Should I continue with Alpha Protocol?

[Fucking Quality Poster]

So, I bought this game since I've realized there are barely any recently released RPG's that I have actually played. I was skeptical at first, since the idea of a spy RPG was not that interesting to me, and the previews of the game made it look like most of the game was comprised of mindless gunfights. Having played through the Saudi Arabia missions, and now in Rome, the game is kind of a mixed bag.

First, I am enjoying the fact that character skill affects combat. The mini-games, while a minor annoyance, are not a huge inconvenience, though I would prefer it if they would also depend on character skill. So far, most of the missions consist of short sequences where I am sneaking around, but are mostly made up of my gunning through crowds of enemies. The sneaking is actually quite fun, but running and gunning seems to be the fastest way to make it through a level, and is at times way too easy. I have specialized in pistols, assault rifles, and martial arts. I am using an assault rifle most of the time, and only switch to pistols when I run out of ammo, which is rarely. Melee combat, while quite fun to use, is of no practical use when you have a gun that can end the fight a lot quicker and more efficiently. What I find annoying about the game is the lack of depth in terms of character customization. The only thing dictated by my character skill is how I fare in combat - and even there it makes little difference. Is the only character progression I am going to make throughout the game going to be about quicker ways to kill my already feeble enemies? Why weren't conversational abilities such as 'Suave' or 'Professional' made to be affected by character skills? Why can my Michael Thornton who has absolutely no points dedicated to his technical aptitude pretty much hack any computer he sees?

Gameplay-wise, I think the game does a satisfactory job of presenting missions and set-piece gunfights and what have you.

However, my question to you, who have finished the game, centers around the role-playing aspects of the game: Does it get any better? Just how far does character customization go? Is this an RPG or an action adventure?

Would you recommend I continue or pick up something else?

 

[ScottishMartialArts]

The minigames will get substantially harder in another hub or two. The hotwiring minigame can have like 12 wires you have to click on and the panel itself become this total rat's nest of twisting wires. One of the skills reduces the difficulty though; gadgetry I think.

Also, martial arts is most useful when paired with stealth. I haven't tried it, but pairing it with toughness would probably make a run and "gun" martial artist pretty viable as well.

Overall, I'd characterize the game as an action adventure with a fairly in depth conversation system, plenty of narrative branches, and of course choices and consequences. If you're having fun with it, keep at it.

 

[bhlaab]

You've already played through saudi arabia which is by far the worst the game has to show.

I literally just beat the game about 5 minutes ago so uh

The main part of the character customization that you probably have yet to see much of is the special powers. Early on they might as well not be there but once you start getting good ones and getting the hang of using them.

However to be perfectly honest this game isn't nearly as much about character customization as it is about story customization. It is without a doubt the most robust C&C system I've ever seen and it really does feel like you are creating your own customized story on the fly.

 

[Terror Teats]

Keep playing. This is the best the new shit has to offer, so far. Also, what bhlaab said.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

However to be perfectly honest this game isn't nearly as much about character customization as it is about story customization. It is without a doubt the most robust C&C system I've ever seen and it really does feel like you are creating your own customized story on the fly.

 

[Fucking Quality Poster]

The minigames will get substantially harder in another hub or two. The hotwiring minigame can have like 12 wires you have to click on and the panel itself become this total rat's nest of twisting wires. One of the skills reduces the difficulty though; gadgetry I think.

That brings us to another question; that is whether or not a players skills should make up for failings in character skills.

Edit: For the record, I would just like to say that AP's mini-games are extremely tolerable, compared to those found in other games.

Overall, I'd characterize the game as an action adventure with a fairly in depth conversation system, plenty of narrative branches, and of course choices and consequences. If you're having fun with it, keep at it.

See, I like the conversation system. And I recognize that it does have some bearing on how your game will go. So why the exclusion from the skill sets? I think having conversational skills could have added a completely new dimension to the character customization, as well as the game as a whole.

The main part of the character customization that you probably have yet to see much of is the special powers. Early on they might as well not be there but once you start getting good ones and getting the hang of using them.

To be honest, yea, right now I don't see any need to use them, as I am blazing through missions very quickly and easily. Game difficulty is moderate by the way.

However to be perfectly honest this game isn't nearly as much about character customization as it is about story customization. It is without a doubt the most robust C&C system I've ever seen and it really does feel like you are creating your own customized story on the fly.

