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[Chinner]

I'm cumming everywhere

 

[Des0lar]

No quest markers

No mini-map

No HUD

No Fast Travel

No mercy

Final Destination

 

[Jonm1010]

You know you could just make the quest inactive right?

Fair point.

 

[Tacitus_]

Oh yes. Master Geralt!

 

[Acidote]

Also, a consideration for those who are thinking of reading the books: their quality drops each passing books as they diverse their attention or focus.

Spoiler

The saga starts as the "saga of Geralt of Rivia", but in the end they turn into books about Ciri, pedophile elves and the fisherman king and that's mostly it. On the other side, they are grim.

 

[Jokab]

My body is soooooooo ready.

 

[AJ_Wings]

You know you could just make the quest inactive right?

There is still the problem of NPCs and the journal not giving you enough information about your objectives or any other little details about the quest itself. The game was designed around having to constantly rely on quests markers to do anything.

Also manly beard Geralt is best Geralt.

 

[Lime]

Oh and one more thing. NO FUCKING QUEST MARKERS. That shit needs to die.

Investigation and use of brain not fucking fallow marker everywhere. If you need to meet someone in house. You need explore damn house.




Yes

That shit fucking ruined Skyrim for me. I want to discover the world on my own, not through markers telling me there is something to be discovered on the left or behind that tree. And no quest markers. Why not put in a simple option that lets you turn the marker off, why is that so hard for some developers?

Recently I realised that most of the fun in Morrowind came through searching for my targets. I would find random shit, beautiful spots while actually looking to complete my next quest.

Please CDPR, please!

No quest markers

No mini-map

No HUD

No Fast Travel

No mercy

CD Projekt RED implemented a HUD-toggle option to Witcher 2 post-release. If you are not aware of this feature, press H next time you play TW2. They will most likely do it again with TW3.

Also note that HUDs are usually terribly designed and implemented by game developers, so I would like to pledge my assistance to such an honourable crusade against intrusive and lowest common denominator HUD elements.

 

[mujun]

The move to a free structure open world sounds awesome.

I dug the vibe of W2, not the game itself so much. Looking forward to W3.

 

[Arozay]

Just saw the screens, dat forest!

 

[Fezzan]

There is still the problem of NPCs and the journal not giving you enough information about your objectives or any other little details about the quest itself. The game was designed around having to constantly rely on quests markers to do anything.

Also manly beard Geralt is best Geralt.

Now you're just being silly, there's an option for it and you still dislike it.

 

[Lime]

Holy shit @ those screenshots!

 

[FACE]

No quest markers

No mini-map

No HUD

No Fast Travel

No mercy

 

[Dmax3901]

Just saw the screens, dat forest!

Do you have the mag?

 

[Chinner]

CD Projekt RED has provided the screenshots you see here from its current in-game assets running on its Internal PC development hardware. However, the renderer - the part of the engine that translates the game files into what you ultimately see on screen - is still in development and will boast significant improvements by the time The Witcher 3 ships. "Right now you see the game in the old renderer, but it's going to be taken to a truly next level," says gameplay producer Marek ZSiemak. In particular, the developers tell us that skin shaders and the dynamic lighting model will be markedly more advanced in the final version.

World supposedly 20% bigger than Skyrim's, says development team. [Tentative, obviously]
30-40 minutes to cross world on Horseback
New streaming technology (CDRED Engine 3)
Geralt's Memory is restored
No chapters/acts
Dude is fucking DONE fighting for everyone else
Everything from solving MYSTERIES to slaying monsters
Coming out on "all top-of-the-line" consoles - I'd say that confirms next-gen is in.

So it's saying that they had to change up their design philosophy when developing TW3, due to the open world structure. So NARRATIVE comes in three forms:

Lowest level = free form activities like crafting, monster slaying (seems to be much more extensive this time around) and questing.

Next level = Political situation of Nilfgaardian invastion is resolved through a core plotline for each area. These areas? -> Skellige, Novigrad and No Mans Land!

Final level = Geralt's main plot line, his search for his loved ones, and the chase of the Wild Hunt.

Sounds like a lot of interwoven plotlines, decision making. You can skip things if you really want, but there will be consequences to your actions if you do so.

