If your more into gameplay, witchers gameplay isnt so great. Its more of the narrtive. Witchers combat is soo bad that basically all of the mainline titles have combat overhaul mods to make the experience more bearable.

the witcher games.

I feel like its the same thing with Skyrim

You me, the same.

To each their own! White Orchard is definitely a slow start. I think the game really comes into its own with the Bloody Baron questline

Many such cases!

It's pretty brainless for the most part yeah. I did have a lot of fun once I got the new mutations in blood and wine and started doing war crimes with piercing cold aard

The story works just fine without playing the first two, I haven't played them myself

I can understand being offput by the intro but it made sense to me—Geralt's dreaming about his long-time lover he only recently regained his memory of and has been trying to track down for half a year. I've had steamier dreams involving people I have less history with ¯\_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_/¯

Imo play at least 2 before 3, as your decisions in 2 changes the world politics for 3 (thats simulated if you didnt play 2).

1s story is basically completely standalone and doesnt have much relevance to the plot for the other 2 witcher games. You just get to learn more about Shani (who isnt in the second game) and more about the world backstory in the northern kingdoms, primarily Foltest.