Company News Obsidian to make Super Spy CRPG

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Obsidian Entertainment

Per <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200803/N08.0313.1155.46802.htm">this article-let</a> on <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/">Game Informer</a>, <a href="http://www.obsidianent.com">Obsidian Entertainment</a> and it's fearless band of interlopers are going to be working on a slick secret agent CRPG. Here's a clip:
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<blockquote>If you love RPGs but are tired of swinging swords or slogging around in spacesuits, you’re in luck. Obsidian Entertainment is drawing on its Fallout and Planescape: Torment roots with its new espionage-based game Alpha Protocol. Drawing on the three J.B.s for inspiration—Jack Bauer, Jason Bourne and James Bond—the developers are giving players plenty of different ways to tackle problems. You can rely on brute force, stealth or gadgets to accomplish missions, and also navigate through a nuanced conversation system. We’ve got the world-exclusive first look at the game in our April issue of Game Informer Magazine.</blockquote>
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Diplomacy? That one is missing from the <i>Big List O' Ways</i>. Not that I think everyone in real life bends to a silver tongue, but you can always work something out with someone else to have them deal with those who won't bend.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://ve3d.ign.com/">Voodoo Extreme</A>

 

[Ion Flux]

Anyone here remember the old PnP TSR game called Top Secret? It was obviously D&D-based so it had some flaws as an RPG, but I always thought the basic idea was cool.

The spy setting could be very fun if it's executed correctly, and Obsidian is capable of doing it right. I will be tentatively optimistic about this until there is a reason not to be.

 

[Shoelip]

Obsidian Entertainment is drawing on its Fallout and Planescape: Torment roots with its new espionage-based game Alpha Protocol. Drawing on the three J.B.s for inspiration—Jack Bauer, Jason Bourne and James Bond...

What?!

Does this make any sense to anyone?

 

[Ion Flux]

Obsidian Entertainment is drawing on its Fallout and Planescape: Torment roots with its new espionage-based game Alpha Protocol. Drawing on the three J.B.s for inspiration—Jack Bauer, Jason Bourne and James Bond...

What?!

Does this make any sense to anyone?

Yeah, that particular quote isn't what I'd call "confidence inspiring". Hopefully just P.R. nonsense.

 

[Jaime Lannister]

Diplomacy? That one is missing from the <i>Big List O' Ways</i>. Not that I think everyone in real life bends to a silver tongue, but you can always work something out with someone else to have them deal with those who won't bend.

All James Bond movies I've seen have a diplomacy aspect. Of course, it usually leads to fighting. Still, I'd love for them to pay homage to Fallout and let you talk the Big Bad out of his master plan to blow up China or whatever.

 

[Annonchinil]

I don't like the name. Also which James Bond?

 

[NiM82]

All James Bond movies I've seen have a diplomacy aspect. Of course, it usually leads to fucking.

Fixed.

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

Why am I not one of the JBs =(

 

[ghostdog]

Jack Bauer, Jason Bourne and James Bond

they forgot Jim Beam...

Generally it sounds like a good idea, I'd like to see something like that in a cRPG.

Hopefully just P.R. nonsense

Hopefully...

 

[Lumpy]

Diplomacy? That one is missing from the <i>Big List O' Ways</i>. Not that I think everyone in real life bends to a silver tongue, but you can always work something out with someone else to have them deal with those who won't bend.
Spotted at: <A HREF="http://ve3d.ign.com/">Voodoo Extreme</A>

Well, you are a supah spy, so having necessary combat is only reasonable. But diplomacy should, of course, be necessary for some quests and allow you to bypass combat occasionally or make it easier.

 

[Murk]

I don't like the name. Also which James Bond?

Most likely the one from the books and not from the movies.

 

[Ion Flux]

I don't like the name. Also which James Bond?

Most likely the one from the books and not from the movies.

Actually it's probably this one:

Bond, James

Job title: Director

Company: Crane Inspection Services

200 S Section St
Fairhope, AL 36532-1834
(251) 928-6262

 

[Rhett Butler]

I hope one day someone will make the spy game I want. One where you, y'know, spy on people instead of just shooting them.

 

[The Rambling Sage]

I hope one day someone will make the spy game I want. One where you, y'know, spy on people instead of just shooting them.

You should try that old game... Floor 13 was the name? Pretty cool. You may love it.

 

[User was nabbed fit]

I hope one day someone will make the spy game I want. One where you, y'know, spy on people instead of just shooting them.

Just do it in real life. If you're good, you won't get caught. If you do, just deny everything and make counter-accusations. You could start off by trying your hand at stalking. Friends/family members would probably be best. It could be like a sort of LARP!

 

[spacemoose]

a secret agent setting does not lend itself to free-roam gameplay imho. and having levels or missions instead of a world where you can travel at will sucks

 

[Annonchinil]

Is it going to be Tom Clancy semi-realistic or The Bourne Identity super-agent kind? Oh and wouldn't be cool is someone made a game based on The Professional?

 

[User was nabbed fit]

Oh and wouldn't be cool is someone made a game based on The Professional?

Played the Hitman series? Blood Money is pretty good.

 

[Ion Flux]

Oh and wouldn't be cool is someone made a game based on The Professional?

So that was the thing about the PnP game, Top Secret that I mentioned earlier. It was class-based, with 3 classes: Assassin, Confiscator, and Investigator. You would be given different objectives based on your profession. The notion of using subterfuge and dialogue to gain access to targets/items/information is certainly intriguing. Who knows if Obsidian will implement anything like that in their game. It would be way cooler than a Sam Fisher, "on rails" kind of thing.

 

[Andhaira]

Diplomacy will probably be just as a shtick, justa couple of diplo moments in an oitherwise action filled gore fest. The little diplo there will be to satisfy people like codexians so they can run around spamming "Alpha Protocol has DIPLOMACY!!!121111!!!!!eleVAn!!1!!

 

[Burning Bridges]

The spy RPG idea is very interesting. I was always hoping for a RPG in a setting like Hidden and Dangerous. Or the game Mafia could have been with free form / RPG gameplay.

But the artwork on the gameinformer scan looks gay. And I am sure they'll manage to fuck this up with minigames etc.

I thought "The Outsider" (David Braben) is supposed to be that form of spy RPG:

http://gameinfowire.com/game.asp?gid=1715

http://www.gwn.com/games/gameinfo.php/i ... sider.html

 

[slipgate_angel]

I think tuxedos give you an added bonus to charisma. :D

Seriously, it'll be intresting to see how this game turns out.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Well, you are a supah spy, so having necessary combat is only reasonable. But diplomacy should, of course, be necessary for some quests and allow you to bypass combat occasionally or make it easier.

Lots of the James Bond movies eluded to him being good at diplomatic skills since he enlisted help from friends of his around the world in order to fight the bad guys or get the equipment he might need for a mission. It wouldn't be out of the realm of the schtick to up that a notch.

 

[youhomofo]

This project will never see the light of day. It will be canned. Mark my words.

Why? Because it's different. It's interesting. It has the potential to be a good game. Therefore it won't sell at all. If a game doesn't have aliens or elven cleavage it's destined to fail.

 

[Xard]

This project will never see the light of day. It will be canned. Mark my words.

Why? Because it's different. It's interesting. It has the potential to be a good game. Therefore it won't sell at all. If a game doesn't have aliens or elven cleavage it's destined to fail.

How observant