PC Gaming Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2

[Husky_Khan]

Paradox Interactive is planning on releasing a sequel to the 2004 Troika RPG game Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines which despite its own rushed development and deep mostly technical flaws and initial lack of sales, was probably one of the better RPG's out there and in the genre of urban fantasy, probably one of the best games period of that genre.The original game was built off of the source engine and was known for having a pretty impressive scope, wide variety of characters which allowed a great deal of replayability and to me, one of the best standouts of the game was its interaction with various NPC's and the different ways you could deal with quests and characters. Troika Games folded up in 2005 but the fan community supported the game with fan mods and patches which both fixed a lot of the games technical flaws and expanded gameplay as well. Much like games such as Planescape: Torment or Arcanum, Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines was a fairly unique RPG that hasn't really been emulated since.

I honestly didn't even know a sequel was being made, much less by Paradox of all publishers but apparently it is, and coming out this year hopefully (though there have been some delays) what does everyone else think of this upcoming game and its potential?

Personally I wonder if people will still blow me off if I try to blow them off and they aren't the same orientation I am... but on a more serious note I wonder if a modern game will have the same broad scope and replayability that the original had.

 

[Terthna]

I loved the original game, but from some of the things said by developers of the sequel, I'm a bit worried that they're focused more on politics than actually making the game. Expect liberal amounts of Trump-bashing in the narrative at bare minimum, and well as more than two gender options at character creation.

 

[Husky_Khan]

That video certainly brings some ill omens I wasn't aware of.

Well this is tabletop but yeah... Good grief.

Rudi

Rudi is a Gangrel Anarch well known for championing progressive causes. A new player on the Kindred scene, Rudi commands an impressive following as an Anarch representative for the oppressed and repressed minorities in vampire society. Though his concerns extend to kine as well, his recent entry...

whitewolf.fandom.com

He has only expanded his concerns; in addition to advocating for fellow mortal minorities, he now champions Gangrel kept out of havens and feeding grounds by sprawl, stands up for female Kindred in cities run by traditionally misogynistic elders, and encourages the adoption of progressive norms over tradition wherever possible. Some might think Rudi’s combination of practicing Islam and unabashed queerness contradictory, but few challenge the “Bear Gangrel” with this notion.

Well I'll still be hopeful that it's not too woke. I'll have to keep an eye on it though. Trust but verify.

 

[S'task]

I'm honestly not sure what people expected? Vampire the Masquerade and all the rest of White Wolf's products have always been very progressive in their content. The entire line of games has always been heavily founded in transgressing societal norms and relativist thinking. Werewolf was founded in the Gaia theory of environmentalism, Mage founded in subjectivity and the rejection of "consensus reality", and Vampire was always built around the idea of transgressing and being above societal norms.

It's always been the SJW domain, even in the 90s before we had a term for it.

 

[almostinsane]

Yeah, but in Vampire, you are explicitly a monster who struggles against the beast within at best. They better keep it that way. God, vampires should not really care about minorities more than they need to in order to exploit them.

 

[LifeisTiresome]

I'm honestly not sure what people expected? Vampire the Masquerade and all the rest of White Wolf's products have always been very progressive in their content. The entire line of games has always been heavily founded in transgressing societal norms and relativist thinking. Werewolf was founded in the Gaia theory of environmentalism, Mage founded in subjectivity and the rejection of "consensus reality", and Vampire was always built around the idea of transgressing and being above societal norms.

It's always been the SJW domain, even in the 90s before we had a term for it.

True and there should be politics in VTM but I want vampire politics not whining about Trump. That shit is tiresome at this point. Plus, Rudi is cringe.

 

[almostinsane]

True and there should be politics in VTM but I want vampire politics not whining about Trump. That shit is tiresome at this point. Plus, Rudi is cringe.

If immortal bloodsucking creatures care about the President, that defeats the purpose of the genre.

 

[Hlaalu Agent]

I'm honestly not sure what people expected? Vampire the Masquerade and all the rest of White Wolf's products have always been very progressive in their content. The entire line of games has always been heavily founded in transgressing societal norms and relativist thinking. Werewolf was founded in the Gaia theory of environmentalism, Mage founded in subjectivity and the rejection of "consensus reality", and Vampire was always built around the idea of transgressing and being above societal norms.

It's always been the SJW domain, even in the 90s before we had a term for it.

Which is probably why many people support the Technocracy, even though they are antithetical to their own beliefs- the mages are just that much worse to them.

 

[Terthna]

I'm honestly not sure what people expected? Vampire the Masquerade and all the rest of White Wolf's products have always been very progressive in their content. The entire line of games has always been heavily founded in transgressing societal norms and relativist thinking. Werewolf was founded in the Gaia theory of environmentalism, Mage founded in subjectivity and the rejection of "consensus reality", and Vampire was always built around the idea of transgressing and being above societal norms.

It's always been the SJW domain, even in the 90s before we had a term for it.

That's the thing; they've always been progressive, not regressive, which is what the modern left has become. There's a line that has since been crossed, and there are old fans of Vampire the Masquerade (like myself) that have been left behind.

