I don't think the list discussed above is an exhaustive list of all of the dialogue options that could play a relevant role in determining the final outcome of the story line. There may be additional dialogue choices/options which shape what happens but which none of us posted in the thread. I just went from memory and I suspect others are too, rather than going through recorded video footage of every choice I made in the game over 6 weeks of game play (which I don't have). :)

True enough. There can be much more of them than I've expected. Still, I must admit, this got my attention - I'm curious about which common chit-chats, the ones you don't expect to have any influence, actually got it.

In the final scene before the epilogue Ciri remembers several scenes with Geralt that determine whether she comes back or not. Those scenes depict practically everything from the list above, so I don't think there's much else. There are five or six variables that determine whether she comes back or not, and just one that determines whether she accepts the throne (taking her to see Emhyr).

I clicked "hide" and then "also as spam" to report the spammer to GOG. Anyone reading this, please do the same so that the retard is terminated ASAP, thanks.

That makes sense. Whenever possible in the dialogue, I decided to do things that were friendly/fun toward Ciri and help her in any way I could as I felt that Geralt would do that and well... it is a role playing game so... :) The one time I didn't at first was when they visit the buskers or whatever they are called and they need horses. I offered to buy them horses but they turn that down and want to steal them instead and I didn't think that was a good idea so I opted out of it which didn't end well. I had saved the game just prior to the whole encounter so I reloaded it a few times until I got results that I wanted, which ultimately meant I had to help them steal the horses, something I think would normally be out of character for Geralt but under the circumstances he might have done anyway. I helped her with all her other visitations to say thanks to people as well, and was on my best behaviour while doing so. Throughout the game I made decisions that favoured giving her respect for her own decisions and not trying to tell her what to do overly.

It would make sense that by being a supportive father figure to her and respecting many of her own choices and then sharing some moments together like the snowball fight, that she'd have fond memories of it all and result in the ending that I got, so that is probably it.

I got a good ending despite one poor choice. I won't say which ending of course..

In any case, has anyone heard if Ciri will play an active role in the future DLC? It would be cool if you could go on the road with her at your side etc

Well I had the Ciri Witcher happy end! Yet I was with her during the meeting with Philoppa and the others. She also did not make a mess out of the laboratory since I just told her the elf was jealous. I also had the snowballfight with her, visited the grave with her and stole the horses after I was told that there was no way to buy them. What I also think is important I let Avalach alive and told her that she should do what she has to do.

You can see what was important in the "flashback" scenes.

I think the discussion in this thread demonstrates what makes the Witcher's story so engaging.
None of the decisions you make can be considered "evil" or "good". It's always about someone doing what he thinks is best in any given situation without having full control over the consequences. There can be good reasoning behind every choice. If an outcome is not what you intended, that is because storywise it is influenced by many factors besides Geralt's decisions. As the witcher you are part of a living world, not the guy who determines everyone's fate.
Even if you don't like the results of the story, you have still experienced a thrilling tragedy.
Any truly emotional response to the game means it's doing something right.

@OP Only things I did different from you is having that snowball fight with her and romance Yenn. ;-)
Ciri lived and became a witcher, while my Geralt retired to a far away cabin with a sexy sorceress to feed him grapes. :-3

This game sometimes is not that clear when it comes to consequences of your choices.

You made a mistake when you just wasnt in the mood to play snowball... you´re playing an RPG, so you should have put yourself in the character, and not let your real world lack of patience to roll over what was happening in the game.

And you acted like her father, when you should have acted like a witcher, because Geralt would never live as a couple with Cirila just to protect her. That totally wouldnt have anything to do with being a witcher. They have a very hard training because their lives are hard, and no witcher is expecting that other witcher might be forever in need of something.

They must be independent and have a strong mind to take their own decisions and pay the consequences. By acting as a protective father, you just let that slip, and for the game´s understanding, you didn't inspire Cirila to become confident enough to take her decisions, so she´s feeling sad in the end.

That is totally true in terms of life itself, but of course the videogame lasts only hours, so there´s no time for too much debate.

About the emperor, the game puts us against him.... unless you´re the "i dont give a shit to nothing" kind of people, but in the end you realize he just couldnt stop her if he wanted, and he´s her father and for a long time he had his daughter completely missed in a world where you have horses transporting letters, strong magic, and people just vanish from out of nowhere. It´s not like today when you can move an entire tv network to help on your kids disappearance. So as Geralt had some paternal feelings for her, he said (but he´s your father... when she rejected at 1st).

As I already had finished Witcher 1 and 2, I looked for some orientation to not have this bitter taste you had when you finished it.

You can reload a past save game and replay to make the ending that you wish. I know it´s gonna take some time, so good luck with that.

As I remember Saskia was SO inspired. Russian call that kind of good choices "step on the same rake again".

How can anyone refuse to play snowball fight!
You deserved this ending!!!!