“Of course, we can’t and won’t try to deny the facts. The movie that appeared on the various sites yesterday presents our newest project, The Witcher 2, which we’ve been working on for some time. We made something about half year ago, to present the first playable version of the game.” said Adam Kicinski, CEO of CD Projekt RED. “Currently we are looking for a potential publisher (or publishers) for this title, and this leak is an uncontrolled side effect of that process. For today, we are not commenting on anything that concerns the game itself.”
More information about The Witcher 2 will be unveiled alongside the official announcement.
I'd be excited, but I still haven't finished the first one. I got pretty close and then put it down and ended up starting it over after the EE stuff came out. And then never had time to finish it.I finished through Witcher (Original), but never EE. Every once and a while, I get that knack to go back and get a little further through EE. I really should finish EE -- I wanna this time, for the romance-path, follow the Triss path, instead of Shani...
As i did in the news section of the forum, I would like to thank you for you opinions on this movie, however unfortunate's the way it was published.
What i want to point out is, the voices in the movie are of course placeholders. This is an internal presentation based on early alpha of the game.
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, leaked video - FAQ
Q: Does the leaked video show final or close to final product quality?
A: As Adam (CD Projekt RED CEO) noted in our response to the leak, the video was created using a very early alpha version of The Witcher 2 and therefore does not represent the final quality of the game in any way. Basically, the video was created six months ago to show the game to the potential publishers, and a lot has changed since that time. Moreover, the movie does not even touch the main aspect of the game, which is it’s story. We put all our efforts into making the story even more exciting and captivating, giving our fans exactly what they expect.
Q: I don’t like Geralt’s voice. Are those final voiceovers for the game?
A: After seeing the video many of you worried about the quality of voiceovers and the different voices used by lead characters. We’re proud that our team members can imitate native English actors so well that some people would even consider these VOs being part of the final product :). However, we are not planning to change RED into the world’s first non-native recording studio for English movies and games by using non-native non-actors. Don’t worry, we’ll stay in our day jobs. The voices in the video are not in any way final, and were only created for the purposes of the video. By the way - personally, I don’t like Geralt’s voice in this movie either ;).
Q: Will the developers of The Witcher be involved in The Witcher 2?
A: The Witcher 2 is being developed by the same team which was responsible for the first one with some minor changes (50+ people remain from The Witcher’s development). It is true that there were some cuts in the development department at CD Projekt, but those were mostly connected with freezing development of The Witcher: Rise of The White Wolf.
Q: What is the release date?
A: We haven’t established a release date yet. It will be announced together with our future publisher. However, please do not expect the game too soon. The Witcher 2 is still deeply in the development stage and as it is huge and complex, there is still many, many hours of work in front of us.
Q: When we will see more materials from the game?
A: Except for this FAQ we do not plan any materials to be released soon. An official trailer and other stuff will be done with our publisher, and it won’t be very soon. Sorry.
Q: What engine will be used in The Witcher 2?
A: The game does not use the Aurora Engine anymore. We developed a brand new engine dedicated to creating games with the design and features we love (basically the same concept as in the first Witcher but everything done much better, smoother and with some significant improvements). The new engine is fully scalable and, well… kicks ass;). We believe it will let us avoid all bottlenecks we came across during development of the first Witcher. Exact engine specifications, features and name will be revealed after the official announcement.
Q: What platform will the game be released on?
A: Although PC is certain choice we made regarding platforms for The Witcher 2, we also want to release the console version. More information will come after official announcement of the game.
Questions answered by Tomasz Gop, Senior Producer at CD Projekt RED.
Oh shit, I had no idea Rise of the White Wolf had been frozen. Any news on that?
GS: CD Projekt RED seems to believe very strongly in improving its game products. For instance, the Enhanced Edition of the original game added numerous improvements to the base game. What are some additional areas that you're looking to improve in the upcoming sequel?
AB:We believe that we can always improve our products, bringing them closer to the best we can achieve. Even though we have released improvements like the Enhanced Edition, we will still be aiming to make The Witcher 2 as good as possible at release. That's why we've decided to use completely new technology and to redesign many of the game's features.
We cannot talk about many of the new features yet because it's still much too early, but I can say that the new technology will really stand out. We've built a brand new engine for The Witcher 2, with lots of amazing new visual effects--improved day and night cycles, a new dynamic camera, and much more--to present even more impressive graphics. We are also improving a number of gameplay elements, making combat even more exciting and helping players become even more immersed in the gameworld.
GS: There were some very interesting and very adult story themes in the original game--betrayal, sexuality, and bigotry. Will these themes be expanded in the sequel? What other themes with the sequel explore?
AB: We want The Witcher 2 to be even more mature, so we'll be placing a lot of focus on the design of the story. Gamers will face a very real and brutal world. The way in which we explore sexuality will be greatly improved, and we'll be putting a lot of work into showing the erotic dimension of life in a more natural way, rather than as a sort of minigame. We'll be using cinematic means to flesh out characters, who will differ from each other as they would in real life. These differences will come through in their behavior, their attitude toward Geralt, and how they react to the world.
Once again, the game won't offer any choices between good and evil. Rather, it will force you to decide what is important to you and whom can you trust. Many times you'll be left with real doubts about the choices you've made because the consequences of your decisions will be unpredictable.
English version (summary)
We've been to CD Projekt's conference regarding its merger with Optimus. Here are some of the facts we have learned from the conference itself and from speaking to CD Projekt's founders, Michał Kiciński and Marcin Iwiński.