 

[Husky_Khan]

There's been some developments in regards to the game... but it's all staff updates and it doesn't look like the staff breakups were under amicable circumstances.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 loses narrative lead and creative director

Both the lead narrative designer and creative director for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 have been fired by developer Hardsuit Labs and publisher Paradox Interactive.

www.trueachievements.com

Also the game won't be released until 2021 at the earliest.

 

[almostinsane]

There's been some developments in regards to the game... but it's all staff updates and it doesn't look like the staff breakups were under amicable circumstances.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 loses narrative lead and creative director

Both the lead narrative designer and creative director for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 have been fired by developer Hardsuit Labs and publisher Paradox Interactive.

www.trueachievements.com

Also the game won't be released until 2021 at the earliest.

Well, it sounds like the game is going to be disappointing. High level firings like that are hard to recover from.

 

[Terthna]

Well, it sounds like the game is going to be disappointing. High level firings like that are hard to recover from.

What's worse is that apparently there's no explanation for why either person was fired. Considering the fact that both were in charge of the narrative of the game, I would not be surprised if the two were fired so upper management could make significant changes to the game that they would have otherwise tried to block. Whether this is a good or bad thing, only time will tell; it's entirely possible that the changes they want to make are about removing some of the more blatant pro-regressive left content from the game, seeing as it won't be released before the 2020 election anymore.

Perhaps the people in charge over there have noticed which way the wind is blowing, and they've decided they're not interested in going woke, and ending up broke.

 

[ParadiseLost]

What's worse is that apparently there's no explanation for why either person was fired. Considering the fact that both were in charge of the narrative of the game, I would not be surprised if the two were fired so upper management could make significant changes to the game that they would have otherwise tried to block. Whether this is a good or bad thing, only time will tell; it's entirely possible that the changes they want to make are about removing some of the more blatant pro-regressive left content from the game, seeing as it won't be released before the 2020 election anymore.

Perhaps the people in charge over there have noticed which way the wind is blowing, and they've decided they're not interested in going woke, and ending up broke.

rolls eyes

More than likely its simply a mess because Paradox has never made a game like this before and has no experience doing it. Paradox develops low budget complex strategy games with tons of DLC that they can sell at a high price because its such a niche that they have the entire market to themselves.

A game like Vampire: The Masquerade 2 is way out of their normal MO, I would not be surprised if they botch it.

 

[Abhorsen]

More than likely its simply a mess because Paradox has never made a game like this before and has no experience doing it. Paradox develops low budget complex strategy games with tons of DLC that they can sell at a high price because its such a niche that they have the entire market to themselves.

In fairness, the strategy games are damn good. I'm a big fan myself, though they cost an arm and a leg.

 

[Culsu]

Paradox is the publisher, not the developer. And for grand narrative changes even pushing it back to 2021 isn't really enough. It`s more likely they got milked for all they got and then kicked out when their input was no longer wanted or needed.

 

[ParadiseLost]

Paradox is the publisher, not the developer. And for grand narrative changes even pushing it back to 2021 isn't really enough. It`s more likely they got milked for all they got and then kicked out when their input was no longer wanted or needed.

Paradox owns the IP and Hardsuit is a tiny studio, I guarantee Paradox is exercising a great deal of control over the game's creation.

 

[GoldRanger]

I loved the original game, but from some of the things said by developers of the sequel, I'm a bit worried that they're focused more on politics than actually making the game. Expect liberal amounts of Trump-bashing in the narrative at bare minimum, and well as more than two gender options at character creation.

I don't particularly mind the option to play as non-binary or choosing pronouns (I won't used these options anyway personally, I'll play "cis male" like I always do, but if people want them then great, no problem with that whatsoever). But things like Trump bashing or other woke narratives (maybe the Ventrue as the white oppressors and the Brujah as black heroes violently opposing them, drooling over communism etc) then I won't be able to enjoy it, for sure.

This game is in development hell anyway and is more than likely to come out trash.

 

[GoldRanger]

True and there should be politics in VTM but I want vampire politics not whining about Trump. That shit is tiresome at this point. Plus, Rudi is cringe.

"Politics in VtM" means the Camarilla trying to manipulate the Anarchs, Primogens plotting against each other and against the Prince etc. Not real world shit.

 

[Navarro]

Which is probably why many people support the Technocracy, even though they are antithetical to their own beliefs- the mages are just that much worse to them.

So many that they bowed to the pressure and made them PCs ...

 

[GoldRanger]

I'm honestly not sure what people expected? Vampire the Masquerade and all the rest of White Wolf's products have always been very progressive in their content. The entire line of games has always been heavily founded in transgressing societal norms and relativist thinking. Werewolf was founded in the Gaia theory of environmentalism, Mage founded in subjectivity and the rejection of "consensus reality", and Vampire was always built around the idea of transgressing and being above societal norms.

It's always been the SJW domain, even in the 90s before we had a term for it.

Oh that's nonsense and you know it. Those are just flavors for the settings in question rather than meaningful statements that are supposed to be taken as serious philosophy. The Dresden Files series has angels, demons, fallen angels, holy warriors that wield magical swords with nails from the actual cross embedded into them. Does that mean the Dresden Files is a Christian book series that advocates Christianity? No, it's just a fun background flavor for blowing shit up. Just like consensual reality or warriors of mother nature and crap like that.