Loading screen hints and tips

Loading screen hints and tips are small tips from the developers that appear during a loading phase along with loading in and the and .
== List ==
# Keep an eye on your Toxicity level! If it gets too high, you'll start to lose Vitality.
# Light Armor does not provide much protection, but your Stamina will regenerate quickly when it is equipped. Medium Armor and Heavy Armor absorb more damage, but cause your Stamina to regenerate more slowly.
# Look for boats along the coast and near harbors.
# Look for runestones and rare crafting components in destroyed monster nests.
# Many believe in Ithlinne's Prophecy, which states that the world will be destroyed by the White Frost.
# Many people don't like witchers and treat them with disdain or disgust.
# Monster nests can be destroyed using the following bombs: Dancing Star, Grapeshot or Samum.
# Most elements of witcher gear have three upgrade levels. Each upgrade changes the equipment's appearance and traits.
# Mount strong attacks against armored opponents and fast attacks against swift ones.
# Nearly all potions, bombs and oils can be upgraded.
# Non-monster opponents have limited Stamina. When their Stamina is exhausted, they won't be able to fight as effectively.
# Only three out of ten boys survive the Trial of the Grasses and become witchers. The rest die in agony.
# Pay attention to the color of your enemies' level numbers. Green means they are close to your level. Red means they are a challenge, and a skull icon means certain death.
# Pursuing witcher contracts on rare monsters can be a route to acquiring legendary witcher gear.
# Save early and save often.
# Sharpening your blade on a grindstone will cause it to deal more damage.
# Skellige merchants sell maps of the archipelago's individual isles. These maps unlock Fast Travel to certain signposts on these isles - even ones you haven't already visited.
# Smearing your sword with the right oil will give you an extra edge in battle.
# Some merchants deal in rare goods, including mysterious maps covered in markings which seem to indicate hidden stashes of witcher gear diagrams.
# Some monsters - nightwraiths, for example - are stronger at night and weaker during the day. Werewolves are fiercer foes during a full moon.
# Some offensive Abilities can be successfully used for defense as well.
# Some weapons do more than just deal damage - for example, they can stun opponents or cause them to begin bleeding profusely.
# Some wraiths and other monsters can take on immaterial form. In order to attack them, you must force them into material form by casting Yrden or throwing a Moon Dust bomb.
# Specialized witcher equipment sets are better than common weapons or armor.
# Strike an opponent while riding towards him at high speed for a possible instant kill.
# Striking from behind deals more damage. Enemies can use this tactic against you as well - so watch your rear.
# Temerian orens and Nilfgaardian florens can be exchanged for Novigrad crowns at the Vivaldi Bank in Novigrad.
# The Aard Sign can put out fires, including burning foes set aflame with the Ignii Sign.
# The Axii Sign can be used in combat, during conversations and on wild animals.
# The bestiary contains information about the strengths and weaknesses of individual monsters.
# The color of an enemy's health bar indicates whether you should fight it with your steel or silver sword.
# The Conjunction of the Spheres stranded monsters and races from other planes in the witcher's world. Magic also first appeared in the world at this time.
# The fate of individual characters and at times even entire communities depends on the choices you make.
# The inhabitants of Skellige await the coming of Ragh nar Roog - the last battle of good versus evil. It will begin with the coming of a demonic vessel made of the fingernails of the dead.
# The Lodge of Sorceresses is a secret political cabal made up of the most powerful female magic wielders in the world.
# The Nilfgaardian Empire has already conquered many kingdoms in its drive for expansion and is currently waging its third major war against the Northern Realms.
# The Swallow potion regenerates Vitality both during and outside of combat.
# The total number of gwent cards you can win from merchants is limited, and you can only win one card from each merchant.
# The witcher caste was created centuries ago, when men first began colonizing a world filled with monsters and countless other dangers. Currently no witcher school trains new witchers.
# There's regular gear - and then there's gear that can be crafted only by a true master. Such craftsmen are rare and difficult to find. One resides somewhere in Velen, while another is said to live in Novigrad. In order to unlock the use of their services, you must first complete a Quest related to each.
# To cancel any potion effects and lower Toxicity, drink the White Honey potion.
# To Fast Travel, you must first find a signpost. You can only Fast Travel to signposts you have already discovered.
# Try to use a combination of fast attacks, strong attacks and Signs.
# Using the Eye of Nehaleni, you can dispel illusions and gain access to new game areas. Look for the Eye in Velen.
# Vitality regenerates when you eat. On lower difficulty levels, it also regenerates during Meditation.
# When someone offers you a contract, you can haggle for higher pay - just be careful not to push too hard.
# When the time of the White Frost comes, do not eat the yellow snow.
# When throwing a bomb or shooting a bolt from your crossbow, you can either take advantage of auto-aiming for a quick attack, or aim manually for more precision.
# When traveling, it's safer to stick to the beaten path - but the wilds hide much that is worth exploring.
# When you draw on a Place of Power, you receive an additional Ability Point. Places of Power can be found all over the world.
# Whenever you discover a new village, check out its notice board. There you'll find information about nearby Side Quests and Points of Interest.
# Whetstones and armorer's tools let you repair your items without having to visit a craftsman.
# While journeying by boat, you have the ability to Fast Travel. Open the World Map and select a harbor to move directly to that location.
