Preview Develop on Alpha Protocol

[Gnidrologist]

 

[Thrasher]

Good points. We can still hope Obsidian rises above history.

 

[MetalCraze]

The Official Retard Magazine btw has that screenshot (only small)

http://www.oxmonline.com/article/previe ... page=0%2C0

and also

But at first, we blasted through a horde of guards in what turned out to be a cool mini-surprise that we ain’t spoiling. Alpha Protocol felt much more like a third-person shooter than an RPG — and that’s intentional. “Our biggest concern was that when you play a low-level D&D character, you kind of suck,” Parker says. “We spent a lot of time on a rules system that allows for player skill, [while granting] a lot of advantages based on your character’s [level] over the course of the game.”

Sounds much like that Bethesda game'n'hype, amirite?
OMG you suck at low levels - we must fix it so you will be able to blast (not sneak, not persuade, not cheat) through a horde (not just a bunch) of guards on lvl1.
If that doesn't tell you about this game much I don't know what will.

You can level up Thorton in 10 areas — half involve combat, but there’s also stealth, hacking, gadget use, and health. Improving in each earns you special abilities that Parker freely admits “are kind of like spells. They’re well beyond what a normal human can do.”

Oh god.

 

[Jasede]

That quote is awful; good find.

 

[Thrasher]

This part is interesting:

'You can level up Thorton in 10 areas — half involve combat, but there’s also stealth, hacking, gadget use, and health. Improving in each earns you special abilities that Parker freely admits “are kind of like spells."'

 

[MetalCraze]

For instance, if you focus on stealth, there’s an evasion ability that gives you an extra second to retreat back out of an enemy’s line of sight before they notice you. Or, as Davis puts it, “you can just take that time to shoot them!” With a submachine gun, though, it’s hard to not have fun hosing down a room with Bullet Storm, which grants you unlimited ammo for a brief, reckless interlude. Or you can earn a Chain Shot with a pistol, which pauses the action like Fallout 3 does with VATS so you can plan and then unleash three shots.

No really.

 

[Thrasher]

As long as the game gives you the choice to play in a non-mindless fashion...

 

[Fat Dragon]

This part is interesting:

'You can level up Thorton in 10 areas — half involve combat, but there’s also stealth, hacking, gadget use, and health. Improving in each earns you special abilities that Parker freely admits “are kind of like spells."'

Please don't let it be a minigame. Too many games have turned hacking into a dumbass minigame. Why can't they just go with something simple like DX or SS2?

 

[poocolator]

It creates synergy.

Heh.

plenty of romance

“Many of our previous titles have relied on a hub structure, but Alpha Protocol takes the system a step further by presenting the player with a challenge and then offering many choices and missions for how to approach the problem,” said Avellone.

I don't quite follow. How does

presenting the player with a challenge and then offering many choices and missions for how to approach the problem

takes the

hub structure a step further

?

Well, you see, the challenge is beating the game, and they're allowing you many choices (hair colour, beard, etc.) and missions (side-quests, main quest) for approaching the problem (which is the challenge, which is beating the game). This means beating the game is a problem, which means the game can either be:
a) Impossible to beat
b) Desperately boring, causing suicide
c) Incredibly addictive, tempting you over, and over, to avoid main quest
d) Utter crap; you give up

 

[Wyrmlord]

With all the silliness of pseudo spell casting in Alpha Protocol, I now realize that few or rare developers are fit for making a non-fantasy computer roleplaying game.

Damn, I mean, it's perfectly possible to make a real life style RPG, but if you can't break out of your fantasy shell, you shouldn't bother getting out of it. Trying to fit such fantasy elements into a real world setting is like peg in a square hole.

Jesus man, just leave it to skills influencing use of grenades, guns, and ammunition, and some physical skills for jumping, swimming,.etc, and you have more than a good share of RPG-ness without resorting to spellcasting. If we have to at all put in some special abilities, leave it to some usable items, like a gadget for disabling electronics.

But if you have to at all go into that fantasy style content, why not stick to fantasy in the first place?

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

I'd be rather curious about what these "spells" are first. Since they could be bearable (ie, something like throwing multiple grenades at once).

 

[Murk]

I'd be rather curious about what these "spells" are first. Since they could be bearable (ie, something like throwing multiple grenades at once).

this is interesting - even if its completely unrealistic stuff, why would it matter? As long as it doesn't disrupt game balance I don't see it as a problem. I suppose it might break the whole atmosphere if the spy starts shooting out eye lasers and all but ridiculous technology is pretty common place in most spy movies/games, so if these "spells" are things like super-sonic rings that stun enemies then I don't see a problem with it.

