I loved the poker game and would play it sometimes just for fun. It was frustrating that the other players would throw away an ace high straight! I wanted to play it for real. But I guess after Geralt gets to be a master player, he's supposed to win. I won boatloads of money that way.

I loved the werewolf quest! How did you decide to deal with him?

Vincent was watching my back. I let him go.

Edit: And now I'm glad I did. Aw, true love. Ain't it grand?

Hi

There was a Witcher Newsletter waiting for me when I got back home from visiting with family - but it didn't mention the big new "enhancements ....

I haven't missed anything have I ??

Cheers.

Mad

I don't know if this has been mentioned on this site yet but they have finally announced the release date of the enhanced version and it's still a ways off. Oh well Sacred 2 and the enhanced version of the Witcher are what this soul is really waiting for.

Here is the site for the announcement.

Yup, I saw that too, oldman. Sigh.....

Oldman, I was wondering. I saw a version in Walmart the other day and though about buying it but it didn't say Enhanced so I passed

I would say Looney that it is the version we all have. I'm sure when they release the enhanced version in September there will be no doubt on the packaging as to what it is. It will probably have the words enhanced version boldly printed somewhere on the box.

Those of us who have the regular version can upgrade to the enhanced version with a download. Probably be a rather large download I'd guess with all they are supposedly adding.

I haven't made up my mind whether I'm going to buy the whole package when it comes out or download. Knowing me I'll probably order it in the mail and down load it while I'm waiting for the whole packaged to arrive. I'm pretty stoked about this enhancement.

As an aside, I just got a new HP computer with Intel Core Duo and GeForce 8800 that came with windows vista 32 bit so I loaded The Witcher to see how it would do on my vista. I let the software do the upgrade and ended up with the 1.3 patch and so far I've had no problems and the loading times seem quite faster than the original that I played on an XP with the 1.2 patch.

Now that I'm rambling, I played a few minutes of the additional adventure on the 1.3 patch and just couldn't get in to the voiceless adventure. The main game is so good with voices that the added adventure without any voices kind of ruin it for me. Just one man's opinion.

The one without the voices really put me off too, but I did go ahead and play it... It did give me another clue as to the identity of the assassin at the end of the main game!

You know, I've been thinking about that assassin. There was that other little boy in the swamp...

Well, second time through I'm picking up on a few things I missd first time. I've worked out how Alchemy works so that my potions don't poison me, and I've also worked out how to gain more experience for levelling. I thought those elven ruins were kind of a waste of space the first time through. But those endlessly respawning Alps are a godsend to the greedy experience-hunter. And that Crypt in the Fields respawns a lot. This time I'm at level 35 and have only just started the main quests in Chapter IV. I might get through this on Hard/Neutral after all.

Since I started the game again with my Vista computer I'm playing through and have hit Act III and have yet to decide where to take Alvin. In fact, I haven't gotten to that quest yet. Just doing all the side quests, monster killing, etc.
After this it's a 3 month wait for the enhanced version

I thought the assassin at the end looked too young to be Vesemir. But the two other witchers are still around, too.

The thing I like about this game is that the choices you have to make are at times very difficult. For instance, in this game I've decided to go neutral in Chapter IV. The elves hav done some pretty terrible things. Yet it's clear that Geralt knows some of the elves from a long way back; in his bio in the game he protected elves during a pogrom years ago. Some of them welcome him as an old friend in Chapter IV. So turning "my" back on them, with the obvious ramifications of that action, will be difficult.

It's also interesting to see how Geralt, once he realizes that he isn't cut out to be a father, just lets poor little Alivn run around loose. The kid idolizes him, and has to watch Geralt blaze his way through the killing fields in a haze of blood. The kid is obviously scared a lot of the time, and nobody is looking after him.

Hi - has anyone heard of a site to pre-order The New Witcher?

Would like to obtain it although will not play it for a while


Alice

Explain to me - make an entry into the bestiary - so I can get the benefit of killing monsters. Don't everybody shoot me down but this game is kinda slow. Playing too many shooters I guess BTW there are fantastic new games for PS3 now if you like action war shooters.

The Bestiary is updated in two ways:

1. Talking to someone -- they may give you a quest, or ask you for food or booze -- and do as they ask. They may tell you about a new kind of plant or beast. In Chapter One the village Grannies are good for this.

Get into drinking contests with anyone you can (use beer). Often they will giv you something -- a book or a scroll or a piece of advice, or even information of interest.

2. Buying, finding, or stealing books and scrolls and reading them (by right-clicking on them in inventory). Scrolls will give you new potion recipes.

Talk to everybody -- everybody -- even un-named villagers. Open every chest and barrel.

When you get a new entry in your Bestiary, it means that the Monsters part of your journal has been updated with new information about beasts, and therefore you can harvest from those beasts.

If you play Witcher just as a Slash and Hack RPG you'll miss out on the deepness of the story and the intricacy of the gameplay. Parts of the game are slow, but for a little more action try playing at night. There will be lots of combat, and the more combat, the more you level up. Go into caves and crypts more than once -- they respawn. Do every quest you get -- some of them are quite difficult. Learn alchemy skills and discover your favourite potions. Decide who you trust and who you don't trust, because those decisions will affect the way the game unfolds later on.

The end of Chapter One has challenges aplenty and Once you get into Chapter two you'll have lots to do.

Enjoy.

I understand your perspective YC. If you're used to playing shooters there will be parts in the beginning of the game that seem very slow. It doesn't have the overt direction that many action games do, but that's not too unusual for an RPG. As Hagatha mentioned the story winds in with the game play, and as you are finding not everything is available right off the bat. You won't finds any clips of .45 ACP laying around for Geralt to load into his sword

Many of your actions will change the way the game plays out, so it's good that it slows down a bit here and there so you can digest what's going on....

OK, thanks you 2 - must take in the whole picture. Will stay with it and of course The Big G is appealing. I guess Oblivion spoiled me. Do you get all this bestiary knowledge from the books?

YC

There are also scrolls besides the books that you can buy or steal that are just as important, a lot of times a scroll will have the information and you will not find a book for it. Just right click any scroll or book once in inventory, it will read it and put the information where it belongs, then you can get rid of the scroll or book. You will also find formulas and you put them on the same way.

Good Luck

maggie

And once you've read a book or scroll you can sell it; in the first chapters there's always at least one person who will buy books and scrolls.

Don't worry about how much books and scrolls cost. There's ample opportunity to make money starting in Chapter II, and money is never really a problem in Witcher once you start playing poker dice. The potion recipes are vitally important, and the books will give you information not only about monsters, but also about Geralt's world and his quest. I made sure I'd read every available book and scroll just before moving onto the next chapter.

Alice, the expanded edition is scheduled to release in September. I haven't seen any preorder listings for it yet, but when I do, I will be sure to spread the word.

OK - will slow down a bit and start reading everything. Currently having a grand time in the sewers and enjoing(?) my olfactory hallucinations. Those are the worse looking sewers I've seen in a game. Must explare alchemy.

Definitely explore alchemy. It can get you through the hardest battle with ease.

If you've been collecting potion recipes and skinnable items from your monster victims you should be able to make some very helpful potions by now. My two favourites were Swallow and Tawny Owl made with all Albedo ingredients.

I wonder how "slow" it will be for you, Yankee Clipper, when you get to the swamps and attempt to navigate them at night! My favorite two potions too, hagatha... well, those and Cat!

OK, everybody out of the bus and go here! (new thread )