I like Vampire Bloodlines but . . .

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 9:28 am

I'm about an hour and a half into it - so at least now I feel a bit more knowledgeable about the game.

For me, it is taking a bit to get used to - I've never had an RPG look so damn good. It looks like a FPS but as Grifman said, plays more like an RPG.

I haven't had too much combat so far...been spending my time wandering around the first city block talking to people and getting XP for small tasks.

Seeing the same 10 models for the street people is rather annoying, but understandable.

So far, so good.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:08 am

I just wanted to drop back in to say I'm enjoying Bloodlines as much as I enjoyed Half Life 2.

Very different games - but still awesome.

Haven't had any bugs or problems to speak of. The pace seems just right - between fighting and exploring.

The conversations with NPCs is hands down the best RPG experience ever. The dialogue options and variation is outstanding.

ChrisGwinn · Post by **ChrisGwinn** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:49 am

I'm enjoying it quite a bit so far, but the lack of visual polish is pretty obvious after playing through HL2.

Troka has said explicitly that they did not finish this months ago and activision was not sitting on it. I can go dig up the quote if you want.

And there's at least one other melee weapon not mentioned in the initial post. I was recently offered a fireman's axe for sale.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 9:13 am

Yeah, visually, it doesn't look as good as HL2 - but it *is* easily the best looking RPG to date, right?

My current weapon of choice IS the fire axe. But I use it for fire fighting purposes. Only a homicidal maniac would use a fire axe as a weapon.

Massena · Post by **Massena** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 1:29 pm

I wish the performance was better. HL2 never gave me the stutters like this baby. When the game stutters so bad that you enter fights differently because of it...

On the plus side, in addition to your initial grouping of knives, batons, tire irons, baseball bats, and dismembered arms, you can get a pretty nice selection of melee weapons. Katana's (including a very nice one), the aformentioned madman's axe, and various tree maintainence tools.

Playing through a second time as a Malk. I'm crazier than anything living and free has a right to be. And everyone around me knows it. Very amusing.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 1:35 pm

Massena wrote: Playing through a second time as a Malk. I'm crazier than anything living and free has a right to be. And everyone around me knows it. Very amusing.

I can definately sense the game would be different if my clan was different.

I can't imagine how hard the game must be if you're a Nosferatu.

I haven't seen any combat related stuttering issues. I lowered the shadows to simple and am playing at 1024 X 768. It seems to have the same sound stutter that HL2 had before they patched it...so there is hope.

As I said, thus far - damn amazing game.

Eduardo X · Post by **Eduardo X** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 2:12 pm

I think this game would be considered one of the best ever if it weren't for the bugs and seemingly rushed ending.
I never felt like I was really playing a role the way I feel I am in this game. It just reeks of atmosphere!

Yapette · Post by **Yapette** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 3:03 pm

Eduardo X, I feel the same way.

As a fairly new crpg player, my initial problem was deciding on a clan. Inexperience means I always strategize & make choices as I might do as RL "me" (admittedly not rational when in a D&D world).

Finally decided to go with Toreador & she fits me perfectly.....I *am* that newbie vampire learning about her surroundings.

For me, only other game that created the same feeling was Myst IV: Revelation until the palsied hand/timed puzzle parts catching the "crocodile" & moving the chair sliders. Than I felt like

.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 9:15 pm

As a Ventrue, I was actually laughing at my computer screen tonight.

While in a bar, trying to pick up a woman (SEE: Suck her blood), I was given this line:

"I find the most erotic part of a woman's body is the boobies."

Totally random and out of place. Funny stuff. Still hooked.

Mr. Sparkle · Post by **Mr. Sparkle** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 9:32 pm

I put it down when I went home for Turkey Day (forcibly - I played up to the last second before I went to he airport), and for whatever reason, didn't pick it back up again until tonight... with my Nossie who is in the "endgame", I've lost a bit of interest... I do want to see the ending for the path I chose, but the boss fights at this stage are a bit discouraging... no money, and no blood packs, and not a lot of patence for repeated reloads... I'll finish it off eventually, but I think I need to put this guy to bed for a while.

