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

[jungl]

mitsoda job was done way back in 2018. The game was basically finished 3 years ago. Only reason I'm guessing they haven't fired cara cause she fleshing out some npcs.

As for the delay Hardsuit labs and pardox probably felt the gameplay is too dated. Talk to npcs that don't move get quests, go to a mission area complete said quest and report back to static npcs that dont move. Modern games in this format need parkour elements, side quests with a lot of potential outcomes or anything else other then shit combat and going from quest npc to another like the previous game.

 

[Monkey Baron]

Anybody can expand more on this? Probably Roguey ? I've never heard of this before.

 

[Wesp5]

As for the delay Hardsuit labs and pardox probably felt the gameplay is too dated. Talk to npcs that don't move get quests, go to a mission area complete said quest and report back to static npcs that dont move.

The Outer Worlds did just fine with that gameplay...

 

[Wesp5]

Anybody can expand more on this? Probably Roguey ? I've never heard of this before.

Never heard that before too! In fact Mitsoda was the only developer who answered several of my emails about patch restorations and he was always friendly.

 

[Wunderbar]

As for the delay Hardsuit labs and pardox probably felt the gameplay is too dated. Talk to npcs that don't move get quests, go to a mission area complete said quest and report back to static npcs that dont move.

The Outer Worlds did just fine with that gameplay...

The Outer Worlds did fine because:
- it was developed by Obsidian, known for Fallout New Vegas:
- trailers were using "from the creators of Fallout" tagline:
- at the same time Bethesda's Fallout 76 spectacularly shat the bed;
- gamers know and like Fallout, and they were expecting a good Fallout-like game from a developer that previously made the best Fallout game.

TOW was riding Bethesda's coattails. VTMB2 on the other hand is closer to Deus Ex games than Bethesda's, and we all know how popular and lucrative Immersive sim subgenre is (it isn't).

 

[LESS T_T]

Mitsoda updated his Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-mitsoda-a2b6b43/

I'm a veteran Writer/Senior Designer/Creative Lead with over eight years of game industry experience. I've served in writing lead positions and also worked on level design and game mechanics. I'm currently both evaluating freelance contracts and considering full-time design positions. I'm looking to work on everything from level design to systems design to creative design, but mostly I just want to make fun games no matter what the format or platform.

Director

Company Name Unannounced Startup
Dates Employed 2020 – Present
Employment Duration less than a year

 

[Wunderbar]

Startup, huh? "I'm going to make my own VTMB2, with blackjack and hookers!"

 

[SpaceWizardz]

 

[Fedora Master]

Oh great, random not-very-big-name trying to do his own thing. This has worked soooo well in the past.

 

[prengle]

hardsuit labs was/is a humble innocent indie startup of its own... second time's the charm

 

[Rieser]

"Production started in early 2017 with an original targeted release date of December 2018"

Did Mitsoda actually agree to this, because he knows better than anyone how completely unrealistic that is.

Sounds odd considering he wrote "I've worked on Bloodlines 2 for almost five years" in his statement regarding his dismissal.

 

[Prime Junta]

Sounds odd considering he wrote "I've worked on Bloodlines 2 for almost five years" in his statement regarding his dismissal.

Two years of pre-production before going into production isn't at all unusual.

 

[Cael]

mitsoda job was done way back in 2018. The game was basically finished 3 years ago. Only reason I'm guessing they haven't fired cara cause she fleshing out some npcs.

As for the delay Hardsuit labs and pardox probably felt the gameplay is too dated. Talk to npcs that don't move get quests, go to a mission area complete said quest and report back to static npcs that dont move. Modern games in this format need parkour elements, side quests with a lot of potential outcomes or anything else other then shit combat and going from quest npc to another like the previous game.

You have a weird definition of an employer-employee relationship: "Your job is done. You're fired!"

I'd hate to see the turnover rate in any company you manage...

