Part 57: I - Into The Fire

Alright, no sense beating around the bush, let's get to it. Vampire: Bloodlines, Antitribu Mod, let's do this shit.



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 ass 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




Disciplines:

Potence: Works just like in vanilla.
Dominate: Has had some changes made.

• Level 1: Command - Activation Cost: 1 blood. Forces the victim to perform a simple command, although your powerful will may drive some to madness. Those who succumb will busy themselves with basic tasks, leaving you in peace.
  
• Level 2: Mesmerise - Activation Cost: 2 blood. You can now force your victims to wound themselves. Some weak minded targets may cower in fear as they tear at their own flesh.
  
• Level 3: The Forgetful Mind - Activation Cost: 3 blood. Enemies forget your presence for a short time. The greater the distance between you and your foe the better the effect of the power.
  
• Level 4: Conditioning - Activation Cost: 4 blood. Your dominance is so total that people die at your command. Those who resist may act unpredictably, staring in glazed confusion, flying into a panic or savaging people at random.
  
• Level 5: Possession - Activation Cost: 5 blood. Targets become your willing slave. Some may break your control after 30 seconds, but most will follow you forever. Those who resist your initial mental assault may go mad or even die.
  

Obtenebration: "Obtenebration stems from the same darkness that fills the unlife of every Lasombra, allowing them to give it form and substance with control over it. A living shadow moving about independently breaks the Masquerade quickly."

• Level 1: Shadow Play - Sculpt and twist the very shadows around you, which distracts and disorients your enemies. Every moving shadow exists 10 sec.
  
• Level 2: Shroud of Sight - Bathe an area in utter blackness, granting +3 to sneaking for 12 sec as enemies are struck blind. This dark embrace leaves some foes fleeing in terror.
  
• Level 3: Arms of the Abyss - Summon a tendril of raw, abyssal shadow that will lash out at your foes, moving with terrifying speed. Arm of Abyss exist 15 sec.
  
• Level 4: Black Metamorphosis - Encase your body in nightmarish armour (+5 to soak) and grow black tentacles from your sides that damage and knockdown enemies in a small radius. Lasts 15 sec.
  
• Level 5: Tenebrous Form - Transform into pure shadow. You are immune to damage and gain +5 to sneaking. Like any shadow, gravity cannot bind you to the earth. Lasts 15 sec.
  

Gameplay effect: Lasombra cast no reflection, so any reflective surface has a chance of betraying the Lasombra's nature.

Followers of Set




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.

• Level 1: Eyes of the Serpent - Immobilize someone with your gaze. Those hypnotized can be touched but can not be attacked. Lasts 15 seconds. 20% chance to frighten the enemy. Does not violate the Masquerade.
  
• 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.
  
• Level 3: Form of the Cobra - Transform into a large, venomous snake, able to spit burning acid (basic attack) and bite viciously (alt attack, 'q' by default). Lasts 45 seconds. Activation violates the Masquerade.
  
• Level 4: Obsession - Fill your victim with lust for an object or condition. Lasts 5-10 seconds. The victim falls into a frenzy afterwards which lasts 10-15 seconds, then experiences paranoia, apathy or fear. Does not violate the Masquerade.
  
• Level 5: Breathe the Sandstorm - Exhale a scorching blast of sand. The sandstorm itself moves, finds and strikes enemies (exept bosses, skeletons and zombies). Lasts 35 seconds. Activation violates the Masquerade.
  

Obfuscate: Works just like in vanilla.
Presence: Works just like in vanilla.

Gameplay effect: Penalty to Sneaking and Obfuscate depending on the illumination.

Old Clan Tzimisce




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.

• Level 1: Sweet Whispers - Activation Cost: 1 Blood. Black ravens swoop over a small area, distracting and confusing your foes.
  
• Level 2: The Beckoning - Activation Cost: 1 Blood. A large swarm of rats bite and claw at your enemies in a larger area, confounding them.
  
• Level 3: Feral Summoning - Activation Cost: 2 Blood. Your call is answered by a large, feral dog that will attack your enemies. Only one such dog can answer at a time and they will flee after a minute.
  
• Level 4: Howl of the Beast - Activation Cost: 3 Blood. Your howl summons a great, grey wolf who, for the next minute, savages your foes. Only one wolf will fight for you at a time.
  
• Level 5: Leader of the Pack - Activation Cost: 3 Blood. You can call as many wolves as you wish who will remain for one minute or until struck down.
  

Dominate: See Lasombra.

Gameplay effect: Tzimisce are very territorial and are weakened by long stays away from their haven.

Samedi




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."

• Level 1: Tremens - The Necromancer makes the flesh of a corpse rise. Unable to muster the power to strike or defend itself, the zombie can still distract terrified adversaries. Costs 1 blood per activation. Lasts 7 seconds.
  
