With release v1.4, Windows XP (Service Pack 3) Compatibility is NOT REQUIRED and in fact the mod will not function at all if playing as V5 style thin-bood if it is set.
This is checked and enforced during the tutorial so skipping the tutorial isn't recommended unless you are absolutely certain of your settings. With v1.4 I have dropped support for Win 7. I did some testing, and it should work, but I'm not officially supporting Win 7.
Hey M2RH! Since I'm playing a thin blood I went through the readme like was suggested in order to pick a type, and I found at the end where you recommend people don't use subtitles because its hand holding(?).
It feels kind of shitty to imply an accessibility tool is some kind of cheat, so I'm wanting to clarify with you. Did you perhaps mean that spoken dialogue won't match the subtitles anymore because you've changed the order of them? If so, that's probably easily fixed, since I've played several vtmb mods with custom dialogue with subtitles to them.
Greetings - My meaning isn't that it is somehow cheating, it is intended as advice as stated in the readme: "only distract you, not help you". Which is just my opinion and suggestion based on watching streamers play VTMB. I think similar to a quote attributed to Brian Mitsoda on the Fandom Wiki:
“I'd rather the player see as little dialogue, floating numbers, chart-o-graphs as possible and stay immersed in the game.”
I also go on in the readme to say: "For non-english speaking persons this could be problematic.". Acknowledging the fact that for some players dialog will be mandatory. In that case the dialog has been edited for every instance where the mod has changed anything and also for most of the most egregious errors that I was aware of. For example, incorrect information and/or meaning that might influence a quest decision, but not for minor things like spelling and punctuation. Which I feel is adequate but not ideal for players needing subtitles.
The mods subtitles convey the meaning of the spoken words but do not (I think cannot) capture the intricacies and nuances of spoken language. The subtitles are not an exact transcript of the spoken words because I don't think that is necessary or more helpful. The meaning is already conveyed.
There is also a deeper and more complex aspect of editing the dialog which involves older characters like Beckett using antiquated spellings and punctuations in dialog. As well as running gags where some words appear to be purposely misspelled every time they are used, often in wildly amusing ways. Which feels very like the offbeat VTMB humor style to me.
Unfortunately, as with the game proper, there are so many actual errors intermixed with things that on the surface appear to be obvious errors but were actually done for a specific purpose. In the main game I have done the work to research and differentiate between the intended and actual mistakes and correct those where I find them.
But I have not done this deep dive work with the dialog because there is still work to be completed on the main game. I do think this extensive dialog work would be beneficial if done in the same manner and with the same attention to detail as I have done in the main game. However, it is not currently in my plans for being done as I have other priorities that come before this. And as I have said, I feel the dialog editing that I have done is adequate but far from ideal.
I also understand that players have different styles and motivations for playing. Which goes back to watching streamers play. Some players main focus seems to be on graphics, and they miss 90% of the advice given to them but see every tiny texture alignment issue of flicker. Others do the same thing but are obsessed and distracted by everything they perceive as issues in the subtitles. I do get that, and I also understand that I have chosen to make my mod in a more "vintage" style that might not ever appeal or conform to those player styles.
I understand where you're coming from in striving for deep immersion as somebody who I would assume hears just fine, but that's still applying some moral/purist veneer onto an accessibility tool. It's basically saying people who wear glasses can't really appreciate art and people who need canes to walk can't enjoy travelling meaningfully, and you know that isn't true at all.
Greeting creator, don’t know if you still renew this mod.my name is wong,i come to thank for your good job. This mod give me chance to been a vampire, not the ‘superhero vampire’ but a ‘thin blood’ who work hard just for keeping survive. Thank you made this mod before we could play bloodline2. Also i have tow question.when i play ‘period correct style’ it will change my models if i try to use the alchemy,how is that work? And if i play ‘V5 style’,i don’t know how should i learn the discipline ？ My apology for my poor English , waiting for you to reply. Thanks again
Thanks for your interest in the mod. If you play as a period correct thin-blood that will be like the thin-bloods on the Santa Monica beach, weak, barely above human. Therefore, you will not be able to change models or do any of the other fancy V5 things. You can find and use an athanor, but in a different way and for a different purpose than a V5 would.
If you play as a V5 style character, your path to disciplines is by acquiring an athanor and creating potions by the fixatio process. There are three levels of potions, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. The character starts with two disciplines that they will have access to throughout the game, Athanor Corporis styled (labeled Counterfeit on the character sheet and HUD discipline wheel) and Profane Hieros Gamos. Level 1 alchemy packs produce level 1 Counterfeit, Level 2 packs produce level 2 Counterfeit, etc.
Information about these thin-blood alchemy details can be found on the White Wolf Wiki alchemy page. The explanation for the why and how of this implementation can be found on the White Wolf Wiki Thin-blooded page under the Mechanics section. However, the concept of resonance is not really implemented in this mod, just thin-blooded alchemy.
While the concept of resonance is not directly implemented in the mod, there is a sort of replacement "resonance" mechanic in the mod where your character may spontaneously be able to use a random discipline for a random time. They experience "resonance" but not in any way they have any control over.
Counterfeit (Athanor Corporis) and each alchemy pack produce a fixed result. However, combining them in different ways, and even different orders, produces different results. The trick is to experiment with different combinations to see what result is produced... or not... up to the player if they want to experiment in this way.
Thank you for your kind response,there are is a new problem,a bug maybe.after i have kill the two ‘kui-jin Chipanese brother’ and found the ‘sakafuka’ at ACT5 and try to report to LX and WOLF they just don’t talk with me whatever how i try. Is any possible i could play thin-blood on ‘UP’?
