Part One: Inspiration and beginnings

When did the idea come into being and what inspired it?

It is quite a long story. The very idea of the game first appeared about three years ago. It all started in the time when CD Projekt was about to create the PC conversion of Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance. Eventually, we had to drop the idea, though it was not our fault. However, the idea of creating an RPG game survived. No wonder, CD Projekt has always excelled in releasing RPGs into the Polish market, this is the genre we know best. Choice of The Witcher was only natural. This is a world-class novel, and our national treasure too.

How does the game reflect its literary original?

This surely is one of the most important and interesting issues concerning development of The Witcher. We based our work on a renowned piece of literature, hence we have encountered numerous problems connected with switching from one medium to another. There’s much to say, but let’s start with the plotline. Story of The Witcher begins a few years after the saga, so, to a certain extent, it is its sequel. We have paid our utmost attention to sticking to the atmosphere of the original. We set our story in the correct historical surroundings, at the same time doing our best to stick to all details and the literary style of the original saga. All of those were to be transferred into all possible media – a real chore, to be honest. The author of the novel only provides us with written word, merely a hint. Basing on his style we may create the dialogues, but it is up to us how the world and characters are constructed – take for example Geralt’s voice, his style of combat, looks of particular items in his inventory. Sapkowski only writes: ‘The Witcher swung his sword in pirouette’ – but it is up to us to visualize this description – the use of magical sign and combat sequence. In some places we had to sacrifice fidelity to the original. I am sure, however, that as far as the atmosphere goes, as well as e.g. dynamic combat mechanics we will stay true to the novel. The challenge is huge and only by working on the game have we realized how many details required implementing. Yet I hope we have done well. Fidelity to the literary original also includes characters of the game. Fans of the novel will surely appreciate a large number of characters from the saga they will be able to encounter in the world of the game. We have been trying not to introduce too many new ones, however. We can’t avoid it, but the author himself introduces new individuals very carefully. We would not like to introduce any characters in vain and without ample justification.

Has Andrzej Sapkowski influenced the game in any way? Do you contact him to consult issues you have doubts about?

Andrzej Sapkowski is a writer, not a game developer and he realizes this fact but too well. Since the very beginning of the project, and it was mainly his initiative, has been reduced to consulting and assessment. There are events and issues not well-described in the novel – like geography of the world. And this is basically the case we present Mr. Sapkowski our doubts and enquiries. Yet, he does not take active part in the development process. We accept and fully understand his choice. He’s emotionally connected to The Witcher – it’s his creation, but, at the same time, he’s involved in the writing process and does not interfere the game development process.

Have Andrzej Sapkowski’s works been your source of inspiration?

Not at all. We have naturally aimed at preserving the spirit of Sapkowski’s novel, but even he must have bases his creation on numerous sources, e.g. the modern culture. If you look well enough, you will notice a number of today’s world problems transferred into the language and realties of those days. And this is exactly what we do with the game’s plotline. We have to search for inspiration in numerous sources. Both – Sapkowski’s works, but also RPG classics like Baldur’s Gate or Fallout – filled with references to the modern world. So it will be in our game. Perhaps not exactly so, he worlds differ in a way, one way or another not unlike Sapkowski we’re trying to refer to a number of up-to-date problems. There are for example Elves – whose situation includes elements of the history of American Indians… there are groups similar in their actions to contemporary terrorist guerillas. We have also been inspired by numerous other books, legends and myths. Such inspirations appear undoubtedly in Sapkowski’s works as well. Take the Arthurian Myth – so strongly visible in the Saga. The only world we’d rather not refer to are worlds of other RPGs – they seem exploited enough already.

What are your inspirations when taking into consideration the visuals of the world?

When it comes to graphics we’re aiming at two major things – realism of the world and it being visually attractive. Take the cities for example – we want them to be most accurate copies of the actual turn of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The game, however, imposes a certain regime we must respect. Width of the streets is fixed, so that the characters might move freely along them. While creating buildings we have based on authentic, historic sketches and designs as well as the then paintings. On the other hand, these are naturally not visualizations or realization of actually existent cities, streets or market places. During the last E3 we met some developers from Switzerland – who were literarily charmed by The Witcher. They agreed that our cities looked identically to the Medieval Swiss towns. They were taken aback by the fact that someone could so meticulously recreate the atmosphere of those days. We felt really appreciated to have been able to create atmosphere that would make those interested in architecture look for references to real-life places in our work.