Interview Alpha Protocol Questions Answered

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: Alpha Protocol; Chris Avellone; Obsidian Entertainment

by the man who never played Arcanum himself, MCA, plus another man named Matthew Rorie, who perhaps - for all we know - has played Arcanum. Or hasn't.
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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;"><b>You can choose between a stealthy, technical or all-out approach to missions. Does the game react to this by having specific rewards for sticking to each style, like better sneaking skills and silenced weapons for always being stealthy, or are players expected to use a mix of the three through the game?</b>
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MR: Obsidian tried pretty hard to reward people for sticking to a certain discipline. When you level up, you'll gain points that you can allocate to any skill that you like, such as Stealth, Assault Rifles, Technical Aptitude, or Martial Arts, and the proverbial "much, much more!" Specialising in a skill will unlock new abilities and tools that will make it easier for you to advance through the tougher challenges that come along later in the game. However, you're free to make a jack-of-all-trades character if you wish; you'll just be a minor badass in a lot of different areas, rather than a major badass in one or two skills.
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<b>Who would win in a fight; Bourne, Bauer or Bond? (hand-to-hand, obviously)</b>
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CA: It'd depend on whose love interest had died in the last 15 minutes. The one who suffered the loss most recently would win. If they've lost no one tragically, Bourne's got my vote. The hand-to-hand fighting sequences in the first Bourne movie was so blinding and frenetic, I think Bauer and Bond would be hard-pressed to deal with Bourne. If it was a running gun fight, it'd be a toss up between Bauer and Bond. If it was a poker match? Bond all the way.
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Read the whole thing <a href="http://www.gamersguidetolife.com/2010/04/exclusive-we-interview-obsidian.html">there.</a>
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgwatch.com/#14730">Watch</A>

 

[denizsi]

In some shots, Thorton reminds me of a younger version of Liev Schreiber.

What's the coolest thing you've done in Alpha Protocol?

CA: Aside from telling various characters I meet to "fuck off" and not having it come across as juvenile; having two female handlers catfighting over my headset while I'm gunning down terrorists in the snow; the ability to toss grenades behind me as I run; unleashing a storm of bullets on an 80s obsessed mob boss until he's bleeding on the floor and offering me anything I want in his mansion - the coolest thing? Well, I convinced the secret shadow that monitors all global trafficking that I've inserted technical kryptonite into his eavesdropping system, and I pulled it off so technically smooth that this supposed "genius" was none the wiser. Who's the smart guy now, jackass? That's right: Me.

Reading this made me cringe.

 

[Fat Dragon]

Can you give us an example of the type of outcomes a choice can have?
CA: Arresting an arms dealer in Saudi Arabia can cost you access to merchants and contacts in the region. Continual abuse of a mild-mannered asset can cause them to turn on you in surprising ways.

That's the only example he ever gives in these interviews!

C'mon, Chris, don't let your bros here down.

 

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Alpha Protocol as a whole has been kept under surprisingly tight wraps, detail wise. Especially for a game that at one point was only about three weeks from release.



It's like they're afraid someone will peel away the PR trappings and actually see what the game is like outside of carefully controlled conditions, and be able to form a non spoon fed vie-....ohhhh.

 

[MetalCraze]

Obsidian tried pretty hard to reward people for sticking to a certain discipline. When you level up, you'll gain points that you can allocate to any skill that you like, such as Stealth, Assault Rifles, Technical Aptitude, or Martial Arts, and the proverbial "much, much more!" Specialising in a skill will unlock new abilities and tools that will make it easier for you to advance through the tougher challenges that come along later in the game.

Wow this must be something special - they tried pretty hard to make it just like in every single game with stats

However, you're free to make a jack-of-all-trades character if you wish; you'll just be a minor badass in a lot of different areas, rather than a major badass in one or two skills.

PR-speak for "stats don't matter, you'll win anyway"
So unexpected in a third person pop-a-mole shooter

 

[Kosmonaut]

But it hasn't been like that always in RPGs, right? I mean, whatever specialization you choose, you win the game at the end. Why do you bitch then?