Also my period correct thin-blood still can’t have any power, but is OK.it is a great story that make a thin-blood being a hero.could you please add more power like blood-healing or some more item for thin-blood? For now thin-blood just like a simply De-Buff , maybe.
Thanks for the feedback. This has been tested many times and I just retested it a few more trying to see if changing any starting conditions would produce the issue where LaCroix will not talk but could not. I cannot even see a way for it to be possible. I'm pretty confident that it is not a bug in my mod.
However, if you cannot talk to LaCroix at all, then I suspect that something has been lost by the game engine in your save file. This happens sometimes and depending on what was lost it might be as simple as restarting the game or it might require restarting from a save file from before whatever value was lost.
There is only one variable that needs to be set, in the console you can check that G.Story_State is set to 65. If it is not set to 65, that is a global value the game engine lost. You can try setting it to 65 in the console, G.Story_State=65 If that does not work your next option is to load an earlier save and replay the Giovanni part.
If it is something that happens every time you replay the Giovanni maps and you can describe to me the conditions to reproduce it, then I can fix it. As it is I can't reproduce LaCroix not talking so have not way of working on the issue.
The period correct thin-blood should not have any powers, that is sort of the definition of period correct. The XP that would have been spent on disciplines can now be spent on other things to produce the character, again sort of the point.
If you wish to make some custom character, then you may want to choose the Clanless option. Then you can build your character with only one, with two, or with three disciplines of your choosing, within the rules on the White Wolf Wiki as some clan specific disciplines are not allowed.
Thank you very much, I’ll check it again.it is true that I could spent whole XP on other skill , with out other superpower I have to rely on my only power--blood-buff and think carefully how should i do. I’m not successful neither lucky enough in real life, it is a nice game experience to being a weak thin-blood and found my own pass.
by the way , I would appreciate it if you could sand back the item form the 'prince regent' that could up my bloodbuff
If you mean give the Bloodstar to a period correct thin-blood that is probably a good thing to think about. I will look into doing that and see what I can come up with. It cannot be done the same as in the original game because of the story changes in the mod. But there is surely a way to do it that makes sense with the new story.
little curious will the prince let me life if I am a thin-boold ,even nines push him.
If you mean in the beginning of the game, then I think not. Without Nines I think the prince kills the character, but it is only a guess.
If you mean are the game endings different then yes and no. There are a bunch of variations on the endings starting as early as decisions you make in Santa Monica. But eventually all the variations do resolve into one of the standard endings from the original game.
on my bad, the bug is after found the key of sarcophagus.
Do you mean returning after Hallowbrook hotel mission or do you mean after getting the key from Ming-Xiao? If it is after getting key from Ming how did you get the key? By fighting Ming or by peaceful method not fighting. Also, which ending did you choose/who did you side with in the ending?
I’m so sorry that I play too much VTMB this days and try to find those bugs , it make me a little confuse. Now i’m sure is after i kill those hunter and found the expert an old man who know lot about the sarcophagus. The saba attack the prince ,it is a mess down the building. When i go up try to report to prince and historian wolf they don’t talk to me. The prince just stand here like a ‘T model’ . The bug also happened on Chapter 1 when I report to the “two face sisters” while ‘they’ try too kill each other ，the movie stuck when Therese hold the gun , i must go around and reload the game to fix it. Usually i will push my self to finish game in one life , but it looks like too hard if without power. Dam why i speak like a malkavian when use English.
Those few day,I tried to both play VTMBup and your mod.unfortunately my ‘hake still’ is absolutely zero. Basic game have many bug , It’s hard to finish the game whiteout up......
It sounds like you had an unlucky experience which is unfortunate but not unexpected. I'm sorry your experience was not better but thanks for trying the mod.
Greeting creator, i being surprised that you still renew this mod.my name is wong,i come to thank for your good job. This mod give me chance to been a vampire, not the ‘superhero vampire’ but a ‘thin blood’ who work hard just for keeping survive. Thank you made this mod before we could play bloodline2.Also i have tow question.when i play ‘period correct style’ it will change my models if i try to use the alchemy,how is that work? And if i play ‘V5 style’,i don’t know how should i learn the discipline ？My apology for my poor English , waiting for you to reply. Thanks again
Is there a way i can change the female thinblood model to a custom one? I have a model with armor and stuff, I just can't seem to find where to put it to replace the mod-designated one.
Yes, there is. I copied out the paths from the SMP/Vdata/System/Clandoc000.txt file below, so you have a few choices.
Since I don't know what you have, I can't say which I think is best. If you have a complete package, I would use Packfile Explorer to extract Clandoc000.txt from SMP/pack000.vpk and edit it to reflect the existing paths in your package. Then the package can be extracted/copied/applied over the top of the SMP directory as long as root of package is Models, Materials, etc and not Unofficial_Patch/Models, Unofficial_Patch/Materials, etc. Or anything else I guess like CQM/Models, etc.
If the root is Unofficial_Patch (or anything else) you will have to strip that off using whatever method you find best. If you don't know how to use Packfile Explorer I made a video tutorial showing the use of some SDK tools: https://youtu.be/kS_fHfvSe6o
If you do not have a package but just some loose files/individual models, you can place them (rename/move) directly into the directory structures listed below: meaning SMP/models/character/..., SMP/materials/models/character/..., etc. In that case you will be responsible for making sure all the correct entries and links for your models/textures match the new structure/point to the right new locations. Again, there are several ways to accomplish this and it depends on what you are starting with and how well/standard the models are "structured" to begin with.
