Finished the game, final thoughts "SPOILERS IN BLACK TEXT"

Tom Sawyer · Post by **Tom Sawyer** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 7:04 am

Ok I beat the game and I salute the makers. I have been an avid role player for about 20 years now (my age is showing lol) and this game was good. Yes there where rough spots, kudos to those who helped others and I get past the game crashes. I am sure a patch will be along. As for a sequel, well they left it wide open for many things. Can it compare to a true sit down with dice style game? Sorry no. No computer game can, there are just too many open variables that we humans tend to do. Many a night our gaming group has been reduced to a "YOUR GOING TO DO WHAT???" and the GM frantically tries to prevent total chaos or laughter

Back to the game however they truely created a sense of the vampire spirit. The clan you played impacted the story in subtle ways, and it encourages at least one or 2 replays to catch them all

Reading some of other posts I have to toss in a few comments and here I shall go black.

Caine as a cabby. Hmmm why not? Think about it, you have been around since nearly the start of time. You have raised a city and destroyed it. Maybe sent 1000 years in topor but if you did come out what a better way to see the cities then as a cabby? Alot of people would ride in your cab and you could get a feel for those that are your descendants. Would you expect him to be hiding out in a castle or tomb? Running an office or such? Remember Caine is the original anarch, he rebeled against GOD himself and went his won way. Role camoflage, no one would say "hey thats Caine over there" heheh. If I wanted to come back in plain site what a way to do it. He could still use his 1st generation powers as ANY of the clans if he needed too though

Smiling Jack- Gota wonder just how old he truely is and what generation

Nines may be the leader of the anarchs, but a true anarch does what he feels and that is Jack to the T. Hence the connection between Caine and him.

The game makers must have loved Kill Bill. When I was running around the temple assasinating those chinese with my katana (actually that special blade) and got into a 10 on 1 sword fight it really rocked. Can you imagine if Uma had Blood Boil heheh

If you chose the true anarch ending and flipped everyone the bird it could lead to one hell of a starting point for the sequel. Going it alone, helping the anarchs, hell even staying true to the Camies could all be there. I await the add on, or even next game, with high expectations

Great game, good forum support, end of rant

Kirche · Post by **Kirche** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 10:45 am

I with you 100% Tom,

except that I think Jack is Smilin' Jack

Kirche

LiftedNevermore · Post by **LiftedNevermore** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 10:52 am

I'm in total agreement too. They *have* to release a sequel, and soon!

Bloodlines really is the best game I've played in a long time. The best thing has to have been the NPCs, their expressions were amazing. The acting was fabulous too. It would be wishful thinking though... to hope for a sequel to be more geared towards members of both sexes, I think. I'm female, and was disappointed that the only guy to seduce in the game is some greasy ghoul who works in a graveyard.

Apart from that, I'm just going to sit here and wait for the next game to be released.

Jandau · Post by **Jandau** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 11:28 am

IMO endings either make or break a game and seeing the expression on my character's face when he opened the sarcophagus only to find a bomb and Jack's message had me falling off the chair in fits of laughter. V:TM:Bloodlines is a game where you DON'T save the world, you DON'T get the girl and you hardly make a difference (Jack probably planted the bomb while sarcophagus was still on the Dane).

A sequel? No, I think this one is pretty much wrapped up. A new V:TM game? Definitely!!! This is the first time I can truly say Troika did a great job and I hope they continue in this manner.

Intergalactic · Post by **Intergalactic** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 1:15 pm

[QUOTE=LiftedNevermore]
I'm female, and was disappointed that the only guy to seduce in the game is some greasy ghoul who works in a graveyard.

[/QUOTE]

If greasy ghouls are not your type, why didn't you try this one? ^^
Otherwise i agree with you all in that it was a great game!

In a possible sequel/new game i would like to see a bit more *main*character development. I couldn't relate to the "hero" mostly, due to dialouge choices, none of which i liked. The hero took it easy that his old life was destroyed, his sire killed and that he has to drink blood... i didn't like that.

