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Alpha Protocol Discussion Here:

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Overall it just looks like the game lacks a huge amount of polish -- and that's not to say that there's a gem behind that either. Crap AI, horrendous graphics, relatively poor animations, terrible voice acting...this looks like a bargain bin title at best.
 
WabeWalker said:
Take a look at that Giantbomb video.

I mean, the way he's playing it... jesus, I don't think you're supposed to play it like that. He's just going in guns blazing, even though he's built a stealth character? That's kind of silly if you ask me.

Finally he gets it right in the end - but only because he's finally decided to use his stealth skills. He pumped almost all of his points into stealth, but then repeatedly attempted to get through that part of the level using guns.

I fear that people are going to pick up pistols in this game and believe that they should be able to fire them without actually pumping tons of points into pistols.

I think that people probably aren't going to 'get' this game.

They're going to want to play it like it's Mass Effect.
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Seemed more like he was showing off the stupid AI in the game and how despite building a stealth character he can just go around guns blazing.
 
Derangel said:
Seemed more like he was showing off the stupid AI in the game and how despite building a stealth character he can just go around guns blazing.
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It didn't seem like that to me at all.

I thought he was playing the game contrary to how he had built his character - in Dragon Age, if you send in your mage as a fighter then obviously he's going to die. And yeah, that's exactly what happened when this guy went in guns blazing with his stealth character - he died right away. Why demonstrate that? I would expect, in a game like this, that every character will be able to use guns at least partially, just that it would make it way more difficult, and that it would be a stupid thing to attempt to do.

I watched a video on U-tube one time called "Let's Play Drakensang" - it was one of the most frustrating videos I've ever watched. The idiot playing the game (and making nasty, snide comments every step of the way) wasn't playing the game like a classic RPG but rather like an action RPG. He was playing the game as though it was Titan Quest, and was completely ignoring party management (which is fundamental in a game like Drakensang). If that guy had reviewed the game from that perspective he would've torn it apart.

So who's in the wrong there? The idiot who didn't understand the game? Or the game itself?

Gamers are going to buy this game and they're going to moan and complain that the shooting is wonky, completely ignoring that this is an RPG in which your shooting skills are not FPS-based but rather stats based. People are going to pick up shotguns and expect to use them successfully without ever having pumped any points into shotguns. They're going to want to play this exactly as they played Mass Effect, because, hey, the graphics make the two games look the same!

This game is doomed.

Doomed.

The Great Unwashed are always clamoring for something that's different. But as soon as something different is given to them, they start bitching and whining that it's not the same as what they're used to.

(And as is typically the case, 99% of gamers have already decided that this game is garbage... and it hasn't even been released yet. Yup, nobody loves to hate his own hobby more than a PC gamer.)
 
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Riftsaw said:
How'd you get it for $26? I wanna get it for $26 too! :p
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Amazon is very generous if you do consistent purchases with them on games. Especially preorders. $10 here. $10 there. Somehow it added up for me and voila, $26. :)




Riftsaw said:
But I liked Hitman SO much. :(
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I adore the Hitman games. I need a new one like no one's business, stat!



Derangel said:
Seemed more like he was showing off the stupid AI in the game and how despite building a stealth character he can just go around guns blazing.
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That was my biggest concern coming off that Giant Bomb video and it's a problem I see in a lot of games: Going stealth is basically rendered completely pointless.

I hope Wabe is right in what he's seeing. Stealth attributes will be the ones I concentrate on the most along with accuracy.
 
Q-BZ, Alpha Protocol is offering role-playing stealth, though.

In other words, your stealth won't happen through Splinter Cell-like movements, but rather through pure stats - at least this is my understanding. The videos I've seen seem to support this. You see the player character running straight past NPCs, and they don't even see him. That's because the stealth points for that build were maxed out.

I think that people are going to have a tough time dealing with this game.

They're going to wonder why the NPCs can't see the player character when he's plainly visible and out in the open, or they're not going to 'get it' why their guns aren't 'firing properly'. It's a statistics based RPG. The gun situation in particular is really going to bother people. Bioware kind of attempted to implement this in the original Mass Effect, and it really pissed people off. It was a bit different though, because instead of purely relying on stats, Bioware simply gimped the shooting mechanic by making it more difficult to aim (and of course it became easier to aim if you pumped points into the appropriate gun statistic). With Alpha Protocol it won't be an aiming issue, but a stats issue.

Either way, I think that most people aren't going to 'get it'.
 
end result sounds to me like this game is a disappointment and to wait for a deep steam sale before bothering. i guess that might be christmas.
 
WabeWalker said:
In other words, your stealth won't happen through Splinter Cell-like movements, but rather through pure stats - at least this is my understanding. The videos I've seen seem to support this. You see the player character running straight past NPCs, and they don't even see him. That's because the stealth points for that build were maxed out.
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this is exactly how it is, instead of being hidden from cover/dark areas, it's more like "invisible from x range". your guy actually goes translucent when this happens, that's how they let the user know.
 