Thank you thank you! I got it to work! I was a bit confused for a hot minute but with your assistance and your youtube video i got it figured out. I decided the easiest way was to just point at the brujah model instead of renaming the mod parts. I wasn't sure where to put her so i admit i just dropped her files in the normal one and the caitiff folder which was probably overkill but look at her! Now I'm ready to play :]
(mod is https://www.nexusmods.com/vampirebloodlines/mods/244?tab=description)
I'm trying to follow the install instructions, but I can't find the "Undisciplined Caitiff Install.cmd" (application) file. I tried extracting the main file and the hotfix, but I got nothing out of them. I'm sorry for my illiteracy with tech, I'm bad with computers and files.
Try watching the install video in the VIDEOS tab page, there is also an image file in the IMAGES tab page showing how the folder should look when the archives are extracted correctly. The files you need to check are highlighted in the image and one of those files is the Undisciplined Caitiff Install.cmd file.
Your Windows settings determine if the cmd extension is shown or hidden. If hidden the file will be just show up as Undisciplined Caitiff Install
Hello how can i be part of clan tremere or other than ventrue?, is possible to have other skin that is not the one from ventrue? i played a caittif char and it became ventrue with a email of lacroix, thanks
It is something I have been thinking about, but I have not implemented anything like that yet. The reason the character needed to change into one of the 7 original clans was because of a quirk of the game file system. Unless a character is one of the original 7 clans, they can't buy armor. Since I had to use an existing clan, I thought Ventrue was the most logical since we are mostly working for LaCroix, even if it's against our will.
I just tried to modify my ChangeClan script to see if it was easy to convert for Tremere instead of Ventrue and it is possible but not as easy as I had hoped so I can't offer you any easy way to change to Tremere for now. It's a bigger rewrite encompassing many more things than I thought at first. But if I do come up with a way to choose a clan, I'll post it here.
If you had a choice of clans, would you like to choose it at the start of the game or later in the game? Would you want to play the entire game as Caitiff without ever having to be one of the original clans? Any ideas for how to justify the change for other clans with in-game reasons?
UPDATE: I worked on it some more and it is even more complicated than I guessed. I think it can be done and is a cool idea, but it would be a whole new release and require starting a new game, sorry about that.
UPDATE2: Just to be clear you didn't actually become Ventrue did you? LaCroix just accepts you into Ventrue clan, but nothing actually changes except your clan symbol, and you can buy armor. You are still Caitiff with the same discipline set and points as before the email. If you start as a female, you will have Tremere clothes, mostly, I did edit two sets very slightly. If you are not averse to changing gender, you can easily have Tremere clothes that way by entering vgender_int 0 into the console.
Well thanks for the answer, i think is best to have a choice to be a caitiff for all the game or join a clan, the best moment for that can be before a few missions, for example after the gargoyle with strauss, so you can have the tremere haven and no conflict with other haven, another important thing may be being a caitiff but with which skin? in the start choose diferent skins and gender but all are caitiff, yeah he aceppted me in the ventrue clan. The mod is awesome it just need the choice of which skin and clan ( or keep as caitiff) you want to be. No problem with start a new game. A bug i have found or a problem i have is that when i see the email it changes the thing you said but the disciplines area keep in black so no discipline unless i type the cheat code to get the discipline. so if in the start menu whe can choose the skin of diferent clans but all being caitiff it will be okay, can i upgrade the UP to 9.2?
Thanks for the report. If the disciplines are black after the email to switch clans, it is because you do not have Windows XP (Service Pack 3) Compatibility set on the desktop shortcut to launch the mod. If you aren't too far past that change you can set the compatibility and it will change clans correctly.
I'm not sure what you mean by upgrading to UP 9.2, you should be able to use any UP you want, and change as much as you want, because this mod doesn't use any UP assets. It only needs the UP's vampire executable and mod loader files so the mod will launch.
When I update the mod, I'll make it so the player can choose any skins and male or female at the start and play as Caitiff to the end. Assuming I can solve the issue with buying armor.
If you mean Clan Quest Mod, yes you can install any mod that uses the mod loader utility as they all use their own directory structure and are totally independent from each other. Most all of the newer mods use the mod loader utility.
If you do actually mean the Companion mod it depends on if you are going to use the original mod or the updated Companion Mod Core Edition listed here on the Nexus. You cannot use the original Companion mod with any other mod. It must be installed by itself, and no other mod can be installed or used with it.
The updated Companion mod listed here can be installed beside my UC mod without any issues but there are no instructions on how to install it. It will only work with, and must be installed on top of, the Unofficial_Patch directory after the correct UP has been installed. The latest release only works with UP 11.0 Plus.
When I update a mod, I do make a post to say it. And it is also shown as updated on the main Nexus page for the game. But it will be months, maybe many months before the update will be ready to release. But before I can even start on that I need to finish the project I am currently working on.
The project I am working on now I hoped to finish in Nov. - then Dec. - and it is still not done so it has been in development for 10 months. I am tired of working on it, I just want it to be done, but realistically it could take another two or three months to get it finished and released. Or it might be ready to release in a few weeks... a person can dream :)
Would it perhaps be possible to have players join other clans but still have the game assign them the Ventrue clan but just give them the disciplines of the clan they join, plus some flavour in convos or with factions. This is just an idea if it makes it easier, you could even keep the base disciplines but just make them even more expensive if they're separate from your new clan if deleting them from character is going to cause trouble.
