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MartianAgitator posted:This sounds like 100% conjecture. You need support these claims: MartianAgitator posted:1. Jack had been planning this for a long time. MartianAgitator posted:2. Lacroix hadn't. MartianAgitator posted:4. Lacroix wouldn't have a ridiculously dark or powerful aura.
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Mar 1, 2015 18:10
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I hadn't thought about this until reading the audio logs in written form (thanks for that, by the way, McD  ), but I think part of what's making it confusing is the writer wanting to make sure all the bases were covered to properly show off Grout (the Malkavians are fan favorites and the Voermans only get into part of that). Like, I think his dementation really is paranoia, they just took some artistic license and had it not properly express itself until he met other vampires. And for the last couple audio logs, he's talking both about LaCroix (the "powerful vampire"; Jack is an Anarch and it's quite possible they never met or didn't often) and Ming-Xiao (the "macabre and formless menace," being a possessed corpse and a shape-shifter), who are both involved in the plot to kill him. Diablerie never actually happens in the game (even if you kill other vampires by feeding on them), so it's an open question if the mechanics even work the same way; but diablerizing someone really does darken your aura. The effects fade depending on how powerful the victim's soul was (there's also a spell to mask it, which is another reason Nobody Trusts Tremeres), but a Malkavian might still be able to still sense it somehow. So even though LaCroix is "young," he may have diablerized one or more of his elders and laid low until the evidence faded, but there was enough suspicion the Camarilla stuck him with a post nobody else wanted. Of course, you have to take any game mechanical inferences with a grain of salt; even if irony does aggravated damage there's no way you're going to seriously wound a Ventrue with a letter opener.  barcoded posted:I figured the Faustian bargain was leaking the location of his lair to the Society of Leopold, perhaps hoping that they wouldn't kill his wife. I never thought of that, but now that you mention it it makes perfect sense; why else would Bach show up, specifically knowing he was there?
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Mar 1, 2015 19:41
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Tehan posted:And IIRC the Malkav 'wires' are running through the Umbral realm of information, so there's leak-through onto the Network that doesn't come from any of the Malkavians. That came out of a Mage book I think, but yeah it's one explanation for why Malkavians will sometimes just know poo poo they have absolutely no reason to.
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Mar 1, 2015 23:07
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Iretep posted:I'm mostly trying to point out that what proof do we have that it wasn't Jack that got rid of Grout? He had as much motivation to do so as Lacroix and a motivation to do it for a longer time than Lacroix. The Faustian deal could even refer to Grout making a deal with Jack to hide until Jacks scheme was done. You're still making this all up. Grout specifically refers to Lacroix wishing him harm. There is no relationship between Jack and Grout. When Grout says he made a Faustian bargain he is talking about the voices in his head. He never, ever even mentions an Anarch. quote:To my understanding the sarcophagus was going to a museum before Jack killed everyone in the boat. The aim of the masacre was to get the attention of camarilla vampires. So Jack had a secret to keep for a longer time than Lacroix did. Yes, the sarcophagus was going to the museum. The aim of the massacre was to kill anyone who witnessed Jack plant the explosives, not to get attention. Just because Jack hijacked the ship before Lacroix could get the sarcophagus doesn't mean that Lacroix hadn't planned to get it all along. It could be word of Lacroix's plan to get the sarcophagus was what impelled Jack to rig it in the first place. quote:Was it ever established that anyone thought there was anything intresting inside the sarcophagus before Jack did his thing at the boat? Well, I'm not going back to check now so I'll just say I think when it comes to ancient Mesopotamian vampire archaeology, I'm betting a Ventrue Camarilla Prince would be more clued in than a random Anarch. quote:I'd need to do another run through the game but I think a malkavian MC seems to consider Lacroix a jester prince mostly and I think I remember in the tutorial the MC refers to Jack as having something dark about him? Yeah, if you want this one you can have it. I don't want to be too lovely here but you don't have a leg to stand on. You could be arguing that the cab driver is a sluagh changeling because he never speaks above a growly whisper and has a creepy aura.
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Mar 2, 2015 00:02
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MartianAgitator posted:You're still making this all up. Grout specifically refers to Lacroix wishing him harm. There is no relationship between Jack and Grout. When Grout says he made a Faustian bargain he is talking about the voices in his head. He never, ever even mentions an Anarch. Specifically mentioned? Where? Is there some other source where Grout speaks other than the audio logs? I'm reading the audio logs for a second time now and they don't make it clear if the "powerful vampire" is even from the camerilla. He says he meets him in vampire gatherings, which I'm assuming is the same kind of gathering that happened in the intro, which Jack certainly visits.
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Mar 2, 2015 00:26
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Iretep posted:I'd need to do another run through the game but I think a malkavian MC seems to consider Lacroix a jester prince mostly and I think I remember in the tutorial the MC refers to Jack as having something dark about him? "Jester prince" is just the Malkavian PC being cute about how Lacroix has no real power in the city and isn't a proper Camarilla Prince at all. e: I mean if you wanna think it's cooler go ahead but I'm gonna be boring and say it's just political commentary.
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Mar 2, 2015 00:40
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Iretep posted:Specifically mentioned? Where? Is there some other source where Grout speaks other than the audio logs? I'm reading the audio logs for a second time now and they don't make it clear if the "powerful vampire" is even from the camerilla. He says he meets him in vampire gatherings, which I'm assuming is the same kind of gathering that happened in the intro, which Jack certainly visits. I would say it sounds like Primogen meetings, which Jack wouldn't be at.
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Mar 2, 2015 00:41
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Thesaya posted:I would say it sounds like Primogen meetings, which Jack wouldn't be at. Exactly. There wouldn't really be Anarchs about when the primogen are choosing another member, and it wouldn't be in some lovely run-down theater.
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Mar 2, 2015 00:51
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But now I'm into this "cabbie is a sluagh" theory. He could use Chicanery to make people believe he was a vampire and Wayfare and Soothsay to make sure he was always ready and waiting for the PC.
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Mar 2, 2015 02:05
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Basically the best reasoning against that theory is that this is Vampire, so any crossovers would end up being dumb and weak because OWoD was not consistent that way.
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Mar 2, 2015 04:43
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This might have been explained previously, but what's a sluagh?
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Mar 2, 2015 07:14
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They're one of the factions from Changeling; I just spent twenty minutes working on a post to explain what they are, but I had to explain the backstory of the entire setting for context, and it turned into a confusing mess that should never have been written...just like Changeling.
Ghetto Prince fucked around with this message at 10:27 on Mar 2, 2015 |
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Mar 2, 2015 08:59
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Sluagh are the goth changelings that are always pale, thin, dark-haired, never speak above a whisper and creep people out. The best reason against the cabbie being a sluagh is that there is zero reason for it and it doesn't fit into the established world. But if we are gonna ignore those reasons for Grout theories, let's just go all out. As a serious, non-troll response, just to be creative. Lord knows White Wolf's own canon isn't messed up enough. We can pretend this game is Rasputin.
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Mar 2, 2015 13:00
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 Alright, fuckers, let's do this poo poo. Look, I even got a wacky "gothic" font for the titles like I got "spooky Gothic" and "German Gothic" mixed up like all the other amateurs out there, because it's time to delve into the wonderful world of Bloodlines modding.  Those of you that frequent the Bloodlines thread in Games might have already noticed that I was playing around a bit with the Antitribu Mod and have been marvelling at some of its more questionable design choices. Like many ambitious mod projects involving cult classics, it promises everything, has only a fraction, compounds it with some very strange design choices, and turns the entire thing into a weirdly compelling mess. So, are you sitting comfortably? Let's read from the mod's webpage to see just what we're in for. Main Page posted:The most anticipated expansion and modification of the cult classic "Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines". Adding 7 new clans with over 10 new Disciplines that offer unique experience on every play through. The mod also offers new main quests, maps, and over 100 new characters that make the world feel alive and functioning. and much more[.] "The most anticipated expansion"! Ever, I presume. Well hot drat, that sounds great! Seven new clans! Ten new disciplines! New main quests, maps, and over 100 new characters! Tell me more! About Page posted:Added over seven new clans each with completely new character models and unique traits. Each clan also comes with a signature Discipline, all of which are completely unique and special with new mechanics unknown to the game such as summoning Zombies and Shadow Tentacles, turning into an actual Cobra that spits venomous acid or a true horrid form which only nightmares are made of. To get a glimpse of what clans are included see “About the Clans“. We will be looking at the clans in the first update proper, actually. Don't get too excited about voting - I've already decided on the character I'll be using, and I'll tell you why when we get there. About Page posted:Unique mechanics are also introduced in the mod, such as kicking and blocking with shields which makes combat even more complex and exciting than before. However do note that the enemies have also grown smarter and now have new powers and abilities, some of which can be devastating to the inexperienced neonate. They're not loving joking, either. If you come expecting something about as difficult as vanilla Bloodlines, be prepared to get eaten up and spat out. This mod is not afraid to get rough with you, and it didn't set up a safeword either (well, unless you consider "Escape key" one). About Page posted:Another unique mechanics added to the game are the NPC Disciplines. In the original game, some enemies possessed only passive effects and auras, now they have active disciplines. This means that the enemy can cast powerful spells and disciplines that can change the tide of the battle. Yep, a lot of enemies now are capable of spellcasting, and let me