I really can't see how some people are defending the absolutely skullfuckingly retarded dialogue system. Sure, the whole "all paths lead to a different outcome" is nice, but that doesn't vindicate the system as a whole as it is more indicative of Obsidian not being total lazy asswipes like, say Bioware, and throwing in tons of "false choices".
First off, one is limited to only three choices at any juncture with this system, which is a cap dialogue trees do not share. Second, it seems to have no room for dialogue skills or the active use of them as even if they can be implemented, you'll never really know you are using them or have a choice whether or not to use them. Third, it's worse than Mass Effect in the whole idea that the player has no idea what their character will say. Whereas in Mass Effect, you had a rough idea of what Shepard is going to say based on a small summary like phrase, Alpha Protocol gives you a huge demeanor that could go in any direction and takes a lot of control over the character away from the player for that "cinematic" bullshit. And fourth, it's a degeneration of dialogue from a critical gameplay element, like in Fallout, Torment, Arcanum, and Mask of the Betrayer to what is essentially a mildly interactive cutscene.
The whole argument of everything being okay because there will be different outcomes for each choice is asinine as well. One is basically saying that because other games have had poorly implemented dialogue tree systems, this idiotic one is good because it is not half-assed. The four rationales in the above paragraph are the reasons that this system can never match the potential of a good dialogue tree.
If dialogue doesn't really allow one to shape their character the way they want to, then what else will? It seems as though the focus is on action, so I assume it will only allow a person to choose what kind of killing machine their character is.
This is beginning to look worse than Mass Effect as far as role-playing goes, and I'm a little confused as to why the Codex hasn't come down on this game with full force like the Codex did with Mass Effect. Sure, the fact that it' Obsidian and the fact they've done some decent to great stuff in the past and have a lot of pedigree might explain it, but that doesn't mean they can't fuck up beyond all recognition. Just look at Neverwinter Nights 2 and the original campaign. All the talent of Obsidian and it ended up a buggy, dumbed-down, and uninteresting PoS. Their "great writing and dialogue" didn't ride in and save the day there, so don't assume it will be in Alpha Protocol by default.
I know Obsidian has the talent to make something like this work and be great, I'm just not fully confident they will. I'm rooting for them, but I can't help but feel they have made some awful blunders right out of the gate.