Game News Persistent C&C in Alpha Protocol

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: Alpha Protocol; Obsidian Entertainment

Obsidian Entertainment <a href="http://www.destructoid.com/alpha-protocol-player-choices-will-be-reflected-in-potential-sequels-167021.phtml">decides</a> - what a surprise - to utilize the concept of *persistent C&C*. Which basically means that the consequences to your choices in the game will be reflected in a sequel.
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<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;">Alpha Protocol is a game about choices, choices which will not only affect the game's end, but many of the events leading up to its conclusion. It's not the first game in this style to do this; BioWare's popular Mass Effect comes to mind.
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"We've been working on this game for four years," he tells me, "so even before Mass Effect came out we were talking about these kinds of issues. I think every game is taking choices in a different direction. What we try to do is we have conversations, and depending on the choices you're going to see your reputation change. It's not this grand 'good or bad' scale; you're going to see different reputations with each person."
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I predict that you're going to have a laptop in Alpha Protocol 2 and you will receive all this *consequence* - emails as reaction to your choices in AP 1. Sounds persistent? Well, it is.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/97186-alpha-protocol-choices-will-be-reflected-in-sequels.html">Gamebanshee</A>

 

[Angthoron]

So the original AP sold so well that they've been authorised to make a sequel? Great news!

Looks like whoever said that AP will be a yet another Obsidian game lacking an ending was right.

 

[Wyrmlord]

I totally can't wait to see Alpha Protocol's sequel and see the consequences of my actions to be taken in Alpha Protocol!

 

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Wait until you meet the rough n' tumble merc Krex, and the inexperienced yet eager contact Siara B'soni.


In the next game, rumor is you'll work *for* Hydra, instead of foiling their two-bit operations.

 

[Multiple Sarcasm]

"We've been working on this game for four years," he tells me, "so even before Mass Effect came out we were talking about these kinds of issues.

I laughed out loud at the attempt. Like trying to hide an elephant with a fig leaf.
"We, like, totally aren't ripping off BioWare's games!" Hilarious.

 

[ghostdog]

PLOT TWIST:

In the sequel, JB's team will be attacked by unknown terrorists and he will be presumed dead... BUT HE ISN'T ! The shadow group that in the 1st game were the bad guys, take him in, revive him and make him their agent. Now it's up to him to travel around the world , recruit the DIRTY DOZEN and save the world from total annihilation.

PS: persistent C&C will be presented via e-mails you get from the people you helped in the first game.

 

[Angthoron]

And I'm guessing AP 2 will not have any combat XP, only post-mission screen level-ups!

Edit: Oooh, here's a way to make Fallout 4 ending even more awesome than Fallout 3.

 

[The Feral Kid]

Take note that actions you take in Alpha Protocol will affect events in any potential sequels, so choose wisely.

Bah. Others offer taking your character to the next game, while others instead offer "C&C" that will affect future games to maintain whatever faux-rpg-credibility they have left. It's the same gimmickry in the end.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

I wish i could take this "choose wisely" thing seriously, but with the current "no choice must be punished because the player can't fail" philosophy, I can't expect much.

Maybe some guy in AP2 will go "Oh, remember me? Thanks for not killing me. Here, take this kickass gun".

 

[Achilles]

SO, any word on the sexytime front? Will there be women you can bang? Now there's a chance for C&C:

1)If you decide to nail a random chic, she get's pregnant and you get married. Then you are forced to resign from the agency and become a used car salesman driving a Volvo.

2) If you don't nail her, everyone of your colleagues thinks you're a fag and only the gay ones want to spend time with you. You eventually give in to pier pressure and become gay yourself, devoting your life to art and the pursuit of gayness.

 

[DraQ]

"We've been working on this game for four years," he tells me, "so even before Mass Effect came out we were talking about these kinds of issues.

I laughed out loud at the attempt. Like trying to hide an elephant with a fig leaf.
"We, like, totally aren't ripping off BioWare's games!" Hilarious.

Bah, amateur faggots.

This is how it is done:

"We've been working on this game for twenty years," he tells me, "so even before Wizardries 6 to 8 came out we were talking about these kinds of issues.

 

[Azrael the cat]

SO, any word on the sexytime front? Will there be women you can bang? Now there's a chance for C&C:

1)If you decide to nail a random chic, she get's pregnant and you get married. Then you are forced to resign from the agency and become a used car salesman driving a Volvo.
.