tell you, it messes you up. It's another layer of problems you'll be facing in combat, and I say "problem" as in "an in-game problem that adds difficulty", not "a design problem that's just poo poo". Those come in other flavors. About Page posted:Over 600 new friendly and not so friendly characters were added, which vary from humanoids like hunters, vampires, mages and zombies to more complex creatures such as new monster bosses which can be discovered in the game. There is indeed a large variety of new stuff out there for you to be surprised by. If the surprise is positive is left as an exercise for the viewer. Now, here's some choice pieces from the changelog for version 1.0: About Page posted:8 additional “clans” available through companions (brujah, nosferatu, toreador, malkavian, thinbloods, humans, demon hunter and gargoyle) Yes, this mod implements the Companion Mod that was posted earlier in the thread! Now doesn't that make you want to see more of this mod? About Page posted:Additional new gameplay elements: blood loss (does not damage health), kick, player equipment… Player equipment basically boils down to "items you have that give you bonuses and drawbacks and you can drop to lose those bonuses and drawbacks". It's kind of annoying, actually. And yes, there is blood loss in this mod, and it's also a pain in the rear end, especially given that you need your disciplines more than ever. About Page posted:new item system: all books and artifacts completely redesigned and moved. All artifacts have both bonuses and disadvantages, also some can be equipped. Skill Research is also needed to get information about all main items. All added new elements highlighted by Inspection skill so that it is now more necessary than ever. This is really loving important. I didn't play a lot of this mod before deciding to start this, mostly because discovering things along with the thread seems like a really fun time as opposed to trudging through it on my own to find everything, but there were two bosses I played that had important background elements that were crucial to notice, and they were highlighted with Inspection - during a battle, it's very hard to search the room, so everything that can help you notice these things is very helpful. About Page posted:Increased many levels difficulty of game: enemies become smarter, stronger, more flexible, more varied and terrible; also random variables – such as passwords on new computers or the effects of domination … Increased difficulty... yeah, they're not kidding. About Page posted:Replacing many common models such as pedestrians, clubbers, goths, dancers, the waiters, security guards, cops, gang members, etc. So no longer see “clone attack.” Many npc’s have combinational clothing and gear. Many companions have new and / or alternative models and textures (Heather, Yuki, Jeanette…) Also added new models and textures vehicles (some of which are interactive). Note that the characters mentioned for new/alternative models and textures are all female. Just sayin'. This might give us an idea what's in store... oh, who the gently caress am I kidding, we all know what we're in for. About Page posted:Added many new sounds. All disciplines, weapons, new npc’s, all main maps have new sounds and music. All clubs now have different soundtracks playing when you enter the club. There is a lot of licensed music that has been added, particularly to the clubs. It kind of fits, but it just can't beat the original soundtrack. Also, the music at the Last Round is now "King of Kings" by Motörhead, which now has me imagining Triple H and Smiling Jack having a fight, and that's awesome. Well, either Triple H or professional darts player Meryvn King, which is less awesome and more amusing. About Page posted:As the main quest for Sabbat not ready, we disable all sabbat maps and quests. So while we have only 2 new semi-main quests and 4 new maps along side a very a large number of random events and sidequets. So the main thing of the mod isn't done. Then don't loving call it version 1.0 god loving damnit this isn't how versions work! I mean I know we're now in the age of Early Access, forever unfinished games being sold in stores and main parts of the game being gutted for DLC, but the fact remains that if the crucial part of your mod isn't actually finished yet, you can't call yourself a finished product! This is still a beta, damnit! Why did we agree upon this system when people just ignore it anyway? ...well, this is off to a great start. Put some T&A in your mod to titillate highschoolers/teenagers/whatnot and I won't really care because who am I to police what you can do with your spare time and really, I'm the one choosing to play it (though I'm still going to take the piss out of it, but not in a chastising way, more in a "guys, I hate to say it, but if you want me to jerk off to this, you've failed at your job, because this is crap" way), but don't you loving dare use improper version control. This isn't version 1.0.9, it's Alpha 4, since you clearly state it's not feature complete yet. Quote: Mod-DB Page for This Mod posted:Hello and Greetings, Not to mention that you still have the most difficult parts before you, and this mod has been in work since at least 2011 (according to some forum posts on GameFAQs), probably longer. You got your work cut out for you there, lads. Anyway, what else are we going to be in for? About Page posted:The walkthough of all major and some side quests have changed. On all major maps the geometry or the order of walkthrough is changed; added doors, locks, computers, traps, explosions, new logic puzzles or physical objects or other interactive items. Also added some new cut-scenes. I.E. Don't expect to be going through the old quests without getting hosed in some way. Hooray! What else are we in for? About Page posted:Added some adult only content Oh boy. I haven't played that far yet, but I can confirm: There are boobies involved. Bare-rear end titties. Now doesn't that make you want to play this? About Page posted:a reference to the famous products of modern culture (movies, games, etc.) Oh boy. Because what Bloodlines needed was modern pop culture references. About Page posted:a bit of dark humor Oh boy. I find that "dark humor" is one of the things people love to use and claim to be good at, but rarely actually understand, and as a result, it usually goes to poo poo. As a personal sidenote, my personal favorite when it comes to dark humor is the "The Suicide Guy" routine from George Carlin's "Life is Worth Losing" show, particularly