Revisiting VtM: Bloodlines

[pippin]

I think they told him to do his best angry german cartoony voice. In Chinatown there's like asian cartoons everywhere though...

 

[makiavelli747]

but damn did they do a lot of work on the dialog. I had remembered that it was just your lines that were written wackily, but there's a ton of reactivity to it

there is some reactivity, but in general malk's dialogs doesn't make any difference

 

[Multidirectional]

How much does Humanity effect dialog in general? I've always kept it high since it seemed the right thing, and assumed that low humanity would just lock out quests or dialog.

I did the lowest possible Humanity run (non Malkavian) once and dialogues changed A LOT. I had a lot of laughs out of how much of an asshole you become. It gets to the point where game doesn't even allow you to be nice to people anymore.

 

[makiavelli747]

It gets to the point where game doesn't even allow you to be nice to people anymore.

just in a few lines, low humanity changes very little, 90% of persuasion skill checks you can pass with low humanity

 

[Multidirectional]

just in a few lines, low humanity changes very little, 90% of persuasion skill checks you can pass with low humanity

Ok I didn't check that since I didn't make that character persuasive, didn't seem right when playing a complete asshole so I picked intimidation despite it being a lot less useful. But I don't recall it being "just the few lines", as I remember my characters personality (available dialogue options) pretty much changed completely. Maybe bad memory though.

 

[makiavelli747]

But I don't recall it being "just the few lines", as I remember my characters personality (available dialogue options) pretty much changed completely. Maybe bad memory though.

well, I understand why you got that impression, but I've been doing mods for this game a lot of years and I know pretty much every line and skill check
so you can truss me on that
and by the way, intimidation is not less useful

 

[Old One]

Been playing a bit of the way as a Malk. Probably won't finish as the gameplay and quests are same-same...

You should at least keep playing until you encounter Samantha in Hollywood. Hilarious.

 

[Corporate_Jew_Master]

Both Ocean House and Elizabeth Dane are great missions, only a faggot would criticize them.

Ocean House had the best atmosphere out of any game I can think of bar Thief 1 and 2. It could literally be a game on it's own, it simply stands so well.

 

[Ultra]

I make a lot of screenshots for trolling purposes.

Ah yes, Star Wars reference.

I like how the intro is one long Citizen Kane reference

It's not mindlessly aping cinema though, the game has it's own understanding of visual storytelling.
When LaCroix speaks he's the tallest figure on screen, slightly taller even than his bodyguard and dominates the central focus. This guy is in charge.

Seen from a rivals point of view though things look very different. He's now dwarfed by his hired muscle and it starts to seem like maybe all this authority he's assuming is enforced rather than freely given. Might equals right. And he's no longer center stage but awkwardly to the right and diminished in stature.

Anyway I decided to give the game another go, answered the questionnaire and got what I secretly hoped for: Malkavian. This is my char and I'm going to focus on persuasion, hacking, lockpicking and disciplines.
Also seem to have encountered a bug already. My Auspex doesn't work.

Shouldn't the guy be glowing or something?

 

[Prime Junta]

Wow, Citizen Caine. I had not noticed that. Good catch.

Yes the guy should be glowing. You are using Wesp's patch I hope?

 

[makiavelli747]

it depends on the level of auspex and range

 

[Arcanchosin1]

I'm working on a texture pack for bloodlines its slow going but its fun yet at the same time exhausting, since its really hard to find a visually similar image and i really don't want to stray to far from the original source material. But anyway here's some screenshots started small replacing things like grass floors walls etc still a work in progress I would like some feedback if you guys and gals don't mind.

 

[Prime Junta]

Pictures of just the textures don't help, as it's all in how they mesh together and with the scenes. The screenie with Jeanette looks fine.

Be careful not to overdo it. If nobody notices, then you'll know you've succeeded.

 

[Tacgnol]

Shouldn't the guy be glowing or something?

Does Auspex work on supernaturals at level 1?

 

[Prime Junta]

Shouldn't the guy be glowing or something?

