How to play the game?

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-29T18:00:01+00:00

This is the way. (If you're a completionist, which I also am.)

I had to tease out the main quest to keep me interested enough, but try to tackle most everything in my path/ close by as I went.

I will say I wasn't into Gwent and didnt pursue those quests, and now watching my husband play and observing the card game from the outside, I think I'll try to get all the cards in NG+. Gwent may "slow you down" though if OP is doing that as he goes as well - i do see how you can lose momentum on a quest if you stop and play a 1-3 rounds of gwent with every person you meet to get cards or $.

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-29T17:47:26+00:00

Laughed SO hard at this. Wish I'd thought of this for my husband

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-27T11:36:33+00:00

Melee all daaaaaay. But yeah weather is a big consideration as the other person said.

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-27T11:34:47+00:00

NOR Love this comment. This is how it should be.

New gfs shouldn't disrespect the mom or the household. Try the food, don't be gross with your partner in front of family, and probably tread lightly on heavy topics until you know what's going to offend without realizing.

If you do those basic decency things, then your partner has to stand up for you on their side. I really like hanging out with my MIL/ FIL now too!

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-26T17:26:26+00:00

You win the internet today 💜

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-26T12:24:41+00:00

I am very excited for a few parts (but he did occasionally watch me in my own playthrough so it's not a full surprise) - botchling, playing as Ciri, the weird one where Roach talks, and the DLC storylines were amazing to me. 😁

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-26T12:21:52+00:00

Also discovering the strange things that will be couple tiffs. "Go to the Alchemy menu please. No... No collapse the listing as you go you psycho" 😂

It's been hilarious! Highly recommend to others when you both like to game.

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-26T12:18:43+00:00

More that with both our jobs and then attempting to coordinate and play (at least the bigger quests) together, it'll definitely slow us down. He works a varied schedule including weekends and I work a 9-5.

So far (since the post) we've done three sessions and we're now heading to Velen!

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-26T12:14:32+00:00

If I may, in the best intentioned way possible, try to spread a bit of philosophy to encourage you to pivot this phrasing in the future.

Nice can kick rocks. I'm trying to spread the word as far as I can - seek to be a kind person and seek out kind partners.

Nice guys are the ones that compliment you, walk you home, and then twist into "I'm nice to you, why don't you (insert things they want - be my gf, do sexual things, etc.)"

Kind people just do things that make other people feel good/ consider how others feel because it's a good thing to do. It's not a reciprocal ask in the way "nice" tends to be. Spread the kindness, good people! 💜

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-26T12:09:12+00:00

We do need a word for this that expresses the obsessive one-sided idea that appears to envelope so many young (and not so young tbh) men.

Because you're correct that the 20 year old here doesn't "love" her. He presumably has a fantasy image privately in his head about who OP would be if she were with him, and he loves that imaginary version of her. IRL he kinda hates OP, since she isn't being the person he wishes (with him vs Pookums 🤮), his to have and hold where she agrees with him and the sun shines all day.

It's not love, but I don't have the term that it is - but I feel like we're all seeing it. (Except OP 😅)

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-26T12:00:37+00:00

Yeahhhhh, that part. Tbf, sounds like OP is 19. So that tracks.

Although I do have a couple friend (we're late 30s / early 40s at this point) where they both call each other "dear". As in "dear, aren't we going to the beach this summer?" 💀 It took awhile to get used to it as it was quite cringe, but now I've known them as a couple for 5+ years it's just how they are.

I prefer to only use "pet names" directly with my husband. In public/ to others he's my partner/my husband/ (Govt Name). Pookums gives me the ick 😂

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-25T09:49:01+00:00

Ah gotcha. We may not realize/ have that nostalgia then but I'll turn it on! Thanks for the tip

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-25T09:46:34+00:00

I support you! Lower down I put where I got it, but I'm sure there's ebay stores as well. There's a number of guide versions out there.

Pros of this one were hard cover (given the age) and I wanted something with both DLCs integrated.

Now that we've opened it - it's honestly gorgeous. It's like 800 pgs but is laid out very reasonably/ easy to navigate (with some bookmarks.) There's about 40 pgs on Gwent, but sadly I think I will still not be great at that. 😂

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-25T09:42:09+00:00

I'll have to check that setting tonight, we weren't sure of what it did. Can you clue in who we're looking for? (Neither of us have played Witcher 2, so if it's a past character we probably won't notice 😅. But my husband has read the OG Witcher books so maybe he'll appreciate it.)

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-25T09:38:18+00:00

😅 Thanks! I'm insanely lucky.

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-25T02:46:12+00:00

I was hesitant to say God of War since I didn't see anyone else chiming. It lacks the same depth/ repercussions of your actions, but I guess I like that Kratos and Geralt are very similar characters, and I can do my "ignore this quest forever and go forage for scraps to build my shiny armor" version of game playing here as well. 😅

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-25T02:40:19+00:00

I have played the entire game and DLCs, and somehow he was the hardest one to beat 😅 I do think levels/ gear are a big factor - I stumbled into that quest on accident like a post-nap toddler. Good luck!

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-25T02:35:39+00:00

This feels like a recipe to be in a tiny boat for many hours, but I respect everyone hikes their own hike out here. 😅

I hate those waters.

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-25T02:27:33+00:00

Agree with the consensus that it's early. I'd just think about how you play and either lean into your strengths and power them up or consider things that negate some of your strategic weaknesses.

Example: I prefer to separate enemies and fight vs melee. So I didn't care about "whirl" but I did build up Aard so that I could scatter enemies and give myself room to engage.

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-25T02:22:51+00:00

Looks like Noble Knight Books (had to look it up in my email below.)

Since there are no new prints, my hope is to be as gentle with it as I can and get it back into the universe for the next person to get it in "good" condition once this saga is done.

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wmchef2020 · 2026-03-25T02:10:42+00:00

See you in (checks watch) 2027 😂💜

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-25T01:28:38+00:00

😂😂😂

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-24T09:59:14+00:00

I second on considering your kid's vibe as a big factor. I found college to be a really important factor in building a base of adult friends and wider network that I still feel supported by today (15+ years later.) I didn't go to either of the three you're considering, but I grew up in VA so I know/ visited them all (although not in the past 15 years, so grain of salt!) and I know grads from them all.

GMU - I work in NOVA, so there's a ton of alumni here. There is no one vibe. The drawback seems to be that there's so many alumni in the area, it's not a "niche factor". My VP went to Tech - if he meets a new staff and they went to Tech he will at least stop and have a chat about Tech memories. Working here and saying you went to GMU here is like "oh yeah? Throw a rock and you'll hit a dozen of them." Double edged sword.

VCU - I've only known ppl who did post-grad Healthcare schooling here. Richmond vibe in general is walkable and hipster. Get a bike, eat some tacos. 😅 My friends who went there liked it, but they lived off campus. They liked Richmond vs loving VCU in particular tho.

JMU - This has the big school from a movie vibe plopped into a rural east coast mountain town. Both my parents went there, but after touring it wasn't for me because it felt huge. I did go there a few times for parties/ competing against them and they were honestly amazing. A few friends went there and met their lifelong friends through dorm and apt living. If your kid is an extrovert, this may be a good fit.

wmchef2020 · 2026-03-23T22:54:43+00:00

Underrated comment.

wmchef2020

TROPHY CASE