Topic: Zero Punctuation does Witcher plus a bonus!

[Jedi]

Funny but the bonus at the end I thought was even better than the review!

[beo]

something tells me that review will rile up a few of our fellow forum goers here...

regardless, i thought it was hilarious, and you're right jedi - the bonus bit at the end was even better.

[MysterD]

The detailed separate screens all for Journal, Map, Character, Etc are the usual fanfare for most RPG's, these days and age -- Witcher, Oblivion, NWN, Hellgate: London, etc etc; they all do it.

Regardless, The Microsoft Access line was pretty damned funny.

About switching styles, ummmm....that's what the PAUSE key is for. It's no different than any other Bioware game on Aurora (or any other variation of Aurora), like say Jade Empire or NWN. Hell, or even like Infinity's BG2 Engine.

About clicking and waiting for the "right timing", that's so you don't over-click like Diablo 2 or TQ. It's a different style entirely; that's the point.
 
LOL @ the "This is a Mumorpager!" line.

There are some of those MMO type of quests (like Guild Wars and Hellgate: London are littered with) -- namely, the "Witcher Contract quests" (collect X amount of this or that), but it's way more than that. Many of your side quests and main quests, you actually have to make choices -- which will matter, later on; can't say the same really for GW or HGL.

BTW, The Painkiller part was hilarious.

[gpw11]

I like the game and all, but I pretty much agree with him on most of it.

[Quemaqua]

I actually find the interface complaints surprising.  The inventory is shit, but every other RPG in the universe does all the other stuff, really, including most of those on consoles.  Plus a lot of the menus are really just encyclopedia entries and such, which don't count.  Most of the game systems are really simple and easy to comprehend too, the alchemy is simple (I don't get what he found dense about it... you barely even have to pay attention to make basic stuff), and the research stuff is pretty self-explanatory.  I don't think I ever even looked at the manual.

Anyway, it was still pretty funny (the bonus was great... I hope he does some more of those), and I sort of agree on the overabundance of the sex stuff.  Really, I think that's more a holdover from the books.  Beyond that, it's a very easy game to take the piss out of because there are quite a few little things that do stand out as being a little unpolished, but it's still my RPG of the year.

[gpw11]

Oh, don't get me wrong - it's the best CRPG I've played.  I  should clarify that by saying I think most of them suck balls, but the fact that I'm still playing this says a lot.  I do sort of agree on the menus, but at the same time it's done a lot better then most other CRPGS in that although there are a ton of screens, every one of them is laid out well (except for the inventory which just blows.  Beyond that each serves a purpose.

As for the alchemy, I haven't run into any problems with it but I can see why someone might have a problem wrapping their head around it at first.  On a side note: are you aware of the extra benefits of the nigredo, albedo, and rubedo effects?  That was a nice little bonus to stumble upon that wasn't mentioned anywhere in the game.

[Quemaqua]

I think it is mentioned somewhere.  But yeah, it's nice that you can go the extra mile with that stuff and come out with better bonuses.  Still, I don't see how it's hard to wrap your head around.  You click the recipe, it does *everything* for you.  Who the fuck can't understand that?

[Pugnate]

I didn't find that or the Painkiller segment as funny as his other bits. But he doesn't like RPGs anyway, so the negative reaction to The Witcher is to be expected.

My favorite review from him is probably the one on Bioshock.

[gpw11]

I think it is mentioned somewhere.  But yeah, it's nice that you can go the extra mile with that stuff and come out with better bonuses.  Still, I don't see how it's hard to wrap your head around.  You click the recipe, it does *everything* for you.  Who the fuck can't understand that?

I could see it being a bit intimidating because there are so many different ingredients and animal parts/herbs.  If you weren't really in to it you'd probably think it was a lot more complicated then it is.

[Quemaqua]

That's probably true.  It seems a little more convoluted at the outset until you realize you don't have to be all hardcore about it.

