World of Darkness Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 from Hardsuit Labs

[111111111]

i dunno about preveiw but mitsoda directly contridicts that website statement

 

[rusty_shackleford]

"Vampires don't have a sex drive" is probably the third most stupid thing in the WoD books.

They're undead though. This isn't Blade where vampirism is a simple virus. Their bodies are dead. They are cold lumps of flesh. The very things that make you aroused or even able to get an erection no longer function.

People who are sterilized and some elderly people lose all sex drive. When the body stops working, so does your dick. At most, it's just one of the many old human feelings you might miss, but it's no longer a desire for those whose flesh no longer functions.

If anything, the idea that undead vampires would have a sex drive when they don't even have a drive to eat is what's stupid.

Blush of Life, very easy for high humanity vampires.

The question isn't whether they can or can not have sex, it's whether they want or need to and the answer remains "no they don't" for the same reason they don't take drugs or indulge in other things humans find pleasurable.

Did you read his post? He was arguing against vampires physically being able to have sex.

I don't see what Blush of Life has got to do with it then, since the mere illusion of being alive doesn't bring back human urges.

Because Blush of Life isn't an illusion?

By spending a variable number ofblood points, a vampire may will himself to appear more human for a scene: flushing his skin, drawing breath, even becoming capable of engag- ing in sexual intercourse (this last, while helpful in certain types of feeding, in no way means that the vampire may inseminate a mortal or become pregnant; a corpse is still a corpse, after all). Performing these actions for a scene requires an expenditure of blood points equal to (8 minus Humanity); thus, Kindred with Humanity scores of 8 or higher may accomplish these feats automatically, while vampires with low Humanity find the process exceedingly arduous.

Engaging in sexual intercourse is in the rulebook.

 

[Orma]

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Hands Off Demo: A True RPG Descendant
Steven Santana

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One has the intentional to be a true evolution of the classic RPG.
Entering the hotel room in which Paradox Interactive and Hardsuit Labs was to show their unannounced game, I had no expectations. Paradox as a publisher has always been associated with strategy games so I thought perhaps this would be another entry in that genre. I showed up a little early and the PR person I talked with briefly outside the door made sure he didn’t spoil anything for me which piqued my interest. So when I sat down and they said the words: “Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2,” I was shocked.

The original released in 2004; afterwards, developer Troika Games went defunct and publisher Activision had no interest beyond maintaining control on that original game. Paradox purchased White Wolf from CCP in 2015 and along with it the IP rights to Vampire: The Masquerade. Despite the many rumors in the years since, as well as the Tender ARG that was ongoing up to its announcement last Thursday, it is still a big shock to know that there is indeed a fully fledged sequel to the cult hit Bloodlines. Thankfully, it looks like it will be a true evolution of the classic RPG.



During the hands-off demo I was shown, both Paradox producers and Hardsuit developers talked me through the opening bit of the game as well as a brief exploration of the first hub you will be given access to. Though I haven’t played the original Bloodlines myself, I love watching YouTube critics such as Cannot be Tamed, who released a twenty minute video discussing Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines and why it was and is so beloved by RPG fans, so I had a vested interest in what was being shown.



“Hardsuit was created to make games like this.” says Creative Director Martin Ka’ai Cluney. “We’ve been building this team pretty steadily and pretty deliberately just to do things like this. As soon as the opportunity came up, we just dove on it. Mauled it to death.” Despite his reserved voice he would sometimes break into excitement at certain aspects, such as the unannounced voice cast. “I can’t say enough that our cast is so fucking badass.” While the protagonist is silent, choosing from text dialogue on-screen to converse, everyone else has a voice. Though no specific VO has been detailed, some from the original game will be returning for this new entry.

LA is out and Seattle is in, and it is also the home of developers Hardsuit Labs which gives them a great opportunity to fully realize the city, its history, and adapt the current issues with a vampiric edge. Character customization and a tutorial were not shown, though the developer said players will be choosing a background for their character, deciding things like what their career was when they were human. Players no longer assign attribute points to determine their abilities; instead, you are capable of handling any weapon you come across. In the demo this included a shotgun and pipe to take out a few enemies who were set on killing you.



During this introduction your character makes their way through the Seattle underground, a real part of the city that was built over after the Great Fire of 1889. That being said, the real underground isn’t as expansive as the one in Bloodlines 2, as following reality would make it much more boring as its mostly basements, small tunnels, and some old signage. The duality of old vs. new in Seattle is something that will not only be present in the locations but also in the themes of the game.

