244: The Last Masquerade

[lockeslylcrit]

You have to watch out for the two competing unofficial patches.

The Unofficial Patch restores stuff, adds in stuff, and changes the game so that it's more of a mod than a patch.

The True Patch simply fixes the problems of the game and leaves the rest untouched... so long as you can ignore the fact that its creator is a butthurt ultra-liberal who shouts at and/or bans you should you so much as even disagree with him.

Neither patches agree with me. The first since it's not really a patch, and the second because the creator left a foul taste in my mouth.

 

[The Imp]

ps: i don't remember fighting a wereshark, but if you mean fighting the chinese Kuei jin woman i get it.

No, there's a side mission that you can get from a Japanese monster hunter girl that you can help. She wants to take revenge on "Hengeyokai" a fish demon/wereshark.

"You are glad this thing didn't have any tentacles, right?" Brilliant, just brilliant.

Oh well, Bloodlines still gives me goosebumps just thinking it and even more of what i could have been.

It just makes me sad.

 

[TheBlackKnight]

I may have to check this game out, what has actually been modded back in?

various bug fixes.
You get a fake Katana early on (First Kuei-Jin battle).
If you help the japanese Demon hunter, she might return the favour, when you go after Min-Xiao.

Uh....lots of other stuff, I think there are two distinct branches:

One restores "lost" content, while the other one just fixes various bugs.

have Valve make a vampire masquerade game!
can you say "Awsome!"?

Actually, Troika only licensed an early version of the source engine, most notably how fucked up the Havok physics engine is. Every tried standing on a flat physics object, like a plank of wood, the game goes ballistic. My favourite glitch was dying because I jumped onto the top of a coke can

 

[Master10K]

I remember playing Masquarade Bloodlines, not so long after it's relase and with only 1 or 2 patches available at the time I couldn't even get halfway through the game.

I only just recently deceided to try it out again, after getting a new PC but playing it on my big ass 20" (1600x900) monitor just makes the graphics look horrendous. So I stopped playing it again, but I will finish the game one day (^^). If only I had a way to get it from "fullscreen" to "windowed".

 

[Booze Zombie]

Masqurade was an amazingly abitious game, but I think it should go down in history as an example of what happens when you get impatient and try to rush your investment for money now, now, NOW!

If it simply had been given a few months of tuning, most of the issues currently being worked out in a still on-going fan patch would probably be resolved and it'd be up there with all of the other amazing works of art and fun we gamers hold so dear.

 

[Gethsemani_v1legacy]

Black Isle, Troika and Obsidian have always suffered from the same problem. The creators are amazing visionaries and masterful storytellers, there's no doubting that. Their problem is also that they are amazing visionaries that are very farsighted. They simply can't see the problems that are close to them and which stops them from realizing all their visions. Bloodlines was in development for almost 4 years and even with almost half the planned content cut out (including the multiplayer mode) the game was a mess. However, it only follows suit with Troikas other games, Arcanum was also a wonderful, wonderful game but horribly bugged and with areas that so obviously had so much planned for them but so little done with them. Obsidian went on to make the same mistakes for Neverwinter Nights 2 (many, many horrid bugs in there) and Knights of the Old Republic 2 (which was basically Bloodlines all over again but in Star Wars).

I like Bloodlines. I like Arcanum. But there simply is no excuse for what Troika did. Other developers get flamed all the way into the lowest levels of hell for releasing unfinished games no matter how much potential they have. Troika, I am sad to say, tops the list when it comes to that offense. What Troika desperately would have needed (and what might have saved them as a studio) was someone who could pull the break when the designers became to enthusiastic with envisioning features.

 

[Doc Cannon]

I never actually played this game for more than 3 hours. I expected something completely different from a VTM game. More freedom maybe or a more faithful translation of the rules... I don't really know.
However, all my friends who played it loved it. I just felt it was too buggy and unfinished, combat was awful and the city was just 3 deserted blocks with one street. Sure, I didn't get to other cities and I didn't have time to get into the story, but the first impression is very important, and they screwed that up.

