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 WHAT IS THIS? Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales is an original story set in the universe of the popular multi-media spanning franchise The Witcher. Unlike the other Witcher video games the main character in this game is not the titular witchman Geralt of Rivia (though he will make an appearance), but instead Queen Meve of Rivia and Lyria, a monarch of the Northern Kingdoms fighting in the war against the empire of Nilfgaard. Also unlike the previous Witcher games this one isn't an action-adventure game. In Thronebreaker we settle our battles in the greatest game on the continent: Gwent. WHAT IS GWENT? Gwent is a card game first introduced in the Witcher 3 as a very expansive mini-game about putting cards on a board to make big numbers. Confusingly, there are currently are three versions of Gwent: The version the appeared in The Witcher 3, the multiplayer online TCG Gwent: The Witcher Card Game, and the version of Gwent in Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, which is similar to the multiplayer game but not quite the same. Those of you joining us that only have knowledge of Witcher 3's version are in for a surprise, because this ain't your father's Gwent. The game has been reworked and re-balanced significantly, though the basic concept is still the same: play cards, get big numbers. Though this LP is primarily concerned with Thronebreaker, there will likely be a few posts dedicated to Gwent: The Witcher Card Game. WHAT MAKES THIS GAME GOOD? Thronebreaker has a decent story on top of being a fun card game. It follows the Witcher philosophy of choice and consequence and constantly throws important decisions the player's way as the game unfolds. I think it's a pretty good game. Maybe you will too! HOW DOES THIS FIT IN THE WITCHER LORE? Thronebreaker takes place during the Second Nilfgaardian war. In other words, a few years before the story of the other Witcher games. THREAD RULES - Don't spoil Thronebreaker story stuff - Talk about cards we haven't seen in spoiler tags - If you are a Syndicate player I hate you UPDATES Part 1: A Bitter Return - Update 01 Party Bug fucked around with this message at 02:56 on Jan 2, 2022 |
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Jan 2, 2022 02:53
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| # ? May 7, 2024 07:16 |
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PLAY GWENT OR GET BENT
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Jan 2, 2022 02:53
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  Dunno, not sure I like that ... What if he runs for it? He's worth a heap o' coin. Ahhh, bollocks! Been haulin' 'im a week, hasn't tried a thing. Why'd he up and bolt now? She's a shrew, that's what - queen and witch in one! Heh, worst o' both worlds! Nuff about 'er. Whaddaya say to one more o' your tales? While we toss down some cards...      Remarkable she was - not for her graceful exterior, but for her persistence and courage... Where was I? Ah. As the queen and her retinue neared her capital, Count Caldwell appeared. In Meve's absence, the count was to have helped her son, the youthful Prince Villem, run the twin kingdoms.  Caldwell had clearly ridden hard. Drops of persperation dangled from his whiskers, his neck red and chafed from a ruff starched stiff.Whatever the problem is it isn't enough to go unstarched and unruffled, so it can't be that bad.  Hail, Your Majesty! Delighted to sese you in good health. The summit - it ended fruitfully, I hope? Yes, at its end, letters were exchanged, documents signed. Paper...time will tell of what value. That will suffice and cordialities go, Caldwell. Tell me what's happened, for I sincerely doubt sheer longing prompted you to ride out. Indeed, Your Grace...Another circumstance inspired me to do so. Ahem. The "Stray of Spalla", the bandits...I was to tend to during Your Grace's absence...er...The situation's gotten out of hand, I fear.We're given a choice here, to tell Caldwell to calm down or express our disappointment. I choose the later, and will probably be making all these minor choices without input from the thread. I deliberated, wasn't all that certain in givin' you the task. I knew you to be an equally good strategist as I am a shepherdess. So my intuition said "no." Yet Reynard interceded on your behalf. "Your Grace, they're common bandits, while the count will have a host of men-at-arms to command." Next time, I shall trust my gut. All right, speak. What has happened? Be precise. Alas...it proved a ruse. We found the tents empty, straw-stuffed dummies round the fire. Soon, we learned that as we waited for sunset, the Strays had snuck away, rounded our positions and ridden...to Hawkesburn. I beg your pardon, my lord. The tax collectors - this is where they station. So the gold? All of it...? Err, stolen, Your Grace. But I shall do all in my power to recover it, this I vow...if it be Your Grace's wish. After weeks in the saddle, Your Grace's wishes are modest - a hot bath and a night's sleep in her own bet. Yet...they shall have to wait. I must look personally to this matter. Your force, Caldwell, I will not command. You...send a herald to Hawkesburn. They must prepare for the queen's arrival - air the rooms, dust off the porcelain. Make certain they do it. Now that we have a mission, we're dropped on to the world map. We move around this by clicking on things, and occasionally there's a bit of chatter between Meve and whoever we're currently hanging out with. Like this: Do you see now Reynard? I believe I foretold you it would be thus. My son wasn't ready in the least to rule an entire country. I confess, Prince Villem has much to learn yet. Hm, yes. And very little time. There's a village immediately to our south that we'll have to pass through, so we'll check that out first.  Quaint. There's some villagers here we can talk to, but more important are the resources we can find. Resources come in three types: Gold, Wood, and Recruits. We need all these to improve our camp, and get better cards for our gwent deck. See the big blue banner in the middle? That's a conscription outpost. It'll give us +9 recruits, for free! There's also a pile of wood up in the left corner, which will net us some of that wood resource as well. Also, let's talk to that villager.   Rather die than tell 'em, she would. But I know where she hid it...sit tight, I'll sketch it out for ya'. We got a map! We'll be getting a bunch of these, all leading to secret resource stashes in the world. We'll run into this location at some point, so we'll save this for now.  A little ways up the road and on our way Meve runs into our first obstacle: A tree.  At this point neither of these options are going to hurt us. We've got plenty of all types of resources, so I just arbitrarily chose the first option. Lose gold, get wood.  Now that the way is unblocked, we can continue north. Right up until--a surprise event!  Oh no! You know what this means? Video: The Battle of Tutorial Valley It's time to play some Gwent!   After the battle we're dropped back in to the world map. There's some resources lying around from the aftermath of the battle, some gold and wood that we can grab  A little ways up ahead we run into this nice vista. Ah... I do adore this prospect. Yes... Lyria - the pearl of the North! With its hills and dales... Why, its beauty matched only by that of its queen! After three weeks in the saddle? I've my doubts, Count. We should pitch camp here. Our soldiers need respite, a spell of it they deserve.  This is our camp, where we can view our army, create new cards, and talk with our followers. First we'll be looking at the Workshop.  This is where we'll be spending most of our time. Improving our buildings (usually) results in giving bonuses to our cards, or earning new cards to play with. Our first expedenture, as part of the tutorial, is upgrading our Royal Tent to level 2. This grants us access to the world map.  Next we'll take a look at the command tent. This is where we can view our army (cards), and create new ones using our resources. An important thing to note: when building a deck, you must have 25 cards in it. Cards also have provision costs (seen on the bottom-right of the card), and your total provisions can not exceed the limit (currently 125). As part of the tutorial the game has us create a Wagenburg card:  This guy is all about accumulating as much armor as possible and using it to dump a ton of damage on an enemy. I'll list the rest of our starting cards at the end of the update for those curious as to what we're given to start with.  Next up is the Royal Tent. This stores all the lore items we've collected, such as maps and letters.  And last up we have the Mess Hall, where we can chat with any important party members we've picked up. Currently only Reynard is hanging out here.  Uh, yes... but you've any new orders, Your Grace, I can be ready at any-- At ease, Reynard. At ease. Don't you find it wearisome, sitting alone? Wouldn't you prefer another's company, swapping tales with the innkeep, even...? You concern I most appreciate, Your Grace... but I prefer silence. Has it always been thus with you? Ever a man apart? Quite th' contrary, Your Grace. As a youth I gloried in company, delighted in conversation. So what was it the changed you? That delight nearly cost me my head. But... do you truly not know th' tale, m'lday? How I came to be your departed husband's aide? I don't... but would gladly hear it. I had but twenty winters behind me when I enlisted. Yet I was granted th' rank of lueitenant from th' start - not by merit but by birth. Th' respect of veteran officers, both my peers and seniors... that they could not grant. Nor did I deserve it. To earn that respect became my driving aim... and to seem wise beyond my years, I