Gotta admit, that Destructoid review was pretty funny:

First of all, enemy AI is an astonishing shambles, almost to the point of being impressive. Opponents run around with seemingly no direction whatsoever, apart from the ones who will charge directly into your bullets because they want to punch you in the face. No joke, one in three enemies want to do nothing but punch you in the face. He won't fire his gun, he'll just sprint towards you, dodging from left to right like a headless chicken, then he'll punch you in the face -- once -- and slowly back away, shooting you. It makes absolutely no sense, and yet it seems to have been deliberately programmed into the game's AI because that's all the enemy soldiers ever want to do. That is, when they're not conjuring up endless grenades to spam with alarming regularity.

...

When not dealing with a ruined combat system, players can have the action completely broken up by an overabundance of lockpicking and hacking minigames. You'll be pleased to know that they are the worst lockpicking and hacking minigames ever developed. The lockpicking, for example, forces players to gently squeeze one trigger/shoulder button to put a very tiny lock in place, then push the other trigger to set it. They need to do this multiple times with an absurdly strict time limit in place and it is twice as frustrating as it sounds. Sometimes the locks won't work, either, meaning you have to cancel out of the minigame and get back into it to reset things. At first the lockpicking is not so bad, but as the game goes on, you have more locks and less time on the clock.
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I don't know...I think the reviewers are riding a torrent of negativity. I'm a good bit through it, and so far, I've really enjoyed it. The voice acting isn't bad, although the dialogue is mostly silly espionage cliche, but if you look at it for what it is: a cocktail of James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Spy Games, with a good bit of comedy thrown in, you will enjoy it.

Yes, the graphics aren't the best, the AI is about as retarded as it comes, but all in all, I'm enjoying the ride.

I'm sorry but there is something purely epic about a boss fight with an 80's era obsessed mob boss, blaring Autograph's "Turn up the radio" while snorting coke and trying to knife your face off...classic Obsidian hilarity.

Wait for it to hit bargain prices and you will be satisfied by an espionage romp with a few issues.

7/10
 
dravisar said:
I don't know...I think the reviewers are riding a torrent of negativity. I'm a good bit through it, and so far, I've really enjoyed it. The voice acting isn't bad, although the dialogue is mostly silly espionage cliche, but if you look at it for what it is: a cocktail of James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Spy Games, with a good bit of comedy thrown in, you will enjoy it.

Yes, the graphics aren't the best, the AI is about as retarded as it comes, but all in all, I'm enjoying the ride.

I'm sorry but there is something purely epic about a boss fight with an 80's era obsessed mob boss, blaring Autograph's "Turn up the radio" while snorting coke and trying to knife your face off...classic Obsidian hilarity.

Wait for it to hit bargain prices and you will be satisfied by an espionage romp with a few issues.

7/10
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Yeah, I will wait for bargain bin price. I am still looking forward to this game, just not at $50, more like $20.
 
Frraksurred said:
Already had it pre-ordered so I guess I'll be forming my own impressions tomorrow.
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Just remember, it's a stats based RPG - but let us know what you think about it.

Unfortunately, I bought Splinter Cell Conviction on the weekend, so I'll be installing that next week when I've got some time, instead of Alpha Protocol, which I'll probably buy in August.
 
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Riftsaw said:
I wonder if this is legit or not.

If it isn't the guy who made the post was very creative.

If it is, I'm gonna go cry.
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This does sound authentic.

The problem is there's zero evidence that this person actually did work on the game - and even if this person did work on the game, how much of this should we believe?

Six months ago, at my place of work, a person was semi-fired - he had finally landed his dream job at another company, and so gave his notice. My boss wasn't having anything to do with that and told him to leave immediately. The security guards were called in and he was ordered to clean out his desk right there and then.

Last month, I heard through a mutual friend, that this former employee has been spreading all kinds of dirt about our company - none of it true. Virtually everything he said was made up in his mind. The truth is that he was the single most disruptive employee we had, and would argue every single point - I can't ever remember him agreeing with me or with anybody else about anything. When he finally left it was like throwing open the windows in a stuffy room and being able to breathe again.

Also, what kind of a person slags off his own company - or a company he's quit or been fired from?

A disloyal employee, that's who.

Slagging off your own company is just bad form - and many potential employers, if you do that during a job interview, will end the interview right there.
 
He basically took over the game and dictated exactly how everything would work (or not work, as the case may be). The other producers realized this early on and just gave up, leaving Parker to micromanage all the designers and programmers directly.
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Hey, sounds exactly like Todd Howard (of Oblivion and Fallout 3 fame).

Really though, this is honestly and sadly 100% accurate, and not surprising considering the state of the game. When you have a project that has been multiple years in development and the final result is this... it's an obvious and clear indication of gross mismanagement by the higher ups.

Also, what kind of a person slags off his own company - or a company he's quit or been fired from?
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A ton of people in the software business do this, actually, mostly because it's true. Hardly any project leader is competent enough to direct even the most simple task.
 