* According to CD Projekt, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is to be a "breakthrough RPG like Fallout 3" that should get over 90% score at Metacritic
* The Witcher 2 development team currently consists of ca. 80 people, both from CD Projekt Red and from Metropolis Software, whose FPS titled They is currently "on hold"
* The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf, the console port of the first game, is not canceled but suspended, and will likely be made after all. This time with the use of CD Projekt's own technology, not an engine outsourced from a third party. However, it might not happen until after the second game is finished.
* The Witcher 2 uses CD Projekt's internal, multi-platform engine, which is focused not only on the renderer and physics, but on non-linear quest design. CD Projekt founders believe that it will be in the vanguard among game engines, and especially RPG engines.
* The company is in talks with publishers, although they did not specify how advanced the talks are. The publisher will most likely be announced in Q1 2010. They do not want a big publisher like EA, but someone they cooperate with as partners. They want the game to be published in identical form in all countries, with rich bonus content, like the Enhanced Edition of the first Witcher.
* Despite some reports, the presentation of The Witcher 2 at Igromir in Russia was a closed show for potential business partners, and the game was not presented publicly.
* They do not plan to sell new titles through Good Old Games in addition to classics, as the site would lose its uniqueness. Most publishers would also be reluctant to release new titles without DRM, and lack of DRM is one of the main principles of the site.
* One of the 3 biggest game publishers will add their games to the GOG catalogue early next year.
* Local versions of GOG might be created in the future, with localized versions of the games.
* The merger with Optimus will give the company new opportunities for development, although if not for the crisis, CD Projekt would probably enter the stock market on their own.
Hope they can continue to do well as an independent studio.
Let me confirm:
North America - Atari Inc.
Russia - 1C-SoftClub/Snowball Studios
Central Europe - CD Projekt
Western Europe - not decided yet
VG247: Tell us a bit about the updated engine? What technological limitations did you come across the last time out, and how did you push through those with Witcher 2?
Tomek Gop: The Witcher 2 works on brand new engine created by CD Projekt RED, so it is not updated version of Aurora.
Previous technology limitations were mostly connected with the RPG core of the game. Dialogues, cutscenes, character interactions, scripting the storyline and so on. We’ve removed a lot of limitations, some of which were pretty obvious (the infamous obstacles you couldn’t leap over), and some closer to the production pipeline. Lots of things are now easier for designers, animators and artists to do without programmers’ help.
That’s one of the reasons the game looks so good a year before release. In one word, rewriting the engine was a mainly RPG-related challenge for us.
VG247: Any plans for future downloadable content like adventure packs? What about a demo? Any plans for one? If so, will one come to consoles?
Tomek Gop: As for DLC nothing has been announced again, but we’re definitely thinking about this one. A lot of ideas, and new possibilities with the new tech. We’d like to make sure we do the game first though.
VG247: Geralt is pretty much the Captain Kirk of the medieval world. Will he have just as many female conquests this time around or will he decide to settle down with one gal?
Tomek Gop: What Would Kirk Do? Geralt has always been sort of womanizer, so you might expect relations this time as well. It was important for us to rethink and redesign the presentational aspect of sex, nudity and romance in The Witcher 2. We focused on this being more bound to the story, and less “collectible”.
You could expect that this time sex means actually two people getting close to each other.
So, this is next year right? In North America as well?Yup.
Witcher Vault: We have already heard rumours that new SDK for the Witcher 2 will be a lot better than D’Jinni, is that true?
Tomasz Gop: Oh no doubt about it! At least for us – we wanted to write an engine from scratch, so our tools are our own. It allows us to add something, or change something, in any way we want to. For instance, designers can do a lot more stuff without the programmers’ aid, which, thinking logically, will translate similarly into the realm of community-made things.
Witcher Vault: All right, then what about open-world locations? There’s been quite a few such places in W1, but overall the world felt just a bit too hermetically sealed…
Tomasz Gop: Locations in W2 are much larger than in W1. At the same time, there’s a huge difference here; where in one Act you had to travel between several locations in W1, for example, Act 4 required travel between several places, in W2 you get one huge location for each Act. The interiors are dynamically streamed as well.
Witcher Vault: So, this will more or less look like we’d have Vizima’s Temple and Trade quarters hooked up together with no transition?
Tomasz Gop: Yes, this might be a good example. But size aside, we’ve also streamlined the loading process. You might not see a single loading screen throughout a whole Act in Witcher 2!
Witcher Vault: Continuing in the ‘comparison’ vein, can you tell us something about combat? We’ve seen the examples during your gameplay session, and – to be frank – it wasn’t actually more dynamic to the viewer. However, from what you describe, the system is much more dynamic. Can you explain?
Tomasz Gop: Well, right now you’ve seen a dev playing. There’re two significant changes here, first of all, there’s no hard lock onto a target. Where in W1 you were forced to attack a selected target – which needed to be reselected, if you had to switch to the next one – now you can simply change the direction of your attacks, and they will find the next opponent even mid-hit, without losing the pace. Another new thing is the ability to mix fighting styles ad hoc, without any penalty or losing your progression. And, to that point, there’s no fixed combo sequences now – you build your attacks by yourself, mixing and matching for better result. You can even use Signs during ‘clicking’ with no detriment to the melee.
Witcher Vault: So is seemingly slower-paced combat a result of lower level of the character shown in the presentation, or maybe something else?
