Alpha Protocol Preview at Worth Playing
Alpha Protocol Preview at Worth Playing
Preview - posted by Edward_R_Murrow on Tue 16 June 2009, 09:09:35
Tags: Alpha Protocol; Obsidian EntertainmentThis preview over at Worth Playing is full of most of the same news we've been seeing with a slightly different perspective, and possibly some new information, depending on how much one has seen.
We were told that there are no dice rolls that work in the background to determine the player's skill, only their ability and whatever bonuses that the skill system has unlocked for them. For example, as Mike draws a bead on an enemy, the reticle starts to shrink, indicating that his aim won't swing as wide. With improvements, it might not take him as long to focus on his mark the next time.
[...]
Battling through the train yard revealed opportunities for Mike's covert abilities. At one point, he found a computer terminal that he could hack into, revealing a timed panel of shifting numbers and letters; the player has to match two sequences of digits within that mess. Another electronic puzzle displays several panels of circuits, each with a numbered node linked via twisting paths to a tab at the bottom. This puzzle is also timed, meaning that the player had to choose the correct tab linked to the right path in order to quickly solve each part. With improved skills, the number of nodes would decrease.
Even without significant training, the player can still try solving the puzzles. It was emphasized that none of the puzzles will simply be "unavailable" to the player because of how he had developed his skills, but they would be a lot more difficult to overcome, depending on whether or not they had invested anything into them. For example, the circuit puzzle might have 10 nodes to sort through, as opposed to just three.
[...]
Successfully hacking his way through the computer, the player now had to make a decision about the arms shipment: send them to a contact that he had made, blow it up to keep it out of potentially dangerous hands, or send the stuff to himself. Two of these choices may open up other options in terms of what he can buy or use from his safe house while simultaneously earning some cred with his favorite black marketeer. Blowing it up will make his handler happy, but might not make anyone else as pleased. Of course, it might also mean that the enemy won't have access to the stuff, either, and affect their strength down the line.Still seems decent so far, but I'm not a fan of what they are doing with the hacking and minigames. A skilled player could make the hacking much less useful compared to other skills. And the fact that minigames are typically terrible worries me as well. Oh well...Alpha Protocol still beats the "new shit".
Spotted at: Gamebanshee
We were told that there are no dice rolls that work in the background to determine the player's skill, only their ability and whatever bonuses that the skill system has unlocked for them. For example, as Mike draws a bead on an enemy, the reticle starts to shrink, indicating that his aim won't swing as wide. With improvements, it might not take him as long to focus on his mark the next time.
[...]
Battling through the train yard revealed opportunities for Mike's covert abilities. At one point, he found a computer terminal that he could hack into, revealing a timed panel of shifting numbers and letters; the player has to match two sequences of digits within that mess. Another electronic puzzle displays several panels of circuits, each with a numbered node linked via twisting paths to a tab at the bottom. This puzzle is also timed, meaning that the player had to choose the correct tab linked to the right path in order to quickly solve each part. With improved skills, the number of nodes would decrease.
Even without significant training, the player can still try solving the puzzles. It was emphasized that none of the puzzles will simply be "unavailable" to the player because of how he had developed his skills, but they would be a lot more difficult to overcome, depending on whether or not they had invested anything into them. For example, the circuit puzzle might have 10 nodes to sort through, as opposed to just three.
[...]
Successfully hacking his way through the computer, the player now had to make a decision about the arms shipment: send them to a contact that he had made, blow it up to keep it out of potentially dangerous hands, or send the stuff to himself. Two of these choices may open up other options in terms of what he can buy or use from his safe house while simultaneously earning some cred with his favorite black marketeer. Blowing it up will make his handler happy, but might not make anyone else as pleased. Of course, it might also mean that the enemy won't have access to the stuff, either, and affect their strength down the line.
Spotted at: Gamebanshee
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