Does anyone else think novigrad's villains were poorly written?

[Nanako]

I'd like to discusss what i believe is a major drop in writing quality

Early on in Act 1 (White orchard) we're given a pretty grey picture of conflict. Nilfgaard is portrayed as both saviour and oppressor in somewhat even measure. The local garrison commander and the griffin are the major antagonists, both have their own justifiable reasons for what they do (the griffin's mate was murdered) and in the end geralt has to take a neutral path of self interest

In act 2,Velen things got really complex and interesting. The main antagonists were;
the Bloody Baron, a lying wifebeating drunk, but a deeply flawed and relateable man nevertheless with a long history of pain;
And the three crones of crookback bog, ancient beings who killed and helped in somewhat even measure, protecting a nearby village from another evil spirit. No matter what choice you pick, someone gets killed, it was a pretty complex story overall.

But right now, i'm just about done with Act 3, novigrad and oxenfurt. I feel like the writers really dropped the ball on this one. We have three main antagonists this time:

Caleb Menge, the witchburning puppykicking bigot, who hates you on sight and makes himself your #1 enemy, from the moment you meet until you kill him

♥♥♥♥♥son Junior, the head of a sadistic clown gang whose members value both their own lives and those of their enemies, at nothing. Junior himself is a violent sadist who murders working girls for pleasure.

Radovid, the Mad King, leading a persecution campaign against magic users, betraying his former allies and even his own subordinates, and gradually descending into insanity as he destroys the country he inherited.

None of these three characters are in any way relateable or grey. They are plain black, totally evil, clear cut villains. There's nothing to sympathise with, nobody in the world misses them when they're gone, and geralt gets to play superman as he hunts them down on his own little crusade

This is really inconsistent. These guys aren't at all comparable to the antagonists who came before. they're far less interesting characters in almost every way

[Living Broscillograph]

Junior is an iconic tool of the ruling class - a totally black-colored antagonist as it should be.

Menge is a tool as well but on the other front - religious, where people like him are supposed to channel social displeasure away from rulers and bourgeois. He is a product of the formation, he believes that he defends humanity against evil. He does what he ought to, lets come what may.

Radovid is on the top of the formation, he defends Redanian humanity against its competitors on the continent. It's just Geralt and most of his friends on the other side of the warfare - that's why Radovid's actions may look like insanity. but they are mostly not. He wouldn't be called The Stern if he was just a lunatic. A different person on the throne will act the same way (after secures the rule) - the bounds of feudalism will force to.

It's hardly inconsistent.

[every1hasnames]

While I agree to a point I never really considered any of them except radovid maybe to be a villain that Geralt crusadeds to kill.

Caleb Menge it was never Geralts intention to set out to kill him or do anything about the witch hunters. He did so only to get information on Dandelion in which Geralt finds dandelion he learns more about Ciri. It was literally the only reason he even went to to the mage hunters headquarters with Triss and even still Triss had to do a little convincing.

Whoreson Junior is pretty much the same Geralt needed to find him not because he wanted to right a wrong kill the bad guy but because Junior held information on Ciri. He knew of Ciri and can give clues on what happened with there interaction. Hell until he finds Junior Geralt doesn't even know If Junior even attempted to harm Ciri.

Radovid the only exception but I include maybe because again the only reason why Geralt cared was again because of a loved ones. People he cared about.. Witchers have the rule of staying neutral about politics after all.

My point is while I agree to a pointl and understand how you feel that's its bad writing. That thought process really relies on Geralt being the go out right wrongs type goody goody. That crusades against all evil. It also relies on them being villains directly opposed to Geralts mission.

And Radovid is literally the only one that MAYBE would be in my opinion.


Hell I highly doubt Caleb Menge even knows who Ciri is. Let alone cares if Geralt finds her or not.

With maybe the exception of Radovid none of them are really written as main villains directly apposing the protagonist of the story and more like individuals Geralt crossed paths on his search .

To me the way I looked at it. They were written well enough to tell the narrative that was told.