began spouting off about th' king's decisions. This maneuver Reginald botched, that he failed to think through, and yet elsewhere he'd blundered like a school boy... Well... a brilliant strategist Reginard was not. They dubbed him the Courageous, not the Cunning - for good reason, I daresay... It was not long before I was clanking about in shackles. Another officer had reported me... I was charged with lese-majesty. The court martial took but a quarter of an hour to deliver verdict and sentence - I was guilty of treason, and the noose awaited me. But Reginald first stayed th' execution... then ordered that I repeat every word I'd uttered about his person or deeds. Soaked with sweat, my voice cracking... I did as he ordained. Reginald listened, raptly and silently... and when I'd finished, he declared I was right. He then appointed me his personal aide. "A clever lad like you I can always use at my side." Indeed... though hardly sharp himself, wisdom in others Reginald both recognized and heeded. It was then ?I swore two things... Firstly, never again to wag my tongue like a fool. Secondly, never to betray his trust. And you never did. Know what he told me moments before he passesd? "Trust none of them, Meve... save Reynard." The old sod was right about that, at least... I thank you for sharing that tale Reynard. Truly. A harsh judgement Your Grace - let's not be hasty. The prince has but sixteen summers to him... And is thus fully grown. The crown he should be able to bear at his age. Yet I left the land in his care for but a few months, and look what's become of it. Bandits roam and loot unchecked. We might yet learn of mitigating circumstances, events beyond his control... Would that it were so, Reynard, would that it were so... Elsewise, we most hope Anseis will demonstrate more wit than his brother... though I see little chance of that, either. It's time I attended other matters.  Our other matters is taking a look at this cool new map we've unlocked. Wow!  Anyway, time to continue on. Down the road we find a merchant who isn't too happy with how things are being run. Sucks to be him.  A little ways past is a shrine. This is our first introduction to the morale system. Paying at the shrine gives our army positive morale for the next battle, which will increase the strength of all our cards by +1  We might need it too. There are monsters ahead! - END OF UPDATE - BONUS STUFF: OUR CARDS So what does our army currently look like? Well, here are the cards we start with:  Lyrian Banner Permanent Resilience. Whenever Meve uses her ability, reduce her Cooldown by 1. Order: Move to the other row.  Fortitude Tonic Boost a unit by 10.  Reynard Odo Deploy: Give 1 Charge to units with depleted Order.  Count Caldwell Deploy: Play a copy of each adjacent unit from your deck.  War Wagon Deploy: Spawn 2 Light Infantry on the right.  Lyrian Arbalest Deploy: Damage an enemy by the number of cards on this row.  Lyrian Scytheman Loyal: Boost this unit by 5.  Regiment Drummer Order: Play the top Blitz unit from your deck.  Wagenburg Order: Damage all units on an enemy row by this unit's Armor amount, then lose all Armor. Gain 1 Armor whenever a card appears on this row.  Rivian Pikeman Deploy: Summon all copies of this unit.  Field Medic Deploy: Play a random ally from your graveyard. Some of these cards are more busted than others. I'll let you guess which ones.
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Jan 2, 2022 02:54
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I was glad to see this LP. This is one of those games that looks interesting and has a great plot, but the gameplay is just annoying to engage with. The puzzles can have unclear win-conditions and the multi-round format of the battles means you can win by a huge margin and then lose because you've used up the "good" cards. It's probably one of those games that's more fun to watch someone else play than to play directly.
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Jan 2, 2022 09:15
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I loved playing this, and how the various card decks can actually be quite characteristic and do a good job representing a sort of feel for their faction. I personally loved the three round format and how it kept you on your toes and often allowed you to intentionally throw a round to deplete the enemy deck and set them up to lose in the end. Many of the Nilfgaard decks in particular do a good job at this IMO. Magni fucked around with this message at 15:20 on Jan 2, 2022 |
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Jan 2, 2022 14:37
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Loved this game though I need to say that I hated the puzzles. I love Gwent as a game and I'm a fiend for card games but the puzzles are the only thing in this game I just flat cheated on each time. Past that though, great times and I'm glad to see it Let's Played!
