Another Alpha Protocol interview

[Mr. Teatime]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/alpha ... -interview

MCA says the right things, but I still can't get excited about this game. Maybe because 24 and the like have never really interested me? The most interesting thing about AP initially was its being set in the 'real world'. But then I learnt that that meant spies...

I'd love to play an RPG that's really really set in the real world. I guess Shemnue tried, but that's a JRPG and... yeah. Someone here started talking about a proper C&C high school RPG from a developer like Obsidian (in fact I think it was MCA himself some years back). I'd love to see that.

Still, I agree with his point that they'd be doing the genre a disservice by omitting 'tasteful' sex scenes. And PS:T's world/concept didn't immediately excite me.

 

[MetalCraze]

Eurogamer: Bond and Bourne films and TV shows like 24 are all heavily directed so they're exciting. Can a slow-paced RPG really emulate that successfully?

Chris Avellone: The trick with Alpha Protocol is that nothing in the game is actually slow, even the dialogue system - even that is timed. It's not like Neverwinter Nights 2. All the conversations take place in real-time. There's usually an urgency about the conversation as well so it keeps people more engaged in what's going on.

What's with this retarded next-gen "game must be like a movie" as of late?
Also gameplay videos show that the actual twitchy gameplay is very slow.

Eurogamer: Evidently you're pro-romance in videogames, then. But what are your thoughts about the issue in general?

Chris Avellone: I think it's a natural part of human relations, and as long as you present it tastefully I think there's ways to communicate it that it helps reinforce... I mean, it's part of the spy genre: it's part of James Bond, it's part of 24, it's part of the Jason Bourne movies. To not implement it would be to do a disservice to the type of game we're trying to create.

Nice flip flopping. I remember how Avellone said that romances suck during KotOR2 time. Not mentioning that just last year he said that there won't be any sex scenes in AP.

Chris Avellone: Well, visually on the character we try and provide the player with a number of customisation options, like skin colour, tone, any sort of facial hair they want, hair styles, different clothing sets or armours sets that they want to wear.

Sounds extremely gay. Miss those times when games didn't need a Barbie customization and it wasn't a hype point.

So that helps you set yourself apart from other players playing the game and achieve extra skill levels and skills that other characters cannot.

Chris bullshits like Hines, considering that only some month ago Obsidian was saying that even if you don't have any skill you still can do the exactly same things as a character with that skill.

The other thing that takes place is you can gain dossier pieces, and dossier basically represents the amount of research you've done on a faction or individual. Once you achieve a full dossier or you find out secret facts about a characters, that will also give you game bonuses as well.

This suspiciously smells of retarded console collect X of Y minigame.

For example, if you take a very heavy Jack Bauer route through the game and you decide you don't want to leave any enemies behind you, if you'd rather not talk to people and shoot them in the knees and have them spill their guts to you - you really don't have time to figure out where the missile is - we allow you to do those options and we award you perks based on those choices in the dialogue choices.

So basically even if you will just prefer to shoot your way through game instead of spending time talking to people - you'll still get rewarded and won't have any problems? How Mass Effect'ish.

Chris Avellone: There's actually a lot of reasons. I would be very, very surprised if five people playing the game have the same experience.

Show me at least one Obsidian game that wasn't very linear. Considering that every character will get the exactly same core missions and storyline in AP.

 

[ricolikesrice]

....

in after skyway, in before hümmelgümpf.

 

[bat_boro]

Chris Avellone: I think it's a natural part of human relations, and as long as you present it tastefully I think there's ways to communicate it that it helps reinforce... I mean, it's part of the spy genre: it's part of James Bond, it's part of 24, it's part of the Jason Bourne movies. To not implement it would be to do a disservice to the type of game we're trying to create.

I don't remember that shit in The Bourne Ultimatum, which was the greatest of the three, so that argument is not valid. Shit, even in the first film the romance didn't feel forced but sort of happened along the way when they were trying to save their butts and as a side note the chick was the only women Bourne ever knew (because of his amnesia)
So no, it's not a part of the Bourne movies (especially when they kill her early in the second one)

And James Bond is not a serious spy movie no matter what, so that argument is still not valid - I mean, I thought AP was trying to be a serious real-world dark'n'gritty RPG?



Seriously, what's with all the romance? No one cares, we just want solid gameplay mechanics and engaging story. I hope AP delivers

 

[Emotional Vampire]

What's with this retarded next-gen "game must be like a movie" as of late?

DIDN'T YOU HEAR. Game industry is like movie industry. They're just taking it to the next level.

 

[Trithne]

So basically even if you will just prefer to shoot your way through game instead of spending time talking to people - you'll still get rewarded and won't have any problems? How Mass Effect'ish.

Come now Skyway. Would you prefer that you couldn't got he guns blazing route at all? At least it's an option.

Everything else is shit though.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

And James Bond is not a serious spy movie no matter what, so that argument is still not valid - I mean, I thought AP was trying to be a serious real-world dark'n'gritty RPG?

It was pretty clear from the start that it would be more like Bond and less like Bourne and 24.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

It was pretty clear from the start that it would be more like Bond and less like Bourne and 24.

