Well, I'm not sure how one would get from the available material that we cant customize our vampires. If thats the case, well, we also couldnt pick how we looked in VtMB1, either. Wouldnt be too essential for me, as long as its a pure singleplayer game. And yes a female Brujah would of course be tomboyish. In general Brujah is the clan I pick if I want an easy game. AFAICS its also the clan you start with in Vampire: The Masquerade: Redemption. So Brujah is really the most boring clan. You can fight very well, and you dont really have any actual weakness, but your socials etc have to be developed first.

DLCs are unfortunately the Paradox Interactive way. I dont think theres a way around that one. Theres a reason I dont own any of their games. Well, one of the reasons. Another is for example that the Stellaris AI was never really up to the task, probably because they kept making the game ever more complex with keeping releasing new DLCs. Their other big game, Crusader Kings, doesnt really appeal to me anyway.

That said if the game releases with like Brujah, Ventrue, Toreador and Tremere I think I'm out. Those are the boring clans. The interesting ones are Malkavian, Nosferatu, Gangrel.

Could be that they fully implement the clans though. According to the original rules, you can get MULTIPLE abilities per tier of discipline. So that would make even the boring clans a LOT more interesting. Especially Tremere in VtMB1 basically had only one discipline worth bothering with and felt very much like a one trick pony. Amazingly bad for being supposedly a wizard vampire.

Either way if the game is only really finished if you buy half a douzen DLCs first then thats a problem for me. We'll see. If its just one or two, well, its Paraodox. It was kind of to be expected. Annoying, but no game company is ever perfect. BG3 romances for example suck big time.


P.s.: Cant really think of any issue with Bioware, before they got sold to EA, though. I mean I didnt liked all of their games, Mass Effect was far too shooter-y for me, and Dragon Age: Origins had a far too simplistic rulesystem. And I wished they had made a D&D game with the combat complexity of The Temple of Elemental Evil (which was awful in every other regard). Well, and obviously in retrospect I really wished they wouldnt have sold to EA, just because they wanted to make a story heavy MMORPG. Which in turn IMHO is also not such a great idea.

https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2/news/clan-reveal-tremere

"Second Playable Clan: Tremere

Good evening Kindred,

Last week we revealed the first of the playable clans for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, Brujah. Today we’re excited to be sharing the second playable of the four available at release, in Fall of 2024. Following launch, two additional clans will be made available in DLC: one giving you a new way to experience the main-game and another offering a completely unique Seattle story.

From the ashes of the attack on their main chantry, the Tremere know the clan is injured but far from fallen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gyzRvi3NTs

Playing as a Tremere in Bloodlines 2

As a Tremere in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, you use your arcane powers to control your own Blood and that of your foes. The playstyle is rewarding when keeping your distance in combat, making enemies scream in agony as you boil their blood, shaping your own vitae into projectiles, or even ripping the blood from their veins.

https://images.ctfassets.net/u73tyf0fa8v1/5QkRCsEsccawQYE6B6AlOA/58cc3bbd61cb49ca63e7b85ad18ff20d/Tremere_02_Render.png
Render of female Phyre with one of the Tremere-styled outfits. All clans can earn all outfits.

https://images.ctfassets.net/u73tyf0fa8v1/3jYekPSJcvtxEyJ4kzJVvO/e8265150c09e718b0e346c98232a5093/bloodlines-gif.gif
Tremeres are experts in Blood Sorcery, giving them Discipline powers that can shape vitae.

What's Next?

Next week, we’re on hiatus for Thanksgiving, but we’ll be back with a third playable clan at the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted on the 30th of November."

A long and detailed intro ! ;-)

It doesnt look too bad. Hopefully Tremere will be more than the one trick ponys they are in VtMB1

You do you, but I prefer to be optimistic about things.

Baldurs Gate 3 was waaaaaay better than I expected. I was hoping for like 50% Baldurs Gate 2, but in most respects I got more than 100%.

Except for the romances. But one cant win them all.

