Why does Geralt have such dumb fighting animations?

[Face]

It seems like every other attack is some overly complicated spinning move, it makes basic attacks take so much longer to land than if he just swung the sword normally. I don't know how many times I've been hit while he is busy dancing around like a fairy.

["Sweeti Cheekz" Bambeenz]

I think it's also worth mentioning that the time between pushing the attack button and Geralt reaching the attack-dealing part of his animation are the same, regardless of whether he is spinning about or not. I haven't tested this extensively but I tried paying extra attention to this last night while fighting nekkers (or fukkers, as I call them) and it just seems like Geralt is leaving himself open while spinning because of the animation itself, not because he is 'wasting time' with superfluous motions.

[GunmanX]

agreed

[Clyan]

it's just a subtle way to tell your opponent that you're not afraid of him, more like amused and even able to dance ballet while fighting him. the spinning and roflcoptering is visualized right into the enemies subconsciousness and makes him feel very uncomfortable. it's one of the first things witcher learn. just look at ciri in the dream at the beginning, she's flying like a little wonderful bird when engaging that evil tree stomp, and as intented the stomp is confused and dazzled by her beauty and therefor unable to counter her attacks.

[Lord Khane]

This is the Witcher about Witchers that do fight like that. I would imagine that if those medieval sword fighters from real life had half of Geralt's reflexes and speed from this game they would be jumping and flipping around their enemies dicing them to ribbons too.

It does take skill to conform to something new and do well at it. I am not whining about it in this game because it is not hard to do. Do not start attacking if you think the enemy is too close and might hit you or use Quen so that hit is nullified. Get in get out use skill or put it on easy.

You complain that their is no use for his jumping and spinning... have you not even read the skills that are coming up? As Geralt is spinning his attacks hit all enemies around him damaging or causing bleeding or poison. I have been in many situations already that I would have loved to have been hitting all 7 or so of those wraiths or drowners swarming me at the same time. Sounds like a use to me... Another is you will get a better chance to land a hit etc.. once you lvl up more.

So again that is the witcher style of fighting. You are lvl 1 to start and have to grow into being better at what you do.

[kuraiken]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Lord Khane:

This is the Witcher about Witchers that do fight like that. I would imagine that if those medieval sword fighters from real life had half of Geralt's reflexes and speed from this game they would be jumping and flipping around their enemies dicing them to ribbons too.

It does take skill to conform to something new and do well at it. I am not whining about it in this game because it is not hard to do. Do not start attacking if you think the enemy is too close and might hit you or use Quen so that hit is nullified. Get in get out use skill or put it on easy.

You complain that their is no use for his jumping and spinning... have you not even read the skills that are coming up? As Geralt is spinning his attacks hit all enemies around him damaging or causing bleeding or poison. I have been in many situations already that I would have loved to have been hitting all 7 or so of those wraiths or drowners swarming me at the same time. Sounds like a use to me... Another is you will get a better chance to land a hit etc.. once you lvl up more.

So again that is the witcher style of fighting. You are lvl 1 to start and have to grow into being better at what you do.

No problem with most of the content, but one thing:
Medieval swordmasters had far superior speed and reflexes compared to what Geralt's doing on screen. The reason why it's so slow on screen is to allow it to be an enjoyable game.
If the game featured actual sword-fighting speed, it would be virtually unplayable because everything happens too fast.
And if Geralt would be as fast in the game as I presume he is in the books, the game would be rubbish because you wouldn't even see what's happening.

But if actual medieval swordmasters had the fictional speed-boosts Geralt has, no, they would not do what Geralt does. They'd just do what they're already doing, just a whole lot faster, because it's more effective.

[XeidiDent]

BUT it's a game, not real life.

[Aircool]

Should have made it turn based!

[supertrooper225]

Ursprungligen skrivet av tnb.aircool:

Should have made it turn based!

Oh go play Final Fantasy!

[DX]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Mcface:

what is the point of a FAST ATTACK if it takes an extra second to pull off because Geralt is dancing around like a fairy?

Legit LMAO'd

[dadzilla]

I prefer the witcher combat system to skyrim(so call combat system) anytime.

[Herreken]

Ursprungligen skrivet av The BHam:

get closer, if you are far away he will do spins and flips to gain distance and avoid dmg. aka git gud and play like a witcher

Avoid damage? These types of moves leave Geralt open for damage. It's not as bad as it was in the 2nd game at least.

