The Masquerade Violation System

TCI Members and Fans,

Let’s talk about the Masquerade Violation System now that it too has been completely overhauled in TFN. As you know if you’ve played Bloodlines before, that when you incur a Masquerade Violation then suddenly Hunters begin showing up in the four main hubs. If you get a total of 5 violations then you lose the game. I’ve always thought the idea of Hunters catching wind of your presence then suddenly showing up to investigate was a really cool idea that Troika had, unfortunately their execution was horrible. I’m going to coin this next phrase “Well TFN has changed all of that”, LOL.

But honestly it’s true, we have changed all of that. I completely gutted out Troika’s Masquerade Violation System and implemented my own custom one that works like a charm. Troika originally had the Hunters spawn by the use of map triggers. If the character received a violation then the map triggers would auto enable and when the character ran/walked over the trigger, it would spawn the appropriate Hunters, usually around the next corner or whatnot. This was all well and good until you back peddled over the same trigger or a different one which would make the Hunter disappear and re-spawn at the original spawn location. For example: (You are fighting one of these spawned Hunters with the shotgun, the Hunter is running at you so you begin running backwards and firing, then all the sudden the Hunter vanishes before your eyes. You’re confused and like what the hell. So you begin walking forward and the half dead Hunter comes running at you again from the same spawn point fully recharged). This was obviously frustrating!

What I did was go into each of the four main hubs and disabled the spawn points and the python scripts that made them work. I then created my own system that works like this. When you receive a Masquerade Violation regardless of the location (main hub or side map), my script tells the game to spawn a “REAL” Hunter in a pre-determined location. What I mean by “REAL” is that the Hunter is now a permanent NPC on that map, so if you leave and go to another part of the city, then come back, the Hunter would still be there. At that time this new Hunter will begin his/her animations investigating different areas of the city randomly until either A) You kill the Hunter or B) They kill you. Being that the Hunter is now a permanent part of the map means that even if you get a Masquerade Redemption, the Hunter remains until killed.

It is now impossible for the Hunter to disappear during combat or for any other reason effectively fixing the glitch. And if the Hunter spots you, they will give chase, and if you lose the Hunter then they will go back to their animated routines on their own, like a pedestrian or cop would. If you hurt the Hunter, leave the zone, then come back, the damage dealt to the Hunter will remain, they will not heal when you leave the map. This can be very helpful to know because the TFN Hunters are much more dangerous than the vanilla ones.

Masquerade Violation Chart
Level 1: A Tier 1 Hunter is spawned with minimal weapons.
Level 2: A Tier 2 and a Tier 1 Hunter are spawned with better weapons.
Level 3: A Tier 3, 2, and 1 Hunter are spawned with advanced weapons, and will guard locations of interest like havens and vendor shops.
Level 4: (2) Tier 3 and a Tier 2 Hunter are spawned with the best weapons Hunters can have, and will hide in public places to surprise the character and summon police to assist them.

Okay, now it's Q&A time!

Q: So if I get a level 2 Masquerade Violation and I haven’t killed the level 1 Hunter, will the level 1 Hunter remain along with the level 2 Hunters?
A: Yes, the hunters will accumulate as you incur violations without dealing with them.

Q: What makes the Hunters more powerful and dangerous in TFN than in the vanilla version?
A: Their stats and weapons have been enhanced, along with resistances to certain disciplines; namely Daimoinon. All Tier 3 Hunters have some form of True Sight allowing them to see Obfuscated characters up close, along with resistances to low tier mental-based disciplines.

Q: Will the Hunters be clustered together or spread out?
A: Depends on the level spawned, but I can assure you that Hunters do communicate with each other and will assist one another in the case of a battle with a Kindred.

Q: So let me get this right, you're saying that a Hunter will be spawned even on the first Masquerade Violation?
A: Absolutely Yes! Welcome to TFN!

Q: How long did it take you to create this system?
A: Many, many, many, many, hours!! I used Santa Monica as a test ground, then once it worked then I had to replicate that to all 4 hubs. I hand picked each Hunter along with their weapons, animations, and scheduled routines. THIS took forever, but is well worth it.

And this concludes the new Masquerade Violation System for TFN, hope you enjoyed this program.

Zer0Morph wrote:

TCI Members and Fans,
Q: What makes the Hunters more powerful and dangerous in TFN than in the vanilla version?
A: Their stats and weapons have been enhanced, along with resistances to certain disciplines; namely Daimoinon. All Tier 3 Hunters have some form of True Sight allowing them to see Obfuscated characters up close, along with resistances to low tier mental-based disciplines.

Which mimics certain benefits of True Faith. Awesome.