Personally I think with the factions it'd make sense to be able to join Brujah through the anachs and Tremere through Strauss with the other clans not being as big of a deal to include. Though getting malk powers/dementation through strong relations with Tourette or becoming Gangrel through Beckett would be cool.
Don't take me too seriously, I was just throwing around some ideas, I love the mod and think you've done a great job already.
Thanks, I'm not sure if you know, but on my YouTube channel?, in the mod playlist, there two update videos for version 1.4, which I'm currently working on. Version 1.4 was supposed to be updates ported from the SMP and minor tweaks, but it just continues to grow and grow.
If you watch the latest video, you will see I have added three other clan options besides Caitiff. City Gangrel, thin-blooded, and clanless. Each with a slightly different story and complexity.
All clans are playable in v1.4... or are supposed to be, I haven't finished testing this part yet. As a further complication, thin-blooded characters can choose between being loosely period correct style, or more modern V5 style. I say loosely, because even if I could make a strict interpretation, I don't think it would make for the best video game play.
I hope to be in a position to release the 3rd update video in a week or two. I'm excited for the content as many technical issues have been solved, or at least worked around in v1.4. Which as a dev makes me excited but may not translate into enjoyment for the user. If I integrate my changes well enough, the player never notices anything important has happened.
For example, in the first update video I show a clanless character using Dominate in most every conversation. Which may not seem too interesting at a casual observation, but the technical feat is that ANY clan can be assigned Dominate and it will work the same way. I have made the Dominate dialog options clan independent, except where the original dialog files actually had clan restrictions. Which was a necessary and important feature for my intended mod design to be realized.
As far as joining other clans/factions, all of the new content can play beginning to end without joining any clan/faction. However, part of the clanless story is they aspire to become a small town prince, but they are not forced into doing that. The Caitiff can no longer join the Ventrue clan as I have solved the technical issues that forced this to happen in the original mod versions.
As far as adding options to gain disciplines from clans or other characters/sources, I haven't thought about that. I have thought about ways of gaining other things the player will need, but I doubt I will do anything with even that. If I just keep expanding the scope of the mod it will never be released.
Hello, you say this mod works with UP, but I'm not sure it actually works with it. It can just be installed without issues, but you don't get the benefits of the mod itself. Anyway, that's what I've done.
- Installed VTMB (I still have the original disks) - (I think) I should update it to 1.2, because I don't have GOG Version or I can install the unofficial patch. In my case, I installed the unofficial patch. - I started the caitiff mod. The fact that I don't have the skip intro makes me realize the mod is playing on his own without any of the UP fixes applied. Am I wrong?
Dario1980 wrote: Hello, you say this mod works with UP, but I'm not sure it actually works with it. It can just be installed without issues, but you don't get the benefits of the mod itself. Anyway, that's what I've done.
- Installed VTMB (I still have the original disks) - (I think) I should update it to 1.2, because I don't have GOG Version or I can install the unofficial patch. In my case, I installed the unofficial patch. - I started the caitiff mod. The fact that I don't have the skip intro makes me realize the mod is playing on his own without any of the UP fixes applied. Am I wrong?
Cheers
You are correct, although I didn't say, or even mean to imply, it works with a UP. You need the Game Mod Loader support that comes from installing a UP to successfully launch the mod. Which is what I said in the first line of the Troubleshooting: section. This mod includes a patch of its own. An updated and expanded version of this patch was released (without the UC mod on top) as the Standard Mod Patch, which is also in my files section here.
The GML files are only a handful of files but unfortunately the GML mod is no longer being updated or distributed except with the UP. The last public release of GML mod that I can find was a beta in 2015, which doesn't work for me in any case. Therefore, the user has to install the full UP to get the GML support files. Yes, you can install a UP and delete the entire Unofficial_Patch directory because the only files it uses or needs from the UP are the GML support files. Which is also why I say the version or type of the UP is largely unimportant.
The reason for using GML to launch mods is so that they don't conflict with one another. If you look at the image of the file structure you will see the Undisciplined_Catififf directory is right next to the Unofficial_Patch directory. All the larger modern mods run out of their own unique directories and can be simultaneously installed and played without any conflicts between them.
I started your mod and arrived at the Gary questline. Apart from the police report on elizabeth dane and some changes on the Grout's room, I did not see many differences.I saw some new dialogue options, but they brought me nowhere.
I don't even understand how I'm supposed to not be clanless anymore - I had one opportunity to ask (I think) something related to Lacroix and he answered with "15".
I've played with a female with high seduction and mid appearance.
Edit: When you do get accepted into Ventrue clan, if you do not have Windows XP SP3 compatibility set on Vampire.exe, as per installation instructions, the game will be bugged. As some of the functions I use to change clan return different results with and without compatibility set. --------------------------
Thank you very much for your feedback. I'm not sure how to respond, I'm sorry your experience wasn't better. I'm uncertain how to improve it.
My goal was to design the mod to play very much like the original game. There is a Warrens shortcut that skips all combat, even in Warrens 1. It is possible to avoid all of the final sequence Temple battles and the boss fight with Ming-Xiao - without siding with Ming-Xiao. Mercurio has a new quest for the player that unlocks a new rifle, the M40A3 military sniper. Nadia has a new quest for the player, and an easter egg surprise. Romero's quest sequence is very different, if you have the correct stats and choose the correct dialog, and you did have the correct stats as it only requires being female with 2 points in appearance. Etc.
As in the original game almost all of this is contingent on your relationships with NPCs, paying attention to what they say, keeping up with emails, and paying attention to the quest log. It's a simple formula, if you want to get quests/rewards from NPCs, suck up to them. If you ignore them, or worse yet do things to annoy them you will be silently locked out of quests/rewards.