the section on the plan of somebody planning to commit suicide, starting about 3 minutes in. I expect we won't be finding anything of that quality in this mod. About Page posted:and respecting application of WoD setting… Oh loving boy. I'm sure our WoD experts are going to have some fun with this. Probably a loving field day. So now that we've established that we're probably going to be heading right into a trainwreck in slow motion, how are we going to be doing this? - The LP will continue in the expected manner, screenshots, round portraits, title cards and all. However, there will be a few alterations: - No boss fight videos. This mod has a lot of boss fight, and while a lot of them are interesting, I'd kill my internet connection attempting to upload videos of all of them. As I'm currently on vacation from university, I can't mooch off their quick connection. However, if there's something I really need to show off in video form or something where a short clip will suffice, I'll still put a video up. I'll try to make the descriptions in the updates more detailed to make up for it. - A lot of things will be skipped. This mostly concerns dialogue from the original game, since we've already seen all of that stuff. - There will be console commands. Probably. As to be expected by a mod this complex, things get kinda messy at times, and noclipping and godmoding might be necessary. I haven't needed it in my short test run, but I expect it to be necessary later. - I will try to highlight the nice parts of the mod, because I have the sneaking suspicion that the bad is going to outweigh the good, but at the same time, it does have this enchanting quality that makes me want to share this with everybody, so it has to be doing something right, right? That should be about it. May God be with us. Or Caine, whatever you prefer. Updates: I - Into The Fire II - Back In Control III - Black Sails At Midnight IV - Endless Nights V - Rise of Evil VI - Hammer Back VII - Smoking Snakes VIII - Dance Through The Danger IX - Despair Syndrome X - Negaposi*Continues XI - Close and Open, Demons and the Dead XII - Let Us Sing of a Hollow Victory XIII - The Price of a Mile XIV - Unhappy Refrain XV - Kill Command TheMcD fucked around with this message at 19:10 on Aug 7, 2015 |
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Mar 3, 2015 00:31
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TheMcD posted:That should be about it. May God be with us. Or Caine, whatever you prefer. 
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Mar 3, 2015 00:50
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Well... this sounds... interesting?
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Mar 3, 2015 01:24
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TheMcD posted:Note that the characters mentioned for new/alternative models and textures are all female. Just sayin'. This might give us an idea what's in store... oh, who the gently caress am I kidding, we all know what we're in for. And Knox! I'm not even asking for or demanding a picture of him, but I'm 100% certain you will include at least a close up image of his characterful new reskin.
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Mar 3, 2015 01:37
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So I take it that the metal chat following The Spirit Never Dies gave you the theme for these chapter titles?
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Mar 3, 2015 02:07
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TheMcD posted:May God be with us. Or Caine, whatever you prefer. IT BEGINS 
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Mar 3, 2015 02:07
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This looks like a ... great modification. No doubt it will approach the game with discretion, sensitivity and respect for the original. Oh, who are we kidding. 
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Mar 3, 2015 02:41
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David Corbett posted:This looks like a ... great modification. No doubt it will approach the game with discretion, sensitivity and respect for the original. Oh, who are we kidding. I can't imagine how it could possibly be otherwise!
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Mar 3, 2015 03:54
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Oh fun. I always like seeing LPs sampling the mod community, and the bigger the trainwreck the better.
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Mar 3, 2015 04:06
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  Alright, no sense beating around the bush, let's get to it. Vampire: Bloodlines, Antitribu Mod, let's do this poo poo.  You know, I love that I haven't even started the game yet, and yet I can already bitch about something. This is the changed loading screen, and it does something special - throughout the loading process, it animates! It shows the cars on the streets moving and looks really neat! So what's bad about it? Well, every time you have a level transition with a loading screen, this thing has to go through its entire animation while it fades the new area into view, which blocks your view until it's completely gone, which takes about two to three seconds. It seems minor, but since it happens every single time you have a level transition, it gets old very fast.  We don't get the option to take a quiz to find our clan. Well, I guess I can't fault them here, that would have probably been a pain in the rear end to do. Anyway, let's have ourselves a clan rundown! Note: I have not yet experimented with all the clans - that will wait until some later point, because it does seem interesting - so I'll just have to quote from the descriptions for most of this. Those of the thread, feel free to join in and share your experiences with different clans! Note: Nagaraja and Old Clan Tzimisce only have female models available. I don't know why. Male ones not done yet? Lasombra   Ingame Description posted:Clan Lasombra consists of social Darwinists, priding themselves on strength, elegance, efficiency and ruthlessness. The Lasombra consider mortals and other Cainites alike to be little more than pawns in the nightly Jyhad. Murder, violence, a lust for blood... Why shun them, ask the Lasombra? Does the lion weep for the lamb? In contrast to the Tzimisce, they do not shun the living, instead tugging at their strings in the hopes of outwitting their hated enemy, the Ventrue. Disciplines: Potence: Works just like in vanilla. Dominate: Has had some changes made.
