The Witcher 3 Discussion Thread!

Maybe those pics are taken from Xbox?

 

GamingDragons.com has it for 35 bucks. I've used them to buy AC Unity (horrible game btw), I didn't get it exactly on release but a couple of hours later. They've been legit so far.

 

There's no question in my mind that the game has been downgraded. We'll see the extent of it when it releases. Hoping it isn't a repeat of Watch Dogs but the feeling of déjà vu is strong.

No, otherwise they wouldn't be native 1080p. Even the ultra settings gameplay videos have shown clear downgrades across the board.

 

Well that sucks. 2015 truly is a bad year for PC gamers, and it just stared! First Valve went nuts, then CDPR. At least GTA V came out right.

 

I think the issue is summed up in this picture:

 

I think the issue is summed up in this statement: The graphics were downgraded

 

*Sigh* it's really a damn shame.

Spoiler: Witcher 3 pre-downgrade

On the bright side, maybe the original graphics are still there, just locked away, and some intrepid modder can easily re-enable them a la Watch Dogs. :3

 

The latest gameplay trailer isn't a downgrade. It has the nVidia Gameworks effects turned down or off. Watch this:



Why the effects are turned off in the trailer? I don't know.

 

Wasn't referring to the GameWorks effects

 

Indeed. The ENTIRE graphics, from textures, meshes, draw distance, particles, atmosphere, etc. have been scaled down.

 

The entire art direction and color palette has change too for the worse. What used to be dark, gritty, and atmospheric has changed to this over-saturated cartoony look. Poor aesthetic choice IMO for a dark fantasy such as Witcher.

 

Yeah. The areas so far look like a giant Kaedweni camp. And even then in TW2 the whole place got dark in Flotsam and in Vergen, or Loc Muinne.

 

Witcher 3 went from truly next-gen to not only looking worse than DA:I, but now we're not even sure if it's gonna be better than Witcher 2. A pretty mind-blowing downgrade.

Just another example of development for weak sauce consoles holding back PC. Now if this had been a PC exclusive, or PC and console hadn't shared the same build, totally different story.

The R7 260 and 265 class GPUs used in XB1 and PS4 respectively don't even come close to mustering 60 FPS in Witcher 2 at 1080p Ultra w/o Ubersampling. Ofc Witcher 3 had to be significantly cut back just to be able to run on XtremelyBad Uno and PotatoStation 4. The real shame is that PC has to suffer too.

Guess I shoulda known better after Watch Dogs. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

 

I guess I don't understand why they couldn't have still used different texture set and build for PC only.

 

Cost. (They say) it's ridiculously time-consuming and expensive to redo everything for consoles.

And speaking of console computational power, they actually aren't too bad. My laptop is probably only as good as the XB1/PS4. And many PC gamers have equally weak computers. Not everyone has 980s/970s/Titans.

 

You're selling yourself short. You have a much stronger CPU and as strong of a GPU as PS4. Only thing you really lack compared to consoles is VRAM. Digital Foundry has proven that an i3 + 750 Ti can already run recent multiplats at PS4 visual settings as well as, and often better than, a PS4.

 

Derp. I always thought lower-end to midrange PCs were approximately in parity with the current-gen consoles.

Anyway, we can do absolutely nothing about whatever CDPR has done. I say we wait... and see.

 

Oh you'd be surprised...

Could always cancel your pre-order

 

Eh, well, I actually already did so a week ago, but for a different reason: I wanted to get it at G2A for 26% off. (It's currently US$33 there). I'm still waiting for my refund to be credited to my bank account. Steam is sloooow.

 

One more "old" Witcher 3 shot:

 

Cost? Then charge more for console version, or offer an "enhanced edition" for $10 more on PC and call it a day. Considering they already had it in some of the early builds shows it was already done. I thought CDPR was a PC company. Seems they've caved to the consolitis virus as well.

 

Poor octiceps, I can imagine him all sad now.

 

They were, until they got a lot of money from TW2. That game was developed solely for the PC and then ported to XB360 - which is why my laptop still can only run it as fast as GTA V - 45-50 FPS. It was a game three to four years ahead of its time, and man, is the grass good. Outside the Kaedweni camp, with the Extreme Quality Flora mod (see here), the grass looks beautiful. The Igni looks legitimately fiery.

Just about the only issue with TW2 is the overly bright nights.

At any rate, G2A now has forty-six of my dollars. I hope CDPR gives us an option to up the graphics soon after - I wouldn't mind a day-one patch, even. We can only wait and see.

 

Most of what I'm seeing is due to GameWorks effects. The rest I'm chalking up to the PS4 version running at sub-1080p. And that completely different (because it really is) nVidia promotional shot? It's since been taken down by nVidia without comment. Until provided with evidence to the contrary I'll figure whoever published it made a mistake and published the wrong file. Essentially I'm giving CDPR the benefit of the doubt because the information that I've gotten from other sources like Gopher who've played the actual game on actual ultra settings on actual high-end gaming PCs does not jibe with the hysteria over wholesale visual downgrades.

 

There will be a Wither 3 Enhanced Edition, as was the case for the 1st and 2nd game, the only question is if they get greedy and charge for it or do the right thing and offer it for free like they did the previous 2.

 

This is CDPR, not EA.

 

Every company wants to be EA once in a while.

 

The "Enhanced or Deluxe" edition will probably be like $79.99.

