The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt

I havent even played witcher 2 !
It uses the save game from the earlier witcher2 game right and imports it into witcher3 just like Mass effect games ?

I got a free copy during the GoG giveaway.

More or less yes, although it doesn't import as much info, although my Geralt has a silly tattoo I got in Roche's path during a particularly drunken night.

FriendlyFire said:

I havent even played witcher 2 !
It uses the save game from the earlier witcher2 game right and imports it into witcher3 just like Mass effect games ?

I got a free copy during the GoG giveaway.

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It's been a while since I played Witcher 2 and I'm not in the habit of hoarding my savegames. Didn't import it, but after the prologue area you have to answer some questions to establish a world state. I have already met someone who may or may not be dead at the end of Witcher 2. It was a nice surprise, especially since it happened during a rather minor sidequest.

Unfortunately the barber only asks like 4 questions apparently.

God hates hags.
I can take them one on one, but when there's two of them plus a handful of drowners the mud slinging really pisses me off.

One thing I don't really like is that all of the 'sidequest' markers are placed on your map at the start as 'unexplored locations'. It kinda takes most of the fun out of exploration, you end up just putting a marker on the location and walking/riding there. Then again I haven't done many of them yet, I'm just getting to the point where I find the witch looking for Hendrik.

You find more, and more, and more, and probably even more as you go through the game. I think you can pick up some from random conversations, others from the non-contract postings on the notice boards, and I'm not sure if there is another way or not. There are lots that are unmarked, or just not shown as unknown yet.

I got a copy for free from my friend, but I haven't had any time to play. Actually I probably won't fire it up until after I've played through DA inquisition some more (which I've owned for a month and only have ~6 hours on. My video game time is in a very dark and lonely place right now).

Probably best to play it after DAI, as you probably won't be able to finish DAI after playing The Witcher 3.

It's a very long game, easily 100+ hours of ACTUAL content.

Yes this game is very long. I'm still undecided if I like such long games. They are so long, I have no desire to replay them. So replayability factor is 0. I haven't been able to replay dragon age: Inquisition, and I most likely won't replay this game. It takes soooooooo long to explore every area. I'm a bit overwhelmed by how many question marks I have to explore on my map. That's not including areas not showing with a question mark.

And yes, I feel I have to explore them. Just to get my level higher, and make money. I'm one broke witcher. Money seems hard to come by in this game. Although experience gained from unexplored areas is pretty limited. Makes you wonder if it's worth it clearing out monster nests and such.

Gameplay is good. But I still feel like Witcher 1 is the best in the series, followed by Witcher 2. But there is some damn good dialogue in here. The whole Family Matters quest line is pretty impressive all the way to Return to Crookback Bog. This game focuses so much on action gameplay, and I'm just not that great at that. It's unforgiving compared to Witcher 1 and Witcher 2. I ended up lowering difficulty from 3 to 2. 3 is good in the first area of the game, but then I start running out of money and can't afford food for healing.

I'm done with the main quests for Velen, just exploring massive amounts of the map. Some things are still too high level for me (I'm level 10), like a level 24 flying creature flying around. Not very interested in the card game, but I may learn it just to make some money. I suck at horse racing apparently. But maybe with practice I can actually win a race. LOL.

The replay value lies in the many decisions you make and all the optional side quests. I used to be a completionist like you, but Dragon Age: Inquisition broke of it and the size of the world here is just a bit intimidating. I'll probably need a break from witching when I finish it, but I'm pretty sure that I'll play it again. There's no need to see everything at once.
I actually find it easier than The Witcher 2. The controls are better and it's usually pretty easy to get a couple of hits in after dodging, and my witcher metabolism allows me to heal myself by eating raw meat from a days old dead horse on a battlefield. There's just a few enemy types and uniquie monsters (like Jenny o' the Woods) that I find really hard even if I'm close to their level. Was that level 24 flying monster a Basilisk ? Ran into one while climbing a mountain just to enjoy the view. Murdered be in two hits.

The writing overall is much better than expected. I don't remember it being the series strong suit, but it really outshines the stuff that Bioware has produced recently, and the quest design is excellent. I was thinking all morning over a decision I made yesterday evening at the end of the Fyke Island quest chain.
There's still stuff to do in Velen, but I think I'll go an finish the main quest next (just met the crones) because unlike in a TES game I actually want to know what happens next.

Yeah the Fyke Island quest chain was pretty good too.

I'm starting to get the hang of dodging, so you are right, I can usually get 2 or 3 hits in after a dodge. I remapped it to my right mouse button. Although I'd still like to find a good button for my witcher senses. I'm using R right now.

And I will probably replay the game, just not immediately. Maybe next year. I meant to replay the Witcher 2 before this one, but didn't have time. So I don't remember if that was easier or not.

I think that monster was the same one you mentioned. I was on top of a pretty big hill. I can get the level 12 ones with no problem, but things that high level kill me in 2 hits.

Edit: just finished jenny of the woods. Took me a couple tries. It's a matter of timing and patience. But I still got hit. Single creatures I don't do so bad on. It's groups that can be challenging when they get in behind me.

That is what the side buttons on a mouse are for and why they are indispensable.

