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Episode 30: "I'll gladly be proven wrong" Chapter 2 comes to an end, and with it, what's supposed to be some kind of big moral choice. So let's talk about the heel turn. At the start of this chapter, we got a picture of Henselt conducting himself in war and in politics. Buying off landed barons, fighting against the head of the peasant army (whose name I have forgotten), even letting me choose to lean into that by accepting the duel. It painted a clear picture of a king leading from the front, with all the blunt earnestness that entails. No sneaky ambushes, no webs of deceit, just "shut up and take my money/sword to the face." Then at the climax (in quality at least) of the chapter, we got a picture of how Henselt conducted himself three years prior. It was, again, a blunt and un-nuanced offensive. When Glevissig nuked the entire field, he was appropriately horrified and spoke of honor, and because of how he has been portrayed up to now, it is very believable that his sense of honor is sincere. Then we get to the end, and the revisiting of the "conspiracy" sidequest. A conspiracy apparently formed by Roche to influence the above-mentioned landed barons, that began three years ago. Yet it's only now that square coins show up, among the rank and file soldiers who... don't really participate? The extent of the "conspiracy" shown (to me, at least, aware that I probably missed content and context) is that the barons' troops won't go into battle, but that is entirely due to the barons. Why would rank and file soldiers need actively participate in any way? Why would they pass around square coins given that they need not and cannot do any decision-making within this conspiracy? And why, once this "conspiracy" is exposed, would Henselt suddenly break character to engage in deceitful entrapment? The Henselt we've seen up to now would bluntly round them up and execute them. But instead, he is now luring the blue stripes into a trap, and engaging in deceitful "gently caress me if you want them to live" nonsense. The whole thing screams of having to justify turning Henselt into a villain if the player doesn't side with Iorveth. Geralt has literally spent the entire chapter doing Henselt's bidding, saving him from assassins, freeing him and his dead soldiers from powerful curses. But somehow they need to have Henselt pull a heel turn. So now Roche is behind a very vague conspiracy, and Geralt is... what? Guilty by association? And not just guilty, but so guilty that he must be killed on sight? All so that the player can be given some kind of moral choice. I don't know what the rest of the game holds. I don't know if Henselt even appears again, or Dethmold. But it sure seems a lot more natural to make this choice something else. I can imagine choosing between sticking with Roche or giving him up to Henselt. I can imagine choosing between getting Sile's help or Dethmold's help, in tracking Letho and/or finding Triss. I cannot imagine justifiably choosing to become the kingslayer you have been accused of being. (spoiler for this episode I guess)
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Jul 9, 2020 18:05
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Episode 31: "Yay Siegfried! Boo Roche and Iorveth!" This is the last episode of that massive recording session, and I think that the pain and mental breakdown is clearly on display. Fortunately, I have my replacement video card and future episodes will try to get things back on some sort of track.
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Jul 16, 2020 17:09
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Episode 32: "Yes, shut up" I am desperately trying to elucidate my thoughts on the game in the moment, and let me tell you, the struggle is real.
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Jul 19, 2020 19:57
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I think you overestimate Henselt as a person. He didn't execute Sabina for reasons of human decency - he did it because she spoiled his macho soldier fun and to put one of those uppity  in her place (in addition to causing terrible losses to his army that were the true reason of his withdrawal)On Anais - she's still a valuable bargaining chip so why wouldn't a monarch want to control her? And her hypothetical marriage to Radovid would make him king of both kingdoms, but that's not loss of independence - it's just two kingdoms sharing a king. Hardly unprecedented in medieval history - Poland shared, like, three kings with Hungary and at least two with Bohemia which also shared several monarchs with Hungary (there might have been some overlap, I misremember).
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Jul 20, 2020 22:30
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Episode 33: "You can't stop me" I am the best at puzzles, clearly.
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Jul 23, 2020 19:17
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Just chiming into say I enjoy this LP even though you get little replies.