This will be a rude shock to the players who like to rampage around and just kill stuff for fun. Their Sabbat-like disregard for the Masquerade will have a few more consequences now.

PGM1961 wrote:

Zer0Morph wrote:

TCI Members and Fans,
Q: What makes the Hunters more powerful and dangerous in TFN than in the vanilla version?
A: Their stats and weapons have been enhanced, along with resistances to certain disciplines; namely Daimoinon. All Tier 3 Hunters have some form of True Sight allowing them to see Obfuscated characters up close, along with resistances to low tier mental-based disciplines.

Which mimics certain benefits of True Faith. Awesome.

This will be a rude shock to the players who like to rampage around and just kill stuff for fun. Their Sabbat-like disregard for the Masquerade will have a few more consequences now.

So now intimidating, brutalizing and killing for fun is off? Nooo Thats against Via Bestie! What would I do!? I know: kill Hunters

Feral wrote:

PGM1961 wrote:

Zer0Morph wrote:

TCI Members and Fans,
Q: What makes the Hunters more powerful and dangerous in TFN than in the vanilla version?
A: Their stats and weapons have been enhanced, along with resistances to certain disciplines; namely Daimoinon. All Tier 3 Hunters have some form of True Sight allowing them to see Obfuscated characters up close, along with resistances to low tier mental-based disciplines.

Which mimics certain benefits of True Faith. Awesome.

This will be a rude shock to the players who like to rampage around and just kill stuff for fun. Their Sabbat-like disregard for the Masquerade will have a few more consequences now.

So now intimidating, brutalizing and killing for fun is off? Nooo Thats against Via Bestie! What would I do!? I know: kill Hunters

I'm still going to play a psycho murderer. Just for the hell of it

PGM1961 wrote:

Which mimics certain benefits of True Faith. Awesome.

This will be a rude shock to the players who like to rampage around and just kill stuff for fun. Their Sabbat-like disregard for the Masquerade will have a few more consequences now.

That's exactly what I was going for on this. Because "Shield of Faith" isn't technically plausable to implement I simply setup the mental based disciplines to be resistant to the higher tier hunters. "Divine Vision" is another hunter discipline that can't be properly implemented like Auspex so I activated the "True Sight" flag on the higher tier hunters as well.

Philosopher,

If you want to run around and rampage you definately need to look at the Osebo clan, they fit this description well. They frenzy often and watching innocents die excite them even further.

Zer0Morph wrote:

Philosopher,

If you want to run around and rampage you definately need to look at the Osebo clan, they fit this description well. They frenzy often and watching innocents die excite them even further.

Well i'll also have plenty of freshly baked clans to choose from, thanks to you baby!

ThePhilosopher wrote:

Zer0Morph wrote:

Philosopher,

If you want to run around and rampage you definately need to look at the Osebo clan, they fit this description well. They frenzy often and watching innocents die excite them even further.

Well i'll also have plenty of freshly baked clans to choose from, thanks to you baby!

You're welcome daddio!

This will definitely be interesting. I've usually avoided keeping those violations, mostly because I didn't want to be fed any of LaCroix's bull. But then again, I might think about keeping a few, just to see how many hunters think I'm fair game. Many will find their crimson milk running down my flesh, as they contemplate their failure in lieu of the pain.

(Too over the top? I hope not.)

Maxus Corvin wrote:

This will definitely be interesting. I've usually avoided keeping those violations, mostly because I didn't want to be fed any of LaCroix's bull. But then again, I might think about keeping a few, just to see how many hunters think I'm fair game. Many will find their crimson milk running down my flesh, as they contemplate their failure in lieu of the pain.

(Too over the top? I hope not.)

'Crimson milk'? Sounds kinda... Lestat.

Hmm, I'm normally a bit of a goodie goodie with this, almost never getting a violation. I might just have to play a particularly evil character in a play through for testing this out. But hey, that's what Baali's for isn't it?

Nezumi wrote:

Hmm, I'm normally a bit of a goodie goodie with this, almost never getting a violation. I might just have to play a particularly evil character in a play through for testing this out. But hey, that's what Baali's for isn't it?

Baali are particularly screwed cuz of hunters resistence

You say screwed, I say waiting for the challenge

ThePhilosopher wrote:

Nezumi wrote:

Hmm, I'm normally a bit of a goodie goodie with this, almost never getting a violation. I might just have to play a particularly evil character in a play through for testing this out. But hey, that's what Baali's for isn't it?

Baali are particularly screwed cuz of hunters resistence

In disciplines sure, but a good old hand to hand or ranged will still do as much damage..

Ooooooh this' gonna be so much FUN! Can't wait to spit blood in their eyes!

