Development Info Bloodlines Update #17

[Whipporowill]

Tags: Troika Games; Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

Time again for a short nibblet of information on Troika's upcoming Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines:
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<blockquote>Now that the summer convention season is over we can get back to a semi-regular schedule of updates this fall before the game launches. I’d also like to let people know that our second set of Tim Bradstreet wallpaper based on his Nosferatu poster will be coming out soon. So stay tuned for that in the coming days. Until then, here is what Leon and the Bloodlines team had to say in response to your questions.
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-Shane
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1) We know there will be powerful "beings" behind our tales if/when we break the masquerade. Does this mean the game is over when you break the masquerade too much? Or will there be a slight chance for(powerful) kindred to escape, and maybe even loose them for good? Or just put them off for awhile?
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When you break the masquerade, hunters come after you - the higher your number of Masquerade violations, the more hunters. Unlike cops when you get a criminal violation, you need to kill the hunters or just avoid them forever. They're zealots, remember, they won't rest until you're dead. If you get too many Masquerade violations (5), your game is over. There are quests that you can do that will restore Masquerade points to keep from reaching the evil, game ending 5 violations.
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2) In the video on Yahoo, it seemed like Bob the Tremere only got 3/4/5 to spend on his attributes. Was this just an earlier version of the game, or do the dots mean something different now?
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Actually, the 3/4/5 was unbalancing the game, it became too easy and fast to become uber powerful. You could start the game with a feat or two nearly maxed out under the old point distribution, so we lowered it to 1/2/3.</blockquote>
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That 5 point masquerade system reminds me of the Grand Theft Auto games somehow. As long as the vampire hunters don't roll up in tanks or choppers, I think it'd be a pretty nifty way to remind the player to stay on the path without enforcing strict "good" behaviour.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

When you break the masquerade, hunters come after you - the higher your number of Masquerade violations, the more hunters. Unlike cops when you get a criminal violation, you need to kill the hunters or just avoid them forever. They're zealots, remember, they won't rest until you're dead. If you get too many Masquerade violations (5), your game is over. There are quests that you can do that will restore Masquerade points to keep from reaching the evil, game ending 5 violations.

That's pretty lame there. You get caught vamping around five times and you get a GAME OVER screen? What the hell kind of half assed crap is that? They can't do some kind of game event instead, like instead of sending hunters, they send some kind of ancient uber vamp or something? Even some kind of ancient curse that revokes your VAMPY POWAHZ would be better than just ending the game for it.

 

[DamnElfGirl]

From that description, I got the idea that the "in-game event" was sending such a powerful hunter at you that you get insta-splatted. Which is, indeed, rather lame, but slightly less lame than an instant Game Over screen.

 

[StraitLacedDeviant]

I think it will be more likely that they will send so many hunters that it will be impossible to continue. I can't imagine them just giving you a game over screen, that would indeed be lame.

 

[Eclecticist]

The entire idea is lame. You should be able to continue after breaking the masquerade, even if the game's main plot has been completely fudged and you have to fight hunters at every second corner.

It is little things like these that will see Bloodlines rise or fall.

 

[Surlent]

Now you can't kill everything in sight, right ?
I think this sucks. Arcanum had totally different way of approach. Wasn't Troika supporting fully evil/unethical behavior ?
Well isn't breaking vampire moral code considered unethical in a game full of vampires ?

 

[fnordcircle]

The entire idea is lame. You should be able to continue after breaking the masquerade, even if the game's main plot has been completely fudged and you have to fight hunters at every second corner.

It is little things like these that will see Bloodlines rise or fall.

Blood hunts are very bad things, what is the problem? You people just want to pick at the title because it isn't isometric and turn-based.

 

[Stark]

That's pretty lame there. You get caught vamping around five times and you get a GAME OVER screen? What the hell kind of half assed crap is that? They can't do some kind of game event instead, like instead of sending hunters, they send some kind of ancient uber vamp or something? Even some kind of ancient curse that revokes your VAMPY POWAHZ would be better than just ending the game for it.

hey, to be fair you're allowed to accumulate up to 5 points before the ending the game, I've no complain since players are already given 4 chances to "repent".

They could have sent a uber-ancient vamp or something after you but given that there're always AI glitch that a player can exploit, there's no guarantee they can kill you off immediately.

In GTA it works because they can keep sending waves of tanks and soildiers after you, but imagine them sending waves of ancient vamps after you... it'll more likely spoil the mood of the setting instead.

 

[Volourn]

"If you get too many Masquerade violations (5), your game is over."

Bah. Stupid, stupid, stupid. And, people complain about the Flaming Fist hunting you down in BG1. Hahahaha. This is even lamer. At least you can continue the game in BG1...

 

[Sol Invictus]

Volourn's right about that.

It's nice and all that everyone here (or at least almost everyone) just loves to pick on Bioware for their Flaming Fist and Cowled Wizards (who were merely a pestilence, and attacking them only disabled a few things for you on your journey, if you were a Wizard with the Planar Sphere quest you lost access to the potionmaker) but Troika's doing a one-up on Bioware and giving us an instant (that's what Shane said) game over screen.

It's great (and I don't mean that sarcastically) that Saint's pointed out the lameness of this little 'featurette' and I'm fully inclined to agree. I just can't wait for some Troika fanboy (oh, you exist!) to defend their actions this time. Now, I while I consider myself a supporter of Troika, I can't say I like this idea at all. I don't.