Gauda · Post by **Gauda** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 7:52 am

[QUOTE=Jandau]IMO endings either make or break a game and seeing the expression on my character's face when he opened the sarcophagus only to find a bomb and Jack's message had me falling off the chair in fits of laughter. V:TM:Bloodlines is a game where you DON'T save the world, you DON'T get the girl and you hardly make a difference (Jack probably planted the bomb while sarcophagus was still on the Dane).

A sequel? No, I think this one is pretty much wrapped up. A new V:TM game? Definitely!!! This is the first time I can truly say Troika did a great job and I hope they continue in this manner.[/QUOTE]

I agree, the ending was something more that just the ordinary gameending, not that hollywoodish crap that populates so many games. I actually gave the key to Lacroix in the ending, and I too burst out in laughter as I saw Lacroix laughing his last seconds of his unlife as he realized that the bomb had been there all along. Just great! And I agree, Jack is far more than what he seams, I really suspect that he is an antideluvian, and yes, it was probably he who opened the sarchouphigus in the first place at the dane. The way that it seemed not to matter to him what you did, also added to his aura of power.

Jandau · Post by **Jandau** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 10:26 am

All this talk of Jack being an antedeluvian.... aren't antedeluvians supposed to start wiping out all life on the planet as soon as they wake up, right before they get their morning cup of coffee?

Solusek · Post by **Solusek** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 5:03 pm

First of all, I also really enjoyed playing Bloodlines for various reasons, but I didn't like the end. As someone said before, you don't save the world, you don't get the girl and you are a nobody making little difference. And that's exactly what I don't like about the game. In my opinion in an RPG you are SUPPOSED to be a great hero or villain and you have to be the one who makes the difference, who breaks all the rules and who saves the world. That's why you play such a game. I mean, seriously, in the real world most of us ARE nobodies. And that's just one of the reasons why I don't want to be a nobody in an RPG. After all, I consider this an ending who breaks the game, unless there'll be a sequel that explains your role perfectly and finishes the game apropriately with a nice outro in form of a video sequence.

Now to the Jack and Caine stuff etc. I do not think, that it was Jack who opened the Sarcophagus in the first place. And I definately don't think he's an Antedeluvian. But there's certainly more to him than meets the eye.(Maybe a 4th generation vampire who learned to adapt perfectly to the different eras?) I think the one who opened the Sarcophagus on the Dane was the mysterious Taxi Driver. My theory would be, that he is either Caine himself or a 2nd generation Vampire. That would explain his behaviour and insight and that thing about just having gotten to know Jack etc. I don't agree with the theory that Caine was the first real anarch though. He didn't really rebel against god. He killed his brother cause he was jealous, only to regret it later. If you rebel against something, then you are convinced that what you do or did is or was the right thing.

One final statement: I definetly think there'll be a sequel.

fable · Post by **fable** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 5:53 pm

First of all, I also really enjoyed playing Bloodlines for various reasons, but I didn't like the end. As someone said before, you don't save the world, you don't get the girl and you are a nobody making little difference. And that's exactly what I don't like about the game. In my opinion in an RPG you are SUPPOSED to be a great hero or villain and you have to be the one who makes the difference, who breaks all the rules and who saves the world. That's why you play such a game.

Well thought out and expressed, but that's not why I play an RPG. I play it for the environment, for the feeling of being in a well-designed, seemingly free-form universe with a great deal of interactive depth. That probably explains why I prefer RPGs like BG2, or Ultima VII--the former because your party members had their own interactions and on occasion took over the party choices; while in the latter, if there was an object in the environment, you could use it for something. It's the journey, not the conclusion, that makes it for me in an RPG. So if you do no more than solve a personal quest which has little impact on the rest of the world, as in PS:T, I'm satisfied at game conclusion. Each to their own.

Solusek · Post by **Solusek** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 7:04 pm

Well, I prefer games like BG2 and the Ultima Series, too, I just prefer them for different reasons

Even if being "the one" is not the only reason I prefer them.