Tomasz Gop: We don’t want to show everything at once. To be honest, we were focusing more on the plot, dialogue system, cutscenes integration into the game during this presentation, more so than on the combat. It’s also worth mentioning that combat in the Witcher has never been a very big part of the game – at least, not considering the RPG aspect. In fact, we wanted to make combat in W2 more ‘witchery’, more tactical, more tuned to the character development. That said, we wanted to give player a choice: whether he/she wants to fight more with the aid of alchemy, or maybe solely focusing on the swordfight. There’s even more interactivity here – since wilderness here is a true ecosystem, you can perform truly ‘witchery’ stuff, not just tied to your knowledge of how to defeat the monsters. For example, you can catch a beast, pump it full of some substance, then let it go. Then, you follow it on its chemical trail to its lair, and destroy the whole lair of the monsters. This, in particular, is something that we haven’t done in Witcher 1.
...
Witcher Vault: Going back to actual combat, what of the active blocking? We’ve seen Geralt put his sword up in a sort of a ‘riposte-ready’ stance…
Tomasz Gop: There’s going to be active block. We want to make it so that you can use this blocking tactically – to wait until you see an opening, and then strike to see it work.
Witcher Vault: Since you can do that and you can change the way Acts pan out, can you also have different endings?
Tomasz Gop: Oh yes, definitely. There’s going to be a lot more possible endings in the Witcher 2. Not just one or two more, a LOT more. I can’t divulge how many there’ll be just yet, but I can already tell you that some of the endings will not entirely depend on your dialogue choices… there’s a lot more factors at play here, including seemingly random elements. Aside from that, your companions will influence the plot as well – and you will get to have a companion around you.
F.O.G: We've been told that the Witcher 2 will feature a save game importer - just how much of an impact will our decisions from the first game have?
TG: It's mainly about decisions actually. You will be able to import parts of your inventory (e.g. swords - though its yet to be decided), but the main reason for implementing the save import feature is the storyline. For most of the crucial choices the player took throughout The Witcher there will be something that will represents the outcome of their decisions. Oh and of course you don't need to have played The Witcher to be able to start the second game. There's a beginning for all those not importing a saved game.
Haha, thats awesome.
I wouldn't mind that but if someone could grab an art book from the Arenanet booth, that would be swell.
Since the EU price is almost $16 more than the price in USD, we’re giving our EU customers a $16 credit to purchase anything on GOG.com.Thats a definite leg up. They can't alter the price in different regions because of the deals made with publishers, so they are giving you the price difference back in store credit. Thats badass.
Well eventually Witcher 2 will be old. They are just beating the rush. :P
Preorder now for free stuff! (http://www.gog.com/en/page/tw2_preorder/)
The CE is nice, but even the regular edition of The Witcher has some cool stuff.
That's... weird. Then it isn't a preorder, is it?
That's... weird. Then it isn't a preorder, is it?Well, sort of.. It's kinda like when I pre-ordered stuff from EB Games, they place the order but I don't pay until I pick it up.
Minimum System Requirements:
"Required for fluid operation of the game"
# Dual Core 2.2 GHz Processor
# 1 GB RAM (Windows XP), 2 GB RAM (Vista/Windows 7)
# GeForce 8800 512 MB (Similar ATI Minimum)
Oh please. What bullshit. The game didn't run fluidly on an 8800GTX 1GB and they are telling us that its superior looking sequel will do better on a lesser card?
Depends on how the engine was optimized. The original was a heavily modified NWN engine, wasnt it? Sometimes theres only so much you can do. But with a new engine from scratch you can make some nice optimizations.
Could be lies, but who knows.
Yup you are correct.
But aside from that, I realized that those are supposed to be the "minimum requirements".
During battles, players won't be afforded the luxury of pausing the game whenever they want to cast a Sign. Instead, the game slows down, giving you a brief period of respite, but also a system that ensures that you have to make your choice quickly.
Talking of Signs, a new, sixth magical sign has been added to the combat mix, although the team wasn't ready to go into detail about it at this stage. On top of that, we can expect "tons of gameplay-oriented skills" to be added, which we'll be able to report in-depth on when CD Projekt is ready to let us get our grubby mitts on its new baby.
'But what about a console version' I hear you cry. Well, the news is definitely good, despite the depressing failure of the original version to make it to the 360 or PS3. "It's the first console project we would like to do," Bartkowicz confirms. "We need to do it in house. In the end we decided not to do it outsourced. We've been running some tests, and putting a small part of the game just to make sure we're not cheating anyone. We can show it to you, it is possible."
Sadly, we ran out of time to see it for our own eyes, but the fact that CD Projekt is happy to go on the record and say that it's happening is good news. In fact, the game's eventual transition to console has been planned from day one. "You can play The Witcher 2 with joypad - it's implemented. The whole interface is designed with console in mind, in fact."
We're happy to announce GOG's version of highly-anticipated RPG will not contain DRM as all other downloadable versions will.Hoping this means retail is going to be DRM free.
Hoping this means retail is going to be DRM free.We don't know...yet.
Minimum Requirements:
Processor: Core 2Duo 2.2 GHz or dual core AMD 2.5 GHz
RAM: 1GB Win XP/ 2GB Vista/7
Graphics: GeForce 8800 512MB or Radeon (HD3850 512 MB)
HDD Space: 16 GB
Recommended Requirements:
Processor: Quad Core Intel or AMD
RAM: 3GB Win XP/ 4GB Vista/7
Graphics: GeForce 260 1GB or (HD4850 1GB)
HDD Space: 16 GB
I kinda feel like but I have such a huge backlog right now.
The combat system in The Witcher was unusual to say the least, relying on a mix of styles, weapons and combos, backed up by potions and magical powers. Its hallmark was the rhythmic mouse clicking needed to build combos; good timing would turn you into an unstoppable dervish, whereas with bad timing you were more likely to just poke yourself in the eye.
