firecracker22

@cabelhigh said:

Yeah, it was the hunter, Mislav, you met in White Orchard early in the game during "The Beast of White Orchard" quest. There was a conversation he had with Geralt where he referred to himself as a "freak". Geralt can try to get him to open up by saying he's called a freak by people as well. Mislav tells Geralt about an affair he was having with the son of the Lord of White Orchard, but the stable worker had walked in on the two and ratted them out the Lord. Mislav was fired, and publicly outed, and got shunned by the rest of the community. His partner, the son of the Lord in town and heir to the title, was so embarrassed and ashamed that he committed suicide.

Geralt's reply of, "I'm sorry..." seriously felt about as heartfelt as could be to me.

Eh, personally I think there are other games that are more egregious, and are homegrown here in the U.S., for this issue to focus on. It is kind of weird for this much heat to be thrown on a Polish game based on a Polish property. The truth of the matter is that The Witcher was never really intended for America or "the world". Who the hell would have thought that The Witcher would become such a success, where 4 million copies of a videogame (might as well be called SPACE AGE TECHNOLOGY back in 1994) worldwide?

I think of Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light...and how those are products of Russian creativity. I don't recall seeing any people of color in either of those games. Even though it wasn't actually based on Russian history, or on an actual real life events, there was this understanding that it was a product of Russian creativity, with a their cultural sensibilities applied to the Post-apocalyptic genre.

Same thing with the Mad Max films. Tina Turner was the only person of color to appear in any of the four films. I don't think that means that there aren't any Blacks or Latinos in Australia (where the Wasteland takes place, and where the films originated). I've been told by people I've known from Australia that it's just not as racially diverse a place as New York, or something. And art usually reflects the society around the artist who is producing it, either consciously or unconsciously.

@tits_matador: I can see him trying that. And, speaking as a Knicks fan, even I don't want to be drafted by the Knicks.

@cabelhigh: True, but I wonder if it's just because of the society. Usually, in the Witcher the more powerful and most liberated women are the ones who have broken from society. Sorceresesss, or Elves or maybe a Golden Dragon. Outsiders of the main society, really. But, the sidequests aren't as fleshed out as the main quests...though, they still feel miles ahead of other games sidequests where we get no cutscenes or dialogue. Could get better, though, since there's so many sidequests. I'm 90 hours in, and still have plenty to go.

That moment with the female elf was in Oxenfurt, I think. It wasn't a quest, just a cutscene and decision moment for Geralt. It was a small moment, but it kinda blew my mind.

I felt the same way about a NPC in White Orchard who gave some backstory (if you pressed him for it) about how anti-gay sentiments in town ad completely ruined his life and his partner's. There's moments like that, I think maybe even the Bloody Baron quest, were it feels like there's commentary of real world issues.

@theloyaltraitor: It can't be real, can it? With as much flame this issue has had...for there to actually have been a person of color in the game this whole time? Not that a single npc fixes anything, but man has this issue gone on, with it being directed at TW3 for having zero representation.

I would have to see it him to believe it.

Yeah, the Zerrikanians have darker skin and sound/seemed like they might be inspired by Egypt. Maybe. There's so very little said about them in the novels. They seem to be isolationists....which, looking at how fucked up the Northern Kingdoms are, who could blame them. But they and their land is described as exotic and mysterious, by in large.

Non-book readers, anecdotally atleast, have seemed to misunderstood the role the Zerrikanians have played in the novels.

@amyggen: Maybe. We don't know what kind of contract deal CDPR signed to get the rights. Look at all the bullshit the LOTR games have to deal with for approval from the Tolken estate. Shadow of Modor couldn't include a dinner scene into the game because of the "breaking of fiction" denial the Tolken estate enforced. Sapowski's people could prevent them from fully fleshing out the Zerrikanians.

There could have been Zerrikanians in TW3, but it has to be a questline, and then there's the whole "savage" trope that's a minefield...

@cabelhigh: what about the run in with the female elf who was being harrassed by a group of human males? Standing up for her and seeing her reaction pretty much called the player out for a "hero complex", only seeking to save a woman for the instant gratification of the moment without caring, or considering, the larger issues about how to make society better.

It was subversive.

And Kiera's cleavage is actually canon, straight from the novels, for what it's worth.

I think it needs to restated that CDPR has been faithful to the novels. That's something that cannot be understated. Even things you might consider to be too small a detail. Some thought Kiera Meitz's cleavage, for example, was CDPR being sexist (sounded overtly conservative to me) while the crazy amount of cleavage is from the books.

I just think the source material, for better or worse, provides context for for many decisions. I think the novels are as much a part of the discussion with The Witcher as the game is. I think it's a similar case with any LOTR game. I think it invariably leads back to the source, for better or worse.

@eazeapeazea: I don't think I've seen anyone make the "realism" case here.

There is the matter of the source material...but I can't say I understand, or really seen a sensible, "realism" argument.