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

[commie]

I am C1-fluent in both Polish and Russian. I'd say that they are much more similar to each other than, say, German and Dutch. Or French and Spanish.

I feel the same though statistically it seems there are less words in common between Polish and Russian than German and Dutch for example. I never really understood this unless there's a bunch of old Slavonic words counted that neither country uses daily which skews the stats. I for one can easily work out the bulk of a Russian speech and their issue with Polish tends to be more based on the speed of talking(just like written Russian is an extra hurdle for me due to first transcribing the Cyrillic into Latin script in my brain, before translating. I'm sure as I get better it will be automatic and I'll 'see' Cyrillic as natural).

I prefer Russian to Polish, less 'sz' and 'cz' sounds that assault the ears.

 

[Goral]

RPS's Bloodlines 2 video:



In this one the player actually manages to successfully deliver the data.

RPS retard:

While this demo has some rough edges I think it is a lot more attractive than previous game which is known for its janky rough edges.

No you retard, it's not even close. And VTMB being bugged is taken way out of proportions, official patch 1.2 squashed all major bugs (that's the version I've played first in 2006 or 2007 and had no issues, completed the game without any incident but it was on Win XP then). Also, suggesting that alpha demo is better than a full game is doubly retarded (considering the games in question).

 

[Lacrymas]

I'd say Jeannette and VV are more seductive than this green-haired chick, if that's who they are trying to emulate with her. Not only are their voices more erotic, the camera is closer to their faces, making for a more intimate conversation. The green-haired chick is stand-offish by comparison. VV could get me to do anything for her, this chick can't even convince me to take out the trash.

 

[Herumor]

Have they ever said anything about the status of the player in these demo showings? I ask because there's clearly non-thinblood powers on display here, yet they (Mitsoda, I think) did say this was just one part of the 1/3rd of the game itself. So how would the PC even have access to these powers? Just dev console stuff to show off shit?

 

[BANANA CONDUCT]

RPS retard:

While this demo has some rough edges I think it is a lot more attractive than previous game which is known for its janky rough edges.

No you retard, it's not even close. And VTMB being bugged is taken way out of proportions, official patch 1.2 squashed all major bugs (that's the version I've played first in 2006 or 2007 and had no issues, completed the game without any incident but it was on Win XP then). Also, suggesting that alpha demo is better than a full game is doubly retarded (considering the games in question).

Most of the "journalists" they showed the game to haven't played Bloodlines and it's glaringly obvious.

 

[Lacrymas]

Have they ever said anything about the status of the player in these demo showings? I ask because there's clearly non-thinblood powers on display here, yet they (Mitsoda, I think) did say this was just one part of the 1/3rd of the game itself. So how would the PC even have access to these powers? Just dev console stuff to show off shit?

Thin-bloods can either mimic other discipline powers or create their own through alchemy, but they need to imbibe the mixture somehow. They can also drink blood with special resonance to temporarily get the ability to "innately" use disciplines. There are also Inceptors, thin-bloods who can create entirely new disciplines, but those are rare and I'm pretty sure the PC isn't one of those, since they can choose between Chiropteran, Nebulation and Mentalism at the start. Meaning they aren't sticking to the rules.

 

[Goral]

I've just watched the end of this demo and I can't stop laughing. This is beyond ridiculous, we're thinbloods and yet we can already strong-arm someone who's supposed to be more powerful. As it turns out no matter the result she turns out to be a total pussy. WTF would someone like that give us a quest when she can't even prevent from being spat in the face? When we don't deliver she only gives a warning and when we ask for more money she just does it without question :D :D :D.

"Pay me or I'll keep it".
How about instead
"OK, if you wanna do it this way"
and game over, we're dead dead (not even in torpor)?

And her reaction is just hilarious, after being spat in the face she just says "mhmm, I like it, hope we will meet again" (I'm paraphrasing but that's accurate depiction of what transpired, she just accepts the deal change and suggests she might use our services at a later time).
https://gfycat.com/pl/rapidcheerfulkissingbug-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-gameplay

Seriously, I've just lost all hope that the writing will be even passable here and by the looks of it other aspects won't be much better.

 

[Infinitron]

Wasn't that meant to be a veiled threat? "Perhaps I shall find you again one of these nights" and kill you.

 

[Xeon]

She says she'll give you better offers in future jobs if you don't press her for more, no? maybe if you make her pay now you get less later or she backstabs you or something?

 

[Goral]

Wasn't that meant to be a veiled threat? "Perhaps I shall find you again one of these nights" and kill you.

I've considered it but that's clearly not the case. Why would she veil anything, if she's more powerful there's no reason to hide your intentions or lie. And if she did indeed plan to kill us next time why let us go in the first place when she could do it right there right now? And killing us just for trying to get a better deal seems excessive, that's to be expected that someone might renegotiate, I would think that she would make things clear before going violent. Why discard a pawn so soon when he's not totally useless and can deliver?

Either way it's just bad writing and this whole scene looks hilarious. You really need to look for excuses to make this look not dumb.

 

[Roguey]

I'd say Jeannette and VV are more seductive than this green-haired chick, if that's who they are trying to emulate with her. Not only are their voices more erotic, the camera is closer to their faces, making for a more intimate conversation. The green-haired chick is stand-offish by comparison. VV could get me to do anything for her, this chick can't even convince me to take out the trash.

Pignose isn't here for your pleasure.

