Witcher 3 Dev Explains How Ultra Realistic NPCs Created Weird Problems: ‘Women Were Just Dropping Their Babies Left And Right’

CD Projekt Red’s dedication to crafting a believable and immersive world in The Witcher 3 is legendary. But that commitment to realism, while creating one of the most captivating open-world RPGs ever made, also resulted in some unexpected development quirks – like mothers repeatedly dropping their babies when Geralt barged into their homes.

The Quest for Believable NPCs

Quest designer Philipp Weber recently told Edge magazine”>revealed to Edge magazine (via GamesRadar”>GamesRadar) that the team’s focus on creating a realistic countryside environment inadvertently led to these amusing problems. “Because we were focused on the countryside, it was easier for players to become curious,” Weber explained. “If a village only has eight houses, people will want to see if the people truly exist in the world, or if it’s just fakery. Lots of people nowadays are interested in those kinds of details, and it really came to haunt us.”

The NPCs in The Witcher 3 weren’t simply static figures; they had daily routines that involved activities like chopping wood or eating meals. This dynamic movement added life to the world, making it feel more reactive and less like a collection of empty shells. However, the developers also wanted these minor characters to react realistically to Geralt if he disrupted their routines – for example, by brandishing his weapons inside their homes.

“Our NPCs were supposed to have fear reactions,” Weber elaborated. “They would drop what they’re currently working on, that thing would fall to the ground, and they’d run away, afraid.” The issue arose when one of those activities for mothers was holding a baby. “For a few weeks, women were just dropping their babies, left and right.”

While fear reactions are now commonplace in open-world games as a way to enhance immersion, it was clearly a more significant challenge during the early 2010s when The Witcher 3 was being developed. Personally, I think they should have kept the fear effect for at least one sidequest. I’m sure the writers could have gotten creative with it. At least we still got the infamous baby oven moment”>got the infamous baby oven moment.