So more about the monster hunting:

Clues build up information (like a Bestiary perhaps?)
Books garner information about monsters
Townsfolk provide information
Potions and such are important
Time of day and other conditions affect where monsters appear, and their abilities

[Some combat info]

Critical strikes in areas that matter depending on how much you learn about said monster
You can disable a vampires poisoning attack by hitting its venom gland (Vampires are poisonous?) or skewer BOTH ITS HEARTS with a thrust attack (instant kill)
Monsters drop loot like unobtainable alchemical and crafting ingredients for unique potion, mutagen and item crafting.
Provides income as well

Enemy AI completely rebuilt, scripted bosses out
Environmental combat 'contributions' (a dozen types of interactive objects)
---> Wasp hive irritated using Aard

Magical signs retooled
Igni = new flamethrower effect
The magic tree advancement allows secondary sign forms = ie. Igni and a 360-degree blast
Yrden = small trap can be modified into a larger field that slows any enemy

Other trees, Swordsmanship and Alchemy
New strikes under Swordsmanship, boosts like improved stamina and parrying
Mutation mechanic under a different development path
Not much information given about Alchemy path, other than it being based on potions

Horse could be used to access long term stash, as well as Inns
Team aware of frustrations of inventory management in The Witcher
Committed to a less tedious process

Crafting critical to maximize Geralts potential, but weapons and armor can be found in many ways
Players can customize their crafted weapons with some components, ie, monster scales for leather in armor

Each armor piece has unique appearance, new cloth simulation tech.
Barber is in from the get go. Dyeing hair is OUT OF QUESTION, White Wolf.

 

[Lime]

According to one of the quotes in the magazine, weather effects are dynamically generated and fully modelled as real volumetric clouds rather than being simply painted on the skybox.

 

[Donthizz#]

Next-Gen baby, GIDDY!

 

[Bedlam]

Also note that HUDs are usually terribly designed and implemented by game developers, so I would like to pledge my assistance to such an honourable crusade against intrusive and lowest common denominator HUD elements.

I support this. And I nominate Alan Wake for most useless and most intrusive HUD element implementation. Man, that was a mood killer.

 

[DieH@rd]

According to one of the quotes in the magazine, weather effects are dynamically generated and fully modelled as real volumetric clouds rather than being simply painted on the skybox.

Its nice to see that some of the Crysis 1 effects from 2007 are finally comming to other games.

 

[Lime]

The snowy seaside landscape screenshot is probably my favourite one.

I support this. And I nominate Alan Wake for most useless and most intrusive HUD element implementation. Man, that was a mood killer.

Oh man, you have no idea how much of a mood-killer that fucking HUD in Alan Wake was. I cannot fathom how it got approved by any of the higher-ups at Remedy.

 

[Biggzy]

I can't wait to see what developers can do in the coming generation now that they will be freed of the shackles of 512 MB of Ram.

 

[j0hnny_385]

is the new Game Informer up on the Android app? (I'm at work and my tablet is at home... :/ ).

 

[Lulubop]

Doesn't look significantly better than part 2, but it's still early obviously.

 

[Hindle]

Oh fuck yes! Next year is going to be incredible.

 

[Fezzan]

Doesn't look significantly better than part 2, but it's still early obviously.

Wat, did they show gameplay?

 

[FACE]

I hope they have significantly improved Geralt's hair.

 

[Vanz]

My body is ready

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

Witcher 2 is one of the best games I've ever played, and one of the top 5 stories ever provided in a game for me.

It's still hard for me to grasp just how good this game is. It's also by far and wide one of the most improved sequels of all time.

 

[raphier]

Wat, did they show gameplay?

at least visually it looks like artstyle of witcher 2 marred with town placement like in witcher 1.

 

[Lulubop]

Wat, did they show gameplay?

In-game screenshots.

I hope they have significantly improved Geralt's hair.

I hope so as well, probably my number one gripe with the game graphically.

 

[Fjordson]

The pics look really nice. Love the the one of the village.

 

[inm8num2]

I'm cumming everywhere

 

[Infinite_Daremo]

Open World? I can finally grind? I might have to invest in a next gen console for this then.

