I loved Jesse and would also like him as a love interest ^_^… i felt bad for Samantha for the most part though.
Samantha, she was a tad arrogant, but she actually attempted to get on friendly terms with the protagonist and didn’t do anything particularly cruel, unlike Jesse.
True she was forgiving, but sometimes there does need to be a little push or force to stop unwanted advances. If the person can’t see subtle hints you should find another way. Yeah Jesse was a bit harsh…but it showed more of his character and sense of humor.
I might have liked Samantha more… until I had my character allow Calkins to destroy the weapons depot after Calkins explained that he wanted to stop slavery in the South. After that, Sam exiled my character from Vicksburg, and when my girl explained her reason for letting Calkins proceed, Sam mentioned that humans were just cattle to her. That really diminished the respect my character had for her, since she’s very pro-human.
But on the other hand, what Jesse tried to do to her was still downright jerkish, so I couldn’t really overlook that he tried to humiliate Sam and tried to draft my character into his scheme. (And I fell for it the first time; when he said “these things must be handled delicately” I thought he was going to let her down easy, so imagine my shock when I found out his true motives.)
In short, I may end up liking or disliking one of them more in the sequel, if there ever is one, but for now I’m more or less neutral between the two of them.
Jesse felt more like friendly nemesis, spoiling his play against Samantha is way more entertaining then going along with his plan. Even afterwards Jesse didn’t seem that angry, figured he felt the same way. Some more such mostly spite-less moments back and forth would have been fun.
Samantha was alright till it becomes clear she is in a sort of polite exile, which was kind of sad because my character wouldn’t want to stick around with her in such circumstance. It’s not that she is annoying or unpleasant, she is just a dead-end in terms of vampire society.
1 Like
@CassYuri Yep, but it wasn’t just that Samantha was a dead-end, Vicksburg was also just as much a dead-end, the vampire equivalent to the boondocks. The game never made a convincing argument for why we decided to go to Vicksburg of all places after leaving New Orleans.
I should also add that Samantha wasn’t totally a dead-end, she does have the ear of Governor Overstreet and she does have valuable skills she can be convinced to teach if you acquiesce to her embracing your servant and ask for fair compensation in return. My issue wasn’t really with Samantha, who I liked, so much as with Vicksburg.
Jesse is a sort of character which will always be remembered for me, Samantha seemed like the perfect torture victim.
Jesse had self-centered bad-boy written all over him. What he did to Samantha was both petty and cruel. I have little patience for that sort of cattiness in general, and none whatsoever when it comes from another man. I also found his unrequited interest in my character to be rather creepy.
Well for me it’s not so black and white.
I warn Samantha, but that doesn’t mean I prefer her over him, that just means I think Jesse deserves a gibbs slap for his frat boy behavior.
Although since I like playing an amerindian character I often don’t get the chance to warn her, but that’s because of her hangups, not mine.
Unfortunately I don’t get the chance to school her when you get into her territory. “Madame, I had every intention of warning you of Jesse’s perfidy, but your mortal prejudices got in the way,” instead of it seeming like an excuse in the game.
Well… as a long time oWoD: Vampire the Masquerade player… I actually liked Jesse Whitaker a bit more than Samatha, for the simple fact… his type of socio-political backstabbing character is pretty much the type of character I play in Camarilla campaigns. Typically some form of nuanced Tremere or Ventrue, sure the actions maybe petty and vindictive, but one has to see it on the greater scheme of things in vampiric societies that are represented in VtM or CotV. Which is that everyone can be made an example of, and if said action amuses and entertains ones vampiric elders, then that’s a step up the socio-political ladder as you gain favor with them.
What Jesse did reminded me of something that an ancilla within clan Toreador would do, i.e. socially set up someone they secretly loathe, and do so via some form of artistry during a salon. And what did it gain him? Well, rid him of someone he found to be a nuisance, while it simultaneously gained him favor and regard amongst other vampires and his elders. Thereby by proxy he goes up the vampiric socio-political ladder and more sway is garnered to him.
Sure, it’s petty and small, but you have to think in terms of Old World nobility and fiefdoms, and the social circle dynamics of people who essentially live inauthentic lives. It’s going to be over trivialities and shrewd use of social protocol that one devalues their perceived rivals and those they simply cannot stand.
I actually liked both of the characters a lot. I have a soft spot for bad boy characters like Jesse, so I thought he was a lot of fun. And watching him get taken down if you help Samantha is one of my favorite scenes in the game. And Samantha may be a bit of an idiot, but she’s generally a nice idiot, so she’s a nice change of pace from all the smart, scheming characters.
@Apillis See, that’s the thing, I usually run the Gangrel, Malkavian, Bruja “good guy” route, Anarch/Anarch wannabe with dreams of ripping down that petty social structure and putting up one that ‘works’. Funny thing, I’m currently in a VtM game we’re recording, every Saturday at around 12pmPST/3pmEST/8pmGST, I’m running a Malk that wants to establish an Anarch state in NYC: http://www.twitch.tv/skitsojdster/new (Note that can probably be classed as NSFW.)
