'Recruit' and 'Veteran' Modes in Alpha Protocol

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/newsbit?newsbit=12881


'Recruit' actually sounds kind of interesting. You're basically starting out totally useless, and the Shepard-like intimidation tactics won't work very well.


"I saw the game in New York last night. It was the E3 build again, but there was something I didn't notice the first time around. "Alpha Protocol" has what's called "Recruit" mode. Just by the name it sounds like "Easy," doesn't it. Well it ain't. Starting the game as a "Recruit" kicks you off with exactly zero skill points (normal play-throughs start with a handful, spread out among several skills). Not to mention, everyone it in the game treats you like a recruit, so if you try to intimidate someone, they may just laugh in your face."


and

"Even though statistics gained from one campaign cannot be carried over to further games, beating the main campaign once opens up the recruit difficulty level. This involves players starting off with zero stats on the RPG mechanic, which provides a significant challenge when taking on the missions (and also unlocks the rather confused recruit dialogue responses). Beating the game on Recruit unlocks the Veteran mode, in which players start off with level five on every RPG stat and also get to use the veteran dialogue."

 

[poocolator]

The sad part is it'll still be very fucking easy.

 

[MetalCraze]

Those stats don't matter at all so it's just another hype gimmick.
Having 0 points put into the intimidation sounds like something special according to the words of media-whore, those guys really need to play more games.

 

[WholesaleGenocide]

I think it's a pretty cool idea

I hate unlocking shit in games, though. I'm less interested in the implications of inferior stats but more interested in the kewl recruit dialogue options.

 

[MetalCraze]

Not only a cool but totally original - we called "easy" mode "hard" (or in this case "less easy") and vice versa - see.

What makes you think there will be any "kewl recruit dialogue options"? Sounds like a total PR bullshit to me - do you think Obsidian/SEGA will spend money on additional dialogues considering that next-to-nobody will ever hear them because it's a very linear one-time pop-corn that everyone will chew and spit out before moving onto one of the next best game evers coming out that month?

 

[Joe Krow]

the RPG mechanic

 

[racofer]

Joe Krow: I dare you to make post 1000.

 

[bhlaab]

Why make this unlockable?

Especially making easy mode an unloackable for beating hard mode?

 

[Emotional Vampire]

Posting in a skyway thread

 

[Clockwork Knight]

beating the main campaign once opens up the recruit difficulty level.

Lost interest. Once you finish, you'll probably know enough about the game so it won't make much of a difference. Would be great if available from the start.

Especially making easy mode an unloackable for beating hard mode?

For lulz, sorta like infinite health and ammo. Also would be better if you could choose it from the start. I really dislike "beat game X times to get Y". Instead of making you choose the difficulty level, they make you play on Normal, THEN Hard, THEN Easy.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

If it was implemented well (Which I doubt it will be, Bloodlines and Arcanum seemingly being the only RPGs that changed dialog fairly significantly based on your character) it could be kind of cool. It is stupid they're unlockables, though. Should just have "EASY MEDIUM HARD" listed, and then separately have "Special difficulties" and throw these in there.

Though most likely the different dialog options will be in a small handful of areas, and it won't be as big as, say, playing a Malkavian for different dialog.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

From what I understand Recruit and Veteran are backgrounds, chosen separately from the difficulty level.

If it was implemented well (Which I doubt it will be, Bloodlines and Arcanum seemingly being the only RPGs that changed dialog fairly significantly based on your character) it could be kind of cool.

While it's easy to lie with numbers, Obsidian said that the game has 120 hours of spoken dialogue. An average playthrough is 25 hours long. I sense insane reactivity.

 

[MetalCraze]

Obsidian said that the game has 120 hours of spoken dialogue

Yep, Obsidian definitely took some lessons in Hines school.

 

[JarlFrank]

So basically it's 2 cool and different game modes, but THEY NEED TO BE UNLOCKED BEFORE YOU CAN PLAY THEM.

What the fuck if I pay money for a game I want to be able to access all of it features without further effort. It's not like you had to complete Arcanum and Fallout at least once before being able to play a retard.

If you bought a new TV and it told you that you can only switch to another channel after you watched through one full movie on the default channel, you'd throw it away.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

Obsidian said that the game has 120 hours of spoken dialogue

Yep, Obsidian definitely took some lessons in Hines school.

Same place where you learned the art of out-of-context quoting?

 

[bhlaab]

From what I understand Recruit and Veteran are backgrounds, chosen separately from the difficulty level.

I thought they kind of took difficulty and backgrounds and mashed them together, which would be an interesting idea. An actual story-reason why the game is harder or easier

 

[MetalCraze]

Obsidian said that the game has 120 hours of spoken dialogue

Yep, Obsidian definitely took some lessons in Hines school.

Same place where you learned the art of out-of-context quoting?

No the other place where they teach you to smell PR bullshit. Or are you naive enough to believe that AP has 20% more voice-over time than the whole length of all 5 Babylon5 seasons? In a console shooter?

 

[Deleted member 7219]

Skyway is an example of a troll that works well. Other trolls should follow his example.

 

[Emotional Vampire]

Sadly, he's not a troll.

 

[DriacKin]

Sadly, he's not a troll.

What's so 'sad' about it?

 

[Emotional Vampire]

His life?

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

The ideas aren't bad, to be honest, I just fucking hate the whole "replay" aspect of both scenarios. Christ, you already have my fifty bucks, why do you give a shit if I replay it or not?

 

[DriacKin]

His life?

His life is sad just because he has high standards for video games and likes to post on the Codex?

 

[Micmu]

Skyway is an example of a troll that works well. Other trolls should follow his example.

Except that he is right about the obvious "NN hours of spoken lines" PR bullshit.

Apparently, nobody realized how insanely nonsensical the number 120 HOURS is for *any* kind of game. Perhaps it is a mistake (or "mistake") and they actually meant minutes, no? That would make more sense.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

The ideas aren't bad, to be honest, I just fucking hate the whole "replay" aspect of both scenarios. Christ, you already have my fifty bucks, why do you give a shit if I replay it or not?

Giving you reasons (variation) to replay is good. The execution is shitty though, everything should be available from start.