"OBS:" THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!

"OBS:" This is an open Topic for everyone intressted, so you can leave your own thought here aswell as commenting myn.

I would also like to remind people that thise are my thoughts and I would appreciate if some sort of maturity could be retained even if you wouldn't agree with me or anyone elses thoughts.



EDIT: This Topic is one of several describing my thoughts since having all in 1 was to long.

Original Post:

http://www.gog.com/en/forum/the_witcher_2/thoughts_on_the_witcher_2


ALCHEMY, POTIONS AND CRAFTING:

"PROS."

Alchemy is good and I have nothing to say about it. The only think that I miss abit from TW1 is that you had to be close to fire to do Alchemy since you need the fire and I would have liked it here aswell since it is abit logical but nothing I'm crying about.

Crafting is and cool and intressting new thing witch I can't say mutch else about other then having aloot of Diagrams in the bag is anoying and the fact that you have to klick on them first in order to use them at a craftsman is weard but I think that is a bug.

I would like it if some Craftsman have there own unique Diagrams in them already so that they can both creat the items that you have the diagram for aswell as creat items that they know for them self's.

"CONS."

Potions how ever is a big set back from TW1. I hardly used them in the game witch I think is boring.To many of the potions that exists have big setbacks but I don't care to mutch about that since the alchemist tree has talents to lower the bad things and increes the good things. But the Bad things with potions in TW2 is that they last so short and that you have to be in meditation menu to use them.

In TW1 potions lasted for hours and you could drink them from your inventory so they where realy usfull and I used them alsmot all the time. But here in TW2 they last only 10 min, or just abit long if you use the talents, so there is no point in using them unless you know what is on the other side of the corner witch you wont in your first play through. And also the fact that there time still ticks through cut scenes and talk sequenses is bad in that fact.

Befour the last fight vs Letho I drank som potions but befour you fight him you gett into an talk sequense and if your a person that want's to know it all then you will spend about 20-30 minutes on it. Wich I did so when the fight started my potions where out and since I was in combat I couldn't drink new once.

"SUDGESTION."

What I would like is that Potions would work for atleast 1 houre and that you can drink them without behing in meditation.




Yours // Philip From Sweden

why dont you put all yr review in one place.

Yes I hate the way they implement potion. There is virtually no enemy that shows much vulnerability to a certain oil. They all go down after several slashes.

And cutscenes make potions almost useless in many cases

Alchemy is now more about balancing bonuses with set backs. I like that. Since there are fewer monster types, there is less need for creature specific oils. The short duration makes sense to me; they lasted too long in the previous game.

the cut scene issue is a controversial decision though, I agree and understand why people don't like it.

The post was to long when I had them all together, that is why I splitt them up but I think it was for the better anyways. Mutch easier for everyone if you think about it I don't think I follow you exactly on what your saying. But yes in the first one they where realy long. around 2-4 hours I think but I just think they should be atleast 1 houre in the game. 10 min, the time they are now, is to low anyways.

But if you liked it and it was fun for you then that's just good :)


And yes, to few mosnters in the game I have to admitt. Not as many as there was in the first one.

I agree on the problems.

Potions should last longer, be more problematic to produce (maybe re-introduce bases or alternatively increase the reagent count substantially - instead of one of each), have to be produced at a fire maybe, and be usable anywhere.

That way, one can actually use potions when appropriate, instead of running into fights, dying, reloading, pre-drinking and going in.


Another thing is that I would make potions slightly better and reduce the Alchemy talent for that somewhat. So that they're stronger overall, maybe nerf Geralt base-stats a bit in return - once you can use them whenever necessary and they're more pricey, they need to make a real difference.

Nerfing Geralt isn't realy somthing I thought about but in a sence I agree with you. What I want is potions to play a mutch bigger roll in the game so that you preety mutch allways need to use them atleast if your playing on the harder difficultys. But I finished the game on Hard and I never used them as I said. Both becaus as I said, they are abit pointless when lasting so short and the fact that I didn't need them.

I would Also add that I would like aloot more potions. TW1 had aloot more differant potions then TW2 so in the end there are only a few that would be favorited by everyone. An higher amount of variety in potions would make even them play a roll in how you want to play your game and not just yout talents.

Penalty on sum, but not all potions, is somthing I wouldn't mind since it oppends up the Alchemist tree witch I just want to add that I realy liked. The only reason why I didn't play it is because it preety mutch needs you to be drunk on potions 24/7 to play any roll and when they only last 15 min that isn't realy somthing fun.

I haven't read anybody say he likes the potion duration the way it is. I agree with you. It wouldn't be half as bad if they didn't tick down during conversations, etc. (That is, understandably, complicated though.)

Potion duration was one of the things I modded as soon as it was an option. It is one the things, in a fantastic game, that I feel is so poorly implemented it does not break the game to change it.

As far as the overall necessity of potions, they are not needed to succeed on Hard. They do make some things easier. I have been playing with "Better Combat" and "Complete Equipment Overhaul" for a while, though, and potions become much more useful with the resulting game balance.

I don't mind the potion length as it is, especially since Alchemists can extend potion length through talents. The current length is also beneficial to Alchemists who are hoping to produce mutagens through alchemy, as I'd probably only make bombs if potions lasted an hour.

The only legitimate flaw in the potion system for me has been that the timer continues to advance during dialogue. But most bosses, especially Letho since he's a big pushover once you learn his patterns, can be beaten rather easily without potions. Quen is more important against hard-hitting bosses, and I'd much rather take potions that enhance critical effects when fighting groups of enemies than vitality regen potions since the regen rate for Swallow (or the other one with a higher rate that you can use without side effects once your Alchemy is skilled up enough) doesn't seem to benefit you as much in TW2 as it did in TW1.

If you really have a problem with potion length, there's a mod for it but it feels too much like cheating to me.