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Jul 23, 2020 23:25
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Zedd posted:Just chiming into say I enjoy this LP even though you get little replies. I appreciate it, thanks.
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Jul 24, 2020 00:40
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Enjoying your blind run of the series even though half of Witcher 2's script so far seems like "something something tighter than a virgin, you whoreson."
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Jul 24, 2020 02:51
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Episode 34: "That escalated to 11" Remember when I predicted it would turn out that mages were behind it all? And when I predicted that we'd be chasing after Triss for chapter after chapter? Turns out I might only be half-right.
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Jul 26, 2020 17:18
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Episode 35: "Speaking of cognitive issues" Things seem to be taking a turn for the nonsensical, or at the very least, rushed.
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Jul 29, 2020 18:02
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An important plot point from the books is that witchers don't kill dragons because dragons are intelligent creatures. The game never gives you that info as far as I can tell, so this big decision where you have to decide if you'll stay true to your principles as a witcher or kill the beast to possibly prevent it hurting more people or maybe just to put it out of its misery, really falls flat. As far as you know, the dragon is just another monster to be slain. Why would you ever leave it alive?
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Jul 29, 2020 19:09
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You learn a lot more about the Dragon and its importance if you follow Iorveth
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Jul 30, 2020 00:35
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Finale: "I don't believe this for a moment" (Mild  because Dandelion is with two topless ladies. gently caress you, Dandelion.)As is pretty plain to see, I was completely unspoiled on the game only having 3 chapters. But hey, I talked enough rambling nonsense in the video about Witcher 2, so let's talk about the thread itself and Witcher 3. This thread was a mistake. Conceptually, it's a poor answer to a malformed question. Nobody I know has ever alleged that the original game still holds up today on its own merits, and the first page of this very thread shows plenty of people saying very much the opposite. On top of which, the games themselves are clearly so very different that putting them side by side is comparing apples to oranges. In execution, the thread falls flat as well. I clearly don't have the cognitive ability to do any kind of critical analysis anymore. Switching to just live commentary was even more of a mistake, as it only highlights my own deficiencies. The only upside is that this whole process has shown me just how disabled I've become thanks to chronic migraines. Does this mean I'm not going to play Witcher 3? gently caress no. I got to level 99 in the first reactor in FF7, I can finish this series. Besides, "I didn't enjoy Witcher 1 and 2, so I won't play Witcher 3, the one everyone loves and says is great" is probably the most wrong-headed conclusion I could come to. And as much as I would love to have co-commentators, as much as I would have loved to have had one this whole series, it's still not possible thanks to terrible rural infrastructure. Believe me, if 5G home internet or whatever Elon Musk is doing launching satellite internet actually come to pass, I will immediately get people to join me for this and save me from myself. Until then, all I can do is apologize for what I've done, and try to do better going forward. CirclMastr fucked around with this message at 18:16 on Jul 31, 2020 |
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Jul 31, 2020 18:13
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May I be among the first to say good luck? I did not and probably will never enjoy Witcher 3. I can recognize good writing but stories with this overwhelmingly tragic and angsty tone, not to mention convoluted resolution, just aren’t my kind of stories. The same can be said of the previous games in the series to smaller degree. Most of my entertainment this LP comes from your perseverance. Keep it up if you can. achtungnight fucked around with this message at 20:36 on Jul 31, 2020 |
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Jul 31, 2020 19:27
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Well, I certainly enjoyed watching you force you way through those first 2 games. I certainly couldn't make myself finish them. I'm looking forward to you playing Witcher 3, and I sincerely hope your migraine situation improves.
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Jul 31, 2020 21:53
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Hey there, I sort of felt away from following the LP because I never played the first two games and they don't really look all that fun. But now that you reached Witcher 3 I will follow you again. Thanks for sticking with it.
