Review Vampire: The Masquerade retrospective article at Hardcore Gaming 101

[Excidium]

Considering in the span of a few nights you master vampiric disciplines that potentially take years without any sort of mentoring, reach the apex of human capability in many physical and mental abilities, kill all sorts of mortals and supernatural creatures including a werewolf and a wereshark...I'd say you do get to be p. overpowered.

That is (almost) every single cRPG ever made though....

Considering in the span of a few nights you master vampiric disciplines that potentially take years without any sort of mentoring, reach the apex of human capability in many physical and mental abilities, kill all sorts of mortals and supernatural creatures including a werewolf and a wereshark...I'd say you do get to be p. overpowered.

Again, that makes you overpowered in the context of the setting. And makes pretty much every PC in every video game ever overpowered. Nice find. That is the hold point of most stories. You are the hero. Of course you are stronger than other characters..

Which is the same thing as every almost every other RPG..

Almost every CRPG is a D&D-derived from zero to hero romp. This shouldn't have been. Way to miss the fucking point, just like Troika.

including a werewolf

Using trickery.

Doesn't matter, you survive.

 

[Mangoose]

Considering in the span of a few nights you master vampiric disciplines that potentially take years without any sort of mentoring, reach the apex of human capability in many physical and mental abilities, kill all sorts of mortals and supernatural creatures including a werewolf and a wereshark...I'd say you do get to be p. overpowered.

That is (almost) every single cRPG ever made though....

Considering in the span of a few nights you master vampiric disciplines that potentially take years without any sort of mentoring, reach the apex of human capability in many physical and mental abilities, kill all sorts of mortals and supernatural creatures including a werewolf and a wereshark...I'd say you do get to be p. overpowered.

Again, that makes you overpowered in the context of the setting. And makes pretty much every PC in every video game ever overpowered. Nice find. That is the hold point of most stories. You are the hero. Of course you are stronger than other characters..

Which is the same thing as every almost every other RPG..

Almost every CRPG is a D&D-derived from zero to hero romp. This shouldn't have been. Way to miss the fucking point, just like Troika.

Cool, then you bury your own original argument by yourself. Good job!

 

[Excidium]

How? The story demands you to be able to take care of yourself, when you're doing what's basically thug work throughout the entire game.

 

[Mangoose]

How? The story demands you to be able to take care of yourself, when you're doing what's basically thug work throughout the entire game.

Which has nothing to do with the point that is being discussed.

Good job !

 

[Excidium]

Then read the fucking discussion you moron.

 

[Mangoose]

 

[Excidium]

Average rat diplomat.

 

[Mangoose]

SO how about that werewolf that you kill with your bare hands?

 

[Excidium]

with your bare hands

Who said that? You kill it with a ridiculous gimmick that requires extreme suspension of disbelief but you do.

 

[Mangoose]

with your bare hands

Who said that? You kill it with a ridiculous gimmick that requires extreme suspension of disbelief but you do.

So what does killing a werewolf have to do with getting "p. overpowered"?

Your own words. Keep debunking yourself, it's fun.

 

[Excidium]

with your bare hands

Who said that? You kill it with a ridiculous gimmick that requires extreme suspension of disbelief but you do.

So what does killing a werewolf have to do with getting "p. overpowered"?

Everything? That you even ask either you are not familiar with the game world or just baiting.

 

[Mangoose]

with your bare hands

Who said that? You kill it with a ridiculous gimmick that requires extreme suspension of disbelief but you do.

So what does killing a werewolf have to do with getting "p. overpowered"?

Everything. That you even ask either you are not familiar with the game world or just baiting.

So how does using a ridiculous gimmick, which has nothing to do with your powers, make you overpowered?

 

[Gragt]

You should be able to use werewolf diplomacy in V:TM:B.

 

[Mangoose]

Not to mention that killing the werewolf is optional.

 

[Excidium]

with your bare hands

Who said that? You kill it with a ridiculous gimmick that requires extreme suspension of disbelief but you do.

So what does killing a werewolf have to do with getting "p. overpowered"?

Everything. That you even ask either you are not familiar with the game world or just baiting.

So how does using a ridiculous gimmick, which has nothing to do with your powers, make you overpowered?

You are retarded as fuck. The whole encounter is tailored around outsmarting an intelligent predator that is much faster and stronger and is at his home turf, if that doesn't make you feel overpowered I don't know what does, nobody else would have survived that encounter under the same circumstances except special snowflake you.

 

[Mangoose]

with your bare hands

Who said that? You kill it with a ridiculous gimmick that requires extreme suspension of disbelief but you do.

So what does killing a werewolf have to do with getting "p. overpowered"?

Everything. That you even ask either you are not familiar with the game world or just baiting.

