Vampire: Bloodlines

[SirBruce]

While I haven't any plans to play Bloodlines, I guess I should mention that I did play the first VtM computer game game and thought it was okay.  Not sure how it would play on today's machines, but for those of you who still thirst after playing Bloodlines might want to check it out.

Bruce

[geldonyetich]

While I haven't any plans to play Bloodlines, I guess I should mention that I did play the first VtM computer game game and thought it was okay.  Not sure how it would play on today's machines, but for those of you who still thirst after playing Bloodlines might want to check it out.

Bruce

Apples and oranges (with fangs!)

The original VtM PC game was a Diablo clone, albeit one with a really nice engine, a NWN-esque GM mode (before NWN was released), and a really difficult balance.   I never made it to the modern age in VtM, I think I was stopped dead (poor pun considering you're a vampire) by some early boss.

VtM: Bloodlines is far more reminiescent of Deus Ex.   Except instead of being a cybernetically altered super soldier in a world full of deadly conspiracies, you're a supernatural horror super soldier in a world full of vampiric conspiracies.    Works for me, really.  I like Deus Ex.  Skill-based crosshair size for the win.  I'd be playing Deus Ex 2 some more if it had anything resembling reply value.   (As it was, I managed to explore every single square inch of the game on my first go.)

I haven't really played Bloodlines, only saw my bro puttering around with it.  However, it looks drop dead gorgeous, but a little loosely assembled in such a way that I'm not surprised to hear my brother's running into game-stopping bugs from time to time.   From what I hear, the part of First Person Shooter Role Playing Game that's being emphesized is the Role Playing portion.   Very well developed race selection and skill progression.   That's good news.

[Tebonas]

The original VtM is ridiculously easy when you stick to the melee weapons, all modern weapons were underpowered. But then I used to single pull all enemies by trying to feed on them from afar. Blame Everquest for that behaviour, I'm still ashamed of it.

[Ironwood]

Yeah, it was one of the 'charm' lines of powers that just allowed you to beckon them over and then suck on the neck.  It became a bit easy after that.

And then there was that cool 'vampire sword' which basically made you unstoppable.

[Polysorbate80]

I picked up that sword but didn't use it for the longest time, thinking 'this thing has got to be a piece of shit'....then once I realized what it actually did I didn't use anything else for the rest of the game (except claws sometimes just for amusement)

[Ironwood]

I picked up that sword but didn't use it for the longest time, thinking 'this thing has got to be a piece of shit'....then once I realized what it actually did I didn't use anything else for the rest of the game (except claws sometimes just for amusement)

Well, just a hint for future :

If you enter the nicest and most crafted area in a game - one that people have obviously taken time over - to find a glowing item that has a fresco of the gods of vampires on the wall behind it like michealangelo and the item itself has 'x of the utter gods' emblazoned on the pack ;  don't just pawn it at the shop.

heheheh.

[Roac]

Yeah, it was one of the 'charm' lines of powers that just allowed you to beckon them over and then suck on the neck.

No, I think he's talking about one of the Tremere abilities that let you drain blood at range, instead of having to sink teeth.  It was obscenely overpowered - effectively an "I win" button for anything except bosses.

[WayAbvPar]

Yeah, it was one of the 'charm' lines of powers that just allowed you to beckon them over and then suck on the neck.

No, I think he's talking about one of the Tremere abilities that let you drain blood at range, instead of having to sink teeth.  It was obscenely overpowered - effectively an "I win" button for anything except bosses.

I don't remember if it had the same name in the first one, but it is called Blood Strike in Bloodlines. I used it a couple of times last night (I FINALLY got the game, and got it running after some hiccups). As Roac said, it was overpowered as hell. My basic strategy was to lure them in with Blood Strike, hack them to bits with the uber sword, and maybe feed on them at the end if I could get a grip.

[Ironwood]

Well, it's not really ringing any bells, but I'll take yer word for it.  I personally went up the charm path and pretty much stuck to it.  The kingly one owned everything, as I remember.

I always thought it was a damn fine game, but I remember people panning it at the time.

[Polysorbate80]

If you enter the nicest and most crafted area in a game - one that people have obviously taken time over - to find a glowing item that has a fresco of the gods of vampires on the wall behind it like michealangelo and the item itself has 'x of the utter gods' emblazoned on the pack ;  don't just pawn it at the shop.

heheheh.

