Thoughts on Lasombra clan -- disappointed with implementation of the bane, loving the sire/childe relationship.

[Dusty]

I love this game but I have to say I'm a bit sadface with how the Lasombra was implemented. I'm only through the first three missions so it might change, but here's my feedback so far.

I was REALLY looking forward to seeing how the Lasombra playthrough would be different, but it's almost exactly the same. I've lost count of how many times I've seen a variation of the line "you shouldn't be able to do this, but oh look you can, that's lucky."

- Lasombra can still use phones, just sometimes people don't hear you properly. The first phone you use you're like "oh somehow I'm able to use this one", but you can still use other phones just fine.

- When given a keycard for Pattermuster, Lasombra doesn't seem particularly fazed by this. When trying to swipe in to see Pattermuster, Lasombra magically knows it's not a Lasombra thing.

- Lasombra can still use tech, but options refer to "wow I hope this doesn't glitch!"

- Can still see reflections, it's just "jumpy."

- There seems to be a lore error too -- Millicent hits you with the shovel AFTER you crawl out the grave. IIRC, they hit the shovelheads BEFORE, so that they can be buried without fighting back. There's no point to doing it after. (Although having said that, the line where Millicent hits you was HILARIOUS and a brilliant piece of writing.)

It just seems like 9 times out of 10, whenever a Lasombra is at a part where their clan bane should affect what happens, the game just goes "well Lasombra SHOULDN'T be able to do X, but oh look, you can do X!"

- The Lasombra has no trouble starting cars (requires electricity) and it doesn't even get mentioned.

There's lampshading left, right and centre that "oh you shouldn't be able to do this" but no real drawbacks.

I was really, really looking forward to seeing how the Lasombra courier would have to get around these things, like:

- The Lasombra courier trying to protest being given a keycard to get into the morgue, but being given one anyway. Maybe trying to get in but mistakenly assuming that they can't get into the hospital because "you know, Lasombra??? Jesus why did I try this now I feel silly." There's no reason why the Lasombra playthrough should KNOW it's a keycard issue and not their clan bane -- it does foreshadow the Ed Hardy guy's betrayal, but some people would've missed that anyway. Maybe it could've been foreshadowed another way -- maybe Lasombra is the only courier that actually LOOKS at the keycard and realises it's actually a keycard for something else and Ed Hardy screwed it up.

- Not being able to see their reflection, but maybe references to feeling gunk on their face or "knowing" they look like a young man/woman/enby when they look at their reflection in early game.

- I thought maybe the Lasombra could start out with a ghoul attendant in the first few chapters to get around the phone/car starting issues until after the first mission, when something might happen to that attendant so you can recruit another ghoul, and which ghoul you get is dependent on which mission you did first/whether or not Raul survived, and it's a guaranteed recruitment so you don't get a non-standard game over. (EG if you do Pattermuster you're guaranteed to get Elena, if Raul survives and you did Olivecrona first you get Raul, if you did Invidia you get Vani -- if you get the ring or Raul died, you're guaranteed to get Elena.)

- Maybe instead of calling you, Julian has his attendants flag you down on the road. If Nadia is dead, there's a guy who appears during Alexander's injury chapter that you have NEVER seen before -- this would've been a great way to introduce him early and a little Lasombra bonus thing.

- If Lasombra doesn't have a ghoul attendant, then the game basically treating them as a carless courier until they get a ghoul that can start their car for them. Or they have to trick other people into doing it.

- Maybe for a Lasombra, the extra mission starts off with them intercepting another courier instead of a phone call.

It'd take a lot of rewriting to implement more Lasombra-friendly things and I know the game's unlikely to get that much revision just for one clan, but it was quite a bummer that the game wasn't more aware of the Lasombra bane beyond "well, you shouldn't be ABLE to do this but oh look you can, how lucky!"

But so that this thread isn't me completely complaining:

I do LOVE the relationship between Millicent and Lasombra (or what I've seen of it so far). She seems to be a really grumpy hardass but seems to be more bark than bite when it comes to her childe, and seems to genuinely want them to become a "full" vampire and want what's best for them.

She seems less spiteful and more like the kind of person who's nasty out of an obliviousness, indifference and lack of empathy, rather than someone who's spiteful because they're intentionally mean. She doesn't understand why she was driven out of Baltimore, she seems to be completely unaware that human trafficking is wrong. I'm sure she knows these things intellectually but she doesn't seem to UNDERSTAND them on an emotional level. She seems to do the right thing when she gets it emotionally, like when she tells Lasombra "I may as well raise you right", but not when she doesn't.

Even her ditching Lasombra doesn't feel like a personal slight; given the kind of things she's done it just seems like another case of her just not realising/caring how it'd affect Lasombra rather than a spiteful move. And when Lasombra turns up again she's just talking to you as if she only saw you yesterday. In its own messed up way I find that pretty endearing, compared to the other sires. It was nice that there was an option where you could actually express concern for her.

Despite the maybe-error in her shovelling Lasombra after they come out of the grave, that whole bit made me laugh my ass off IRL.

Anyway I've written enough.

TL;DR -- Disappointed with how the Lasombra bane was implemented, but loving their relationship with Millicent so far and the "omg that ♥♥♥♥♥ hit me with a shovel!" bit was hilarious.

[edge_braak]

I think it's just as you say; it'd be too much rewriting due to how their bane works. Maybe if they make a sequel, and this one did well enough, they'll have enough of a budget to make that kind of massive rewrite.

[Syren]

Lasombra wouldn't have any trouble starting most cars. It only affects tech that needs to detect the kindred is there (touch screens, motion sensors, cameras, microphones, voice recognition software, fingerprint/retina scanners etc). Turning a key to start an engine or pressing an elevator button isn't going to be an issue.

[DocFuzz]

Personally, (playing on Android) I'm finding that Lasombra is like arbitrary hard mode randomly for no reason. There are multiple checks that you can have a 6+ on in the first few chapters, which should be an instant success and often is with other Clans, and it ends up just being a complete failure pretty consistently with the Lasombra, unless they're scripted Messy Criticals.

Really annoying.

[The 13th Ghost Bunny]

The Nosferatu playthrough is similar. Your character is the master of looking like a forgettable stranger, and so your clan bane doesn't really play much of a role. It's a shame, I enjoy playing as the Nosferatu because I want to look utterly monstrous, like the vampire from the film of the same name, I don't want to appear like some forgettable stranger.

Ah well.

[Geek_Haven]

To those whining about bane severity not really affecting the game. YOU HAVE BLOOD POTENCY ONE for F sake. Quit ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. You can use tech because you are not ancient vampire and don't have high blood potency or low generation . Just enjoy the ride instead of looking for something to complain