Proof:

 

[Fat Dragon]

Not mentioning that just last year he said that there won't be any sex scenes in AP.

Show me the interview where he said this. I remember them talking about how you can "bag all of the chicks" since the game was first announced.

 

[MetalCraze]

There was a 15 minutes video showing gameplay back in 2008 where when Avellone was asked whether there will be sex shown in AP he said something like "it's not our way". And I won't spend hours looking for a specific part in one of now many AP videos.

Still Avellone basically went from talking about how RPGs don't need romances and sex back in the day to this:

I think it's an important step, and it's not sex for sex's sake, but it's part of human interaction that makes you more involved in the game world and your characters. Just like in the real world, sex runs the range from entertainment to a symbol of the depth of feeling between two people, and not having that reflected in a role-playing experience feels does RPGs an injustice.

Injustice.
15 years olds will be pleased with this new shit.

 

[bat_boro]

And James Bond is not a serious spy movie no matter what, so that argument is still not valid - I mean, I thought AP was trying to be a serious real-world dark'n'gritty RPG?

It was pretty clear from the start that it would be more like Bond and less like Bourne and 24.

Yeah, although I hoped that it will be heavily influenced by Bourne, too, since they mentioned it as an influence.

Btw, how is 24?
Is it worth starting a discussion in GD for it?
I'm looking for a serious spy TV show right now (and a fairly new one) but I remember something about black president and terrorist organization and such...

 

[MetalCraze]

24 isn't a spy show at all. But it fits the crappy gameplay of AP the best as an influence, the main character somehow reminds of AP's retarded Shepard clone.

Come now Skyway. Would you prefer that you couldn't got he guns blazing route at all? At least it's an option.

I would've preferred some things available only to different characters, what's good in having or not having a guns blazing route when it leads to the exactly same rewarding outcome? The same goes for dialogue route - RPG my ass - AP has not a single interaction stat - meaning that dialogue choices will never fail and always will be available to you.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Btw, how is 24?
Is it worth starting a discussion in GD for it?
I'm looking for a serious spy TV show right now (and a fairly new one) but I remember something about black president and terrorist organization and such...

24 isn't really a spy show, but it's a fairly decent action-thriller most of the time with a pretty good gimmick. Just remember to jump on the Jack Bauer meme to get the most of it.

 

[Trithne]

I would've preferred some things available only to different characters, what's good in having or not having a guns blazing route when it leads to the exactly same rewarding outcome? The same goes for dialogue route - RPG my ass - AP has not a single interaction stat - meaning that dialogue choices will never fail and always will be available to you.

Well, it says that the reward is different for each playstyle. Go in guns blazing and it gives you perks relevant to that style of play. Go the sneaky approach or whatever, get perks relevant to that.

What makes it shit is this whole 'define your character as you play' thing it's got, where you start out all basically the same. But that's just MCA trying to redo The Nameless One.

 

[MetalCraze]

Well, it says that the reward is different for each playstyle. Go in guns blazing and it gives you perks relevant to that style of play. Go the sneaky approach or whatever, get perks relevant to that.

And that's all. What do those perks do anyway?

But that's just MCA trying to redo The Nameless One.

Close but not really - they are copying Mass Effect, don't forget about that.

 

[BLOBERT]

HAHAHAHAHH ALPHA PROTOCOL SUCKS YOU FAGS ONLY RETARDS LIKE ALPHA PROTOCL SMART PEOPLE WHO PLAY IT THINK IT IS SHIT

 

[Frankie]

HAHAHAHAHH ALPHA PROTOCOL SUCKS YOU FAGS ONLY RETARDS LIKE ALPHA PROTOCL SMART PEOPLE WHO PLAY IT THINK IT IS SHIT

I would suggest you re-read, if you can do that much, your post and then rethink you decision to call someone else a retard.

 

[racofer]

That's funny. You called him a retard and messed up a simple quoting.

 

[Frankie]

That's funny. You called him a retard and messed up a simple quoting.

Messing up quoting because you didn't recheck your post is one thing.

Typing like a 6 year old who can barely complete a coherent sentence and then doing it in all caps is something else.

 

[racofer]

:facepalm.jpg:

 

[BLOBERT]

LOOK WHO IS BEEING THE RETARD NOW!!!! HAHAHAHAH MUCH BUTTHURT ANYONEFR?!?!?!

 

[Junior Boy]

Chris Avellone: There's actually a lot of reasons. I would be very, very surprised if five people playing the game have the same experience.

Show me at least one Obsidian game that wasn't very linear. Considering that every character will get the exactly same core missions and storyline in AP.

Thank you. It's like Bioshock saying that no two gamers would have the same experience. Which is utter bullshit because it was literally completely, utterly linear, with a slightly different end movie. I hate this talking point so much.

 

[Phelot]

I am disappointed that this interview did not give new information on the four (4) sex scenes included in the game.

 

[Hoaxmetal]

I am disappointed that this interview did not give new information on the four (4) sex scenes included in the game.

My cock is burning to know if penetration will be shown in its full glory.