Not defending Paradox’s scummy business practices in any way, but by and large Paradox games’ DLC usually came after their games have been out for a while. What’s happening with VtM:B2 is a whole other level of shit.
Paradox DLCs also classically add a ton of content every single time. Sure Stellaris kind of sucks as a new player because there’s $260 of content, but it’s perfectly playable and even good with only the base version and then you pick whatever new content you like as you want more of it. Rimworld has the exact same strategy and I don’t see people complain about that. They release a complete game without any obviously missing parts and then keep bolting on cool new extra parts for the next 10 years.
All that to say, yeah this is kind of out of character for Paradox. Which does have me concerned about this.
It’s a good thing that I haven’t given Paradox money since Cities: Skylines was released (solid game, but the transportation system was lacking on release).
IS VTM Bloodlines (not to be confused with VTM Redemption or VTM Dating Sim Game) particularly known for being RP heavy? Or, at least, should it be?
Because I played Bloodlines and I even did a replay a few years back. Yeah, the hub city sounds a lot more “alive” than in the article… in the sense that just about every NPC had an interaction. But we also had maybe like ten NPCs (outside of the people dancing to Kidneythieves. Great band). This kind of feels like any game where the engine/tech is at the point that we can handle actual crowds but… how many people in a crowd do you expect to have a conversation with you if you walk up to them?
And the rest of the moment to moment gameplay really did feel like corridors with a few vents you could walk through and a LOT of people to mow down.
Don’t get me wrong. I really would prefer a VTMB that is what we “remember” VTMB to be and not what it actually was. But… that article very much sounds like just about every Troika game: Some REALLY cool dialogue based quests that have little to no bearing on the game outside of what XP bonuses you get. And then pretty janky ARPG combat once they ran out of money. And in that sense? Get the banner because it is Mission Accomplished.
Also my memories of VTM Redemption are that it was some super deep CRPG spanning centuries and was amazing. But I am pretty sure it was also an ARPG with some dialogue. I should replay that…
Not sure if this is what they’re talking about, but they made an ARG as part of the early VTMB2 promotion stuff. You had to do stuff within a fake dating app called Tender that was made in-universe to help vampires find feeding targets.
I don’t think any CRPG is RP heavy. I don’t think it’s possible for a computer game to roleplay. Well, maybe if they integrate LLMs? But generally, any RP happens entirely in the player’s head.
I think CRPGs that are sometimes seen as RP heavy, are just very well written. That’s not the same thing, although I suppose it’s possible for good writing to inspire RP in the player. But that depends as much on the player as it depends on the writing.
I enjoyed the original VTMB a lot, mostly because of its excellent atmosphere.
They could’ve postponed that for like half a year, but they seem to doubt they’d sell anything then, after release. Bad PR move for already troubled game. I think it’s a really bad sign if publishers does just that.
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