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Jan 2, 2022 22:50
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We last left off with some of monsters ahead of us. Gods ha' mercy! Whatever is this filth!? Necrophages... drawn here by blood's scent.In The Witcher world, Necrophages are monsters that generally haunt cemeteries and battlefields, places where dead bodies lay, eating the remains. Also they eat living people occasionally, because why not? For such vile monstrosities to prowl the highroads of my realm. I won't allow it! Attack!MEVE VS THE MONSTERS Our first monster encounter isn't too bad, thankfully.  As will be usual, we're left with a messy battlefield and some spoils.  Amognst the carnage we find a letter. RIP.  A little further down the road we find Hawkesburn. Also a fast-travel sign, which we can use to get around to places we've been before in a much speedier fashion.  Apparently the Strays of Spalla have been here already.   Your Majesty. Count Caldwell. Stand at ease, Seargent. And report. Th' local preasents we've rounded up in th' yard, Your Grace. Expect they might've lent th' bandits aid. Yet our courtesy 'an't inspired 'em. They 'an't peeped a word. Might it please Your Grace to summon th' hangman? He ties a noose afore 'em, should have 'em jabbering right quick. I'll speak to them first. Your Majesty! For the queen to question commoners, why... it's simply not proper. Whom for? I shan't be stripped of crown and titles for it, so no impediment do I see. Lead me to them.  Ha' mercy, Your Grace. We bear no guilt, we's simple folk... Calm your hearts, good folk. Though your queen I may be, you are subjects, not slaves. Meve extended a hand, the royal ring gleaming upon it. Unfamiliar with protocol, a pleb gripped it firmly and gave it a shake as hearty as a good scrub in the tub. My. We shall be addressing one naother by name afore long. This is an outrage! Guards, grab him! I've all in hand, Caldwell. Forgive me Your Grace, I'm not accustomed, no how. Helmer... son o' Florenz. Delighted Helmer. Now understand me, man. I am in dire straits and in need of y our aid. So please, answer my queries in full and forthrightly. The bandits - whom do they follow? Him m'lady, we seen 'im. No name, just an odd title. Th' Duke o' Dogs, they call 'im. My... a blue blood, thoroughbred mutt. Where're he and his hounds bound - did he say? Tha recall, Imogen? What'd 'e name? A Gleeton or summat? Clayton. Lord Clayton. His estate lies to the south. Sound the horns. Have the men form up. We march at once. M'lady! 'Arbor no ire for th' duke. 'E's a good man, gave us proper brass for th' welcome we gave 'im, shared what grub 'e 'ad... Shut it, louts! Th' queen's had 'er say! Your Grace - your orders. What're we to do with 'em? As our final act in the tutorial we get to make a choice. Do we: - Whip some sense into the peasantry. - Press the men into service. - Leave them be. There's resources to gain (and lose) depending on our choice. What should we do?
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Jan 5, 2022 15:06
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Leave them be It's hard to really muster up a lot of rage against the serfs.
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Jan 5, 2022 16:09
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Leave them be What can I say, I'm a big softy and also life as a medieval peasant sucks enough as is.
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Jan 5, 2022 20:01
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Press the men into service, if you know what I mean. 
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Jan 5, 2022 20:31
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Leave them be soldiers impressed in the field tend to not make great soldiers. Do you really want to give people weapons that you drafted into your army at sword-point?
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Jan 6, 2022 01:13
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Whip some sense into them. Peasants, thinking they own the place 
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Jan 6, 2022 02:03
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Party Bug posted:
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Jan 7, 2022 11:07
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Xander77 posted:Unless you mod the game, you have to go through this intro every time you boot it up (and this is like a 40 hour game, so you're not going to finish it in 2-3 sessions, probably). Just one of the ways the game has no respect for your time. I played it in a bunch 5 hour train rides, so I didn't mind it wasting my time, but yeah, you're quite right about that.