However I am very keen on restarting and seeing how the other Kindred live... I'm torn between a crazy Malk chick, a Ventrue ladies man, or a whoop ass Gangrel... they all seem like they play so vastly different from my current character, that I'm definately intriuged to give it another go... probably all three to some extent.

knob · Post by **knob** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:15 pm

Mr. Sparkle wrote:However I am very keen on restarting and seeing how the other Kindred live... I'm torn between a crazy Malk chick, a Ventrue ladies man, or a whoop ass Gangrel... they all seem like they play so vastly different from my current character, that I'm definately intriuged to give it another go... probably all three to some extent.

Malkavian lesbian love is the best.

noun · Post by **noun** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:30 pm

However I am very keen on restarting and seeing how the other Kindred live... I'm torn between a crazy Malk chick, a Ventrue ladies man, or a whoop ass Gangrel... they all seem like they play so vastly different from my current character, that I'm definately intriuged to give it another go... probably all three to some extent.

Unfortunately, unlike choosing different conversation paths and character types in Fallout, the game experience in Vampire is pretty much identical no matter what type of Vampire you play. The only difference is the type of Discipline you use to kill hordes of enemies.

Incendiary Lemon · Post by **Incendiary Lemon** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:55 pm

Its worthwhile to go back as a Malkavian, they have a fair bit of unique content. Combat heavy is also quite satisfying. Given I played the entire game in a low crouch coming back with a gangrel was a delight, nothing took more than a hit with my claws.

moss_icon · Post by **moss_icon** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 8:14 am

Smoove_B wrote:"I find the most erotic part of a woman's body is the boobies."

Totally random and out of place. Funny stuff. Still hooked.

'borrowed' from futurama, no doubt!

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 9:11 am

moss_icon wrote:
Smoove_B wrote:"I find the most erotic part of a woman's body is the boobies."

Totally random and out of place. Funny stuff. Still hooked.
'borrowed' from futurama, no doubt!

There's a lot of cross references in this game - they even poke fun at computer gamers and game design. The humor is really similar to Fallout in that sense.

Mr. Sparkle · Post by **Mr. Sparkle** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 6:45 pm

Gotta say, replaying as a "conversation" based Malkavian has been a blast... first off, her crazy talk is GOLD... well written Troika guys... I can think of several times when I laughed out loud reading her responses... and the dementia solutions to quests are realy really good... MUST EAT SALMON.... heheheheh... it's clear that I wasted points making her persuasive and seductive, as well as crazy... there were only a couple of times that I needed to use persuasion instead of "crazy talk".... but it's nice to see so many pretty colors in the dialogue screen...

And being able to make enemies kill themselves without breaking stealth is just about the greatest problem solver ever.

Love it.

Head · Post by **Head** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 1:03 pm

I'm having a blast with Bloodlines, even with it's performance bugs. Only one crash to desktop in over 30 hours of game play. I can't believe I played last night until 2 AM (I needed to be up at 6 AM for work). Going through the old sewers late last night looking for the Nosferatu Clan, creeped me totally out with it's atmosphere. hehe, I was too scared to save my Vampire in the sewers and leave him there for the night -- I had to finish the quest and get him top side, where it's safe. I can't believe I thought like that.

~Head

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 1:17 pm

Hey Head - I think we're in the same spot in the game. And yes, crawling through the Warrens was creepy. Especially meeting Gary.

I'm still impressed with all the characters, their models and dialogue.

I did see some bugs last night - people weren't facing me during my discussions with them in the warrens, but certainly nothing that would stop me from playing.

I really think people are misssing out on one of the best computer RPGs of the last five years.

Eduardo X · Post by **Eduardo X** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 1:31 pm

Head wrote:I'm having a blast with Bloodlines, even with it's performance bugs. Only one crash to desktop in over 30 hours of game play. I can't believe I played last night until 2 AM (I needed to be up at 6 AM for work). Going through the old sewers late last night looking for the Nosferatu Clan, creeped me totally out with it's atmosphere. hehe, I was too scared to save my Vampire in the sewers and leave him there for the night -- I had to finish the quest and get him top side, where it's safe. I can't believe I thought like that.

