Alpha Protocol preview-interview

[Vault Dweller]

I didn't have time to explain my answer before....

First, to understand the ME dialogue system we should consider why it was designed in the first place. Sadly it wasn't done to try new things or innovate the decades old dialogue system. The ME wheel is the direct result of consolization. It was designed to make choosing dialogue options easier when the benefits of keyboard & mouse aren't available. It also take very little screen space, which is, perhaps, the most important reason of all. It would have taken a lot of space to display 6-7 fully written lines, and I don't think anyone (I mean the next gen kids) wants to look at the screen filled with rows of text. Bioware was shooting for cinematics with the wheel ("We're actually not using the one that was used for Mass Effect, because the Mass Effect one is really designed to do cinematic conversations."), and reading & considering different responses and cinematics are two very different things.

So, could something that was designed for the wrong (from the Codex point of view) reasons be a good feature? I doubt it. Anyway, let's take a look at the implementation.

Basically, the wheel requires two sets of responses: short and long. Can every sentence be accurately summarized in 2 words? No, it can't. In one case the actual response was shorter than the wheel line. Even shorter sentences are sometimes mismatched. Some examples:

I saved that Tali girl from the assassins. The short line says something like "I just saved you" (in a conversation where I'm asking her to hand me the evidence). That sounds like a good reason to me, so I picked that line. The actual response revolves around "we don't have time to fuck around" and doesn't mention the saving thing at all. It happens a lot in the game. Not a game-breaking feature, but it's certainly annoying enough. Is there a really good reason or trade-off why my character should say something that's only remotely related (and sometimes not related at all) to what I originally picked? Is there a really good reason to hide the actual responses from the player at all? The drawbacks are obvious, but what are the benefits?

 

[Jasede]

Sounds awful... so this will be an action-adventure too, I suppose. With RPG flavour.

It remains to be seen whether this dangerous complexity will result in an engaging story.

Allow me...
:facepalm:

I wish stupidity hurt.

 

[inwoker]

"as they've (from their Black Isle days)"

Obsidian is NOT BIS.

Dumbass.

ORLY?

 

[ixg]

I wish stupidity hurt.

If that were the case you'd probably be dead by now
Anyways, carry on

 

[Texas Red]

How can losing control of your character be bad in any way? Obsidian are whoring themselves out for dumb reasons revolving around marketing research. Even a console player would obviously favor to have total control of his avatar(and have the good feeling of it as a consequence) instead of choosing =) or >=( which, as seen in Bard's Tale, doesn't even give an idea of the following line and is plain stupid.

The concept of RPGs is that you can immerse yourself in another world. You choose your actions. But no, something which has been obvious for decades even for tabletop has to be beyond Obsidian.

In the end AP will have mediocre combat, mediocre graphics and mediocre RPG mechanics. It also has an unappealing setting fit more for television; in RPGs you should be given an opportunity to realize your fantasies. It will fail, imo.

 

[TalesfromtheCrypt]

Well, seems like this game will suck hard. Maybe it will have an kick-ass expension though that corrects all the mistake of the main game and surprises everybody. Then we will get our hopes up for Obsidians next full priced game which will turn out to suck...and the story continues

 

[Jasede]

I wish stupidity hurt.

If that were the case you'd probably be dead by now
Anyways, carry on

I might be silly but I'm most certainly not stupid, little monkey. While not attaining Blakemore intelligence levels I'll say that it's likely I outclass you. I remember when I used to be scolded for being the laziest pupil ever to visit my school - which was because I already finished everything I had to learn for that year in the first weeks and spent the rest of class reading Donald Duck comics.

 

[elander_]

PC players may not like ME dialog system and they are right to say there's nothing innovative in it for PC games at least, but for the console market it is an innovation. Most of these guys have never played a good rpg like Fallout or Arcanum so to them what they see is progress in the way they are used to play games.

 

[Fat Dragon]

I wish stupidity hurt.

If that were the case you'd probably be dead by now
Anyways, carry on

I might be silly but I'm most certainly not stupid, little monkey. While not attaining Blakemore intelligence levels I'll say that it's likely I outclass you. I remember when I used to be scolded for being the laziest pupil ever to visit my school - which was because I already finished everything I had to learn for that year in the first weeks and spent the rest of class reading Donald Duck comics.

 

[Kraszu]

Is there a really good reason to hide the actual responses from the player at all? The drawbacks are obvious, but what are the benefits?

You can RP insane person that can't fully consciously control on what he is saying.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I'm playing the game now.

Short line - Busy?
Full line - You seem to be distracted.

WTF?

Edit:

Short line - You are checking up on me?
Full line - I don't like when people are spying on me.

*sigh*

On ME quest design:

I'm Shepard. My full rank is Motherfucking Commander, Famous Hero Dude And The First Human Jedi. I mean Specter. Everyone knows me on the Citadel. So, I'm having a chat with a general and he says: "You are a bright young kid. How would you like to earn a few extra credits?"

*sigh*

 

[Volourn]

"it wasn't done to try new things or innovate the decades old dialogue system. The ME wheel is the direct result of consolization."

proof, please. The KOTORs, and JE were made for the console yet they have the 'traditional' BIO/BIS/OBS/Troika dialogue system. *shrug*

 

[easychord]

I agree that dialog trees are far from being a new thing, even for consoles.

The Mass Effect dialog system was made to get past the bleak existential horror of the PC not being voice acted and conversations not playing out like movies.

 

[Lumpy]

Alpha Protocol's system might work in some situations, but how will it work if it comes to this:
"Our nation will become a police state if nobody annihilates this leader of the revolution. On the other hand, without being ruled under an iron fist we shall inevitably descend into anarchy. It is the nature of our people. So, the decision lies with you. What will you do?

 

[Kingston]

There is but a single stance that will ensure success in the game.

 

[Arem]

Alpha Protocol's system might work in some situations, but how will it work if it comes to this:
"Our nation will become a police state if nobody annihilates this leader of the revolution. On the other hand, without being ruled under an iron fist we shall inevitably descend into anarchy. It is the nature of our people. So, the decision lies with you. What will you do?

I don't know