 

[Vault Dweller]

The feature does suck. I hope that Shane misunderstood something.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Now you can't kill everything in sight, right ?
I think this sucks. Arcanum had totally different way of approach. Wasn't Troika supporting fully evil/unethical behavior ?
Well isn't breaking vampire moral code considered unethical in a game full of vampires ?

Well, breaking the masquerade should be a bad thing.. But honestly, how do you determine that it's broken within the game? If you go in to a bar and kill EVERYBODY, there's no witnesses to the masquerade being broken. Sure, you're doing some bad vampy stuff in a highly public place, but.. How would anyone know? Just suck down all the people or use vampy powers to kill them, then shoot up the corpses and set the place on fire.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

You know, while I dont like this, it could mean that all you need to do is like saint said: eliminate all witnesses.

 

[Fez]

I'd rather they found some game plot device or in game way of killing the character off if they had to, even sending some cheap invincible one-hit-kills monster would at least seem less shitty.

Imagine the game breaking moment: running out at someone to feed and you are seen? Boo! GAEM OVAR LOLZ!!

If that doesn't ruin the immersion of the game nothing will. They should look at how other games like Deus Ex (for the fps/rpg style) managed to herd the player.

 

[Voss]

The lameness continues. It sounds like a brief cutscene with a picture of the character fleeing a mob. With a voice over. "The prince has declared a blood hunt. You are hunted down and staked out for the sun. Game over."
Now, if the prince declared a blood hunt, and you could try to escape and are killed in the process or have to flee/ over throw the power structure/ dig up dirt and bribe your way to forgiveness, etc.. then it would be cool and impressive. Dealing with the consequences of your actions is fun. Auto-game over= pathetic and lazy.

And lets not forget, kiddies, earlier previews have mentioned maquerade and non-masquerade zones. If you vamp out/use powers in the first. Bad, bad vampire. You get points. In the latter, no one cares. I doubt, from the way things sound, that witnesses matter much. Just if the tag is on it. In a masquerade zone it won't matter if there aren't witnesses, in the non-masquerade zone it won't matter if there are.
Lame.

 

[Fez]

Urgh, I hope it isn't so black and white as that. I was looking forward to some AI and interactivity.

 

[Whipporowill]

Way to go overreacting people... fucking boo-hoo.

 

[mr. lamat]

yea... no doubt. this isn't doom3. there are rules set-up in the gameworld's fiction and if you break them, you're fucked. it doesn't matter how bad-ass you are or how quick you can be with a mouseclick, you're just gonna die. it's like trying to hide from the mafia or mossad... impossible. rather than have you face a constant spawn-stream they just popped up a little screen that says "you're a dumbass. learn to handle yourself." which is totally fine.

cry cain a river, ladies.

 

[Sarkile]

It's kind of funny that Troika said they wanted to stick as close as possible to the rules and then further nerf the starting character's stats. I really don't want to be starting as a cripple vampire.

 

[Volourn]

I'll cry as mucha sI want. This idea is stupid. And,s icne it comes from the Uber Role-playing Kings themslves known as Troika; it's even more laugahble. Pathetic. The more one hears about Vampire; the more TOEE sounds like a deep RPG...

 

[mr. lamat]

it is true to the roleplaying aspect of the game. if you break the veil, they're not gonna send a team of overly-armed thugs to blast away at you in the street. they kill you when you aren't looking, quietly, in the tradition of the 'masquerade'. just because you're a putz with the violence doesn't mean the powers that be are gonna stoop to your level.

 

[Volourn]

"it is true to the roleplaying aspect of the game."

No, it isn't. Don't be stupid. Autodeath by unkillable enmies dopes not equal role-playing. You lose.

 

[Surlent]

Now, if the prince declared a blood hunt, and you could try to escape and are killed in the process or have to flee/ over throw the power structure/ dig up dirt and bribe your way to forgiveness, etc.. then it would be cool and impressive. Dealing with the consequences of your actions is fun..

That's great idea. Wonder why they wouldn't pursue this kind of option instead ?
One of great points in Arcanum when playing as wicked minded bastard was that you could find a way to get away from troubles like city watch or other people harming your 'business'.

 

[mr. lamat]

granted, i don't know alot about the gameworld itself, but i imagine if you fuck over the clans you're dead and just don't know it yet. the character might have some modicum of freedom, but in the end, you're simply undead at the whim of far more powerful entities. if anything putting limits on a player's actions is far more true to roleplaying than being able to execute the entire population of the gameworld.

why would they give the character a fighting chance? they don't have to. it's not in their interest to bring more heat down upon themselves. it's a realistic and fair death for some most likely gimp behaviour. there are rules to play by and if you stay within them to a degree you're fine. you want the hitman to knock on your door because if not, he's being a poor sport. he won't care about what you want or what you think is fair because he's already put a few rounds in your head.

That's great idea. Wonder why they wouldn't pursue this kind of option instead ?

it seems as though that option does exist, up to a point. you can fuck up and break rules, until what you're doing damages the society as a whole. there's just an extreme from which you can't come back.

 

[Surlent]

To me it sounds more they are forcing you to play how they want to.
Granted in programmed computer software game this is eventually what happens in every game.
But it surely doesn't enforce roleplaying options or give players the feel of freedom (which is artifical in games, yes but it can be there like in non linear games coughArcanumcough).

On the other hand talk about pacifism has been scarce. You have to drink blood to survive afterall. Though there's been mention of some blood bank.