Interview Alpha Protocol Video Footage

[MetalCraze]

It isn't my native language either, but yes, I do understand it fairly well. But for me, knowing that ammo is limited and that you have to reload weapons, "unlimited ammo" here means "unlimited magazine". A previewer wouldn't make the difference because "unlimited magazine" is silly, but I can think and see what the mechanic is really like.

Those game journalists who have played the game with developers describing shit to them don't know shit they are talking about! They just lie or are too dumb to write things properly! I know about AP more than devs themselves!

But the difficulty of the mini-games is dependent on your skill-level AND the level of the lock/hack. True, it has never been stated this way, but when a preview says that some locks were bypassed completely by the skill, with no mini-game involved, I think it is pretty obvious that locks/hacks have a difficulty level.

But see there are mini-games. So skills don't matter because you still can bypass stuff but in a boring way. This is even worse than in Failout 3.

That was also in Deus Ex though a mod.

A mod duh

And I'm pretty sure that this cloak thing in AP is not passive, at least not in the early levels.

Let me write it for you again.
P-A-S-S-I-V-E.
It's written right there. But developers+journalists just lie we all know that blind fanboys know better.

Unless they're going for the spy flick trope where guns never run out of ammo when intense action scenes are taking place

They are also going for a "stealth" trope where if it's too hard for you to stay undetected you can just kill everyone in "half the time" (c)

 

[Grunker]

A mod duh

AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Skyway-fail

Have you played Deus Ex Skyway?

 

[MetalCraze]

So how becoming totally invisible for cameras makes sense in AP?

 

[Grunker]

So how becoming totally invisible for cameras makes sense in AP?

Lol. So it's alright for Deus Ex to explain it with "itz da futur!" and it's alright for a medieval game to explain it with "itz da magic!" but it's not alright for AP to explain it with "itz da spy-gadget!"?

Whatever you say man

 

[MetalCraze]

Yes it's ok for a cyberpunk game to contain stuff which is there to make it look like a cyberpunk game.

It isn't ok for a supa-sirius modern setting game to have it just for the sake of dumbing down because there is no other reason for it. "A passive skill".
It's a fucking tragedy when Beth rapes setting with inanity but it's ok when it's a game I'm fanboin' about.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

But it isn't ok for a spy game to make it look like a spy game, like Bond-like gadgets?

and I'm not sure the game is supa-serious

Gary Steinman writes, "Mina might seem normal enough, but Alpha Protocol has its share of quirky characters. 'We used a Kill Bill test,' Parker explains. 'If a character fits in Kill Bill, that's probably too over-the-top. But we don't want them to be just normal suits. That'd be really boring. I don't know how many M60 wielding psychopath blonde girls there are, but there's one in our game!'"

also, AP's setting was made up by Obsidian so "setting rape" isn't really an issue like it was with Beth's Fallout.

 

[MetalCraze]

But it isn't ok for a spy game to make it look like a spy game, like Bond-like gadgets?

AP has no Bond-like gadgets. Obsidian would've had to create something new and original in that case and god forbid that.

also, AP's setting was made up by Obsidian so "setting rape" isn't really an issue like it was with Beth's Fallout.

Made up by Obsidian? Arab terrorists, conspiracy in government, middle-east, Russia, etc. Full collection of the most overused Faux News cliches. Made up yeah, guess Obsidian spent whole 5 minutes creating it.
It's just logics rape. Something tells me "let's add sci fi features in there to make it look sci fi" wasn't a thought in heads of their designers.

 

[Sannom]

But see there are mini-games. So skills don't matter because you still can bypass stuff but in a boring way.

A mod duh

They are also going for a "stealth" trope where if it's too hard for you to stay undetected you can just kill everyone in "half the time" (c)

Since a previewer said that his character with no ranks in Technical Aptitude failed each time he tried to disable an alarm, yes I think it's pretty obvious that skills DO matter. And as I told you, there are mini-games, but if your character is good enough, you will succeed automatically for the easiest locks/hack/alarms, thanks to your skills. So again, they matter. A lot.

Oh sorry, biomod! Is that clear enough for you now?



Again, a journalist tried to go all out with a stealth character, in a preview. He failed. Repetitively.

Made up by Obsidian? Arab terrorists, conspiracy in government, middle-east, Russia, etc.

Sure, they certainly didn't invent reality

 

[Grunker]

You still haven't answered why biomod makes more sense than spyware Skyway?