Gameplay effect: Lasombra cast no reflection, so any reflective surface has a chance of betraying the Lasombra's nature. Followers of Set   Ingame Description posted:A clan of vampires who believe their founder was the Egyptian god Set. Orthodox Setite belief dictates that Set will one day return to rule or consume the world, and devout Setites prepare the way for his resurrection. To this end, the clan remains independent of the Sects of other Kindred, and practice, with great skill, the arts of corruption, deceit and ancient sorcery. Disciplines: Serpentis: "Serpentis is the trademark Discipline of the Followers of Set. It primarily provides shapechanging abilities, though it also encompasses corruption and other characteristics associated with snakes. The Setites consider it a gift of their dark god.
Presence: Works just like in vanilla. Gameplay effect: Penalty to Sneaking and Obfuscate depending on the illumination. Old Clan Tzimisce  Ingame Description posted:Old Clan Tzimisce claim the dubious honour of being the "True Tzimisce", considering the younger practisers of Vicissitude to be apostates and abominations. Few in number and far too choosey of their Childer to indulge in frequent embraces, the remaining members of this bloodlines keep the old ways and study the old magic of their homeland in the hope of returning their blood to its once proud glory. Through whispered pacts with ancient spirits these Cainites can learn Koldunic sorcery and turn it to the most noble of goals... Eradicating their ill-begotten, degenerate pretenders. Disciplines: Koldunic Sorcery: "Old clan Tzimisce uses Koldunic Sorcery. To choose and raise levels use the inventory icon 'Koldunism' or the Koldunic Sorcery Hotkey ('v' by default), to activate scroll to 'Extra Clan Discipline' and use the Power key (right-click by default). Gargoyles use Gargoyle Flight. To activate it scroll to 'Extra Clan Discipline' and use the Power key (right-click by default), to use it press the 'jump' key ('space' by default)" No idea what exactly this means, I'll have to check that out later. Auspex: Works the same as in vanilla. Animalism: Has had some changes made.
Gameplay effect: Tzimisce are very territorial and are weakened by long stays away from their haven. Samedi   Ingame Description posted:The Samedi bloodline may be a branch of Nosferatu, or possibly the result of Giovanni experiments. Nobody is in a hurry to claim these wretches, however. The corpse like Samedi mostly appeared in recent nights around the Caribbean and have the unenvied pleasure of being one of the youngest bloodlines known. Sometimes mistaken for Zombies rather than Vampires, Samedi slough off flesh and decay with every movement. Primarily working for the Camarilla as bodyguards and assassins, the secretive group mostly keep to themselves. Disciplines: Obfuscate: Works just like in vanilla. Necromancy: "'The Bone Path' of Necromancy is concerned mainly with the corpses and the methods by which the souls of the dead can return to the world of mortals. Activation of Necromancy bears the risk of violating the masquerade."
Gameplay effect: Seduction is impossible and their appearance puts the Masquerade at risk. Tzimisce   Ingame Description posted:Even by Vampiric standards the Tzimisce are alien and evil. Their signature discipline of Vicissitude permits them to kneed flesh and bone into new shapes and allows them to indulge in altering mortal and immortal alike as their imagination sees fit, creating works of sexual art or beasts fit only for war. Welcoming of guests and polite to a fault, their cordial nature is belied by the screams of torment and dismay that echo up from their palatial homes in the Carpathian mountains. Disciplines: Auspex: Works just like in vanilla. Animalism: See Old Clan Tzimisce. Vicissitude: "Vicissitude is the unique and horrid ability of Clan Tzimisce, and it is practically unknown to anyone outside the clan. The terrible power permits the Fiends to reshape flesh and bone, even that of other undead.
