tinyE: Wait.
We're supposed to
play these games!?
And I haven't played #1. Well, not very much. I can't get the timing down.
OMG, I am so "that guy" before you! It took me TWO YEARS to play W1, but not continuosly. I would play it, and hit a "brick wall" in combat somewhere, and then just rage-quit when I just couldn't "get it". Then I'd come back a year later, found somebody that was willing to send me a savegame from AFTER another hard combat... and I rage-quit again! I had to come back
the next year and hit yet-another brickwall, and finally I just FORCED myself to learn how the combat really works. And then... magic! I fell in love with the system, and managed to get all the way through the game!
But man, assuming combat is your achille's heel as well, I've been there (hangs head in shame). Combat is so totally different from any other FPS or RPG I'd ever played. It's almost a game of... patience! You have to click the LMB only when the icons don't have a slash on them. I found some GREAT GREAT assistance on TheWitcher.com that got me through that 3rd time, and I loved every moment after that.
I will say... I just started playing W2 (so that I can play W3 next) and the combat is TOTALLY different in W2. It's much more like a regular FPS or RPG where you click the mouse to actually swing the sword
right now. W1 is almost "ballet-like" in that you really have to get the rhythm down, but don't push it. Mashing the LMB (like I was doing it) will rarely be successful... unless I'm just lucky.
OK, so now you can tell me you didn't play W1 because it had too much color "green", and I'll shut up. And I also have NOT played Witcher 3 yet, but at least I own it (as a Christmas gift).