BG3 had years of early access to gather both support and feedback though. It's easier to be optimisitc about something you have some knowledge of how it's being created

larian studios never hide information nor gameplay video's even had a early access.
this game 15 seconds tops no real information. they hiding it.

VTMB2 devs be like: "making into trailer videos be hard"

https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2/news/clan-reveal-banu-haqim

"Good evening Kindred,

Earlier this month, we announced the first two clans of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, Brujah and Tremere. Today at PC Gamer Most Wanted, we introduce the third playable clan of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2.

Following launch, two additional clans will be made available in DLC: one giving you a new way to experience the main-game and another offering a completely unique Seattle story.

Who are the Banu Haqim?

The Clan of the Hunt, Assassins, Children of Haqim, Saracens, Mediators, Lawmen

Cursed with a thirst for the Blood of other vampires, the Banu Haqim stalk the night as judges and lawbringers. To this end, most Banu Haqim adhere to a strict code of conduct - derived from law, faith, or personal ethics - sating their Hunger on those that breach these convictions.

Concept Art

https://images.ctfassets.net/u73tyf0fa8v1/1agw0UikhTizbbS99jwAuz/efaf21c4ba13a9dacc9a9ae873cb45f8/Banu_Abilities_Blade01_v04.jpg
Banu Haqim powers focus on strategic stalking, avoiding attacks and assassination.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcDEhivcr-w

What's Next?

Banu Haqim is the third clan we’ve revealed for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, next week we will be back with our final base-game clan. Following the holiday break, we’ll be back with an extended gameplay reveal in January 2024 before going into depth on each playable clan during the opening months of 2024."

Well, that was unexpected, not exactly one of the common clans afaik (but may be wrong). But i guess it's the way to keep the archetypes and still leave Nosferatu for DLC.

not that unexpected. the main charcater for Vampire: The Masquerade - Justice is Banu Haqim, so I guess they are going to link things together

Thats a strange arithmetic to go by, but okay.

https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2/news/clan-reveal-ventrue

"Good evening Kindred,

Last month, we announced three of four playable clans in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2: Brujah, Tremere and Banu Haqim. Today, we’d like to share the fourth clan with you: Ventrue. The clan assets for Ventrue are in the process of being finalized, and we will share assets and gameplay showing off the playstyle of Ventrue during next year. Ahead of that deep dive we’re showing off an in-game render of Phyre in one of the Ventrue-themed outfits (all clans can earn all outfits).

Following launch, two additional clans will be made available in DLC: one giving you a new way to experience the main-game and another offering a completely unique Seattle story.

Who are the Ventrue?

The Clan of Kings, Blue Bloods, Tyrants, Warlords, Patricians, Borgias

Ventrue vampires usually choose their progeny from mortals familiar with power, wealth and influence. Seeing themselves as the rightful leaders of vampire society, Kindred of clan Ventrue take up the mantle of leadership wherever possible, often in the form of high positions in Camarilla Courts.

Concept Art

https://images.ctfassets.net/u73tyf0fa8v1/3O7TgCQtmcY1l91cDs6nda/0d43917c4793e816d1d8274b558cb9d3/Ventrue-gif-bloodlines-2.gif

Playing as a Ventrue in Bloodlines 2

Ventrue are blue blooded tyrants who incite obedience in both their allies and their foes. Using the Disciplines of Presence and Dominate, they can mesmerize as well as awe their prey. Feeding builds up Fortitude, allowing the Ventrue to soak up more damage in case any enemy is powerful enough to resist their force of will.

https://images.ctfassets.net/u73tyf0fa8v1/1bgVF9dFtRdYu0LhrSoeRj/64a493c39fc7e0df9311ae10e0661b94/Marketing_Ventrue_03.png
Concept art of Phyre with one of the Ventrue-styled outfits. All clans can earn all outfits.

What's Next?

Following the holiday break, we’ll be back with an extended gameplay reveal in January 2024 before going into depth on each playable clan during the opening months of 2024."

Why, what an exciting array of initial clans.[1]

They really want us to buy expansions in order to get to an interesting game.



[1]: If you can find any sarcasm in this sentence, well ...