 

[Silellak]

But it hasn't been like that always in RPGs, right? I mean, whatever specialization you choose, you win the game at the end. Why do you bitch then?

Does he bitch because he's Skyway? Or is he Skyway because he bitches?

 

[MetalCraze]

But it hasn't been like that always in RPGs, right? I mean, whatever specialization you choose, you win the game at the end. Why do you bitch then?

Try disabling selectivereading.sys driver
He says you can choose all of them and still be a badass except your mega unlicensed unnamed gun with infinite ammo won't have +20 dmg unlockable achievement - aka hello Oblivion

Try pulling that in an actual good RPG.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

He says you will be a "minor badass" in every area. My characters in Fallout are fairly badass at shooting even when I play as diplomat (meaning, I can still kill way more people than a normal person should, if I do decide to use a gun). I can also punch out people in PST while having pitiful strength. It's a perk of being the hero, that doesn't worry me.

the problem is if the enemies won't also be badasses in every area, which would mean I would roflstomp them regardless of my skill choices.

 

[Darth Roxor]

ctrl F + 'arms dealer'.

lost interest and stopped reading.

 

[MetalCraze]

He says you will be a "minor badass" in every area. My characters in Fallout are fairly badass at shooting even when I play as diplomat (meaning, I can still kill way more people than a normal person should, if I do decide to use a gun).

I think "badass" and "jack of all trades" are pretty self-explanatory.
You can't be a jack of all trades in Fallout no matter how hard you'll try and certainly not badass in every area.

I can also punch out people in PST while having pitiful strength. It's a perk of being the hero, that doesn't worry me.

One of the reasons why combat in PST sucks balls, nice example and nice try

the problem is if the enemies won't also be badasses in every area, which would mean I would roflstomp them regardless of my skill choices.

No the problem is that if the game is made in such way that even if you'll pick every possible unlockable you'll be able to in every area and will still manage to have a little problem completing the game (as "badass" clearly states) - that means that it will be so easy that thinking on the build will be redund... I mean do you really expect stats to mean anything in a console shooter and even more - get player punished in one of the areas he isn't a pro in? Again in a muthafuggin console shooter which is a pristine copy of Mass Effect?

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Try pulling that in an actual good RPG.

PST

One of the reasons why combat in PST sucks balls, nice example and nice try

 

[Fat Dragon]

 

[BLOBERT]

BROS ANYONE WHO PLAYED THIS GAME CAN TELL YOU IT IS THE BIGGEST PEACE OF SHIT EVER IT IS NO NWN FOR SURE HOW ABOUT YOU POPAMOLE LOVING FAGS GO BACK TO GAMEFAGS

 

[Kosmonaut]

But it hasn't been like that always in RPGs, right? I mean, whatever specialization you choose, you win the game at the end. Why do you bitch then?

Try disabling selectivereading.sys driver
He says you can choose all of them and still be a badass except your mega unlicensed unnamed gun with infinite ammo won't have +20 dmg unlockable achievement - aka hello Oblivion

Try pulling that in an actual good RPG.

It's really difficult to retrieve a coherent idea of what you write when you are trying so hard to sound badass and sarcastic. You almost write like that anoyiing bitch Black Cat.

Use caplocks and sprinkle with some POPAMOLE, and you sound like BLOBERT. And I apologize with BLOBERT by the comparison.

Now, I ask again, why is different what the asshole of Obsidian is describing, with respect of any RPG playthrough?

Try disablig imtryingtoohard.sys

BROS ANYONE WHO PLAYED THIS GAME CAN TELL YOU IT IS THE BIGGEST PEACE OF SHIT EVER IT IS NO NWN FOR SURE HOW ABOUT YOU POPAMOLE LOVING FAGS GO BACK TO GAMEFAGS

But BLOBERT, the game isn't even out yet!

 

[Micmu]

The stupid word "unlock" used by the imbecile "gamer" generation in the last year or two should be banned.

 

[Twinkle]

He says you will be a "minor badass" in every area. My characters in Fallout are fairly badass at shooting even when I play as diplomat (meaning, I can still kill way more people than a normal person should, if I do decide to use a gun). I can also punch out people in PST while having pitiful strength. It's a perk of being the hero, that doesn't worry me.

the problem is if the enemies won't also be badasses in every area, which would mean I would roflstomp them regardless of my skill choices.

You are mentioning games notorious for poor combat. Not too positive examples for aksun-arpegee.

 

[Serious_Business]

He says you will be a "minor badass" in every area. My characters in Fallout are fairly badass at shooting even when I play as diplomat (meaning, I can still kill way more people than a normal person should, if I do decide to use a gun).

I think "badass" and "jack of all trades" are pretty self-explanatory.
You can't be a jack of all trades in Fallout no matter how hard you'll try and certainly not badass in every area.

What? Yes you can. Fuck your posts are still horrible why am I reading this

 

[FeelTheRads]

Maybe in Fallout 2 if you grind, but I don't think you can in Fallout 1 which has a level cap too.

At least I don't remember ever having a character that was good in all three types of weapons, melee, unarmed and was also a good diplomat.

 

[Soulforged]

Maybe in Fallout 2 if you grind, but I don't think you can in Fallout 1 which has a level cap too.

At least I don't remember ever having a character that was good in all three types of weapons, melee, unarmed and was also a good diplomat.

Jack-of-all-trades does not mean "Good at everything", it means "average at everything". That certainly is something which I've witnessed on practically every RPG I've played.

 

[KalosKagathos]

That's the only example he ever gives in these interviews!

C'mon, Chris, don't let your bros here down.

Yeah, they should do what Bio did with ME2 and spoil 50% of the game before it's even out!

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Maybe in Fallout 2 if you grind, but I don't think you can in Fallout 1 which has a level cap too.

At least I don't remember ever having a character that was good in all three types of weapons, melee, unarmed and was also a good diplomat.

Well, here's how it usually goes, and what is mind-bogglingly easy to get.

You have outrageous stats in your chosen combat skill (maybe even a second one if you're bored), Repair, Science and Speech. With High Int, even with Gifted (let's not even talk about having Skilled), you'll still have one or two skills you can get up there. Sure, you're not a total badass at everything, but you're a total badass at nearly everything, or at least everything that has lots of use in Fallout 1 & 2.

The only real limit you face will be your stats, and even those aren't big limits, since I can't recall a lot of situations that required high stats other than the Porn Star reqs in FO2 (then again, most of the high reqs are either Int or Agi, the most important stats and you can use all kinds of roids anyway, so what the fuck).

 

[Clockwork Knight]

You are mentioning games notorious for poor combat. Not too positive examples for aksun-arpegee.

Way-of-the-sky only asked for an example of a good rpg where you can pull this off, not a good rpg with good combat (Not to mention tons of good rpgs have shitty combat).

And as Soulforged said, Jack of all trades means "average in all areas", which is enough to put you into "minor badass" territory, imo (most people can't hope to be achieve that).

 

[MetalCraze]

Now, I ask again, why is different what the asshole of Obsidian is describing, with respect of any RPG playthrough?

In everything? Even in BG or ToEE try going with 14-15 for every stat and tell me if your character doesn't suck.

And as Soulforged said, Jack of all trades means "average in all areas", which is enough to put you into "minor badass" territory, imo (most people can't hope to be achieve that).

Oh please. He clearly states that the game will still be perfectly playable no matter your build.
It's funny how when Bethesda states the same Codex goes raging, but when it's Obsidian - so many excuses suddenly appear

 

[Soulforged]

Oh please. He clearly states that the game will still be perfectly playable no matter your build.

I don't understand. You don't want it to be playable?

I always thought that different builds should force you to play different, or fail if you don't know how to, but never force you to restart a new game.

EDIT: Spelling.