Cluney, when talking about the themes of Bloodlines 2, mentioned, “Seattle has been having this struggle over the last few years, decade really, between what the tradition of what the city is and its roots versus whats been coming in lately with tech and money and everything else.” It’s not hard to connect that sentiment to the invasion of Amazon and other tech companies into the city in the past decades and their continued attempts to influence policy.

One of the most recent clashes between Amazon and Seattle was over a tax on large employers to fund affordable housing and homeless services. This was ultimately dropped due to pressure from those big tech companies. Despite their success, Amazon pulled out of its lease anyway. Big tech villainy is a staple of the futuristic cyberpunk genre, but as we rapidly approach billion dollar companies exerting more and more control over the cities they reside within (or want to reside in) it wouldn’t be surprising to see some aspects of that genre adapted with a vampiric tint for the modern day. “Both sides very much are pushing against each other. Right at this point right now they’re not coexisting. Then if you look back over history, Seattle is very much a boom or bust town, this isn’t the first time its happened.”

Spoiler

Brian Mitsoda who was a major part of the first Bloodlines narrative success is returning along with Cara Ellison, whose recent work includes Void Bastards, Dreams, and Dishonored 2, as well as author of Embed with Games. The addition of Ellison was due to Mitsoda wanting to bring her aboard for the game. “Brian’s always really liked her work but mainly we wanted her to handle what we call the U7. The unsanctioned vampires that were created at the beginning of the game,” Cluney explains, “We felt like her tone matches really well with the plight of basically vampires who are completely out on their own.”

Consuming blood is mandatory and picking who to feed on is influenced by their flavor. The colored “resonance” they are outputting (rage, sadness, etc) will determine what buff you will get upon feeding on their blood. Using a special vision that also highlights what objects in an area you an interact with, you can tune into what emotion a person is undergoing and highlight them for consumption. How you get them into a non-populated area though is up to you and your current skills.

Every indication from talking to Hardsuit Labs and watching their introductory demo shows that they know what made the first Bloodlines successful and have every intent of bringing it into the modern generation while retaining all the key elements and systems that make Vampire: The Masquerade unique. Ditching sequential levels is the natural evolution for the genre, as even Dues Ex: Mankind Divided, was nearly there with its large Prague hub, which was perhaps the most successful aspect of that game.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 will live or die based on how well it is able to capture and integrate Seattle with a mysterious vampiric history worth exploring, and Hardsuit Labs is definitely dedicated to nailing that combination when the game releases for PC, PS4, and Xbox One in Q1 2020. For more on the game you can check out our interview with the game’s developers.

https://www.dualshockers.com/vampire-masquerade-bloodlines-2-preview-gdc/

 

[Lacrymas]

Vampires in VtM can get an erection (by magical means, not by being aroused), but it's a mechanical function. Even humans can force themselves to have an erection without being aroused (that's why gay 4 pay exists). You can think of it more like that, they CAN have sex and the orgasm is pleasurable, like a straight guy having sex with another guy, but it doesn't come with all the emotional, physiological and psychological reactions that having sex with a woman brings. Trust me, I've slept with (and even briefly "dated") a straight guy and it's not the same when the other person isn't all that into it. People who can read others well might be able to tell whether the other person is a vampire or not like this perhaps, but they wouldn't know it's because of the vampirism.

 

[Black]

https://www.dualshockers.com/vampire-masquerade-bloodlines-2-preview-gdc/

LA is out and Seattle is in, and it is also the home of developers Hardsuit Labs which gives them a great opportunity to fully realize the city, its history, and adapt the current issues with a vampiric edge. Character customization and a tutorial were not shown, though the developer said players will be choosing a background for their character, deciding things like what their career was when they were human. Players no longer assign attribute points to determine their abilities; instead, you are capable of handling any weapon you come across. In the demo this included a shotgun and pipe to take out a few enemies who were set on killing you.

Maybe it's like in BL1, you CAN use melee or ranged with no skills invested but you're shit with them.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Blush of Life, very easy for high humanity vampires.

So? Assuming their bodies really do fully return to their normal functions, and not just the appearance of them as their bodies very clearly still aren't normal, in that case, they get their sex drive back.

It doesn't mean that they should function that way without it, for the reasons I outlined.

Did you read his post? He was arguing against vampires physically being able to have sex.

We all played Bloodlines and boned Jeanette, bro.

I'm saying that if their bodies don't function normally, there is no sex drive by default, and baring the use of some special ability like Blush Of Life, there isn't really even the ability.

