As a Witcher the first fan, I'm wondering if it possible to drink potion during combat. After looking at the manual, it seem that I need to enter in Meditation mode to do so ... Has I missunderstood ?

Well, it's a more realistic way and introduce more tactical approch for combats.
Change are always good :)

Thx for this fast reply.

Well, it's understandable... Maybe in Matrix Neo can fight Agent Smith with only one arm but a Witcher needs both of them to stay alive, can't spare one to :

reach a pocket, take the potion, uncap the potion, take the potion to his mouth (while not spilling any drops) AND finally drink the potion (beside the body needs time to be affected by the potion)

It's the great discussion of realism vs playability that's been going on in RPGs even before they appeared on computers. Some concessions must be made for the gameflow to feel as designed, those are always very tough design choices to make. Yeah but once drunk they've worked instantly. Any drug or poison you take has some time to start acting in your organism, remember that these alchemic potions are in no way magic - it's the wicher's body that reacts to them differently than a human one.

Anyway if you think there's combat coming try preparing yourself. You can always regather the resources later it's easier to mass produce potions this time.

What I don't enjoy is the short length the potions work, but that can be increased with experience I think.

Of course you can. This is silly.

Just run the **** away from the bastard, and drink while you run! :D

Yes, you can run but we also assume that you have a magic belt with instant access to potions ;)

If you need to have a look on your backpack, putting all your stuff on the floor, find your potion and finaly drink it, I think that Meditation is more "realistic" that a instant access ;)

Anyway, it make combat more RPG than Hack'n Slash.

In WItcher 1, there was a sign allowing you to drink a potion during combat while absorbing damage. Maybe it could have been allowed in such a case.

Quen sign is still here, but now it changed so that it also allows you to attack, not just absorb damage when passive.

I am sure someone who is mutated into a superhuman magic caster could manage a quick sip from a flask. And what sort of moron uses "realism", and "realistic" as terms when describing game mechanics in a fantasy game with dragons, imps, werewolves, magic, et al?

It's realism within the given paradigm. I'm flexible with that, the choice was made by the developers with gameplay not canon in mind - it just happens it's more true to the books, which is a nice bonus. The main idea behind it was for potions to be strategic decisions about preparing for combat.

Now let's hold our horses before this turns into a trekkies discussing warp technology kind of thread :D

I have to add my two cents that I find this very disappointing. Seems like a frivolous change and a total buzz-kill to my gaming fun.

the witcher has potion spots on his armor specifically for easy access to potions, he doesn't keep them in his backpack, he has 3 little loops for holdong 3 different potions, so it should be very easy to grab one during combat, he could pull the cork out with his teeth.