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Jan 10, 2022 08:42
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 Come on now, it's like you think they're actual people! Oh, m'lady, thanks be to ye, thanks be. I pray Mother Melitele watch over your kind heart. Pray she watches over yours. Should I hear of you sheltering bandits again, of you lying to my officers, I shall return and put torch to every hut, field, and orchard. Understood? Meve set off toward Lord Clayton's estate at a gallop, her mount knocking the peasants aside as it kicked up a cloud of dust. The folk of Hawkesburn spoke of the royal visit long after, albeit ever behind closed doors and in hushed tones. So it turns out our soldiers hate the peasentry (and liars, and bandit harborers), and making the choice we did gives us negative morale. Which isn't the worse thing that could happen, but does give our cards all -1 to their power in the next battle.  Oh, nearby there's also a notice board which will mark sidequests and points of interest on our map. Did you know this was a Witcher game? It is! Please don't leave, we have Geralt, I swear!!!  What is this, Reynard? Bandits attacking royal tax collectors? In broad daylight? They shall pay dearly, Your Grace. They shall. And not only they. Rot has crept into Lyria, Reynard. My kingdom has been poorly kept.Meve and Reynard chat as we leave town. There's also another peasent out here having some problems with his cart, so let's see to him.  Remember that morale loss we just suffered? Yeah, don't worry about that. A quick 50 gold and it's all fixed up.  Outside of town we encounter this mysterious puzzle icon. VIDEO: MEVE VS SOME ROCKS Oh no! It's our first 'puzzle' battle. I use that word very loosely, since the game flat out tells you the answer to this one. Thanks, Thronebreaker, maybe next time I can play the videogame.  More exciting cart action awaits at the crossroads.     I decided to demonstrate some open-world gameplay and head in the complete opposite direction of our main quest. There's another bulletin board over here, too!  And a little further south-east we find another puzzle battle starring everyones favorite monsters, some Drowners. VIDEO: MEVE VS THE DROWNERS Not a hard puzzle to start with, thankfully. It did take me a few tries to remember what I was doing, though.  As usual, to the victor go the spoils. There's also a note:  This is what happens to people who evade taxes. There's also a helpful little map along with the note, which leads us to our rightfully deserved cash hidden out in a nearby field. It's a decent chunk of cash, about 250 gold.  There's a monastery to the north, just above where we almost got crushed by rocks.   It's all come clear now. Sabotage. T'was the bandits who weakened the walls. Wheel ruts. The Strays no doubt. They must be nearby... They are, in fact, nearby. Before leaving we also say a prayer at the chapel's shrine, which gives both a morale bonus and half of a card. We'll find the other halves scattered around the map in various places.  And there they are, encamped a little ways to the north of the church.  VIDEO: MEVE VS THE WAGONS Finally we get to our first (mostly) non-puzzle battle. I'm still running the default deck, but it's nice to just get to play the game.  And now our next choice. Do we: - Keep all the treasure. - Return it to the cloister. The payout for the treasure is pretty spectacular, but I guess there might be some reason to do the right thing. Maybe. Party Bug fucked around with this message at 17:26 on Jan 22, 2022 |
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Jan 22, 2022 17:24
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Return it. For the last thread choice, pressing the peasants into service gives you a few extra recruits (+3, IIRC), and whipping them improves your morale. Pressing them into service is the optimal choice, because there are plenty of other places to improve your morale.
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Jan 22, 2022 18:08
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Keep it. We are a Queen, all the realm's coin is ours!
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Jan 22, 2022 22:51
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Return it Let's not offend the gods.
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Jan 23, 2022 23:32
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Return it. The treasure rightfully belongs to the cloister.
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Jan 27, 2022 02:40
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Keep It Out of curiosity, is this game fully linear in terms of fights / story or does it branch out / have rng elements?
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Jan 28, 2022 01:16
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Return it. Messing with the church generally isn't a good idea for a monarch.PotatoManJack posted:Keep It Many fights have slight RNG in that the other side is also drawing cards from a deck of their own and making decisions dynamically. Some fights (and most puzzles) are scripted more tightly. The game is quasi-linear in terms of the main story, but with a lot of side quests and decisions that can impact things quite a bit.
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Jan 29, 2022 17:41
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| # ? May 7, 2024 07:16 |
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There are certain battles on the main storyline where your useful tactics are heavily constrained, and there are the puzzle battles that are basically scripted. Beyond that there are usually tactical choices.
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Jan 30, 2022 02:07
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