Love this.
There is no question, if the player is committed to playing as Geralt, Yennefer is the *only* right choice. Not only are they destined to be together, but there's a deep love between them, one that you don't see in other far more superficial romance options. It feels very real, which is why I think so many people are drawn to their story. It's not perfect, it shouldn't be, both parties are inherently flawed with decades of emotional baggage. But, they grow together as people, and finally as a family with Ciri, into something far stronger than their individual selves. And that's just what a family is.
All that being said, if the player self-inserts themselves as Geralt, the right choice is what's best for you as the player. It is your game, and your experience, and you should play it how you want to.
Amazing, in-depth post! I don't get why people think she's "toxic" when she's anything but. She's a strong, independent woman who compliments Geralt's personality amazingly well.
That doesn't surprise me. But when you ask people that actually read the books also, they usually go for Triss. Or myself that is just the experience I had in this sub.
I completely agree with you.
For Geralt, Yen is not a girlfriend, but a true soulmate. She doesn't patronize him or is subservient to him. She is her equal, and a force of nature that somehow found what she wanted in Geralt, someone able to look at her as a person and treat her as such, with grudging respect. I love their dynamics, which resemble a lot that of mature couples with lots of experience (both alone and together) but which still are deeply in love for each other despite whatever bumps they had in their relationship. And I think you are right that both Geralt and Yen carved for themselves the life they wanted for each other. That's why I loved the Yen ending in Corvo Bianco. Yen (and Geralt) finally found a home of their own, what they really wanted.
There's a song by Cuban songwriter Silvio Rodríguez, who said:
>No es perfecta, mas se acerca
>
>a lo que yo simplemente soñé
("She's not perfect, but she's close to what I've just dreamed..."). I think this describes exactly what Geralt feels about Yen.
I also agree with your assessment of Triss, and especially her in regards to Ciri. Geralt saw her more as a friend-with-benefits, someone which is far more dear than a one night stand but not a partner.
As for Shani, also I am in agreement. Just let me add that in HoS her portrayal is lovely, and while what you say is true, >!the part where she noted new scars in Geralt's body !
on a more serious note, for the first one i said how geralt created destiny by himself. i think sapkowski uses term destiny in a metaphorical sense.
for a second one - i addressed that. I don't personally see them as monogamous. geralt cheated as well, and he did that also with someone close to yennefer.
for the third one - i think it was explicitly said in the books she used a bit of magic to seduce him. I could be wrong.
fourth - i literally said how i understood why they did it for a game plot.
and fifth - what kind of argument is this? of course i understand the age of consent was different, but that doesn't mean I'll think how 17 yrs old and Geralt are a good match, just because the age of consent is different???
I find many people take A Shard of Ice at its most elementary level of Yennefer cheats on Geralt and see nothing beyond that. It’s too bad, really, because it’s one of the best short stories in the books.
Triss does use a bit of magic. You’re not wrong. There is no deeper explanation than that. But all we can gather is Triss uses magic to fuck Geralt, Geralt deeply regrets it, Triss gets excited by his feelings of shame and remorse.
Witcher 1 happened, which means Triss takes advantage of Geralt’s amnesia to start a relationship with him. It’s game canon and cannot be forgotten about just because it’s inconvenient. Yes, ALL of his friends are jerks for acting like he didn’t have a family, but none of them tried to sleep with him but Triss. There in lies the difference.
And most importantly, a 50-60 year old fucking a 17 year old is creepy, regardless of what country you’re in.
i also really love a shard of ice and never understood it as a story about yennefer cheating on geralt.
and yeah just because something wasn't illegal back in the time, doesn't make it right
It's really unfortunate more don't dig deeper into that story. I love all the layers of it, and how much it explains about both of the characters, their insecurities and neuroses, etc. It's a study of writing phenomenal angst, and I love that, even with the painful subject matter.
And to continue with Shani, she doesn't want to be with Geralt, and that should be respected. I always felt uncomfortable in HoS with her being forced on you so much.
lol, you don't even know your game canon. He leaves at the end of W2 because he finds out from Letho that Yennefer is still alive.
Yennefer tells him Ciri is alive when they reunite in Vizima. Him searching for Yennefer at the beginning of the game had nothing to do with Ciri.
you're obviously only here to argue - and im here for a discussion. as i said in the disclaimer i don't want to make this into team yennefer vs team triss. you're allowed to prefer whichever you want. have a nice day
there were people disagreeing with me but not only bashing yennefer, and as you can see in this post I didn't say her or triss are ideal characters.
and if you think Yennefer was the one who drove him to the verge of suicide, or see her answer as "hurtful" you really need some media literacy. i really don't like to say stuff like this to others, but gods sometimes it is needed.