The difficulty for the player is they are faced with playing a mod which is... similar? to how they would experience playing the game for the first time in 2004, without any guides or walkthroughs to revealing all the details. For example, today everyone knows how to get the apartment from LaCroix but I'm sure back in 2004 there were a ton of players who played the game several times and never knew they could get the apartment from LaCroix. Because all this stuff fails/is locked out silently. There isn't any overt indication that the player missed something, did something, failed to do something, etc.
I'm not sure that is the best way to design a mod. For sure it isn't the easiest or simplest way. Which as you pointed out, is the way I handled the Dane, the simple way. By making it so the player can't miss it/is forced into the mod content. There are two things I am unhappy with in the current mod, the Dane being one and the way I handled the DMP mission, both of which are forced. I'm currently working on update 1.4 and one of the options added is to entirely skip combat in the Ventrue Tower final sequence/boss fight. I'm quite ecstatic about the option to skip the entire Ventrue Tower combat sequence. Because it's not at all similar to how the Ming-Xaio fight sequence is skipped. Which I suppose brings us full circle. The mods primary strength is intended to be in encouraging the player to pay attention, think, make choices, live with consequence, and solve problems.
For anyone who has read this far, I'm sure you can appreciate my sincerity in getting constructive feedback as I'm inclined to write a book in response, so thanks to all who have tried the mod.
Thanks. Can you consistently reproduce this issue? If you can consistently reproduce the issue, would you please describe how to reproduce the issue?
For example, are you using any texture mods, do you have Windows XP Compatibility set, did you install manually or execute the Undisciplined Caitiff Install.cmd file, when you get to the character sheet during character creation double check that you have selected the Caitiff clan, etc.
Do I have to use the unofficial patch to play this mod? as the installation on the description page says to install it where that is, and I want to know if I can play this without it, or if it has its own folder directory like bloodline extreme, and CQM does?
You don't need the Unofficial Patch but you do need the Game Mod Loader to launch this mod because yes it runs out of it's own folder exactly like the UP, CQM, Antitribu Mod, etc and the Game Mod Loader is what makes that possible. The unfortunate part is that the Game Mod Loader is no longer being updated/distributed except with the Unofficial Patch.
If you have any VTMB install running a mod, CQM, UP, etc then you can install this mod into the same VTMB root folder and it will run alongside them without any interaction or conflicts because they can't run without Game Mod Loader either so I know it is there and working.
Or to put it another way you can install some UP then delete the Unoffical_Patch directory and all the shortcut links it creates then install this mod. Because the only thing used from the UP install is the Game Mod Loader support files.
I see, thanks for replying, and I managed to figure that out, but I just installed it into my vtm bloodlines folder, and not into the up or cqm sub folders I have, but it is running fine, but I am wondering if only disciples we ever have available, are celerity, dominate, and auspex, or can we unlock something like obfuscate, or protean later on down the line, as I just started playing yesterday and just made into downtown after the run in with the sabbat/nines.
If you had installed it into some sub folder that would have been disastrous and contrary to step 2 of Installation: instructions, accompanying image, and my comment. So I'm a little worried you even mentioned that! I answered your question on YT but will repeat it here in case others may read this thread.
The mod is designed and balanced around that set of disciplines and no disciplines are added later on. While you could use the console to give the character any discipline/s it would sort of break the mod in terms of how I intended it. Please make sure that Windows XP Service Pack 3 compatibility is set (step 7 of the Installation: instructions) on the game because some code used in the mod will not execute unless it is. If Win XP SP3 is set, then when you have enough XP simply click on the discipline in the character sheet to purchase it, same as always.
The initial cost of purchasing disciplines is patterned after the table top game: "Caitiff can purchase any Discipline at character creation, but thereafter have to pay six times current rating for any and all powers purchased with experience points." In fact the entire mod is patterned around the table top, limited by my interpretation and the mechanics in a video game. It is a mod about choices and not all choices are equal, also most choices have consequences.
It is also designed/patterned around the original game in terms of consequences, they may be overt but more often they are totally silent. For example, in the original game as any clan but Tremere or Nosferatu, if you do not please LaCroix you miss out on getting the apartment, it is a totally silent consequence.
Hey. Seems like your mod will be the only way we're going to be playing VTM:B 2 for some time (since the premise was that we were going to be a caitiff thinblood in Seattle).
Yes, it works with any Unofficial Patch if installed following the instructions in the DESCRIPTION tab.
If you decide to try the mod, be sure to set the Windows XP (Service Pack 3) Compatibility on the shortcut to launch the mod. It's listed in the install instructions, the sticky post above, troubleshooting section, the readme file, ... but I guess it is still easy to miss :)
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This is checked and enforced during the tutorial so skipping the tutorial isn't recommended unless you are absolutely certain of your settings. With v1.4 I have dropped support for Win 7. I did some testing, and it should work, but I'm not officially supporting Win 7.
Since I'm playing a thin blood I went through the readme like was suggested in order to pick a type, and I found at the end where you recommend people don't use subtitles because its hand holding(?).
It feels kind of shitty to imply an accessibility tool is some kind of cheat, so I'm wanting to clarify with you. Did you perhaps mean that spoken dialogue won't match the subtitles anymore because you've changed the order of them? If so, that's probably easily fixed, since I've played several vtmb mods with custom dialogue with subtitles to them.
