Vampire: Bloodlines

[Humodour]

Indeed. I'd like to see more like it. It reminds me of Deus Ex in its general well-roundedness.

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Actually I think the story is one of the game's worst aspects. I much more enjoyed some of the side quests than the main story, which to me is saved only by the afforementioned acting and writing - and even that one is not always stellar. And I could certainly pass up on the emo soundtrack. I need to find a way to replace the music in bars with music of my choosing.

 

For all the flaws I dump on Deus Ex's lap, I wish Bloodlines had more of its environmental interactivity. Sure, computer use is much more fluid. Stealth gives more of a hint and isn't broken by selective AI. But the environments are pretty stale for the most part - there's not a whole lot to interact with. You can't blow up doors, break windows and crawl inside... Even something like Half-Life 2 would be nicer.

 

I still enjoy the game very much, however, which is prompting me to write a FAQ/Walkthrough for it. But that's a bit of a mammoth task.

[Pop]

Actually I think the story is one of the game's worst aspects. I much more enjoyed some of the side quests than the main story, which to me is saved only by the afforementioned acting and writing - and even that one is not always stellar. And I could certainly pass up on the emo soundtrack. I need to find a way to replace the music in bars with music of my choosing.

Buh? All the system sound files are mp3s. It's then simply a matter of taking whatever mp3 you want to play, finding the song you want to replace, renaming the wanted song as the song it's replacing, renaming the unwanted song (I usually just add 1 to it) and the game will play the new song as if it was originally meant for the area.

 

Example:

Let's say I am annoyed by the Genitorturers track played in the Anarch bar. I want to replace it with Windowlicker, a ripping Aphex Twin track.

 

I go to Bloodlines' data directory, into the sound subdirectory, into the music subsubdirectory, into the "licensed" folder. There is "Genitorturers - Lecher Bitch.mp3".

 

I go to my Aphex Twin folder, copy "Windowlicker.mp3", and paste it into the licensed folder.

 

I rename "Genitorturers - Lecher Bitch.mp3" to "Genitorturers - Lecher Bitch1.mp3". Adding the 1 to the filename allows the game to pass over it, but allows you to easily revert to default if the song doesn't work (sometimes it doesn't).

 

Then I take "Windowlicker.mp3" and rename it to "Genitorturers - Lecher Bitch.mp3" and, Lord willing, next time I enter the Anarch bar, I will hear Windowlicker.

 

Be aware that sometimes doing this will, instead of play the music, cause the game to crash to desktop. It's not a sometimes thing, if it happens, switch out the song for something else, and that should fix it (unless you're unlucky and get several bad songs in a row) I highly recommend doing it, half the fun of playing Bloodlines for me now is experimenting with the soundtrack. I usually replace the area themes ('cept for Hollywood's, which I love for some unknown reason) with Autechre instrumental soundscapes, and it vastly improves the mood of the game.

 

But dude, if you consider the soundtrack to be emo, I don't think you can be helped I'll hand you Chiasm, maybe Daniel Ash but Ministry? The Genitorturers? They're going for a goth-industrial feel, not emo.

[Maria Caliban]

Please, look at these lyrics. If this isn't emo speak, I don't know what is.

:ninja10:

I am the Lecher bitch and I wear the X of castigation

I am the whore of the extreme

I am the heretic and I crave your excommunication

Look in my eyes

Get a little star struck and a little insane

Tell me your story. Don't worry, I won't care

Cuz I'm the incomparable

Got a mission impossible

Just say that you love me

I said HEY! You're coming all the way

I've got some hell to pay

I'm diggin' all the way

All the way down

I said HEY! I'm coming all the way

I've got some hell to pay

Gonna rip you every way

On the way down again

I am the Lecher Bitch and I call on all who feed on danger

Taste of the whore suffer my seed

Crawl with the heretic and the world outside gets a little bit stranger

Look in my eyes

Wanna little star **** and a little good pain

Tell me your story. Don't worry, I've been there

Crown me your savior

Don't worry I'll be there

I said HEY! You're coming all the way

I've got some hell to pay

I'm diggin' all the way

All the way down

I said HEY! I'm coming all the way

I've got some hell to pay

Gonna rip you every way

On the way down yeah!

Don't belong lording above me

Won't be hard to pull you underground

It won't be long till ya love me

Then I'll be coming at your back

To bring it down

You're coming all the way

I've got some hell to pay

I'm diggin' all the way

All the way down

I said HEY! I'm coming all the way

I've got some hell to pay

Gonna rip you every way

On the way down again

Crossed your heart and still I lied

Stick this needle down inside

Leave you with an open wound

Left to die alone

Like an animal

[Pop]

More aggro than emo. They're equally stunted, but emo is more Bright Eyes and Dashboard Confessional. Saddo stuff.