I'm trying to get across the point that the undead, blood-sucking, immortal being is not the same as us and whining about how the rules say they aren't is what's stupid.

 

[Steezus]

https://www.dualshockers.com/vampire-masquerade-bloodlines-2-preview-gdc/

LA is out and Seattle is in, and it is also the home of developers Hardsuit Labs which gives them a great opportunity to fully realize the city, its history, and adapt the current issues with a vampiric edge. Character customization and a tutorial were not shown, though the developer said players will be choosing a background for their character, deciding things like what their career was when they were human. Players no longer assign attribute points to determine their abilities; instead, you are capable of handling any weapon you come across. In the demo this included a shotgun and pipe to take out a few enemies who were set on killing you.

I mean, I expected shit like this, but still... fuck.

 

[Storyfag]

https://www.dualshockers.com/vampire-masquerade-bloodlines-2-preview-gdc/

LA is out and Seattle is in, and it is also the home of developers Hardsuit Labs which gives them a great opportunity to fully realize the city, its history, and adapt the current issues with a vampiric edge. Character customization and a tutorial were not shown, though the developer said players will be choosing a background for their character, deciding things like what their career was when they were human. Players no longer assign attribute points to determine their abilities; instead, you are capable of handling any weapon you come across. In the demo this included a shotgun and pipe to take out a few enemies who were set on killing you.

I mean, I expected shit like this, but still... fuck.

But it's no different to Bloodlines 1.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

But it's no different to Bloodlines 1.

yeah, I think that's what they're saying and the journo took it as "no gun skill".

 

[Delterius]

womanizer Toreador playthrough

Do you really want to seduce that ugly pig with the blood glass from the trailer? Do you? They made her as ugly as possible just like that asymmetric-faced cunt from Outerworlds.

yer gay

 

[Delterius]

"Vampires don't have a sex drive" is probably the third most stupid thing in the WoD books.

They're undead though. This isn't Blade where vampirism is a simple virus. Their bodies are dead. They are cold lumps of flesh. The very things that make you aroused or even able to get an erection no longer function.

People who are sterilized and some elderly people lose all sex drive. When the body stops working, so does your dick. At most, it's just one of the many old human feelings you might miss, but it's no longer a desire for those whose flesh no longer functions.

If anything, the idea that undead vampires would have a sex drive when they don't even have a drive to eat is what's stupid.

Blush of Life, very easy for high humanity vampires.

The question isn't whether they can or can not have sex, it's whether they want or need to and the answer remains "no they don't" for the same reason they don't take drugs or indulge in other things humans find pleasurable.

Actually they do. WW fluff talks about how ancient cainites had scores of special blood dolls who'd be fed specific herbs and drugs in perfect quantities to cause a stir in the vampire feeding off of 'em.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

I really don't want to get drawn into a discussion about sex and/or vampires, chiefly because these topics are ought to devolve into inanity. But inherently there is nothing wrong with mixing the two up.

Again, I'm not saying there is.

I'm saying that there is a perfectly valid reason within the lore that vampires have no sex drive by default:

they're dead.

 

[Steezus]

But it's no different to Bloodlines 1.

yeah, I think that's what they're saying and the journo took it as "no gun skill".

Players no longer assign attribute points to determine their abilities

I quite clearly remember putting points into shit that determined my abilites and I feel like they would've corrected journo bozo on that, if it weren't the case.

 

[Lacrymas]

Yes, vampires in WoD canonically don't have a sex drive, that's explicitly stated. They don't have the necessary hormones to cause a sex drive to occur. Blush of Life simply gives the appearance of a live body, it doesn't give you urges. You can eat normal food while using it, but you aren't hungry. You can have sex, but it doesn't mean you have a sex drive.

 

[Infinitron]

Deep Silver distribution deal: https://www.kochmedia.com/en/2019/0...ship-with-koch-media-for-retail-distribution/

PARADOX INTERACTIVE EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH KOCH MEDIA FOR RETAIL DISTRIBUTION

Paradox Interactive and Koch Media team up to unleash the Children of the Night and conquer Galaxies while running whole Cities on their journey! The new agreement between both companies includes physical distribution rights for the following titles:

• Age of Wonders Planetfall: The upcoming Sci-Fi-Strategy spectacle from Triumph Studios, which is due to release on August 6th 2019 for PlayStation®4, the Xbox One Family of devices as well as PC. Koch Media will cover the physical distribution of this title worldwide.