~Head

I did the same thing last night.
Those two arms for legs vampire creation thingees always make me jump. In fact, I think that is one of the first times I've actually jumped in a game since some crappy old Sierra game called The Prophecy that I played when I was 12 or 13.
The combat was so hard down there, and it was a bit annoying, but MAN do I love this game.

UsulofDoom · Post by **UsulofDoom** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 4:17 pm

I'm loving it too. Up to 3am and 2am past couple of nights. Need sleep.
I did try the patch and don't see to many bugs. Did any one ask the women on the beach if they will win or loose ? She said "It does not matter if you win or loose, only that you brought the game." So true!

Head · Post by **Head** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 4:46 pm

Yup Smoove_B, we're at the same spot. I too had a female Nosferatu face my left when talking to me. Eduardo, those abominations were very fast. Scared the crap outa me! -- and I'm a vampire! I do kinda wish your vampire character had a voice during dialogue and dialogue cut scenes like in the Gothic games. I think VtM:Redemption had the dialogue cut scenes...can't remember. But I sure can't stay up until 2 AM tonight... I better not!

Oh yeah -- the fist fight with the werewolf was da bomb!

~Head

ChrisGwinn · Post by **ChrisGwinn** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 5:17 pm

Anyone else hang out in the convenience store, listening to the stoner looking for munchies? "Have you ever, like, thought that maybe we're all characters in, like, a big videogame? Deep, man" or something similiar.

Head · Post by **Head** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 12:14 pm

Got to Chinatown last night. Boy, does that remind me of the Hong Kong level in Deus Ex. Still enjoying the heck out of Bloodlines. I'm already thinking about playing a second time as a Gangrel. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm finding myself attracted to Miss Velvet Valour.

Is that wrong? I that frowned upon here?

~Head

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 12:42 pm

Head wrote: I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm finding myself attracted to Miss Velvet Valour. Is that wrong? I that frowned upon here?

Not at all. Jeanette has earned a spot in my spank bank.

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 12:44 pm

This will be my next game after I finish Half-Life 2. Maybe they will have it patched by then (yeah, right). Or, at least any workarounds for show-stopping bugs should all be out by now.

Head · Post by **Head** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 1:30 pm

Smoove_B wrote:
Head wrote: I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm finding myself attracted to Miss Velvet Valour. Is that wrong? I that frowned upon here?
Not at all. Jeanette has earned a spot in my spank bank.

I feel a little better now. I wonder how many TROIKA employees felt that they needed to go to strip bars on company time for...research.

Huw the Poo · Post by **Huw the Poo** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 4:10 am

Jeanette is possibly the sexiest character in a game yet. And apparently she still likes to do the dirty even though she's a vampire. What a gal!

knob · Post by **knob** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 4:35 am

Yes. I'm hoping for some hot lesbian love between my female Malkavian and Jeanette. However, I think I'll be disappointed. But I haven't gotten that far into the game yet.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 9:12 am

Valael wrote:However, I think I'll be disappointed. But I haven't gotten that far into the game yet.

Wait until you get to Hollywood. While I cannot promise girl on girl action, you will appreciate the SOURCE engine's ability to create an impressive jiggle.

Mr. Sparkle · Post by **Mr. Sparkle** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 9:19 am

Smoove_B wrote:
Valael wrote:However, I think I'll be disappointed. But I haven't gotten that far into the game yet.

Wait until you get to Hollywood. While I cannot promise girl on girl action, you will appreciate the SOURCE engine's ability to create an impressive jiggle.

Mmmmm... physics...

noun · Post by **noun** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 11:12 am

I'm really curious to hear what you guys think of the final hours of the game. I was with you all the way on this being one of the best RPGs ever - until the final part of the game.

Two Sheds · Post by **Two Sheds** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 11:52 am

I'm going to have to agree with you there, noun. While they were by no means bad, the last parts of the game didn't impress me as much as the rest. It got pretty combat-heavy, but that wasn't a big deal and I had fun raising hell with my Tremere. The boss fights, though . . . I'm not a big fan of boss fights.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 11:56 am

I'm just starting Chinatown now...and my biggest complaint of the game so far is that there have been parts where my smooth-talking Ventrue needed to have some SERIOUS combat skills.