I also go on in the readme to say: "For non-english speaking persons this could be problematic.". Acknowledging the fact that for some players dialog will be mandatory. In that case the dialog has been edited for every instance where the mod has changed anything and also for most of the most egregious errors that I was aware of. For example, incorrect information and/or meaning that might influence a quest decision, but not for minor things like spelling and punctuation. Which I feel is adequate but not ideal for players needing subtitles.
The mods subtitles convey the meaning of the spoken words but do not (I think cannot) capture the intricacies and nuances of spoken language. The subtitles are not an exact transcript of the spoken words because I don't think that is necessary or more helpful. The meaning is already conveyed.
There is also a deeper and more complex aspect of editing the dialog which involves older characters like Beckett using antiquated spellings and punctuations in dialog. As well as running gags where some words appear to be purposely misspelled every time they are used, often in wildly amusing ways. Which feels very like the offbeat VTMB humor style to me.
Unfortunately, as with the game proper, there are so many actual errors intermixed with things that on the surface appear to be obvious errors but were actually done for a specific purpose. In the main game I have done the work to research and differentiate between the intended and actual mistakes and correct those where I find them.
But I have not done this deep dive work with the dialog because there is still work to be completed on the main game. I do think this extensive dialog work would be beneficial if done in the same manner and with the same attention to detail as I have done in the main game. However, it is not currently in my plans for being done as I have other priorities that come before this. And as I have said, I feel the dialog editing that I have done is adequate but far from ideal.
I also understand that players have different styles and motivations for playing. Which goes back to watching streamers play. Some players main focus seems to be on graphics, and they miss 90% of the advice given to them but see every tiny texture alignment issue of flicker. Others do the same thing but are obsessed and distracted by everything they perceive as issues in the subtitles. I do get that, and I also understand that I have chosen to make my mod in a more "vintage" style that might not ever appeal or conform to those player styles.
Also i have tow question.when i play ‘period correct style’ it will change my models if i try to use the alchemy,how is that work? And if i play ‘V5 style’,i don’t know how should i learn the discipline ？
My apology for my poor English , waiting for you to reply. Thanks again
If you play as a V5 style character, your path to disciplines is by acquiring an athanor and creating potions by the fixatio process. There are three levels of potions, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. The character starts with two disciplines that they will have access to throughout the game, Athanor Corporis styled (labeled Counterfeit on the character sheet and HUD discipline wheel) and Profane Hieros Gamos. Level 1 alchemy packs produce level 1 Counterfeit, Level 2 packs produce level 2 Counterfeit, etc.
Information about these thin-blood alchemy details can be found on the White Wolf Wiki alchemy page. The explanation for the why and how of this implementation can be found on the White Wolf Wiki Thin-blooded page under the Mechanics section. However, the concept of resonance is not really implemented in this mod, just thin-blooded alchemy.
While the concept of resonance is not directly implemented in the mod, there is a sort of replacement "resonance" mechanic in the mod where your character may spontaneously be able to use a random discipline for a random time. They experience "resonance" but not in any way they have any control over.
Counterfeit (Athanor Corporis) and each alchemy pack produce a fixed result. However, combining them in different ways, and even different orders, produces different results. The trick is to experiment with different combinations to see what result is produced... or not... up to the player if they want to experiment in this way.
However, if you cannot talk to LaCroix at all, then I suspect that something has been lost by the game engine in your save file. This happens sometimes and depending on what was lost it might be as simple as restarting the game or it might require restarting from a save file from before whatever value was lost.
There is only one variable that needs to be set, in the console you can check that G.Story_State is set to 65. If it is not set to 65, that is a global value the game engine lost. You can try setting it to 65 in the console, G.Story_State=65 If that does not work your next option is to load an earlier save and replay the Giovanni part.
If it is something that happens every time you replay the Giovanni maps and you can describe to me the conditions to reproduce it, then I can fix it. As it is I can't reproduce LaCroix not talking so have not way of working on the issue.
If you wish to make some custom character, then you may want to choose the Clanless option. Then you can build your character with only one, with two, or with three disciplines of your choosing, within the rules on the White Wolf Wiki as some clan specific disciplines are not allowed.
If you mean are the game endings different then yes and no. There are a bunch of variations on the endings starting as early as decisions you make in Santa Monica. But eventually all the variations do resolve into one of the standard endings from the original game.
Usually i will push my self to finish game in one life , but it looks like too hard if without power.
Dam why i speak like a malkavian when use English.
Since I don't know what you have, I can't say which I think is best. If you have a complete package, I would use Packfile Explorer to extract Clandoc000.txt from SMP/pack000.vpk and edit it to reflect the existing paths in your package. Then the package can be extracted/copied/applied over the top of the SMP directory as long as root of package is Models, Materials, etc and not Unofficial_Patch/Models, Unofficial_Patch/Materials, etc. Or anything else I guess like CQM/Models, etc.
If the root is Unofficial_Patch (or anything else) you will have to strip that off using whatever method you find best. If you don't know how to use Packfile Explorer I made a video tutorial showing the use of some SDK tools: https://youtu.be/kS_fHfvSe6o
If you do not have a package but just some loose files/individual models, you can place them (rename/move) directly into the directory structures listed below: meaning SMP/models/character/..., SMP/materials/models/character/..., etc. In that case you will be responsible for making sure all the correct entries and links for your models/textures match the new structure/point to the right new locations. Again, there are several ways to accomplish this and it depends on what you are starting with and how well/standard the models are "structured" to begin with.
// vclan 6
ClanData
{
Text
{"TemplateName""Player_Toreador"
"Name""Thin-blooded"
...
