Moral of the story: run proxies. Speculators and investors ruined the market, WotC just let them do it. (Also, fuck the secondary market and the reserve list. It’s cardboard. Some of us just want to play)
What if you’re imprisoned on a cart and attacked by a dragon? Or just released from prison on a boat and dropped off in a swampy beach town? The fantasy RPG genre requires starting as a convict or prisoner, you see.
Witcher 1 best lore and most “witchery” in that planning and hunting monsters was more of a thing. Witcher 2 was great but too short and abandoned some of what made the first interesting. 3 is a totally different game with plenty of merit but it’s weird how disconnected the games feel.
Witcher 1 did want to be more meticulous. Researching the monsters, making specific potions or coatings, using the right weapons and juggling fighting styles, collecting sexy lady cards, balancing swordplay with signs, navigating political choices thay would be completely abandoned in the sequels…