This thread got me thinking about this opinion piece about the game -- specifically the way Geralt is characterized in this title, and the way sex is dealt with...essentially what you're talking about here. While I do like this game -- though not as much as many seem to -- Shamus makes it very clear (in this post and several others) that he does not enjoy this series, but that he can still see its merits. (The site I linked to is overall a very good blog, with a very thoughtful and relatively polite community -- even more than GOG's, I reckon. If you like well-thought-out discussion, the comment threads on the posts are epic.)

Well its an RPG, if you think taking everything that moves is out of character then just don't do it. At least i saw it like that. ;)

But yes it was silly, but refreshingly un-PC too and kinda gave the impression that the morals in this world, or these times are different that ours nowadays, similar to GoT for example...i didn't mind.

Ive read an article some time ago about how TW1 is supposedly sexist because of that but i always thought it was just a fun addition, nothing to be taken seriously. Like someone said, similar to Conan or James Bond. And all the important women in the game surely aren't one dimensional..

I pretty much agree with this completely. The scenes with prostitutes in The Witcher 2 are a little silly, but scenes with the more major characters are handled much better. Although I've only seen some of them... I only just started my second playthrough to try the other path through the game.

As for the sex scenes in the first game, I posted an article elsewhere in the forums that I found interesting, especially for showing why some people might have problems with the sex scenes, even if the scenes themselves seem silly. The author starts out really not liking the game at all but warms to it by the end. The final summary is probably the best one to read:

https://fallingawkwardly.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/binders-full-of-women-collecting-all-the-ladycards-in-the-witcher-part-9/

But I do not agree, we have some cutscenes in TW2 pretty boring (almost see a porn).
The only decently done is to Triss. The others are all recycled.
Then after playing the first you expect a real womanizer.
In TW1 instead of every achievement is a card, a card made well enough to be considerable art.
It's all part of the fun part of the game, so TW1 is a true RPG.
TW2 instead is a hybrid of RPG and action, liked most about it to those who could not stand the slow pace of an RPG.
Speaking of sex, in TW1 is justified by the collection of cards, in TW2 is not justified at all.
Geralt in TW1 when having sex always gets a card, to do so we must overcome some obstacles (respond in the right way, you have the right object etc ...).
In TW2 there is no challenge, the only ones that can do it are always prostitutes and are just a waste of money.
This is the sense in which TW1 is more RPG, than TW2.
It is typical of RPGs have ongoing challenges that you can also lose, is typical of the action have a simple path to follow where the only thing you need to do is fight. Even the fights themselves are more action in TW1 we have turn-based combat, 3 styles, alchemy and signs. In TW2 instead we have real-time combat, 2 styles, roll, signs (having to drink potions before the battle does not count). The problem is that the type of combat in TW2 is more suitable for Batman Arkham, or DMC devil may cry that TW in fact I that love both styles of combat, I realized that TW2 had a hybrid badly done.
Sex in TW1 is justified because there is a side quest is not visible.
Sex in TW2 is not justified because there is no reason to show it, it's just a boring cutscenes to be skipped.
Then maybe it's just me, but I find more sexy the cards, than the cutscenes.
I also think that the continuing achievements are best suited to the character of Geralt.

I love how the author of those didn't manage to remember "Geralt" from the get go and made it a point to call him a different name every single time he's mentioned XD.

Can you please clarify for me what you mean by "women are collectible?" I own Witcher and Witcher 2 but have only played the beginning of the first. I do not want to play partway through a game only to find it is disgustingly chauvenistic. This concept of "collecting women" to me sounds like a "black book of conquests", and if that is what it is, I'm wholly disgusted and am not sure what to do. I will not play a game with horribly tasteless and insensitive chauvinism and it makes me sick to my stomach to think I gave them money if that is how they do.

Every time you make "sex" with a woman they give you a card.
But every time it's your choice, and usually you do it for fun.
It is not "collect women," is to collect cards. cards sexy but still cards.
it's funny because we must always find the right answer as well as being a riddle usually the answers are also very funny, is an example in the third chapter.
there is nothing vulgar or wrong, it's just a fun game in the world of the witcher, a way to show that Geralt is very popular with women XD.
The choice is always of the player, Geralt, in the witcher 1 may also remain a virgin (if I remember correctly) XD.

That's what I thought it sounded like: a feature in the game to allow immature pervs to be immature pervs if they want so they don't have to take a break from the game to go diddle themselves. Disgusting. And wholly disappointing to hear that about a game I thought would be "mature themed" not "immaturely-handled adult-themed." Especially having read more and it seems that the choices are completely inconsequential. His "lover" doesn't even care if he fucks around? Do they address any sexuality with any maturity AT ALL? If you behave a slut and fuck 10 or more do you get a disease that has implications, anything?!? It would make sense with a character like Geralt to have his power tied to his sex and therefor if he gives it away at all or to much or uncaringly, it would take from his power or affect the world. Does having the sex in the game DO anything? Or is it all immature BS?

There is one sidequest where you need to sleep with a character in order to finish it but thats about it.

You take life too seriously. a game too serious is boring and unrealistic and also not very mature. In real life there are choices immature, in real life nothing is too serious, a very mature game does not hide certain truths.
And there's nothing wrong with being a little perverted, every man and every woman it is a bit perverted at the bottom.
If you do not like the reality you should play games that are not the witcher. Or maybe you feel that the whores in the witcher 2 go well.
In any case, Geralt is immune to disease, this is not a game about sexual diseases, in the Middle Ages, the knights who went to war they went to prostitutes even if they were married, Geralt is not married.

PS. You are more bigoted of the Pope.

I disagree, but I reckon if you think sex in Witcher 1 is "a feature to allow immature pervs be immature pervs", just don't be one, brother.

I really enjoy the sexual themes in Witcher. Not all games have to be for everyone, and disliking sex themes in games is fine, there's still plenty of games to play out there.

Edit: also I'm more or less sure you can turn off pretty much everything that's violent or sexual in the Witcher games.

And you don't take life seriously enough. There are problems in the world and your ignorance perpetuates them, it does not make them go away.
I'm no prude. And I never said I dislike sex themes in games, or violence, or anything. What I dislike, as has been said about this game before and I'm just looking for more infomration regarding that , is that this game seems to pass off "adult" as "mature." There is a complete difference in meaning. Sex and violence handled maturely vs. handled immaturely, and it sounds like (and I'm getting more assured about it with each accumulation of comment) The Witcher is immature in its handling of such themes. That is what I don't like.

What ignorance, you enlighten me great sage.
The Witcher is a game, is considered mature because it is close to real life, shows the problems for those they are.
Your reasoning is the same as using the censorship, they cover the problems because if we can't see them they are not there.
That's not how life works. The game is mature because it does not tell you what is right and wrong is you to decide after you have made your choices. Is it wrong or is it right going to prostitutes is a choice that you have to do, the game does not tell you is wrong, for this it is mature.
Clearly being a game you can also take it less seriously and have fun (It is a game, do things that you would not do in real life is its purpose (or perhaps in your life, you kill monsters and criminals?)).
This game is mature because it is you who make your choices.
There is also the censored version of the game (which was sold in the past), in that version this problem does not arise.
I do not think that my words perpetuate ignorance, at most I showed my bad English (since I'm not an English-speaking country).
Want to be the champion of justice without blemish and without fear that absolutely does not betray his beloved, in the witcher you can do, just make your choice.

How life is and how life should be are two different things. Censorship happens because some people don't agree with exposing certain things to people. I found the inclusion of this "romance" portion a stain on the game. It is unrealistic, even in real life this doesn't happen, not to the extent it shows in The Witcher.

However, I do disagree drealmer in considering this chauvinistic, mostly because the word doesn't describe the issue at all. Stupid would be a more concise way of putting it. Unrealistic and immature can also be used, BUT the game does give you a choice. The Witcher can be a gentleman or sex hungry male, it is your choice.

The strange thing is, the sexual liaisons are about the only things that aren't handled maturely in the first game (to the point I've played so far, anyway). There is a lot of moral ambiguity in The Witcher: "good" characters do questionable -- or downright awful -- things, and some of the "scoundrels" in the game (though not the actual villains, necessarily) can be rather...well, "likable" may not be the right word, but suffice it to say that most named characters (and even some who aren't even given a proper name!) seem like fairly 3-dimensional characters, as opposed to cardboard-cut-out archetypes like you might see in a lot of other games. In other words, few, if any, characters are presented as pure, let alone without flaws.

But, yes, as the OP and a couple posts thereafter had talked about, the sex is handled rather immaturely in this game. Geralt can, if you choose, pursue dalliances with any number of women, from major characters all the way down to common streetwalkers. When you succeed, you are shown a card with a racy semi-nude image of whichever woman you're currently romancing (though the likenesses are sometimes poor), then you go right back to wherever you were before the "gettin' it on" occurred (for the minor, non-story-related dalliances, anyway). I know there's at least one woman who you can pursue in a semi-romantic fashion, so it's not like all your "love" interests amount to "give woman a bauble or money so she'll sleep with you"...though there is some of that, too. Sex as achievements, almost.

If you already own the game(s), I would recommend you at least try one of them. If it helps, the second game doesn't have the weird "sex cards", though I'm pretty sure the general theme of "Geralt as womanizer" is still present. (To be fair, this comes from the original short stories and novels, rather than being something totally out of left field which the developers slipped into the games.) Also, as others have said, most of the most objectionable/nonsensical sexual encounters are entirely up to you to pursue, or ignore. However, if, upon playing whichever game for a bit, you're really offended by it, and find you can't ignore it, then this series might simply not be for you. =)

Oh, and as to your questions about Geralt having to deal with STDs or whatever: He -- like all Witchers -- is both sterile and immune to all diseases.