TW1+2 guide

TW1 in image form, compliments of anon:
http://i.imgur.com/gouGM0m.jpg

From other pastebin:
>Does the TW2 do a recap of the first's story?

Yes, it does in one short movie (spoiler alert):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHwa-7LBfV4

There is also a short movie explaining what witchers are:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzfFPONyjSw

>I'd like to play them in order, but all I hear about the first's combat makes me worry that I'll be alienated by it before I get into it.

It's all up to you. Some people don't mind the combat, some can't get over it. But you should give it a shot, especially according to the fact that the plot is, in the eyes of many fans, better than in TW2.

You could always just play it on easy to finish the combat sequences quickly.

Recommended Mods for Witcher 1:
Scabbard Mod - Adds scabbards for the swords http://www.moddb.com/mods/scabbard-mod/downloads/scabbard-mod-v104

FCR - Full Combat Rebalance. Made by Flash who went on to become a gameplay designer at CDPR. Improves the combat drastically while also making it more compatible with lore. http://www.moddb.com/mods/full-combat-rebalance1

Rise of the White Wolf - Improves UI and Textures http://www.moddb.com/mods/the-rise-of-the-white-wolf-powrt-biaego-wilka/downloads/en-rise-of-the-white-wolf-fcr-version

Make sure to install FCR first, then the Scabbard Mod followed by Rise of the White Wolf. Also get hold of the latest patches for these mods which are available on Moddb as well.

Witcher wiki:
http://witcher.gamepedia.com/Witcher_Wiki

Unofficial book translations:
http://forums.cdprojektred.com/threads/16494-Our-Community-Fan-Translations

Map of the Northern Kingdoms:
http://i.imgur.com/BrKZB20.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ynRQVob.jpg