Preview Bloodlines peek at GameSpy

[Trash]

Over the next few minutes, Boyarsky proceeded to walk through the level six times with vampire characters of different clans and abilities. While the goal in each case was to get into the beach house and get the explosives, the methods he chose to do that could not have been more different.

Though the writer only descripes stealth, diplomat and violent ways to solve this queest, there seem to have been a few other options. Either that or, Leon died a few times while trying this queest.

Though you can bitch a little about the restrictive paths in the levels that they may throw into the game, I don't really mind. Did you guys really expect something totally free-form? The pc's of today are just not ready for that, nor is Troika rich enough to spend years building something like that.

Vampire already sounds like a huge improvement over most of todays rpg's. Multiple quest solutions, 3d world, great graphics and many different character types to try, adding up to a shitload of replayability. Beat that!

 

[Whipporowill]

I'd definitely like to see if theres a difference between Dominate and Presence in the game, or if they functionally work out the same way.

Dominate is active, while prescence might be triggered in dialogue is my initial guess? The first one seems to be less subtle than the last as well.

A note on the profanity too- I actually see this as coming more from the PnP game than Troika. The setting leans heavily toward dark and gritty, and White Wolf frequently uses it in the rule/source books... even to the point of in the 'Special Thanks' section of the title page. So its fairly appropriate for the setting and game. And for fucks sake, it is the shithole that is L.A., and with the whole 'World of Darkness' thing, you should figure it being 3 to 5 times worse than it is in the real world.

As long as people are swearing for a legitimate reason - i e they seem to be the kind to swear, I ain't got no beef. I swear a lot myself, because it's teh fun. Harr harr.

 

[Amerestatistic]

Swearing is a legitimate form of entertainment. Particularly when the deeply religious, or small children, are involved.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Though the writer only descripes stealth, diplomat and violent ways to solve this queest, there seem to have been a few other options.

Hmm, you're right, the reviewer did mention 3 other characters. I wonder how a Brujah would handle that?

Did you guys really expect something totally free-form? The pc's of today are just not ready for that, nor is Troika rich enough to spend years building something like that.

Did you play Silent Storm? Did you read all the hype about HL2 and its uber engine ?

Vampire already sounds like a huge improvement over most of todays rpg's. Multiple quest solutions, 3d world, great graphics and many different character types to try, adding up to a shitload of replayability. Beat that!

:shock: That's what any decent rpgs does and suppose to do, with the exception of graphics of course. Go play Arcanum.

 

[Trash]

Hmm, you're right, the reviewer did mention 3 other characters. I wonder how a Brujah would handle that?

To me most top rpg's (including arcanum and fallout) seemed to have a few different ways of solving quests. I don't really think vampire will have that many new ones, maybe a few variables depending in what character you play and give us some freedom in the 3d enviroment. It's still just a game, not a vampire sim.

Did you play Silent Storm? Did you read all the hype about HL2 and its uber engine ?

Yup, I've been playing Silent Storm. Great game, great physics engine. Don't know how "great" the hl2 engine will be though. To me the best things seem the neat graphics, the facial animations and the way objects act realistic.

Imo it's not the newest coolest engine that will make a game, it's what the developers will do with the engine they're using. And I don't think vampire will shatter us in the way it's engine is being used. Maybe it innovate the way 3d can be used in a rpg (though gothic 2 has done this to some extent) but otherwise...naah.

That's what any decent rpgs does and suppose to do, with the exception of graphics of course. Go play Arcanum.

I loved arcanum....but in the end most quests could only be solved in a few ways (stealth, diplomat and fighter) Just like most rpg's out there. If you want something truly engrossing and utterly free-form, go play table-top rpg's.

I just don't think vampire will be particulary innovative in the rpg market. Just hoping that Troika will make it as engrossing as their earlier games, give us some way to try various different characters and make it bug free (and fun to play of course). If they manage to do this, I'm happy.
Cya,

Trash

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

It's not the number of ways, it's the "how". I'd expect not to look for that one sparkly board that could be removed, but to tear off the one I like. Same goes for the rest of the environment.

That board is highlighted because it's loose, easy to remove without making a hell of a lot of noise. If you want to make a lot of noise, there are other ways of doing that as the preview says. Why the hell would you want to rip up the fence and make a lot of noise when you can just kick in the front door and do it that way?

