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

[La vie sexuelle]

Just like being in a mob

Not really. Everybody knows that a mob exists. It is more a game of cat and mouse with them.

In practice, the NPCs of Bloodlines seem to be rather at peace with many supernatural phenomena. If we add to this the belief of some people ( I'm talking about the World of Darkness), that vampires exist, Masquarade it is not that different from mobs.

 

[Harthwain]

In practice, the NPCs of Bloodlines seem to be rather at peace with many supernatural phenomena.

Most NPCs in Bloodlines you interact with are not normies. Hell, even the few normies you do talk to are absolutely shocked by seeing a Nosferatu (the player), nevermind talking about any "many supernatural phenomena" of larger magnitude.

If we add to this the belief of some people ( I'm talking about the World of Darkness), that vampires exist, Masquarade it is not that different from mobs.

Some people can believe in the supernatural (the same way people believe in aliens) but that's different from KNOWING that something exist (and there are some people who actually managed to get a peek of what's behind the curtain. Not that it did them any good). That said, nobody is going to deny that a mob exists. Drug cartels or mafias in Italy are subject to mainstream news. Try the same with vampires and see what you'll get. So "not that different" is actually a pretty big difference.

 

[Roguey]

conformed.

Nope, she's still there.

https://x.com/sarahlongthorne/status/1810653248463736983

When getting paid less than a man saves you from getting laid off. (I have no insight, just making a joke)

 

[BlackheartXIII]

Nope, she's still there.

Layoffs induced paranoid behavior?, clout chasing solidarity?, interesting.

 

[AfterVirtue]

That said, nobody is going to deny that a mob exists. Drug cartels or mafias in Italy are subject to mainstream news. Try the same with vampires and see what you'll get. So "not that different" is actually a pretty big difference.

So more like Lobbisms, actual NATO activity, Intelligence, selling the network and communication system to Kkr (who as a president has... well, well look who is "back") etc. Conspiracy theories, of course, so would confirm "mainstream news". More apt as an analogy?

 

[Harthwain]

More apt as an analogy?

Some secret organization/society ruling the world from the shadows isn't exactly a new concept. The only thing that's different here is that in this case we're talking about vampires. But, yeah, I would say that the Illuminati (or whatever conspiracy equivalent) are a much better fit as an analogy than the mob.

 

[AfterVirtue]

The only thing that's different here is that in this case we're talking about vampires.

Yeah, not exactly a new concept.

 

[Vulpes]

Why is this even a discussion? I always figured that it was pretty clear how White Wolf took a lot of inspiration from the old school Italian mob when writing down the Camarilla laws. The similarities are very obvious, like how the very first rule in both is that you're supposed to never reveal the existence of "this thing of ours" to outsiders, how you can't kill or turn someone into a made man/vampire without the approval from the higher ups, how you're stuck in the Omerta/Jyhad forever after being made/embraced, etc.

 

[AfterVirtue]

he similarities are very obvious, like how the very first rule in both is that you're supposed to never reveal the existence of "this thing of ours" to outsiders

Yeah, every "secret society" basic rule is the italian mob exclusive. You work as a Disney copyrighter, perchance?

 

[Skinwalker]

The only thing that's different here is that in this case we're talking about vampires.

Yeah, not exactly a new concept.

Why does the old man on the left have boobs?

 

[AfterVirtue]

The only thing that's different here is that in this case we're talking about vampires.

Yeah, not exactly a new concept.

Why does the old man on the left have boobs?

Do you really have to ask? (Apart from the AI "art", i mean)

 

[Skinwalker]

The only thing that's different here is that in this case we're talking about vampires.

Yeah, not exactly a new concept.

Why does the old man on the left have boobs?

Do you really have to ask? (Apart from the AI "art", i mean)

Why is the old woman on the right pregnant, and why is the head vampire wearing a chair?

 

[AfterVirtue]

The only thing that's different here is that in this case we're talking about vampires.

Yeah, not exactly a new concept.

Why does the old man on the left have boobs?

Do you really have to ask? (Apart from the AI "art", i mean)

Why is the old woman on the right pregnant, and why is the head vampire wearing a chair?

1) "She" isn't. In the sense we know. 2) Tzimisce Trans-human Trans-forniture. Courtesy of the IIE (Ikea Immortal Empire). What, didn't you think "chairman" was in the literal sense?

 

[Alienman]

Those planes are also massive for being private jets.

 

[AfterVirtue]

Those planes are also massive for being private jets.

Well, it is just lucky that the italian national company was just "acquired", then. Beats the old brooms; those did a number on your ass.

 

[Vulpes]

he similarities are very obvious, like how the very first rule in both is that you're supposed to never reveal the existence of "this thing of ours" to outsiders

Yeah, every "secret society" basic rule is the italian mob exclusive. You work as a Disney copyrighter, perchance?

Secret societies don't engage in street wars over territories and rackets. Maybe you haven't noticed it yet, but the Illuminati isn't fighting the Freemasons over the control of New York, nor does it even have it's own equivalent to soldatos that would fight for them to begin with.

 

[Skinwalker]

The only thing that's different here is that in this case we're talking about vampires.

Yeah, not exactly a new concept.

Why does the old man on the left have boobs?

Do you really have to ask? (Apart from the AI "art", i mean)

Why is the old woman on the right pregnant, and why is the head vampire wearing a chair?

1) "She" isn't. In the sense we know. 2) Tzimisce Trans-human Trans-forniture. Courtesy of the IIE (Ikea Immortal Empire). What, didn't you think "chairman" was in the literal sense?

That's the answer I was looking for. Congratulations, kid, you're hired!

 

[AfterVirtue]

he similarities are very obvious, like how the very first rule in both is that you're supposed to never reveal the existence of "this thing of ours" to outsiders

Yeah, every "secret society" basic rule is the italian mob exclusive. You work as a Disney copyrighter, perchance?

Secret societies don't engage in street wars over territories and rackets. Maybe you haven't noticed it yet, but the Illuminati isn't fighting the Freemasons over the control of New York, nor does it even have it's own equivalent to soldatos that would fight for them to begin with.

Yeah right. So you think high level "mob" is occupied with "street wars"? Listen once upon a time there was the "combination" already for low-to middle level stuff. Higher echelons are undistinguishable from "legitimate" higher business. No need to do "secret societies" research, you could read the inquiries of Falcone and Borsellino, who were so off the mark that they were... ah disposed. For incompetence, obviously. Please.

 

[AfterVirtue]

Congratulations, kid, you're hired!

Thanks boss. I'm sure we will do great things together.

 

[Vulpes]

he similarities are very obvious, like how the very first rule in both is that you're supposed to never reveal the existence of "this thing of ours" to outsiders

Yeah, every "secret society" basic rule is the italian mob exclusive. You work as a Disney copyrighter, perchance?

Secret societies don't engage in street wars over territories and rackets. Maybe you haven't noticed it yet, but the Illuminati isn't fighting the Freemasons over the control of New York, nor does it even have it's own equivalent to soldatos that would fight for them to begin with.

Yeah right. So you think high level "mob" is occupied with "street wars"? Listen once upon a time there was the "combination" already for low-to middle level stuff. Higher echelons are undistinguishable from "legitimate" higher business. No need to do "secret societies" research, you could read the inquiries of Falcone and Borsellino, who were so off the mark that they were... ah disposed. For incompetence, obviously. Please.

"High level mob"? Do you mean the Commission? It was founded to prevent future gang wars and to keep the public's gaze away from them. Do you know what fictional organization had the same purpose? The Camarilla.

 

[Harthwain]

Why is this even a discussion? I always figured that it was pretty clear how White Wolf took a lot of inspiration from the old school Italian mob when writing down the Camarilla laws. The similarities are very obvious, like how the very first rule in both is that you're supposed to never reveal the existence of "this thing of ours" to outsiders, how you can't kill or turn someone into a made man/vampire without the approval from the higher ups, how you're stuck in the Omerta/Jyhad forever after being made/embraced, etc.

This isn't so much about the structure of the Camarilla and much more about the conspiracy of it all. At some point the mob became public knowledge and the government made it its priority to hunt them down. So the idea that the mafia (the modern-day mob in particular) could be a great stand-in for a secret society of vampires simply doesn't work, because in case of vampires the secrecy is the most important thing. The whole concept of Vampire the Masquerade literally hinges on this.

Also, becoming a creature of darkness doomed to hunt the living for blood is very different from being just another member of the mob. You're a part of the myth, transforming into the ultimate predator (compared to mankind), while at the same time struggling to retain the vestiges of your humanity and mouring your loved ones/friends/the life as you knew it. Frankly, the setting and the source material can accomodate a lot in terms of how to tell a story. And that's not mentioning any other supernatural elements that also have their allure.

 

[The President]

The mob was always kind of an open secret for the late 19th century and most of the 20th century in the US. The government and FBI (mostly J Edgar Hoover) denied they existed and didn’t care. This only changed when they managed to kill a sitting US president and got so powerful and influential in so many major industries and unions that they could no longer be ignored.

The Camarilla isn’t known of or in the popular culture of the denizens of the WOD.

 

[Wesp5]

There is no need to compare the Camarilla to the mob when the setting has the Giovanni clan, which basically is a mob of vampires !

 

[Semiurge]

the setting has the Giovanni clan, which basically is a mob of vampires !

Not anymore. They were an offensive stereotype.

 

[Wesp5]

the setting has the Giovanni clan, which basically is a mob of vampires !

Not anymore. They were an offensive stereotype.

Ah yes. And they renamed the Assamites as well, either to not be mistaken with the Ubisoft Assassins Creed series or because vampires should not be seen as silent killer stereotypes. What will come next?