That system is gone but the "fast" and "heavy" attack styles remain, this time mapped to the left and right mouse buttons to allow for switching between styles on the fly. Geralt will also rely more heavily on signs, the rudimentary system of magic used by Witchers, and will be able charge and aim his magical attacks. Unlike the first game, weapons other than the steel and silver Witcher swords will actually have a use and Geralt will be able to focus his training on weapons other than that traditional pair.
"The combat has absolutely not been dumbed down," Gop said. "Nor has the game been consolized."
Edge Magazine: Since the first Witcher, which games have had the biggest effect on CD Projekt's direction for The Witcher 2?
Tomasz Gop: We get inspired by many games, obviously, like any game developer. I can't say specifically whether it's Heavy Rain, Demon's Souls or Arkham Asylum that has inspired us most over the past few years – it's probably a mix of all of them. I think everyone will find elements of Demon's Souls, though, definitely. We don't auto-scale opponents, for example. If you want to compare it to anything, Demon's Souls is definitely good. I'd like that, for sure.
C'mon....someone do this with me.What are we doing with you?
CD Projekt RED has just set the date of its spring conference, which will take place on the 14th of April 2011 in Warsaw, Poland. With the release date of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings right around the corner, it is imperative for every fan of our series to be the witness of this event as it will provide you with a lot of useful information about the upcoming game.I'm interested to hear about the censorship, because I can see that being an issue in the US (http://www.eurogamer.cz/articles/zaklinac-2-fotoserial). Also the copy protection. I know GoG will be DRM free so if it comes down to it I'll get it there, but I would prefer a retail copy. If retail uses Steamworks or something then I'll bite the bullet and download from GoG. Head to a library and leech my ass off.
The event will cover following topics:
- Minimum and recommended system requirements, as well as their effect on game's performance,
- Differences in specific language versions and censorship,
- Copy protection will be talked about in greater detail,
- Importing save-game data from the first part of The Witcher,
- REDengine details,
- And many more.
There is also a rumor that our friends at GOG.com might have prepared something very special for that day (not only in regards to The Witcher 2;). You should probably visit their website frequently to find out more.
The English part of the conference will be broadcasted live at facebook.com/thewitcher and the game's official website, www.thewitcher.com. The broadcast will start at 4:00 PM (GMT), make sure to tune in.
I'm tempted to grab it on Steam just to add to my existing library but I've already decided to grab it from GOG. It just feels right.
WHAT DRM WILL THE WITCHER 2 HAVE?
The primary reason for including copy protection with internet activation is to address the biggest concern of our publishing and distribution partners, which is potential piracy before release. To do so, we must implement at least a minimal form of protection.
The Witcher 2 will be delivered to external manufacturing plants weeks before release. It is virtually impossible to guarantee absolute security for this entire time. Any leak of the code can gravely compromise the commercialization of the game, and we want to be sure that the first people to play it will be the fans and customers who are waiting for their official copies.
That’s why, together with our publishing and distributing partners, we decided to use copy protection. The Digital Premium Edition available from GOG.com will be the sole exception. Since it is our sister company, located in the same building, we are completely confident the code will be absolutely secure.
As a company and also as gamers ourselves, we’d like to stress that we are against any kind of copy protection that might affect the game experience or limit the usability of legally purchased copies. For this reason, we decided to implement a custom version that is the lightest and least intrusive possible. During installation, it will be necessary to connect to the Internet one time – but NEVER while playing. Similarly, the only time you need to have the disks in your drive is during installation.
While we are aware of some players’ associations with the SecuROM technology, the server infrastructure of its provider, SONY, gives us the highest level of confidence that registering legal copies will be problem-free. Every legal copy can be played on up to five machines at a time. What’s more, registrations can be revoked at any time; in effect, The Witcher 2 can be installed on unlimited number of machines. It will also be possible to make backups. Furthermore, we will make every effort to cooperate with our publishing and distribution partners to remove the DRM in a postrelease update.
WHY SHOULD I REGISTER MY COPY?
Registration of legally purchased copies is completely optional. To make the process as user-friendly as possible, the same key is used for both installation and registration.
Anyone who chooses to register will receive various bonuses (English and Polish language packs, free future DLC and more), and additional promotional materials such as bonus songs.
Registered users will also receive automatic notifications of updates via the game launcher. In addition, this will be the only way to update the product – patches will not be available as separate files, making it impossible to update illegal copies of the game in this manner.
WHY AND HOW SHOULD I USE MY SAVEGAMES FROM THE WITCHER?
The Witcher 2 will provide a complete story and game experience. It is not necessary to have played the original. As a bonus, those who did will have the option of importing their saved games. The opening of The Witcher 2 is, however, the same for everyone. Events and decisions from imported saves may be reflected later on, but only in ways that can happen anyway.
If The Witcher is still installed on your hard drive, The Witcher 2 will automatically detect all saves after the last critical choice point, and either suggest the file to import, or allow you to choose from all the possible ones.
Note: The preview build sent at the beginning of April 2011 did not include the full save game
system. The release version will let players save at any time PC gamers expect.
WHAT KIND OF PERFORMANCE AND HARDWARE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
The Witcher 2 is being developed for one platform, the PC. What this basically means, especially
together with our proprietary REDengine, is that we take advantage of the most advanced performance hardware. Our game doesn’t compromise its performance, gameplay, the interface or anything else to accommodate other platforms.
The REDengine is built so players with two-core processors and min-spec machines will receive a fully enjoyable experience. Even more importantly, anyone with the recommended 4 cores and/or hyperthreading will see a visible improvement. 6 cores? 8? Cool! The Witcher 2 will make good use of them all. The game will also scale exceptionally well. It has not only low, medium and high graphical settings, but also an ultra detail level… and even an “uber sampling” mode.
