Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

[pontifex]

Just got this game. I got it through Fileplanet's Hit Points. When you subscribe to FP, they give you points that you can use to "purchase" games. There aren't many games and most are older games. It's basically downloaded through Direct2Drive. I don't know if I can apply the community patch or not because of this. I downloaded it and tried to install, but the game didn't run. I'm not sure I did it right because it seems rather confusing.

I'm not sure how I'm liking it yet. It has some cool stuff and not so cool stuff.

Trying to decide which clan to play is hard and I hate that you can't change how your character looks.
Combat seems clunky and I hate how once one enemy sees you, they all know where you are.

I'll give it a little more time to decide though.

 

[Schadenfroh]

I don't know if I can apply the community patch or not because of this.

My direct2drive (a fileplanet division) VTMB version works great with the community patch.

It is very important that you grab the community's unofficial patch, the game is very buggy even if you are running the latest official patch.

Combat seems clunky and I hate how once one enemy sees you, they all know where you are.

There maybe player made mods that address this.

I downloaded it and tried to install, but the game didn't run. I'm not sure I did it right because it seems rather confusing.

Many direct2drive titles are protected (infected) with Sony's SecuROM Online DRM, it can be a PITA. VTMB (at least when I bought it off of direct2drive) had it.

I'll give it a little more time to decide though.

If you disliked Deus Ex 1 (and from what I read BioShock and System Shock 2 (though I never played the last 2)) because of the RPG elements (mainly the heavy story / dialog) you will probably not like this game.

 

[AdamK47]

I've noticed the 162/163 drivers degrade texture quality significantly. The 158 drivers give high quality textures. I think this is because nVidia removed video memory reporting for applications to check. Since Bloodlines can't check that, it defaults to super low quality textures.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

I don't know if I can apply the community patch or not because of this.

My direct2drive (a fileplanet division) VTMB version works great with the community patch.

It is very important that you grab the community's unofficial patch, the game is very buggy even if you are running the latest official patch.

Combat seems clunky and I hate how once one enemy sees you, they all know where you are.

There maybe player made mods that address this.

I downloaded it and tried to install, but the game didn't run. I'm not sure I did it right because it seems rather confusing.

Many direct2drive titles are protected (infected) with Sony's SecuROM Online DRM, it can be a PITA. VTMB (at least when I bought it off of direct2drive) had it.

I'll give it a little more time to decide though.

If you disliked Deus Ex 1 (and from what I read BioShock and System Shock 2 (though I never played the last 2)) because of the RPG elements (mainly the heavy story / dialog) you will probably not like this game.

I loved Bioshock, but didn't care for Deus Ex. Never played System Shock 1 or 2.

 

[Bateluer]

Little FYI, there are actually two unofficial community patches, each with different aims and goals. One, simply called the VTMB Unofficial patch, seeks to not only fix bugs, but add features and tweak game play. Of course, the features and tweaks may not always be in line with Troika's original vision for the game.

The second patch, known as the True VTMB Unofficial patch only seeks to repair bugs, typos, and only tweaks game mechanics when they feel that Troika intended it to be that way. How they determine that, I don't know.

Having said that, Bloodlines was an outstanding game, despite its bugs and limitations, it had a great story with very involving characters. Unfortunately, there will never be another Vampire Masquerade made by a commercial company. White Wolf retired that setting and replaced it with the Requiem setting, with redesigned clans, bloodlines, and factions. I would love to see another Vampire game in the same vein as VTMB though. No pun intended.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

I highly recommend being patient with the game. I had many of the same complaints that you have, especially concerning the combat system, but in due time this game had me hooked and I couldn't stop playing it.

It is crash-prone even with the latest community patch so I saved often since it will crash at some of the most inopportune times.

 

[LookingGlass]

I loved Vampire, it does take getting used to, well worth it. It is buggy, and a resource hog. Again, worth it. It sucked me in, yes, pun intended. I played the hell out of it.

1.2 patch

4.1 Community Patch

Sheesh, they keep cranking out the community patch, almost one every month, or something.

Give it time, get used to it, you can enable the console, do all sorts of things, well worth it, too much to write. Just explore and have fun with it.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I played it for the first time this year, using the 1.2 patch (which your download may already have included) and the "fixes only" True patch (4.03AT) since I didn't want random changes to Troika's design.

It was a lot of fun once I got the hang of it. I played a Toreador emphasizing Melee with good Persuade and Hacking skills. For melee a Brujah is actually a little better choice though. Both have the best combat power in the game: Celerity.

FYI, there's a 20-page thread on it over in the ArsTechnica G.E.S.C. forum, with patch links in the first post.

 

[Canai]

I just realized I had enough hitpoints to buy it, so I did!

Downloading it now, and the patches

Will update later.