Gameplay effect: Tzimisce are very territorial and are weakened by long stays away from their haven. Nagaraja  Ingame Description posted:Members of a mysterious bloodlines who are forced to take a pound of flesh for every drop of blood, the Nagaraja are hunted and hates by those few vampires unlucky enough to know of their existence. Scattered and rarer than diamonds, the Nagaraja are the centre of wild rumours and stories involving magicians who command death, Egyptian spirits, mummies and even vampire conspiracies of secret sects and hidden masters. Whatever the truth, their grasp of Necromancy protects the few of them that are ever seen from the claws and fangs of their foes. Disciplines: Auspex: Works just like in vanilla. Nihilistics: "The mysterious gift of the Nagaraja that allows them to penetrate the shroud that separates the living and the dead to channel Oblivion energies. Most of this powers allow the vampire to draw the cold power of Oblivion into the land of the living.
Gameplay effect: To survive, the Nagaraja must constantly consume raw, human flesh. Giovanni   Ingame Description posted:The wealthy Giovanni family is an incestuous pit of henpecking, one-upmanship, diluted genes and organized crime. Family members in the know scramble to impress the elusive family Elders and Dons in the hope of escaping the fate of all mortals. The Giovanni are gathering more than just money and favours each night, however, and their mastery of Necromancy fills the family closets with literal skeletons and ghosts. Rumours persist that the Clan was born of some great, evil act in the past and only survives the modern nights thanks to a truce with the Camarilla, however the Giovanni have taken the world by the throat during the peace and may not be impossible to dislodge. Disciplines: Dominate: See Lasombra. Potence: Works just like in vanilla. Necromancy: See Samedi. Gameplay effect: Due to the bite of a Giovanni being very painful, it is harder to feed for one of them. This means that you need to drain somebody of half their blood supply before you start seeing any benefits from it. Furthermore, something that isn't mentioned ingame - Giovanni are the ones that can use full Dominate in dialogue (and are supposed to be the only ones to be able to do so AFAIK). So, now that we've gone over all the clans, what will we be playing? Well, my mind is already made up - we'll be playing a Giovanni. The main reason of that being that the short run I had previously with this mod seemed to tell me that defense is very important in this mod, and Necromancy has great defensive applications, as we'll eventually see. Furthermore, the ability to use Dominate in dialogue is very useful and seems to have been expanded in this mod, so I want to make use of that as well. Also, we'll be playing a female Giovanni because the male one is just unpleasant to look at. I mean, gently caress, just look at that white hair. Terrible. So with that in mind, here's the character sheet for our main character, the female Giovanni Victoria:  You can see that I went very heavy on Defense - I'm not making the same mistake twice, I'm going right back to tankiest tank that ever tanked. Furthermore, I boosted Necromancy because the first power is just useless compared to the second one, I boosted Inspection a bit because it's actually useful, I boosted Firearms because early game firearms aren't poo poo in this mod, and then I put some points in social stats to round things off.  The intro cutscene goes pretty much exactly the same way...  ...the only difference being the models involved.  BOOM-SHAKA-LAKA AND IT'S THE SAMEDI RIGHT THE gently caress OUTTA NOWHERE. Just look at that stylish motherfucker.  So as you can see, the mod wastes no time introducing its model changes. We move to the execution in the theatre...  Hey, Skelter has a beret now! I don't know why, but he does. Fun drinking game - take a shot whenever I mention something along the lines of "I don't know why" or "because why the gently caress not".  In an interesting twist, VV actually got something proper to go out in in this mod and not an even skimpier outfit! She seems to be rocking some BloodRayne inspired gear here. Hey, I'm not complaining.  The peanut gallery of Anarchs is not pleased with this execution. Note that Damsel lost her beret in her redesign - maybe she gave it to Skelter?  So, LaCroix kills our sire, but not us, waffles around for a while, and plops us out on the street.  The tutorial is pretty much untouched, just with the references to certain clans that no longer exist in the game removed. So, off we go to feed.  Before feeding.  After feeding as much as possible. As you can see, our blood meter is not entirely filled up because of the Giovanni flaw - we're essentially only getting about 40% of the victim's blood pool, with the first 50% being wasted and the last 10% being left as to not kill the guy. All things considered, there's worse flaws to be stuck with.  So here we are at the scene where the Sheriff bitchslaps some Sabbat guys. Note that one of the guys has Jack's head. This will be a recurring thing.  Also note the football pads on this guy. This is an item we will also be able to get. It's pretty annoying. Also note the laser sight from Jack #2's gun.  Even with mods changing all sorts of stuff, some things never change.   Here's some more new Sabbat models. At least this mod does give you a lot of variety in its models, so there's probably always something I can show.  Before feeding.  After feeding. loving wonderful. It's like we inherited the Ventrue's picky taste. However...  ...we can still snack on rats, no problem, and they actually end up being better for us than the bum.  Next, the sneaking tutorial. Now, I could sneak, but gently caress that noise. I'm just going to be Mr. Efficient and cast Command, giving me a nice, big window to just walk by. Note that "CAST DISCIPLINE" thing up top - casting a discipline like this will lock you into place for a bit and play an animation with your hand doing some stuff, then lets you move again and switches your weapon to your fists. This will undoubtedly cause some aggravation in the heat of combat. I can understand the need to change being able to just throw out disciplines on the run without having to concentrate in some way, but the switch to the fists, while necessary given the way they coded this, is going to be a bitch to deal with.  