"F_Body0""models/character/pc/female/thin-blooded/armor0/thin-blooded_Female_Armor_0.mdl"
"F_Body1""models/character/pc/female/thin-blooded/armor1/thin-blooded_Female_Armor_1.mdl"
"F_Body2""models/character/pc/female/thin-blooded/armor2/thin-blooded_Female_Armor_2.mdl"
"F_Body3""models/character/pc/female/thin-blooded/armor3/thin-blooded_Female_Armor_3.mdl"
"F_Body4""models/character/pc/female/thin-blooded/armor3/thin-blooded_Female_Armor_3.mdl"
"F_Body5""models/character/pc/female/thin-blooded/armor3/thin-blooded_Female_Armor_3.mdl"
Your Windows settings determine if the cmd extension is shown or hidden. If hidden the file will be just show up as Undisciplined Caitiff Install
I just tried to modify my ChangeClan script to see if it was easy to convert for Tremere instead of Ventrue and it is possible but not as easy as I had hoped so I can't offer you any easy way to change to Tremere for now. It's a bigger rewrite encompassing many more things than I thought at first. But if I do come up with a way to choose a clan, I'll post it here.
If you had a choice of clans, would you like to choose it at the start of the game or later in the game? Would you want to play the entire game as Caitiff without ever having to be one of the original clans? Any ideas for how to justify the change for other clans with in-game reasons?
UPDATE: I worked on it some more and it is even more complicated than I guessed. I think it can be done and is a cool idea, but it would be a whole new release and require starting a new game, sorry about that.
UPDATE2: Just to be clear you didn't actually become Ventrue did you? LaCroix just accepts you into Ventrue clan, but nothing actually changes except your clan symbol, and you can buy armor. You are still Caitiff with the same discipline set and points as before the email. If you start as a female, you will have Tremere clothes, mostly, I did edit two sets very slightly. If you are not averse to changing gender, you can easily have Tremere clothes that way by entering vgender_int 0 into the console.
I'm not sure what you mean by upgrading to UP 9.2, you should be able to use any UP you want, and change as much as you want, because this mod doesn't use any UP assets. It only needs the UP's vampire executable and mod loader files so the mod will launch.
When I update the mod, I'll make it so the player can choose any skins and male or female at the start and play as Caitiff to the end. Assuming I can solve the issue with buying armor.
If you do actually mean the Companion mod it depends on if you are going to use the original mod or the updated Companion Mod Core Edition listed here on the Nexus. You cannot use the original Companion mod with any other mod. It must be installed by itself, and no other mod can be installed or used with it.
The updated Companion mod listed here can be installed beside my UC mod without any issues but there are no instructions on how to install it. It will only work with, and must be installed on top of, the Unofficial_Patch directory after the correct UP has been installed. The latest release only works with UP 11.0 Plus.
When I update a mod, I do make a post to say it. And it is also shown as updated on the main Nexus page for the game. But it will be months, maybe many months before the update will be ready to release. But before I can even start on that I need to finish the project I am currently working on.
The project I am working on now I hoped to finish in Nov. - then Dec. - and it is still not done so it has been in development for 10 months. I am tired of working on it, I just want it to be done, but realistically it could take another two or three months to get it finished and released. Or it might be ready to release in a few weeks... a person can dream :)
Personally I think with the factions it'd make sense to be able to join Brujah through the anachs and Tremere through Strauss with the other clans not being as big of a deal to include. Though getting malk powers/dementation through strong relations with Tourette or becoming Gangrel through Beckett would be cool.
Don't take me too seriously, I was just throwing around some ideas, I love the mod and think you've done a great job already.
If you watch the latest video, you will see I have added three other clan options besides Caitiff. City Gangrel, thin-blooded, and clanless. Each with a slightly different story and complexity.
All clans are playable in v1.4... or are supposed to be, I haven't finished testing this part yet. As a further complication, thin-blooded characters can choose between being loosely period correct style, or more modern V5 style. I say loosely, because even if I could make a strict interpretation, I don't think it would make for the best video game play.
I hope to be in a position to release the 3rd update video in a week or two. I'm excited for the content as many technical issues have been solved, or at least worked around in v1.4. Which as a dev makes me excited but may not translate into enjoyment for the user. If I integrate my changes well enough, the player never notices anything important has happened.
For example, in the first update video I show a clanless character using Dominate in most every conversation. Which may not seem too interesting at a casual observation, but the technical feat is that ANY clan can be assigned Dominate and it will work the same way. I have made the Dominate dialog options clan independent, except where the original dialog files actually had clan restrictions. Which was a necessary and important feature for my intended mod design to be realized.
As far as joining other clans/factions, all of the new content can play beginning to end without joining any clan/faction. However, part of the clanless story is they aspire to become a small town prince, but they are not forced into doing that. The Caitiff can no longer join the Ventrue clan as I have solved the technical issues that forced this to happen in the original mod versions.
As far as adding options to gain disciplines from clans or other characters/sources, I haven't thought about that. I have thought about ways of gaining other things the player will need, but I doubt I will do anything with even that. If I just keep expanding the scope of the mod it will never be released.
- Installed VTMB (I still have the original disks)
- (I think) I should update it to 1.2, because I don't have GOG Version or I can install the unofficial patch. In my case, I installed the unofficial patch.
- I started the caitiff mod. The fact that I don't have the skip intro makes me realize the mod is playing on his own without any of the UP fixes applied. Am I wrong?
Cheers
You are correct, although I didn't say, or even mean to imply, it works with a UP. You need the Game Mod Loader support that comes from installing a UP to successfully launch the mod. Which is what I said in the first line of the Troubleshooting: section. This mod includes a patch of its own. An updated and expanded version of this patch was released (without the UC mod on top) as the Standard Mod Patch, which is also in my files section here.
