Well its update time. We've got a busy schedule of events coming up and
some neat stuff to announce soon. For those of you who were not able to
check out Bloodlines at E3 we will be showing The 2004 E3 demo at San Diego
Comic Con July 22-25. Make sure to stop by the Activision booth and check
us out. Also we've recently updated out fan site links page so make sure to
check out the new members of the Bloodlines Community. And now on with the
show. Here is what Leon from Troika had to say this week...

1) How will melee- combat be handled? Will you merely swing and dodge and
such (like in Rune) Or will there be blocks parrys, special attacks, combos?
(like in Jedi Knight) If you have gone with the latter option then are there
varied fighting styles (one handed, two-handed, above head, to the side
etc.) , or will there be one melee stance for all weapons? Also, can melee
weapons break, in accordance with the physics engine? If i hit the Gargoyle
with a katana, will the Katana break as it should?

Hits misses and damage are all keyed off of the interaction between the
melee feat and the defender's defense feat (and soak, if applicable). The
results of that interaction will determine whether the NPC will dodge,
block, get staggered, or any other number of possible outcomes. It's not
entirely data driven, however, as the player has to decide in real time
which attacks or combos to use and on which enemies (as you are often
fighting multiple enemies). The attacks and combos are keyed off the
different direction buttons. Holding down "W" (moving forward) will key off
a different set of attacks than holding down "A" (left strafe) will.

2) Is there some sort of monetary system in Bloodlines? If so, what sort of
things will we be able to obtain, besides blood and guns?

Clothing/armor, occult items, melee weapons, and research manuals. Most of
your money is used for buying either blood, weapons and ammo, as a lot of
items are given through quests.

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