Jenny in the Woods was difficult before I did some actual research (in-game) on wraiths and realized that Yrden made them vulnerable. Then it got easier.

Money isn't very hard to come by at all I've found, well after the first area and first several hours in the second region and you'll be swimming. You should avoid buying food, you replenish your swallow potion when you mediate using Alcohest which is fairly easy to find enough of. The prices in the game are ridiculous and a long standing trope of "merchants barely pay you anything then sell it for thousands of times that amount" that I absolutely hate though. At least I have about 120 carrying capacity now though

EDIT: Best way to make money is selling the materials you get that can be broken down, and rarer crafting ingredients (I tend to try and only keep about 10 of each one, I still barely craft anything though, not much of a point except maybe if the stuff is common enough that the sword or armour it makes is worth selling too) and doing the side quests. What they lack in XP they make up for in crowns especially if you can figure out the haggling system (or get lucky with it? IDK). I finally made the trek to Novigrad and I have 11,000 crowns... no idea what to buy. Maybe I can start buying up cheap land? Geralt the Real Estate Agent!

Maniacal said:

Jenny in the Woods was difficult before I did some actual research (in-game) on wraiths and realized that Yrden made them vulnerable.

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I know that, but I still couldn't kill her. She always regenerates too much health when the low level night wraiths appear. I'll try again when I've leveled up some more and/or get my hands on an enhanced specter oil formula.

And I planned to play all evening, but I'll have to take a break. The end of the Velen main quest left me emotionally drained.

You have to really chase after the three mini-wraith things, follow the smoke to one of them as they expand outwards and kill it ASAP as it spawns. But yeah it can be frustrating how bloody fast it starts healing itself.

yeah get those mini wraiths fast. I was hoping there was a limit to how many times the mini wraiths come up, but it appears not. But it gave me time to practice my timing.

My main problem (and possible bug) is I got the formula for enhanced grapeshot before I built a regular grapeshot bomb. And now I can't build either. . I also got the next level of one of my other bombs (3rd level) before building the 2nd level (enhanced) bomb, so I'm stuck there too. Problem is 2nd level requires building the 1st level bomb, but 1st level bomb no longer shows up on my alchemy screen (L).

I think I finally figured out the mutagens in the character panel (K). That has helped my attack rating somewhat, and made the game a little easier. What about the bottom 2 panels? Do those unlock later?

What about concoctions? Only now am I getting enough mats to build some of these. I still haven't built a lot of mutagens, and I need to get a white gull to build other crafting things.

And what about weapon runes? I can't find any anywhere. I have plenty of armor runes.

And I didn't realize certain witcher gear could be upgraded. There's a lot to this game I'm still learning.

I have to say the horses in this game are pretty cool. I like the way they did that. Even though I can't win a horse race.

Decoctions (spelling?) I haven't bothered with, they last half an hour but take up all of your toxicity meaning no other potions (like swallow). They seem like something that might be useful on hard difficulties for power gamers or hardcore RPers.

Disgustipated said:

My main problem (and possible bug) is I got the formula for enhanced grapeshot before I built a regular grapeshot bomb. And now I can't build either. . I also got the next level of one of my other bombs (3rd level) before building the 2nd level (enhanced) bomb, so I'm stuck there too. Problem is 2nd level requires building the 1st level bomb, but 1st level bomb no longer shows up on my alchemy screen (L).

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I found a superior oil formula and don't have the enhanced or basic version. I hope they'll fix this soon.

I think I finally figured out the mutagens in the character panel (K). That has helped my attack rating somewhat, and made the game a little easier. What about the bottom 2 panels? Do those unlock later?

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Yes, the third mutagen slot unlocks at level 16 and the fourth at level 28.

What about concoctions? Only now am I getting enough mats to build some of these. I still haven't built a lot of mutagens, and I need to get a white gull to build other crafting things.

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Maniacal said:

Decoctions (spelling?) I haven't bothered with, they last half an hour but take up all of your toxicity meaning no other potions (like swallow). They seem like something that might be useful on hard difficulties for power gamers or hardcore RPers.

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Some of them are pretty good. I have an ekimmara decoction which heals me a bit every time I cause damage and a wraith decoction which automatically activates quen when I take more than 33% damage in a single hit.
I don't know what the +100% toxicity in the alchemy description means. I assumed that it doubles the toxicity cost of other potions while the decoction is active, but I checked it and it doesn't. Might be leftover text from an earlier version. In reality they raise your toxicity by 80 and it doesn't go down until the decoction effect wears off which pretty much prevents you from safely consuming another potion unless you raise your max toxicity level. I recommend at least one level in Acquired Tolerance. It starts weaker than Metabolic Control but becomes stronger the more recipes you know (and enhances green mutagens). I have only one point in it and my max toxicity is 150. I can use one decoction and two potions during a fight.

I use the 2nd Quen shield ability (haven't even put points into any other Quen buffs) for Active Shield, which at level 3 heals you when enemies attack it.

Drowners are now useful for healing! So are clouds of gas.

I just blundered into a Witcher contract that I never signed.
So, I was doing a bit of exploring and found two wyvern nests next toe ach other guarded by one wyvern each. Higher level than me, but doable After blowing them up...