 

[Voss]

Because rather than charge potentially armed and ready guards, you want to ambush them (with, possibly, a two-by-four freshly ripped from said fence) as they come rushing around the corner to find out what the hell is going on.

Lure them out of their positions, as it were.

Though admittedly, I'm still having problems accepting surfers as a credible threat. Now if they're someone's ghouls who just like strutting their shit on the beach during their off hours, thats a whole 'nother thing.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Well, lets hope you're right, Saint, and it all would make sense in the game. After all, I haven't seen this sequence and all I can do is to make assumptions My concern is that a stealth way would require you to find the way instead of a way.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

Though admittedly, I'm still having problems accepting surfers as a credible threat.

Obviously, you have not seen the movie Point Break.

 

[Voss]

True, it didn't seem like something Ted would do, so I couldn't suspend disbelief enough to choke it down.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, lets hope you're right, Saint, and it all would make sense in the game. After all, I haven't seen this sequence and all I can do is to make assumptions My concern is that a stealth way would require you to find the way instead of a way.

You do find a way, the only reason the board sparkels is because your Perception is so high you notice it. A normal player (I.E. not using cheats to show off for the demo) might not even see it.

 

[Human Shield]

But every walkthrough would say "open 20th board on the left, it is loose".

 

[Vault Dweller]

I'm talking about the stealth way.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

But every walkthrough would say "open 20th board on the left, it is loose".

Unless they randomize the position of the board each time. I don't see how that would be too hard to implement. Just have it off slightly from the other boards so that someone without perception can find it, but it would take a bit of looking on their part. Feh. I don't know. I'll hold any further judgement or skepticism until I see a demo.

 

[Voss]

Theres a practical use of time for programmers. Randomizing boards

Seriously folks...

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Because rather than charge potentially armed and ready guards, you want to ambush them (with, possibly, a two-by-four freshly ripped from said fence) as they come rushing around the corner to find out what the hell is going on.

Lure them out of their positions, as it were.

If they respond to noise, which is stated in the preview, you can still do this without going nuts on the fence.

 

[Voss]

OK, point is your're nitpicking a 3 page preview to death.
It didn't have much content to begin with.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

Theres a practical use of time for programmers. Randomizing boards

Seriously folks...

You never know.......

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

OK, point is your're nitpicking a 3 page preview to death.
It didn't have much content to begin with.

I don't think I'm the one being nitpicky at all here. You say you want to be able to pull off any board on the fence so the surfers can come outside and you can ambush them, right? Well, you can pull off the loose board and toss it up against the side of the house and they'll come out so you can ambush them. Does it really matter in the equation that the board you yanked off was a specific loose one?

Since they react to noise, you can probably also beat the crap out of the fence with a baseball bat and lure them out as well if you're really out to get that fence.

 

[EEVIAC]

Fence Hunter - The Splintering.

 

[Azael]

OK, maybe I'm a bit too nitpicky, but it's so much fun. Basically, after ToEE turned out in a way that I really didn't like I've decided to be very critical of Troika hype. I don't really have a problem with high Perception highlighting items you can use, as long as this isn't done for evey item you can use, in which case it feels like you're being led by the hand.

I wonder why you can't just silently put the board on the ground instead of tossing it in the ocean though.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

I wonder why you can't just silently put the board on the ground instead of tossing it in the ocean though.

The Begginer's Guide To Vampirism specifically states on page 142, paragraph 2:

Any vampire who comes across a loose board, or causes a loose board to come into existence through their actions, is thereby obligated to throw said board into the nearest ocean. Beings as said board is most likely constructed of wood, it is always best to keep it far away from one's self and from the grasp of others who might use it against you.

 

[Azael]

Another thing I never understood about vampire lore, why are wooden stakes the only thing that can kill them (sometimes together with silver and/or holy water)? Can it be any wood, does oak work as well mahogny?

 

[Whipporowill]

A metal stake through the heart would work as well, wouldn't it? It's a lot harder to sharpen though, and a lot more heavy to carry around... heh.

 

[Azael]

Not necessarily, you wouldn't really need solid metal. If metal works as good as wood though, a dagger seems like a more useful weapon.