My memory is hazy (been forever since the one time I played the gme through) but I don't think it was obvious that it drained blood for you until you used it (maybe it did say that and I just didn't bother to read it, heh), and other than that feature the stats were kinda 'meh'.  I thought it was some quest junk that you needed later, so I never bothered to use it until I woke up in the modern era without any of my other crap...

[Sky]

But then I used to single pull all enemies by trying to feed on them from afar. Blame Everquest for that behaviour, I'm still ashamed of it.

My local gaming circle really enjoyed the first Vampire game, and I was accused of using EQ pulling tactics ;) Heck, I played the entire game like EQ...

I love games that time travel like the first Vampire and Eternal Darkness, more plzkthx.

[Rodent]

I love games that time travel like the first Vampire and Eternal Darkness, more plzkthx.

Gotta agree here. It's always interesting to follow a story throughout the ages. Eternall Darkness managed to keep more modern times a bit more interesting than Redemption, but I suppose some of that blame must fall on White Wolves rules about firearms being pretty much useless against vampires.

[Resvrgam]

I suppose some of that blame must fall on White Wolves rules about firearms being pretty much useless against vampires.

Well, in Bloodlines...a 12-gauge Shotgun is pretty useless against humans too (the warehouse quest).  I'm not a forensic expert but I'm pretty sure a point-blank shot from said gun would leave a decent sized hole in someone and not just nock them back without killing them.  I think it took 3 or 4 shots to take those humans down.

[Rodent]

Yepp, Firearms are even more useless in Bloodlines. There was exactly one point in the game that I found them to be usefull.

[SurfD]

Heh, I remember my kickass strategy in the origional game was learning that ability that froze people for a bit (got sick of those vampire mages using it against me), then spamming the hell out o it.  Made EVERY encounter a cakewalk.  I mean, fuck. The final boss in the game barely managed to even hit me, he spent most of the entire fight frozen stiff getting the shit pounded out of him by the rest of my team.

[Rodent]

Bloodlines "fixed" that by only including the blood line of magic for the tremere...

Personally I fixed that certain flaw by not allowing Tremere chars to be powergaming assholes when I was a DM.

[Ironwood]

Indeed.   This one is crying out for me to buy it.  (Since I completed HL2 in about 13 hours and it sucked nuts.)

However, by the sound of it, I too will be waiting for a patch before plinking money down.

If only I'd listened to you, you very, very sexy man.

Alas, I didn't and now I am faced with horrendous bugs from the planet xarg.

Patch please.

Further, the haunted house mission is freaking my wife out.  I, of course, am remaining cool, calm and collected.

(yikes).

[Resvrgam]

Further, the haunted house mission is freaking my wife out.  I, of course, am remaining cool, calm and collected.

(yikes).

That Haunted House mission was the most impressive "scare" I have had in a long time from a videogame (counting Doom3's lame-assed fun-house on a conveyor belt).  

***Spoiler Below***
The whispers of "he's here" and a flsh of lightning showing a phantasm appearing to my side made me shoot the floor and ceilings like a Miami Vice extra!
***Spoiler Above***

[SurfD]

How does it compare with the Cradle from Thief 3?  That was one of, if not THE, creepiest levels I have ever played in a video game

[Riggswolfe]

I am so glad to know I'm not the only person that got creeped out at certain points of the haunted house.

[Tebonas]

No, I think he's talking about one of the Tremere abilities that let you drain blood at range, instead of having to sink teeth.  It was obscenely overpowered - effectively an "I win" button for anything except bosses.

Just to clarify, I was speaking of the fact that if you used the normal feed action (the one every Vampire has to replenish blood) at range, the game told you you can't feed on the targets, but they were pissed off anyway and ran towards you. The roleplayer in me rationalized it as barring my fangs and making threatening gestures until my enemy had enough of it. Kinda like the WoD-Version of a Kender.

[Ironwood]

Can I just say that the whole 'Heather;slut ghoul' is the most childish and ridiculous thing to ever be included in a computer game EVER ?!

I look at the manual and am unsurprised that not many women worked on this game.  Jesus Christ, guys grow up.

On that note, anyone know what happens if you're a burd ?  Is Heather a bloke or does it just get, er, even more indecent ?

[Tebonas]

I sent her home after she brought somebody in to feed upon. Twas good for a point of humanity.

But yes, seems like some people gave form to their fantasies by making that game. Other proofs: The Malkavian ponytail baroness and the Toreador whore with her teenager love emails.

Really, in the future getting laid once in a while should be prerequisite to doing the story for a Vampire roleplaying game. That is too much like the campaigns of those pimple faced GMs in my adolescent years.