Note: The release version of the game will have an advanced graphical settings menu. It will also support the 16:9 aspect ratio and be playable in 16:10 (non-native) as well as 4:3 (letterbox).
WILL THERE BE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE WITCHER 2?
The Witcher 2 will have the same content worldwide. There will be no regional differences aside from the languages. And no censored versions – so no wondering about importing the game, nudity patches, etc.
Summarizing K-man's summary:
drm sux
rom
register
patches
has graphics
boobies
Hands down, if The Witcher 2 wins no other award this year it certainly stands out as being the best looking RPG available. Characters are incredibly detailed, forests are lush and overgrown, rain punishes the ground, and that castle siege at the start had me just standing admiring it for a few minutes. Seeing the huge trebuchets properly in motion, launching rocks that smash into the castle’s walls from a good distance, is utterly awe-inspiring. And that’s only after ten minutes of game time!
I've only watched two videos of The Witcher 2 so far. The first was the announcement trailer, and now this one. (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclusive-gameplay-the-witcher/713622) I don't have to see any more. Its a must buy already.Looks like CDP is taking some notes from PB's Gothic series and Risen series w/ the whole immersive "living breathing world and community" thing and doing some of their own evolution on it.
The Witcher 2 is now available for pre-purchase and pre-download over at GOG.com! (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/the_witcher_2)
9 GB in 1 hr = 2684354.56 bytes per second. 2.5 MB/sec = 20 mbps. Sorry, I was bored.My connection was fluctuating but it did indeed average ~2.5MB/sec.
I did some math and it would take me ~30 days, 24 hours a day with no breaks, to download 9GB.
So yeah, disc copy. Even though I would love to support GoG and get a DRM-free copy.
I could probably go to the library one day and download the whole thing with my netbook, but I'm going to wait for the game to be a bit cheaper anyway so its not like I'm in a rush to buy it. Besides, I'm going to finish the original game first before diving into the sequel.
The Witcher 2 is pretty impressive. Some performance/framerate issues but switched to 720p and it's ok. Had to send word. Going back now.
Haha I just saw a funny stab at Assassin's Creed in the game!Yeah, I saw that and was cracking up, hehe. :)(click to show/hide)
The X360 pad controls are passable but it's very clear the game was made for mouse+kb. This is especially obvious in the inventory, when you're walking around the camera is completely manual (made for mouse), and even during combat since there's no lock-on at all you have to manually aim the camera at your target when the directional buttons aren't working quite as planned.I prefer the Inventory on the KB/mouse, yes.
Is it just me, or is the combat kind of weak? Something just seems....off about it and I think I may actually prefer the style of the first game. Oh, and I've been dying a lot.Yeah, same here. It takes a bit of getting used to.. I have a hard time acknowledging when I'm actually getting hit, it's like the feedback is minimal. Sure the screen gets a reddish tint but there's no sense that I'm taking a hit, maybe a lack of sound or animation. To be honest, that was the same complaint I had about the original game.
Is it just me, or is the combat kind of weak? Something just seems....off about it and I think I may actually prefer the style of the first game. Oh, and I've been dying a lot.I think the lack of strafing is one of my pet peeves w/ the combat of TW2 game.
I just realized there's no quickload.. You can quicksave but you have to go through the menu to load it. Minor tedium.Yeah, another annoyance on the list of MANY w/ this game...
Despite all the inconveniences I'm still finding myself jumping back into it. The world they've created is just so compelling!
Despite all the inconveniences I'm still finding myself jumping back into it. The world they've created is just so compelling!Not enough here, unfortunately. Since I am left-handed, once I can re-map my keys to both cursor keys AND number-pad like most modern day PC games allow (except probably Dead Space 1 PC), maybe I'll dive back into this...
I'm glad to hear that. Annoying issues can be patched out. A bad game can't.It's just that the stupidities surrounding around it ruin the enjoyment I should be having w/ this game - which probably the main ones can and will be fixed.
The more I play the more impressed I am with The Witcher 2. I hope they polish it really well with the upcoming patches; the game certainly deserves the royal treatment.The more I play this game, the more I wanna throw my KB/mouse and X360 controller.
I saw the retail copy in the store today. Says during install it has to download 50MB, so I'll have to start that early in the day (when I eventually get it)I think that was their 0-day security. Basically no one had a complete copy of the game until the official release date.
I think that was their 0-day security. Basically no one had a complete copy of the game until the official release date.
I feel for ya, D. I'd be pretty mad if I couldn't configure some basic controls to my liking. I find the game works reasonably well with the gamepad, and there's not much to do in the inventory screen anyway; instead of clicking and dragging items you'll have to settle for the "highlight, push A to use/remove" style.
Sweet, thanks for the tip.Yeah, someone pointing that out on GOG to me. :)
I'm also really glad I went for the GOG.com purchase since it's a hassle-free installation, especially after reading about some of the other versions' installation issues or CD key misprints.Same here...even though I wish some of my complaints were fixed.
Yet, by the time the game ends, you'll be cleaving through enemies like butter. If you spam your shield spell and unlock finishing moves, regular fights go from almost impossible to an insulting joke. It seems CD Projekt couldn't strike the right balance between character development and challenge, so just didn't bother. This is evidenced in the boss fights, which often rely on guesswork in order to beat, as players figure out the one convoluted, obscure strategy required in order to win. There's no challenge in that, it's just throwing shit at a wall and seeing what sticks.I haven't seen all of the boss fights, but I don't think the Kayran was convoluted at all.
Having played the first game, I have to admit it took a bit to get used to The Witcher 2 and some of its new mechanics. The combat is probably the most significant change, but even the main interaction method changes the game for me.