And Sannom: Basing your arguments on the prowess of modern game journalists won't get you very far.

 

[Sannom]

You still haven't answered why biomod makes more sense than spyware Skyway?

And Sannom: Basing your arguments on the prowess of modern game journalists won't get you very far.

So far, AP's "powers" weren't really explained by any kind of spyware, so trying to use that angle might not be the best to defend it

True. Although I don't think that seeing big differences between different builds is so dependent on the journalist's prowess. It's just there.

 

[Grunker]

You still haven't answered why biomod makes more sense than spyware Skyway?

And Sannom: Basing your arguments on the prowess of modern game journalists won't get you very far.

So far, AP's "powers" weren't really explained by any kind of spyware, so trying to use that angle might not be the best to defend it

True. Although I don't think that seeing big differences between different builds is so dependent on the journalist's prowess. It's just there.

I think it is, because essentially what we're arguing is: "Does it make sense." Not if you demand realistic standards it doesn't. But if it's fair for Deus Ex not to be completely realistic, surely it is so for AP too?

And the other thing: You argued that a journalist had been killed when trying to go all-out with a stealth-guy. I don't think that's the most convincing argument ever.

 

[Serious_Business]

There are shittons of info about AP proving that it is just a Mass Effect clone. Either you blindly refuse to see it or simply don't even try to look for it (which is strange considering that browsing newsposts here is enough). Which reminds me of the same with Failout 3, except this happens on the Codex now.

Fools refusing to see da truth, skyway here to make things right again for great justice, destroying any enthusiasm based on evil lies is his game (fuck it)

Well, look forward to enjoying this piece of shit game, fuck yes faggots, as long as I say it's shit then it should be o-kay

 

[MetalCraze]

You still haven't answered why biomod makes more sense than spyware Skyway?

I answered. Try reading.

And Sannom: Basing your arguments on the prowess of modern game journalists won't get you very far.

"You can't criticize the game until you've played!"
but
"OK journalist played the game with developers telling him what to write but he's too dumb! And devs lie, I know the truth!"

Gosh Obsidian fanboi can truly show those lol-dumb ESF'ers how it's done.

Since a previewer said that his character with no ranks in Technical Aptitude failed each time he tried to disable an alarm, yes I think it's pretty obvious that skills DO matter

Skills being important is not what devs themselves said in countless previews. One time they even said something along the lines about how you can totally don't give a shit about investing points into skills yet still complete the game just fine - that was a pretty fresh interview too. Probably somewhere on this or previous page in the news.

And as I told you, there are mini-games, but if your character is good enough, you will succeed automatically for the easiest locks/hack/alarms, thanks to your skills. So again, they matter. A lot.

I think you are missing a part about plaing mini-games instead of using a skill. So it can be bypassed by playing a minigame. What's the point in skills?

Oh sorry, biomod! Is that clear enough for you now?

Again. Biomod is not "I just have a passive skill to make light travel through me"

Again, a journalist tried to go all out with a stealth character, in a preview. He failed. Repetitively.

Except if you would've read it carefully enough you would've noticed that he still went all out except in melee where it took only 2-3 hits to take down "bosses".

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

A mod duh

AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Skyway-fail

Have you played Deus Ex Skyway?

i lol'ed.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Original quote before editing was "It was a mod, is just like the original game!"

 

[Sannom]

And the other thing: You argued that a journalist had been killed when trying to go all-out with a stealth-guy. I don't think that's the most convincing argument ever.

The journalist in question tried the same thing with a combat-oriented character, I should have clarified that.

Skills being important is not what devs themselves said in countless previews. One time they even said something along the lines about how you can totally don't give a shit about investing points into skills yet still complete the game just fine

In the interview (that was the Iron Tower one, if you want to know), they said that you would need to be very, very good at action games to pull it off. Another dev on another forum said that it was theoretically possible, but that you would need the Intersect in your head, or something. The reference is lost on me though.

I think you are missing a part about plaing mini-games instead of using a skill. So it can be bypassed by playing a minigame. What's the point in skills?

Oh gosh. Okay, I will break it down for you :
--- at the very basic, they are based on mini-games, of varying difficulty depending on the level of the lock.
--- skills matter because if you're really bad in them, the mini-games are nearly impossible to complete. As in, 99,99% of failure.
--- on the other hand, when you are really good at those skills, some locks are automatically cleared, no mini-game. Like in any other RPG when your skills are so high that some obstacles don't represent any challenge and can be done with your eyes closed.