[MysterD]

Still, I don't see how it's hard to wrap your head around.  You click the recipe, it does *everything* for you.  Who the fuck can't understand that?

Yeah, I didn't get that, either.

I mean, it's quite easy to even get recipes, too -- since there are loads of them. You can either  usually buy them or find them somewhere out in the gameworld.

[Xessive]

I think it should be important to note that the difficulty options in the game also affect the alchemy (or rather it's requirement). At the difficulty selection screen it says on Easy: Alchemy is not necessary, Normal: Alchemy is recommended (and has its benefits), Hard: Alchemy is required.

If you're intimidated by Alchemy just play on Easy or Normal.

[Quemaqua]

But that doesn't change how alchemy works, just how necessary sucking down potions is for survival.

[gpw11]

All Xessive  is saying is that if you don't like the system, you don't even really need to use it on normal and easy.  I don't know, it's an alright system, but I found it kind of weak.  As far as I can tell 90% of the potions, oils, and bombs, have little utility when playing on normal.  Cat and Swallow are the only ones you really need, and I haven't even made a bomb yet.

[Xessive]

All Xessive  is saying is that if you don't like the system, you don't even really need to use it on normal and easy.  I don't know, it's an alright system, but I found it kind of weak.  As far as I can tell 90% of the potions, oils, and bombs, have little utility when playing on normal.  Cat and Swallow are the only ones you really need, and I haven't even made a bomb yet.

It's the same with me. Occasionally I'll use a Marborie potion (the one that greatly increases endurance), but the most useful potion for me is Cat.

Overall I think the interface could have been better but it's bearable. The inventory is a mess though!

There is one thing I find particularly weird in the game: why is the torch treated like a weapon? I can understand holstering it like one, but when I pull one out Geralt goes into attack mode. It's practically useless in a fight too. Ah well, tiny thing, completely avoided by having a Cat potion.

[Pugnate]

I still haven't tried the game I had been anticipating for years. I am just waiting till these issues are fixed with patches.

[Xessive]

I still haven't tried the game I had been anticipating for years. I am just waiting till these issues are fixed with patches.

I haven't properly tried the full game yet, but according to what I've been hearing/reading the latest patch v1.2 covers a good chunk of issues and has the game running very well.

[gpw11]

It's the same with me. Occasionally I'll use a Marborie potion (the one that greatly increases endurance), but the most useful potion for me is Cat.

Overall I think the interface could have been better but it's bearable. The inventory is a mess though!

There is one thing I find particularly weird in the game: why is the torch treated like a weapon? I can understand holstering it like one, but when I pull one out Geralt goes into attack mode. It's practically useless in a fight too. Ah well, tiny thing, completely avoided by having a Cat potion.

There is a lot of little stupid things like that. Why are the two other weapon slots apart from the Silver and Steel sword slots completely useless?  Why can't you put an extra Witcher Sword in one of those slots?  Why have so many different ingredients with the exact same properties so when I'm going through my inventory I  have to hover over each one to see what's in it and cross compare that?

[MysterD]

There is a lot of little stupid things like that. Why are the two other weapon slots apart from the Silver and Steel sword slots completely useless?  Why can't you put an extra Witcher Sword in one of those slots?

Worth noting: you can get a few more slots, if you get the better types of armor, later on.

About the torch, I said the same thing -- but yeah, ummmm....it does do damage, if you use it as a weapon....
Not much damage, though...

[gpw11]

That's great and all, but the first two extra slots were completely useless, why the hell add more?

[gpw11]

Also, is Act V really short? It seems a lot more linear and action packed.

[MysterD]

That's great and all, but the first two extra slots were completely useless, why the hell add more?

To add more slots to add "useless" junk?

Hell, I dunno...I guess it's to hold more "unique" weapons...
*shrug*

[gpw11]

b...but there aren't really any unique weapons except for the ones you can't put into the slots. 

[MysterD]

Exactly why I put "unique" in quotations.

There really ain't too many unique items.