Will there be any consequences to skipping a mission besides less popamole?
What is known so far
- There is a sandnigger named Shaheed who "stole" some new missile technology and blew a civilian airplane on flight with one of them.
- The Accountant from Halbech Corporation, source of the missiles used by Shaheed, looks like G-man and is very suspicious. He coul- is definitively involved.
- A politician called Baxter is suspected from receiving funds originated from Shaheed. It's unknown whether this will have relevance to the game later or is just there as Lore.
- Thorton was knocked out, captured and drugged as part of a strange first training.
- Westridge, Thorton's boss, is a very EXTREME type of man who resembles EXTREME Shepard from that other Let's Play. He seems willing to take any means to achieve his ends.
- Should the Alpha Brotocol leak, everyone inside the facility will be killed to cover-up its existence.
- Thorton just moved to Saudi Arabia with the mission of assassinating Shaheed. After conducting ELINT and HUMINT operations in a weapons stockpile and in a terrorist airfield, Alpha Protocol now got the location of Shaheed, and it's up to Thorton to choose whether to go straight for it or get more information by reaching Nasri.
Back on the haven, Thorton checks for new mails.
Purchases relevant Intel.
And an armor that is not as noisy as the Interceptor, because this mission will definitively be somewhat tougher than all the previous ones.
The decision to leave Nasri alone is made. Will it haunt Thorton Shepard later one? That is unknown. For now, it is time to head for another airfield where Shaheed is expected to arrive, to recover the Halbech missiles and kill the terrorist leader. According to Mina, this operation isn't supposed to go to the public because the government would rather cover-up the fact it is Amerikwan corporate technology being used by those terrorists.
Or is there another far darker secret behind so much secrecy?
Hidden inside a truck, possibly inside a cargo crate. Oldest trick in the book but always work. He can either let the convoy run away to intercept it along the road, or get those missiles before they are loaded in.
According to Westridge, there is no clue about where the missiles are. Some intelligence gathering will be necessary because the quest compass can't detect them either, for now.
The disappointing lack of enough alternate ways to progress through the level is evident. The linearity here reach disturbingly frustrating levels, as taking one path that seemed reasonable enough leads only to a dead end.
So, making all the way back, still undetected, the pathway that was designed to be
one of the two only reasonably stealthy ways towards that other building, which puts Thorton on direct line of sight with the machinegun operating terrorist and yet he remains undetected, becomes clear.
[Perception]Many of the buildings in this level look like direct copypasta from the previous airfield mission, even in the layout of objects inside and above them.
All roads lead to this tower if one wants to avoid being detected.
Then just the right timing.
These screenshots are one of the best demonstrations of how stealth works in Alpha Protocol I have so far.
Even this looks better in comparison!
We infiltrate inside the building, and without shadows to hide at and without use of popamole awareness, random chance of detection kicks in.
And whenever stealth doesn't work,
A bullet to the head always does.
[Perception]Wait? In the previous update:
[Intelligence]Even the amount of cash inside that safe that looks like an exact copy of the safe in the previous mission in a room that is a nearly exact copy of the room where the safe was in the previous mission is the same as the amount of cash that was gotten from the original, non copypasta safe. Except for a few props removed, it's a blatant CTRL+C CTRL+V of it.
[Lore]Most old Unreal Engine maps made of copypasta were thrashed as shit back in the old days.
[Perception][Insight]And it's not over yet
Feels like.
Deja Vu. Doesn't it Thorton?
At least the minigame shouldn't have to be played again. Because if it is the same computer being copy-pasted, shouldn't both computers have the same password?
Shouldn't them?
Anyway, with this, some good loot from hacking Swiss accounts. Now time to get up in a room that looks very close to the one in the previous mission. If terrorists bases had buildings predictable and sharing all the same layout, why would intelligence be even necessary? If you got one, you got all.
Thorton finds the location of the missiles in that computer. They are past a graveyard of airplanes, in the middle of the mountains. It is something like a car salvage but with planes instead.
However, wouldn't there be some extra goons downstairs?
Of course, dealt with through silent means.
And whenever the advantage of surprise won't last, with less silent ones too.
I'd make another rant about copypasta and put another screenshot from the previous update but it's not necessary.
This is the gate to the next checkpoint.
It seems expansive. In fact, the largest outdoors area seem so far. Does this mean that it will have more opportunities regarding alternate ways?
So far, nobody detected Thorton yet. The best bet to go through unnotice however, would require some good timing beating a damn minigame to unlock a fence. If too much time was wasted, the camera would come there and the alarm would be sounded.
So much for wanting to save an EMP grenade for worse moments...
How to: get out of this apparently tight situation. PROTIP: The HMG can't cover the back of the soldier using it. Thorton simply runs always from the cover of the HMG and does it.
But first, he also deals with some further threats along the way.
And having avoided most of them initially, he uses their defenses against what remains of them.
A quite narrow passage among the mountains, and a patrol that can be avoided.
From accomplishing objectives mostly, plus avoidance and killing of enemies.
Because of certain frustrations with that damn hacking minigame. Also, I plan to have Thorton as a EXTREME Thorton, and thus of course, Toughness and Assault Rifles will become the two primary skills of him, eventually.
To get further on, Thorton needs to find a way to get a gate opened.
A silent approach is always better and less popamole.
Not as enjoyable as silent killing someone with a sledgehammer in Bloodlines, but it will have to do.
A textbook infiltration.
Last time I saved up EMP, I was greeted with extra mole-whacking. This time, screw it. I'll just use up one of them. Anything to avoid annoying minigames is a good thing.
Stalking and raping 101
What happened to the guard, that I'll let your imagination decide. And thus, there is the base where the missiles are guarded.
Thorton hides inside the empty barracks. Then some shit hits the fan for a change and he just runs inside the warehouse.
Where a scripted conversation breaks entirely the action continuity and the checkpoint will make the game to carry on from a SNAFU.
Using a special gadget to disable the alarm, there is hope to avoid detection. At least for a while.
The enemies came towards the room, but hiding behind those old computers, Thorton managed to avoid detection. Thus he sneaks upstairs to those ladders right ahead(behind the steel supports), to hopefully avoid the enemies or engage them in a position of advantage.
First one is taken down unconscious, as the computer controlling security systtems in the warehouse is disabled.
Thorton manages to reach across the platform and into a stairway leading down again.
I have a feeling that this will most certainly have to be dealt with in the popamole way.
And thus it is done.
Wait, I want to get Thorton's ass out of there, why isn't the game answering to my keyboard?
I DIDN'T PRESS THE COVER BUTTON AND NOW I'M STUCK IN A BIZARRE COLLISION/CLIPPING BUG WITH THAT WALL!!!
NOT EVEN PRESSING SPACE BAR ON THE CRATE SOLVES IT! SHIT I'LL HAVE TO DO THIS SHIT ALL OVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!
Verdict of this Partial Update
Fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff.