Bloodlines first time , which clan ?

[Excidium]

You are a very strange person.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

The final S&M outfit makes you feel like a latex-clad ninja GOD and the toughest motherfucker in LA.

 

[Renegen]

The only thing I recommend is to actually turn the auto-leveling on.

I played the game with 4 different clans, and I tried to power-game most of the time (you know, accumulating every free skill point that I could with manuals, being a jack of all trades) and I regret it. If you power game, you will be able to see 80% of the content in one playthrough. When you have like 3 conversation skills that do virtually the same thing, 3 different ways of fighting and combat skills to take, it's very easy to see almost everything and then get bored with later playthroughs.

Instead, make hard lines in the sand and stick by them. I even suggest just using the auto leveling. Each clan will feel much more different, and the C&C, sidequests and multiple ways of solvings things will really shine.

 

[Metro]

I'm nearing the end of my first playthrough and went as Toreador (I think) -- focused on Persuasion, Lockpicking, Ranged, and Research (not sure why). What does Inspection do? I put some points in that but ultimately abandoned it.

 

[Mystary!]

Makes hidden loot and secret doors glow. Worthless skill. You can mostly find them anyway.

The nosferatu are the best, latex is awesome and all but I wouldn't mind another outfit, since I always end up playing the nosferatu everytime I replay it becomes slightly repetetive.
Something bummy, similiar to Bertram Tungs outfit would be sweet.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Research is good though, some of the lategame books can save you a shitload of XP if you use them level up form 4 to 5 in a skill.

 

[corvus]

Finished the game last night as a Gangrel, mostly solving quests with my FISTS. At least until I got to the Giovanni mansion and couldn't get into the library cause my lockpicking skill was too low. I have to say though this is the first game in a while that I actually really want to play again. Don't know if I want to try out a Camarilla-loyal Tremere/Ventrue, or just go ahead and do the Malkavian Experience.

The soundtrack is pretty fucking awesome too.

 

[Wolfus]

Female Malkavian is the most funny character. You can even solve Romero's quest by sleeping with him instead of killing zombies.

 

[Excidium]

All I know is that during my nosferatu playthrough I just wanted my last armor to look like this:

But then it looked like this:

 

[Vibalist]

Finance is a waste of XP too.

Not if you're using firearms. Ammo gets expensive as you go on, and there's only a finite amount of money in this game. I was actually broke by the end of the game once because I needed to stack up on ammo and guns a lot, and hadn't invested in finance or manipulation.

It's not one of those skills you bump all the way up to 8 obviously, but adding a few points is not a waste of XP at all, provided you're a gunslinger.

I never ever leveled up Investigation due to it seeming a really gay way of wasting XP.

Investigation is fine to have if you're playing the game for the first time and aren't aware of the hidden items and secret doors. It's only useless when you start metagaming, which is for fags anyway.
Sure, it's not an essential skill by any means, but considering the amount of stuff lying around that you might miss it's useful enough. It's also one of the few skills that you still get to use during the endgame sequences.

Thanks to the sciencemajick of grep and the linux console i've been able to confirm that

find . -name '*' -exec grep -H "Inspection" {} \;
./main characters/johansen.dlg:{	402	}{	Sounds like you're hiding something? Care to share?	}{	Sounds like you're hiding something? Care to share?	}{	411	}{	pc.CalcFeat("Inspection") > 4 or IsClan(pc,"Malkavian")	}{	}{	}{	}{	}{	}{	}{	}{	LYING!	}
./santa monica/knox.dlg:{	222	}{	Something about your story is a little off, Knox.	}{	Something about your story is a little off, Knox.	}{	411	}{	(pc.CalcFeat("Inspection") > 2 or IsClan(pc,"Malkavian")) and G.Bertram_Plant == 0	}{	}{	}{	}{	}{	}{	}{	}{	The truth does not match the words that fall from your mouth.	}
./santa monica/knox.dlg:{	232	}{	Something about your story is a little off, Knox.	}{	Something about your story is a little off, Knox.	}{	411	}{	(pc.CalcFeat("Inspection") > 2 or IsClan(pc,"Malkavian")) and G.Bertram_Plant == 0	}{	}{	}{	}{	}{	}{	}{	}{	The truth does not match the words that fall from your mouth.	}

Malkavians get those lines for free, making it even more useless.

Huh. I always thought it was Ventrue, and Ventrue only, who had the ability to see through Knox. I didn't even think investigation played into it at all.
See, when I played as a Ventrue for the first time, I got to call bullshit on Knox's story and later on Bertram said something along the lines of "you damnable Ventrue always seem to see through lies", or something to that effect. Strange.

 

[Micmu]

malk chick because of the bouncy boobies

 

[SCO]

...
Huh. I always thought it was Ventrue, and Ventrue only, who had the ability to see through Knox. I didn't even think investigation played into it at all.
See, when I played as a Ventrue for the first time, I got to call bullshit on Knox's story and later on Bertram said something along the lines of "you damnable Ventrue always seem to see through lies", or something to that effect. Strange.

Oh, that could have happened too, in fact:

grep -H "Ventrue" santa\ monica/bertram.dlg
santa monica/bertram.dlg:{ 62 }{ Fame and power do not intrigue you? }{ What man is not intrigued by fame and power? }{ 71 }{ IsClan(pc,"Ventrue") or IsClan(pc,"Toreador") }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ Bright is the light of fame and power. }
santa monica/bertram.dlg:{ 63 }{ You don't want the job? }{ Are you not cut out for the job? }{ 71 }{ not IsClan(pc,"Ventrue") and not IsClan(pc,"Toreador") }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ Is the task beyond your nasty self? }
santa monica/bertram.dlg:{ 71 }{ I wouldn't want to be the Prince of Terre Haute[TAIR-uh HOTE]. I leave that headache to the Ventrue. Besides, there's only like four vampires in all of Santa Monica. Hmph. Some kingdom. }{ I wouldn't want to be the Prince of Terre Haute[TAIR-uh HOTE]. I leave that headache to the Ventrue. Besides, there's only like four vampires in all of Santa Monica. Hmph. Some kingdom. }{ # }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }
santa monica/bertram.dlg:{ 185 }{ Tell me about the Ventrue. }{ Tell me about the Ventrue. }{ 321 }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ Ventrue and veritas! }
santa monica/bertram.dlg:{ 321 }{ They get a bad rap if you ask me. Everyone likes to take shots at the man in charge, but when it comes to getting the job done, the Ventrue know how to step up. They can take the heat. }{ They get a bad rap if you ask me. Everyone likes to take shots at the man in charge, but when it comes to getting the job done, the Ventrue know how to step up. They can take the heat. }{ # }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }
santa monica/bertram.dlg:{ 322 }{ Are you just saying that because I'm Ventrue? }{ Are you just saying that because I'm Ventrue? }{ 331 }{ IsClan(pc,"Ventrue") }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }
santa monica/bertram.dlg:{ 331 }{ Yeah right. I'm talking about the powerful Ventrue - you're just a pup. }{ Yeah right. I'm talking about the powerful Ventrue - you're just a pup. }{ # }{ npc.SetDisposition("joy",1) }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }
santa monica/bertram.dlg:{ 752 }{ I know all about the plan you and Knox had worked out for me. }{ I know all about the plan you and Knox had worked out for me. }{ 758 }{ IsClan(pc,"Ventrue") }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }
santa monica/bertram.dlg:{ 758 }{ [a little embarrassed]Agh. Damned Ventrue blood. Gotta be on top of everything don't ya? }{ [a little embarrassed]Agh. Damned Ventrue blood. Gotta be on top of everything don't ya? }{ #}{ npc.SetDisposition("disgust",1) }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }

The bloodlines dialog system is flexible.

 

[visions]

Finance is a waste of XP too.

Not if you're using firearms. Ammo gets expensive as you go on, and there's only a finite amount of money in this game. I was actually broke by the end of the game once because I needed to stack up on ammo and guns a lot, and hadn't invested in finance or manipulation.

Happened to me as well.

 

[Satori (original)]

Never ran out of money for me but that's probably because I know where to get all the money in the game, for example every time I first leave Santa Monica I always have $2000 at least and I only buy the IMI Uzi, Steyr, SPAS and flamethrower rounds; I never purchase ammo for anything less powerful than those. At endgame I stock up on only those and the rest goes to Elder Vitae and Blue Blood and I'm easily set to take out fishy and bat (no spoilers).

