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Alpha Protocol - RPS's impressions

Joe Krow

Erudite
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
1,162
Location
Den of stinking evil.
I hear that the stats in this game will modify the player's abilities and that the character won't be participating. No dice rolls in an rpg? I guess stats are the new sniper rifle.
 

Monocause

Arcane
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
3,656
Fat Dragon said:
It amazes me that there are still people that have faith in Obsidian.

I guess the Obsidian faithful - myself included - just liked MotB. MotB made me to believe that they have potential, and in my book that makes them score much better in the league table than Bio or Bethesda.

The state that their games are always released in is just fucking ridiculous and unacceptable, and I'm not expecting any better from NV.

I'd rather play a broken game that has at least a couple of good moments than a well-executed amalgamation of painful mediocrity. Copycat my arse, KOTOR II and NWN2 were both severely lacking in polish but at least I enjoyed playing them somewhat - while the first installments made by Bio were dull as a lumberjack's wank. And MotB was, with all the flaws, really enjoyable - so don't be surprised that some people support Obsidian, given the limited choice we have.
 
Joined
Nov 16, 2008
Messages
626
MetalCraze said:
Why do you reply with lies about something I never said then(not that OFP2 is any less shit)? Quite a contrary thing to "I stopped caring baawww" you know.
Now - care to say something on topic, besides concentrating attention on me which is boring?

I forget the specifics, but it doesn't change the fact that you love to complain about demos which for all you know may not be a final version.
 

elander_

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 7, 2005
Messages
2,015
"The state that their games are always released in is just fucking ridiculous and unacceptable, and I'm not expecting any better from NV."

So you never played a Troika game?
 

MetalCraze

Arcane
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Messages
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Location
Urkanistan
@Mickeymouse:
So what you are saying is that Mass Protocol will somehow magically get a normal tactical combat without "next-gen" cover system, real stealth walkthroughs, adecvate dialogues, meaningful C&C, get rid of mini-games using normal skill system instead, get writing that isn't anime-level cringeworthy in the final version?

When will "You can't judge this game until you will complete it 10 times yourself" excuse, which 100% of times is proven to be fanboyishly wrong, finally become last-gen and forgotten?

elander_ said:
So you never played a Troika game?

Sorry, but Troika's games had something else besides bugs and terrible combat.
To put it simply - look at Arcanum now and look at NWN2 now.
 

elander_

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 7, 2005
Messages
2,015
It's true about the writing. While FPS gameplay and AI looks passable (just like DeusEx right) i see nothing wrong with he dialogs. They look well written and reactions are ok. Judging dialog for one scene is like judging a book by reading the first page. You would miss a lot of cool books.

What i'm curious to know is how big are the maps and if they can be explored like in DeusEx. I expect to see maps as big as Liberty Tower with all the exploration options and npc encounters. The lack of this would be much more disappointing than the lame AI or the minigames.

MetalCraze said:
To put it simply - look at Arcanum now and look at NWN2 now.

This is a mater pf taste no? You didn't enjoy MoTB some people here including VD who reviewed the mod found it good.
 

MetalCraze

Arcane
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I didn't enjoy MotB? Thanks to the Codex I learn something new every day.
I liked MotB despite incredibly shitty combat and terrible epic levels. However in AP's case everything is bad.

While FPS gameplay and AI looks passable (just like DeusEx right)
No. In Deus Ex AI fought back and you weren't staying behind heavily armored wooden boxes shooting enemies like in crappy rail shooter games of early 90s. Stop insulting Deus Ex with comparisons to this game.

they look well written and reactions are ok
Decline? "Moahah! I just killed horde of guys but I won't kill you because you are the main character let's drop some cheesy lines commonly found in Bioware games"/"You defeated me by making more holes in me than in cheese this time, but I will return moahaha!" - it isn't even Bioware - the character, the writing - perfectly a MGS level.
Seriously so far AP is like Mass Effect meets Metal Gear Solid - the crappy western game and a jap game for morons.

Judging dialog for one scene is like judging a book by reading the first page.
There weren't one scene.

What i'm curious to know is how big are the maps and if they can be explored like in DeusEx. I expect to see maps as big as Liberty Tower with all the exploration options and npc encounters. The lack of this would be much more disappointing than the lame AI or the minigames.
Just who ever told you that it will be anything like Deus Ex anyway? Every preview says that it is Mass Effect - but the spaceship is replaced with your apartments, stop comparing this shit to Deus Ex - that game is much better than this one. And had actually a really good writing with normal characters even for a cliche "conspiracy" story.
 

Chefe

Erudite
Joined
Feb 26, 2005
Messages
4,731
MetalCraze said:
While FPS gameplay and AI looks passable (just like DeusEx right)
No. In Deus Ex AI fought back and you weren't staying behind heavily armored wooden boxes shooting enemies like in crappy rail shooter games of early 90s. Stop insulting Deus Ex with comparisons to this game.

I thought it was just me who has flashbacks to the arcade shooters where guys pop up from behind boxes whenever I see this next gen cover system.
 

elander_

Arbiter
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Messages
2,015
MetalCraze said:
I didn't enjoy MotB? Thanks to the Codex I learn something new every day.
I liked MotB despite incredibly shitty combat and terrible epic levels. However in AP's case everything is bad.

I recall you saying that MoTB writing was bad, but maybe i'm mistaken.

No. In Deus Ex AI fought back and you weren't staying behind heavily armored wooden boxes shooting enemies like in crappy rail shooter games of early 90s. Stop insulting Deus Ex with comparisons to this game.

AP ai fights back too and his lame but not as lame as in DeusEx. You can even block their path-finding by throwing a small crate at a door and they keep running.

There weren't one scene.

There's only an handful of complete dialog in one or two demos.

Just who ever told you that it will be anything like Deus Ex anyway? Every preview says that it is Mass Effect, stop comparing this shit to Deus Ex - that game is much better than this one.

Are you saying the devs lied when they mentioned you would have maps the size of deusex with plenty of exploration options? Then i would like to see any proof this isn't true.

And had actually a really good writing with normal characters even for a cliche "conspiracy" story.

If i had only seen an handful of dialogs i would never know that, right? I could quote a few initial dialogs and joke about it but it would be pointless.
 

MetalCraze

Arcane
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Messages
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Urkanistan
elander_ said:
AP ai fights back too and his lame but not as lame as in DeusEx.
Actually in AP they just stand in one place, trying to point a gun at the player for 5 seconds while the presentation guy comments on stuff, then remembers that he is playing and shoots the enemies.

You can even block their path-finding by throwing a small crate at a door and they keep running.
Well this won't be a problem in AP where they just don't even move after they reach the "shoot from here" pre-scripted waypoint.

There's only an handful of complete dialog in one or two demos.
And as we know developers show only the worst parts in previews.
No seriously - a "sex-sells" type blonde chick with mini-gun puts down russian mafia guys - Mike's comment "must be an army" followed by terrible cheesy lines - and then how she escapes on a chopper after the beating - among other things made me cringe. Friend watched it - his comment instantly was "they are just copying Metal Gear Solid" - which is actually the worst insult you can find for a game.

Are you saying the devs lied when they mentioned you would have maps the size of deusex with plenty of exploration options? Then i would like to see any proof this isn't true.
And it instantly makes it just like Deus Ex or something? Also devs just absolutely never lie. Seriously after so many bad and shallow projects from them won't believe it until I'll see it. So far everything they showed in AP is simply bad.

If i had only seen an handful of dialogs i would never know that, right? I could quote a few initial dialogs and joke about it but it would be pointless.
Really? Even by Deus Ex beggining dialogues you can already say that they aren't a childish mumbling - and surprise surprise - the whole game was like that. Unlike AP.
Dialogues is actually only one of AP's problems, yet somehow you give so much attention to them like them somehow being better 5 minutes after the demo ends.
Guess when everything else sucks you have to find last hope right?
 