 

[MetalCraze]

Uh people - what are those spells is actually written in the article

1. Infinite bullets
2. Magically blinding your enemies so they don't see you while you aim and shoot them (that is stealth according to Obsidian btw)
3. VATS mode that lets you stop the time and queue targets to shoot

Basically we can expect a full collection of traditional "next-gen" shooter retardations.

I also like the tone of the article - no matter what topic the guys are discussing it all goes down to Obsidian dev/reviewer saying "...and then you can shoot that bitch!"

 

[Wyrmlord]

3. VATS mode that lets you stop the time and queue targets to shoot

First Mass Effect.

Now Fallout 3.

Combining Mass Effect and Fallout 3.

Three RPG developers, instead of moving in their own different directions, will now incestually combine and amalgamate their features together.

And the product will be a whole new genre of next-gen RPGs, with Mass Effect, Fallout 3, and Alpha Protocol on the forefront.

God help us all.

 

[M_I_C_K_E_Y_M_O_U_S_E]

Sorry, but... Betheshda have already proven that business skills, gimmicks and mass appeal >>>>>>>>>>>>> quality and intelligence.

Twice.

Mould breaking, artistic, outside the box games is pretty much indie dev territory. I thought the Codex was smart.

 

[Wyrmlord]

I thought the Codex was smart.

Of course you are mistaken.

You really are giving me too much credit if you actually think I am something more than a guy ranting on a message board.

 

[Davaris]

Sorry, but... Betheshda have already proven that business skills, gimmicks and mass appeal >>>>>>>>>>>>> quality and intelligence.

Twice.

No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people

People can easily be persuaded to accept the most inferior ideas or useless products; attributed to H. L. Mencken.

The only thing I disagree with in this quote, is it can be applied to people of any country.

Lousy brain!

 

[Forest Dweller]

2. Magically blinding your enemies so they don't see you while you aim and shoot them (that is stealth according to Obsidian btw)

It could be considered stealth. i.e. you blend in with the environment so well that it takes an enemy a second or two to notice you. Makes sense in the right context. And this is an example of stats affecting gameplay that isn't determined by player skill.

3. VATS mode that lets you stop the time and queue targets to shoot

That would be better reaction time, yeah. Determined by stats, again.

 

[M_I_C_K_E_Y_M_O_U_S_E]

Seems Obsidian is in a spot where they must adapt or go out of business.

 

[SerratedBiz]

2. Magically blinding your enemies so they don't see you while you aim and shoot them (that is stealth according to Obsidian btw)

It could be considered stealth. i.e. you blend in with the environment so well that it takes an enemy a second or two to notice you. Makes sense in the right context. And this is an example of stats affecting gameplay that isn't determined by player skill.

Or use a flashbang.

 

[Longshanks]

Yeah, like the Thief games. Which of course had sucky stealth. The real problem here is that Obsidian is copying yet another game! Shameless .

 

[entertainer]

Thief games had sucky stealth?

 

[Dionysus]

With all the silliness of pseudo spell casting in Alpha Protocol, I now realize that few or rare developers are fit for making a non-fantasy computer roleplaying game.

Damn, I mean, it's perfectly possible to make a real life style RPG, but if you can't break out of your fantasy shell, you shouldn't bother getting out of it. Trying to fit such fantasy elements into a real world setting is like peg in a square hole.

There's a difference between using a non-fantasy setting and creating a sim. It's obvious that AP does not take itself too seriously. Bullet storm in particular seems to be a nod to movies and TV shows in which characters don't need to worry about reloading their weapons. I think that sort of "spell" is fine.

Although their obsession with combat puts a lot of pressure on them to create a solid action game.

 

[Andhaira]

I hope theres a power called Nuclear Stryke which allows you to call in nuclear strykes. Also a power called Hellfyre Blast whch summons an apache helicopter which fires a hellfyre missile. (aka fyreball)

 

[poocolator]

Thief games had sucky stealth?

In proper disdain-for-everything-old fashion, he probably means:
"sucky" stealth vs. Crysis-like stealth, wherein the developers are too damn stupid/lazy to actually program realistic line-of-sight, shadow, and sneak features, so they go with a fucking cloaking suit.