zerebrush: Danceofmasks -

even playing the game on minimum specs should not lead to parts of the game being "impossible" to get around.
I find it interesting that I can play in windowed mode (any screen res), while full screen gives me the blue screen. Not every time, and not in a predictable way.
I'm running a GeForce with one gig, CPU and machine specs a tad better then minimal.

So - just so that I can continue to play - I tried one of them trainers yesterday. Works pretty good (using the health feature only), but while freeing the last of the three elven woman >>> dropping dead, nice and crisp, AGAIN.
While I do not recommend the use of trainers, I found this behaviour interesting, just the same.

Danceofmasks: It's one reason I always keep FRAPS running.
Even when I'm not recording, it tells me what kind of framerates I'm getting,

I remember playing TW1 on a mediocre PC, and while it ran everything else great, the framerate tanked during times where there are a lot of flames.
I suspect a lot of people had more trouble with the beast due to that than the actual fight being cheap.

Danceofmasks: What is your actual video card? 'cos saying you have 1GB VRAM doesn't say anything.
Actually, it might help to find where you video card is on this list, in relation to the "minimum spec" card.
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html


Edit:
Just in case it isn't clear, the minimum spec card, a HD 3850, benchmarks at 801.
(The minimum nvidia card, the 8800, benchmarks higher)
A Geforce GT 520, for example, has 1 GB VRAM, but benchmarks at 352.
Newer card, more VRAM, supports newer instruction sets, but simply has less (and totally inadequate) power.

ArysDayne: I absolutely hate the boxing QTE. And it's not because I have bad reflexes and keep failing them, in fact I can win any boxing fight without getting hit at all. But those QTEs remove every bit of tactic from boxing, it's simply pushing the button that is shown on the screen. Consolification ahhh :(

zerebrush: Well - it had been (until last week) a 9600GT. But because this card needed up to 350 W when running full tilt, I purchased a GT 430 (small enough to fit into the machine, and low enough on power consumption to work reliable).
With the GT430 I had more overall stability, sometimes (in games) at slightly higher settings.
I know, the actual machine might leave much to desire - but it runs my other apps (like ZBrush, 3DCoat, Vue...) just fine. All of these - obviously - without the need of caring for frame rates, and certainly without any trace of QTE :).

Mad-E-Fact: I appreciate that I can disable "hard" QTEs but i wish i could get rid of all the buttonmashing events completely. They have no place in a game imo. For the sequel/expansion, I hope CDPR focus on balancing the combat, making gameplay more engaging and consistent, rather than sprinkling it with gimmick events at every corner.

Danceofmasks: Ok, while you do have an underpowered card, I have to agree with you in one thing:
It's a bit ridiculous for a game to be otherwise playable, except for a few button mashy bits.

I mean, I can understand if it's the high action combat vs dozens of enemies that causes the fail, but noooo ... it's the click x20 bits.

zerebrush: ... exactly my thoughts!
For my system - well: I skipped three generations of machines already, and somehow along the way I thought I'd try and see how much longer this old box might be able to work in an acceptable way.
No problems with even performance hungry apps, and most games.

The QTE issue, however, would even be there if I had the high end gaming monster (might come soon). Not that such a system really would be needed for Witcher II: this game looks fantastic even at the lowest settings!

Again, thank you (all) for bothering, there still is hope for the "Null-QTE patch".

Sirandar888: Here is my 2 cents

QTEs in the mini games are not that badly done and are an alright compromise. Sure it would have been way better if the devs made a realistic fistfight or arm wrestling mini game but that would require a lot of investment. I prefer these to the button mashing that was the fistfights in W1. At least these Qtes requires some finesse.

The QTEs in the combat of the main game is a different story ...... so far they just don't flow, fit in or make much sense. I prefer straight combat unless the QTEs are very well done and very integrated into the game. For the Kayron encounter they were not IMO.

It would also be a great idea if there was some audio signal that the QTE is occurring as searching for the small lightly coloured QTE boxes druing combat is distracting, immersion breaking, and causes you to miss the spectacle of the combat. It reminds you that you are only playing a game and the enemy is a puzzle to be beaten, not an experience to be had.

For example, the Kayron battle was really quite spectacular, well modeled, and artistically done BUT I died at least 5 times before I even noticed those QTE signals, I was too busy looking at the battle and trying to figure out what to do. I was disappointed with everything after the tentacle bashing.

The battles with the Queen Endegea, and the Arachid were a little too easy (on normal) but at least they made sense. For large slow moving deadly creatures, the only solution is to flank or attack ranged. Otherwise, they should rip Geralt to pieces in 1 sec. These enemies I beat with only 1 or 2 deaths and figured it out in real time, making it a very satisfying experience (but a little too easy). The Kayron I must have died 50x times trying to figure out the puzzle of how to beat it.

Kaldurenik: Well QTE is bad... Not because its hard... But because it limit the player's ability to think outside the box and find new ways to kill a boss or complete a event (no throwing bombs at a boss to go past its scripting is a bug).

QTE are all "bling" and no "depth". Take fist fighting. I would rather have had them improve on TW1's system instead of doing this. If you fight now you do the same moves over and over and over again. You have no say in how the fight play out. I got hit once... Ok twice. First: When i got into my first fist fight. 2nd time was when i looked away from the screen. There is also the major problem when the PC and NPC need to go back to their "original" stance after each QTE attack. Some times it takes up to 5sec before you get to press the buttons again. Its boring and brings you out of the "fight".

Then we have QTE durning boss fights and they dont add anything. You end up with a boss encounter that is so heavily scripted that the moment you think of something new the game either bug out (bomb throwing at the boss) or dont work at all (spells).

And no... QTE are not hard... They are way to easy but thats not the point. The point is that they are boring and have no place in a game. All bling no depth.