Dionysus

Scholar
Joined
Feb 12, 2009
Messages
345
elander_ said:
Are you saying the devs lied when they mentioned you would have maps the size of deusex with plenty of exploration options? Then i would like to see any proof this isn't true.
Maybe they were talking about Invisible War.

We'll see, but I'll be shocked and amazed if they can replicate Deus-Ex quality level/weapon/enemy design. I definitely didn't see it in their E3 demo.
 

elander_

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 7, 2005
Messages
2,015
Dionysus said:
Maybe they were talking about Invisible War.

We'll see, but I'll be shocked and amazed if they can replicate Deus-Ex quality level/weapon/enemy design. I definitely didn't see it in their E3 demo.

DeusEx combat and AI was horrible. The strong point about DeusEx was exploration not combat and using all those different skills to find imaginative ways around maps. If they can provide this kind of exploration i don't really care much about the lame AI, but i guess we will have to wait and see until we get some info about this.

MetalCraze said:
Guess when everything else sucks you have to find last hope right?

I didn't found that dialog piece very bad or even Mass effect bad, skyway and i can accept cliche as long as it is well written. Also you don't know nothing about the story besides it's a spy story and about an alpha protocol. There's nothing amazing with this but here's nothing wrong with it either. I will reserve my judgement on the quality of it until there's something to judge.
 

The Wizard

Educated
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
606
Location
Germany
entertainer said:
How come there's so many fanboys of this ass effect 2 in rpgcodex?
deadly obsidian apoligitis. some people even defended nwn2 and koto2, no surprise they do the same with bioware whores present: Alpha protocol.
if they do the same shit to vegas their office building should be bombed to hell and back.
 

circ

Arcane
Joined
Jun 4, 2009
Messages
11,470
Location
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
One might think it has to do with them being 6 years old and easy to impress, but that doesn't compute. I've long since outgrown thinking ET was awesome when I was 6, but there are people my age who think Dark Knight actually is awesome.
 

Rosh

Erudite
Joined
Oct 22, 2002
Messages
1,775
DriacKin said:
Mostly because the Codex worships Avellone.

PS:T was years ago, unfortunately. He hasn't done anything noteworthy since.
 

DriacKin

Arbiter
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Oct 9, 2008
Messages
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Inanescape
Rosh said:
DriacKin said:
Mostly because the Codex worships Avellone.

PS:T was years ago, unfortunately. He hasn't done anything noteworthy since.

Doesn't change the fact that the Codex worships him.
And, there are definetely people on the Codex who liked Kotor2.
 

MetalCraze

Arcane
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Jul 3, 2007
Messages
21,104
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Urkanistan
elander_ said:
DeusEx combat and AI was horrible. The strong point about DeusEx was exploration not combat and using all those different skills to find imaginative ways around maps. If they can provide this kind of exploration i don't really care much about the lame AI, but i guess we will have to wait and see until we get some info about this.
Just why you fanbois so madly hold to Deus Ex anyway, not even mentioning that this game doesn't even near it in terms of quality. Is it "If Deus Ex has something bad - we can use this as an excuse for Alpha Protocol"?
Exploration? What's the point if the gameplay is awful and even combat is basically a set of dull minigames.
Not mentioning that you absolutely don't need skills in Alpha Protocol as constantly evidenced incl. by this video - f.e. hacking skill is 100% useless. Stealth skill is about as useful too as evidenced by preview.
Spend time sneaking past 2 guys only to shoot everybody else vs. shoot everybody else anyway. Make your choice.

I didn't found that dialog piece very bad or even Mass effect bad, skyway and i can accept cliche as long as it is well written.
Excuse me - Mass Effect had exactly the same quality of writing if not better. At times I think people just bash Bioware not because they constantly mess up, but to get Kodex Kool Kredits - because as soon as Obsidian does exactly the same: "You can't criticize the game until it comes out/oh this is just a small part of writing! Other parts will be magically better/Oh you just need to take these dialogues lightly - it's a spy story/fantasy/sci fi anyway!" and so on.

