World of Darkness Vtmb malk run overrated

[jakkis]

Hey codex!

I like Vtmb, played through a couple of times over the years, I like the different cheat code powers of celerity, thaumaturgy, IDDQD(fort+pres on ventrue). But I remember reading here and elsewhere that OMG it's awesome a 2nd time with a malk, completely different experience. Again, I like the malk's powers, wall hack, invis, dementation. But I was very disappointed in the dialogue. Mechanically you get the exact same choices as with any other clan, just put through Google translate into cRaZy and with a different font. If you're lucky you get one comment per npc "oh you're a malk".

Same thing with Nos, though the illusion of being ugly thing has been dispelled a long time ago, everyone knows it's very hard to get a violation. Again in the dialogues one comment and that's it. I like the quests a Nos gets and the hideout though.

What do you think?

 

[Nano]

What do you think?

I think you're kind of retarded.

Merry Christmas, though.

 

[Konjad]

Hey, Drog.

 

[wishbonetail]

Did you speak with a STOP sign?

 

[Fedora Master]

It's Fishmalky but funny.

 

[Semiurge]

I like the different cheat code powers of celerity

From my old playthrough I remember that celerity needed to be upgraded to at least 4 for it to be any fun, or of any use.

everyone knows it's very hard to get a violation

It's Hollyweird. With that many scalpeled freaks walking around you won't stand out. Much. It's the reactions of the NPCs you can talk to that are worthwhile.

Did you speak with a STOP sign?

This requires a relatively low humanity score, afaik. If only I had known that during my malkthrough. I played too conservatively, afraid that getting the cops riled up too often would bug out the game somehow.

 

[Cryomancer]

IDK, only played as Tremere and Lasombra(antitribu mod)

 

[HereticGuy]

From a work and end product perspective, it definetely isn't overrated. Brian Mitsoda crunched all Malkavian dialogues himself, on an already rushed out of the gate game. Compare that to new era of video game dialogues; current day "writers" can't even offer one set of quality dialogue, let alone write something totally different for another race / class.

Mechanically you get the exact same choices as with any other clan

Yeah, and I can't see the reason why Malkavian should have totally different choices. Game already presents you plenty of options for different playthroughs; seduction, intimidate, persuasion, sneaking, lockpicking, hacking, good old shotgun to the face, clan disciplines....

 

[Sordid MCA/Prosper Hybryd]

Think malk/nos actually offer a different experience?​

malk - no.
nos - yes.

 

[Spukrian]

Did you speak with a STOP sign?

This requires a relatively low humanity score, afaik. If only I had known that during my malkthrough. I played too conservatively, afraid that getting the cops riled up too often would bug out the game somehow.

I talked to it with a high humanity score.

 

[Semiurge]

Did you speak with a STOP sign?

This requires a relatively low humanity score, afaik. If only I had known that during my malkthrough. I played too conservatively, afraid that getting the cops riled up too often would bug out the game somehow.

I talked to it with a high humanity score.

What's your definition of high? For example the psychotic dialogue lines (for all clans) won't start appearing until after your humanity has dropped below the halfway point, or so it was with the vanilla version.

 

[Spukrian]

TBH I can't remember exactly what it was but it should've been at least 7.

 

[Jaedar]

The canonical rating for malk run is "Really cool for the first chapter or so, by the end it's dogshit". This rating is correct.

Not to your tastes perhaps, but that's a different problem.

 

[NecroLord]

It certainly does offer a new, altered experience of the game.
Some of the Malkavian dialogue choices are full of predictions and prophetic insights, you just have to see past the gibberish.
The Nosferatu is also unique in that you have an Appearance score of 0(monstruous) and unique interactions with the world and other characters. No chicks for you, buddy. Not in this state...

