"
While we use quite a bit of slo-mo effects across combat, Banu’s version of celerity is its biggest use case - we needed a small subsystem specifically to manage time dilation across gameplay, to allow for its use in combination with other abilities. This has really paid off, I genuinely never get tired of using Banu Haqim’s lethal beheading strike in (almost) stopped time!
"
It sounds like they try to put a lot effort into combat. I still worry that we do not have enough to play around with, so little replayability.

They also confirmed in this Dev Diary that Termere is focusing on stealth as well just a slower play style:
"
Banu Haqim, alongside Tremere, is our second clan that leans more into stalk within combat. While we’ve tailored Tremere for a slower, more tactical style of play, the Banu Haqim clan’s use of Obfuscation and Celerity make them much better suited to a faster, more confident approach.
"

The Haqimite 'ability branch' looks to be the best of all the clans. I don't need to see Ventrue's to know it's not as versatile.

Fashion-wise, I like the suit option, but then that makes me wonder whether the Ventrue will get any traditional suits now. Would be a little redundant.

Honestly this is another one of those dev diaries that without the follow up I can't make a good judgement on what the Banu Haqim will be like.

The biggest things that got a reaction from me was a hard disagree with their initial spiel about how the clan history was a mistake, as the Ravanos are a strong example that the Banu Haqim method of expanding out of their niche, was the better option to throwing away the past and making the clan a directionless generic concept.

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Also it worries me that they really think Tremere are a stealth clan, over glass cannon.

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Outfit wise, it get another fine example of how that hairstyle detracts from all outfits that don't hide the hair.

Further Outfit 3 looks more like its a Lasombara outfit than Banu Haqim to me, since its kind of a roughed up suit look.

Originally posted by Anvos:

Also it worries me that they really think Tremere are a stealth clan, over glass cannon.

What's equally worrying to me: they think the clan perk of dissolving bodies will make Tremere legitimately stealthy. The only way that perk works is by tediously neck-snapping lone enemies, before initiating open combat. It does nothing to help us go back into stealth after we're detected.

If we could at least climb up walls and ceilings with the low-level ritual, that'd help a lot. But with so few 'ability' options, nothing they've presented makes the Tremere look like a good stealth clan.

I think the point with Tremere is avoiding combat as much as they can but when forced into combat they go all out with spells to quickly kill everyone nearby and then they remove any evidence of what happen with the dissolving ability to not alert other enemies, so they can build up their mana pool again with stealth.

Banu Haqim is about doing stealth all the time and even in combat using stealth (though faster than what I am used to in stealth games).

I see a particular lack of any Blood Sorcery mention in that diary. No Quietus, no Assamite Sorcery, nothing. Just blah-blah about Celerity and some Obfuscate. I would not be surpised if Assamites in this game will completely lack the thing that actually makes them a unique clan.

P.S. Also fashion sense is as terrible as always.

Originally posted by Harukage:

I see a particular lack of any Blood Sorcery mention in that diary. No Quietus, no Assamite Sorcery, nothing. Just blah-blah about Celerity and some Obfuscate. I would not be surpised if Assamites in this game will completely lack the thing that actually makes them a unique clan.

P.S. Also fashion sense is as terrible as always.

Which other clans have Celerity and Obfuscate as well?

Do not lead this astray. Devs are making Banu Haqim without their actual unique clan discipline.
Also to be straight, Corrosive Vitae is Banu Haqims power, not Tremeres. Always were.

They seem plenty of unique to me.

You might not like changes, but this is a computer game and changes are always needed to balance any type of game that isn't a perfect copy. Sure, there can be better ways of doing it, but at least wait until we get info on the all their skills in two weeks.

Originally posted by Harukage:

I see a particular lack of any Blood Sorcery mention in that diary. No Quietus, no Assamite Sorcery, nothing. Just blah-blah about Celerity and some Obfuscate. I would not be surpised if Assamites in this game will completely lack the thing that actually makes them a unique clan.

Technically they do mention Quietus, but I don't think they know it, ha ha.

Full quote:

"The Banu Haqim abilities primarily focus on these two disciplines – the player can silence themselves and others, move impossibly fast, and vanish from sight completely. These can be used at any pace, but they truly shine when used swiftly together, dancing in and out of sight and dispatching opponents quicker than they can react. This makes them ideal for a player who likes to stay hidden, toy with their victim’s senses, and when needed, kill everyone in the room faster than a Tremere could decide their first move."

Silencing yourself is an Obfuscate ability in V5, but silencing others (or an area) was originally a Quietus power from V20.

Moving impossibly fast will probably be the 'stop time' ability we've already seen. Vanishing from sight is straightforward Obfuscate.

The final ability will probably be Bladed Hands or an equivalent. Based on the clip of Haqim combat where they one-swipe-kill enemies, and their hands look a little different than usual. So, technically that would be a Blood Sorcery ritual.

Also, the bit they say at the end, about killing an entire room faster than a Tremere decides their first move--again, it seems to indicate even by their own internal playtesting that Haqimites are far more efficient than the other clans.

Unlike the Brujah abilities, in which the taunt and the straight-line charge and the flurry punch all seem inefficient (only the ground punch earthquake is a genuine room-clearer); and the Tremere abilities, in which the single-target blood boil is wasteful, while the teleport explosion requires herding and kiting enemies to a specific location--unlike all of that, Haqimite abilities seem much more practical. Far less situational.

With Brujah having both that clear room ability and abilities to deal big dmg to single tough targets seems efficient to me.
I am leaning more Banu Haqim and possible even more Tremere as I like stealth game play more, but Brujah sounds like the best damage dealer for both multiple targets and single targets. Although I wonder if Brujah is a bit of a glass cannon?

Originally posted by Gesuma:

With Brujah having both that clear room ability and abilities to deal big dmg to single tough targets seems efficient to me.
I am leaning more Banu Haqim and possible even more Tremere as I like stealth game play more, but Brujah sounds like the best damage dealer for both multiple targets and single targets. Although I wonder if Brujah is a bit of a glass cannon?

Bladed hands + stop time, will be equal or better than the Brujah's charge or flurry punch, because stopping time is far more versatile than waiting for all your enemies to stand in a line, or close enough to each other that you can flurry punch two at once. Against multiple weak enemies, one bladed-hands punch seems to kill them. Against one strong enemy, you can stop time and punch it multiple times with enhanced damage from the blades.

And yes, Brujah has no defensive abilities. Haqim has the stop time, plus disappear, both of which can be used offensively or defensively. The Brujah's charge can't be used to escape, I don't think, because it needs a target before it can be triggered*. So you can't run away from enemies with it, only towards them.

*not 100% sure on this. I just watched the warehouse scene with the charge, and it doesn't appear to lock on a specific target.