 

[Tiamat666]

To me Bloodlines is one of the greatest games ever. Its basically DeusEx as a vampire. It has its flaws, but with all the latest patches and the unofficial community patch I found it very enjoyable. It has alot of memorable NPCs and locations, and once you've played it as a "normal" vampire, replaying it as a Malkavian is hilarious.

 

[AngryPuppy]

snip

Oh yeah I'm kinda with you on this one. As much as I really love this game I find it very hard to use either patch for the same reasons. If memory servers there was a very talented skinner who did some amazing skins for the game (nude was his major thing) who suffered from the same egotistical "I'll ban you for not agreeing with me" attitude. Such a shame I refused to use his work because of it.

I'm so glad this was reviewed, and so long after it came out. Hopefully it will introduce it to new people and maybe someday we'll see a 3rd game.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

snip

Oh yeah I'm kinda with you on this one. As much as I really love this game I find it very hard to use either patch for the same reasons. If memory servers there was a very talented skinner who did some amazing skins for the game (nude was his major thing) who suffered from the same egotistical "I'll ban you for not agreeing with me" attitude. Such a shame I refused to use his work because of it.

I have an amusing revelation for you!

[HEADING=2]That's the same person lockeslylcrit was talking about.[/HEADING]

No really, I know who you mean and you're describing the same person, because the "True Patch" is the work of that fellow who does all the nude skins [small](or just higher definition reskins, which is why I'm familiar with him... don't judge me!)[/small]. I personally use that patch, but yeah, the drama between him and the creators of the Unofficial patch and his resultant internet tantrum that saw him swear off modding and shut his site down for a while... well they were rather off-putting to say the least.

In the end though I'd rather use a patch that fixes all the bugs, without modifying the rest of the game experience, than install an increasingly enormous collection of 'fixes' that are more along the lines of a total conversion. As much as I hate drama, I've played the game using only the official patches, and after experiencing it without the random glitches and crashes, I never want to go back, heh.

 

[Benedict Wolfe]

I've played through this game 3 times... Each time as a female Gangrel named "Cali". Seems corny, but I've been able to complete every single mission in the game with that setup.

Even flawed, this is among my top 5 games ever played and holds a high seat of honour in my heart.

 

[veloper]

All RPGs are flawed, but Bloodlines also did alot of stuff right, which is pretty rare. This is the game that should have saved them.

RIP Troika

 

[raankh]

I can't put my finger on what's so good about Bloodlines, but I'm willing to see past its flaws to enjoy the game underneath. That's kind of rare for me. It's that Jazz idiom; "They've got something to say."

Some levels (like the ghost house) are very well designed, others are just ugly (down-town). The White Wolf canon in the background could have become an orgiastic nerdgasm (imo WW players are notorious nerdgasm-junkies) but manages to stay out of the way without feeling overlooked.

Great, memorable characters. Maybe that's enough.

The only other flawed but brilliant game in the same league I can think of is the first Mass Effect; although a sort of reversed version where I love the gameplay but don't really care about the bland rubber-faced-alien "epic" in the background. I did however care about three of the characters. Perhaps that's the secret sauce?

 

[lockeslylcrit]

I have an amusing revelation for you!

[HEADING=2]That's the same person lockeslylcrit was talking about.[/HEADING]

No really, I know who you mean and you're describing the same person, because the "True Patch" is the work of that fellow who does all the nude skins [small](or just higher definition reskins, which is why I'm familiar with him... don't judge me!)[/small]. I personally use that patch, but yeah, the drama between him and the creators of the Unofficial patch and his resultant internet tantrum that saw him swear off modding and shut his site down for a while... well they were rather off-putting to say the least.

In the end though I'd rather use a patch that fixes all the bugs, without modifying the rest of the game experience, than install an increasingly enormous collection of 'fixes' that are more along the lines of a total conversion. As much as I hate drama, I've played the game using only the official patches, and after experiencing it without the random glitches and crashes, I never want to go back, heh.

I agree with you there. If I had to choose the lesser of two evils, I definitely (and always have since I started playing VtM:B years ago) pick the one that stays true to what the game was rather than what the game could have been.

However, being a forum member on tessmage during that whole debacle, I now equate using the True Patch with an analogy: It's like eating the most awesome pizza ever that was made by Hitler. Yeah... the pizza is the best damn tasting pizza you'll ever have, but you cant help but feel guilty or a little disgusted because it was made by Hitler.