# While underwater, you cannot fight or cast Signs, but you can use your crossbow.
# Wild animals can be a source of food.
# Win horse races to get better gear for your horse.
# Witcher potions are deadly to normal people.
# Witchers are immune to contagious disease and resist the harmful effects of poison better than normal men.
# Witchers, like sorceresses, are infertile.
# With witcher gear, crafting it is only the first step - each item can also be upgraded.
# You can acquire a special Ability that will allow you to deflect incoming bolts and arrows.
# You can change Signs while parrying using the buttons for sheathing and drawing your swords.
# You can cut off a grave hag's tongue while counterattacking. Then she won't be able to poison you.
# You can Fast Travel while on a boat by pulling up the World Map.
# You can find herbs and hidden treasure underwater.
# You can find rare herbs and hidden treasure underwater.
# You can replenish your potion supplies by Meditating.
# You can temporarily dampen a fire elemental's flames with the Aard Sign.
# You can use Quen to get rid of critical effects such as Burning, Bleeding, etc.
# You can use the Axii Sign to force an alghoul to hide its spikes.
# You have a certain degree of control over your speed and direction while sliding.
# You have only a limited time to make some dialogue choices. Choose quickly, or else chance will decide for you.
# You're free to wander, but might happen across some very powerful foes while doing so. Return to them once you've gained more experience.
# A mutagen used to enhance Abilities provides a better bonus if it matches those Abilities' color.
# A torch can help lighten the gloom of the world's murky places. The Cat potion is also useful in this regard - it allows you to see in even pitch blackness.
# A witcher's senses are superhumanly sensitive. By focusing them, Geralt can find tracks no normal man would ever see.
# Adrenaline increases the damage you deal. Gain Adrenaline by attacking your opponents.
# All tutorial messages are saved in the glossary.
# An unprepared witcher is a dead witcher.
# Armorers and blacksmiths can salvage crafting components from any unneeded items you've gathered.
# As you travel, you'll come across villages depopulated by monster attacks. Once you kill the monsters, the settlement's former inhabitants will return - along with merchants peddling rare goods.
# Better equipment for your horse can be won in horse races or found scattered throughout the world.
# Books dedicated to specific monster types provide more information about how to fight them.
# Certain Abilities can change how your Signs function.
# Certain merchants will sell you a Potion of Clearance. This potion returns all your spent Ability Points and lets you redistribute them as you wish.
# Craftsmen can remove runes and upgrades from your items.
# Crossbow bolts deal more damage when they strike your target's head.
# Damaged or broken items have lowered stats. Take care of your equipment.
# Develop the Axii Sign to unlock access to additional dialogue options.
# Different merchants offer different goods for different prices. A blacksmith, for example, might offer you a better price for a sword than an armorer.
# Dodging is usually the best tactic when fighting monsters. When fighting humans, try to parry their attacks with your sword.
# Don't steal - the guards don't like it. But if you have no other choice... Well, make sure no one's watching.
# Don't upset the guards. If provoked, they'll try bring you to order by force, then take some of your coin as a fine for causing trouble.
# Drowners become more powerful at night and during heavy rainstorms.
# During combat, you can use elements in the surrounding environment - such as swamp vapors, barrels of flammable spirit or hornet's nests - to damage opponents.
# Each item adds to the weight you are carrying, so manage your inventory wisely. You can increase the amount you can carry by fitting your horse with better saddlebags.
# Eavesdropping on conversations can sometimes provide information about new quests.
# Got an old sword you don't use any more? Don't toss it out. A craftsman can dismantle it for parts that you can use to make a new one.
# Groups of outlaws sometimes keep hostages in their camps. Defeat the bandits and free their prisoners to gain access to additional craftsmen and merchants.
# Guards in settled areas don't like it when a dangerous mutant pulls out a weapon.
# Herbs, ingredients harvested from monsters and strong alcohol are needed to brew potions.
# Hold the jump button while in the air to grab onto a ledge.
# If a quest's suggested level (shown in the Quests menu) is too high for you, level up and look for better gear.
# If an enemy protects himself with a shield, try to strike him from behind or with the Aard Sign.
# If an item's glowing, it's probably worth picking up.
# If you are having trouble defeating an enemy, try preparing for the battle by brewing potions and applying oils.
# If you can't recall who someone is, check their Character entry in the Glossary.
# If you destroy an item, you will recover any runestones currently fitted in it.
# If you tire out a shield bearer (deplete his Stamina completely), he'll drop his shield, making it much easier to defeat him.
# If you want to craft a weapon or piece of equipment, you need to find a crafting diagram and gather the required ingredients. Then take these to a craftsman.
# If you want to dive to great depths - for example, to find treasure hidden in an underwater ravine - you can drink the Killer Whale potion beforehand. Killer Whale lets you hold your breath for a longer period of time.
# If you're looking to add cards to your gwent deck, challenge and defeat NPCs and look for cards hidden throughout the world.
# In addition to their immediate effects, many choices give rise to consequences which only make themselves known long afterwards.
# In the Options menu, you can choose whether the route to your current objective will be shown on the minimap.
# In the Options menu, you can choose whether tracks and clues uncovered using your Witcher Senses will be shown on the minimap.
# In the Options menu, you can configure most of the elements of the game's interface.
# Keep an eye on your horse's fear level. If it panics, it will buck you off and bolt.
Category:The Witcher 3 Gameplay