 

[Tacgnol]

The niche customers give up on the game aka RPGCodex when they see through it but by then its too late the normies are in full hype train mode because of the millions being thrown into marketing.

This is a fairly niche AA game. It has never received massive traction on social media or big gaming networks.

 

[Sailor Woedica]

 

[Child of Malkav]

The Outer Worlds did fine because:
- it was developed by Obsidian, known for Fallout New Vegas:
- trailers were using "from the creators of Fallout" tagline:
- at the same time Bethesda's Fallout 76 spectacularly shat the bed;
- gamers know and like Fallout, and they were expecting a good Fallout-like game from a developer that previously made the best Fallout game.

TOW was riding Bethesda's coattails.

Agreed.

VTMB2 on the other hand is closer to Deus Ex games than Bethesda's, and we all know how popular and lucrative Immersive sim subgenre is (it isn't).

Did they say that VTMB2 was going to be an immersive sim? I read all the interviews and I don't remember this info.

 

[infidel]

The games of the future will be made by marketers and people who study the spending habits of whales.

Of the future?

 

[Monkey Baron]

Sounds odd considering he wrote "I've worked on Bloodlines 2 for almost five years" in his statement regarding his dismissal.

Two years of pre-production before going into production isn't at all unusual.

To add onto this, Brian's LinkedIn says he started in 2016.

If we assume early 2016, that's a year of pre-production. I don't think that's out of the question.

 

[Wunderbar]

Did they say that VTMB2 was going to be an immersive sim? I read all the interviews and I don't remember this info.

they didn't, but VTMB was Deus Ex-like and i assumed VTMB2 will be similar (or even more so, because now you have abilities to climb walls, turn into mist, etc).

 

[Roguey]

Bloodlines was not an immersive sim design-wise though.

Anybody can expand more on this? Probably Roguey ? I've never heard of this before.

An Obsidian developer told me that Mitsoda during his time at Obsidian was an arrogant prima donna and this is reflected in his intentions for Alpha Protocol (can't kill anyone because they're all going to show up in the sequel because of course there's going to be a sequel, how can there not), though I never saw this behavior on his Iron Tower subforum.

Doublebear part two will be amusing.

 

[Child of Malkav]

Did they say that VTMB2 was going to be an immersive sim? I read all the interviews and I don't remember this info.

they didn't, but VTMB was Deus Ex-like and i assumed VTMB2 will be similar (or even more so, because now you have abilities to climb walls, turn into mist, etc).

DX had many simulated systems which led to creative manipulations and solutions for emergent gameplay.
I don't remember VTMB having such systems. In that game options come from your stats in dialogue, stealth, disciplines, lock picking, hacking etc.
VTMB would be similar to other RPGs where options come from your stats.
DX1 would be similar to games like Prey 2017, Dishonored, Thief, Dark Messiah, Ultima series, Arx Fatalis and all that.

 

[Infinitron]

Well, here's the inevitable "Bring Back Brian Mitsoda" petition: https://www.change.org/p/bloodlines...a-back-on-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2

 

[Prime Junta]

Well, here's the inevitable "Bring Back Brian Mitsoda" petition: https://www.change.org/p/bloodlines...a-back-on-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2

That's just silly. It would be impossible for him to work with a company that just axed him the way they did. There would be no trust either way.

 

[Nano]

An Obsidian developer told me that Mitsoda during his time at Obsidian was an arrogant prima donna and this is reflected in his intentions for Alpha Protocol (can't kill anyone because they're all going to show up in the sequel because of course there's going to be a sequel, how can there not), though I never saw this behavior on his Iron Tower subforum.

Well we do know Madison was still killable at least.

 

[Tye]

It would be impossible for him to work with a company that just axed him the way they did. There would be no trust either way.

The obvious solution is to just trade Brian for Hideo Kojima. Then we could get Silent Hills again and Bloodlines 2 gets some of that real weirdness in the mix.