So, because of the character I usually end up as, I have no sympathy for the ‘Ivory Tower’, nor anything that resembles it. Jesse can go die in a fire. That said, my ‘main’ (that is my first and favorite) character/path is an American Indian, so at the same time, so can Samantha. *Between* the two thought, Samantha can be ‘fixed’, while Jesse’s just gonna be an a-hole to the end of eternity, unless he takes my above mentioned escape route, the one with the dieing and the fire and all that stuff.
@Reaperoa That sounds like a cool campaign. I always had a soft spot for Gangrel (play a Cam’ grel (though really Independent, just allying with Cam’ purely to not be bothered which is what 'grel typically want) who was a nun, such a fun character), but on the whole I play either Tremere or Ventrue for Camarilla campaigns (mostly Tremere), but then again… I’ve always been partial to playing villains, so they always wind up involved in some massive form of douchebaggery. XD But yeah, Anarchs, typically because of social protocol my characters would ignore them until they couldn’t be ignored, and that’s when I’d start getting particularly cruel via Backgrounds (and Tremere rituals when playing one) and see to it havens start burning down. XD If done right, nobody will know it was you, or better yet–leave a bread crumb trail finger-pointing at a rival. Send the pissed off Brujah Anarchs after them, then leave it to the Venture o piss on them for several months… or years–however long it takes for things to finally chill. XD
So, personally I always played the French girl from an old money family, or the mulatto creole, but in either case making them sharp social manipulators. Though, I did go the West route with my creole girls a couple times which was fun. XD But, yeah, I typically always go the way of socio-political manipulator, and so my characters they tended to see Samantha sewing her own fate with her naivete. Cold, apathetic–a bit cruel, sure, but that’s just how ‘the game’ is played. XD
…Unless I’m playing Sabbat then I just go the way of the hax Assamite, and everyone gets diablerized! Nomnomnomnomnom!
@Apillis Amusingly enough I most often played Ventrue and Tremere as well, as well as the occasional Gangrel. Nevertheless while I greatly enjoy Machiavellian plotting, pointless petty cruelty on the other hand makes needless enemies. I see little point in going out of my way to create lifelong bitter adversaries in such a manner, many of whom will spend years, decades, possibly even centuries plotting to pay me back. I’d personally prefer to avoid that entire destructive vicious cycle whenever possible. If I as a vampire am going to take the time to plot, then I’m going to plot the deaths of my enemies, not the public humiliation of potential allies.
That doesn’t mean Jesse is a bad character or a bad vampire. He’s a great character and a typical Camarilla harpy. That doesn’t change the fact that I consider him petty and somewhat childish.
I always liked putting spoiled brats to their place and taking fragile, naive characters under my wings, so I preferred Samantha. I’d like her to be a potential love interest to comfort her after Jesse.
Some OWoD players here I see but I’ll refrain from the awesomeness of OWoD until I put my few cents in on Sam vs Jessie.
In all honesty Samantha realy annoyed me through most of my playthroughs. Sure I could write about all the things that I found annoying about her (trust me I did, I deleted it halfway through because it was too long) but sufficev it to say that I wouldn’t invite her to dinner… ever.
I did feel somewhat bad for her because of Jessie but in all honesty I didn’t care for her that much to do anything about it. I will sometimes help her but only because I can make Jessie believe I didn’t have anything to do with it… Tsk tsk Jessie I thought you were smarter than that.
Me and Jessie are broodmates so I feel obliged to be friendly with him. But he did become like a brother to me so I tolerate his douchebagery. Nuff said.
Now OWoD
I usualy find myself playing the charasmatic Brujah Anarch trying to establish my Carthage in the Modern Nights. Destroying the Camarila isn’t my goal, molding it towards the Anarch movement is. Now I won’t ramble on about how I plan to do this in the game that I am playing but that is my end goal as well as restoring glory to Clan Brujah.
I do not enjoy the social games played amongst the Camarila but I find them to be a necessary evil to my ends. I tend to use such things to my advantage. I shall sway the masses to my ideals and destroy anyone powerful enough to stop me. Ah… just the thought of it is exciting.
Find it funny how easily I can get stuck in that character… heheh.
I liked Samantha more until I played as a Native American character. At least with Jesse isn’t racist…
@SpitfireEX So does your Carthage in the Modern Nights also include worship of and ritual human sacrifice to demons just as the original did? 
The Brujah liked to blame the Ventrue for the destruction of Carthage, but Troile should never have blood bound himself to that Baali lover of his…
I also find it funny how easily I too can revert back to character as well…
As for Samantha, she grew on me over time during our stay in the boonies, er Vicksburg. I became increasingly fond of her over time, much the way I would a pet. Personally, Estefania was my favorite quasi-love interest in the original game.
I always prefer Samantha