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

[GentlemanCthulhu]

You mean when Obsidian is using it, as Bethesda's randomized references-by-numbers barf across a map that put deathclaws right next to the Republic of Dave rather destroys any sense of world building. The total cacophony of Fallout 4 is even less of a world. TES' world building has been in decline since Morrowind. The boner Bethesda have for auto-scaling on top of that helps destroy the feeling of any kind of progression. So basically New Vegas and Morrowind are the two "pull it off right" as you have to mod the shit out of everything else to make them playable.

Yeah bethesdolt is bethesdolt, but the underlying engine is ofc the same, which is why awesomely reactive shenanigans like Sim Settlements can happen.

 

[a Goat]

Remember, when you guys were pretending to be hyped, I've already told you that the game will be bad, just like the prequel.

 

[Semiurge]

Wesp5 is the odious chalice in Bloodlines supposed to keep excess blood points in reserve when you use it? I thought it was, but all points are always consumed completely when I use it, no matter how many my character already has.

 

[Eli_Havelock]

Yeah bethesdolt is bethesdolt, but the underlying engine is ofc the same, which is why awesomely reactive shenanigans like Sim Settlements can happen.

Yup, but it's still a walled garden that is quite locked up.

Bethbryo: walled garden
Source 2: walled garden by merit of Valve stuffing both thumbs up their collective asses to indefinitely twiddle about any real game development besides chasing fads
Unreal: licensing fees put more money into nuEA starting to become as bad of a rent-taker as Valve
Unity: can be modded but several developers consider it a mistake to continue using it, notably ex-Origin/LGS. It's the reason why Shroud of the Avatar could be exploited if anyone bothered to - but it does a convincing job of being the scapegoat for anything breaking.

 

[Wesp5]

Wesp5 is the odious chalice in Bloodlines supposed to keep excess blood points in reserve when you use it?

I actually don't know, but as this behaviour is hard-coded I couldn't change it anyway.

 

[Tacgnol]

Yeah bethesdolt is bethesdolt, but the underlying engine is ofc the same, which is why awesomely reactive shenanigans like Sim Settlements can happen.

Yup, but it's still a walled garden that is quite locked up.

Bethbryo: walled garden
Source 2: walled garden by merit of Valve stuffing both thumbs up their collective asses to indefinitely twiddle about any real game development besides chasing fads
Unreal: licensing fees put more money into nuEA starting to become as bad of a rent-taker as Valve
Unity: can be modded but several developers consider it a mistake to continue using it, notably ex-Origin/LGS. It's the reason why Shroud of the Avatar could be exploited if anyone bothered to - but it does a convincing job of being the scapegoat for anything breaking.

The big issue with Unity and Unreal is that neither use particularly open formats.

Unity modding ironically allows you a lot more control over things like game logic due to access to the binaries, but at the same time makes even simple graphical mods a complete nightmare due to all the Unity asset formats.

UE4 is almost entirely locked down by default and the "official" modding support is fairly questionable and from most of their examples seems to mostly come down to basic map and level creation facilities.

Most devs probably don't really care if people mod their games, in most cases it's entirely beneficial for them with the exception of MP stuff. That said, they aren't going to go out of their way in most cases to make a game moddable, and if the engine doesn't support it (either via easily editable external files or official support), they won't bother to support it.

Also doesn't help that so many modern engines use copyrighted proprietary formats. For example, Total War series post Rome 2 uses some stupid licensed music format that modders don't have access to, therefore there aren't any music mods for Atilla onwards.

 

[Gordian Nutt]

The big issue with Unity and Unreal is that neither use particularly open formats.

Unity modding ironically allows you a lot more control over things like game logic due to access to the binaries, but at the same time makes even simple graphical mods a complete nightmare due to all the Unity asset formats.

UE4 is almost entirely locked down by default and the "official" modding support is fairly questionable and from most of their examples seems to mostly come down to basic map and level creation facilities.

Most devs probably don't really care if people mod their games, in most cases it's entirely beneficial for them with the exception of MP stuff. That said, they aren't going to go out of their way in most cases to make a game moddable, and if the engine doesn't support it (either via easily editable external files or official support), they won't bother to support it.

Also doesn't help that so many modern engines use copyrighted proprietary formats. For example, Total War series post Rome 2 uses some stupid licensed music format that modders don't have access to, therefore there aren't any music mods for Atilla onwards.

thank you for this answer, it is very helpful - UE4 feels like a non-moddable engine so maybe not a good use for a game where you want modding

Also so glad Wesp5 is on this thread, you do good work that devs seem unable to do

 

[Zombra]

Don't forget the future of gaming: AAAA games.

 

[Roguey]

I do enjoy posting doom-and-gloom Glassdoor reviews about this company.

January 11, 2021
"Uncertain past, shaky future"
Current Employee - Software Developer in Seattle, WA
Doesn't Recommend
Negative Outlook
Disapproves of CEO

I have been working at Hardsuit Labs full-time

Pros

Easy job interview

Most devs directly working on project are great

As long as big project going, some short-term security

Can talk with high-level execs

Cons

Can talk with high-level execs, but talk won't bolster morale or provide clear direction

Agendas vs. results often skewed, can spend too much time on abstract politics and personal agendas vs. making the game and getting something running in-engine

FPS studio making an RPG with little experience

Too easy job interviews, results in questionable hires

High turnover rate

Growing nepotism in design/writing

System design skills weak

Poor training in production and lead roles

Future is uncertain after big project is released

Advice to Management

Figure out next steps, communicate them confidently

Recognize past mistakes on project, but also act on them

Please have a more thorough interview process

I'm puzzled how this guy put "easy job interview" as a pro and then followed it up with "Actually it's too easy, needs to be harder and more thorough" and "Most devs directly working on project are great" followed by "devs making an RPG with little experience," "growing nepotism," and "system design skills weak." What makes them great then? I suppose maybe the artists have it together.

 

[PulsatingBrain]

I guess you can be glad that you got in easily, but also recognise that it's ultimately a negative aspect of the company.

 

[Duraframe300]

I guess you can be glad that you got in easily, but also recognise that it's ultimately a negative aspect of the company.

Yeah, that's how I read it too.

 

[Dycedarg]

"Most devs directly working on project are great" followed by "devs making an RPG with little experience," "growing nepotism," and "system design skills weak." What makes them great then? I suppose maybe the artists have it together.

When this person says they're great, he probably means he likes them as people, not as professionals. If you're wanting to gain some experience, collect your paycheck and don't really care where the project is going, this sounds like a good place to work. But it's funny that most people leaving sound exasperated with the leadership.

 

[Xelocix]

I do enjoy posting doom-and-gloom Glassdoor reviews about this company.

January 11, 2021
"Uncertain past, shaky future"
Current Employee - Software Developer in Seattle, WA
Doesn't Recommend
Negative Outlook
Disapproves of CEO

I have been working at Hardsuit Labs full-time

Pros

Easy job interview

Most devs directly working on project are great

As long as big project going, some short-term security

Can talk with high-level execs

Cons

Can talk with high-level execs, but talk won't bolster morale or provide clear direction

Agendas vs. results often skewed, can spend too much time on abstract politics and personal agendas vs. making the game and getting something running in-engine

FPS studio making an RPG with little experience

Too easy job interviews, results in questionable hires

High turnover rate

Growing nepotism in design/writing

System design skills weak

Poor training in production and lead roles

Future is uncertain after big project is released

Advice to Management

Figure out next steps, communicate them confidently

Recognize past mistakes on project, but also act on them

Please have a more thorough interview process

I'm puzzled how this guy put "easy job interview" as a pro and then followed it up with "Actually it's too easy, needs to be harder and more thorough" and "Most devs directly working on project are great" followed by "devs making an RPG with little experience," "growing nepotism," and "system design skills weak." What makes them great then? I suppose maybe the artists have it together.

This is easily the most unsurprising thing I've read all year so far. It basically just highlights all of the problems that've been hinted at over the past year or two and confirms them.

As for how bipolar/contradictory the pros + cons are, I think it's probably due to this person having Stockholm Syndrome if Hardsuit Labs hired them in the middle of the current """pandemic""". They probably couldn't land a job for months due to how hard the gaming industry has been hit by this shit, and now feel a sense of gratitude to the company as a result. I think it's likely that Hardsuit fired a bunch of people when Covid began, but the game fell drastically behind schedule as a result so they panic-hired new employees once they started receiving financial aid. It would explain their complete lack of care for hiring actual talent, how quickly they've been burning through employees, and all of the Ubisoft whip-crackers they've brought in to speed development up.

 

[snoek]

Second half of 2021 is the most optimistic official take.

Bah, that's ages. I thought it was originally slated for end of this year, guess Paradox has a lot of money to burn.

They definitely have phat stacks to burn, seeing as how you need to purchase $500 in DLC's just to unlock the full version of their games. Their usual target demographic consist of autistic spergs with too much disposable income on their hands, and they've made a lot of bucks keeping it that way over the years.

autistic neckbeards living off that sweet gubmint money

 

[HansDampf]

Agendas vs. results often skewed, can spend too much time on abstract politics and personal agendas vs. making the game and getting something running in-engine

I bet this won't reflect in the narrative at all.

 

[Takamori]

At this point we are just here to watch the plane crash, because the flames and smoke are visible from miles away. Any of you gonna risk on this?
If they manage to put this product on the shelf

 

[Xelocix]

At this point we are just here to watch the plane crash, because the flames and smoke are visible from miles away. Any of you gonna risk on this?
If they manage to put this product on the shelf

Risk wasting my money? Fuck no. Risk wasting my time? Maybe...if you catch my drift.

 

[typical user]

Can someone please give a TL;DR what is happening with this game and why is it compared to a plane bursting in flames nosediving at tremendous speed?

 

[Caim]

Can someone please give a TL;DR what is happening with this game and why is it compared to a plane bursting in flames nosediving at tremendous speed?

Pretty much everyone who does anything for the game gets replaced every few months or so, meaning that the game has no consistent direction or vision behind it.

 

[typical user]

Can someone please give a TL;DR what is happening with this game and why is it compared to a plane bursting in flames nosediving at tremendous speed?

Pretty much everyone who does anything for the game gets replaced every few months or so, meaning that the game has no consistent direction or vision behind it.

This is old news, but are you sure lead game designers outside Mitsoda are swapped too? I feel bad for him and Avellone, the trailers for this game and Dying Light 2 when they were around were promising. I just hope their ideas won't get butchered but expanded upon if devs don't want to credit them.

 

[ChildInTime]

Can someone please give a TL;DR what is happening with this game and why is it compared to a plane bursting in flames nosediving at tremendous speed?

Pretty much everyone who does anything for the game gets replaced every few months or so, meaning that the game has no consistent direction or vision behind it.

This is old news, but are you sure lead game designers outside Mitsoda are swapped too? I feel bad for him and Avellone, the trailers for this game and Dying Light 2 when they were around were promising. I just hope their ideas won't get butchered but expanded upon if devs don't want to credit them.

The lead writer now is a woman who wrote Andromeda and posts shit on twitter like - "Haha entitled white supremacist males". There won't be any ideas left from either Mitsoda or Avellone. In fact there won't be any ideas at all, except npcs shouting trans rights or something.

 

[Zombra]

At this point we are just here to watch the plane crash, because the flames and smoke are visible from miles away. Any of you gonna risk on this? If they manage to put this product on the shelf

Same as anything else I have an interest in. I'll look at reviews and YouTube gameplay footage and decide if it's worth the $ for the best deal I can find.

 

[Zer0wing]

yet another consequence of literally the entire fucking industry banking on the same two shitty soulless game engines. unity and unreal sux!!!

This is why CryEngine is the patrician choice for game development. This and that CryEngine is an equivalent of aircraft industry (in its infancy) - the engineer is the pilot and the first beta tester. If it fails, it drags you down too.

 

[Eli_Havelock]

This is old news, but are you sure lead game designers outside Mitsoda are swapped too? I feel bad for him and Avellone, the trailers for this game and Dying Light 2 when they were around were promising. I just hope their ideas won't get butchered but expanded upon if devs don't want to credit them.

HSL/PDX said Avellone's work isn't in, and then there was something about STILL looking for a Lead Game Designer familiar with RPG mechanics. Both companies have since morally purified everyone else who might have anything close to those experience requirements, so they're having to rely on useful idiot nepotism hires like Eric Waananen to be Sr. Designers as he pulls another Fantastic from New Vegas. You might remember his "talent" from this sunking ship of a re-skinned ARK.

HSL/PDX have also brought in a Ubisoft wrap-up specialist to cut and box what can be used; this has gone from dumpster fire on a jet plane to full-on Detroit fire.

Agendas vs. results often skewed, can spend too much time on abstract politics and personal agendas vs. making the game and getting something running in-engine

I bet this won't reflect in the narrative at all.

When Damsel was shown off as an exciting character reveal everyone was reassured this was in good hands.

 

[compvet24]

When Damsel was shown off as an exciting character reveal everyone was reassured this was in good hands.

Pure dread is all I feel when I see that.