I definitely feel more in control of Geralt in W2 since they've eliminated the point & click control scheme completely, opting for direct control of Geralt; much like the 3rd-person camera mode in the original, except even the crosshair has been eliminated as well. The interaction is context-sensitive now, kinda like Fable, and highlighting is automatic based on view angle and proximity.
I didn't like the combat at first but now that I have a better handle on it I'm enjoying it a lot more. It's all about timing!
May 25, 2011, 2:53 p.m.
Internal tests of Patch 1.1 are well under way. Our current target is to release it this evening. Please note that although we are doing our best to have it ready by then, the time still may change in order to be completely sure that the patch will function properly. This is our primary concern since there are significant changes and upgrades that will affect many users.
1. Simpler and more reliable game installation and activation. Details to be revealed soon.
2. Fixed the free Troll Trouble DLC download. It is now included n the patch so there's no need to download and install it separately.
3. Fixed an issue that prevented some users from downloading other free DLCs (the ones given out with some pre-orders, special promotions, etc). The launcher now properly refreshes the list of available DLCs and allows for installation.
4. Performance improvements: approximately 5% to 30% better framerate and faster game loading for many users, depending on their individual systems and game versions. Owners of retail versions can expect the biggest improvements.
5. Fixed random crashes occurring on some systems, especially after saving and loading saves.
6. Key mapping – allows the arrow and number keys to be used for movement.
7. Added the option to invert the mouse.
8. nVidia surround vision now works properly.
9. More accurate assessment provided by the "auto-detect settings" option will help improve game performance.
10. Removed a bug that prevented completion of the “Blood Curse” quest.
11. Fixed a bug that prevented the additional link in "Extras" from being unlocked after winning the dice game against the GOG.com monk.
12. GOG.com credits now work properly.
The full list of all changes will be available upon the release of the patch. If you have experienced any issues that are not on the list above, please don't worry. We have already started working on the next patch, which will address other difficulties and bugs, including those related to specific hardware setups; e.g.. Logitech g35. You may expect this second patch to be ready next week.
Patch 1.1 will be available for all the versions of the game, both retail and digital, except for Russian. However, we would like to assure our Russian fans that we are aware of the problems with the your version of the game (thanks for your reports!) and we are talking with 1C about possible solutions.
Hello zero item weight mod. I'll be installing that bitch for sure.Ok, I'll try the Increased Capacity mod and we'll compare notes ;)
The good news is that the patch is ready. The bad news is that we have encountered some problems with the server infrastructure, making downloading DLCs impossible. We want to apologize to our fans for not meeting our target of delivering the patch last night. We will update you when we know more.
DRM removed already? Damn I love those guys.Yup.
Cool, I have to download the GOG.com-specific patch ;)
Also, I'm hearing since Patch 1.1 on GOG boards, people having problems w/ Right Analog stick working on X360 Gamepad now...I'll test that out.
The Witcher 2: How good is it? Presidential.
It really is a work of art!
Chapter 2(click to show/hide)
Took a bit time to get through that Chapter 2 Boss Battle, but was kinda' easy once I got the pattern down.(click to show/hide)
Chapter 1(click to show/hide)
Nice!
UPDATE:
The game launcher automatically updated the game. I didn't need to get the GOG.com version or anything like that. There seems to be some performance improvement as well as the noted fixes and changes.
Gonna check out the hairstyles.
I still contest that ZP is stale, but I did laugh pretty hard with the potion in a paper bag comment. Funny and on point.
Although the boss cut-scene is totally skipable.
Hmm, I'm still curious as to why there's no quickload button.Agreed.
GB: Beyond the Troll Trouble DLC, what other downloadable content are you working on for the game? How many add-ons do you intend to release for it, and have you decided whether or not you'll pursue a full-on expansion pack?
Tomasz: As you might expect, since we plan to release our DLCs over time, our basic plan is to announce them individually. What we can say right now is that we have a couple more coming within the next few weeks, and also that we will have more after that. And they will all be DLC 4 Free, meaning no charge to registered users.
Yeah, that was a bit of a let-down. Still, the rest of the content made the game a gem.
Admittedly, The Witcher 1 was a longer game with a lot more stuff going on but The Witcher 2 felt a bit more refined and focused on one plot (albeit with a load of hints at some overarching stories). I found myself way more interested in uncovering Geralt's past, his relationship with Yennefer, and what happened to her.
Okay, this is going to get confusing. Namco Bandai is suing Optimus SA, parent company of CD Projekt Red, over the European console publishing rights for The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. It claims that Optimus failed to meet its commitment with Namco Bandai when it gave THQ the rights to distribute the Xbox version of the game in some parts of Europe.
What does Namco Bandai have to do with The Witcher? Namco Bandai actually owns the European distribution business of Atari (who will publish the console release in North America, and who published the PC version in Europe), after purchasing it in 2009. For its part, Optimus says that it only signed a distribution deal with N amco for the PC version, and had its choice of distributor for the console release.
In addition, Namco Bandai claims CD Projekt Red violated its agreement when it spontaneously removed DRM from all versions of The Witcher 2. As a result, Namco is withholding payment of around €1.255 million ($1.8 million) -- a threat to which Optimus president Adam Kicinski blithely responded (as translated by Google): "Our liquidity situation is very good. Therefore, the lack of a few million does not have any leverage on current activities. Withholding of payments means only that for some time, our partner will have to give us the money with interest."
He added that he was confident the case would be settled before it went to court -- or, if not, Optimus will win the case "and then the loser will pay for our lawyers."
Wow.