• Level 2: Apprentice's Brooms - The Necromancer beckons dead bodies to get up and move about. Like Tremens, these corpses are defenceless, but will mindlessly take blows meant for the Necromancer. Costs 2 blood per activation. Lasts 60 seconds.
  
• Level 3: Shambling Hordes - The Necromancer reanimates dead bodies capable of attacking. These ghouls lack alacrity [Ed. Note - I don't think "alacrity" is the word you wanted to use here, "celerity" was probably the one you mean idea] and direction, but make up for it in their ready availability. Costs 3 blood per activation. Lasts 60 seconds.
  
• Level 4: Soul Stealing - Giovanni use this ability to put a stray soul into a dead body, thereby strengthening it. Samedi to raise more zombies hordes to overwhelm prey. Nagaraja to summon a loyal wraith from the Shadowlands.
  
• Level 5: Daemonic Possession - Giovanni use possession to free the ghost from dead body in the material world. Samedi to raise skeletons and zombies in droves. Nagaraja to summon a wild, vicious Spectre!
  

Thanatosis: "Samedi posses this unique discipline. Focused on rot and decay, it is similar to Necromancy and may have evolved from some of the Paths of Mortis."

• Level 1: Hags' Wrinkles - Activation Cost: 1 blood. Allows you to stretch your flesh tight across your body or loosen it into folds of flesh to mask your appearance.
  
• Level 2: Putrefaction - Activation Cost: 2 blood. Riddles the target with necrosis and rot, forcing them to freeze in pain and confusion.
  
• Level 3: Ashes to Ashes - Activation Cost: 3 blood. The Samedi dissipates itself into a pile of ashes as though it had met the Final Death, making it immune to additional damage and the brutal caress of flames.
  
• Level 4: Withering - Activation Cost: 4 blood. Victims of this vicious power rot from the inside, falling apart before their own eyes. Enemies effected by this loathsome ability cannot aim a gun, though they may still flail their withering limbs.
  
• Level 5: Compress - Activation Cost: 5 blood. Skin tightens, muscles tense, rot boils over and, finally, the victim ruptures and showers the area in their viscera.
  

Gameplay effect: Seduction is impossible and their appearance puts the Masquerade at risk.

Tzimisce




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.

• Level 1: Changeling - Activation Cost: 1 blood. You change your appearance to become alluring and beautiful. Increases your seduction dialogue options, lasts 15 seconds.
  
• Level 2: Fleshcraft - Activation Cost: 2 blood. The victim of this power has their flesh rebel against them, tightening, twisting and refusing to move even when struck.
  
• Level 3: Bonecraft - Activation Cost: 3 blood. Bones erupt out of the victims flesh, pushing their way through muscle and skin, causing agony and, if they are lucky, death.
  
• Level 4: Horrid Form - Activation Cost: 4 blood. Reshaping their own flesh into a war beast, fit only for killing, the Tzimisce use this to personally shred their enemies with bone talons. Lasts 40 seconds.
  
• Level 5: Szlachta Creation - Activation Cost: 5 blood. The pride of the Tzimisce Clan are their misshapen foot soldiers, the Szlachta! Creating on requires flesh, a skeleton and 5 blood points. If you lack these things the ritual will still rob you of 1 blood point.
  

Gameplay effect: Tzimisce are very territorial and are weakened by long stays away from their haven.

Nagaraja




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.

• Level 1: Eyes of the Wraith - Allows you to step into the Shadowlands. Only the truly dead can detect a vampiric wraith and only the claws of the most fearsome supernatural creatures can strike you, but neither may you touch the world of the living while you travel. Lasts 10 seconds.
  
• Level 2: Consume the Dead - You can gain vitae from ghosts. Wraiths are rare and elusive and prone to lash out violently if disturbed. Lasts 20 seconds.
  
• Level 3: Aura of Decay - Accelerates all entropy processes around you. Living flesh wilts and material objects wither within the aura. Lasts 12 seconds.
  
• Level 4: The Dark Touch - Focuses Oblivion energy towards a living object. The caster thrusts his hand out, allowing pure nothingness to consume those he points at. Costs 4 blood per activation.
  
• Level 5: Nightcry - Summons creatures from the Shadowlands. Costs 5 blood per activation. Lasts 60 seconds per activation.
  

Necromancy: See Samedi.

Gameplay effect: To survive, the Nagaraja must constantly consume raw, human flesh.

Giovanni




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, fuck, 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 shit 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 FUCK 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 fuck 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. Fucking 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 fuck 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 fuck 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 fuck it does not, because it would be damn 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 ass, 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 ass 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!