I wouldn't mind if they were optional missions (like having a high sneak skill for the optional web server Nosferatu quests), but it seems like no matter what your character needs to be good at hand to hand or guns at some point.

Mr. Sparkle · Post by **Mr. Sparkle** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 12:04 pm

Smoove_B wrote:I'm just starting Chinatown now...and my biggest complaint of the game so far is that there have been parts where my smooth-talking Ventrue needed to have some SERIOUS combat skills.

It gets worse in that regard. It's basically one big rumble after China Town, and I would say that it detracts from the game a bit. I'm not sure what they could have done, to keep that from being the case... but it certainly pales in comparison to the first 3/4's of the game, as far as writing and RPG options go.

Terrified · Post by **Terrified** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 12:51 pm

Smoove_B wrote:And yes, crawling through the Warrens was creepy. Especially meeting Gary.

Why so nervous, boss?

I can see that... but since I was playing through as a Nos, coming to the warrens was like coming home. I remember talking with the Nos and thinking "At last, these are my people."

Two Sheds · Post by **Two Sheds** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 1:39 pm

it seems like no matter what your character needs to be good at hand to hand or guns at some point.

This kind of irked me at first, since I tried to rely as much as I could on intimidation and smooth-talking with my Tremere. When I had to kill, I did it quickly and quietly. So at first I didn't like the fact that I was forced into big shootouts and brawls in the later parts of the game, but then I realized that, hey, it's a dangerous world out there and sometimes you can't avoid a fight. Sooner or later you're just going to have to quit talking and start kicking ass.

Head · Post by **Head** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 2:33 pm

Terrified wrote:
Smoove_B wrote:And yes, crawling through the Warrens was creepy. Especially meeting Gary.
Why so nervous, boss?

I can see that... but since I was playing through as a Nos, coming to the warrens was like coming home. I remember talking with the Nos and thinking "At last, these are my people."

So you travel the sewers all the time and avoid being seen.... How do you get in the clubs?

noun · Post by **noun** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 4:29 pm

It gets worse in that regard. It's basically one big rumble after China Town, and I would say that it detracts from the game a bit. I'm not sure what they could have done, to keep that from being the case... but it certainly pales in comparison to the first 3/4's of the game, as far as writing and RPG options go.

Totally agree, but I REALLY wish Troika took the time to craft a non-violent endgame. If they managed to pull that off, then this really could have been a top 10 best RPG ever (post patch, of course).

Chesspieceface · Post by **Chesspieceface** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 5:51 pm

ChrisGwinn wrote:Anyone else hang out in the convenience store, listening to the stoner looking for munchies? "Have you ever, like, thought that maybe we're all characters in, like, a big videogame? Deep, man" or something similiar.

pizznachos.

Terrified · Post by **Terrified** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 6:19 pm

Head wrote:So you travel the sewers all the time and avoid being seen.... How do you get in the clubs?

I wound up with a Nos after answering those questions at the start of the game. I knew it would be hard, but I figured why not. And I'm finding out that the Nos actually has a lot of RPG material that's unique. I think I could safely replay the game with another clan now and it would feel quite different. Although being able to just stroll down the streets is going to make it just so easy early on...

But to answer the question, early on I had to be very careful. I had stealth and I spent a lot of time crouched and slowly moving to doors so I wouldn't be spotted. (Later on, I bought up Obfuscate, so I could run down the middle of the street and no one would see me which made things so much faster.) So early on, getting to the club would often be a wait until the door was clear, then a mad dash to get inside before I was spotted.

But once you are in the club, there's no danger of breaking the masquerade. Most club-goers will have conversations like "Uhh, dude, I know body mods are in, but there's gotta be a point you stop..." So as a Nos, you can freely do in clubs what everyone else does in clubs.

And there are some great benefits to being a Nos. At one point I went to see the Prince and he said "Good job getting inside past that ambush in the lobby". I was just like "Uhh, lobby? I came in through the sewers man..."