 

Once again, it's not about GameWorks effects, which weren't even in the old (better looking) footage as they hadn't been implemented yet. A couple minor effects--some wavy hair here, some fluffy fur there--added on top doesn't make a stark difference in overall visuals like what we're seeing. The baseline has completely changed from 2013/early 2014 to now.

I'm not talking about console footage. All pre-release videos and screenshots that we've used as evidence have been from PC. I already posted a recent Ultra settings gameplay video earlier in this thread, there are others out there as well, and they look nothing like old Witcher 3 footage. As for your comment about Gopher, what is a small YouTuber supposed to say? That Witcher 3 was clearly downgraded, so he never again gets early access to future CDPR projects like Cyberpunk 2077, or free review copies of games, or all-expenses paid trips to Poland to visit CDPR HQ?

"Until provided with evidence to the contrary I'll figure whoever published it made a mistake and published the wrong file." This is absolutely hilarious. So you're telling me, everything that's been released in the past year is a mistake? What retard is in charge of PR over at CDPR? Are these the lengths we're going to now to blindly defend CDPR?

So this how it is: CDPR gets a huge benefit of the doubt despite more evidence pointing to a downgrade in the year leading up to Witcher 3 release than there was for Watch Dogs. We made a huge fuss about that, and we were vindicated in the end, weren't we? Yet here we have staunch CDPR loyalists blocking their ears, closing their eyes, and singing "la la la." Even fabricating reasons to deny the existence of any such downgrade per above. If this isn't hypocrisy and double standards, I don't know what is.

I don't know how I can make this any more clear. This is the exact same spot in the game:

 

Watch this with the resolution turned up. Heck, just watch the first 2 minutes of it.

All of the things allegedly not there? Are there. And more. Except for the hair physics which is disabled because at the time CDPR was still working on optimizing it.

If you still want to believe in a couple of cherry-picked stills after watching that video, well, that's your prerogative. Me, I'll believe the 30-45 minutes or so of footage taken in a variety of locations, times and weather conditions.

 

The first 2:00 is downgraded gameplay footage I've seen before mixed with an old CGI trailer. It proves my point.

 

Well, I don't know about your eyes, then, because:

Butchered draw distance? There's a great view of some ruins and trees in the background at 2:21 (okay, beyond the two minutes I suggested). There are others throughout all of Gopher's footage.
Low-quality foliage? I can see individual blades of grass and petals on flowers at about 1:46. There's even better footage of grass tufts at around the 3 minute mark.
No smoke? Clearly visible to me at 1:41.
No atmosphere? I can see the dust moving around at about 1:33 for example, and weather effects just about everywhere.

I stand by my statement: everything that allegedly isn't there is there. One example of two pictures taken at different times, from different angles, under different weather and lighting conditions, one with obvious compression artifacts from the video, is not evidence of any kind of visual downgrade.

 

Oh boy, here comes the trite "YouTube compression" excuse.

Really, I'm sorry you can't see the difference. Everyone else can.

 

I'll take that as a compliment for not buying into hysteria.

 

Actually I was complimenting you on your nice rose-tinted glasses

 

X One gameplay in good quality:
http://www.gamersyde.com/hqstream_the_witcher_3_wild_hunt_xbox_one_gameplay-34630_en.html
looks fine to me, but maybe because I'm not "graphic whore" .

 

I know.

But really, it's more that you're looking at the trees while I'm seeing the forest.

 

I do have to chuckle about the graphics complaints.... go load up Witcher 1 out of the box and then watch any of the Witcher 3 videos ha. Gotta keep things in perspective

Personally I'm really excited about this one, can't wait to play it!

 

While you're seeing the forest, I'm seeing the entire landscape.

I'm playing Witcher 2 at Ultra no Ubersampling. That's perspective.

 

Okay, so, this shows that I may be wrong about one thing. The blurry foliage in the corner? That may be due to the game's dynamic depth of field processing. Because the grass in the lower left and right corners is a little blurred compared to the grass near Geralt's feet when he's running.

I'm really hoping that can be turned off. I hate dynamic DoF.

 

Embargo ends tomorrow 7AM PDT. Hope TotalBiscuit got a review copy and rips CDPR a new one when he sees the downgrade!

 

I regret starting this downgrade issue here. Seriously guys. WAIT UNTIL THE GAME IS RELEASED, and when you have it in your hands, try it out.

There's no point judging it now.

 

the problem with big AAA games today is we all hype it up so much for months, even years before its release. Then it comes out and we are not blown away. Companies need to start announcing games closer to release, that way the talk and hype cant build, making the expectations of gamers more neutral

 

This. Heck, CDPR announced Cyberpunk 2077 probably four years before its release. Too much hype.

 

Pre-order culture...

 

Reviews are out. Just about every review site has given the game an average of 9+/10. Let's wait and form our own opinions on launch day.

 

The ones Ive seen are all PS4. Anyone seen a PC review?

 

has anyone seen that gamespot gave 10 of 10?
http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-review/1900-6416135/

cant wait to play

 

Got it pre-loaded.... just a week longer!

 

Rumor, anonymous insider, grain of salt etc:

The 2013 gameplay was supposedly not a vertical slice but real ingame graphics. When the specs of the next-gen consoles where revealed CDPR had to either make three completely different builds or tune it down, they chose the latter due to resources:

Spoiler

http://whatifgaming.com/developer-i...-from-2013-list-of-all-features-taken-out-why