Sounds interesting. I haven't really noticed it to quite that effect yet, but then again, I have only just reached Rome.

 

[Terror Teats]

However to be perfectly honest this game isn't nearly as much about character customization as it is about story customization. It is without a doubt the most robust C&C system I've ever seen and it really does feel like you are creating your own customized story on the fly.

This.

 

[themadhatter114]

Definitely keep playing it if you've made it through Saudi Arabia.

The CIA mission in Rome might be more difficult if you don't have stealth abilities, but as long as you encounter them one at a time you can probably just kick all their asses or use tranq ammo.

Rome, to me, feels like the most climactic of the hubs so I typically do it last, but to each his own.

There is a mission in Rome where, particularly on Hard, lack of martial arts skill will force you to reload several times.

Other than that, with weapon skill, you can pretty much obliterate everyone in your path.

There is a decision later on in Rome where, again, depending on the difficulty level, you should strongly consider whether you have the skills (character or twitch...I didn't have the twitch skill) necessary to choose the right instead of the left.

All in all I enjoyed the game quite a bit, you will get a strong variety of ending scenarios based on your alliances and who lived and who died. You will get a lengthy news broadcast summing up the results of your actions. How you handled Nasri and Shaheed will be reflected in that. So, while it may have helped you out in the short term and maybe even later on to let them both live, you still have to remember that one is an arms dealer and the other is a terrorist leader, and the world will deal with the consequences if they are both on the loose.

 

[bhlaab]

Teipei was my favorite hub, but Rome did have the best plot. Moscow was alright I guess.

Saudi Arabia was a fucking joke and I wouldn't be surprised if 80% of players never get past it.

 

[Serious_Business]

I'd like to reiterate that the minigames will be easier depending on your skill levels in sabotage. If you play on hard and invest no points in that skill, the minigames will be a total pain in the ass to get through (if not outright impossible).

The story is pretty plain, but what the games tries to do is let the player have a hand on how he wants to be involved with it. Depending on your choices for example, you'll get a different last boss. The C&C is very intricate, and if you haven't been caught up by the latest anti-C&C fad at the Codex, it should be interesting to you. What it does (or tries to do, again) is that depending on how you interact with the characters, they'll be more or less involved in the story as you go along. You can pretty much ignore a character and be unconcerned about their fate, or involve yourself in it and ultimately have to make a life-and-death situation over them. It makes the characters feel a bit like placeovers. The narrative is interactive, which is what video games are about, but it also means that it is not so focused. The game definitively needs more than one playthrough to get the most out of it though, and that's a good thing.

However, most of the choice are fairly self-contained, although no one can deny the impressive range of their impacts. You won't get different missions depending on your choices for example, which was a dissapointment to me. There's only one mission in the entire game that you can miss depending on a choice, as far as I know. Faggots will tell you that "IT WAS 100% PROVEN THAT THERES NO C&C IN ALPHA SHITOCOLE", but that's about as nuanced and intelligent as my balls, obviously. If you thought Deus Ex had C&C, then this game has it. If not, still, you have to appreciate the effort. I do appreciate that you're going in this more or less unconcerned with the bullshit that's been thrown about this game, just keep that attitude and you'll be able to see the positives of the experience. Since the game's bad points aren't bothering you that much well then there's no reason not to continue.

 

[Forest Dweller]

So the game length is pretty similar to Mass Effect? What I've heard.

 

[Mangoose]

If you're good at the minigames and general twitch sequences, I'd recommend putting it on Hard mode. I'm not terribly great at minigames and stealth so I was okay with Normal difficulty, but others have said that upgrading the skills didn't feel as useful and the game was too easy.

 

[Overweight Manatee]

The story definitely picks up. Instead of being a dog on a collar you have some semblance of interaction and control over what you are doing and who you trust. Also, a lot of the characters you meet are very well done.

I have to disagree with the idea of having character skill affecting conversation choices. We have ways to affect conversations (though you probably haven't seen many yet), you trigger certain events, raise their dispositions high/low, or find/buy information about the character that lets you talk about different topics. But the basic Suave/Professional/Aggressive stances are intended to be universal ways to approach and deal with characters.

The problem with minigames is that even at max difficulty you can still usually do the lockpicking almost all the time, and I can probably get the other ones 30-40% of the time. Raising my sabotage skill, I didn't find them hugely easier, maybe 50% success. Its odd to have the character's skill is vastly important for the shooting but relatively unimportant for minigames, especially since you can just cancel and retry. It definitely could have been scaled a bit better, make it impossible to do high level stuff without sabotage and no retries. But that would lock players out of so much content that it would make sabotage pretty much a required skill since it gives tons of money, intel, extra ways to approach situations, only way to disable alarms, etc.

 

[bhlaab]

So the game length is pretty similar to Mass Effect? What I've heard.

If you marathon it it'll be over quickly but playing a couple of missions a night it lasted me about a week

 

[Volourn]

"So the game length is pretty similar to Mass Effect? What I've heard."

So.. AP is 30-40 hours? Nice.

 

[roll-a-die]

Dude, I completed ME in 10 hours my first time. IT was only by deliberately pacing my self that I got anywhere near that time.

 

[ScottishMartialArts]

Mass Effect is 40 hours long? News to me.

edit: I just played through the ME2 demo to see if I wanted to grab it during today's Steam deal. Blobert's popamole has suddenly acquired a whole new dimension for me.

 

[Xor]

ME2 is actually about 30 hours. ME1 is more like 5-10.

 

[hoochimama]

Does it get any better?

Nope.

Just how far does character customization go?

You noticed the combat part, the stealth skill will let you turn invisible (automatically too when spotted), sabotage eases minigames' difficulty.

Is this an RPG or an action adventure?

I think even the people who like the game don't consider it to be an rpg(though they keep posting it on the rpg forum sections)

Would you recommend I continue or pick up something else?

You've played over 1/4 of the game, if you've tried one of those rome "dialog missions" then you've seen all there is to it. Did you have fun so far?

Also, martial arts is most useful when paired with stealth.

Useful for what? Getting your ass handed to you by bosses?

 

[Konjad]

However to be perfectly honest this game isn't nearly as much about character customization as it is about story customization. It is without a doubt the most robust C&C system I've ever seen and it really does feel like you are creating your own customized story on the fly.

This.

Indeed.

 

[ScottishMartialArts]

Also, martial arts is most useful when paired with stealth.

Useful for what? Getting your ass handed to you by bosses?

Stealth lets you get close, and if you get detected martial arts at close range is unstoppable. And the only boss I had any difficulty with was Drayko, but even he only took two reloads.

 

[Achilles]

It's an action adventure, yes you should keep playing it.

 

[Forest Dweller]

ME2 is actually about 30 hours. ME1 is more like 5-10.

Oh? :shock:

 

[Roguey]

See, I like the conversation system. And I recognize that it does have some bearing on how your game will go. So why the exclusion from the skill sets? I think having conversational skills could have added a completely new dimension to the character customization, as well as the game as a whole.

They discussed this in that drinking game video, investing in dialogue skills removes choice because it's usually an instant-win button that you would never not use as long as the option's there. So in AP, you buy and collect dossier information instead and that becomes the instant win button whenever it's available. Or you can spend your money on weapons/armor/gadgets/upgrades instead.

And there are checks where past behavior influences future results. For example, the Obsidian board people found out that getting Marburg to rage-attack you in Rome depends on how many times you selected suave up to that point. I think the reasoning is that if you just select it with him, he knows you're an overall-good agent just trying to get him to slip up, so you have to be a genuinely smug, trash-talking jerk to get him to hate and lose all respect you. So that's not too much different from putting points into a Suave skill and you don't have to sacrifice combat skills to do so.

 

[MetalCraze]

They discussed this in that drinking game video, investing in dialogue skills removes choice because it's usually an instant-win button that you would never not use as long as the option's there.

Hopeless newfag that never played RPGs detected.

Skill-based dialogues are insta-win button
Have you ever played anything but ME and heard about such things called "rolls"?

It is without a doubt the most robust C&C system I've ever seen and it really does feel like you are creating your own customized story on the fly.

Fight green enemies in the exactly same place or fight red ones? Customization indeed

 

[Roguey]

Hopeless newfag that never played RPGs detected.

Skill-based dialogues are insta-win button
Have you ever played anything but ME and heard about such things called "rolls"?

I was just quoting what they said, man. I don't agree with their conclusions and prefer "gather information first, then get the skill check" like when telling the Master about mutant sterility.

Also, where were the rolls in Arcanum? Bloodlines? How did ToEE do it, because I don't recall ever failing a check there when I had the option? Weren't a bunch of speech checks in both Fallout games static with thresholds? Furthermore, if you fail it, what's to stop you from reloading until you pass it?