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

[flyingjohn]

If a studio like Chinese Room chooses such an image for promotion, it means that a quiet revolution is taking place in the industry

Studios massively removing gender and replacing with body type is more telling of how things are going.

 

[Vincente]

so they would throw Lou out when she wasn't important to the narrative. She is probably related to at least one main quest, several important locations and side quests.

She's the ex-Prince of Seattle now.

 

[Semiurge]

Big titty lady is still with us.

If a studio like Chinese Room chooses such an image for promotion, it means that a quiet revolution is taking place in the industry. Just as in the years 2012-2017 the foundations of our industry were created in the form it is now (with all these gay sensitivities), it is gradually moving away from it. I don't know where we're going yet, but the world is changing.

Thank you, Big Titty Lady.

Why did they lose the red hair that was present in the early HSL prerendered preview? Did they seriously think that a lawsuit was even remotely possible?

And now we see something different. And I think this is a general change for the industry.

That probably has two reasons: 1) Lou Graham was an important figure of Seattle's past and 2) as with the Brujah biker and Nosferatu Samuel TCR got the HSL model which they could edit easily.

Chinese Room is just stitching together what the previous team left behind, so they would throw Lou out when she wasn't important to the narrative. She is probably related to at least one main quest, several important locations and side quests.

However, my point is that this character was omitted in their own trailer year ago. Not because they wanted to cut her out, but not long ago a trailer with a busty character would have been perceived as something bad. And now we see it in the development log. I emphasize - this is about Chinese Room, a very woke studio. So if they do this, this change in approach must be even greater for other studies.

Nah. Maybe they just wanted there to be one token sexpot as fanservice. The main thing is that you aren't allowed to assume such an archaeo-sexist form as the main character.

 

[Wesp5]

Why did they lose the red hair that was present in the early HSL prerendered preview? Did they seriously think that a lawsuit was even remotely possible?

You mean some red haired player could be offended by the representation ? Honestly, was Lou Graham red haired? I have only seen black and white photos .

 

[Semiurge]

Why did they lose the red hair that was present in the early HSL prerendered preview? Did they seriously think that a lawsuit was even remotely possible?

You mean some red haired player could be offended by the representation ? Honestly, was Lou Graham red haired? I have only seen black and white photos .

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0376716/

I don't think enough is known about the real Lou Graham to say what color hair she had. Auburn red hair can look very dark in b&w photos.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

If a studio like Chinese Room chooses such an image for promotion, it means that a quiet revolution is taking place in the industry

Studios massively removing gender and replacing with body type is more telling of how things are going.

Yes. For now, corporations are experimenting with what happens when they dismantle these departments, and as everything suddenly becomes cheaper and easier, this process will continue.

Big titty lady is still with us.

If a studio like Chinese Room chooses such an image for promotion, it means that a quiet revolution is taking place in the industry. Just as in the years 2012-2017 the foundations of our industry were created in the form it is now (with all these gay sensitivities), it is gradually moving away from it. I don't know where we're going yet, but the world is changing.

Thank you, Big Titty Lady.

Why did they lose the red hair that was present in the early HSL prerendered preview? Did they seriously think that a lawsuit was even remotely possible?

I think that with such an unskilled studio it's easier to keep a consistent color palette, where anything left from the pattern may be too visible.

And now we see something different. And I think this is a general change for the industry.

That probably has two reasons: 1) Lou Graham was an important figure of Seattle's past and 2) as with the Brujah biker and Nosferatu Samuel TCR got the HSL model which they could edit easily.

Chinese Room is just stitching together what the previous team left behind, so they would throw Lou out when she wasn't important to the narrative. She is probably related to at least one main quest, several important locations and side quests.

However, my point is that this character was omitted in their own trailer year ago. Not because they wanted to cut her out, but not long ago a trailer with a busty character would have been perceived as something bad. And now we see it in the development log. I emphasize - this is about Chinese Room, a very woke studio. So if they do this, this change in approach must be even greater for other studies.

Nah. Maybe they just wanted there to be one token sexpot as fanservice. The main thing is that you aren't allowed to assume such an archaeo-sexist form as the main character.

If so, it's still a signal of change. Small but significant. Once a revolution stops, it can only retreat.

so they would throw Lou out when she wasn't important to the narrative. She is probably related to at least one main quest, several important locations and side quests.

She's the ex-Prince of Seattle now.

Which makes her a natural part of a plot set in Seattle. As a queen who wants to come back or a sage, either way the player will encounter her before reaching the primogen.

 

[Roguey]

Why did they lose the red hair that was present in the early HSL prerendered preview? Did they seriously think that a lawsuit was even remotely possible?

The prerendered video was total fakery and never representative of what they were actually making. This was HSL's model:

 

[Tyranicon]

Maybe it's the lighting, but those roid-rage arms lol.

 

[Silverfish]

Okay, but that's still way better.

 

[Storyfag]

does she has a dick tho

She might, or might have not, cashed in a boon with me for some creative use of Vicissitude. I shall neither confirm, nor deny.

 

[Child of Malkav]

Why did they lose the red hair that was present in the early HSL prerendered preview? Did they seriously think that a lawsuit was even remotely possible?

The prerendered video was total fakery and never representative of what they were actually making. This was HSL's model:

I like this version better. But still, beggars can't be choosers. It's insane they actually put this in considering the times.

 

[Semiurge]

Why did they lose the red hair that was present in the early HSL prerendered preview? Did they seriously think that a lawsuit was even remotely possible?

The prerendered video was total fakery and never representative of what they were actually making. This was HSL's model:

I like this version better. But still, beggars can't be choosers. It's insane they actually put this in considering the times.

That dialogue exchange would've been the perfect chance for creative depth-of-field use.

 

[Baron Tahn]

Are we really getting excited about this? She looks like a bloke. Shes no VV thats for sure.

 

[Vic]

That's the only new game this year that looks appealing to me.

 

[Baron Tahn]

Your opinion is questionable at best though so not sure what to make of that.

 

[Child of Malkav]

She looks like a bloke. Shes no VV thats for sure.

Eh, good enough.

 

[Vic]

Your opinion is questionable at best though so not sure what to make of that.

Are you trying to fuck your video game characters?

 

[The President]

The in game HSL Lou Grand looks quite different from the Christina Hendricks model they used in videos.

Those were the screenshots from the guy who posted the gameplay vids, paradox made him take down no?

 

[S.torch]

@7:35

This guy makes a good point a few seconds in that part of the video.
He points out nobody remembers Bloodlines for the combat, but all this time what TCR's been showing is combat packed sections with little to no anything else.

The Mitsoda and Co. version if I remember correctly showed sections of exploration + dialog + combat, they also released these small animated clips of lore showcasing each clan including thinbloods. More varied and closer to the previous game content. Reason why it was being better received.

 

[Jaesun]

The Mitsoda and Co. version if I remember correctly showed sections of exploration + dialog + combat, they also released these small animated clips of lore showcasing each clan including thinbloods. More varied and closer to the previous game content. Reason why it was being better received.

Yeah what is more troubling (to me) is any showcase of even basic exploration or different ways to approach and achieve an objective.

So we have dialogue tracking. That's a good start. Could turn out to be completely useless, or not.
And we have different combat abilities, with the different clans... ok.

 

[d1r]

That's the only new game this year that looks appealing to me.

Your taste in video games must be absolute fucking garb-

Oh yeah, that explains everything.

 

[Laz Sundays]

This guy makes a good point a few seconds in that part of the video.
He points out nobody remembers Bloodlines for the combat, but all this time what TCR's been showing is combat packed sections with little to no anything else.

The Mitsoda and Co. version if I remember correctly showed sections of exploration + dialog + combat, they also released these small animated clips of lore showcasing each clan including thinbloods. More varied and closer to the previous game content. Reason why it was being better received.

He also makes a great remark @20:22, which I've often thought of. Although I've used it to argue the difference between games that are made around their story/character vs games having an immersive, explorable ("living")worlds which can support any story/character.

And how fucking sad is it that ancient games like Gothic and Desu Ex nailed both voiced protag and immersive world, yet noone is able to figure out the recipe decades after.

 

[sosmoflux]

Because the graphics were shitty enough that it forced your imagination to fill the gaps, which entranced you more into the space, ergo immersion.

You don't and can't get that with modern realistic graphics.

The further you stray from interpreting a medium through your localised imagination, the less immersive something can be.

It's really that simple.

The only addendum to this is when the graphics and technology are so superior to anything you've seen before that the sense of wonder (I have no idea what to expect, anything is possible!) also leverages the imagination. Though, plainly, that is becoming harder and harder to achieve.

 

[Laz Sundays]

Because the graphics were shitty enough that it forced your imagination to fill the gaps, which entranced you more into the space, ergo immersion.

You don't and can't get that with modern realistic graphics.

The further you stray from interpreting a medium through your localised imagination, the less immersive something can be.

It's really that simple.

The only addendum to this is when the graphics and technology are so superior to anything you've seen before that the sense of wonder (I have no idea what to expect, anything is possible!) also leverages the imagination. Though, plainly, that is becoming harder and harder to achieve.

I don't think that's necessarily the case. Gorgeous visuals are used today to distract you from seeing lack. I still wonder, but the depth isn't there because noone made it.

 

[Vincente]

What’s Next for Bloodlines 2?


Pushed back to 2025.