[deidian]

Another thing is that you are seeing villains when your protagonist is not a hero. Geralt doesn't has for mission to fix the world and finish evil doers. Actually he firmly believes that world can't be fixed, yet still he refuses to stare at the "injustices" he witness if he can do something relatively safe, He just may help people in need if they cross paths with him due to his nature, he has a sense of decency that comparatively to the world in which he lives is not perfect, but among the best you can run into.
Is just that on situations where most folks will look away, he might not do it and instead get involved helping someone.

You see the Baron and The Crones as villains when they are not, they are just characters holding information about Ciri, a thing which Geralt needs, they do not oppose to him. Aside that they do something in the world.
Even if The Crones tried to harm Ciri they still can't be considered villains because they just did it taking advantage of an opportunity, when Ciri scaped they didn't pursue her, they just stayed in the Bog doing their thing.

The Garrison commander is the same, is not a villain, someone holding information Geralt needs, in this case about Yennefer. The Griffin is a monster dangerous to humans that Geralt kills as part of a contract, Geralt doing his job, monster slayer.

Menge and Junior already explained well. I think Radovid is not a villain and still Geralt doesn't give a ♥♥♥♥ about him. Geralt is pretty much neutral towards Radovid all the time, not a person he would like to talk to, but he madly needs to find Junior, so better than nothing is.

Just when playing the witcher forget cloaks, Geralt is not a hero and the only villains here are The Wild Hunt, for what you know: they want to use Ciri for something, presumably not good, you'll get a better insight of The Wild Hunt intentions when the game progresses more. All others are just folks of the world occupying different social positions and doing what they want and/or can do, be it good or bad or grey.

Just if you go judging every character you run into in the witcher you can practically deem all them as villains, sometimes even Geralt's friends act as villains.... This looking from a "knight in shiny armor" perspective.

[Ivar]

Yes. Junior in particular is terrible. The rest are decent at best. Clearly, a newbie writer got the Novigrad section. And nothing in TW3 compares to the villains in TW2. The writers need to see this time and again - TW2 has better plot development and better villains than TW3. It's not even close. This needs to be put in their faces everyday they go to work - more TW2, less TW3.

[Radene]

Personally, I think Radovid simply snapped under the pressure of leading the war effort and not getting any sleep because his vigilance is required at all times to outmaneuver the Nilfgaard forces.

[Exarch_Alpha]

Nah, if you played W2 you knew he was crazy, through with some reason.

[Radene]

Messaggio originale di Exarch_Alpha:

Nah, if you played W2 you knew he was crazy, through with some reason.

Yes, he's very much crazy-er this time around. Still a genius when it comes to strategy and tactics, but otherwise bonkers.

[Exarch_Alpha]

I always thought that there should be a way to kill him and Philippa

"Hey stupid owl, eat this dimeritium bomb"

"Wat BOOOOOOOOOM"

[Radene]

Messaggio originale di Exarch_Alpha:

I always thought that there should be a way to kill him and Philippa

"Hey stupid owl, eat this dimeritium bomb"

"Wat BOOOOOOOOOM"

Agreed, agreed...

I am not happy with how that mega-♥♥♥♥♥ keeps evading her karmic comeuppance.

[fitzifatz]

I don't think all antagonists have to be grey. An the crones are not really grey, they are messed up af. Like a parasite they just "protect" the village from other monsters to leech on it alone. Ciri's encounter with them and Geralt's talk show very clearly how very twisted and evil they are.

[Jerry]

won't go into too much detail but they are not the only antagonists. they are like the 3 main bastards that really act in a nasty way but the real ''rulers'' are the kings of beggers of which there are 4 and each of them has their own agenda. for example Dikstra is kinda a good guy but really isnt he only helps people that he'll have an advantage from. he even kills 3 of your friends/his allies if you don't kill him. and the other 3 are also different. whoreson junior is a scumbag spoiled brat but the other two (Radovit and garison commander are interesting in the fact one is driven by rage for mages due to bad experiance and the other is just (sadistically) enjoying his ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up job.