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

[Terenty]

I never saw Bloodlines as something exceptional, but that's probably because I played it very, very long time after it was released

I never saw it as something exceptional when i played it in 2005, except maybe for the atmosphere. It looks ugly, plays like an alpha version, animation is junky as hell, the latter parts of the game are just facepalm bad. The thing that is mostly praised here, the writing ,even that is mediocre. Almost every character is an exposition dump for the player and i'm not saying it to be edgy, its simply truth.

Fallout 1 and Arcanum destroys this game on every level. I can replay them every year, whereas Vampire i dropped last time i tried

 

[Infinitron]

FYI, all the ARG riddles are available now. Find the answers in this thread on the official forums: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/embrace-the-unknown.1296045/

With the reward I was able to get all of the currently revealed unlockables: https://www.bloodlines2.com/en/my-account

 

[Zombra]

Yeah, I looked at those ARG riddles and was like wow, this is sheer nonsense. I guess I need to read the tutorial to be able to speak that language at all.

 

[santino27]

I did all of them but got no points. Oh well.

 

[Namesake]

Disco Elysium has killed this game. Aborted it. Never gave it a chance.

How?

One of the best things about DE is how grounded it feels. It's heart breakingly genuine in it's prose and setting. It may have it's own agendas and opinions, but the writers allow their opponents to have their talking points, it allows you to lean into playing a character with opinions you might actually secret hold.

Now imagine these writers.

Imagine them reading over Brian's work and seeing a character talk about the "cock carousel". Watch how their NPC programming gets stuck in a while-loop.

"Excuse me Brian, this line here, about the 'cock carousel'... is that really necessary? Do we need this? I feel like we're alienating women who might feel offended by this line. Are you sure you want to offend people?"

Deleted.

Now run that simulation across the entire VTMB2 script. Nothing edgy remains. Nothing interesting remains. No actual both-sided socio-political commentary is allowed to remain.

What is a VTMB game without it's dark and grounded writing? Shit.

Disco Elysium has killed this game.

 

[Wyatt_Derp]

SENIOR NARRATIVE DESIGNER -


I guess that's a few thousand more a year better than junior narrative designer?

 

[Infinitron]

I did all of them but got no points. Oh well.

Did you do the new Tender quests too? https://app.tenderbeta.com/

If so, it might just take a while.

 

[santino27]

I did all of them but got no points. Oh well.

Did you do the new Tender quests too? https://app.tenderbeta.com/

If so, it might just take a while.

No new tender quests had ever shown up when I checked this morning (a day or so after finishing). Turns out I had to log out and back in (of tender, specifically... doing so with the paradox/bloodlines account had no effect) before it caught up with my progress.

 

[J1M]

SENIOR NARRATIVE DESIGNER -


I guess that's a few thousand more a year better than junior narrative designer?

Yeah. Also, when you ask for a promotion but they don't want to let you touch the game systems.

Wouldn't be surprised if most of this job boiled down to editing the story to adapt it to scope cuts and gameplay changes.

 

[Roguey]

"We live in a society" -- Brian and his new side piece

 

[LESS T_T]

Greetings Vamily!

"ORIGINAL DO NOT STEAL" Paradox going to trademark this thing: https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/trademarks/018167927

VAMILY

Goods and services

• 9 Mobile apps; Media content.
• 25 Clothing; Footwear; Headgear; Parts of clothing, footwear and headgear.
• 28 Toy figures; Collectable toy figures; Toy action figures.
• 35 Merchandising; Product merchandising.
• 38 Video, audio and television streaming services; Streaming of television over the Internet; Streaming of audio material on the internet; Streaming of video material on the internet; Streaming audio and video material on the Internet.
• 41 Organisation of entertainment events; Audio, video and multimedia production, and photography; Organisation of conferences, exhibitions and competitions; Video game services; Arcade game services; Arranging and conducting of entertainment activities; Arranging and conducting of entertainment events; Arranging and conducting of live entertainment events; [...]

 

[Harthwain]

Disco Elysium has killed this game. Aborted it. Never gave it a chance.

[...]

What is a VTMB game without it's dark and grounded writing? Shit.

Disco Elysium has killed this game.

Not necessarily.

While the good writing is good (obviously) I disagree with saying it's all that Bloodlines could do in order to succeed. VtM in general is all about Vampires and upholding the Masquerade. So you could make the game to be more about that, with key gameplay elements all focused around this aspect of the setting. The real question then is how good these aspect will be in the end. If they are decent, the game might just make it, even with mediocre writing. The ultimate issue, I think, is how to design the whole thing well in a video game. Will following Bloodlines 1 template be enough? We shall see...

 

[Vincente]

Disco Elysium has killed this game. Aborted it. Never gave it a chance.

How?

One of the best things about DE is how grounded it feels. It's heart breakingly genuine in it's prose and setting. It may have it's own agendas and opinions, but the writers allow their opponents to have their talking points, it allows you to lean into playing a character with opinions you might actually secret hold.

Now imagine Cara Ellison.

Imagine her reading over Brian's work and seeing a character talk about the "cock carousel". Watch how her feminist NPC programming gets stuck in a while-loop. See how her mind immediately runs to her journalist and other limp wristed friend groups who are just so jazzed that she's finally working on a game and can't wait to see how many cool agendas and safe space sentences she gets to write.