[schild]

Boo hoo. Should Rock Star have to actually go out and off a few people before making their new game?

Comeon. This game was about stereotypes of a relatively underground culture. In the music, the talking, the clothing - everything. It was pretty spot on at that. The only thing that was missing was the massive amount of homosexuals that for some reason or another seem to go under the "goth" flag as well.

[Rodent]

Boo hoo. Should Rock Star have to actually go out and off a few people before making their new game?

Comeon. This game was about stereotypes of a relatively underground culture. In the music, the talking, the clothing - everything. It was pretty spot on at that. The only thing that was missing was the massive amount of homosexuals that for some reason or another seem to go under the "goth" flag as well.

After having re-played the game as a female ventrue I can testify that the game sports just as many lesbians/bi-sexuals as your run on the mill goth-club.

[schild]

Boo hoo. Should Rock Star have to actually go out and off a few people before making their new game?

Comeon. This game was about stereotypes of a relatively underground culture. In the music, the talking, the clothing - everything. It was pretty spot on at that. The only thing that was missing was the massive amount of homosexuals that for some reason or another seem to go under the "goth" flag as well.

After having re-played the game as a female ventrue I can testify that the game sports just as many lesbians/bi-sexuals as your run on the mill goth-club.

Should I have said fags? I didn't want to say fags. I meant specifically Male Homosoexuals.

[Ironwood]

You say 'fags' if you want, petal.

As to the game, I'm enjoying it a lot ;  I just think it went waaaaaay over the top with Heather.  I'm all for a game being 18 and containing some heavy adult themes (and it does) - what bothers me is making a game 18 and then using that as an excuse to slip in dominance games.

Yours Sincerely,

Little Morsel.

[Bunk]

While I agree with you that the approach is a little on the immature side with your ghoul, the fact is they let you choose how you want to approach it.

If you want to be a nice vampire and send her home, go right ahead. If you want to ..ahem.. be a semi-psychotic, dominant, lesbian-bitch vampire - you can.

Nothing wrong with a little immaturity in a game as long as you aren't forced in to it.

[Roac]

what bothers me is making a game 18 and then using that as an excuse to slip in dominance games.

So when GTA does stuff like that, it's "cool", but when a Vampire game does it, it's "icky"?

[Ironwood]

what bothers me is making a game 18 and then using that as an excuse to slip in dominance games.

So when GTA does stuff like that, it's "cool", but when a Vampire game does it, it's "icky"?

I see you've read my incredible fanboi rants on the subject of GTA.

Oh, no, wait - you haven't.  'Cause I don't remember saying any such fucking thing....

And I also think that you're comparing appples to oranges here, since the concept of 'dialogue' doesn't really exist in GTA to that extent.  There's absolutely none of the 'hur hur hur, strip down to yer panties, bitch, hur hur hur' mentality that comes across, because, well, that's not really what Vercitti was about.

Or am I misunderstanding you ?

[Rasix]

Man, who goddamn cares.

She's your ghoul.  You made her, you own her. She's basically a heroin addict and you're the only pusher.  So far I'm amazed they've showed so much restraint.  Have you played the rest of the game, it could be much much worse.  

She comes in 3 flavors: hippy, slut, and goth.  BIG-FUCKING-DEAL.

It's that goddamn simple. So can we get back to bitching about the graphics and degeneration of the late game into Vampire: Let's Fighting Love?

[Roac]

Or am I misunderstanding you ?

Just looking at general attitudes.  Don't hear complaints here about the stuff going on in GTA, but when a game touches on something goth with otherwise similar-ish content, people point fingers, either at the devs for their design choices, or the players for liking something that smells of goth.

[Big Gulp]

or the players for liking something that smells of goth.

And that's how it should be.  You wanted to be the "tragic outsider who no one understands"?  You got it, shitbag.  Suck it up.

[Roac]

You wanted to be the "tragic outsider who no one understands"?  You got it, shitbag. Suck it up.

You'd have to be more than a little myopic to figure me for a goth.  My point is that it's somewhat amusing to watch some in the geek subculture in arms against the goth subculture.  BG, which one are you?

[Big Gulp]

You'd have to be more than a little myopic to figure me for a goth

I don't know what you are or where you hang your freak flag.  Doesn't matter.  I used the word "you" more as a rhetorical device in reference to goths pissing and moaning about people not understanding them.  Isn't that why they wear their mother's blouses and makeup in the first place?  Because they want to be seen as misunderstood outsiders?  So suck it up, bitches, I'm giving you what you apparently crave.