So how does using a ridiculous gimmick, which has nothing to do with your powers, make you overpowered?

You are retarded as fuck. The whole encounter is tailored around outsmarting an intelligent predator that is much faster and stronger and is at his home turf, if that doesn't make you feel overpowered I don't know what does, nobody else would have survived that encounter under the same circumstances except special snowflake you.

 

[Excidium]

Unless you are confusing the initial point of the game showering you with XP, which it does as the rate of character development is much faster than it should be and you can easily max all your relevant stats by the time it's over, with the subjective feeling of "feeling overpowered" in an extremely easy game. What made me feel p. overpowered was basically the game throwing everything they could read mention of in the rulebook for me to steamroll with a beginner character.

 

[Roguey]

The whole encounter is tailored around outsmarting an intelligent predator that is much faster and stronger and is at his home turf, if that doesn't make you feel overpowered I don't know what does, nobody else would have survived that encounter under the same circumstances except special snowflake you.

No one else has Cain filling them up with his blood while they're sleeping.

"We made you overpowered on purpose, there's even a lore explanation for it, "--Troika games

 

[Excidium]

I thought evil publishers was the most popular excuse for Troika's general incompetence.

 

[Gragt]

You are retarded as fuck. The whole encounter is tailored around outsmarting an intelligent predator that is much faster and stronger and is at his home turf, if that doesn't make you feel overpowered I don't know what does, nobody else would have survived that encounter under the same circumstances except special snowflake you.

Nobody else but Nines Rodriguez who gets pounced on and manages to not only survive but kill the damn thing. I don't know if he found a door on the his side to kill the werewolf with though.

 

[Irenaeus]

The only fair way to play the game is to Ironman it.

 

[Excidium]

You are retarded as fuck. The whole encounter is tailored around outsmarting an intelligent predator that is much faster and stronger and is at his home turf, if that doesn't make you feel overpowered I don't know what does, nobody else would have survived that encounter under the same circumstances except special snowflake you.

Nobody else but Nines Rodriguez who gets pounced on and manages to not only survive but kill the damn thing. I don't know if he found a door on the his side to kill the werewolf with though.

Maybe he had silver bullets and got pounced before giving you some. Or maybe they just wanted to make him the most typical brujah possible, influential and intelligent, powerful enough to brawl with werewolves and with a a bunch of followers ready to do anything at his orders, but sits around in bar complaining about how everything is shit and nobody does anything to change it.

Ironman it.

Ironman Troika games is too hardcore for me.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

If people are dumb enough to do that they deserve to be punished.

You know, try posting something understanding, or friendly, or funny! People will be baffled! That would be some nice trolling!
But your mantra of "everything and everyone sucks" gets annoying fast.

To create a new character, play for 12+ (we're talking about new players here) hours with a non-combat build, which the game definitely allows and even promotes with the large number of social/hacking/sneaking quests, and then being stuck at the end?
Sure, there are quite a few encounters you cannot avoid, and those are challenging for non-combat characters, but all doable. The end is not. Not if you are not an extremely capable (or patient) player.
Of course, when you reach that point, somehow avoid the rage-uninstall and restart, and then do the same mistake again, then you are dumb enough and deserve to be punished. [...]

Dumb enough to play a non-combat build without knowing in advance if it could eventually fuck you over. The first unavoidable combat encounter should raise a few red flags. The second should raise a black flag with a skull and crossbones.

Spoiler

Take me and my first shitty Nosferatu. He can punch things, but many points are spent in Hacking, Haggling, Sneaking, an overall sad sight. Then Therese tells me to go to a museum. No problem, I say. Hey, is that pool of blood mo-BOSS FIGHT AAAAAAAH

Well, that was weird. A short time later, I get to a warehouse, hey is that one of those Kuei Jin du-AAAAAAAH BOSS FIGHT AAAAAAH

 

[Lhynn]

Excidium is right, the rewards you get in the game would take several years of playing the actual game on PnP.
Hes also right about facing the werewolf, the stupid dog shoulda eaten you as soon as he saw you, not even a chance to survive long enough to trap him. Most of the challenges you get in this game you shouldnt be able to survive with a half competent GM at the helm and the reward is exagerated.

I think its kinda fitting and the game was better for it tho. Difficulty should have been a lot higher tho.

 

[Gragt]

Excidium is right, the rewards you get in the game would take several years of playing the actual game on PnP.
Hes also right about facing the werewolf, the stupid dog shoulda eaten you as soon as he saw you, not even a chance to survive long enough to trap him. Most of the challenges you get in this game you shouldnt be able to survive with a half competent GM at the helm and the reward is exagerated.

Probably in a PnP session, but this is a video game adaptation. If betraying the setting makes the game better, then I say go for it. What counts is the end result.