Via: Giant Bomb
Source: CD-Action
Posted by WorstUsernameEver at 2:12 am on 08.14.2011 (8 hours ago)
At the end of the most recent video put on the official The Witcher website (http://thewitcher.com/the-witcher/2/videos/trailers/), the music video of Forgotten Land by Polish band Riverside, which contains game footage, the folks at CD Projekt RED tease a "new & improved PC version 2.0" for The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings and direct us to this year's GamesCom for more information, which is held from August 17th to 21st, meaning we should get more information soon.
This is probably the "as-yet-unannounced update to the PC version of the game (http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/104086-the-witcher-2-xbox-360-version-delayed.html)" which is supposed to contain a major DLC for CD Projekt's critically acclaimed action-RPG.
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings will be upgraded to version 2.0 on PC with an automatic update on September 29, CD Projekt revealed today at Gamescom. The free enhancements include a new tutorial system to train players on the game's mechanics, hopefully sparing the frustration of dying 18 times in the first 20 minutes of the game.
It will also add a "Dark Mode" difficulty, which is like Insane Mode but allows saving.
There will also be a new "Arena Mode," an arcade-style survival mode that has you hacking and slashing through wave after wave of ever-more-hearty beasts.
The update throws in 20 new tech enhancements that the devs didn't delve into.
CD Projekt also announced that the Xbox 360 version of The Witcher 2, scheduled for Q1 2012, will include all the DLC updates to the game, including the 2.0 version.
Adam Badowski, Studio Director commented “We quite modestly called this new update 2.0, but while testing it, we have realized that this update is, actually bigger than Enhanced Edition known from our first game! So this is a major update not only for us, but also for all those who want to start their adventure with the game and for those who would like to play it again.” He added, “We promised to support our game after release and also bring new content for free. Version 2.0 is one of the steps to fulfill our promise.” Isn’t this policy too generous? Adam Badowski replies: “Around 1 milion units sold worldwide and solid financial results are the best proof that that we have the right approach. You don’t need draconian DRM to have good sales and you don’t need costly DLC to have good financial results. You just need to treat you customers fair, and you get not only financial results, but fans admiration which for us is absolutely priceless!”
The Witcher 2 version 2.0 the most notable gameplay enhancements and features are:
• New Tutorial System – New, more comprehensive tutorial is designed as a separate part of the game and takes place in the Kingdom of Keadwen. New Tutorial System gradually explains all gameplay mechanics, from very basic to the most sophisticated systems. The Tutorial ensures that start of the game for everyone will be a pleasureable experience without too steep a learning curve.
• Special “Dark” difficulty setting - A new, intensely challenging difficulty setting that provides the ultimate challenge for players. On the “Dark” setting, The Witcher 2 is nearly as difficult as “Insane,” but allows players to save the game. It also provides a completely new set of dark-themed gear with very high stats. “Dark” mode also includes other special elements related to the “dark” theme. This setting is yet another reason to play the game again for those seeking new Witcher challenges.
New items in the “Dark” setting:
3 new sets of dark armor (light, medium, and heavy)
6 new dark swords (3 silver, 3 steel)
Other “Dark” themes/elements in the game…
• Completely new, arcade-style Arena Mode. Infinitely replayable and progressively more challenging, Arena Mode lets you hone your combat style and techniques against all the different opponents from the game as well as a new monster type, the Werewolf. Dispatch wave upon wave of increasingly more difficult enemies, earning awards that you can use to upgrade abilities, weapons and armor, and to test alchemy. Hirelings can also assist you in battle for a price. Combat waves will continue until your character is defeated, when you’ll see a statistical summary of results. Players can share their results with their friends by uploading this summary to the forums or to Facebook.
Arena Mode includes:
New location – forgotten stronghold in the Kingdom of Keadwen
Dynamic, responsive audience reacting to the events
A new monster type, Werewolf
30 different waves of enemies, looped with increasing levels of difficulty
3 different prizes to choose from in each wave
3 new characters (mage, knight, and dwarven fighter) that can serve as allies during clashes
A shopkeeper offering gear and enhancements
3 new GUI panels designed specifically for the mode
New dialogue
New background music
New Witcher Forum and Facebook integration
Each one of the new features was accompanied by live gameplay footage showing them in their full glory, but version 2.0 is not only about new features. There are also more than 40 new technical and gameplay enhancements to be included as well.
Version 2.0 will be available via automatic update to all existing and new users for free on the 29th of September. All versions of the game will update automatically to the 2.0 version, whether bought before or after 29th of September.
Release of the version 2.0 is synchronized with special sales promotions which starts today! Gamers from all over the world will be able to take advantage of this special deal as Steam offers Assassins of Kings for 29.90 Dollars or Euros (depending on your currency) from 22.09.2011 to 06.10.2011. CD Projekt RED sister company GOG.com is not far behind, with their promo starting on the same release day as version 2.0. They will be offering The Witcher 2 for 29.99$ from 29.09.2011 to 06.10.2011. If you haven’t bought the game yet, it’s a great opportunity to buy it now, as The Witcher 2 is definitely not a game to miss.
Some interesting stuff in there. The tutorial changes are nice, I'm sure, but a little late.. Arena sounds cool. None of this is worth a reinstall, though.
In conversation with Rock, Paper, Shotgun, CD Projekt Red's development director Adam Badowski had some choice words to share regarding DLC and the more restrictive policies Microsoft require its publishers to follow.