Jad.3 wrote:

Ooooooh this' gonna be so much FUN! Can't wait to spit blood in their eyes!

Assamites are for you then, they can spit acidic blood at their victims.

This sounds great. I love the idea that they spawn and stay in the map. Actually, perhaps based on the number of masquerade violations a NUMBER of them could spawn... like 1 for the first, 2 for the second, etc? But either way, I like this idea a lot.

Zer0Morph wrote:

Jad.3 wrote:

Ooooooh this' gonna be so much FUN! Can't wait to spit blood in their eyes!

Assamites are for you then, they can spit acidic blood at their victims.

I have to comment.
There are three castes of Assamites, the warriors, the viziers and the sorcerors, perhaps the eldest magic users among the Kindred. According to rules, the antitribu seem to be mostly warriors. Relationship between them and the main clan is, well, ok if not friendly. There used to be (maybe still is ) a bloodline of Byzantine viziers, with very interesting set of disciplines.
The interesting thing about Quietus is that there are multiple power choices on lower levels, I yet have to see that in other disciplines. The most interesting power to me is the antitribus level 6 Deed the Hearts Desire.
Sorry, that's the least I could write... What I mean, I know almost everything about Assamites. Sorry again, had to get it off my chest.
(Philosopher, NOW!)
/>bragging

Is it possible to make it that masquerade violations can, immidietly after incurred, cause a period of time where the streets are absolutly brimming with hunters?

Let me explain.

Every time you get a masquerade violation, the next time you load into a hub, there are all sorts of hunter walking around looking for you (much more than the 'normal' amount of hunters that are spawned depending on your number of masquerade violations). This lasts for a certain period of time, after which areas will spawn the normal amount of hunters.

This would reflect how the news that "A vampire has been detected!" would cause a certain level of excitement with the hunters, who would swarm the area to try to catch the vampire before it goes into hiding. Sort of how if you spot a pig, you wanna get your hands on it before it runs into the bushes, because then it's harder to find it again.

This not only adds that allmighty "immersion factor", but also makes those masquerade violations a bit more fun.. er, I mean, makes you want to avoid getting them. Furthermore, it makes feeding a bit more interesting, because hunting blood down in the streets might be harder, and you'll be forced to either go to the clubs or the sewers for your fix.

Just another idea from yours falsely.

-Foxi

I'm curious what other members think of this idea Foxy.

If the heat calms down after some time has passed, it's a good idea.

Another thing that bothers me about the masquerade violations, and redemptions is that you get a shitload of redemptions in the downtown and Hollywood sidequests. But only one for the dog's blood in Santa Monica, and if I recall right, nothing at al in Chinatown and later.

So for me, most of the redemptions are gone with the wind when I don't need them, and when I really do, there is none to get...

-

Childe of Malkav wrote:

If the heat calms down after some time has passed, it's a good idea.

Another thing that bothers me about the masquerade violations, and redemptions is that you get a shitload of redemptions in the downtown and Hollywood sidequests. But only one for the dog's blood in Santa Monica, and if I recall right, nothing at al in Chinatown and later.

So for me, most of the redemptions are gone with the wind when I don't need them, and when I really do, there is none to get...

-

The one in Santa Monica drives me nuts. I never need it, but I want to get the experience points for the mission, you know? It's always wasted.

Well I do need the one in Santa Monica, as I usually send Copper off to Washington. It's more fun than sending him to LaCroix or Nines...

-

I think Foxi has a good idea. Truckload of Hunters would make some chances for future Violations, running in them every other corner. That would really make you think about your actions. Good

Childe of Malkav wrote:

Well I do need the one in Santa Monica, as I usually send Copper off to Washington. It's more fun than sending him to LaCroix or Nines...

-

I always send him off to the tower.

Altho' I have played a totally evil character before where I tried to push all the limits (no humanity, just killing anyone and everyone in sight)... That was a fun game... I felt a little guilty doing it but I loved hacking down some of the people.

Tuishimi wrote:

Childe of Malkav wrote:

Well I do need the one in Santa Monica, as I usually send Copper off to Washington. It's more fun than sending him to LaCroix or Nines...

-

I always send him off to the tower.

Altho' I have played a totally evil character before where I tried to push all the limits (no humanity, just killing anyone and everyone in sight)... That was a fun game... I felt a little guilty doing it but I loved hacking down some of the people.

Well after playing this for a few nights (playing 3 different characters) I've learned that I am a crappy gamer. I get killed left and right, I've had masquerade violation after masquerade violation (Being Setite has its drawbacks), I got yelled at by VV (but not spanked, unfortunately), and blood dolls hate me.