World of Darkness Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 - VTMB sequel from The Chinese Room - coming early 2025

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

I'm not even joking or trying to be hyperbolically negative here: to me, this genuinely looks worse than what Hardsuit Labs showed years ago.

 

[Shaja]

Is there a single upcoming RPG that doesn't look like shit?

No. Rogue Trader is already out.

 

[user]

Is there a single upcoming RPG that doesn't look like shit?

Palworld, looks great!

 

[jackofshadows]

However, I'm impressed that they're still trying to release it.

Probably they just couldn't possibly humor the idea of returning all those sweet initial pre-orders. Worked out great for them right? What an embarrassment.

Btw steam is burying this, unlike sterilized YT:

etc

 

[Tyranicon]

Is there a single upcoming RPG that doesn't look like shit?

Palworld, looks great!

Pokeworld has inventories, parties, leveling up and stats. It's legitimately more of an RPG than this.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

I wanted to write something funny here, but I think it's like kicking a disabled child.

We all see what came of it. I think that people working in this company feel ashamed and Paradox is slowly coming to the fact that they couldn't cope with this project. However, I'm impressed that they're still trying to release it. Maybe it's a simple psychological principle that the more effort we put into something, the harder it is to let go. However, while individuals can be justified, why does it take place in a rational, profit-maximizing company?

Pride or stupidity, I won't judge.

My guess is that they just wanted to dish out something fast after the HSL fiasco, and deemed that the best way to maximize profit is not sink much more time and money in the IP, and profit off its popularity by doing the bare minimum.

They probably thought so, but also, if you look at it more broadly, there is irrationality in their rationality. They thought, "We spent so much money! Let's spend some more and put it on the market, so it will pay off partially." The problem is that this game in this state won't return enough money to make such an effort.

So they should either simply cancel it and sell the brand to someone else, which would save Paradox face, or, which is very risky, spend as much money as they did on HSL to create a game that meets expectations and creates the brand they wanted.

A cowardly solution will neither achieve success nor reduce costs.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

However, I'm impressed that they're still trying to release it.

Probably they just couldn't possible humor the idea of returning all those initial pre-orders. Worked out great for them right? What an embarrassment.

Btw steam is burying this, unlike sterilized YT:

etc

Ah, yes, I forgot about preorders :D

 

[KafkaBot]

Is there a single upcoming RPG that doesn't look like shit?

Mystic Land: The Search for Maphaldo is looking great.

 

[Tyranicon]

It's over:

 

[user]

I wanted to write something funny here, but I think it's like kicking a disabled child.

We all see what came of it. I think that people working in this company feel ashamed and Paradox is slowly coming to the fact that they couldn't cope with this project. However, I'm impressed that they're still trying to release it. Maybe it's a simple psychological principle that the more effort we put into something, the harder it is to let go. However, while individuals can be justified, why does it take place in a rational, profit-maximizing company?

Pride or stupidity, I won't judge.

My guess is that they just wanted to dish out something fast after the HSL fiasco, and deemed that the best way to maximize profit is not sink much more time and money in the IP, and profit off its popularity by doing the bare minimum.

They probably thought so, but also, if you look at it more broadly, there is irrationality in their rationality. They thought, "We spent so much money! Let's spend some more and put it on the market, so it will pay off partially." The problem is that this game in this state won't return enough money to make such an effort.

So they should either simply cancel it and sell the brand to someone else, which would save Paradox face, or, which is very risky, spend as much money as they did on HSL to create a game that meets expectations and creates the brand they wanted.

A cowardly solution will neither achieve success nor reduce costs.

Still not sure why they broke off with HSL. In terms of investing, they are playing it safe if they consider this a low/uncertain return investment, but they probably think they can get more off it by keeping it for this and future projects like MOBAs, puzzle games, COD-likes, interactive romance novels or any other horrors and abominations with which the IP can be milked.

Even if we view this as a half-baked turd since we compare it to what an RPG sequel of the original should be, if it's playable, their reputation won't suffer much. Personally I hope it does, but still most will probably blame CR being the developer and all.

 

[The President]

They must really have some bad connection, the polygon count on the characters and background items were clearly reduced and the game’s lag was still palpable. I’m fairly sure the game will visually look much better when all is said and done, but a few of the design choices are what get me.

Looks like melee weapons and guns are out. I get Phyre is supposed to be a strong elder, but isn’t she much weaker than normal.

So we now have an actual XP bar, but for what? Do we have disciplines and skills like the first game. That’s a very fucking strange choice if not. I find it telling more of the menus weren’t explored. That would be a huge departure from the pen and paper version which I’m shocked WOD would allow.

 

[Roguey]

So we now have an actual XP bar, but for what? Do we have disciplines and skills like the first game. That’s a very fucking strange choice if not. I find it telling more of the menus weren’t explored. That would be a huge departure from the pen and paper version which I’m shocked WOD would allow.

There's an "ability tree," they're throwing the VtM system out the window.

 

[conan_edw]

I'm not even sure why HSL version got shelved, this looks equally bad or maybe worse given the changes.

 

[Abu Antar]

I want back to watching the Hardsuit Labs stuff, and they feel more Bloodlines than this. And those videos weren't the greatest.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

I think so - the production of this game started when there was a revival of interest in paper RPG games thanks to D&D. But now the trend is ending again, and even Hasbro is feeling it, much less other tabletop game companies. In addition, Paradox had a completely different type of problems with Onyx Path, which also made losses.

This may not only be the end of Vampire Bloodlines, but also the end of Paradox's interest in the entire brand.

 

[Terenty]

A sterilized, castrated VtmB - exactly what you can expect in the year of our Lord 2024. I dunno why everybody is disappointed.

 

[Tyranicon]

I think so - the production of this game started when there was a revival of interest in paper RPG games thanks to D&D. But now the trend is ending again, and even Hasbro is feeling it, much less other tabletop game companies.

BG3 just dropped last year and sold a bazillion copies.

Tabletop D&D is wildly popular, more than it ever has been in its history.

I'm not sure what you mean by interest dying, these are boon times my friend, and people are thirsty for more. There are literally people selling 5e anime settings on kickstarter and becoming millionaires.

 

[The President]

So we now have an actual XP bar, but for what? Do we have disciplines and skills like the first game. That’s a very fucking strange choice if not. I find it telling more of the menus weren’t explored. That would be a huge departure from the pen and paper version which I’m shocked WOD would allow.

There's an "ability tree," they're throwing the VtM system out the window.

That’s just really bizarre to me, and makes me hope it’s not all combat abilities as that wasn’t the selling point of the old game. Swansong was far from perfect but at least attempted to adapt the system.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

I think so - the production of this game started when there was a revival of interest in paper RPG games thanks to D&D. But now the trend is ending again, and even Hasbro is feeling it, much less other tabletop game companies.

BG3 just dropped last year and sold a bazillion copies.

Tabletop D&D is wildly popular, more than it ever has been in its history.

I'm not sure what you mean by interest dying, these are boon times my friend, and people are thirsty for more. There are literally people selling 5e anime settings on kickstarter and becoming millionaires.

I think you have an outdated and therefore slightly distorted view of the situation.

Paper RPGs are not doing as well as they used to be, and certainly not Hasbro (one of many articles: https://www.polygon.com/23728470/dnd-dungeons-dragons-6e-5e-changes) . Besides, the entire team at Wizards associated with Baldur's Gate 3 has been fired.

The success of this game is solely due to Larian.

An accident that won't happen again soon.

A sterilized, castrated VtmB - exactly what you can expect in the year of our Lord 2024. I dunno why everybody is disappointed.

Listen, Snake, it's not even about the game for me. It's about how well it shows how things are in the modern world. A kind of mortal curiosity, a fascination that comes from looking at corpses - they remind you that you're going to die, but you can't look away.

 

[Cheesedragon117]

Fall? What happened to this turd dropping in January?

 

[Vibalist]

Does it look like it's even remotely ready to drop to you?

 

[Tyranicon]

I think so - the production of this game started when there was a revival of interest in paper RPG games thanks to D&D. But now the trend is ending again, and even Hasbro is feeling it, much less other tabletop game companies.

BG3 just dropped last year and sold a bazillion copies.

Tabletop D&D is wildly popular, more than it ever has been in its history.

I'm not sure what you mean by interest dying, these are boon times my friend, and people are thirsty for more. There are literally people selling 5e anime settings on kickstarter and becoming millionaires.

I think you have an outdated and therefore slightly distorted view of the situation.

Paper RPGs are not doing as well as they used to be, and certainly not Hasbro (one of many articles: https://www.polygon.com/23728470/dnd-dungeons-dragons-6e-5e-changes) . Besides, the entire team at Wizards associated with Baldur's Gate 3 has been fired.

The success of this game is solely due to Larian.

An accident that won't happen again soon.

Wizards seem to have a branding problem and business-related issues, that's not exactly new.

That doesn't correlate to waning interest in the hobby, even D&D itself. After all, people already have the rule books and it doesn't take rocket science to build your own homebrew stuff.

I haven't seen anything that points to a lack of interest in tabletop RPGs or cRPGs. In fact, I think there's a certain market segment (including on this very forum itself) that is ravenous for competent cRPGs without modern soapboxing and made for intelligent adults.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

I think so - the production of this game started when there was a revival of interest in paper RPG games thanks to D&D. But now the trend is ending again, and even Hasbro is feeling it, much less other tabletop game companies.

BG3 just dropped last year and sold a bazillion copies.

Tabletop D&D is wildly popular, more than it ever has been in its history.

I'm not sure what you mean by interest dying, these are boon times my friend, and people are thirsty for more. There are literally people selling 5e anime settings on kickstarter and becoming millionaires.

I think you have an outdated and therefore slightly distorted view of the situation.

Paper RPGs are not doing as well as they used to be, and certainly not Hasbro (one of many articles: https://www.polygon.com/23728470/dnd-dungeons-dragons-6e-5e-changes) . Besides, the entire team at Wizards associated with Baldur's Gate 3 has been fired.

The success of this game is solely due to Larian.

An accident that won't happen again soon.

Wizards seem to have a branding problem and business-related issues, that's not exactly new.

That doesn't correlate to waning interest in the hobby, even D&D itself. After all, people already have the rule books and it doesn't take rocket science to build your own homebrew stuff.

I haven't seen anything that points to a lack of interest in tabletop RPGs or cRPGs. In fact, I think there's a certain market segment (including on this very forum itself) that is ravenous for competent cRPGs without modern soapboxing and made for intelligent adults.

I looked at it from a business perspective, which does not take into account homebrew What I meant was the relationship between one business and another. I just don't think Paradox calculates it all.

 

[sosmoflux]

 

[La vie sexuelle]

BTW, this half assed fight with maneqiuns reminded me that: