I found it really dull and only got as far as the two after you kill the beast, but I just couldn't be bothered to walk all through that town and talk to all of those people and do all of that boring stuff that I don't even want to do in real life.

Strangely enough, I also found Dragon Age Origins to be dull too.

I personally beat it within a week of getting it running.

I actually found it to be far better than Dragon Age.

Hahaha,I'm actually in that category of people who highly recommend it, yet haven't finished it.

Attempt 1:

Bought it on steam during the Christmas sale, but It wouldn't run on my old laptop due to me not meeting system requirements. I give up for a week or two.

Attempt 2:

I install it on my desktop at home. It successfully runs this time, and I get to the second chapter before I have to go back to school at the end of break.

Unfortunately, while I'm gone, my desktop crashes. My dad takes the computer to some "experts" who perform unnecessary wipes and don't even put the desktop back together correctly.

All progress is lost.

Attempt 3:

I get the game on GOG. I find a way to get my old laptop to run the game, and it runs surprisingly well and problem free for not meeting the system requirements. I make it to nearly the end of chapter 2 before my old laptop (which had been having some troubles at this point) kicks the bucket. However, this time I made sure to upload my saves to Google Drive.


Me trying to finish this game (that I've had a blast playing when I've gotten the chance) is like the Chicago Cubs trying to win the World Series.

Now that I have a new gaming laptop, attempt 4 should be coming soon.Maybe I'll do a giveaway in celebration if I actually finish it this time.

i finished the game 2 times, and i'm on my 3rd playthrough, i'm already on the murky waters, had to play the game again cause for a good save file for importing to witcher 2.

my 1st playthrough - abigaille is killed so i had to replay it again... T_T
2nd playthrough - made sure that abigaille will not be harmed... but i killed gramps on the swamp... (this is one of my alternate save files)
my current playthrough this 3rd one - abigaille lives, gramps lives...

i admit this game can be tiring sometimes.. especially on the grinding and exploring part... but questing is kind of fun running around, killing, then running again...

but i do remember my 1st ever play on the witcher game i got upto the chapter 5 old vizima the battle between scoiatel and the order.. gut stucked in their didn't know there was a passage to the swamp... so i quit...

I admit that I *only* played this with FCR (Full Combat Rebalance), and the same with The Witcher 2, but I played all the way through, in a relatively few long sessions for each.

I only played the Witcher on one path, as it didn't feel right to do anything other than the neutral path, though I did play through several times with variations in decisions within Vizima in chapters 2 and 3.

Chapter 4 was straightforward at that point and there were few new decisions in Chapter 5 or the Epilogue.

I played the Witcher 2 through on 3 major combinations of major and minor paths, which still leaves some options unseen, but covers those choices that felt most natural, even though widely divergent in end states.

*Strongly* recommend FCR though, the fighting in videos of "vanilla" TW1 and TW2 seems very un-real, while that of FCR is much more fluid, particularly when facing large mobs of weak enemies, where it becomes imperative to either keep on an edge and strongly attack the nearest, or to defend using group mode and use relatively few strong attacks if an opening appears.

I tried the FCR, and it seemed to make the game easier, as rank and file enemies died in one hit. What exactly does the mod do?

It was implemented to make the combat flow more 'like' that in the books, or the TV adaptation, where Geralt needs to avoid being wounded as much as possible, but he does incapacitate enemies with a few blows, finishing them off if necessary once 'down'.

The videos of vanilla fights do seem to show a lot more 'slugging' between Geralt and his opponents.

Within the FCR module there is less difference between 'mob' and 'elite' enemies in terms of damage required to kill, but elite enemies are more accurate and powerful in their hits (though even "mobs" can kill with 2-3 hits which are not blocked from the rear), have better armour (potentially eliminating the ability to hit effectively if your weapon is unsuitable ~ choosing the right sword, technique and oils is vital), and have increases to blocking chances and effectiveness.

If you found FCR too easy on your first play-through it may be that you are skilled enough that the 'easy monster pack' is too easy for you (they have 5 less 'armour' or less penetration resistance universally) - retry it with the harder monsters.

The manual is quite comprehensive and gives a better description of what was changed than I'm going to manage.
It can be downloaded, without needing the mod itself from here: http://www.moddb.com/mods/full-combat-rebalance1/downloads/fcr-v15-manuals (actual manual is v1.6).

I finished both games once.

Finished it three times...really enjoyed the game's atmosphere, I suppose. Just rebooted an old save from early in the game--bypassing its more tedious moments in the beginning--the "frightener" and then the "hell hound", and may continue to play again off and on. Also didn't like wading through killing the "Queen" spider in the cave. The entire Witcher series could do without all those QTE-like events, imo.

You know you can "hide" in the far tunnel, where she can't reach, and use Igni to grind her down as an alternative to Aarding the pillar nearest this tunnel.

(In FCR, you can also win in a stand-up fight, if you have all preparations in your favour, and are lucky and careful. This same corner can be a useful refuge where you can recover from damage, to regain endurance for Quen or Igni precursors, and are using Golden Oriole and Insectoid Oil - I gather that this fight was not 'winnable' in the base game - Keeping the tunnels open, killing the queen gives you an easy way of grinding a level, fighting Kikimore Warriors (and hatchlings) after defeating the Queen - killing her by collapse prevents any further fight here.)

Thanks for the tips...;) I did get through it three times, but I didn't much like it because the game just sort of stops until you can reflex your way through these events. It seems like a cheap gimmick to me and a gimmick the game really didn't need because it has such a great, haunting atmosphere & story. I wouldn't mind these type things so much if CDPR would provide an alternate way through that didn't depend on reflexes--and let the player decide which path he'd rather take to the same end--ie, getting through with that particular section so that the game can continue. It's the timed, reflex-governed events that I dislike so much--straightforward combat is fine and fun. The timed events just sort break the immersion for me as they are so contrived.

IIRC, I did try different approaches. I vaguely recall reaching an area when the tunnel where the Queen couldn't get me--but she stopped short of where I needed her to be so as to finish her with impunity, and then I'd always be the one to get finished...;)

I did finish it one time just so I could play the second with my personal choices.
The game is too repetitive, too many fetch quests and the same character models.
The story and setting are good but the former gets totally ruined by the worst ending to a game ever.

OT, anyone knows where I can find savegames with different choices to download?

I started The Witcher for the first time at the beginning of this month, and I couldn't stop playing until it was over! I found it to be an excellent game overall, even if I must admit that the first two chapters were way too filled with fetch quests.
Despite what many say, the combat is imo very intuitive, and I mastered it immediately; once the signs come into play, I become a walking extermination machine! (By the way, Aard is THE anti-human weapon!)
Other than that, I liked the simple yet rewarding crafting system, the astonishing (for the time) views, and the great interaction with the storyline. Now I'm off to start the second!
My only real criticism stays in the bad optimization on modern machines: while The Witcher 2 runs perfectly smooth on my new rig with maximum details, the first one often had "hiccups" in Vizima, no matter the settings.

I completed The Witcher 1 only once, but I never removed it from my computer, and I've played several of the adventure modules that were packaged with it, and enjoyed those, too. I plan to play all of the player-made modules, and eventually I want to play through the original game again. It's a very good game.

I'm playing The Witcher now for the first time. I'm currently in chapter III, normal difficulty. Combat is good (maybe spamming igni makes it too easy) and I'm really enjoying the experience. One of the best rpg I ever played.