Gwent is also a separate stand-alone digital card game made in 2018. That is not the version that I am doing, I am only focusing on Gwent inside the Witcher 3, which released in 2015. Gwent was originally intended as a mini card game within the Witcher 3, but they expanded to a digital card game in 2018 after positive reception. The standalone Gwent even has its own single player mode.
There are other mini games in previous Witcher titles, such as Dice Poker, but it relied mostly on luck and the CD Project Red team wanted to push it further for the sequel. Thus Gwent was born. The idea of a card game within a game was nearly shelved several times but made it. There The team had to create most Gwent on their downtime as there wasn’t enough budget and had to get help from other departments as well.
Gwent almost didn’t make it into the final game of The Witcher 3. The creators, Rafal Jaki and Damien Monnier, among others, had prototype versions of the game had to be more ‘fun’ to play. They had a rule that said, “If you have to explain it twice, it’s probably too complicated’. Gwent was set up with card management in mind, as there are limited cards to use in each round. There are also specific side quests within the Witcher 3 that can lead to high ranking cards, but most are merchants around the landscape that you can face at any time.
References
YouTube. 2020. Why Gwent Almost Didn’t Make It Into The Witcher 3 – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfM9UiQB-ic. [Accessed 08 September 2020].
pcgamer. 2020. The making of Gwent: Page 2 | PC Gamer. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.pcgamer.com/au/the-making-of-gwent/2/. [Accessed 08 September 2020].
Amely Koenig's Blog and Art 
Hi Amely, Gwent seems to be a fascinating project that utilises a card game mechanic as an auxiliary quest inside the game of Witcher 3. Although I haven’t gotten the opportunity to play through the game myself, I’ve heard extraordinary things about the storyline from friends. It’s interesting to perceive how the Witcher utilises a game within a game to help keeps players hooked, while additionally venturing into an alternate genre of gaming. It seems disappointing that many missed the opportunity of exploring Gwent while playing through the main storyline. I did some more investigation into the Gwent and strongly suggest checking out the subreddit r/Gwent if you are looking for advice on the game itself or decklists. I’m anticipating to see how your project develops this semester and the gameplay/tips you provide. Best of luck!
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Hi Ame! I really liked your video and blog post, your topic seems super interesting and I think it’s good to explore a less familiar aspect of a game you already play! In game games are pretty common and always fascinating how they contribute to the storyline and further the depth of the in game world. In your exploration of Gwent, I would suggest doing some background research on the history of the game, both in game and in its development. Reddit is a really good recourse to look at for player conversation, and you may find it helpful to gain different perspectives or insights into the game itself, such as why different types of players favour the game while others skip past it. I definitely think you should look into the history of Gwent in order to form a fully rounded opinion and experience of the game! Here’s a link I found that may give you a headstart with your research: https://www.reddit.com/r/gwent/comments/645v4b/why_did_they_change_so_much_from_the_original_game/ 🙂 I think your chosen format of a video essay is a really good idea as it will allow you to visually showcase the game and your experiences playing it. You could also include things like graphs and charts to document your progress in a quantitative way as well as the qualitative aspect which you already seem to have going. Best of luck with your DA!
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Reblogged this on Amely Koenig's Blog and Art.
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