 

[Shadowknight]

Things to keep in mind:
1) Bloodbuff boosts your stats, so there's no need to blow experience to boost some of your stats to the max
2) You can't make a purely diplomatic character (which I tried) because combat's pretty much required by the game. Make sure to put points into melee related stats/abilities, and at least one for guns
3) The Spaz repeating shotgun kicks ass
4) On your first playthrough, be veeeeeeeeeeeery nice to the Prince... he'll give you a cooler apartment than the one you start out with. If you play the sorceror clan, another guy will also be willing to give you a new apartment as well. I haven't played through as a sorcerer, but I think you can simultaneously have new apartments from both. You might be able to get one from the Baron as well, but I'm not sure.
5) Lockpicking - important
6) Hacking CAN be important, or you can get the passwords from gamefaqs, but I wouldn't "cheat" like that on the first play through.
7) Persuade - important. A high persuade can open up opportunities for more XP in some conversations at a dinner party at a mansion later
8) Haggle - usless. Don't put any points in it
9) Research - eh, after playing through twice, it's not really worth blowing the XP on. You may as well blow your XP on raising other stats.
10) Spells - they can help. A LOT. Especially when you get to the "mass effect" level. Having a room full of vampire hunters commit suicide? Priceless.
11) Masquerade points - don't worry about losing any... you get the opportunity to "redeem the Masquerade". Just don't let it hit zero, or it's game over.
12) Humanity points - Having zero humanity doesn't end the game, so don't worry about that. However, the lower your humanity the more likely you are for your character to go berserk. Also, having a low humanity will change some of the dialog options with some people (like a guy in a bathhouse).
13) If you wind up getting a... sidekick, be nice to them, but don't send them away... they'll give you the best armor in the game towards the end.

 

[Canai]

Hmm it seems that whenever I play in 1024, the screen wavers constantly. And no way in hell am I playing it in a little 8x6 window...

Are there any resolution hacks for this game?

 

[marmasatt]

I've been reading about this game and trying to pick it up 2nd hand. I'm also monitoring this for feedback on it and/or buying if someone's got a copy.....

 

[Canai]

I found a resolution hack that fixed it and made it all pretty on my widescreen display.

Time to go eat a Reuben sandwich mmmmm

edit: damn what a great sandwich. Anyway, I played a bit of Bloodlines today while I was conveniently skipping class. It's pretty cool.

 

[LookingGlass]

It is interesting when you up your experience points, and add more to persuasion, you can seduce people, end up getting more dialogue options, also to intimidate, etc.

Tremere is the occult clan, I played her. She was cool, I got a new apartment. Very posh.

Malkavian is just a hoot to play, you are whacked, you have special dialogue options for that clan. Plus, I talked to the stop sign, and the TV!!

Using the console, I enabled some cheats, yeah, I know, that was AFTER I played it twice just myself.

There are 5 different endings.

I could go on and on.

 

[Shadowknight]

Seduction isn't worth it at all. MAYBE if you're a woman, and you still get better results with a high persuade skill anyhow.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: LookingGlass
It is interesting when you up your experience points, and add more to persuasion, you can seduce people, end up getting more dialogue options, also to intimidate, etc.

Tremere is the occult clan, I played her. She was cool, I got a new apartment. Very posh.

Malkavian is just a hoot to play, you are whacked, you have special dialogue options for that clan. Plus, I talked to the stop sign, and the TV!!

Using the console, I enabled some cheats, yeah, I know, that was AFTER I played it twice just myself.

There are 5 different endings.

I could go on and on.

I played through as a Ventrue, Malkavian, and a Gangrel, in that order. The Malkavian was by far the most fun, there's so much foreshadowing with their dialogue options and the voices they here. Probably not the best class to play through the first time though, it can be a little confusing.

 

[LookingGlass]

Originally posted by: Shadowknight
Seduction isn't worth it at all. MAYBE if you're a woman, and you still get better results with a high persuade skill anyhow.

Oh yeah, you do, my last run through, I cheated and maxed out the persuasion, seduction, all those. Funnier en hell. Of course I still bought items, I just did that for the pure dialogue, max it out, see what you get. Worth doing that, after you've run through it on your own.

I've played both male and female. Female can be more fun sometimes, you can seduce the graveyard care taker, Romero. "Damn you are one fine looking piece of ass!! You don't have to fight the zombies, or find a whore. You can whore yourself out to him, and he just *grins* at you afterward.

You can seduce Jeanette too, hah, lots of fun.

Originally posted by: Bateluer

I played through as a Ventrue, Malkavian, and a Gangrel, in that order. The Malkavian was by far the most fun, there's so much foreshadowing with their dialogue options and the voices they here. Probably not the best class to play through the first time though, it can be a little confusing.

Agreed.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: LookingGlass

I've played both male and female. Female can be more fun sometimes, you can seduce the graveyard care taker, Romero. "Damn you are one fine looking piece of ass!! You don't have to fight the zombies, or find a whore. You can whore yourself out to him, and he just *grins* at you afterward.


That encounter is the most fun as a Malk. You have the option to say some really gross/kinky lines. 'I can thrust myself against you while I slick myself in blood,' or something to that effect. Romero gets scared and says he'll just have a soda instead.

 

[LookingGlass]

I remember that!! :laugh:

 

[MetalMat]

Awesome game! For the most part anyways, it seems like they stopped trying after a while in the game, the end is kind of lame (check out the cut scenes, stuff aint right with the graphics). Overall a very awesome game though, will go down as one of my favs of all time!

 

[LookingGlass]

Which ending did you get? There are 5 different endings.

 

[BFG10K]

I thought it was awesome.