I cannot pass up VtM even though I do not like the system it runs, heh. The lore and the feel of the story just draws me in. Count me in (for now). I will say that I am busy with school and portfolio building, so that may kill my interest (I hope not, though).
I do not know much about the computer game, if that matters, but I am quite comfortable with VtM lore itself; as well as the rules. I have a char I really want to use again. Seeing as how this is sandbox, however, I will tweak her a bit so she can run alone more effectively (seeing as player interaction will likely be at a minimum I imagine).
Huskie, you can just google some info on LA. You can use google maps, or use google earth to get street names, locations, etc. As much as people dislike Wikipedia, it will be your best bet to actually find any information which will likely not confuse you or mislead you. I can't say how annoying it is to find anything more than tidbits off other sites.