Does Auspex work on supernaturals at level 1?

Yes. The higher levels give longer range, longer duration, and stat bonuses (notably significant for hacking and ranged combat).

 

[Gord]

Last time vanilla is too long ago, but at least with Wesp's patch Auspex lvl 1 has a very close range, hardly 2-3 meters or such.

 

[Prime Junta]

BTW, I can confirm what someone else already suggested here -- if you want to trivialise combat from the start, go with a melee Ventrue (Strength, Melee, Presence, Fortitude). With Presence and Fortitude you're an invincible death-dealer from the get-go. You don't even need unarmed combat for in-combat feeding; Strength and the malus from Presence is enough. Reasonable point cost, ridiculously powerful. (I suspect the few areas with no juicebags will require some resource management, what with the no-rat limitation and all, but blood bags are fairly plentiful and there's the Vile Chalice or whatever that was called too.)

(Dunno if ranged combat + celerity + auspex + end-game guns end up even more powerful though, but it's certainly way easier in the early game.)

 

[Multidirectional]

Early game doesn't have good firearms so naturally melee will be easier at first. Myself I played a melee character couple times and to me it was a lot more annoying than shooting stuff. The fight with Sheriff was especially painful. And I hate the third person perspective. So I just stick to unarmed for first chapter which is easy with any clan with the help of Blood Buff and switch to firearms once I get to Downtown.

 

[Prime Junta]

Early game doesn't have good firearms so naturally melee will be easier at first. Myself I played a melee character couple times and to me it was a lot more annoying than shooting stuff. The fight with Sheriff was especially painful. And I hate the third person perspective. So I just stick to unarmed for first chapter which is easy with any clan with the help of Blood Buff and switch to firearms once I get to Downtown.

That's what I had done before as well. Was just dicking around with a melee Ventrue and it really is ridiculously powerful. Maybe I'll play a bit further, see how the Fun with Pestilence bossfights feel at least.

 

[Western]

I like to go Toreador and max out melee, shooting, celerity, and also throw in a bit of stealth, more melee early game, stabbing people in the back all through the game, and shooting late game, but flipping between all three depending on the circumstances (melee in some small rooms and with certain bosses, like the Gargoyle and the Sheriff before he transforms).

 

[vivec]

Early game combat can be almost totally avoided. So, in fact, the above advice is incorrect. The need for serious investment in combat begins with the warrens. I would just get a Malk, play with Obfuscate while slowly investing in firearms for later. You *will* kick holy backside for sure by the end anyway.

 

[makiavelli747]

Ventrue for melee is a bad choice, a lot of points you will waste.
if you want powerful unarmed or melee fighter, then go with Brujah. after Santa-Monica you can have 7 unnarmed, 6 dodge, 4 celerity and some dex and sneak for dodge bonus while blocking.

high celerity+guns is most powerful combination, and at the same time cheapest

 

[Multidirectional]

Early game combat can be almost totally avoided. So, in fact, the above advice is incorrect. The need for serious investment in combat begins with the warrens. I would just get a Malk, play with Obfuscate while slowly investing in firearms for later. You *will* kick holy backside for sure by the end anyway.

My priority for combat skill with Malk is Dementation. I also take the History option that makes Obfuscate bit more expensive to raise but makes Dementation stronger. The chaos you cause with lv. 5 Dementation is just too funny to pass up and Obfuscate is really powerful at lv 3 already. Though I do try to get Firearms to at least 8 along the way as well.
I don't understand pumping combat skills a lot early game either, those are the parts that seem much more rewarding for diplomacy skills. Santa Monica is really easy. Not for first time players maybe but for experienced ones for sure.

 

[makiavelli747]

Dementation is better for non-combat characters, just like in case with domination and animalism you can pass through the whole game w/o any other combat skill. because it does not make your other combat skills stronger, as combat Malk you should go with auspex+guns or obfuscate+melee

 

[Gord]

Position of the Elizabeth Dane