 

[luj1]

I heard the same thing about Ventrue, being a highborn and all, that you get all these free passes everywhere, but I never saw proof of different gameplay

 

[KainenMorden]

I didn't like the combat system so I played it like a shooter with Brujah

 

[NecroLord]

I heard the same thing about Ventrue, being a highborn and all, that you get all these free passes everywhere, but I never saw proof of different gameplay

LaCroix gives you more cash, I believe.
It happens only once, though.

 

[wishbonetail]

Ventrue are a disappointment. You can't eat bums and rats. Other than that i don't remember much of a difference.

 

[Jaedar]

I heard the same thing about Ventrue, being a highborn and all, that you get all these free passes everywhere, but I never saw proof of different gameplay

Ventrue don't get much iirc, just the domination magicz which can be used in conversation instead of skills occasionally. Can't remember if tremere also gets that though.
Tremere can get a unique house.
Malks get unique dialogue everywhere early on, and insanity magics in dialogue.
Nosferatu get a sewer house, and all the generic npcs will fear you.

Brujah, Gangrel and Toreador get nothing afaik.

 

[Wesp5]

I heard the same thing about Ventrue, being a highborn and all, that you get all these free passes everywhere, but I never saw proof of different gameplay

Ventrue don't get much iirc, just the domination magicz which can be used in conversation instead of skills occasionally. Can't remember if tremere also gets that though.
...
Brujah, Gangrel and Toreador get nothing afaik.

Tremere don't get Dominate in dialogue in the original game which is illogical, so I gave them low level options in the plus patch. Brujah and Toreador don't get anything either, but Presence should work in dialogue too, so I made this happen in the plus patch. Also the stop sign encounter is not connected to Humanity at all...

 

[Nano]

Brujah, Gangrel and Toreador get nothing afaik.

Toreadors have a pretty amusing convo with the Nosferatu guy you meet in the Warrens.

 

[almondblight]

The canonical rating for malk run is "Really cool for the first chapter or so, by the end it's dogshit". This rating is correct.

I mean, that's pretty much the rating for the game in general.

 

[Lambach]

I heard the same thing about Ventrue, being a highborn and all, that you get all these free passes everywhere, but I never saw proof of different gameplay

Certain NPCs talk to you with a little more respect if you're a Ventrue, but I can't remember that this ever manifests in any tangible way, it's just flavor.

The same is largely true for Malks as well, playing one doesn't drastically alter the game, IMO. The NPCs give the same responses to their fucked up dialog options as they do to the "regular" Clans 80-90% of the time, usually right after they make a comment about the Malk's weird way of speaking at the start of the conversation.

Nosferatu are the only Clan that really shakes things up and provides a vastly different experience.

 

[laclongquan]

Very nice 1st post, OP! I heartily acknowledge your agenda~

Malkavians are truly for the storyfags player though~ If you dont like to read dialog, Malks are not that different from others.
Nosferatus are for atmospherefags, and stealthfags player. If you dont like stealth, you wont like NOS, because NOS force you to stealth most of the time, and nonstealth carry penalties. Thus Nosferatus carry unique/innate atmosphere with it.

 

[jakkis]

Thanks for the welcome.

Might need to do another playthrough now that it's been a few years, maybe reading the malk dialogue might be more interesting now that I can't remember the npc's answers anymore so I can LARP better and not break immershun because it's just like with any other clan.

Malk is one of the best sneak chars of all time though? Invisibility+wallhack, good combo. I have nice memories sneak-killing everyone at the chinamen Palace. Well you can't shoot through walls but can see.


And yes, celerity is useless at low levels, many other powers as well, can't move/run with low obfuscate, presence is unnoticeable at low levels whereas high levels are powerful taking all enemies stats to 0 in a large area.

 

[Lambach]

Celerity is already quite helpful as early as level 2. I p. much never even go above level 3, because anything higher than that is basically a cheat code.

Malk is one of the best sneak chars of all time though? Invisibility+wallhack

Obviously both Clans with Obfuscate are the best at sneaking, but Nosferatu are #1. With level 4 Animalism, you can kill while remaining invisible and replenish your Blood Pool at the same time.