[Blodhemn]

Actually I think the story is one of the game's worst aspects. I much more enjoyed some of the side quests than the main story, which to me is saved only by the afforementioned acting and writing - and even that one is not always stellar. And I could certainly pass up on the emo soundtrack. I need to find a way to replace the music in bars with music of my choosing.

 

For all the flaws I dump on Deus Ex's lap, I wish Bloodlines had more of its environmental interactivity. Sure, computer use is much more fluid. Stealth gives more of a hint and isn't broken by selective AI. But the environments are pretty stale for the most part - there's not a whole lot to interact with. You can't blow up doors, break windows and crawl inside... Even something like Half-Life 2 would be nicer.

 

I still enjoy the game very much, however, which is prompting me to write a FAQ/Walkthrough for it. But that's a bit of a mammoth task.

The voice acting, writing, setting and humor is what this game is all about. I just wish there were more things that involved the Santa Monica and Hollywood areas.

 

I agree that the main story wasn't so hot and was annoyed that you had to follow the same path until the end before you got much or any say so. I didn't like the combat either. Good that there are so many different ways to kill but to me the only one that really felt polished was the use of vampire powers.

[CoM_Solaufein]

Ministry and The Genitorturers I always considered industrial music.

 

Bloodlines had a good combination of music, graphics, character development, good use of the rule system, etc compared to a lot of games that I play and enjoy. Its story was so-so, not the greatest nor the worst. This game is one I rate as one of my favorites.

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Buh? All the system sound files are mp3s.

 

I know, I checked them previously. But I had the problem you mentioned - some of the *.mp3's just wouldn't work for some reason. Sometimes it didn't play, and there was at least one CTD. Of course, I tried this way before the game was patched. Maybe I'll look into it now.

 

Oh, and the soundtrack isn't all emo, somewhat emoish. I know Ministry is industrial but most of it seems to pander to goths and emo-types. I need to put some Mars Volta, Nine Inch Nails and Dream Theather in there.

[Dark_Raven]

Dream Theater? Hell why not throw in Bon Jovi while you're at it?

 

 

 

I liked the dark humor in the game, reminded me of Fallout.

[Spider]

Oh, and the soundtrack isn't all emo, somewhat emoish. I know Ministry is industrial but most of it seems to pander to goths and emo-types. I need to put some Mars Volta, Nine Inch Nails and Dream Theather in there.

 

Wait, you're saying Ministry panders to the Emo-crowd, but NIN doesn't? Man, one of us has our definition of emo way off base. I mean, much as I love NIN (and I do), the band is definitely more emo to me than Ministry.

 

Not that either of them is particularly emo anyway.

[Diogo Ribeiro]

When I said "most of it" I was talking about the soundtrack of the game, not most of Ministry.

[Spider]

Ah, my bad.

[Diogo Ribeiro]

That's alright, I probably didn't made it clear in the first place.

 

Anyway, I'm working on and off on this sort of guide... I may go somewhere with this.

[Musopticon?]

I'd like to hear how you managed the Mary Elizabeth(that was the ship's name, right?) without anyone seeing you at the coffin scene.

[Dark_Raven]

Obfuscate.

[Musopticon?]

As a Ventrue?

 

I sneaked almost everything in the game as Ventrue, except that particular scene.

[Dark_Raven]

Oh out of luck there. You would have to have high Stealth I would guess. The only time I went out there is if I had a clan that had Obfuscate. If not I would use the computer and hack into the camera controls.

Edited April 15, 2007 by Dark_Raven

[Musopticon?]

Every level before that was built so that it is possible to fool enemies and hide behind boxes and terrain objects and such.

[Spider]

It is possible, just hard. A high stealth is definitely a bonus, but not mandatory. If you get as far as the coffin, you should be able to make it, the key is to go around the coffin and approach it from behind. You only have to get close enough, and on that side there are no guards.

 

I have done it with a low stealth character, but it took patience and a few reloads.

[Maria Caliban]

Obfuscate is so useful. It suffers from the "We don't care if you have Obfuscate 5 and Stealth 10, there's a cutscene coming up where someone talks to you then attacks," mentality.

[Diogo Ribeiro]

I'd like to hear how you managed the Mary Elizabeth(that was the ship's name, right?) without anyone seeing you at the coffin scene.