The GML files are only a handful of files but unfortunately the GML mod is no longer being updated or distributed except with the UP. The last public release of GML mod that I can find was a beta in 2015, which doesn't work for me in any case. Therefore, the user has to install the full UP to get the GML support files. Yes, you can install a UP and delete the entire Unofficial_Patch directory because the only files it uses or needs from the UP are the GML support files. Which is also why I say the version or type of the UP is largely unimportant.
The reason for using GML to launch mods is so that they don't conflict with one another. If you look at the image of the file structure you will see the Undisciplined_Catififf directory is right next to the Unofficial_Patch directory. All the larger modern mods run out of their own unique directories and can be simultaneously installed and played without any conflicts between them.
I started your mod and arrived at the Gary questline. Apart from the police report on elizabeth dane and some changes on the Grout's room, I did not see many differences.I saw some new dialogue options, but they brought me nowhere.
I don't even understand how I'm supposed to not be clanless anymore - I had one opportunity to ask (I think) something related to Lacroix and he answered with "15".
I've played with a female with high seduction and mid appearance.
--------------------------
Thank you very much for your feedback. I'm not sure how to respond, I'm sorry your experience wasn't better. I'm uncertain how to improve it.
My goal was to design the mod to play very much like the original game. There is a Warrens shortcut that skips all combat, even in Warrens 1. It is possible to avoid all of the final sequence Temple battles and the boss fight with Ming-Xiao - without siding with Ming-Xiao. Mercurio has a new quest for the player that unlocks a new rifle, the M40A3 military sniper. Nadia has a new quest for the player, and an easter egg surprise. Romero's quest sequence is very different, if you have the correct stats and choose the correct dialog, and you did have the correct stats as it only requires being female with 2 points in appearance. Etc.
As in the original game almost all of this is contingent on your relationships with NPCs, paying attention to what they say, keeping up with emails, and paying attention to the quest log. It's a simple formula, if you want to get quests/rewards from NPCs, suck up to them. If you ignore them, or worse yet do things to annoy them you will be silently locked out of quests/rewards.
The difficulty for the player is they are faced with playing a mod which is... similar? to how they would experience playing the game for the first time in 2004, without any guides or walkthroughs to revealing all the details. For example, today everyone knows how to get the apartment from LaCroix but I'm sure back in 2004 there were a ton of players who played the game several times and never knew they could get the apartment from LaCroix. Because all this stuff fails/is locked out silently. There isn't any overt indication that the player missed something, did something, failed to do something, etc.
I'm not sure that is the best way to design a mod. For sure it isn't the easiest or simplest way. Which as you pointed out, is the way I handled the Dane, the simple way. By making it so the player can't miss it/is forced into the mod content. There are two things I am unhappy with in the current mod, the Dane being one and the way I handled the DMP mission, both of which are forced. I'm currently working on update 1.4 and one of the options added is to entirely skip combat in the Ventrue Tower final sequence/boss fight. I'm quite ecstatic about the option to skip the entire Ventrue Tower combat sequence. Because it's not at all similar to how the Ming-Xaio fight sequence is skipped. Which I suppose brings us full circle. The mods primary strength is intended to be in encouraging the player to pay attention, think, make choices, live with consequence, and solve problems.
For anyone who has read this far, I'm sure you can appreciate my sincerity in getting constructive feedback as I'm inclined to write a book in response, so thanks to all who have tried the mod.
For example, are you using any texture mods, do you have Windows XP Compatibility set, did you install manually or execute the Undisciplined Caitiff Install.cmd file, when you get to the character sheet during character creation double check that you have selected the Caitiff clan, etc.
as the installation on the description page says to install it where that is, and I want to know if I can play this without it, or if it has its own folder directory like bloodline extreme, and CQM does?
If you have any VTMB install running a mod, CQM, UP, etc then you can install this mod into the same VTMB root folder and it will run alongside them without any interaction or conflicts because they can't run without Game Mod Loader either so I know it is there and working.
Or to put it another way you can install some UP then delete the Unoffical_Patch directory and all the shortcut links it creates then install this mod. Because the only thing used from the UP install is the Game Mod Loader support files.
The mod is designed and balanced around that set of disciplines and no disciplines are added later on. While you could use the console to give the character any discipline/s it would sort of break the mod in terms of how I intended it. Please make sure that Windows XP Service Pack 3 compatibility is set (step 7 of the Installation: instructions) on the game because some code used in the mod will not execute unless it is. If Win XP SP3 is set, then when you have enough XP simply click on the discipline in the character sheet to purchase it, same as always.
The initial cost of purchasing disciplines is patterned after the table top game: "Caitiff can purchase any Discipline at character creation, but thereafter have to pay six times current rating for any and all powers purchased with experience points." In fact the entire mod is patterned around the table top, limited by my interpretation and the mechanics in a video game. It is a mod about choices and not all choices are equal, also most choices have consequences.
It is also designed/patterned around the original game in terms of consequences, they may be overt but more often they are totally silent. For example, in the original game as any clan but Tremere or Nosferatu, if you do not please LaCroix you miss out on getting the apartment, it is a totally silent consequence.
Does it work with UP11? I want to try it.
If you decide to try the mod, be sure to set the Windows XP (Service Pack 3) Compatibility on the shortcut to launch the mod. It's listed in the install instructions, the sticky post above, troubleshooting section, the readme file, ... but I guess it is still easy to miss :)