So we get into our first combat, and Potence is doing a great job at dealing damage while my Defense stacking is already paying off - that tiny sliver of lost health was a hit with the tire iron. Well, not the tire iron...  ...because the tire iron is now a water pipe. Because why the gently caress not. Also, what makes this really funny...  ...is that right now, my fists are more lethal than a water pipe because Victoria is apparently really bad at swinging something, at least if that something isn't her fists.  ...can you snap a vampire's neck and have it kill it? That seems wrong, though that's the game's thing, not the mod's.  Now, it's finally time to take our disciplines for a spin. We've already seen Potence and Dominate, but we still need to see Necromancy. In this case, we're going to be using Apprentice's Brooms. Note the mention of it "taking time and ritualized actions" - this means you can't just jump into combat and raise some zombies, then jump back out without taking some hits.  So we go blind ourselves...  ...and some zombies rise up from the ground! Yes, this does not require that corpses are nearby, and thank gently caress it does not, because it would be drat near worthless otherwise.  So, to put it simply, the zombies' job is to draw aggro, and they do an incredible job at it. Unless you shove yourself in the enemy's face, they will wail on those zombies while you shove your water pipe up their rear end, and if you can just repeatedly cast this spell about every 50 seconds, you could keep enemies occupied forever. It's a very nice defensive skill that will save your rear end more than once.  You know, I'm going to have a problem with whether I want to go melee or firearms. On one hand, there are plenty of firearms and they're actually pretty fun to use, on the other hand, there are plenty of melee weapons that are also neat. And between wanting to use melee, firearms, Dominate and Necromancy, I don't think there are enough experience points to make this reasonably possible while not also losing out on something else. I'll have to think of something. We also get a police baton from this guy - nothing special.  And this guy gives us a switchblade knife.  I don't know what happened here. I threw the sardine can into the corner like I always do, the guy walks towards it, I head towards the exit and use Command on him, he then turns around, kicks the door open, walks in, exits again, the door closes and he's right back to his default spot. A second attempt works right, though.  Guns practically useless against vampires? This mod begs to differ, Jack.  This gun in particular is still kind of a peashooter - it takes four shots to drop a regular human, which I think is similar to the vanilla .38 - but the next guns pack more of a punch. Also, this guy drops a golf club for us - we're starting to find some interesting melee weapons.  And that's it for the tutorial. We can already see a lot of the changes as far as weapons, disciplines and models are concerned, but we haven't gotten into the quests, both the unique ones and the modified ones, and that's where the real meat of the game lies, after all.  So, next time, we'll start exploring Santa Monica and meet some familiar faces with a new look!
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Mar 3, 2015 05:01
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Is there a reason everything looks so squished? It looks like you're running a widescreen resolution on fullscreen.
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Mar 3, 2015 05:41
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This mod looks wonderful.
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Mar 3, 2015 10:27
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TheMcD posted:Level 2: Hatch the Viper - Disgorge from your mouth a living, poisonous serpent, formed from blood. This snake will distract and attack enemies. Lasts 30 seconds. Activation violates the Masquerade.
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Mar 3, 2015 10:27
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Poil posted:No poo poo? Bear in mind the game is set in Los Angeles.
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Mar 3, 2015 12:43
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"What, you haven't heard of the live snake binge-and-purge diet? Wow. What's it like to be that far behind the 8-ball of hipness?"
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Mar 3, 2015 12:52
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Bobbin Threadbare posted:Is there a reason everything looks so squished? It looks like you're running a widescreen resolution on fullscreen. It seems like the mod installed the widescreen patch without my knowledge, which seems to squish everything in the standard 4:3 resolutions. I thought something looked off, but just wrote it off as my mind playing tricks on me. I guess I'll switch to max resolution and shrink that down similarly. TheMcD fucked around with this message at 13:32 on Mar 3, 2015 |
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Mar 3, 2015 13:30
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Some of the model idea's seem to come from other games, the vampire who staked Victoria is very clearly Alex Mercer
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Mar 3, 2015 14:25
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If experience points are at that much of a premium, don't feel shy about console commanding in some extra experience. Seeing the content would be more interesting than seeing you struggle pointlessly. I don't know about this case, but too many mods assume you have pixel-perfect command of every weird quirk of the system and flawless strategy.
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Mar 3, 2015 15:43
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This is the LP that keeps on giving. Very excited to see how trainwrecky this trainwreck becomes. 
