Editorial Reanimated: Eurogamer VTM:B retrospective profiles Brian Mitsoda and Wesp5

[Infinitron]

Tags: Brian Mitsoda; Troika Games; Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines; VTMB Unofficial Patch

In a retrospective article posted today, Eurogamer remember Troika's swan song vampire RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, and profile lead writer Brian Mitsoda and modder Werner "Wesp5" Spahl, who has kept the game alive over the years with his famous unofficial patch. Here's the introduction:

On November 16, 2004, two games powered by the Source engine were released for the PC. The first was quickly heralded as a modern classic, leading to its creators becoming one of the most influential companies in the games industry. The second was largely ignored, resulting in the closure of its developer and the scattering of its designers to the winds.​

"It was dumped on the market at the worst possible time - most people didn't even know we were out," says Brian Mitsoda, the former lead writer on Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines "Both fans and the Troika devs are always going to wonder what the game could have been like with another six months."​

Bloodlines was sent out to die. An unfinished game released prematurely by its publishers Activision, it didn't stand a chance on the shelves, especially alongside the hotly anticipated Half Life 2. But the commercial death of Bloodlines wasn't the end for the game. Thanks to a German analytical chemist with a passion for fixing broken things, Bloodlines has received not six months of additional work, but nine full years.​

This is the story of two men who breathed life into the same game - one before it was born, the other after it died.​

It's a nice article. I wonder how Tessera feels about it.

 

[Diablo169]

Seriously I want a time machine so I can travel back and give Troika as much development time and money as they would like for every game they made. Makes me so sad.

 

[LibertyRansom]

I know! All their games were so great in different ways

 

[AstroZombie]

Fuck Valve and Activision

 

[Volrath]

Bloodlines is still awesome.

So unfair

 

[Zed]

If I had to play a Troika game at this time, I would probably choose Bloodlines.

 

[Zero Credibility]

I wonder how Tessera feels about it.

It really shouldn't, but just thinking about it puts a smile on my face.

Anyway, what others have said - Bloodlines is awesome, fuck Activision and so on. If only Obsidian would take on making a (spiritual or true) sequel in the Masquerade setting... Oh well, a man can dream.

 

[boltrek]

Where is the article about Drog and Arcanum

 

[Serious_Business]

Masquerade was revived wasn't it? Needs a new game for sure. One can dream I guess

 

[Yaar Podshipnik]

Not sure if White Wolf would want another company to make a Vampire game. They've merged with CCP (makers of EVE), and are making a WoD MMO. Having another company make a different game would most likely dilute their brand.

 

[Excidium]

It wouldn't really hurt considering the eternal vaporware state of the MMO. Would make some money with licensing and they certainly need it.

 

[UnknownBro]

VtM:B has a special place in my hardrive.
Great design but poor implementation like most of Troika's games (probably due to budget and Publisher restrictions). And Brian Mitsoda is a true BRO.

 

[Roguey]

Seriously I want a time machine so I can travel back and give Troika as much development time and money as they would like for every game they made. Makes me so sad.

Activision gave Troika three years and they had to start over from scratch once because their first idea was beyond terrible. No amount of time or money can make up for perpetual mismanagement.

 

[tuluse]

While that's true, since the end result of VtM:B was actually kind of neat, I think it's clear it wasn't perpetual mismanagement. A 6 month delay with a content lock, ie just bug fixes could have done wonders for it. Also, according to Tim Cain it sold enough to be profitable for Activision despite the long development time.

 

[Average Manatee]

While that's true, since the end result of VtM:B was actually kind of neat, I think it's clear it wasn't perpetual mismanagement. A 6 month delay with a content lock, ie just bug fixes could have done wonders for it. Also, according to Tim Cain it sold enough to be profitable for Activisiondespite the long development time.

Profitable means jack shit. There is only mega-profitable or we-hope-it's-mega-profitable-for-sequels. Everything else gets canned.

 

[Roguey]

While that's true, since the end result of VtM:B was actually kind of neat, I think it's clear it wasn't perpetual mismanagement. A 6 month delay with a content lock, ie just bug fixes could have done wonders for it. Also, according to Tim Cain it sold enough to be profitable for Activisiondespite the long development time.

The post Hollywood content likely would have been better, but I doubt it would have improved their bad core gameplay.

 

[Excidium]

It's certainly more romantic to blame those meddling publishers.

 

[Jedi Exile]

Bloodlines had 'bad core gameplay'? WTF I'm reading? Oh wait, this is Codex...

 

[Excidium]

It is p. bad. The shooting is mediocre, the melee combat is only tolerable because at least it isn't the shooting, and stealth is nearly cheating. The plot is on another level of awful, the C&C only has any significance for the ending and level design is p. forgettable. All in all rather constrained and linear for a VtM game with a poor implementation of the pnp systems.

Voice acting is unmatched though~

Still p. fun and worth playing 7 times. Better than the sum of its parts, etc

 

[boltrek]

It has cute girls though, I particularly liked the kawaii Japanese vampire slayer

 

[RK47]

Bloodlines had 'bad core gameplay'? WTF I'm reading? Oh wait, this is Codex...

If you wanna defend the game, at least defend the right parts.

 

[Metro]

As much as I want to replay this game the hack job sections that start around the Warrens dissuades me every time I consider it.

 

[Jedi Exile]

I am not an expert in game design, but as far as I understand, if core gameplay is bad this means that playing the game isn't fun, it's a chore. It was so in case of Alpha Protocol, for example. The game had some redeeming qualities, but actually playing it was very boring, even frustrating. In case of Bloodlines it wasn't so, except for the last part that was obviously rushed and just lacked content. I agree with Excidium that shooting and stealth weren't very good, but as 'the sum of its parts' Bloodlines was great. Even in its unfinished state.

 

[Darth Roxor]

If I had to play a Troika game at this time, I would probably choose Bloodlines.

Well, obviously, given how it's the only good Troika game

 

[Roguey]

It has cute girls though, I particularly liked the kawaii Japanese vampire slayer

Her voice actor wasn't actually from Japan and mispronounces a lot of words. Ming Xiao was also voiced by a white woman. Yellowface bullshit.

I am not an expert in game design, but as far as I understand, if core gameplay is bad this means that playing the game isn't fun, it's a chore. It was so in case of Alpha Protocol, for example. The game had some redeeming qualities, but actually playing it was very boring, even frustrating. In case of Bloodlines it wasn't so, except for the last part that was obviously rushed and just lacked content. I agree with Excidium that shooting and stealth weren't very good, but as 'the sum of its parts' Bloodlines was great. Even in its unfinished state.

None of the gameplay parts of Bloodlines are any good; in fact they are quite awful. It could work as a visual novel, which makes it a failure as a game.