[SirHallin]

I try to rationalize it as them compensating for the enhanced reflexes and speed, so at close ranges the pirouete move can give more leverage and inertia to a strike that the raw strength could not, and when you are piercing enchanted beast hide for a living you may invent new ways to do that so you kill efficiently and dont die.
So yeah, of course a normal non mutated human would not want to expose his back ever in a fight, they rely on technique and timing to get the job done, but most normal humans do not have to cut into a basilisk hide or whatever multiple times a year, or dodge the lightning quick vampiric strikes of a vledder. Its expected that a witcher could be capable of pulling off what would seem like a flourish to the uninitiated and keep it a practical part of his 100% necessary fight routine.

[Duncan]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Sir Hallin:

I try to rationalize it as them compensating for the enhanced reflexes and speed, so at close ranges the pirouete move can give more leverage and inertia to a strike that the raw strength could not, and when you are piercing enchanted beast hide for a living you may invent new ways to do that so you kill efficiently and dont die.
So yeah, of course a normal non mutated human would not want to expose his back ever in a fight, they rely on technique and timing to get the job done, but most normal humans do not have to cut into a basilisk hide or whatever multiple times a year, or dodge the lightning quick vampiric strikes of a vledder. Its expected that a witcher could be capable of pulling off what would seem like a flourish to the uninitiated and keep it a practical part of his 100% necessary fight routine.

Rationalizing an animation is a wonderful thing to do of course, but in reality there is only possible explanation - the animations should look flashy, unique and pretty so people who play the game would enjoy looking at them. Witchers use priouettes in combat of course, but not all the time.

[kuraiken]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Sir Hallin:

I try to rationalize it as them compensating for the enhanced reflexes and speed, so at close ranges the pirouete move can give more leverage and inertia to a strike that the raw strength could not, and when you are piercing enchanted beast hide for a living you may invent new ways to do that so you kill efficiently and dont die.
So yeah, of course a normal non mutated human would not want to expose his back ever in a fight, they rely on technique and timing to get the job done, but most normal humans do not have to cut into a basilisk hide or whatever multiple times a year, or dodge the lightning quick vampiric strikes of a vledder. Its expected that a witcher could be capable of pulling off what would seem like a flourish to the uninitiated and keep it a practical part of his 100% necessary fight routine.

This thing's been dead for nearly two years. Why on earth did you revive it?

That said, rationalizing is fine, if you know what rationalizing means. It's a defense mechanism where subjective emotional feelings associated with something born out of conflict with a true explanation are relieved by creating a seemingly rational statement that serves as an excuse to avoid confrontation with the real explanation. It's known as an informal fallacy of reasoning.

I personally have grown used to the animations and I immensely like Witcher as a game...but the pirouette still makes no sense regardless of any explanation.
Like if you want to penetrate, why would you cut with a sword?
You've got the tip of your sword to thrust with, which is vastly better for penetration, whereas cutting is meant to cause wide damage, intense bleeding, without entering too deeply because otherwise your weapon might get stuck.
And if you really want to deal with a foe both human or beast who is significantly armored...you wouldn't use the sword as primary weapon. In fact, to fight against fully armored humans you'd have to switch to a special anti-armor fighting style with a sword that focuses on half-swording in order to increase thrusting power to weakspots and the precision to hit them, plus enabling you to use grappling moves in close combat.
With a beast, you'd either have to come up with a specific fighting style as well, or you'd simply choose a weapon that's better suited, like a halberd or a mace, weapons with which, by the way, the hole pirouette thing would make a whole lot more sense, because these weapons actually benefit from increased power since their weight at the tip is substantial and increases in power through rotation. Though if you have superhuman reflexes and strength, you'd probably be able to accelerate them to optimal speed in much less distance, meaning that, once again, the pirouette and the rotation boost don't yield much benefit since you're pretty much moving the weapon as fast as you can anyway.

Rationalization has nothing to do with being rational or logical, it's in fact the attempt of appearing to be logical or rational in regards to a matter, while in truth a subjective bias rules your thoughts. ;)

[Duncan]

I think the ending cutscene of Witcher 1 shows somewhat close to how a witcher would really fight without breaking the logics of physics or common sense. He uses pirouettes maybe twice or thrice mostly to help him build momentum for a powerful cut. Its not just dancing around because look I'm a little fairy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo_tyITA40Q
There is this cutscene from Witcher 3, from the siege of Kaer Morhen that is just pure showing off and spinning like ballerinas that doesn't make any sense and imo looks simply stupid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4xOsSNIEUQ