"Excuse me Brian, this line here, about the 'cock carousel'... is that really necessary? Do we need this? I feel like we're alienating women who might feel offended by this line. Are you sure you want to offend people?"

Deleted.

Now run that simulation across the entire VTMB2 script. Nothing edgy remains. Nothing interesting remains. No actual both-sided socio-political commentary is allowed to remain.

What is a VTMB game without it's dark and grounded writing? Shit.

Disco Elysium has killed this game.

go back to your containment thread we have enough of your kind running around sucking each other to disco elysium

 

[Tommy Wiseau]

I'm having a lot of fun replaying Bloodlines, don't relish the idea of a sequel being destroyed by wokeness

 

[Jenkem]

Just bought the Blood Moon edition. I'm ready.

 

[GhostCow]

Some of the questions Brian Mitsoda has answered:

Can vampires have sex?
Can vampires go to the toilet?
Can vampires get high?

Those aren't even the worst ones. Pretty degenerate, but also funny.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Gman lives had a nice recent video on the older classic. Here's hoping this game lives up to it. I had not realized the fanbase mod community existed for the game. I'm going to have to patch and check these modifications out.

Ah, pigtails and tits.

I did find the old lady dying of a heart attack amusing. (1:50)




The latest patches, which I wasn't aware of. And of course their VTMBL Wikia
MDB VTMBL Mods
2019 Top 5 VTMB mods
Nexus Mods

 

[Harthwain]

Some of the questions Brian Mitsoda has answered:

Can vampires have sex?
Can vampires go to the toilet?
Can vampires get high?

Those aren't even the worst ones. Pretty degenerate, but also funny.

I remember there were specific separate skills for both digesting human food and having sex so it's not news to me. Not sure why you'd call that degenerate though. It does make sense to have such skills from the perspective of playing as beings who are trying to blend into human society.

 

[Alienman]

Some of the questions Brian Mitsoda has answered:

Can vampires have sex?
Can vampires go to the toilet?
Can vampires get high?

Those aren't even the worst ones. Pretty degenerate, but also funny.

She looks young and old at the same time. Quite weird to watch her talk.

 

[GhostCow]

Some of the questions Brian Mitsoda has answered:

Can vampires have sex?
Can vampires go to the toilet?
Can vampires get high?

Those aren't even the worst ones. Pretty degenerate, but also funny.

I remember there were specific separate skills for both digesting human food and having sex so it's not news to me. Not sure why you'd call that degenerate though. It does make sense to have such skills from the perspective of playing as beings who are trying to blend into human society.

Because the people asking these questions are probably doing it to enhance their sick fantasies rather than for roleplaying reasons

Some of the questions Brian Mitsoda has answered:

Can vampires have sex?
Can vampires go to the toilet?
Can vampires get high?

Those aren't even the worst ones. Pretty degenerate, but also funny.

She looks young and old at the same time. Quite weird to watch her talk.

I'd guess she's in her early 30s. If you watch her videos from like 4 years ago she was pretty hot. Now she's old and a mom.

 

[Delterius]

Because the people asking these questions are probably doing it to enhance their sick fantasies rather than for roleplaying reasons

 

[Lyric Suite]

Didn't read the thread. Has this been ruined by wokeness yet?

 

[Manjuice Nutella]

Yes.

 

[Lyric Suite]

Fug. But then, it was expected.

 

[Infinitron]

Prequel tabletop livestream: https://www.bloodlines2.com/en/vein-pursuit

VEIN PURSUIT
A new TTRPG video chronicle set in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade

Paradox Interactive and Bloodlines 2 bring you Vein Pursuit, a new tabletop role-playing game vampire chronicle preceding the events of the game.

Bloodlines 2 takes place in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade, the iconic pen-and-paper game that lets you experience the rich universe of the Kindred, in all of its grit and majesty. The Vein Pursuit chronicle offers viewers a glimpse into events occurring before the plot of Bloodlines 2, narrated by World of Darkness Brand Editor and V5 developer Karim Muammar. Starring members of Paradox Interactive, the Bloodlines 2 development team and exciting guests, this group of Kindred will take on a perilous mission, relying on their unique skills and attributes as much as the roll of the dice to survive.

Synopsis:

A group of couriers; some of the most badass Kindred of Los Angeles, has been sent on the perilous journey from Los Angeles to Seattle, tasked with delivering precious and secret cargo to a vampire in the Emerald City. What the couriers don't realize is that betrayal lurks in their midst. However, this isn’t their story.

Vein Pursuit follows the perilous journey of the rag-tag band of Kindred who've been sent to save the couriers of the Anarch Free State and see the cargo safely north. On this journey through the backcountry of the West Coast, through deserts and mountains, all their wits and resolve will be tested. Time is running out - it’s going to be a hell of a ride!

Follow the journey of the coterie of Kindred starring players out of Paradox Interactive and Hardsuit Labs teams, as well as fan-favorite streamer Outstar.

All episodes of the campaign will stream weekly on Twitch.tv/WorldOfDarkness starting January 31st, 2020, and become available for replay on the World of Darkness Youtube channel.

Starring:

• Karim Muammar as the Storyteller
• Florian Schwarzer as Falk Meyer
• Outstar as Veronica Ivanova
• Malin Castegren as Camellia
• Debbie Lane as Margaret "Peggy" Randall
• Rachel Leiker as Della Pearson