Emerge from the cosmic dark age of a fallen galactic empire to build a new future. Build an empire with one of six unique factions, ranging from the militant Vanguard to the dinosaur-riding Amazons and the cyborg-zombies of the Assembly. Progress through each faction’s missions using wits, military strength and diplomacy, exploring planetary ruins and encountering other survivors as the history of a shattered civilization unravels. Fight, build, negotiate and technologically advance a path to utopia in a deep single player campaign, on random skirmish maps, and against friends in multiplayer.

• Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2, a role-playing game (RPG) set in a Seattle faithfully reimagined in the World of Darkness. The game is currently in development and will launch on PC and consoles in 2020. Developed by Hardsuit Labs, Bloodlines 2 is the successor to the iconic RPG Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, featuring reactive storytelling, fast-paced melee combat, and intriguing characters with their own hidden motives.

Koch Media will handle physical distribution in all territories excluding Japan.

• Cities Skylines Switch: There is only a handful of games which deserve to be called Evergreen. Cities Skylines is sure one of them! Koch Media will distribute the boxed version of the Switch iteration worldwide.

A modern take on a classic city builder, originally created by Colossal Order, Cities: Skylines lets players realize the thrill and hardships of creating and maintaining a real city, complete with fully realized transport and economy systems, to cement the city simulation experience. Cities: Skylines is designed to suit any play style – and now, anytime, anywhere.

Mario Gerhold, International Marketing Director at Koch Media: “Paradox Interactive is one of our oldest partners. We are delighted to extend what has been an amazing partnership for the new titles, which each fit perfectly into the line-up of both companies. It is great to see that Paradox Interactive endeavours with great passion across various genres and platforms. Also all our teams are very excited to finally be able to start working on Age of Wonders: Planetfall and the successor of a cult game of all times: Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 and support both with a tailor made support from our side”

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

But it's no different to Bloodlines 1.

yeah, I think that's what they're saying and the journo took it as "no gun skill".

Players no longer assign attribute points to determine their abilities

I quite clearly remember putting points into shit that determined my abilites and I feel like they would've corrected journo bozo on that, if it weren't the case.

no ability points would be a huge negative.

How would it be a Bloodlines sequel? How would it really be a VTM game?

And just how are you going to have a "firearms skill" without ability points? Perks instead of points?

I guess we'll just have to wait and see then.

 

[Goral]

Not to mention vampires in WoD don't have a sexuality.

ahem

Anyway, whatever nonsense White Wolf put it into V5 is irrelevant because this is the Mitsoda show.

Except that female faggot wasn't a vampire yet and any seduction on our part was due to agenda we've had, there was no romance there, the only thing we cared was the objective, once we've reached it we moved on.

 

[Herumor]

and it was White Wolf who created xir Rudi.

I just read that "conversation" between Rudi and the others, why is every sentence so cringe? Normal people don't talk like this, it's like a script they are reading out of. Nobody sane in the universe calls himself a cishet white male. Not to mention vampires in WoD don't have a sexuality. Is this the writing we can expect? Tranny support groups?

Rudi was written by Matthew Dawkins, familiar to some people by his Gentleman Gamer Youtube channel. Rudi was based on some friend of Dawkins, who's gay and muslim, but deep in the closet, because his family presumably wouldn't be accepting of his homosexuality. It's hilarious in a weird way, how there's this weird fantasy of him being so bold and brash in a fictional world, yet the reality is starkly different.

So paradox will sell new disciplines as DLCs?

I doubt that. There's only so many Disciplines they could sell. But you know what would sell exceptionally well? Cosmetics. What, you think VtM players, especially the LARPers, wouldn't shell out tons of cash for more fashion options in the game? From what I recall, this was supposed to be the one way CCP would milk the playerbase of the WoD MMO, or at least as much was implied in that internal documentation that got out a while back. And let's not stop at player's clothes either. Because we all know that players will get to have their own haven and there'd be a ton of possibilities for customizing one's home/homes.

 

[Lacrymas]

Rudi was written by Matthew Dawkins, familiar to some people by his Gentleman Gamer Youtube channel. Rudi was based on some friend of Dawkins, who's gay and muslim, but deep in the closet, because his family presumably wouldn't be accepting of his homosexuality.

Yes, that is what normally happens and they either snap and try to kill themselves or try to live a miserable hetero life; or leave Islam behind. The two aren't compatible in any realistic or interpretive sense, you'd have to invent your own version of Islam to accommodate that, but the problem is that even this isn't so easy. Growing up in an environment which is extremely hostile and toxic to that which you are can and does leave deep psychological wounds that might never be able to heal. Having a character like Rudi is shameless and extremely tasteless, it plays down actual issues, avoids a dialogue and a solution and explains away the very real consequences which arise in such a situation. This is helping no-one and it doesn't even promote diversity, it actually homogenizes everyone into the same psychological and sociological framework and doesn't recognize different people's specific problems.

