Steam // Secret Satan
I assume there are other ways for people to die.
Steam // Secret Satan
Related:
You know. I've one regret. That
"Top Notch Swords!" he proclaims, when I approach him to upgrade my armor.
His animation and character model with that line, is also really good. Like "Fuck, this could fool me," good.
With the controller, you just hold down the button. I assume that's the same with KBAM?
Use your potions, oils, and signs. Prepare for fights you think may be tough.
Sell items of the correct type to the correct vendor (swords to weaponsmiths, etc.)
For the love of god rebind dodge/roll to your tertiary mouse buttons. What twisted claw of a hand-having dev set up those initial key bindings?
I also appreciate the way your previous decisions dovetail into the different endings. The epilogue was also great. Really well done. A lot of the cutscenes were very well done, from top to bottom. The voice acting was great, the nonverbal cues were head and shoulders above the competition, the music was great, and the cinematography was great (outside of random deer sometimes appearing in cutscenes). That scene on the Misty Isle was just gutwrenching, as well as the final scene at the tower.
I disagree
Quartermaster in Crow's Perch for armor and one crossbow. Higher level crossbows are elsewhere.
i wanna make it
i wanna make it wit cher
Matters of State
I have the distinct feeling, in the wake of this, that I'm going to wish I had gone the Roche path and saved Anais
Crafting all the superior potions requires, like, 25 or so White Gull
That's a lot of White Gull
I, uh, think I'm just gonna use some console commands, because that seems super tedious to grind for the money and materials.
How so?
The only things that should really be bottlenecking you in terms of materials are the cordials, I think. Cherry Cordial is always in short supply for me
Are you still running low on money at this point? I don't think I've gone under 20k in like 20 hours
Yeah, well, remember when I mentioned that I had 15k and then a guard attacked me for no reason and stole 12k of that?
Been having trouble getting back to over 5k since then.
As for the cordials, the inkeeper at Oxenfort has an infinite supply of the liquor I would need (just need to back out of the sell panel and then go back in).
But again, that's really fucking tedious.
this is at the cost of privacy, because a man like Djikstra sees enemies in every shadow. In the epilogue, the game very explicitly tries to shove down your throat the idea that Sigi's mean are trying to root out any insurrection in its infancy, because he of all people knows how effective a knife in the dark can be. It's a super interesting dichotomy.
It's going to be slowing down a lot now, though, because now that I have the Mastercrafted Ursine set I can start clearing off all the points of interest on the map. Ain't nothing going to stop me now.
I'd say you're at act 3 now.
But the acts aren't really too set in stone
Especially in Skellige. Like, pretty much all of the ones in the ocean are just those smuggler caches, and the stuff I pick up there might as well be crowns for how often I sell them to a vendor without using them.
There have been a few times when POIs have looked interesting, given me a fun challenge, or have given me loot worth the effort, but the vast majority of them feel like pointless filler.
Act 1: