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

Vincente

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 16, 2018
Messages
799
Location
Location
and using a keycard to open a door.
Screenshot_2023-09-20-21-06-13-653_com.google.android.youtube2.jpg

:M
 

Roguey

Codex Staff
Staff Member
Sawyerite
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
36,757
That paragraph described the player pulling a lever and using a keycard to open a door. Is Doom an RPG now?

That describes things they will no longer be doing. Non-combat gameplay will be "things only a vampire can do," whatever that will be.
 

Tyranicon

A Memory of Eternity
Developer
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
7,849
11,79 euromoney for text game? Pff!

Some text CYOAs are genuinely good, although they're incredibly rare compared to the usual young adult romance drivel that sells well in that medium.

I've recently come across the Infinity Sea series which I would recommend if you're into Sharpe-esque fantastical settings.
 

Caim

Arcane
Joined
Aug 1, 2013
Messages
17,459
Location
Dutchland
That paragraph described the player pulling a lever and using a keycard to open a door. Is Doom an RPG now?
That describes things they will no longer be doing. Non-combat gameplay will be "things only a vampire can do," whatever that will be.
Maybe that "turn into smoke and fly through a ventilation shaft" thing we saw in the now scrapped versions of the game.
 

Wesp5

Arcane
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
1,953
That paragraph described the player pulling a lever and using a keycard to open a door. Is Doom an RPG now?

That describes things they will no longer be doing. Non-combat gameplay will be "things only a vampire can do," whatever that will be.

Yeah, to uphold the Masquerade you only do vampire stuff and nothing that normal human beings would do to not be noticed.
 

The President

Educated
Joined
Oct 18, 2022
Messages
188
I’m very curious how Seattle will look in the game. The promo art gives me more of an NYC feel and I say that as a native. I do want the place to look more like Seattle. Never been there, but the jungle and other types of locations from HSL version did have a lot of potential.
 

Delterius

Arcane
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
15,956
Location
Entre a serra e o mar.
That paragraph described the player pulling a lever and using a keycard to open a door. Is Doom an RPG now?

That describes things they will no longer be doing. Non-combat gameplay will be "things only a vampire can do," whatever that will be.

Yeah, to uphold the Masquerade you only do vampire stuff and nothing that normal human beings would do to not be noticed.
to be fair nobody would be like wow is that mist coming out of the tube must be a ghost

otoh 'stealth' is harder than it looks when its not functional invisibility
 

La vie sexuelle

Learned
Joined
Jun 10, 2023
Messages
2,161
Location
La Rochelle
11,79 euromoney for text game? Pff!

Some text CYOAs are genuinely good, although they're incredibly rare compared to the usual young adult romance drivel that sells well in that medium.

I've recently come across the Infinity Sea series which I would recommend if you're into Sharpe-esque fantastical settings.
I'm not questioning the intrinsic value of a game like this, I just doubt it deserves this price.
 

Tyranicon

A Memory of Eternity
Developer
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
7,849
11,79 euromoney for text game? Pff!

Some text CYOAs are genuinely good, although they're incredibly rare compared to the usual young adult romance drivel that sells well in that medium.

I've recently come across the Infinity Sea series which I would recommend if you're into Sharpe-esque fantastical settings.
I'm not questioning the intrinsic value of a game like this, I just doubt it deserves this price.

I might try it just to see if it's shit or not. I need something to fall asleep to anyways.
 

La vie sexuelle

Learned
Joined
Jun 10, 2023
Messages
2,161
Location
La Rochelle
11,79 euromoney for text game? Pff!

Some text CYOAs are genuinely good, although they're incredibly rare compared to the usual young adult romance drivel that sells well in that medium.

I've recently come across the Infinity Sea series which I would recommend if you're into Sharpe-esque fantastical settings.
I'm not questioning the intrinsic value of a game like this, I just doubt it deserves this price.

I might try it just to see if it's shit or not. I need something to fall asleep to anyways.

Try mine ASMR:

 

Jaesun

Fabulous Ex-Moderator
Patron
Joined
May 14, 2004
Messages
37,434
Location
Seattle, WA USA
MCA Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 BattleTech
I'm like 20 minutes into Night Roads and I already hate all the characters, and not in a good way.
I was always curious to give that a try (I'm ok with just text games) and I really like the setting (a courier, because of the Second Inquisition). But no idea if the writing and characters would get me into it.

Would have been a great premise for a video game though.
 

Tyranicon

A Memory of Eternity
Developer
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
7,849
I'm like 20 minutes into Night Roads and I already hate all the characters, and not in a good way.
I was always curious to give that a try (I'm ok with just text games) and I really like the setting (a courier, because of the Second Inquisition). But no idea if the writing and characters would get me into it.

Would have been a great premise for a video game though.

I'm not too far into it, so maybe my opinion will change later on. The writing itself is pretty serviceable, but the characterization seems weak and reliant on tropes. One central character is especially insufferable (I'm assuming people who played the game would instantly know who I'm talking about) as he is essentially an anime genius, and teleports around so he shows up in all the key scenes.

The narrative seems more devoted to him than to the player, and has the gall to pull the following move, paraphrased:

Anime dude: Yeah so we fucked before right? Because I'm so awesome.

>No, you made that up.
>Yeah I loved it.
>Yeah but now I hate you.
>Yeah but I'm sad now.

:hmmm:

The codex official thread also seems to not be super praise-full of this game: https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads...teractive-fictions-by-choice-of-games.132807/
 

Irxy

Arcane
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
2,061
Location
Schism
Project: Eternity
That describes things they will no longer be doing. Non-combat gameplay will be "things only a vampire can do," whatever that will be.
Which does sound ridiculous. I mean, using vampire abilities in non-combat situations is fine & expected (unless it is a shitty game like Vampir from another walking-sim dev), but saying that every single situation is going to be resolved via those, come on.
The only examples which come to mind of such a gameplay are all comedy-level, like your pc turning into mist to come through a door instead of just pulling the handle, and then we get an off-screen laughter.

Now I think the game is going to be a mix of this

and this
 
Last edited:

La vie sexuelle

Learned
Joined
Jun 10, 2023
Messages
2,161
Location
La Rochelle
That describes things they will no longer be doing. Non-combat gameplay will be "things only a vampire can do," whatever that will be.
Which does sound ridiculous. I mean, using vampire abilities in non-combat situations is fine & expected (unless it is a shitty game like Vampir from another walking-sim dev), but saying that every single situation is going to be resolved via those, come on.
The only examples which come to mind of such a gameplay are all comedy-level, like your pc turning into mist to come through a door instead of just pulling the handle, and then we get an off-screen laughter.

Now I think the game is going to be a mix of this

and this


Concept of vampirism, or horror generally, is borderline comedic.
 

Atlantico

unida e indivisible
Patron
Joined
Sep 7, 2015
Messages
17,259
Location
Midgard
Make the Codex Great Again!
That describes things they will no longer be doing. Non-combat gameplay will be "things only a vampire can do," whatever that will be.
Which does sound ridiculous. I mean, using vampire abilities in non-combat situations is fine & expected (unless it is a shitty game like Vampir from another walking-sim dev), but saying that every single situation is going to be resolved via those, come on.
The only examples which come to mind of such a gameplay are all comedy-level, like your pc turning into mist to come through a door instead of just pulling the handle, and then we get an off-screen laughter.

Now I think the game is going to be a mix of this

and this


Concept of vampirism, or horror generally, is borderline comedic.

It was supposed to be erotic. But the best laid plans...

When I think back to VtMB and what made it work for me, was that it played the world straight, but was very self aware when talking to the audience. It knows it is extremely silly, but the characters in the game do not. To them, this is all very srs bsniss.

That is a tone that works with this setting. Serious, yet not serious. The voice acting nailed that tone as well. Serious, but not serious.
 

Wesp5

Arcane
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
1,953
Pulling levers from a distance with vampire magic?

Similar things were already part of the HSL version where you had the Thinblood Telekinesis Discipline. Still you would loose blood and if people noticed you, it would break the Masquerade...
 

harhar!

Augur
Joined
May 15, 2014
Messages
238
Dev Diary Finally something

It reads very generic with lots off buzzwords. Compare it to the ChatGPT version below.

**Dev Diary: Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines**

*Intro:*

Welcome to the developer diary for *Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines*, an epic journey into the dark and mysterious world of vampires. In this diary, we will take you behind the scenes of the game's development, from the early stages of conception to the final moments of polish and refinement. Join us as we explore the challenges, inspirations, and aspirations that brought this immersive vampire RPG to life.

**Section 1: Making Bloodlines 2**

Creating a worthy successor to the cult classic *Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines* was no small feat. The first game, released in 2004, had a dedicated fanbase and an iconic status in the world of RPGs. We knew that living up to the legacy was essential, and so began the journey to make *Bloodlines 2*.

*Concept and Vision:* Our journey started with a deep dive into the World of Darkness lore, where the intricate politics of vampire society, the rich history of the clans, and the moral dilemmas of immortal beings fascinated us. We aimed to preserve the essence of the first game while expanding on the narrative, offering more choices, consequences, and opportunities for players to immerse themselves in this dark, urban fantasy world.

*Development Challenges:* Like any ambitious project, we faced our fair share of challenges. Navigating the expectations of passionate fans and adapting to modern gaming technologies while maintaining the game's unique atmosphere was a delicate balancing act. Overcoming technical hurdles, creating a branching narrative, and ensuring gameplay was true to the original's spirit took time and dedication from our talented team.

**Section 2: Feel Like a Vampire**

One of our primary goals was to make players truly feel like a vampire. To achieve this, we focused on several key aspects:

*Immersion:* We aimed to create a seamless, living world filled with NPCs, each with their own stories and agendas. The city of Seattle, with its dark alleys and hidden secrets, became the perfect backdrop. As a vampire, you would need to navigate the intricate web of vampire politics, forge alliances, and make life-or-death decisions.

*Vampire Abilities:* We spent extensive time developing the vampiric disciplines and abilities. Whether you wanted to mesmerize your prey with Dominate, scale walls with Parkour, or unleash your inner beast with Protean, we wanted players to feel the power and temptation of their supernatural gifts.

*Choices and Consequences:* The heart of the game was its branching narrative. Every decision you made, every alliance you formed, had consequences that rippled through the story. Embracing your inner monster or clinging to your humanity became central themes, and no two playthroughs were the same.

**Section 3: What’s Next?**

Thank you for joining us on this journey through the development of *Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2*. We can't wait to see you in the dark alleys of Seattle and witness the stories you'll create as a vampire in the World of Darkness. Stay tuned for more updates, and remember, the night is yours, but the Masquerade must be preserved.
 

Herumor

Scholar
Joined
May 1, 2018
Messages
649
oh no not parkour it killed the wod mmo
No, it didn't. WoD MMO was killed by CCP's incompetence.

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...-darkness-the-inside-story-mmo-ccp-white-wolf

My favorite bit is the following:
This constant build and rebuild approach meant massive issues in the development process. Features that were good enough to retain in one build had to be redesigned from scratch for the next because so many other interconnected parts had changed. Even when there was enough to play, internal testing revealed a confused and unfocused experience.

Most of the sources spoken to for this piece identified the same problematic CCP manager, who had little vision for what the finished game would look like.

“Not once could he answer any question about moment-to-moment gameplay or areas of focus,” says one source. “Instead, he preferred to deliver buzzword-laden rambles… It was not uncommon for him to communicate in onomatopoeia.

"I once saw him looking over the shoulder of a programmer at some bit of User Interface the poor guy had hacked together. He straightened up, put fingers to lips and said, ‘No, this isn't it at all. Make it more... psssshhhh’ He hissed on his fucking fingertips, like the air coming out of a bicycle tire, and then just walked away.”
 

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