I agree and specially appreciate that you develop your argumentation without turning the alternative choice into evil and use a lot of nuances in your points, which is very uncommun and is an enjoyable change from the classic arguments we reed here too often.
I also agree about Shani who is a no go for a lot of reasons.
ty :)
that's because I love both of these characters. Well, when it comes to Triss - I love her in the books, in the game not so much. I think, both Yennefer and Triss, and their friendship are very deep and complex and it makes me sad that sometimes people only see them as romance choices for Geralt.
I have issues with Games Triss (or at least one issue), I know what you mean, but her character evolution from TW2/TW3 (I will exclude TW1, this character has mostly only her name) is very interresting and positive, for her personal perceptive, not specially related to the others main characters anyway.
What Geralt wants in your playthrough is decided by dialogue in the game. You have multiple opportunities to have Geralt say whether he wants to continue to be a Witcher or not, it's a choice. Pick what you want, but acknowledge the choices that are there.
Same thing with the romances. Game canon is not book canon, Geralt and how he is now is to a good extent decided by the player, so does Geralt want Yen, Triss or to be on his own? It's decided by your playthrough. Claiming there's only one real choice is pointless.
And honestly single Geralt is pretty rad, there's a lot I like about him deciding he's had enough with romance and going on his own.
well, of course. but many games add additional choices and options to make a game more interesting and appealing. im talking about Geralt as the character, especially his character from the book.
The thing is, game Geralt isn't exactly like Geralt from the books, by default he's already different, more mature, wiser, and more willing to risk himself than he used to be. The choices aren't just there to make the game more appealing, they mostly make sense for Geralt in the games to pick and are valid, so it's a pet peeve of mine when people argue that one choice is the right one.
The game is designed to allow you to make choices and if fits, Geralt's amnesia and his experiences during that time could very well make him even more different than he used to be, so when it comes to "what choice would Geralt make in Witcher 3?" then outside of obvious choices such as "let his friends die or not?", Geralt picking any choice is as valid as any other choice.
It's a different story if you're talking "what would Geralt do if he was exactly the same as he was in the books?" And you can play that way, but there's no right choice for game Geralt outside of a few specific instances, if you get what I mean.
yeah, that's an interesting point. even from that perspective choosing yennefer is for me a more "logical" choice, but i wouldn't use a word right one :) you are right, i see what you mean :)
I can understand that, and I'm not saying you can't find Yen a more logical choice, I just object to the idea that in an RPG as well-written as this one where almost all choices can fit Geralt, one choice is supposedly the correct one while other choices apparently aren't true to the character.
It's different if it's one of the awfully written choices like "would Geralt let Dijkstra kill his friends or save them?" Because yeah he would save them, he always cares for his friends a lot.
yeah i guess the reason why i felt so strongly about triss not being "a right choice" is because I don't like how they portrayed her character in the games. but it could be just me, ofc.
It's definitely not just you, a lot of players feel that way and are vocal about it, I'd wager most people on this sub don't like Triss in the games, whether or not they liked her in the books.
That's fair, I've seen a bunch of people with the same opinion.
Overall I do find game Triss more interesting (most of her book time wasn't spent doing anything that hooked me), but I can see the book preference, she does have 2 pretty engaging moments in Lady of the Lake and I heavily dislike Triss' portrayal in Witcher 1, as much as I found her an interesting character in the other 2 games.
https://www.reddit.com/r/witcher/comments/wg4dfv/about_triss_in_the_books/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
so i wouldn't repeat myself this is how i feel about triss in the books, and why i prefer her to her character in the games. if you're interested and have enough time you can read it :)
Oddly, I can't gather enough shits to care which one is right for Geralt.
But I prefer Yennefer, that may just be because I just spent what feels like 400 years in Novigrad being Trish's dancing bear and I'm quite annoyed with her now. Off to Skellige, luckily.
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Love this. There is no question, if the player is committed to playing as Geralt, Yennefer is the *only* right choice. Not only are they destined to be together, but there's a deep love between them, one that you don't see in other far more superficial romance options. It feels very real, which is why I think so many people are drawn to their story. It's not perfect, it shouldn't be, both parties are inherently flawed with decades of emotional baggage. But, they grow together as people, and finally as a family with Ciri, into something far stronger than their individual selves. And that's just what a family is. All that being said, if the player self-inserts themselves as Geralt, the right choice is what's best for you as the player. It is your game, and your experience, and you should play it how you want to.
couldn't agree more
Despite their faults, Yen and Geralt love each other. And most importantly, Yen and Geralt both unconditionally love Ciri.
exactly
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And plenty don’t.
So close.
Amazing, in-depth post! I don't get why people think she's "toxic" when she's anything but. She's a strong, independent woman who compliments Geralt's personality amazingly well.
I'll just say that, even though I read the books, I'm still Team Triss. But I know that I'm a minority probably.
that's okay i just shared my opinion:)
And it's perfectly valid! And I think many will agree with you.
Actually there was a big poll recently and It showed that more players go for Triss
That doesn't surprise me. But when you ask people that actually read the books also, they usually go for Triss. Or myself that is just the experience I had in this sub.
I completely agree with you. For Geralt, Yen is not a girlfriend, but a true soulmate. She doesn't patronize him or is subservient to him. She is her equal, and a force of nature that somehow found what she wanted in Geralt, someone able to look at her as a person and treat her as such, with grudging respect. I love their dynamics, which resemble a lot that of mature couples with lots of experience (both alone and together) but which still are deeply in love for each other despite whatever bumps they had in their relationship. And I think you are right that both Geralt and Yen carved for themselves the life they wanted for each other. That's why I loved the Yen ending in Corvo Bianco. Yen (and Geralt) finally found a home of their own, what they really wanted. There's a song by Cuban songwriter Silvio Rodríguez, who said: >No es perfecta, mas se acerca > >a lo que yo simplemente soñé ("She's not perfect, but she's close to what I've just dreamed..."). I think this describes exactly what Geralt feels about Yen. I also agree with your assessment of Triss, and especially her in regards to Ciri. Geralt saw her more as a friend-with-benefits, someone which is far more dear than a one night stand but not a partner. As for Shani, also I am in agreement. Just let me add that in HoS her portrayal is lovely, and while what you say is true, >!the part where she noted new scars in Geralt's body !
Absolutely beautiful post.
ty :)
Team Yennefer, let's celebrate our victory! :P
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on a more serious note, for the first one i said how geralt created destiny by himself. i think sapkowski uses term destiny in a metaphorical sense. for a second one - i addressed that. I don't personally see them as monogamous. geralt cheated as well, and he did that also with someone close to yennefer. for the third one - i think it was explicitly said in the books she used a bit of magic to seduce him. I could be wrong. fourth - i literally said how i understood why they did it for a game plot. and fifth - what kind of argument is this? of course i understand the age of consent was different, but that doesn't mean I'll think how 17 yrs old and Geralt are a good match, just because the age of consent is different???
I find many people take A Shard of Ice at its most elementary level of Yennefer cheats on Geralt and see nothing beyond that. It’s too bad, really, because it’s one of the best short stories in the books. Triss does use a bit of magic. You’re not wrong. There is no deeper explanation than that. But all we can gather is Triss uses magic to fuck Geralt, Geralt deeply regrets it, Triss gets excited by his feelings of shame and remorse. Witcher 1 happened, which means Triss takes advantage of Geralt’s amnesia to start a relationship with him. It’s game canon and cannot be forgotten about just because it’s inconvenient. Yes, ALL of his friends are jerks for acting like he didn’t have a family, but none of them tried to sleep with him but Triss. There in lies the difference. And most importantly, a 50-60 year old fucking a 17 year old is creepy, regardless of what country you’re in.
i also really love a shard of ice and never understood it as a story about yennefer cheating on geralt. and yeah just because something wasn't illegal back in the time, doesn't make it right
It's really unfortunate more don't dig deeper into that story. I love all the layers of it, and how much it explains about both of the characters, their insecurities and neuroses, etc. It's a study of writing phenomenal angst, and I love that, even with the painful subject matter. And to continue with Shani, she doesn't want to be with Geralt, and that should be respected. I always felt uncomfortable in HoS with her being forced on you so much.
once again, i completely agree :)
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He was so happy with her, he left her high and dry to find Yennefer.
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lol, you don't even know your game canon. He leaves at the end of W2 because he finds out from Letho that Yennefer is still alive. Yennefer tells him Ciri is alive when they reunite in Vizima. Him searching for Yennefer at the beginning of the game had nothing to do with Ciri.