 

[Nines_Anarch]

I'd say Jeannette and VV are more seductive than this green-haired chick, if that's who they are trying to emulate with her. Not only are their voices more erotic, the camera is closer to their faces, making for a more intimate conversation. The green-haired chick is stand-offish by comparison. VV could get me to do anything for her, this chick can't even convince me to take out the trash.

Agree

That's because VV and Jeanette did set the standards too high.

There is no way they could reach this level even though this game is 15 years old still has got the most seductive NPCs I've ever seen in a videogame. No other game (even adult / xxx rated games) has managed to replicate this after all these years...
In fact, VV is more seductive than 99,99% human beings I've met. On the other side, Elif looks more "realistic" on how human beings interact in real world. But again, this is a videogame and those are supposed to be vampires so they should not go for a realistic approach. These NPCs should be there to manipulate you... to persuade you. In Bloodlines 2 it seems they are not even trying which is disappointing.

 

[Reader]

she can't even prevent from being spat in the face? When we don't deliver she only gives a warning and when we ask for more money she just does it without question

I guess it's because in the World of Niceness you shouldn't be mean.
Also i wonder if i'll choose to play as homosexual, will any npc call me faggot?..

 

[Alexios]

Why did they lecture us on how feeding in Bloodlines resembled sexual assault but then went and made feeding in Bloodlines 2 as graphic and over-the-top as possible?

 

[Lacrymas]

Pignose isn't here for your pleasure.

Then why would I be there for hers?

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

When we don't deliver she only gives a warning and when we ask for more money she just does it without question :D :D :D.

It's even better. When she gave the quest she hasn't specified how much money she will give us. Arguing about more money is meaningless here, because she can just give us scraps claiming that originally she was planning on giving us even less scraps.

That dialogue is both expository and lacks information

 

[Goral]

Agree, although it's still salvageable because we might have gotten info about the reward in mail for example but in the dialogue in question we see the full context and it is just poorly written period.

Anyway, other than dialogues I also question the fact that we're lowest of the low. In Bloodlines we've learned that thinbloods are barely vampires, weak as grandmas and the most boring creatures we could play in such setting, and yet they decided to use them as protagonists. WTF? If they wanted to make a proper sequel they should have done a step up, not step down IMO. Themes like being an underdog or some other strange ideas should have been used once the cool ideas have been used and not before that. If anything I would like to see what's it like to play a more powerful vampire rather than another from zero to hero scenario.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

Agree, although it's still salvageable because we might have gotten info about the reward in mail for example but in the dialogue in question we see the full context and it is just poorly written period.

The same way we could say that the fact that we don't know what information we are fetching is salvageable, because this information could be used in future quests.

If designers were good it would be possible to read the pendrife we got from Slugg to learn the information and then use it for our own means. But I doubt we will get that.

 

[Roguey]

It's even better. When she gave the quest she hasn't specified how much money she will give us. Arguing about more money is meaningless here, because she can just give us scraps claiming that originally she was planning on giving us even less scraps.

That dialogue is both expository and lacks information

As they found out in original Fallouts, getting really detailed about specifics in voice over is a mistake because things get rewritten. They can't say "I'll give you x amount of dollars" because for ~balance~ reasons later that may change.

 

[hivemind]

I didn't watch the video since I don't wanna get spoiled but I am sure you guys are overreacting like you always do

 

[Xeon]

I kinda agree with Goral, was there a reason we are playing a Thin Blood? I thought Thin Bloods would be a lot weaker than the pure vampires.

 

[hivemind]

thin bloods are the focus of the post "gehenna" metaplot

 

[Infinitron]

As somebody mentioned, it's also not clear that at this point in the game the player character is still a thin-blood.

 

[Sailor Woedica]

I didn't watch the video since I don't wanna get spoiled but I am sure you guys are overreacting like you always do

No getting worked into an incel frenzy at the sight of a septum piercing is just normal nosferatu stuff

 

[Goral]

I kinda agree with Goral, was there a reason we are playing a Thin Blood? I thought Thin Bloods would be a lot weaker than the pure vampires.

Over 2 years ago I've thrown an idea for a sequel but I was in minority: https://rpgcodex.net/forums/index.p...rked-by-white-wolf.108637/page-2#post-4521600

I don't know what you guys are talking about. Bloodlines is one of those rare storyfag games that (like PST or MotB) has no room for a direct sequel. Not only would it inevitably shit on one aspect or another of it's predecessor, but there's simply nothing of value that it could add. (...)

I don't know what you guys are talking about. Bloodlines is one of those many storfag games that (like PST or MotB) has no room for sequel. Not only because they are shit across the board, but there's simply nothing of value these games add. (...)

Maybe not a direct sequel but a game set in same universe with similar gameplay but different story and characters.

I for one would love to play as Beckett, or Jack, or VV, or Bertram or Strauss... That way we wouldn't start from zero to hero again (i.e. from a fledgling to a killing machine stronger than 200 year old vampires) and we would already have a background that would be easier to swallow. New content if done right could be better but using established characters would be easier and definitely interesting. And it's one of many possible ways to use the plot and characters from Bloodlines (mainly characters).

And I would love to see officer Chunk again, he's what's Miltiades is to Age of Decadence ;P.

But I stand by what I've said then, seems to me way more interesting than starting as thinblood (of course it all depends on the execution, a great idea can turn to shit and a shitty idea can turn out interesting).