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Tags: Florian Schwarzer; Hardsuit Labs; Paradox Interactive; Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
Today on on their Twitch channel, Paradox broadcast the first episode in what will be a series of weekly streams introducing the six vampire clans that will be featured in the initial launch of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. The first "clan" to be introduced is the Thinblood vampire class that player characters will start out as before joining one of the proper clans. In Bloodlines 2 thinbloods receive a few unique powers of their own, including the ability to summon bats, perform telekinesis and shroud themselves in mist. A brief new trailer offers us a look at a typical moment in the day of a newly embraced thinblood vampire, with several precious seconds of pre-alpha gameplay footage at the end. More details are available on the new page added to the game's official website. I quote:
Today on on their Twitch channel, Paradox broadcast the first episode in what will be a series of weekly streams introducing the six vampire clans that will be featured in the initial launch of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. The first "clan" to be introduced is the Thinblood vampire class that player characters will start out as before joining one of the proper clans. In Bloodlines 2 thinbloods receive a few unique powers of their own, including the ability to summon bats, perform telekinesis and shroud themselves in mist. A brief new trailer offers us a look at a typical moment in the day of a newly embraced thinblood vampire, with several precious seconds of pre-alpha gameplay footage at the end. More details are available on the new page added to the game's official website. I quote:
THINBLOOD
Seattle has generally attracted a younger crowd and some of them unfortunately wind up on the streets of the city. For the Kindred, the thinbloods are their own version of street kids, and in recent years, their numbers have grown at what some might consider an alarming rate.
Despite being permitted in the city, many thinbloods don’t survive very long. With little understanding of what they are or the rules of Kindred society, they face a struggle to simply exist in a city carved up by established political factions. Many are killed when they pose a threat to the Masquerade. A few find work as grunts and runners for the less scrupulous denizens of Seattle. It’s not unheard of for a thinblood to gain enough respect to earn a more prominent role in a faction, but they are rarely shown the same respect or legal standing a full-blood clan member enjoys. It’s a hard, short life for most thinbloods in Seattle, but it’s also a city of opportunity for the few that can navigate their way into the higher circles of vampire society.
CHIROPTERAN
This Thinblood discipline calls on the vampire’s strong affinity to bats, allowing her to move through the air and summon swarms.
• Glide (Blood Cost: 1) is Chiropteran’s first active power, and can be enhanced by investing in the • • slot. Glide greatly lowers the weight of the vampire’s skeleton and muscle mass to allow them to float on updrafts, reaching otherwise inaccessible areas. In the air, the vampire can swoop into NPC to knock them down, pounce on enemies far below, or use the height advantage to rain down Disciplines from afar.
• • • Bat Swarm (Blood Cost: 2), the second active power, allows the vampire to summon a small swarm of bats to attack a target NPC, temporarily disabling them and dealing low damage. The • • • • and • • • • • slots grow this power, until a true Maelstrom of leathery wings surrounds the vampire, harrying and damaging any enemy who dares come too close.
MENTALISM
This Thinblood discipline allows the vampire to manipulate objects through telekinesis - allowing them to even pull weapons from enemies’ hands.
• Pull (Blood Cost: 0/1, target dependent) is Mentalism’s first active. It allows the vampire to manipulate inanimate objects from afar - whether that’s an inconvenient obstacle, or the knife in the hands of the NPC bearing down on them. The • • slot upgrades Pull even further.
• • • Levitate (Blood Cost: 2), the second active power, suspends a living NPC in the air. Its strength can be enhanced with the • • • • and • • • • • slots, until the vampire can levitate everyone and everything in an area, and throw suspended enemies around like ragdolls.
NEBULATION
This Thinblood discipline allow the vampire to call on her affinity to mist, allowing her to summon and command it.
• Mist Shroud (Blood Cost: 2), Nebulation’s first active power, envelops the vampire with mist for a short time, muffling footsteps and making them slightly harder to notice. In addition, the vampire can partially transform into mist for one invocation to either perform a choking attack on an NPC, or travel through tight spaces. The • • slot enhances these powers even further.
• • • Envelop (Blood Cost: 3), the second active, creates a stationary, swirling cloud of mist that surrounds, blinds and forcefully enters the lungs of NPC that touch it. It and Mist Shroud both can be further improved with the • • • • and • • • • • slots.
The next clan introduction stream will be broadcast next Thursday, and on Wednesdays thereafter. Five more clans just about covers the time from now until E3, where I assume the full gameplay footage will finally be revealed. I'm also told that the dev diaries are going to be published on a monthly basis.Seattle has generally attracted a younger crowd and some of them unfortunately wind up on the streets of the city. For the Kindred, the thinbloods are their own version of street kids, and in recent years, their numbers have grown at what some might consider an alarming rate.
Despite being permitted in the city, many thinbloods don’t survive very long. With little understanding of what they are or the rules of Kindred society, they face a struggle to simply exist in a city carved up by established political factions. Many are killed when they pose a threat to the Masquerade. A few find work as grunts and runners for the less scrupulous denizens of Seattle. It’s not unheard of for a thinblood to gain enough respect to earn a more prominent role in a faction, but they are rarely shown the same respect or legal standing a full-blood clan member enjoys. It’s a hard, short life for most thinbloods in Seattle, but it’s also a city of opportunity for the few that can navigate their way into the higher circles of vampire society.
CHIROPTERAN
This Thinblood discipline calls on the vampire’s strong affinity to bats, allowing her to move through the air and summon swarms.
• Glide (Blood Cost: 1) is Chiropteran’s first active power, and can be enhanced by investing in the • • slot. Glide greatly lowers the weight of the vampire’s skeleton and muscle mass to allow them to float on updrafts, reaching otherwise inaccessible areas. In the air, the vampire can swoop into NPC to knock them down, pounce on enemies far below, or use the height advantage to rain down Disciplines from afar.
• • • Bat Swarm (Blood Cost: 2), the second active power, allows the vampire to summon a small swarm of bats to attack a target NPC, temporarily disabling them and dealing low damage. The • • • • and • • • • • slots grow this power, until a true Maelstrom of leathery wings surrounds the vampire, harrying and damaging any enemy who dares come too close.
MENTALISM
This Thinblood discipline allows the vampire to manipulate objects through telekinesis - allowing them to even pull weapons from enemies’ hands.
• Pull (Blood Cost: 0/1, target dependent) is Mentalism’s first active. It allows the vampire to manipulate inanimate objects from afar - whether that’s an inconvenient obstacle, or the knife in the hands of the NPC bearing down on them. The • • slot upgrades Pull even further.
• • • Levitate (Blood Cost: 2), the second active power, suspends a living NPC in the air. Its strength can be enhanced with the • • • • and • • • • • slots, until the vampire can levitate everyone and everything in an area, and throw suspended enemies around like ragdolls.
NEBULATION
This Thinblood discipline allow the vampire to call on her affinity to mist, allowing her to summon and command it.
• Mist Shroud (Blood Cost: 2), Nebulation’s first active power, envelops the vampire with mist for a short time, muffling footsteps and making them slightly harder to notice. In addition, the vampire can partially transform into mist for one invocation to either perform a choking attack on an NPC, or travel through tight spaces. The • • slot enhances these powers even further.
• • • Envelop (Blood Cost: 3), the second active, creates a stationary, swirling cloud of mist that surrounds, blinds and forcefully enters the lungs of NPC that touch it. It and Mist Shroud both can be further improved with the • • • • and • • • • • slots.