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Jul 31, 2020 22:46
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I’ve enjoyed watching this LP. You shouldn’t beat yourself up over it. I haven’t got around to the third game yet so I’ll be interested to see if it really is so much better than the first 2 games - my own play through of the series ended after chapter 1 of the second game.
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Aug 1, 2020 01:51
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Hopefully you enjoy the third one!
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Aug 1, 2020 04:24
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I want to say thank you for your LP's of Witcher 1 & 2 as you went the opposite of my own games. I tried doing a second play through of W2 with the Definitive Edition but unfortunately bounced off of the combat. Hopefully you can find some enjoyment from Witcher 3.
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Aug 1, 2020 07:24
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You should enjoy the third one, it's an excellent game. I enjoyed all three, but I played them when they released, and boy howdy have RPGs changed since Witcher 1 released thirteen years ago.
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Aug 1, 2020 22:07
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The Lord Bude posted:I’ve enjoyed watching this LP. You shouldn’t beat yourself up over it. I haven’t got around to the third game yet so I’ll be interested to see if it really is so much better than the first 2 games - my own play through of the series ended after chapter 1 of the second game. Mimicking this sentiment. It's hard to really evaluate your own work sometimes, but as a viewer I've enjoyed the ride and get a lot of the frustrations. I'll say now that I noticed back when you'd most recently mentioned switching medication that you've since seemed like you have more energy. And the live commentary's been working for me since you cut out all the parts where you'd just be backtracking through empty space anyway. Beyond the opening in Caer Morhen (sp????) in Witcher 1, I've only played the first third of Witcher 3. It's genuinely fun, and I'll leave it at for now.
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Aug 3, 2020 06:58
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Episode 1: "Can I rename the horse?" I took a few days to decompress, and I'm trying my best to avoid overthinking as much as possible. Of course, my inability to recognize a dream sequence as such is yet another clear indication of my lack of cognitive ability. Seriously though, can I rename the horse?
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Aug 5, 2020 16:47
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Why would you want to rename Roach?!
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Aug 5, 2020 17:16
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Roach is a precious flower who must be protected 
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Aug 5, 2020 17:19
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I'm amazed that your keeping at this, frankly, so there's no need to apologize for or explain any difficulties you might have with update schedules. These are huge goddamn games, and you are about to tackle the hugest, so no worries. (You're also playing them all in succession, which, I imagine, makes all of their flaws seem more pronounced... I'm sorry you haven't had as enjoyable an experience as I remember with the second game, but then, I really, really enjoy the Iorveth path, so that might be bias talking.) Also, Roach is a good, solid name for the best horse, so no. No, you cannot.
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Aug 5, 2020 17:26
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Rhjamiz posted:Why would you want to rename Roach?! Because my initial reaction is that it was named after Roche due to the Witcher 2 save file import. I have since been informed that it's just coincidence and will try to get over it.
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Aug 5, 2020 17:56
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Geralt names all his horses Roach, there's been many many Roaches. The TV series actually goes into this, I'd recommend it actually as it covers why Geralt is called the "Butcher of Blavkin"
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Aug 5, 2020 18:14
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I have avoided the TV series for the sake of avoiding spoilers.
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Aug 5, 2020 19:28
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CirclMastr posted:I have avoided the TV series for the sake of avoiding spoilers. The show takes place in the book timeline, years before the events of the games. The only "spoilers" in there would involve learning about the past of various characters that appear in the games (and since the show takes some liberties with the lore, not all of that stuff is even consistent with the games).
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Aug 5, 2020 19:38
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Want to ride a horse you name? Play Ghost of Tsushima! Heck, I recommend that game for your next LP. It would fit great with the CirclMstr attitude. 
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Aug 5, 2020 20:01
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Doc M posted:What spoilers? If anything the game spoils the show. Congrats on getting through Witcher 2! I still hold that it's the worst of the series (as act 3 is beyond rushed) and even after you got me to replay the game all the way back in April I still feel the same way.