 

[Dwemer Puzzle Box]

It's hilarious in a weird way, how there's this weird fantasy of him being so bold and brash in a fictional world, yet the reality is starkly different.

So it's like a regular VtM enthusiast?

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Rudi was written by Matthew Dawkins, familiar to some people by his Gentleman Gamer Youtube channel. Rudi was based on some friend of Dawkins, who's gay and muslim, but deep in the closet, because his family presumably wouldn't be accepting of his homosexuality. It's hilarious in a weird way, how there's this weird fantasy of him being so bold and brash in a fictional world, yet the reality is starkly different.

tbh, that's almost forgivable. I had assumed he was just added for Diversity.

Having a character like Rudi is shameless and extremely tasteless, it plays down actual issues, avoids a dialogue and a solution and explains away the very real consequences which arise in such a situation. This is helping no-one and it doesn't even promote diversity, it actually homogenizes everyone into the same psychological and sociological framework and doesn't recognize different people's specific problems.

edit: That's probably true too though.

 

[pomenitul]

There are uncloseted gay and lesbian muslims, primarily in Western countries.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

There are uncloseted gay and lesbian muslims, primarily in Western countries.

They'll be back in the closet in 20 years.

 

[Lacrymas]

There are uncloseted gay and lesbian muslims, primarily in Western countries.

And they'd be thrown out of a rooftop if they set foot in an Islamic country. They obviously have a ...specific interpretation of Islam and is not the conventional kind. All the research (an example) into western Muslims show that their opinions regarding different sexual orientations, religions and etc. are poisoned influenced by Islam and they are disproportionately more likely to to not like the gays (or anyone else that isn't Muslim for that matter). Being an out gay western Muslim is unusual and a privilege, being an out Muslim in general is only possible in a western country AND it's extremely clear that it isn't the mainstream Muslim opinion even among western Muslims; it's a creative reading or an outright denial of scripture. They call themselves Muslim out of habit and out of tradition, not out of any deep understanding or following of theology.

If I were Matthew Dawkins' Muslim gay friend, I'd have been very angry at him because he wouldn't have respected my difficult position when he wrote me into the WoD. Does Rudi help Matthew's friend in any way or it just shows him that his problems can be hand-waved and easily fixed when this isn't even close to true? He doesn't provide a solution, he just happens to be an out gay Muslim and doesn't have the same problems just because. It's very easy to slap labels around and call yourself diverse and a friend to the oppressed when you aren't in the thick of it trying to actually help. Finding out Rudi is based on a real person who is twisted and mangled makes this even worse.

 

[Chippy]

In case anyone needed a reminder why V5 and Bloodlines 2 is so fucking shit.

Also, they practically removed Smiling Jack, who now has a single mention in the V5 Anarch book, from being a major and important Anarch character, and replaced him with the literal fucking meme that is Damsel, who is now characterized as setting up fuckmeets with whyte mails just to kill them. Not even joking. It's cringe^200.

People are wishlisting a game, therefore it's popular and the announcement not a shitshow xD

Come now, Inshillitron, you cannot be this retarded.

All this complaining is like saying a restaurant is bad because one of the chefs picks his nose in the kitchen. Its dirty and gross, but if nobody told you about it, you would have eaten the food anyway.

Except the kitchen is in plain view, and the food looks awful. If it looks like shit and smells like shit, and you saw the chef put literal shit on the vegetables before cutting them, odds are that you're not just going to be reluctant to eat it, but that it actually tastes like shit, too.

Looks like they looked at the Siege of Dragonspear controversy with pre-loaded SJW politics injected by Amber Scott and their response was "Hold my non-alchoholic Swedish beverage...". Constantly amazes me that buisnesses put politics and narratve/ideology over professionalism, profit, and talent driven intriguing fantasy. If you hadn't quoted the appendix, I would have thought the following crap was a role playing suggestion.

So because I support Donald Trump, Ukip, and Brexit - it seems that I'm unfit to play a RPG as a vampire. I suppose they would expect me to say something like: "Fucking stupid lefty Swedes" at this point; but I'll just respect their right to a pov and skip their game. MCA & Brian Mitsoda or not.

Spoiler

Fucking stupid lefty Swedes