"We don't see the idea [of paid DLC] as wrong, but we definitely don't like to see gamers treated like dairy cows that are primed for milking," said Badowski. "All too often, DLC is seen as an additional revenue opportunity. That's not bad in itself -- we're not only in this industry to make games, we're also here to do business. But we shouldn't look at it exclusively from the latter angle, because that sometimes leads to decisions that could leave a bad taste in one's mouth. If you only think about the business in terms of the money it can generate, I think you could come awfully close to forcing players to buy something additional in order to enjoy fully a game they just bought. And that's simply not fair."
Badowski admitted that this isn't always the case, but his team is committed to providing additional content for The Witcher 2 on PC for free. His reasoning behind this is that he believes consumers are well within their rights to expect a developer to continue servicing their product after release, rather than just washing their hands of it.
When the Xbox version of The Witcher 2 launches, however, life may not be so simple. Due to Microsoft policies that need to be followed, Badowski says, free DLC is likely to be out of the question. That said, the Xbox 360 version of The Witcher 2 will incorporate everything from the new version 2.0 update -- itself offering several months worth of DLC packages.
"Any payable DLC that appears [for PC] is likely to be a more classic expansion pack along the lines of, say, Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast," added Badowski. "But this is a purely theoretical discussion at this point, as we have yet to confirm or even plan any official expansion packs."
Them dudes are smart cookies.
couple questions:
Is there a demo for this game?
Do I need to play The Witcher to understand what's going on in The Witcher 2?
Would it be possible to explain the structure of the game? For reference, I've played a few dozen hours of Fallout 3 and Skyrim. Is it similar? Less open?
I probably shouldn't be looking at another RPG. I'm playing the shit out of Skyrim and still have FO3 and all it's DLC, as well as the original Dragon Age which I haven't touched yet.
I really need to get this eventually.
For anyone who pre-loaded the massive update, you may encounter an error "pack0.dzip corrupt," just re-download part 1 and 2 from the EE manual update page (http://www.thewitcher.com/ee_manual/) and replace them in the pre-load folder then try reinstalling the update.
I was annoyed at the thought of re-downloading a 14GB update but luckily I didn't have to ;)
t’s been a year since The Witcher 2 was first released on PC. Since then a series of big patches have added new quests, characters, combat tweaks and game modes. Earlier today, the Enhanced Edition made even more additions. Like every update for The Witcher 2, it was released as a free download. I met up with level designer Ziemak Marek last week to find out why CD Projekt have decided not to charge for additions that other companies would sell as DLC packs.
“It’s a part of our philosophy,” Marek said. “Our concept is to create a really great RPG game, and if it’s not great for everyone and it’s not as great as we’d like it to be, if it has some glitches or there are some elements that could be better, then we feel responsible for remaking them.”
Marek went on to say that “it wouldn’t be fair” to charge players for these remade areas. “It’s just improving the game,” he suggested, “it’s not delivering something that’s new.”
But it is adding something new, I suggested, mentioning the new difficulty mode and combat arena added in the 2.0 patch, and the four hours of new quests added in the Enhanced Edition. All these extra areas took time and money to develop, why not pass that cost on to the player?
“We do some extra work, but on the other hand, when you buy The Witcher, we’re promising you a really great experience. If you don’t feel satisfied enough then we, sometimes, probably a little bit guilty because we’re after delivering a really great experience,” he said.
Marek went on to explain that CD Projekt hope that free updates instil sense of goodwill among players. “If you trust as a player that our games are great, you like them, you enjoy them, even if we can’t think about everything, if you find some glitches or problems in the game, you’ll be sure that will be fixed,” he said. “Then you’ll probably feel good when you’re buying our games, and that’s what we’re after.”
“We’re giving resources for that,” he said.
Version 3.2 Corrections/Amendments (18th June 2012)
Patch 3.2 is a UI modification for the PC version of The Witcher 2 Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition. The mod adds the following enhancements to the game. It can be used optionally (enabled by default) by players when installed. You can disable it in Configurator DLC Menu.
Minimap: Adds a north arrow.
Alchemy: Crafting slots show how many ingredients there are; better default ingredient selection (e.g., not having to filter out quest item ingredients all the time); un-rotates alchemy element symbols; saves custom ingredient selection for a formula (until you close the panel or go to another formula, but no longer resetting every time you create something).
Tooltips: Taller, and scroll faster.
Inventory/Trading/Storage: Sorting buttons (sort by time acquired, name, aggregate weight, aggegrate price.) Reversible sort also possible.
Trading: Places a checkmark next to books, formulas, and crafting diagrams that you already have in your inventory.
Crafting: Shows how many items you have instead of capping the number at how many are required. E.g., 30/3 instead of 3/3.
Other: Sorts some lists alphabetically: crafting, alchemy, elixirs.
Well, the first game was a bit of a chore to complete. Can't believe I held on for so long. :P The second looks really nice though. :)Yeah, I went back to replay the TW1 Enhanced Edition and I slumped out in the second act. It is kinda on the tedious side.
If you're going to do that, go for a good deal on the S model. The PS4 is undeniably the better system now, though. Sony has all the momentum and by far the best 3rd-party support and exclusives. Microsoft have dropped the ball in the console space for about a year now. They're leaning too heavily on the technology of the 6-teraFLOPS X. Consoles aren't primarily about tech. Never have been. You're not heavily invested in the Xbox online community, are you? Because that's the only way I'd recommend you stay with Microsoft at this point.
If you're going to do that, go for a good deal on the S model. The PS4 is undeniably the better system now, though. Sony has all the momentum and by far the best 3rd-party support and exclusives. Microsoft have dropped the ball in the console space for about a year now. They're leaning too heavily on the technology of the 6-teraFLOPS X. Consoles aren't primarily about tech. Never have been. You're not heavily invested in the Xbox online community, are you? Because that's the only way I'd recommend you stay with Microsoft at this point.