Holy crap!! Those videos were awesome. The Hope one was my fav one.

I think I'll buy the game in July. I hope there will be some other editions left available (not the collector's edition which costs around 100EUR IIRC, the other edition).

EDIT: I think that's the standard edition.

This thread made me actually read the email I got from GOG. Last night I spent $50 and downloaded The Witcher (8.5GB) and installed it, and did the pre-download of The Witcher 2 (9.7GB). Sometime late this evening I'll get the last 100MB and be able to install it. The GOG downloader paused itself, so I guess I need to leave the laptop on overnight.

I don't know if I wasted money, or not, but, so far, I hate the controls in The Witcher. I'm not a fan of third-person, even though I'm now trying to figure out DA:O, but I can live with it.

The controls in Witcher 2 are probably going to be very different if the few previews I've seen are any indication.

what i dont get is steam offering a collectors edition with digital maps, pamphlets etc. who the hell is going to buy that when you can go to the store and get the real deal for a few bucks more? :shrug:

Which 3rd person view are you using? There's actually 3. You can change the view in-game with F1 ( bird-eye), F2 (overhead), and F3 (OTS). I play OTS, as the controllers make more sense to me that way.

Yep, I prefer OTS too.

I... I have activated the game. But my new graphics card has not yet arrived. Whatever shall I do?

I'm in the same (almost) situation! My graphic card arrives Wednesday or Thursday (it better be Wednesday!) and I unlock the game tomorrow. :ahhh:

I've just seen that the store has send a notice with a tracking number. Card should arrive tomorrow. I'm more worried about my CPU though. That E6300 is pretty weak nowadays. And I can only upgrade to a Q6700, maximum, and those are hard to find.
I just wanted to post some pictures of Triss, Geralt and the monster I built... But my digicam seems to have disappeared. Well, maybe tomorrow. ^_^

Heh, I'm quite a bit worried that this game will force me to order a new graphic card. I hope that won't be the case though, that would mean another extra day of waiting

At least you have a chance. I'm forced for another 24h wait, since the GoG version opens up at 7am GMT tomorrow (about 10am here if I'm not mistaken), and I'm going to work for the next 9h shortly after that.

I have tried all 3 of them, and I still dislike ALL 3rd person. OTS is the least bothersome, but I wish more games provided a first person option (All hail, TES!).

Guess I'll stay up late tonight to play it for an hour before bed. Unless I pull an all night thing. 2:40 to go. Hopefully it unlocks then or I'll be crushed having planned around this.

This. Is. Awesome.
Honestly, it is. And I've only reached Act 1. The battle system is much more fluid, the acting is better, the graphics are extremely pretty - even on the medium setting I can only choose now - and the options for RP are as grand as ever. I've now experienced the results from my first greater decision, and that's a few hours in. I hope this game can keep the pace up. ^_^
Oh, but much of the loot is crap. Since you mostly loot from rummaging through people's possessions, that should show some people.

Could you go into a little more detail on the combat system please?

It's hack&slay now. Well, more than the timing-based hack&slay of TW1, anyway. So you run around, attack and try to get as many combos into one enemy (here's where you have to time it well now, starting a huge leap when an enemy is up to hit you isn't exactly the best idea) as you can while dodging the opposition - which isn't easy since most fights are group fights. To solve that problem you need your sign magic. Especially trapping the more powerful foes in one place can be helpful. I find Quen (shield with electrical damage) to be somewhat overpowered right now, so I expect that one to be remedied soon.
Some fights are too hard even with the best of skill I had, so I think I'll concentrate on getting lots of ingredients for alchemy now in the first act. Oh, and you can't just chug some potions in battle this time.

Downloaded the full game from GOG now, and is currently installing it.

Now I remember why I don't pre-download games normally. They just sit there, almost complete, as if taunting you...

Assembling now. Ladies and gentlemen! To a sleepless night, also the launch trailer is epic! I spoiled myself and had to watch it, pretty good to go Witcher 2 news black out. Took a lot of willpower. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWNy3NDNbXk&feature=related < click.

Pre-download worked for me, time-wise. I did it last night (Sun/Mon) while sleeping, and finished the last bit when I got up for work today (Tues). Currently combining files, and I don't know if I have time to install before I have to leave.

The Witcher 2 is coming out at a very convenient time for me. I've been sick the last few days, and downloaded the first Witcher game off Steam to pass the time, not knowing when it's sequel was coming out. Now that that I'm close to finishing, I'm pretty happy to know the sequel is coming out tomorrow. I'll be able to go straight from one to the other

I might be a newb to the system, but it feels so [censored] busy. Block, parry, dodge, use spell, use the [censored] slow down time thing, block, block, parry, light attack or fast attack, block, spells. potions, check behind me 60000 times a second, roll, dodge, roll, dodge, roll, dodge, roll, dodge, roll, att, run, roll, dodge, roll, dodge, run, and get [censored] CONFUSED! What the hell is going on. What buttons am I pressing? *cries self to sleep* too much buttons. Recalculate all of this for changing battle situation 90000 cycles a second, make one mistake and get mobbed. Literally one attack and then you get attack stunned then the other guy attack stuns you. I got hit once and geyyed into attack stun by an endless wave of attacks. This is the damn tutorial. What... is... going... on!!!!

Edit
It feels like too much of a good thing. Like cake is good, but then your forced to eat cake for three days straight and your int he hospital for a diabetes check up and it isn't fun. Hopefully this "busy" feeling tones down a bit after reading... uh something. I can't even find the keyboard layout in game. I'm just mashing buttons and hoping for the best.

Edit2
Other than the busy almost impossible combat everything is fine.

Edit3
Hour and a half of trying to beat one wall of the damn tutorial. Good god... please help me.

Edit4
I am playing on hard.

Edit5
Okay got past that area, but the parry/block controls are really finicky and picky. They seem to only work when they want to. Best to just keep rolling around like an r-tard. I equipped knives and then all of a sudden block was... well not throw knife. It also wasn't block though. It was weird, probably a glitch. An annoying one that set me back 15 minutes.

My advice would be to man up and accept that to get used to the controls you're probably going to want to play on an easier setting for the time being. Otherwise you'll be so busy getting your ass kicked you'll never get a chance to actually feel comfortable!

Oh dear, this game is punching me in my gut on normal and on beginning phase already. I like.

Huh...sounds as though this game might have been better suited for a controller...

Anyway, does Witcher 2 include multiple language dubs? I'm currently playing the first one, and quickly switched to Polish when many of the English voices weren't doing it for me.