Anyone interested in doing a Witcher Speed Run.
Here is a list of all the tricks I've learned:
Mandatory Quests
Though this game has a lot of quest, most can be avoided. The following are manditory:
Prolog: all
Chapter 1: 'Of Monsters and Men' and 'Salamander’s Tail'. Unsure if you can complete 'Salamander’s Tail' without doing 'The Secret Garden', 'Buried Memories', and 'Strangers in the night'.
Chapter 2: 'Prison Break', 'Vizima Confidential', 'A Mysterious Tower', 'The Sentry', 'Clay Pits', 'The Crown Witness', 'Autopsy', and 'Monoliths'.
Chapter 3: 'Posh Reception', 'Following the Thread', 'The Viziman Connection', 'Diplomacy and Hunting', 'Lock and Key', and 'The Unforgiven'.
Chapter 4: 'Ripples' and 'Free Elves'.
Chapter 5: 'Sweet Revenge', 'Her Highness the Striga', 'Hope That Burns' (neutral), 'Under a Fiery Sky' (Squirrels), and 'The Fire that Cleanses' (Order).
Epilogue: all
Quests Other
Chapter 1: 1 it's possible to forge a meteorite sword out of the 3 red and 2 blue meteorites in chapter 1 and the prologue. Though if you get the ore in the prolog you have to fight a Mutated Hound during the Buried Memories quest.
Chapter 1: I found it was easier to defeat the beast with the help of the villagers (I let them kill Abigail). Though Abigail will attack you in the Epilogue.
Chapter 2: If you don't team up with Siegfried you'll be given access to the hospital. If you do team up with him you'll gain access to the Dykes.
Chapter 4: the cow is a good shield against Dagon (Ripples quest).
Chapter 4: if you spare Berengar he'll fight Azar with you, if you killed him his Amulet will weaken Azar.
Chapters 2-4: 'Forced Recon' (chapter 2), 'Gold Rush' (chapter 3), and 'Free Elves' (chapter 4) all determine which faction will support you (Squirrels, Order, or neither). They will help you in chapters 3-5, and the Epilogue. If you don't support one of them they will both attack you.
Chapter 5: I have not tested whether you need to complete 'Her Highness the Striga' before you can get into the Old Manor.
Epilogue: the side you supported will help you, the other will attack you. If you're neutral (didn't support either) you can talk your way out of fighting them.
Epilogue: you don't need to fight the 'King of the Wild Hunt'.
Battle techniques
If an enemy is stunned (using Samum or Aard) Geralt can instantly kill them regardless of how much health they have left.
If Yred is used at a choke point the enemy will not be able to swarm Geralt. I also used it to kill the Golem without taking a single hit.
Cut scenes and dialog
Cut scenes can be skipped by pressing the escape ('esc') button.
Dialog can be skipped by clicking the left mouse button.
Limits
Geralt cannot enter another area if there are monsters nearby.
Here is a list of all the tricks I've learned:
Mandatory Quests
Though this game has a lot of quest, most can be avoided. The following are manditory:
Prolog: all
Chapter 1: 'Of Monsters and Men' and 'Salamander’s Tail'. Unsure if you can complete 'Salamander’s Tail' without doing 'The Secret Garden', 'Buried Memories', and 'Strangers in the night'.
Chapter 2: 'Prison Break', 'Vizima Confidential', 'A Mysterious Tower', 'The Sentry', 'Clay Pits', 'The Crown Witness', 'Autopsy', and 'Monoliths'.
Chapter 3: 'Posh Reception', 'Following the Thread', 'The Viziman Connection', 'Diplomacy and Hunting', 'Lock and Key', and 'The Unforgiven'.
Chapter 4: 'Ripples' and 'Free Elves'.
Chapter 5: 'Sweet Revenge', 'Her Highness the Striga', 'Hope That Burns' (neutral), 'Under a Fiery Sky' (Squirrels), and 'The Fire that Cleanses' (Order).
Epilogue: all
Quests Other
Chapter 1: 1 it's possible to forge a meteorite sword out of the 3 red and 2 blue meteorites in chapter 1 and the prologue. Though if you get the ore in the prolog you have to fight a Mutated Hound during the Buried Memories quest.
Chapter 1: I found it was easier to defeat the beast with the help of the villagers (I let them kill Abigail). Though Abigail will attack you in the Epilogue.
Chapter 2: If you don't team up with Siegfried you'll be given access to the hospital. If you do team up with him you'll gain access to the Dykes.
Chapter 4: the cow is a good shield against Dagon (Ripples quest).
Chapter 4: if you spare Berengar he'll fight Azar with you, if you killed him his Amulet will weaken Azar.
Chapters 2-4: 'Forced Recon' (chapter 2), 'Gold Rush' (chapter 3), and 'Free Elves' (chapter 4) all determine which faction will support you (Squirrels, Order, or neither). They will help you in chapters 3-5, and the Epilogue. If you don't support one of them they will both attack you.
Chapter 5: I have not tested whether you need to complete 'Her Highness the Striga' before you can get into the Old Manor.
Epilogue: the side you supported will help you, the other will attack you. If you're neutral (didn't support either) you can talk your way out of fighting them.
Epilogue: you don't need to fight the 'King of the Wild Hunt'.
Battle techniques
If an enemy is stunned (using Samum or Aard) Geralt can instantly kill them regardless of how much health they have left.
If Yred is used at a choke point the enemy will not be able to swarm Geralt. I also used it to kill the Golem without taking a single hit.
Cut scenes and dialog
Cut scenes can be skipped by pressing the escape ('esc') button.
Dialog can be skipped by clicking the left mouse button.
Limits
Geralt cannot enter another area if there are monsters nearby.
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