 

There's a couple of ways:

 

 

When you climb aboard the Elizabeth Dane (go go John Carpenter references!), go talk to the policeman that calls you over. If you have Persuade 4 or any other way of forcing the truth out of the cop (such as Intimidation 4, Domination or Dementation), you can convince him you're the reporter and he'll give you information on what's happening, plus the police report and the password for the computer. When he calls over the other guard ("check out the whale!"), go down the stair and skulk around. Use the thirdperson camera mode to check where the other policeman is. When he starts moving towards the crooked cop, slowly go to where he was, go down the small steps and enter the door to the right. Keep in mind, however, that the policeman will eventually return to this spot. Anyway, go through that door and you'll find yourself in a room with some stairs up and (IIRC) two doors below. One of them is locked; I think its the one to the left. The lock isn't too hard but use Blood Buff if your Security ability or Dexterity attribute are too low. Inside, you'll find the Ship Manifest.

 

Exit, and go up the stairs you just passed by. Go left and open the door, you'll be in the security room. Go to the computer, go to the "control" menu and type the password the crooked cop gave you. When you have admin access, execute the command that deals with cameras (something like "deck cams on"). You'll note the monitor right next to the computer lit up. Use it to cycle through surveillance shots - one of them will be of the sarcophagus. It's too blurry to notice but you'll know you've gotten the right one when you get an XP reward for completing the task.

 

Then just leave the scene. Note that, since the guard went back to its post, you need to exit through the opposite door. Go to the boat and the quest will be done, with extra XP if you killed no one.

 

 

There is another way, but its harder and I'm still trying to find an optimal path through it. It involves using Obfuscate it should be easy in theory, but the cloaking that that Discipline provides is gone when you are in motion so you need some trial and error to know when you should move according to the guard's own movement patterns. Having some ranks in Stealth is also nice, since it will help out when Obfuscate disappears. Unfortunately, you'll need some ranks in Hacking to hack through the computer (that is, unless you metagame some and use the password as if you had been told what it was). All else still applies. If you don't have Hacking or want to try your hand at physically investigating the sarcophagus... Good luck. There are guard patrols, a couple of items scattered around you can throw to distract them, and a crane which controls a container which can be dropped, though I still have to find the best way.

 

[Musopticon?]

Ah, I didn't know about the deck computer. That helps a bunch. Thanks.

 

I actually didn't think there'd be so many ways about it. Shows how devouted the devs were.

 

 

You should definetly write a walkthrough with that much insight.

[Diogo Ribeiro]

I just have fun finding all the ways devs crammed into the game - which are unfortunately less during many side quest and progressively less as the game comes to an end. It's still good in the earlier areas, though. An example is at the Beach House,

when you need to get the Astrolite back.

. I've spent the last 20 minutes there, testing some dialogue skills and stealthy ways to complete the objective. So far, I've discovered that you can:

 

 

To enter the Beach House proper, you can pass the thug at the entrance with Intimidate 3 ("move out of my way"), Persuade 3 ("I'm cool"), Seduction 3 ("You're handsome" - which will freak him out if you try this with male PCs), or wheter by use of Inspection 3 or simply exploring, enter through a broken part of the fence.

 

To get the Astrolite, you can:

 

1) Kill everyone and get the Astrolite (duh!).

2) Buy the Astrolite for 500$ or get it to 300$ with Haggle 3.

3) Tell the chemist you don't have any money but will come back later to pay him - requires Persuade 4 (don't know if this will bite me in the ass later on during the game, need to try that out).

4) As a female PC, I can seduce the chemist and suggest we "work something out" instead of paying for the Astrolite - I think this one either needs a Persuade 4 or Seduction 4 - at which point I'll suck him dry.

5) Kill the lights, which leads to two situations: the chemist will come out of the room and wait until the lights are back on near a window, while a thug who was in the living room will come out of the house to turn the lights back on. There, you can:

5.a) Go to the left, use Lockpick 4 to deal with a door and sneak inside to a room adjacent to the one where the chemist is, ignore him and move into where he was to get the Astrolite.

5.b) Wait for the goon instead, suck him dry or stealth kill him, then sneak into the front of the house, past the entrance and living room, and to the Astrolite.

 

6) I can also blow up a fuel deposit next to the light switch, which will not only draw the thugs attention to the place but will also shatter the kitchen window - an opportunity to jump inside and go for the Astrolite; although this isn't as easy since not all thugs will leave the vicinity and even if they do, they come back quickly to their regular positions, finding me before I'm ready. This is the path I'm trying to sucessfully handle.

 

 

Fun times.

Edited April 15, 2007 by Role-Player

[Diogo Ribeiro]

^I'm still missing some Malkavian (Dementation) and Ventrue (Domination), obviously, but they probably don't differ that much.

[Musopticon?]

Wow, that's some replay value.

 

Too bad my 1st cd is scratched to oblivion.