Original book's rules offer a good starting point

[Philby_kim]

I think that bloodlines was one of the best game i ever played, but mainly for the ambiance, not for the gameplay. And that is because the original disciplines was not there.
In Vampire Redemption, the disciplines was as in the rpg book, althoughVR was an action game. With bloodlines we were in an rpg with an action gameplay, disappointing to say the least.
Original discipline offers the possibility to play in different ways, like being more a talker or more a sneaker etc. Basicaly, in VTMB going straight into the enemy with all your disciplines activated was more efficient that anything. For example,  you didn't have the possibility to control others, except in combat. If the original "domination" was implanmented, you could use personnel and staff to infiltrate buildings, takings items and bringing information for you. With original "presence", you could create a positive mood that lower the price of items in shops, and make pnj more eager to go in your way in dialogue etc.

An other point, humans were to strong and vampires to weak. In the classic game killing vampires is dangerous for many reasons. Vampires in the classic book are really tough, for giving them the final death you have to decapitate them, burn them and... that's it, no gun, except a big shotgun in the head, no punch, no bashing can actually destroy a vampire to dust. In the other hands human appear to be weak, physically and mentally for vampire, they are easy to kill, easy to manipulate, this is why vampires tend to lose their humanity with time, they just have the every nights feeling that they are above humans now. Gameplay should adjust that, by making human encouters easier, except human with modern gears and training. Thugs should be ridiculous in comparison with modern swat team, and those should be even more ridicule compare with a Sabbat boss.

Vampire are cursed, and there is not a moment in the game when you actually felt this state. There is no time system, you don't have to be afraid of the hour, you don't feel the coming of the sun by being tired etc. In the original rules, big lights dont burn you but act like a whisper to you beast side, making you irrationaly afraid. this is called Rotshrek and it's really problematic. In the beginning of the game, Jack tell you about the beast but during the game, humanity system is just a scale like the other, you have to be really low in humanity  to feel some changes. All of that make your curse so easy to live, like dont being cursed at all.

Well that's it for now, i have many suggestions, and i know it's easier said than done. I really want to thanks the people who want to bring that game alive again. Like all those modders over the years.
Please, excuse my english.

[ivan4041]

I like the books too, enough to order them (I'm from Bulgaria). But can you tell us what you would suggest for the actual computer game. The original VTMB is made with all the politics implied, sadly you are only a pawn in the game of elders, and considering it's a hard transition from pen'n'paper that's not so bad of an explanation. The only way for any content to not be solely action focused like you said is for it to be scripted in many different ways (I think), so maybe you can suggest some story and mechanics you would like to play in a new content?

Otherwise, I understand why they didn't make a day/night cycle, and maybe we could bring that back, even though it would be silly for the vamp to sleep in Killpatrick's for instance, cuz he got stuck there and can't get home.

[Philby_kim]

Actually most of the quest in the original VTMB could work with pen-n-paper's disciplines. Hospital's quest (taking the werewolf blood, finding lily, etc.) could be completed by using domination and actually controlling someone to make the job for you, this also available for astrolite's quest, museum etc. With the real auspex discipline you should be able to know when someone have something he didn't tell you in mind ( Gimble, Hengeyokai) or if there is something of interest in a room.

The story line make you a pawn, but it's not different of any VTM pen-n-paper game if you play a newborn. As a vampire you have a control on humans you never dreamed of when you were one of them. Big players, clans leaders and such, still make you do what they want, but humans are just pawns right now, not just punching balls or targets like in an action game. That's what vampire is all about, hierarchy, politics, and power, not just: aiming/shooting, running/slashing/punching.

For the day/night cycle, it should be implemented with actual schedule for all npc, offering the possibility to follow people to their home and others recreation sites, this way we can actually see the escapade of the doctor of Santa Monica cheating his wife. And of course with a day/night cycle you can end up stuck in Killpatrick's etc. but hey, a game shouldn't be that easy. Day light is one of the most important characteristic of the vampire, it's like kryptonyte for superman, or the ability for a dragon to breath fire. Just pushing the day problem out of the way is not possible in a vampire game. That's more something you see in a Twilight movie. You have to be afraid of the light, you have to die or at least to be stuck somewhere if you didn't manage well your time.

For new quests, I can think of that. I used to be gamemaster for WOD rpgs so i must have some scenario somewhere.

[ivan4041]

I should think most of us still are GMs .

I have a thread in the Suggestion box where I also say that the original Disciplines can work perfectly in a computer game, no need to convince me .

As for the you controling NPCs - it isn't that simple. Yes it is about hierarchy, politics, and power, not just: aiming/shooting, running/slashing/punching, but over a large portion of time during which the Kindred develop the skills they need. That is why many GMs give considerable down time for the characters to learn and use their new traits. Neonates stay at the bottom of the ladder for a considerable amount of time.

Using Disciplines are also not a crutch for vampires. They take time to research, break the Masquerade and should not be used lightly. That is why vampires invest time in Charisma, Appearance, Intimidation, Manipulation and Subturfuge, instead of maxing out Dominate and Presence. That is why they learn Perception, Alertness, Empathy and Investigation instead of using Auspex and Eyes of Chaos all the time. Anything else will turn them into superheroes.

Actually most of the quest in the original VTMB could work with pen-n-paper's disciplines. Hospital's quest (taking the werewolf blood, finding lily, etc.) could be completed by using domination and actually controlling someone to make the job for you, this also available for astrolite's quest, museum etc. With the real auspex discipline you should be able to know when someone have something he didn't tell you in mind ( Gimble, Hengeyokai) or if there is something of interest in a room.

There are two reasons why this should not work quite like that.

The first is that to be able to do that most likely you would need the highest dots in the Disciplines Possession and the four dots in Telepathy. This is optimistic seeing as though they are among the first quests in the game.

The second reason is, if my lore reasoning is ignored, most quests can be completed this way. If nobody ever finds out you use Disciplines for everything no social combat and no stealth missions will exist. You can just Dominate a person to bring you the manifest to the Elizabeth Dane and to tell you about the Sarcophagus, you can learn about the whereabouts of Bertram without dealing with the twins, and if a random roll system was implemented, you could just reload until the Dominate attempt is succeeded. It's a slippery slope.

That said these Disciplines do have their place in the game, but it should be scripted responsibly, in a manner that a true Kindred would (supposedly) use. It would be the best of both worlds if more social combat was added, so you get have your politics and power play without expending vitae. A sense of building a lasting relationship with the city, not just following the elders' whims, something which was lacking in VtMB.

And for the day/night cycle - no Twilight, please no, never said anything remotely similar to that . I was not concerned that it would be hard for the players, it would be most welcome. I was concerned that it would probably take a lot of work and a lot of scripting just so we can have this mechanic with which we barely interact. I would suggest levels that include daylight which will basically have the same effect to bring the authentic WoD atmosphere. That way we have a nice change of pace and the feel of true vampiric unlife.

I hope we're on the same page on this one. Peace

[Darkfury]

I like that ideas, and agree with you all

just to make my 5 cents  I just wonder ,

Is it really that hard to implement Day and Night circle ?
As far as i can think there is no need to make full Day&Night , with all its details, like dusk,noon,afternoon,evening, etc.

It can look something less true but still adding to the game . 
If we can have something like day count on a calendar on the wall. And each day would start with animation of a sunset, and camera goes in to the calendar showing date , sun goes down and you wake up as Vampire.
For a end of a night you just need to look at the time, otherwise you will see a sunset, Your'e last one.

That can be easy step to improve this game.

That can be done just by manipulating a light , which in unity should be not that problematic.
How that influence game story is another thing.