Backlog redemption: VtM or kotor next

[Crilloan]

Hello!

As most people who frequent this forum I have a quite substantial backlog of games
that I missed to play or bought but never got time or itch to play.

I have narrowed it down to clubbing the classics and just finished Half Life 2, and slowly continuing with the episodes.

So, were should I spend my very precious gaming time next?

Vampire the Masquerade or KOTOR ?
Both bought in a moment of weakness on our common drug dealer, steam.

Which one have survived the test of time best?
Mods necessary?

Regards
C

 

[Gorath]

Vampire: Bloodlines or VtM: Redemption?

Bloodlines was very well received. I enjoyed Redemption too, but I needed some hacking to add a save-anywhere.

KotOR is a game everybody likes. Quality game of medium complexity with the typically slow Bioware start.

 

[Pladio]

Very slow start
Good game though.

 

[Crilloan]

Vampire: Bloodlines or VtM: Redemption?
...
KotOR is a game everybody likes. Quality game of medium complexity with the typically slow Bioware start.

Had to check up my steam library, bloodlines it is.
I had a "ugly" version of kotor years ago but it was hard to get it to work on a more modern system, is it better now?

C

..and, to my great shame, I still havent finished Planescape:Torment, but I figured that it is more of a winter kind of game

 

[JemyM]

Bloodlines was a damn fine RPG and certainly among the ones I would mention in a favorite list, but KOTOR is like the Godfather of gaming, the game everyone should play and if nothing else form your own opinion about.

Redemption was actually not a horrible game for what it was and it's a very odd title.

 

[JDR13]

I enjoyed VtM:B far more than KotOR, but I think you should just play the game that better fits your mood. After all, you're comparing apples and oranges. VtM is more comparable to something like Deus Ex.

Make sure you install the unofficial patch from Wesp5 when you play VtM.

 

[Crilloan]

I enjoyed VtM:B far more than KotOR, but I think you should just play the game that better fits your mood. After all, you're comparing apples and oranges. VtM is more comparable to something like Deus Ex.

Make sure you install the unofficial patch from Wesp5 when you play VtM.

Had major troubles getting kotor to work, on VtM, is it Wesp5 basic or plus for a first time (and in all likelihood only) play-through?

regards
C

 

[Thrasher]

Yeah, VtM would get my vote. It's a much more interesting game than KotOR, both in setting and story and NPCs and character development and questing. But I like KotoR too. If you would rather prefer putting together a team for missions from picked up companions, lots of companion dialog and reputation building, and awkward RTwP combat, then pick KotOR.

 

[JDR13]

on VtM, is it Wesp5 basic or plus for a first time (and in all likelihood only) play-through?

It's not going to be remarkably different either way. I also wouldn't be so quick to assume that you'll never replay it. VtM has a very high degree of replayability.

 

[DArtagnan]

Both are pretty much equally good (fantastic) in their own ways, so it's very hard to recommend one over the other.

I'd probably decide based on the setting more than anything else. If you're in the mood for Star Wars done right (after the awful new trilogy) - then go KotOR. If you're in the mood for a dark/gothic modern setting - go Bloodlines.

 

[CountChocula]

I'd go with Bloodlines - fantastic game and still supported with community patches as recently as a few months ago.

 

[bkrueger]

First Bloodlines, then KotoR, then Bloodlines as a Malkavian.

 

[JemyM]

Beyond atmosphere the mechanics are quite different. Bloodlines is a first-person shooter using a simplified World of Darkness ruleset. This is an uncommon design and unlike games such as S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Boiling Point the game is hub-based rather than free roaming. Replaying the game with a malkavian is recommended.

Beyond the Star Wars setting, KOTOR is a partybased game using the Star Wars d20 ruleset which is somewhat above average when it comes to advanced CRPG's, allowing the player to make very different "builds" and combine party tactics. While you have no real companions in Bloodlines, KOTOR is very much centered on the people you pick up, each one with their own story and subquest.

 

[Menigal]

I'd recommend Bloodlines. I absolutely hate modern vampires and still enjoy it enough to replay it every so often. The end-game is a mess, so you might want to use a mod to make it a bit more bearable. Play as a "normal" clan first, then do it again as a Malkavian for some real fun.

KotOR is… a Bioware game. So… dull, by-the-numbers, and lacking in any sort of passion, but with lots of talky NPCs and a "romance" that are supposed to make up for bad gameplay. If you like their other stuff, give it a try, but after Bloodlines.

 

[joxer]

Meh, what's the point of this thread? Both are good ones, so grab both. NOW.

 

[JemyM]

The end-game is a mess, so you might want to use a mod to make it a bit more bearable.

This is the reason why Bloodlines is good but not unmissable. The pnp roleplaying game is not a combat-oriented game, social "power" like making people follow you or do your bidding are very important. In Bloodlines they try to keep the player mechanics but haven't implemented the world necessary to use them. Especially around 2/3-3/4 in when the developers ran out of money and the publisher rushed the game out of the door, so the game becomes a non-stop dungeonbasher which makes social clans unnecessary hard to play. That's usually where I give up my playthrough of clans that aren't clearly combat-oriented like Brujah or Gangrel. They even crippled Potence and Fortitude so that they cost blood to use, which uneccessarily cripples Ventrue and Nosferatu. The patches and mods do fix some of these issues though.

Bloodlines is kinda similar to KOTOR2, Lionheart, Temple of Elemental Evil and Gothic 3 in that regard. Not void of quality content but far from perfect with a "missing" endgame.

 

[Fnord]

Bloodlines. With the fan patch, of course.
Then KoTOR, just so that you can play KoTOR 2 (fan patch again!), which is a far better game.

 

[Crilloan]

well, starting with bloodlines it will be, was easier to get it to work thanks to wesps mod, still havent managed to get kotor to work satisfactory, so it will be when I can muster the energy to get widescreen and all working.

I think Ill just play along and see what happens, with the intro start and all.
No Idea about clans and whatnot so I will let the game decide that for me. (nice touch with the intro I think)

C

and I definitely want to sample some of kotor and kotor2 later, Mister Lucas, excuse me while I bash your nose and kick your groin for Jar Jar Binks

 

[JemyM]

I would advice to skip Nosferatu or Malkavian on your first playthrough.
Ventrue, Tremere or Toreador is doable but harder.
Gangrel or Brujah easier.

 

[joxer]

so that you can play KoTOR 2 (fan patch again!), which is a far better game.

Unless your disc is scratched like mine and now you can only cry as Kotor2 is not digitally distributed in online stores and prices on ebay and elsewhere for retail version tend to be rediculously high.