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Aug 6, 2020 06:56
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Dreadwroth2 posted:Geralt names all his horses Roach, there's been many many Roaches. The TV series actually goes into this, I'd recommend it actually as it covers why Geralt is called the "Butcher of Blavkin" Game-Geralt kills more people than that on a lazy morning before he's really woken up properly.
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Aug 6, 2020 07:08
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Episode 2: "I literally don't know how to play this game" Does the title refer to Gwent, or to Witcher 3? Why not both?
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Aug 8, 2020 16:22
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If you've played either Knights of the Old Republic games and played Pazaak at all, it's like the Witcher version. It's like dueling blackjack with up to three rounds and your cards are in three rows and there's a dynamic weather system. You want to get as close to 21 as you can while beating your opponent's score
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Aug 9, 2020 06:47
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Ghost Stromboli posted:If you've played either Knights of the Old Republic games and played Pazaak at all, it's like the Witcher version. It's like dueling blackjack with up to three rounds and your cards are in three rows and there's a dynamic weather system. You want to get as close to 21 as you can while beating your opponent's score Actually you want to boost your score as high as you can. "21" isn't really special. Make sure to pick up the Blue Stripes card from the Innkeeper if you didn't already! Stacking as many Blue Stripes as you can makes for a powerful deck.
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Aug 9, 2020 07:17
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Ghost Stromboli posted:If you've played either Knights of the Old Republic games and played Pazaak at all, it's like the Witcher version. It's like dueling blackjack with up to three rounds and your cards are in three rows and there's a dynamic weather system. You want to get as close to 21 as you can while beating your opponent's score ... Two requests. 1. Try each potion out at least once per video, just to see what they all do? 2. Spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EhOdEp6YwU The video opens with the LPer being unsure about a plot logic element. So he explains what is happening in the story (as far as he understands it), which parts of that story aren't currently making a lot of sense to him, and possible explanations. I'm not saying he's right or wrong, that this is a major or minor issue. But I can understand the issue as such, because he explained it.
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Aug 9, 2020 08:36
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Ghost Stromboli posted:If you've played either Knights of the Old Republic games and played Pazaak at all, it's like the Witcher version. It's like dueling blackjack with up to three rounds and your cards are in three rows and there's a dynamic weather system. You want to get as close to 21 as you can while beating your opponent's score Xander77 posted:I'm not sure what game you're talking about, but it's definitely not Gwent. Yeah, what Xander said. Gwent has nothing in common with blackjack other than "is a card game."
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Aug 9, 2020 16:06
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Welp. Not sure where I got 21 from then. Thank you all three of you for pointing it out.
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Aug 11, 2020 04:40
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Episode 3: "I need booze" My inability to vocalize thoughts in the moment has led me to start putting in some subtitled bits of commentary during the editing process. Hopefully it helps; the sidequest with the pan was especially confusing to my addled senses. Hell, I'm still not clear if the hut in question was the old woman's hut or not. Xander77 posted:Two requests. 1. I can certainly try. I don't know how generous the game is going to be with crafting ingredients but I will try to work in one per video. 2. I will do what I can with the faculties I have. Hopefully throwing in subtitles will also help, but I am afraid of going too far in the other direction. I could write up a whole paragraph about the old woman and the pan, but I don't want to come off as nitpicking when, in the moment, my confusion did not make a very short bit of searching unenjoyable. (As opposed to Alvin being the villain in Witcher 1, or Henselt acting against his established character in Witcher 2, which did sour those parts of those games.)
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Aug 11, 2020 18:18
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CirclMastr posted:1. I can certainly try. I don't know how generous the game is going to be with crafting ingredients but I will try to work in one per video. The main crafting ingredient you might need is White Gull, which is the base for a lot of potions. Stock up on the basic components – Arenaria, Mandrake Cordial, Cherry Cordial and Redanian Herbal – whenever you get the chance.
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Aug 11, 2020 18:25
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