Actually you could have a really sweet plot devation from that. Say that if you go around sleeping with literally everyone, at some stage you might get someone pregnant (or get pregnant yourself if playing female) and be pressured by the agency into faking 'settling down' for cover. From that point you have to use stealth skills and diplomacy to be able to go around still doing espionage jobs while trying to convince your wife/husband (whose sympathies probably lie with the enemy) that you're just going on business trips for your pencil-making company to see the cutting edge in writing-instrument design

 

[Multiple Sarcasm]

Bah, amateur faggots.

This is how it is done:

I'm not entirely certain what 'it' was presumably supposed to be on my part, but you sure showed them who's the pro.

 

[Vibalist]

I wish i could take this "choose wisely" thing seriously, but with the current "no choice must be punished because the player can't fail" philosophy, I can't expect much.

Have Obsidian actually implied or said at some point that no action can have a negative consequence, or is this just another assumption?

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Assumption obviously, based on experience. I really don't expect them to make it so you have real bad consequences (no, not getting a new gun isn't a bad consequence). That would go against the "every path must have rewards or people will just reload" thinking.

 

[Angthoron]

Assumption obviously, based on experience. I really don't expect them to make it so you have real bad consequences (no, not getting a new gun isn't a bad consequence). That would go against the "every path must have rewards or people will just reload" thinking.

Not just that, that would mean they'd not be copying Mass Effect anymore and that's not how it works.

 

[Vibalist]

There's a difference between every path having some kind of reward or advantage and none of the paths having any negative consequence whatsoever, though.

And Obsidian may be copying Bioware to a certain extent, but they still make much better games and have been ever since Kotor2.

 

[Dionysus]

Have Obsidian actually implied or said at some point that no action can have a negative consequence, or is this just another assumption?

Well, they've said that skills don't significantly impact accuracy because they don't want to punish player choice. That should make it pretty clear. This is the way things will be for multiplatform RPGs. You don't need to save before dialog.

 

[Volourn]

"but they still make much better games and have been ever since Kotor2."

Bullshit. FFS This is the company that even the word SOZZY = shit. FFS

Anyways, some people ar eignorant and obvious ar emaking shit up when Obsidian never claimed that there'd be no 'negative' consequences. They said no such fuckin' thing. FFS

 

[Elhoim]

What I understood is that each path will have their own set of advantages and disadvantages.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

There's a difference between every path having some kind of reward or advantage and none of the paths having any negative consequence whatsoever, though.

Sure, but I'm used to not get negative consequences even if there are rewards. Usually, the only negative consequence from choosing a certain path is that you won't be able to reap the rewards from the other path.

What I understood is that each path will have their own set of advantages and disadvantages.

that depends on your understanding of "disadvantages". for most players, not getting a sweet-ass armor is a huge disadvantage worthy of a reload.

 

[Lurkar]

In their defense, it's going to be tiresome as hell when every game that gives more then one option to do things is immidiately compared to Mass Fucking Effect.

 

[Dny]

In their defense, it's going to be tiresome as hell when every game that gives more then one option to do things is immidiately compared to Mass Fucking Effect.

Considering the fact that NO OTHER CORP did a RPG-shooter mix using the UE3 that features fake-C&C that follows through sequels I say it's pretty fair to call Obsidian a "mini-Bioware".
Not every game feels so much like a new Mass Effect other than Alpha Protocol.

Obsidian is always following the path set by bioware. First KOTOR, then NWN, and now the dumbed down RPGs with fake-C&C. The only reason why some people here respect Obsidian and hate on Bioware is because of their closet-faggotry, secret love they feel toward the Christ (Avellone).

Fuck when they're not copying Bioware they are modding an Elder Scroll game. Bethesda used to be the most hated corp on the codex (still is?) and yet when the Christ take one of their game, writes a mod for it and sell it as a new game they're all furiously masturbating.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Fuck when they're not copying Bioware they are modding an Elder Scroll game. Bethesda used to be the most hated corp on the codex (still is?) and yet when the Christ take one of their game, writes a mod for it and sell it as a new game they're all furiously masturbating.

What is inherently bad about the game that better writing / dialogue / combat / design / whatever can't fix?

 

[Angthoron]

It'll bring more money to Bethesda, that's what!