John
Doran


10/5/09

GAT211



Game
Building
Mechanics:


Vampire:
The
Masquerade
–
Bloodlines






Vampire:
The
Masquerade:
Bloodlines
is
an
overlooked
gem
of
a
game
that
has
a


lot
of
value
in
it.
While
not
seen
in
general
as
a
building
game,
it
does
have
a
mulAtude


of
mechanics
that
make
the
game
stand
out
even
today.
The
game
begins
with
the


player
just
turning
into
a
vampire
against
his/her
character’s
will.
However,
anyone


playing
the
game
already
knew
they
would
be
playing
a
vampire
that
it
doesn’t
take


anything
away
from
the
player.
AQer
being
“embraced”,
the
character
goes
into
a
very


complex
web
of
storylines
intertwined
in
a
dark
version
of
modern‐day
Los
Angeles.


Throughout
the
game
the
player
will
visit
many
different
areas
including
raver
clubs,


graveyards,
mansions,
and
one
of
the
scariest
hotels
I’ve
ever
experienced
in
a
game.

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content
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2009
DigiPen
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CorporaAon,
all
rights
reserved.

 
 John
Doran

10/5/09

GAT211



In
the
game
the
player
takes
on
the
persona
of
a
character
of
the
player’s
own


choosing
from
many
different
types
of
clans,
which
changes
what
the
player
look
like
as


well
as
what
sex
they
are.
This
determines
what
powers
the
player
have
access
to


throughout
the
game.
In
certain
situaAons
it
changes
dialog
opAons,
and
in
one
case,


the
characters
very
sanity.
This
one
thing
gives
the
game
a
very
high
replay
level
and


creates
a
very
visible
building
mechanic
as
the
game
lays
out
everything
that
the
player


can
do
and
how
it
works
in
the
game;
aside
from
various
combat
powers,
which
are


done
in
covert
building
fashion.


Your
clan

determines
your

powers
as
well
as

your
appearance


in
the
game




The
game
gives
the
player
many
areas
in
which
to
build
the
player’s
character
in
an
exposed
game

mechanic.



There
are
many
different
storylines
that
the
player
may
become
entangled
in
by


meeAng
new
people
or
helping
out
the
town’s
Prince
(the
World
of
Darkness’


equivalent
of
a
leader).
This
building
of
storylines
is
a
covert
building
mechanic
as


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content
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2009
DigiPen
(USA)
CorporaAon,
all
rights
reserved.

 
 John
Doran

10/5/09

GAT211



players
are
building
their
experience
without
them
knowing
about
it.
By
compleAng


these
quests,
the
player
receives
experience
points
in
which
they
may
spend
in
the


menu
screen.
Unlike
most
other
role
playing
games,
the
player
is
only
given
experience


points
by
finishing
quests,
so
killing
enemies
do
not
help
the
player
in
any
way,
though


killing
is
oQen
involved
in
many
of
the
quests.
This
lets
the
player,
in
an
invisible
building


mechanic,
complete
quests
in
very
creaAve
ways.
The
more
points
the
player
has
in
a


skill
the
harder
it
is
to
improve
it
more.
Therefore,
in
this
very
visible
building
mechanic,


the
player
is
building
his/her
character
in
whichever
way
the
player
wants
to.
The
player


may
decide
to
focus
in
one
area
or
expand
to
be
okay
at
everything,
but
expert
at
none.


Your
feats
are

determined
by

Different
skills
do
 using
two
skills

different
things
 and
adding
the

for
the
player
 result
together




By
gaining
experience
points
by
compleAng
quests,
the
player
may
build
the
player’s
character
however

the
player
want;
much
in
the
vain
of
the
White
Wolf
RPG
the
game
is
based
off
of.




 
 As
the
game
conAnues,
the
player
begins
to
interact
with
many
different


characters
being
brought
into
the
fold
of
the
player’s
new
“un”life.
Becoming
close
to


any
one
character
has
its
repercussions.
One
of
the
most
prevalent
is
in
the
case
of

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2009
DigiPen
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CorporaAon,
all
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reserved.

 
 John
Doran

10/5/09

GAT211



Jeane`e
and
her
sister.
Both
have
problems
with
each
other
and
the
player’s


interacAons
with
both
of
them
is
vital
in
deciding
if
one
of
them
dies
or
if
they
both
find


some
way
to
reconcile
in
a
very
moving
scene
not
seen
in
a
game
of
its
Ame
or
in
recent


memory.



Different
opAons
in

conversaAons

appear
depending

on
what
you
do
in

the
game





Speaking
to
characters
really
enhances
the
game’s
story
line
and
how
the
player
does
things

greatly
effects
how
the
game’s
story
is
built
in
a
covert
game
mechanic.



The
game
also
brings
into
mind
the
player’s
morality;
making
them
decide
what


it
is
he/she
wants
to
do
through
many
of
the
tough
decisions
that
you
may
have
to
make


while
playing.
This
helps
in
creaAng
an
individual
experience
in
this
open‐ended
world


for
each
player
playing
through
the
various
building
mechanics
used
throughout
the


game.
For
example,
as
a
vampire,
the
player
has
to
suck
blood
in
order
to
survive
and


the
player
will
conAnuously
loose
blood,
so
he/she
will
always
need
to
be
on
the


lookout
for
prey.
If
the
player
does
not
he/she
will
lose
control
of
their
character
and


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content
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2009
DigiPen
(USA)
CorporaAon,
all
rights
reserved.

 
 John
Doran

10/5/09

GAT211



he/she
will
go
into
a
frenzy,
a`acking
everything
in
sight
like
an
animal,
oQen
with
fatal


results.
There
are
also
areas
in
the
game
placed
under
the
“Masquerade”
and
in
these


areas
the
player
cannot
be
caught
using
vampiric
powers,
or
else
they
would
risk
going


against
the
Camarilla
(the
equivalent
of
a
vampire
government)
and
endanger
the
world


finding
out
about
the
existence
of
vampires.
The
game
allows
players
to
make
the


decision
of
breaking
the
rules
or
not,
and
in
this
invisible
building
mechanic
the


designers
added
more
agency
to
the
game’s
world
as
it
will
act
should
the
player
act
in


breaking
the
game’s
rules
in
the
fact
that
the
police
will
fight
you
should
they
see
you
do


something
suspicious,
such
as
sucking
someone’s
blood
or
shooAng
someone.
These


aspects
of
the
game
create
a
whole
that
builds
a
foundaAon
for
a
most
excellent
game.


Can
you
rob
this
gas
staAon?
Yes.
Should
you?
That
is
up
to
how
you
wish
the
game
to
treat
you.






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content
©
2009
DigiPen
(USA)
CorporaAon,
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