Last Witcher update (probably)

The game forced me to choose between Triss and Shani. They both wanted the same thing, and I could only give it to one of them. The other refuses to speak to you once the decision is made. Shani is the cute/sweet/vulnerable nurse, while Triss is the powerful/hot/confident sorceress, so my decision was ultimately an easy one. And while I'm annoyed that the Witcher resorted to such a contrived convention, kudos to the designers for creating characters deep enough that it bothered me to choose. I can't begin to express how strange this is, but running by Shani's apartment makes me feel...wistful. I even stopped in to see her a couple times, just in case she'd change her mind, but she's having none of it.

I don't want to overstate the character development - it clearly could use some improvement - but Shani and Triss are real enough that they'll remind you of actual women you've met in your lifetime. If you're like me, they'll remind you of actual women that you've mistreated and dumped in your lifetime. So while of course they are nothing more than a collection of bytes, they are powerful enough to invoke the memories of real events and real feelings, which is highly unusual in a game.

Meanwhile, Carmen has a secret true love, which explains her inaccessibility. She needs my help, however, since he's recently (cliche alert - again - I'm tired of typing that) become a werewolf and she wants him to be cured. This is a totally optional quest, and I doubt the reward is any good (Carmen's got a little money, but not enough to make any difference to me.) It's almost like the game designers are offering you an ethical choice: be vindictive toward the one hot woman in the game who won't sleep with you, or help her knowing that she won't give you anything you want. It's an interesting choice, because as far as I can tell, it's completely without consequence. It remains true to the stark contrast between the trite content of the Witcher and the depth of choice and characters.

Later today: Comments on the banner sports weekend for Philadelphia!