 

[Excidium]

Finance is a waste of XP too.

Not if you're using firearms. Ammo gets expensive as you go on, and there's only a finite amount of money in this game. I was actually broke by the end of the game once because I needed to stack up on ammo and guns a lot, and hadn't invested in finance or manipulation.

Happened to me as well.

Well, I don't know. I never invested in finances and never had money issues, my Ventrue and Tremere characters both used guns.

 

[Metro]

First playthrough, had nothing in finances, maxed ranged and I never had any problems with ammo. Towards the very end I was probably down past five hundred or so after stocking up for the final mission(s) but never really cut it close.

 

[FatCat]

Well i lost my VTMB virginity , Tremere playtrough was quite cool , tough i found myself using melee with bloodshield almost all the time.
Game begins great , but burns out quite fast after Hollywood it was bit painful to play.
Quest design is what really stood out in this game.All sub-quests ware really meaty (except ones you get trough email).

 

[Clockwork Knight]

All I know is that during my nosferatu playthrough I just wanted my last armor to look like this

The "Bottom as FUCK" default outfit should've been a hint.

No I don't care that the game begins with you fucking someone of the opposite sex*, there's no way someone that dresses that way can be hetero.


*I wonder what would happen if Bioware developed it. The last question of the clan personality test would be "Do you like boys?", and then the model at the cutscene would change. It would be lauded as the pinnacle of choice in RPGs, and mods would be released to change your sire into an anthropomorphic fox with a pierced dick. Another mod would change the Nosferatu model into Sephiroth.

 

[Satori (original)]

Well i lost my VTMB virginity , Tremere playtrough was quite cool , tough i found myself using melee with bloodshield almost all the time.
Game begins great , but burns out quite fast after Hollywood it was bit painful to play.
Quest design is what really stood out in this game.All sub-quests ware really meaty (except ones you get trough email).

And now it's time for a Malkavian run. Even if you don't feel like it just try it for a while and I guarantee you'll love it.

 

[Excidium]

*I wonder what would happen if Bioware developed it. The last question of the clan personality test would be "Do you like boys?", and then the model at the cutscene would change. It would be lauded as the pinnacle of choice in RPGs, and mods would be released to change your sire into an anthropomorphic fox with a pierced dick. Another mod would change the Nosferatu model into Sephiroth.

I don't want to even think of a VtM game by Bioware.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

I want to be a methuselah.

 

[Jaesun]

All I know is that during my nosferatu playthrough I just wanted my last armor to look like this:

I kind of wish that was an option too for Nosferatu. I still have yet to play one, the S&M thing just wasn't my thing.

 

[laclongquan]

posting some usual 2011 things

You are guaranteed a 2nd play through just to see what did you miss the 1st time and believe you me you will miss a lot.
You are guaranteed a 3rd play after that if you run 1st game as Malkavian, because you just cant believe what your 2nd run tell you and you have to check it again as Malk.

1st run as Malkavian and you expect to get 80% of game? Only if you stuck your nose on to a walkthrough and pay no attention to what you are playing. Malkavian demented whisper in the shadows are scary as shit and WILL distract you from lots of things.

Anyway, back to the game:

Giovanni mansion got a hidden behind-the-wall secret route, have you checked it yet?

And Blunt Fang sacrificed your Unarmed combat option. A bit too big for a sacrifice, I wager.

 

[visions]

Malkavian demented whisper in the shadows are scary as shit and WILL distract you from lots of things.

At first I actually thought these whispers were there for everyone, only when my brother saw me playing and said that those whispers you have in the background with your Malk are pretty cool, I recognised this wasn't the case.

Regarding ammo... I wasn't maybe exactly broke but I remember I used most of the money for guns/ammo and never felt like I have too much money and that it has become pointless, as one usually ends up in rpgs.

 

[zool]

Oh btw, the clan quest mod for the tremere has a small surprise.

And what exactly is that? I've done a full Tremere playthrough with the latest CQM and didn't notice anything unusual (except for the extra quests and associated rewards ofc).