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Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 announced (2020 Q2 or later), PS4, X1, Steam/GOG/EGS, Paradox + Hardsuit Labs)
- Thread starter vestan
- Start date
Oh, looks nice! One of the better enb's I have found so far, will give it a try. Thanks!
Assuming the reactivity of all the clans and backgrounds are fleshed out, that sounds almost too good to be true. I have to admit, I'm letting the excitement get to me.
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Boyarsky and Cain are already working on The Outer Worlds.
Tbh this looks as good as TOW and the passion from the creative team reassures me that this is going to hit the right notes.
That's good to hear. It would have put a nail in the coffin *boom-tish* of the game's moral complexity.
On a similar note, the most important thing any RPG needs to nail is characters that feel TRUE. And I think this gets overlooked when talking about the politics of a game world. For example, the original VTMB's portrayal of vampire hunters was a cartoonish cliche. They tried to kill you, you killed them back. That was really all there was to it. There was no nuance. No feeling that these characters were real people with sincere beliefs fighting for something they believed in. In general terms, vampire fiction has long had a problem with vampire characters who are dicks because, well, because they're vampires. There's been a tendency to shortcut beliefs, history, motivations, etc in favor of "They're a vampire so they're a smug dick that kills people." It's my hope that VTMB 2 features a world filled with characters from all walks of life, varying belief systems, varying day to day (or night to night) perspectives.
Vampire fiction often suffers from vampires being a bizarre stand-in for whatever interest group the writers felt sympathetic towards that morning in the writer's room. A question such as, "Should vampires be exterminated? If we are a vampire, is that a goal we should work towards? Or should we fight to protect vampire kind. Even fight for supremacy over the humans. How should vampires treat humans?"
I really disliked that mission in VTMB where VV sent you to kill that stripper vampire hunter. Maybe I don't WANT to kill the vampire hunter. Maybe I think that vampires careless enough to get noticed by stripper vampire hunters deserve what is coming to them. That should be my choice. It's an RPG after all. I really hope VTMB 2 lives up to that potential. VTMB is the strain of RPG where player self-expression extends to the sides they take on murky issues with unclear outcomes. And the very cornerstones of vampirism are among those issues. In the words of Adam Jensen, "I never asked for this." Yet at the same time, cybernetic implants and being undead are quite different, aren't they?
Those questions get super awkward when writers start using vampires as babby's first interest group metaphor -- I'm looking at you, True Blood. Oh, I just a killed a dude but people are mean to me for some reason. I'm the victim here! Heck, it's the same problem something like Dragon Age had with its Mages as some kind of weird persecuted minority analogy.
"Hi, I'm a mage."
"You're going to do blood magic, aren't you," asks the Templar, eyes narrowing.
"Holy shit! Does the persecution never end?" screams the Mage, as the audience scoffs at the bigoted templar.
*15 minutes, and one blood sacrifice later*
"I had no other option!" whines the mage, "This is totally the Templar's fault because they suspected that I would kill people to use in arcane blood rituals and that made me turn to blood magic."
"This is just like how bombing funerals creates terrorists," muse the writers to themselves as they huff their own farts.
Seperate. And there's no need to play Redemption whatsoever. Its not great.
They're separate. I'd personally recommend playing Redemption as well (but I'm a huge WoD fan). It has some interesting characters, but none that will be relevant to Bloodlines.
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Up to you. The two games aren't related in any way aside from sharing the VtM name.
Redemption is a wonky Diablo 2 clone while Bloodlines is one of the finest WRPGs ever made.
Thanks! I guess I'll just play Bloodlines and save Redemption if I want more of that universe
This actually makes me really want to play it haha
With third person for some elements, like crawling on walls and such.
And, I imagine, dancing.
The new pre order incentive lol. I had the same idea and I never pre order.
I don't think I can stomach replaying Bloodlines. It's aged horribly but I have such fond memories I'll be there day 1 for this.
Any news on the engine used?
So like Deus Ex.With third person for some elements, like crawling on walls and such.
And, I imagine, dancing.
I can get behind that.
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I have to say, Redemption does have some solid writing and the characters are all really interesting. If you're gonna give it a shot, check out the Age of Redemption mod which fixes a ton of bugs and makes the game way better to play through.
https://e-mods.net/
Just reinstalled Bloodlines. It's been way too long since I've played it. I've forgotten so much.
Man, what I would do to play Bloodlines like I'd forgotten it...
oh man is it time for a group Bloodlines replay?????
Also this is a DIRECT sequel to Bloodlines, right? So did Gahenna not take? Or did it Take but only for a few? Is this nWoD or oWoD or just kinda similar or its own thing? Man i'm excited to find out
Also this is a DIRECT sequel to Bloodlines, right? So did Gahenna not take? Or did it Take but only for a few? Is this nWoD or oWoD or just kinda similar or its own thing? Man i'm excited to find out
Yup, direct sequel! They mentioned that in the interviews, and that events from the original still resonate in the sequel.
And I know, right?! No Gehenna! How the hell did that happen? It's still the Old World of Darkness timeline! Must've been some big damn vampire heroes.
The only disappointing bit is that you'll be a thinblood. Correct me if I'm wrong but thinbloods are pathetically weak and don't have many powers right? I hope they're not skimping on vampire abilities here. Everything else sounds great and I'm hyped as hell still, but I'm going to wait to see some actual gameplay before I think about preordering.
It's a video game. I'm guessing you won't be a thinblood the whole time. Eventually you'll be pledging your allegiance to the graveyard smash.
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I guess you start off as a caitiff, and they can eventually be taken in if they have a sponsor from another clan, IIRC. So you must be given a choice by a variety of characters who have an interest in your survival.
You only start as a Thinblood, the set-up is you are a fresh vampire and get involved in a fire bombing before any alliances or growth could be formed. They've confirmed there will be two character customization moments in the game, the one at the start for your "human" self, and then a bit later into the game you'll be able to form what class of "vampire" self you are, but be able to make an informed decision based on your time at the start as a thinblood.
So you won't be a thinblood the whole game, you'll just be starting in the weakest possible state and gain power over time, including a bit after the opening stuff choosing the type of vampire you are.
I just woke up and I'M FREAKING THE FUCK OUT I can't believe it's happening it's been so long?????
VtMB is one of my favorite games of all time and I don't think there's any tiny bit of content in that game I haven't seen. I have no words. Paradox you beautiful people. ;_;
VtMB is one of my favorite games of all time and I don't think there's any tiny bit of content in that game I haven't seen. I have no words. Paradox you beautiful people. ;_;
If Obsidian was involved, Chris Avellone wouldn't be
I'd rather have Avellone tbh
I'm going to keep my hype locked down because I haven't seen any actual gameplay at all. But damn, this sounds fucking great.
It's infinite hope and maximum hype right now. Hardsuit has got to be at least as nervous as we are.
I've also never heard of Hardsuit Labs either so :/
Bloodlines is absolutely chock full of jank. To an almost devastating degree.
So the fan patch did a lot to make sure the jank didn't crash your game.
Hardsuit Labs is the company formed after Zombie Studios closed. Since opening, they have worked on TONS of games with this being their first big game.
Please be good, please be good.
Bloodlines is one of my favourite RPGs of all time despite the flaws, such fond memories of that game.
Bloodlines is one of my favourite RPGs of all time despite the flaws, such fond memories of that game.