Jandau · Post by **Jandau** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 3:23 am

Solusek wrote:First of all, I also really enjoyed playing Bloodlines for various reasons, but I didn't like the end. As someone said before, you don't save the world, you don't get the girl and you are a nobody making little difference. And that's exactly what I don't like about the game. In my opinion in an RPG you are SUPPOSED to be a great hero or villain and you have to be the one who makes the difference, who breaks all the rules and who saves the world. That's why you play such a game. I mean, seriously, in the real world most of us ARE nobodies. And that's just one of the reasons why I don't want to be a nobody in an RPG. After all, I consider this an ending who breaks the game, unless there'll be a sequel that explains your role perfectly and finishes the game apropriately with a nice outro in form of a video sequence.

Well, the V:TM world is all about plots within plots within plots, and a fledgeling vampire is bound to get (ab)used. You're not a nobody in the game. You impact the lives of many people, send quite a few power players to an early grave (Bach, Mandarin, Ming Xiao,....) and get quite strong, both phisically and mentally, in the process. The game's ending only demonstrates that there is always a "bigger fish", and that's what I liked. It shows that there are things that even your uber-character can miss and that it's still too early for you to see the big picture. The various endings allow you to decide in what manner you would like to see the big picture (as a Cammie, Anarch) or that you don't give a f**k for the whole power struggle (true anarch ending). But, as was said, to each his own...

I do not think, that it was Jack who opened the Sarcophagus in the first place.

Then who did? Jack opening the sarcophagus fits perfectly. He boarded the Dane, killed the crew, opened the sarcophagus and replaced Meseracht's corpse with a ton of explosives set to count down from ten when anybody openes the sarcophagus. Then he just sits back and enjoys the show. The strongest faction will probably get the key and the oversized coffin, and will be summarily demolished. Clean and simple

One final statement: I definetly think there'll be a sequel.

The only question is WHEN? Troika better be working on it as we speak!

Gauda · Post by **Gauda** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 12:31 pm

an expansion might just be a year and a half away, but don't start waiting for a sequel yet

Because that will take two years at least, if not much longer.

pennypincher · Post by **pennypincher** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 6:44 pm

WARNING!! FACTS MY SPOIL YOUR GAME PLAY EXPERINCE!! SPOIL SPOIL SPOIL!!

Smilin'Jack is a White Wolf Cannon storyline character. A pirate in life, embraced many many years ago by.. A Brujah I think? Someone correct me! A member of the 6th Generation (for those of you not in the know, thats "holy C&$p!" but NOT an ante) He is one of the original Anarchs. Any anarch in the know, knows OF smilin'Jack... He's well known for loving his freedom and being brutal to those who opose it. He has a soft spot for the underdog, and takes great joy in his work. His smile is 30% good natured, 60% laughing at your pain, 10% crazy and ALL preadator.

Caine: Why would a 4 foot, scraggly beared, messy haired, non english speaking GOD OF MURDER, who hungers only for the blood of the most acient beasts on earth, constantly starving, lost as to this new age, centuries old, lonley, sorrow filled, hated filled and brimming with the need for the peace of death, wander around america driving a cab and chatting with neonates about coffins that he already KNOWS are filled with C4 rather then acient, world destorying vampires? Simple answer.. He wouldn't. This had to be the only part of the game I couldn't just say "oh well, it's not the Table Top game, but it still rocks".. This was just some people slapping us in the face with their willies and laughing as we cried at the mile wide plot holes that made no sense.
Caine destoryed a city because he was sick of the rebelious machinations of the vampire youth and their schemes and plans and wars with each other. He was lonley and sought only peace, understanding, and someone who could really share his paine when he embraced the first vampires... And instead got power hungry, rage filled, blood thirsty monsters. He left and wandered the land of Nod in an effort to escape all other vampires and the toll they were having on his sanity.
Obviously, the only step from here was to go into a Torporus sleep for millions of years and wait untill the Taxi cab was invented so he could soak up some local gossip with.. What was that? A Transilvanian acent?.. And help younger vampires rebel against their elders like his wicked children did to him. Uh huh, all makes sense to me... *blank stare*