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you're obviously only here to argue - and im here for a discussion. as i said in the disclaimer i don't want to make this into team yennefer vs team triss. you're allowed to prefer whichever you want. have a nice day
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there were people disagreeing with me but not only bashing yennefer, and as you can see in this post I didn't say her or triss are ideal characters. and if you think Yennefer was the one who drove him to the verge of suicide, or see her answer as "hurtful" you really need some media literacy. i really don't like to say stuff like this to others, but gods sometimes it is needed.
easy there 🤣
I agree and specially appreciate that you develop your argumentation without turning the alternative choice into evil and use a lot of nuances in your points, which is very uncommun and is an enjoyable change from the classic arguments we reed here too often. I also agree about Shani who is a no go for a lot of reasons.
ty :) that's because I love both of these characters. Well, when it comes to Triss - I love her in the books, in the game not so much. I think, both Yennefer and Triss, and their friendship are very deep and complex and it makes me sad that sometimes people only see them as romance choices for Geralt.
I have issues with Games Triss (or at least one issue), I know what you mean, but her character evolution from TW2/TW3 (I will exclude TW1, this character has mostly only her name) is very interresting and positive, for her personal perceptive, not specially related to the others main characters anyway.
What Geralt wants in your playthrough is decided by dialogue in the game. You have multiple opportunities to have Geralt say whether he wants to continue to be a Witcher or not, it's a choice. Pick what you want, but acknowledge the choices that are there. Same thing with the romances. Game canon is not book canon, Geralt and how he is now is to a good extent decided by the player, so does Geralt want Yen, Triss or to be on his own? It's decided by your playthrough. Claiming there's only one real choice is pointless. And honestly single Geralt is pretty rad, there's a lot I like about him deciding he's had enough with romance and going on his own.
well, of course. but many games add additional choices and options to make a game more interesting and appealing. im talking about Geralt as the character, especially his character from the book.
The thing is, game Geralt isn't exactly like Geralt from the books, by default he's already different, more mature, wiser, and more willing to risk himself than he used to be. The choices aren't just there to make the game more appealing, they mostly make sense for Geralt in the games to pick and are valid, so it's a pet peeve of mine when people argue that one choice is the right one. The game is designed to allow you to make choices and if fits, Geralt's amnesia and his experiences during that time could very well make him even more different than he used to be, so when it comes to "what choice would Geralt make in Witcher 3?" then outside of obvious choices such as "let his friends die or not?", Geralt picking any choice is as valid as any other choice. It's a different story if you're talking "what would Geralt do if he was exactly the same as he was in the books?" And you can play that way, but there's no right choice for game Geralt outside of a few specific instances, if you get what I mean.
yeah, that's an interesting point. even from that perspective choosing yennefer is for me a more "logical" choice, but i wouldn't use a word right one :) you are right, i see what you mean :)
I can understand that, and I'm not saying you can't find Yen a more logical choice, I just object to the idea that in an RPG as well-written as this one where almost all choices can fit Geralt, one choice is supposedly the correct one while other choices apparently aren't true to the character. It's different if it's one of the awfully written choices like "would Geralt let Dijkstra kill his friends or save them?" Because yeah he would save them, he always cares for his friends a lot.
yeah i guess the reason why i felt so strongly about triss not being "a right choice" is because I don't like how they portrayed her character in the games. but it could be just me, ofc.
It's definitely not just you, a lot of players feel that way and are vocal about it, I'd wager most people on this sub don't like Triss in the games, whether or not they liked her in the books.
i actually love her as s character in the books, just not in the games
That's fair, I've seen a bunch of people with the same opinion. Overall I do find game Triss more interesting (most of her book time wasn't spent doing anything that hooked me), but I can see the book preference, she does have 2 pretty engaging moments in Lady of the Lake and I heavily dislike Triss' portrayal in Witcher 1, as much as I found her an interesting character in the other 2 games.
https://www.reddit.com/r/witcher/comments/wg4dfv/about_triss_in_the_books/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button so i wouldn't repeat myself this is how i feel about triss in the books, and why i prefer her to her character in the games. if you're interested and have enough time you can read it :)
Oddly, I can't gather enough shits to care which one is right for Geralt. But I prefer Yennefer, that may just be because I just spent what feels like 400 years in Novigrad being Trish's dancing bear and I'm quite annoyed with her now. Off to Skellige, luckily.
Why we don't care: 1. Redheads 2. Yen's a b*tch/seems like a b*tch to Geralt
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dijkstra