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[Guest GroinOfDespair]

I like the Nosferatu because they do not hide that they are monsters.

[Child of Flame]

They are wack!

 

 

I like how bloodlines had penalties for being spotted as Nosferatu and I think Gangrels (but less extreme).  ALthough yet again another idea that wasn't enforced enough IMO (like influence).  I imagine in an attempt to make the game not get TOO hard.

 

It is cool talking to people as the Nosferatu, and seeing their horrified reactions....if you can get them to stand still enough to talk to that is

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I like the response from the Bail Bondsman.

 

"Why would you wanna do something like that to yourself?!!"

 

Me: "Doesn't this make me unique?"*

 

 

*This is in all probability not word for word, as it's been forever since my last playthrough of Bloodlines, but there's other references to Body Mods too. :D

[EnderAndrew]

In a proper role-playing environment, I really enjoy Gangrels because unlike most clans, you are allowed to be unique. Most clans carry stereotypes and clan politics, while Gangrels are loners and survivors. They are taleswappers and travellers, but your clanmates aren't looking over your shoulder telling you what to do.

 

The WoD is an oppressive setting, and the Camarilla is a dangerous place of political intrigue. Gangrels are given a wide berth, and they are quite combat capable to boot.

[Child of Flame]

Gangrels were one of the worst clans to play as in Bloodlines IMHO. Not many customized lines, and while the female model looked pretty cool, their vamp attributes weren't all that useful in the Game World.

[Guest GroinOfDespair]

Is it true you can't play Sabbat clans?

 

Disney-fied games call themselves a representation of the World of Darkness?

 

More like the World of Insufficient Light!

[SteveThaiBinh]

Is it true you can't play Sabbat clans?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is indeed true. The Sabbat are the bad guys.

And the bad guys lose, as they always must.

 

Actually, I think it would have enhanced the game to have the option of siding with the Sabbat, but I got the impression that they didn't have a clear goal or leader, so I guess it's just too complicated to make work.

[EnderAndrew]

The Sabbat have as much of a structure as the Camarilla, but I don't care for them. In fact, I don't care for either group as I hate large group politics.

 

The Sabbat is led by a Regent, who has Cardinals, Priscus, etc. It mirrors the Catholic church.

[alanschu]

The Sabbat grouping in Bloodlines is a little less structured IMO.

 

Perhaps a not so organized sect of the clan

 

 

Given that you are initially

spared by the Prince of the Camarilla, and given the relationship of the friends you get in the game, I think that adding an option for the Sabbat

would simply be there for the sake of having an option to join the Sabbat.

 

It certainly would have made the game more complicated to program.

 

As much as I love choices and actual branching storylines, I understand that they do become expensive

[EnderAndrew]

It would be nice to have an option to roleplay your character in a RPG.

 

Two major divergent paths are almost becomming standard in RPGs.

[alanschu]

Usually those divergent paths only really come at the end though.

 

Even KOTORs, which I admire for their attempts to provide a different game experience, are for the most part the same game story wise until the end.

[EnderAndrew]

Sad but true.

[alanschu]

The basic plan for my module is to have a series of branching nodes, where the story eventually comes together at certain parts, so that things don't get TOO out of control for me

 

 

That way you can play through various parts of the game in a variety of distinct ways.

 

I'm also planning on getting as much attribute and skill based choices in dialogue, as well as environmental interaction.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

There was a funny piece on the Bioware boards a while ago.

 

It went something like.

 

It's down to the skill of our writers that whether you choose the open palm or the close fist option you still end up at the same point in the game.

[Diogo Ribeiro]

As much as I love choices and actual branching storylines, I understand that they do become expensive

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Not sure if they are as expensive as hiring reputed musicians to make symphonies, historians to create new languages, and hiring voice actors to dub every line of dialogue in the game.

[alanschu]

Well, truly branching storylines would require at least more voice lines, possibly new languages, and maybe even additional musical scores.

[Diogo Ribeiro]

My point is I find designing and creating branching storylines to be more crucial to the game than other artificial elements which I don't really find necessary at all.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

Not sure if they are as expensive as hiring reputed musicians to make symphonies, historians to create new languages, and hiring voice actors to dub every line of dialogue in the game.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Probably not

 

But the more content you add (like entire different areas based on a single choice) the more time it takes and there is always the need to weigh up the benefit of adding something that a lot of people wont even see.

 

Full VO does seem determental to the length of games though at least games like KOTOR (didnt seem to make any difference to FFX or X-2 and the like, although they are more like movie scripts).

[Musopticon?]

I'm proud of which way this thread has gone. Too bad my Bloodlines play cd got scratched. I was going to start as a female Tremere.

[Diogo Ribeiro]

But the more content you add (like entire different areas based on a single choice) the more time it takes and there is always the need to weigh up the benefit of adding something that a lot of people wont even see.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well, that's a given. The trick is to work with what you have and present choices and branching storylines which don't require twelve years of non-interrupt man work. I believe Troika's games had an optimal approach to this - every area presents a set of quests or situations which can be solved in several ways, but not many present such a branching complexity that would be detrimental to the game's development. Most quests are self-contained, and only some have later repercussions. Not only that, there still remains a mostly linear path to the endgame, even if at some point during that path you can 'change sides' or motivations, be it somewhat halfway (Arcanum), or in the very end (Vampire).

 

I'm sure this is expensive and taxing on resources... But honestly, so is full voice acting and other such features, if nor moreso.

[EnderAndrew]

In the pen-and-paper game, and the LARP game, I think the Tremere clan is the only clan that is really unbalanced against the rest. Tremere are twinky.

 

I don't know what they are like in Bloodlines.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

But the more content you add (like entire different areas based on a single choice) the more time it takes and there is always the need to weigh up the benefit of adding something that a lot of people wont even see.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well, that's a given. The trick is to work with what you have and present choices and branching storylines which don't require twelve years of non-interrupt man work. I believe Troika's games had an optimal approach to this - every area presents a set of quests or situations which can be solved in several ways, but not many present such a branching complexity that would be detrimental to the game's development. Most quests are self-contained, and only some have later repercussions. Not only that, there still remains a mostly linear path to the endgame, even if at some point during that path you can 'change sides' or motivations, be it somewhat halfway (Arcanum), or in the very end (Vampire).

 

I'm sure this is expensive and taxing on resources... But honestly, so is full voice acting and other such features, if nor moreso.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm sure I would have enjoyed Bloodlines if it wasnt such a pain in the arse to keep it runing at any sort of speed.

 

Having every chapter as a sort of mini "game" with it's own outcomes and consequences is definately a workable solution.

 

I've started to lean towards partial voice acting. Can't really deny that VO definately adds something to a character, but once you have the voice you dont really need to voice every line. Of course some people just see that as lazy so you cant really win, whatever you do.

[EnderAndrew]

I think the major plot NPCs should have voice acting like Fallout, where as the minor NPCs can be just text. It allows the game to have far more dialogue.

[Musopticon?]

In the pen-and-paper game, and the LARP game, I think the Tremere clan is the only clan that is really unbalanced against the rest.  Tremere are twinky.

 

I don't know what they are like in Bloodlines.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

In Bl they were awesome, but underpowered. Awesome in the regard of how everyone treated them. Witches among monsters. Demonkin. And you got a unique haven too.

[Guest Fishboot]

I've started to lean towards partial voice acting. Can't really deny that VO definately adds something to a character, but once you have the voice you dont really need to voice every line. Of course some people just see that as lazy so you cant really win, whatever you do.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

While I think partial VO has its uses, I can't deny that (well-acted) full VO with subtitles turned off is on another level of magnitude as far as immersion goes. That's not to say that developer resources are best spent on it, though, and the model where minor characters get text and majors get VO is also sound (the only problem is that you know right off the bat which characters are going to be important, which is somewhat artificial).

[Lord Tingeling]

In Bl they were awesome, but underpowered. Awesome in the regard of how everyone treated them. Witches among monsters. Demonkin. And you got a unique haven too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Underpowered? Nah.

 

Blood Magic is a very good tree, and while Tremere generally aren't as powerful as the clans with Celerity, they're still very good.

 

The real gimps in combat are the Nosferatu and Gangrel, I'd say. Protean sux in Bloodlines. :/