Interview Leon chats with GameBanshee

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Leonard Boyarsky; Troika Games; Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

<a href=http://www.gamebanshee.com>GameBanshee</a> has posted an <a href=http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/vampirebloodlines2-1.php>interview</a> with <b>Leon Boyarsky</b> about <a href=http://www.vampire-bloodlines.com/>Bloodlines</a>
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<blockquote>GB: Other than multiplayer, is there anything specific that you would have liked to have changed or added in the game if you were given more development time?
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Leonard: No matter what game you make, there are always things you have to cut. One of the coolest fluff pieces that didn’t make it into Bloodlines was the classic Activision games in the arcade on the pier – they were supposed to actually be playable (one of our programmers was friends with a programmer from another company that just made an emulator for all the old Activision games). How cool would it have been to actually play Pitfall at the arcade inside the game? </blockquote>
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Very cool, if you are like 12. Considering how much work the last third of the game could have used, I'd prefer that Leon mentioned that than some stupid arcade game.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPG Dot</A>

 

[Surlent]

GB: Is it possible we might eventually see a Vampire: Bloodlines expansion or sequel? Who actually has to give a green light for further development? Activision? White Wolf?

Leonard: That would be Activision’s call. We’d love to do either an expansion or a sequel.

I'd like to get both, but with expansion they could add more content/quests to the end part of the game and add those character hisories as well. That way the original BL would improve instead of doing a full new product and xpansion is faster to make.
On the other hand, whole new BL game would kick ass even if it's done with the same engine.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

I want a Pinball Wizard ending, dammit! :evil:

 

[Volourn]

They'd have been better off making it a full RPG and throwing the so called "FPS" in the trash can. Thanks. That is all.

 

[mathboy]

r00fles

 

[Visceris]

They'd have been better off making it a full RPG and throwing the so called "FPS" in the trash can. Thanks. That is all.

You are 98% right on that one.

 

[Spazmo]

Nah, a ruleset as barren as V:tM makes for really shitty TB combat. Anyways, the combat is just fine given that's it's an action/hybrid/whatever/RPG.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Nah, a ruleset as barren as V:tM makes for really shitty TB combat. Anyways, the combat is just fine given that's it's an action/hybrid/whatever/RPG.

You're saying it's fine that it has so-so combat because its a hybrid?

 

[Spazmo]

I'm saying that it would have so-so combat if it weren't a hybrid and that being a hybrid, it has fun, action-driven combat, which I guess is a turnoff for some. But hey, fuck 'em, because it's Volourn and Visceris.

 

[Visceris]

I just don't like First Person view in my CRPGs. First Person view are for games like Unreal and Half Life, not CRPGs. Hell, I played Morrowind entirely in the 3rd person.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

I'm saying that it would have so-so combat if it weren't a hybrid and that being a hybrid, it has fun, action-driven combat, which I guess is a turnoff for some. But hey, fuck 'em, because it's Volourn and Visceris.

Well the turnoff I suspect I'll have in regards to Bloodlines is the same I had with Deus Ex, ie, reflex driven combat with character skills that seem to get in the way rather than compliment the system. I just find that it might be possible to improve on that rather than simply accepting it to be worse than either combat style on its own.

 

[Volourn]

"Nah, a ruleset as barren as V:tM makes for really shitty TB combat. Anyways, the combat is just fine given that's it's an action/hybrid/whatever/RPG."

No. the combat is not "fine". It's better than Gothic 2. Barely. And, it's nowhere near as fine as KOTOR's combat in spite of KOTOR's combat simplicity.

BL is a FPS/RPG and that hurts it. Hurts it a lot.

Good thing it has HOT BOOBIES though.

HOTTEST B00BIES OF ALL TIME!!!

 

[Screaming_life]

No. the combat is not "fine". It's better than Gothic 2. Barely. And, it's nowhere near as fine as KOTOR's combat in spite of KOTOR's combat simplicity.

BL is a FPS/RPG and that hurts it. Hurts it a lot.

I thought combat was "Fine" but i avaoided it as much as possible. Gothic 2 had much better combat in my opinion. KOTOR's combat, now that i hated! it's just boring!

although, apart from the story i really hated KOTOR

 

[Volourn]

"Gothic 2 had much better combat in my opinion."

No. Gothic 2's combat made me quit within a few hours and it wasn't due to difficulty; but lameness of controls and such.

 

[Surlent]

BL is a FPS/RPG and that hurts it.

How so if it was meant to be FPS/RPG in the veins of Deus Ex in the first place ?

 

[Volourn]

"How so if it was meant to be FPS/RPG in the veins of Deus Ex in the first place ?"

Simple. It does the FPS part of it so horribly that it harms the game quality. That's how.

 

[Surlent]

You just got the game and already played through spawning zombies and Hollywood sewers ?
I think the only downsides to 1st person combat is the lack of enough different enemies and their spawning in some points. But that has really nothing to do with guns, aiming, ammo distribution... etc.

 

[Volourn]

"You just got the game and already played through spawning zombies and Hollywood sewers ? "

No. It shouldn't take a genius that long to figure out that BL's combat is "lacking".

 

[mr. lamat]

i really haven't encountered any problems with the combat. really ain't all that great at the fps-sect, but i've been decimating much zombie and vampire ass without too many reloads. it's not as smooth as half-life2, but it's the best fps/rpg i've ever played.

the last third of the game is really no different from the last third of any rpg... you build up skills and make choices for the first two parts, then find them all rendered moot by an insane amount of combat thrown your way. it's standard practice and i was kind of expecting it, which is why i went gangrel.

 

[Spazmo]

I figure Brujah would be the optimal choice in anticipation of the endgame. Celerity with potence and the katana would be kickass.

 

[mr. lamat]

the gangrel/jaegerspas combo is simply delightful. ain't no need for faggity-ass elfmajick when you got one of those.

 

[Visceris]

Volourn is right on this one and I have to agree that Gothic 2's combat sucked major ass. Then again I really disliked the whole freaking game.

 

[Volourn]

Be quiet Visc. You agreeing with me just makes me feel like changing my opinion just out of spite. Goodbye.

 

[Old Scratch]

Volourn is right on this one and I have to agree that Gothic 2's combat sucked major ass. Then again I really disliked the whole freaking game.

And I used to think you had good taste in games Visc.

 

[Visceris]

As for the CRPG, the cotrols sucked, the combat sucked, no character creation, the graphics of the game were kind of off (not bad not good, just something about it irked me). Just couldn't get into teh game. Bottomline, I hated it.