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Silver swords are expensive and don't hold an edge as long as a steal sword so Geralt only uses the silver sword on creatures that have an acute toxicity to the silver. Humanoids and regular animals get dispatched with a regular steal sword. Yes, this theory isn't illustrated in-game but seems the most plausible explanation.
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wolfsite: I was just trying to explain the issue from a gameplay point, I didn't mean every single thing needs to be translated, having Sword A and Sword B. Having different but same skill sets for Sword A and Sword B.

It just feels like too much overlap and redundancy for the game. Yes there were a few other weapons in the first game but the skill trees favoured Sword A and Sword B making other weapons pointless.
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P1na: The thing is, witchers using 2 swords is a stablished lore elements from the books, like all the female sorcerers being supermodels. You can't change that without pissing on the lore, so they adapted it the way they saw best. Which doesn't mean they couldn't do it better, but they must have Geralt using both weapons.
True, I never read the books or got invested in the lore so from my perspective this just felt redundant or unneeded. Maybe if they had the skill tree done differently so a sword ability could be bought once and used with both swords then a different combat tree for other types of weapons such as knives, axes, and other weapons in the game that would have been more flexible, at the very least make other weapons feel useful.
"That sword... is for monsters!"
They're actually both for monsters. Seriously, in the books, Witchers were carrying two swords because only some creatures were vulnerable to silver, while others could be defeated just as easily with a steel sword - and since silver coating gets damaged easily, well, steel sword was preferrable against anything that wasn't resistant to it.
Post edited June 05, 2014 by Fenixp
A guess, steel is better for fighting someone who wear body armor.
Because silver is a horrible metal for combat.
Way too soft. The only reason why it works against monsters is because they are allergic to it (think werewolves).

Against humans a tougher metal is needed.

At least that was my interpretation of it. I'm probably missing a lot of lore.
Post edited June 05, 2014 by CthuluIsSpy
It is obvious, Geralt needs the steel sword as the Silver sword clashes with his early game wardrobe.
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Karwelas: Sword steel is better on humans. They can hit your weapon with them (aka parry) and damage it. Silver sword will be probably broken when you use it like that too much time.
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wolfsite: But swords don't take realistic damage in The Witcher games (they take no damage at all) so that argument can't be used here.
thats the way it works in the books.
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8thSage: Steel is harder and has a higher tensile strength. You should wonder why Monsters are weak to a material as malleable as Silver.
...because its poisonous to them? dont ask me why, i didnt design witchers world - thats just the way it works there.
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8thSage: Steel is harder and has a higher tensile strength. You should wonder why Monsters are weak to a material as malleable as Silver.
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P1na: It's the force! When something makes little sense, the force did it. Or magic, whichever works.
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wolfsite: If there was a smith in the games that repaired sword damage I would agree, however I never read the books and have only played the games so my views can only be based on my experience with the games.

I can see a really good discussion brewing from this :)
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P1na: Not everything of the original material needs to be translated to gameplay elements. I wouldn't want to have Gerard going to... some bushes, I guess? every couple of hours.
adding button to take a piss when ever you want would probably quadruble any games sales these days -_-
Post edited June 05, 2014 by iippo
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wolfsite: But swords don't take realistic damage in The Witcher games (they take no damage at all) so that argument can't be used here.
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iippo: thats the way it works in the books.
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8thSage: Steel is harder and has a higher tensile strength. You should wonder why Monsters are weak to a material as malleable as Silver.
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iippo: ...because its poisonous to them? dont ask me why, i didnt design witchers world - thats just the way it works there.
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P1na: It's the force! When something makes little sense, the force did it. Or magic, whichever works.

Not everything of the original material needs to be translated to gameplay elements. I wouldn't want to have Gerard going to... some bushes, I guess? every couple of hours.
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iippo: adding button to take a piss when ever you want would probably quadruble any games sales these days -_-
Piss Simulator : 2014

Game of the Year.

So fun, much immersion. Wow.
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P1na: The thing is, witchers using 2 swords is a stablished lore elements from the books, like all the female sorcerers being supermodels. You can't change that without pissing on the lore, so they adapted it the way they saw best. Which doesn't mean they couldn't do it better, but they must have Geralt using both weapons.
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wolfsite: True, I never read the books or got invested in the lore so from my perspective this just felt redundant or unneeded. Maybe if they had the skill tree done differently so a sword ability could be bought once and used with both swords then a different combat tree for other types of weapons such as knives, axes, and other weapons in the game that would have been more flexible, at the very least make other weapons feel useful.
really, its the lore. In witchers world witchers use two different kind of "witcher swords". why? because thats their world works. It like taking away the light saber from jedi.

Why did japanese samurai carry katana and wakizashi, even though one could argue there were more powerful weapons suited to warfare (like naginata)? ...because that was the way they did things back then.

I understand the need to "make sense" of things - but in my opinion its not really way that adds to enjoyment of any game: Certain things work in certain ways and instead of getting stuck on them its just better to accept them and move on.

Anyways, even real world isnt ruled by reason, so why expect that from games? :D
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iippo: thats the way it works in the books.

...because its poisonous to them? dont ask me why, i didnt design witchers world - thats just the way it works there.

adding button to take a piss when ever you want would probably quadruble any games sales these days -_-
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CthuluIsSpy: Piss Simulator : 2014

Game of the Year.

So fun, much immersion. Wow.
Well Sir, have at you: http://www.kongregate.com/games/rete/dont-shit-your-pants

Why just have a Piss-Button when you can have a whole game around the other thing? :D
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CthuluIsSpy: Piss Simulator : 2014

Game of the Year.

So fun, much immersion. Wow.
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ElarionAbendglan: Well Sir, have at you: http://www.kongregate.com/games/rete/dont-shit-your-pants

Why just have a Piss-Button when you can have a whole game around the other thing? :D
Better leave that for DLC.
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8thSage: Steel is harder and has a higher tensile strength. You should wonder why Monsters are weak to a material as malleable as Silver.
ALLERGIES.
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P1na: ...a stablished lore elements from the books, like all the female sorcerers being supermodels.
That's some mighty curious lore. ;)
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Dischord: It is obvious, Geralt needs the steel sword as the Silver sword clashes with his early game wardrobe.
While the explanations of the maleability of silver are quite reasonable, I think this is probably it.