The whole thing that made me want to leave his forums for good (and I did, thankfully) was his views on the military. Having served in 2000 and 2005, I felt personally insulted by his ignorance that all military personnel are evil baby rapers who need to die.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Hilarious if you play as Malkavian and somehow "spoil" the future encounter.

Spoiler: Only press this button if the fairies talk to you too...

"NO, YOU STOP!"

You definitely want to check out the Companion Mod though

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

In the end though I'd rather use a patch that fixes all the bugs, without modifying the rest of the game experience, than install an increasingly enormous collection of 'fixes' that are more along the lines of a total conversion. As much as I hate drama, I've played the game using only the official patches, and after experiencing it without the random glitches and crashes, I never want to go back, heh.

I agree with you there. If I had to choose the lesser of two evils, I definitely (and always have since I started playing VtM:B years ago) pick the one that stays true to what the game was rather than what the game could have been.

However, being a forum member on tessmage during that whole debacle, I now equate using the True Patch with an analogy: It's like eating the most awesome pizza ever that was made by Hitler. Yeah... the pizza is the best damn tasting pizza you'll ever have, but you cant help but feel guilty or a little disgusted because it was made by Hitler.

The whole thing that made me want to leave his forums for good (and I did, thankfully) was his views on the military. Having served in 2000 and 2005, I felt personally insulted by his ignorance that all military personnel are evil baby rapers who need to die.

That... is an awesome analogy, kudos. I suppose ignorance in this scenario is bliss - if you don't know who Hitler is, then all you know is you're eating an excellent pizza made by a fellow with a funny little mustache.

Or in my case, a good patch for a game I love made by a drama-queen modder obsessed with nudity. I'd have been a lot more loathe to use his work if I knew the full extent of his jackassery - at least I have all those patches archived so I never actually have to go back there again!

Hilarious if you play as Malkavian and somehow "spoil" the future encounter.

"NO, YOU STOP!"

I was laughing so hard at that encounter, oh man! The one with the TV newscaster was wonderful to - I loved how subtle (or not so subtle) things would change as a Malkavian to reflect the bit where you're batshit insane.

 

[Artorius]

i am surprised that no body mentioned the Haunted hotel Level xP...
to be honest it was the most atmospheric level i have played in any game..
i think Troika just finished the hotel level as they wanted right b4 the activision haste begun..

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Hilarious if you play as Malkavian and somehow "spoil" the future encounter.

"NO, YOU STOP!"

I was laughing so hard at that encounter, oh man! The one with the TV newscaster was wonderful to - I loved how subtle (or not so subtle) things would change as a Malkavian to reflect the bit where you're batshit insane.

The really nice thing is that all of the Malkavian madness is alluded to in a positive way while it's obvious that it really takes a toll on the mind of the Vampire, something that the TT game failed to do. And Tourette is So cool and So creepy.

i am surprised that no body mentioned the Haunted hotel Level xP...

Scariest game sequence EVAH.


And anyone who gets upset over modders really needs to read Clanbook Tzimisce first and then realise that some of the fans are like that as well.

 

[Killian Kalthorne]

I don't miss Troika. They bit more than they could chew with Arcanum, and ToEE was a craptastic game. I waited until Bloodlines was in the bargin bin before I bought a copy at $10. Troika was long dead at that point.

Where Troika failed, Obsidian succeeded.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

The really nice thing is that all of the Malkavian madness is alluded to in a positive way while it's obvious that it really takes a toll on the mind of the Vampire, something that the TT game failed to do. And Tourette is So cool and So creepy.

i am surprised that no body mentioned the Haunted hotel Level xP...

Scariest game sequence EVAH.

Oh man, when you walk down one of the halls in the main wing and turn around and oh crap a dude with an axe is right behind you AIEEE, that freaked me out so bad. That whole level was an unbroken sequence of scripted masterpieces - Troika managed to make a cute little wooden train set scary as hell when it suddenly rolls out of a doorway in front of you, and that's no mean feat (it was cute! Cute things shouldn't be scary!).