Also you don't know nothing about the story besides it's a spy story and about an alpha protocol.
Why do they call it a spy story anyway? I even fail to see 24/Bond/Bourne anywhere in here - a cliche guy just runs around putting enemies down without even trying, throws bad one liners to a chick that ran away from anime and throws bad one liners back.
Sorry but compared to the "sources of inspiration" this is weak. And previews always show the best parts of the game.

Lim-Lim said:
Not a big fan of solid snake, eh skyway?
Just like every anime - MGS has extremely stupid writing that doesn't even make sense.

Rosh said:
DriacKin said:
Mostly because the Codex worships Avellone.

PS:T was years ago, unfortunately. He hasn't done anything noteworthy since.

Depends what you call years ago - most Obsidian fanbois worship Avellone (like he was the only guy working on PS:T) simply because they opened PS:T for themselves 2 or 3 years ago, ignoring Avellone's big fuck ups like Descent to Undermountain, BG: DA2, and his fiasco role in Lionheart just because they weren't around by the time those games came out. Add to this his fallout-rape called New Reno.
 

Major_Boobage

Scholar
Joined
Apr 14, 2009
Messages
2,335
Location
Belgium, where they eat Jewish children
The Wizard said:
entertainer said:
How come there's so many fanboys of this ass effect 2 in rpgcodex?
deadly obsidian apoligitis. some people even defended nwn2 and koto2, no surprise they do the same with bioware whores present: Alpha protocol.
if they do the same shit to vegas their office building should be bombed to hell and back.

Dont get me started on KOTOR 2 :evil: :x
 

denizsi

Arcane
Joined
Nov 24, 2005
Messages
9,927
Location
bosphorus
Kos_Koa said:
Though many design decisions sound dumb, such as the dialogue time limit, the game itself seems to be designed to be taken lightly especially considering the campy over-the-top spy setting.

No. A proper campy over-the-top spy setting that is to be taken lightly is NOLF series. NOLF series pretty much wrote the book when it comes to campy over-the-top spy setting.

Alpha Protocol, so far, looks so inconsistent regarding its setting and tone, I can't quite tell whether this whole thing is a joke played by Obsidian, or Obsidian itself is the big joke. Especially considering the track record of Obsidian itself is also similarly inconsistent. NWN2? MOTB? This? WTF are they doing at all?
 

Data4

Arcane
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Sep 11, 2005
Messages
5,529
Location
Over there.
I wonder if this was the same demo where the player lures a completely fucking retarded thug on to a railroad track using a noisemaker thingy. Because, you know, it's really easy to project a sound that drowns out the million decibles of freight train barrelling down a track.
 

Rosh

Erudite
Joined
Oct 22, 2002
Messages
1,775
MetalCraze said:
Depends what you call years ago - most Obsidian fanbois worship Avellone (like he was the only guy working on PS:T) simply because they opened PS:T for themselves 2 or 3 years ago, ignoring Avellone's big fuck ups like Descent to Undermountain, BG: DA2, and his fiasco role in Lionheart just because they weren't around by the time those games came out. Add to this his fallout-rape called New Reno.

Very true. Descent to Undermountain was one title I had a field day with, particularly on Usenet. Pure, unapologetic shit.

Just like how Descent to Undermountain 2 is going to turn out.
 

DriacKin

Arbiter
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Messages
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Inanescape
MetalCraze said:
Rosh said:
DriacKin said:
Mostly because the Codex worships Avellone.

PS:T was years ago, unfortunately. He hasn't done anything noteworthy since.

Depends what you call years ago - most Obsidian fanbois worship Avellone (like he was the only guy working on PS:T) simply because they opened PS:T for themselves 2 or 3 years ago, ignoring Avellone's big fuck ups like Descent to Undermountain, BG: DA2, and his fiasco role in Lionheart just because they weren't around by the time those games came out. Add to this his fallout-rape called New Reno.

To be fair, his contributions to MotB (Gann and Kaelyn) were pretty solid.
 

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