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

[Generic-Giant-Spider]

FFS, these fuckers accused Bloodlines of not portraying mental illness respectfully. With Jeanette/Therese!

No no my cock disagrees.

 

[Roguey]

I've been looking into this and apparently it was something posted on a gaming leaks discord? Some 'cord-savvy person should infiltrate and take a screen capture of the actual specifics.

I took a look at their career page and there's no giveaway, but there are some descriptions that kinda/sorta might fit.

Could just be something else entirely of course.

I've done even more digging and still haven't found any smoking guns, but I have found some things that would contribute to the apophenia.

First item: Back in February, when Hardsuit got the boot, they posted about how they were ramping up for a big project they're really enthused about
https://twitter.com/danpinchbeck/status/1356908621561540612

Hey folks - we’ve got some REALLY exciting job openings for a REALLY exciting project we’ve got in the works. Start here:

https://twitter.com/ChineseRoom/status/1364905792894349314

We're working on a BIG project, we need more fantastic people to help us make it

Second item: In April, they hired a QA story guy from Bioware to be a "principal narrative designer" https://www.linkedin.com/in/arone-le-bray/

Principal Narrative Designer
THE CHINESE ROOM LTD

Apr 2021 - Present 7 months

Working with the talented devs at The Chinese Room to craft entertaining player experiences.

Narrative Quality Designer
Bioware

Jun 2006 - Apr 2021 14 years 11 months

Edmonton, Canada Area

Third item: In July they had Josh Sawyer give a one-hour talk to the studio. Not even Infinitron was aware of this!

Last month we launched TCR Talks - a series of conversations with games industry specialists that are interested in the medium from a cultural perspective. These talks are hosted internally to the staff of The Chinese Room and wider Sumo Digital family, but you, our dear newsletter readers, are receiving exclusive access to these talks!

This month we had the privilege to have a conversation with the legendary Josh Sawyer - Design Director at Obsidian Entertainment. The hour flew by as we spoke about the state of the industry, why it's important for people in games to have interests outside of games, about the chase for fidelity in games, and what is the role of games in shaping the world around us.

Can't be bothered to watch it of course. Once again, this could all end up being nothing.

 

[Greek Anime God]

The Chinese Room have no experience making larger games like this. Do people think Paradox would make the same mistake twice in handing the project over to an inexperienced and incompetent studio and hoping that throwing money on them would magically help them make a fully fledged RPG?

 

[T.Ashpool]

i think they might be able to hire an experienced studio but are paradox eveb in the position to hire a competent developer? there are not that many good studios out there and who knows how much money paraodox is willing to spend on a project that has already swallowed so many resources for years.
basically they need to find someone who

1. has experience with rpg
2. is willing to work on a niche franchise
3. is okay with a pretty small budget

i can totally see them going for a dev who has only made shitty walking simulators before out of desperation

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Do people think Paradox would make the same mistake twice

yes

 

[vortex]

Can't be bothered to watch it of course. Once again, this could all end up being nothing.

What if Chinesse room lead by Obsidian expertise J.Saywer pulls VTMB2 through. Josh alyways had a thing for V(F)ampyrs.

 

[Alienman]

Chinese Room, walking simulator devs? Going to be a non-interactive Vampire game then.

 

[fantadomat]

The Chinese Room have no experience making larger games like this

That is irrelevant really,there is plenty of games that were made by studios with no experience,for example kingdom come. Skilful people is the important part.

 

[Greek Anime God]

The Chinese Room have no experience making larger games like this

That is irrelevant really,there is plenty of games that were made by studios with no experience,for example kingdom come. Skilful people is the important part.

They don't have those either.

 

[Roguey]

The Chinese Room have no experience making larger games like this. Do people think Paradox would make the same mistake twice in handing the project over to an inexperienced and incompetent studio and hoping that throwing money on them would magically help them make a fully fledged RPG?

Paradox's choices are limited because the very small number of developers with experience making games similar to Bloodlines are all owned and/or busy with their own projects. They can't use Obsidian, Eidos Montreal, CD Projekt, Larian, Bioware, Spiders or Piranha Bytes, and Cyanide fell right on their face with the Werewolf game. We all have to start somewhere, and this would be in-line with where they were already headed.

https://egmnow.com/everybodys-gone-dan-pinchbeck-on-rebuilding-the-chinese-room/

But Pinchbeck has no desire to work on walking simulators again. Some studios who make a splash in one genre find it hard to branch out. The Chinese Room now has a chance to branch out. “It’s a really good place for us to be coming out and going, ‘We’re not just the studio that makes walking simulators. We’re a studio that makes great story games.’ I want it to be so if we make an FPS, you play it and you go, ‘That’s a FPS that only The Chinese Room could make.’”

Pinchbeck compares it to the feeling you get when you play a game from Dishonored developer Arkane, one of the studios he’s aspiring to emulate alongside Naughty Dog and Ninja Theory. “Those great studios where they’ve got such an indelible DNA, it almost doesn’t matter what they do—you know it’s them… Those studios where people talk about storytelling in games, I want us to be mentioned in the same sentence.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/artic...s-ambition-to-move-out-of-the-art-house-niche

While the pair can't discuss the specifics at this stage, what's for sure is that they don't want to be known for walking simulators anymore.

"I think what we can say is that, from the word go, we wanted the studio to be obsessively driven by story, investing a lot in character, investing in production values -- audio, music, writing, voice acting," Pinchbeck says. "Doing what we've historically built our reputation on: being really good at creating worlds that really speak to people.

"And what we're doing is evolving the studio, to move out of that 'art house niche' I suppose. Looking at more traditional genres, more traditional markets, but keeping that fingerprint of what makes us us. About the aspirations of becoming the 'Naughty Dog of the UK,' I think if you're going to do this then you should be ambitious.

Chinese Room, walking simulator devs? Going to be a non-interactive Vampire game then.

See above, they don't want to make walking sims anymore.

 

[vortex]

"the Naughty Dog of the UK"
woah, thats high bar there, basically AAAA game

 

[Delterius]

See above, they don't want to make walking sims anymore.

its

going to be

g r e a t

 

[LarryTyphoid]

If it's gonna be developed by the Chinese Room, it'll be a 3D version of those shitty text adventure games they made, at best. Expect plenty of romance options!

 

[Harthwain]

See above, they don't want to make walking sims anymore.

its

going to be

g r e a t

You laugh, but in Vampire the Masquerade combat isn't at the forefront. Social interactions between vampires and upholding a set of norms to maintain the fascade was much more important aspect of it, so I - for one - would appreciate the game putting more emphasis on that. However, the issue lies in how to make the non-combat part of the game interesting for the player. Then again, the same can be said for most games/cRPGs.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

going to be enjoying the cope when everyone finds out larian is making vtmb2

 

[Delterius]

See above, they don't want to make walking sims anymore.

its

going to be

g r e a t

You laugh, but in Vampire the Masquerade combat isn't at the forefront. Social interactions between vampires and upholding a set of norms to maintain the fascade was much more important aspect of it, so I - for one - would appreciate the game putting more emphasis on that. However, the issue lies in how to make the non-combat part of the game interesting for the player. Then again, the same can be said for most games/cRPGs.

The inevitable success in all future circumstances of VTMB2 is no laughing matter.

going to be enjoying the cope when everyone finds out larian is making vtmb2

not too bad. it just means fishmalk barrelmancer is a mandatory build.

 

[Cryomancer]

going to be enjoying the cope when everyone finds out larian is making vtmb2

LOL. Imagine VtMB2 made by Larian. Turn based isometric perspective. Slow animations, even the weakest vampire can soak 10 shots of 12 gauge dragon breath, a new vampire clan of barrelmancers who are by far the strongest vampire clan, elders who can only use low level disciplines, larian writting... If was up to me, Daniel Vávra would make a VtMB sequel;

 

[Roguey]

going to be enjoying the cope when everyone finds out larian is making vtmb2

If Larian had the people to spare for Bloodlines, they would have released Divinity: Fallen Heroes already instead of letting all that work be for nothing.

 

[Sitra Achara]

Chinese Room, walking simulator devs? Going to be a non-interactive Vampire game then.

Maybe something like Bureau13 then?

 

[Avarize]

If was up to me, Daniel Vávra would make a VtMB sequel;

If it was up to me he would make every game.

 

[Cryomancer]

If was up to me, Daniel Vávra would make a VtMB sequel;

If it was up to me he would make every game.

He would made all First person immersive rpgs.
And Pierre all turn based tactical rpgs.

 

[Fedora Master]

Close this embarrassment of a thread already.

 

[agris]

Close this embarrassment of a thread already.

 

[prengle]

oooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo the game is deeeeeeeeeAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAdddddddddddddddd. spoooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooky

 

[Ezeekiel]

Once again, this could all end up being nothing.

Hopefully...