 

[Perkel]

You know you could just make the quest inactive right?

Except quest description often says fallow the marker and because quest marker was default they designed whole game around quest markers.

Meet XXXX. And no description where this dude is.

And you can't ask anyone about anything.

 

[FACE]

I hope so as well, probably my number one gripe with the game graphically.

For me it'd be the shadows, followed by the hair.

 

[Chinner]

For me it'd be the shadows, followed by the hair.

new lighting system and it looks by the screenshots that shadows are improved and dithering is gone. hair? i dunno.

 

[Kouriozan]

Nice timing, I just upgraded my PC so it should be enough for running this at max settings.

 

[Perkel]

Doesn't look significantly better than part 2, but it's still early obviously.

It is still their old tenderer with old lighting engine.


Also in case people wondering about "REDengine 3"


The Witcher 1 - "Djini" Bioware modified Aurora with completely different renderer
The Witcher 2 - REDengine
The Witcher 2 (X360) - REDengine 2 (internally, they changed tools a lot)
The Witcher 3 - REDengine 3

Also as someone mentioned from Gameinformer article. Cloth simulation, Water simulation, Volumetric effect simulation (like clouds) and probably with their new engine Global Ilumination.

One thing is sure. You will need better hardware than Ubersampling TW2 mode on 1920x1080.

 

[EatChildren]

It's about 11:30am in Poland, and if I'm correct we're getting an actual Red Engine 3 demo today. Anybody know what time?

 

[TerryLee81]

Just bought The Witcher 2 on Steam after hearing this news.

I have a year now to play it.

 

[Perkel]

It's about 11:30am in Poland, and if I'm correct we're getting an actual Red Engine 3 demo today. Anybody know what time?

They said evening so 18-22

6 to 10 hours.

 

[Daedardus]

Will buy new pc for this

 

[Perkel]

Just bought The Witcher 2 on Steam after hearing this news.

I have a year now to play it.

redeem it on GOG.com

 

[GasProblem]

Sitting on my couch with a nice cold beer, popping in the Witcher 3 in my Orbis/Durango, having an "Oblivion coming out of the sewers moment"...getting that giddy feeling of a whole new world to explore.

2013 and 2014 will be good

 

[EatChildren]

They said evening so 18-22

6 to 10 hours.

Cheers. Sometime to wake up to then.

 

[TerryLee81]

redeem it on GOG.com

Thanks for the link, what's the benefit of this?

 

[Hoo-doo]

High resolution watermarkless version of the cover:

How come these horses are so giant? And why are they going to trample that poor burning village?

 

[Oblivionmancer]

There is still the problem of NPCs and the journal not giving you enough information about your objectives or any other little details about the quest itself. The game was designed around having to constantly rely on quests markers to do anything.

Also manly beard Geralt is best Geralt.

Now you're just being silly, there's an option for it and you still dislike it.

That's not silly at all. When the designers of a game build the game around the presence of a mechanic, simply opting out of the mechanic doesn't negate all those design choices. You don't build a game in its entirety without quest/location markers and then add them in at the last minute as an after thought, you make decisions about how the player will interact with the world, and build it based on those decisions. In this case, as in many, the decision is the easy, low effort one. 'Just slap an arrow on it' is a lot less work than 'give the player opportunities to collect information, possibly from multiple sources, and then use that information, in combination with their growing knowledge of the terrain to make a discovery.' If the 'collect information' piece is omitted from the design process due to the presence of the big arrow, turning off or ignoring the arrow doesn't magic that information into the game.

And if you're just fast traveling around the map the 'learning the terrain' bit goes by the wayside too, both in terms of design (well they'll just teleport so emphasizing sight lines and landmarks is hardly necessary, right?) and player behavior (wow, look at this 25 square miles... of amorphous, empty nothing, lemme hit that instant travel up).

 

[Gbraga]

I hope my PC can handle it

My body is definitely ready.

 

[ndawgdrake]

Hell yeah. Massive open world, complex interwoven quests, riding on a horse.

Hope my 6970 can handle this. On that note, need to replay W2 on the non-Roche storyline.