Except if you would've read it carefully enough you would've noticed that he still went all out except in melee where it took only 2-3 hits to take down "bosses".

He didn't go "all out", he used Martial Arts to deal a lot of damage once he got close enough thanks to Stealth. When he went in the open, he was cut down by enemy fire.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

And the other thing: You argued that a journalist had been killed when trying to go all-out with a stealth-guy. I don't think that's the most convincing argument ever.

The journalist in question tried the same thing with a combat-oriented character, I should have clarified that.

same thing, it's a known fact game journalists couldn't get past the first goomba in mario Bros. if their lives depended on it

 

[MetalCraze]

In the interview (that was the Iron Tower one, if you want to know), they said that you would need to be very, very good at action games to pull it off.

In other words - go out guns blazing.
Knowing that it is a game for consoles in reality it will take no effort. I wish it was a prejudice and not the truth proven by every single popamole-like console shooter. And they become easier by the year.

Oh gosh. Okay, I will break it down for you :
--- at the very basic, they are based on mini-games, of varying difficulty depending on the level of the lock.
--- skills matter because if you're really bad in them, the mini-games are nearly impossible to complete. As in, 99,99% of failure.
--- on the other hand, when you are really good at those skills, some locks are automatically cleared, no mini-game. Like in any other RPG when your skills are so high that some obstacles don't represent any challenge and can be done with your eyes closed.

Exactly what I've said - skills don't matter. I remember the only difference they make according to one of the earlier previews is that they extend time you have in a minigame. They don't matter because with just one or two points invested in lockpicking a guy that isn't a slowpoke like our small consoletard brothers will be just as good at it as a guy that invested 10 points.
In proper RPGs you don't have to bore yourself with minigames though. There is a chance that you can or cannot lockpick something and it is way better, but it's too much math for the target audience and is limiting in many ways (because a shitty skill can't be bypassed by a minigame - see?). Hence godawful minigames.

He didn't go "all out", he used Martial Arts to deal a lot of damage once he got close enough thanks to Stealth. When he went in the open, he was cut down by enemy fire.

And when he stopped using "stealth"-aka-notarget and put down one guy he didn't get cutdown by all others?

 

[GarfunkeL]

Yeah, remember that 20 minute gameplay video / preview / review-shit where the "journalist" got his whole party killed on in DAO, in the courtyard to the Ostagar Tower or whatever the fuck it was. On normal, IIRC. "This game is really challenging, yeah, really hard!" What a bunch of idiots.

 

[Soulforged]

Skills being important is not what devs themselves said in countless previews. One time they even said something along the lines about how you can totally don't give a shit about investing points into skills yet still complete the game just fine - that was a pretty fresh interview too. Probably somewhere on this or previous page in the news.

First of all you cannot go without investing in any skill, you'll have to take points at least in the weapons skills. Second, even if you don't spend a single point in the other skills (like technical aptitude) I think it would be very stupid if you cannot complete the game because of skill selection, just think about it: I've this door locked in front of me, but I didn't spend a single point on lockpicking so I cannot pass, mission over man. It doesn't make sense, if you're not good at lockpicking then try to find a workaround, getting the key from a guard, for example, but forbidding you from completing the game simply because you did not take any points on other skills than those you selected would be very stupid indeed.

 

[FeelTheRads]

but forbidding you from completing the game simply because you did not take any points on other skills than those you selected would be very stupid indeed.

What is stupid is to have the game that linear that the only way to progress is to lockpick a door.

But hey, why bother with alternative paths, let's add stupid minigames instead.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Well, good thing we already know there aren't any alternative paths,ever

 

[FeelTheRads]

I'm not saying there aren't, I don't know.

Soulforged however argued in the favor of minigames because you couldn't progress without them.

 

[Sannom]

Soulforged however argued in the favor of minigames because you couldn't progress without them.

You put a lot of words in his mouth there. He said that there should be other path that can be used with different skills so that no skill is strictly necessary to complete a mission.

 

[Soulforged]

You put a lot of words in his mouth there. He said that there should be other path that can be used with different skills so that no skill is strictly necessary to complete a mission.

Exactly, only your brain, alternative skills and alternative paths.

EDIT: I'm generally against mini-games, but as Gareth (aka Naked Ninja) posted a time ago, even combat can be considered a mini-game, I think I can approve mini-games as long as they're consistent with the skill they're trying to simulate and they're challenging, also they should always be resolved in real-time.