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Mar 3, 2015 16:49
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 You're doing Caine's work, neonate. Also with regard to Grout, it's very clearly LaCroix, not Jack. LaCroix is a diablerist, which Grout found out from his aura. Jack is a nobody and doesn't fit the description of a notable Kindred. Jack is also just passing through. LaCroix wants the sarcophagus to diablerize the Methuseleh inside it. He hires Ming Xiao to kill Grout (hence you run into her) and frame Nines for it, covering his tracks and also taking out his main opposition in the process. Pay attention, guys, geez. 
Fuzz fucked around with this message at 23:30 on Mar 3, 2015 |
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Mar 3, 2015 23:06
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I just remembered something about playing a Nosferatu. It might have been changed in an unofficial patch or mod but the radius where people freak out is really small and you have a fairly generous time limit to get out of their sight so you don't need to use the sewers to move around at all. If you don't mind breaking immersion of course. Bleh. 
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Mar 4, 2015 00:01
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Poil posted:I just remembered something about playing a Nosferatu. It might have been changed in an unofficial patch or mod but the radius where people freak out is really small and you have a fairly generous time limit to get out of their sight so you don't need to use the sewers to move around at all. If you don't mind breaking immersion of course. Yeah, I was really disappointed at how little difference it makes to play as a Nosferatu. It seems like it should really affect how the whole game plays, but it doesn't.
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Mar 4, 2015 03:12
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Iretep posted:To my understanding the sarcophagus was going to a museum before Jack killed everyone in the boat. The aim of the masacre was to get the attention of camarilla vampires. So Jack had a secret to keep for a longer time than Lacroix did. MartianAgitator posted:Yes, the sarcophagus was going to the museum. The aim of the massacre was to kill anyone who witnessed Jack plant the explosives, not to get attention. Just because Jack hijacked the ship before Lacroix could get the sarcophagus doesn't mean that Lacroix hadn't planned to get it all along. It could be word of Lacroix's plan to get the sarcophagus was what impelled Jack to rig it in the first place. [de-obfuscate] If you push him Dr. Johansen admits that he only discovered the sarcophagus because someone led him to it. There's more behind it than just coincidence: PC: How did you find the Ankaran Sarcophagus? Dr. J: Uh, that is... you see... in archaeology, one can spend years looking for a dig site - following local rumors, studying old maps... it's a complicated process, very boring. PC: Sounds like you're hiding something. Care to share? Dr. J: I don't know what would make you believe that; I have been very forthcoming with you so far. I [nervous laughter]think that maybe you are not as familiar with the process as me. PC: persuasion/domination/intimidation Dr. J: Okay... I'll tell you, ja. I was not even aware of the sarcophagus' existence until I received a package, with no reply address, in the mail. Inside was the information on how to find it and the key. Please, keep it a secret, or I could be ruined. Also, @TheMcD, thank you for starting up the antitribu mod... I've played vanilla and Wesp VtM:B to death (including twice since the start of this LP) but haven't tried that yet, I was kind of put off by the unfinished state. I'm looking forward to seeing what they've come up with. [obfuscate]
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Mar 4, 2015 06:01
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Jack's not a nobody, he's maybe the most famous Anarch in the US. Hell, there's even a discipline combo commonly known as "Smiling Jack's trick".
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Mar 4, 2015 06:04
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Pope Guilty posted:Jack's not a nobody, he's maybe the most famous Anarch in the US. Hell, there's even a discipline combo commonly known as "Smiling Jack's trick". True, but from the Camerilla perspective he's a nobody upstart. At least, the stupid and pompous segment of the Camarilla, which LaCroix epitomizes. Also for everyone else wanting to spice it up, try the Clan Quest Mod. Honestly, it's pretty seamless and well done, for the most part.
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Mar 4, 2015 16:05
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Fuzz posted:
I don't know if we'll for sure know what happened to Grout but this discussion has definitely convinced me he wouldn't be the one sending emails, even if he just went incognito for the rest of the game and faked his death. Besides he'd never leave his wife, Malks get way too obsessive over whatever the latch onto. Those chess moves definitely have the touch of a Tremere.
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Mar 5, 2015 19:00
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This poster loves police brutality, but only when its against minorities!
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I agree, Strauss is our most likely Candidate. While Jack's scheming and manipulative, he doesn't strike me as someone that plays chessmaster. All of our interactions with him have been fairly buddy-buddy, 'hey kid, don't trust anyone but here's some really useful advice with a smattering of black comedy, oh btw - you might wanna check this out, could be to your benefit'. He's more hands on, rather then hands off, like the e-mails would imply of their sender. Robindaybird fucked around with this message at 19:41 on Mar 5, 2015 |
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Mar 5, 2015 19:38
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