There are no tanks in Baghdad! Don't listen to the infidel propaganda. Micromanaging boss derailing development of software project? Ha! Has never happened in the history of the world!
 
AceCR42 said:
A ton of people in the software business do this, actually, mostly because it's true. Hardly any project leader is competent enough to direct even the most simple task.
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A guy who goes onto the internet and starts slagging off his colleagues and employers, and acting like a little whiny baby, is nothing more than a disloyal wimp. If he felt that his ideas were so strong then he should've been more direct in advancing them. If he felt he was continuously being ignored then he should've moved on, and kept his mouth shut.

God I can't stand people like that.

Either put up, or shut up.
 
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Over at the Gamespot PC forum, there's a big discussion going on about this game - a few people have been playing Alpha Protocol, and they've stated that they really like it.

The thread-starter claimed, early on in the thread, to have spent five hours playing as a stealth character without ever having fired a bullet practically.

Another guy said that the game was pretty good - not great - but not nearly as bad as some reviewers have stated.

Everyone is saying the same thing, that Alpha Protocol doesn't play anything like Mass Effect. This game is going to suffer for that comparison. It's too bad that the PR guys at Obsidian didn't do a better job of communicating that Alpha is a stats based RPG - and not like Mass Effect.

Oh well - I think that some people are going to hate this game, and others (maybe people who are more open to things) will like it.
 
I doubt it's a matter of miscommunicating the type of game it was intended to be. It sounds like it was handled/managed poorly and "in the oven" being developed for too long. I wanted to play it too, but until it's bargain bin, I'm not going to risk spending the full price just to experiment.
 
Riddleofsteel said:
I doubt it's a matter of miscommunicating the type of game it was intended to be. It sounds like it was handled/managed poorly and "in the oven" being developed for too long. I wanted to play it too, but until it's bargain bin, I'm not going to risk spending the full price just to experiment.
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From what I can tell it's actually not a case of the public not liking the game - it's mostly the reviewers.

I've become distrustful of a lot of the review sites. Those sites are mostly about people trying to make names for themselves by being smart and clever by saying what they, as developers, would've done instead.

There's a generation of young people out there who are being employed by these review sites, and yeah, many of them are hyper intelligent people - but sometimes I just want to know if the game is enjoyable. The game doesn't have to be analyzed to death in order for me to decide whether or not I should buy it.

Ever visit the website called 1UP? That place is (or rather was) filled with brainiac young people who were so damned busy being clever and bright about the games that it was difficult at times to figure out what the fuck they were even talking about.
 
I finished Alpha Protocol. The game is awesome, professional reviews are a bunch of bullshit. If they don't get paid to review well it will get a shitty score. When was the last time a huge game with a huge marketing campaign didn't get 9's ?

There is tons of re playability here, its more of an RPG and a better game then for example Fallout 3 can hope to be.
 
You know Wabe, instead of spending every other post sitting in judgment of other people from behind your computer, how about you just -- given how much you like this game -- buy it and come back when you've played it?

I think it's ironic that you're going on about how this game is doomed by players who "misunderstand" it, when it seems like you yourself, its biggest knight in shining armor, aren't even picking it up?

Either put up, or shut up.
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Banko said:
I finished Alpha Protocol. The game is awesome, professional reviews are a bunch of bullshit. If they don't get paid to review well it will get a shitty score. When was the last time a huge game with a huge marketing campaign didn't get 9's ?

There is tons of re playability here, its more of an RPG and a better game then for example Fallout 3 can hope to be.
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Seriously?

Wow, that's great news. I'm actually seeing quite a few posts like this. Most people who have played Alpha are saying that it's a pretty good RPG - something quite a bit different.

I also think that with Obsidian they can either hit or miss with certain people. A lot of people didn't like NWN 2 for example, whereas I thought it was a masterpiece.
 
Banko said:
I finished Alpha Protocol. The game is awesome, professional reviews are a bunch of bullshit. If they don't get paid to review well it will get a shitty score. When was the last time a huge game with a huge marketing campaign didn't get 9's ?

There is tons of re playability here, its more of an RPG and a better game then for example Fallout 3 can hope to be.
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Sorry about the incoming deluge of questions.

You got the PC or Console version?

IF PC: Is there much random stuttering?

IF PC: Are there many of those "out of nowhere" loading screens popping up during a level?

How are the mini-games in your opinion? How does the difficulty scale on em? I saw em in action on live feeds and they look confusing AND plentiful. But that's just seeing someone else do em, whats your opinion on them?

Does the AI change much when you increase the difficulty setting?

How long did it take you to finish?

Have you cleared it more than once?

Again, sorry about the Deluge of questions. I really wanted Alpha Protocol but I'm gonna play it safe for now and wait for more opinions and reviews.
 
Wow, hard-copies are available in my area. I haven't bought a physical disc in a long time. At 10 gigabytes, this might be something I should pick up in-store.

Damn. Too many games, and not enough time.
 
Seriously - this game is not being as poorly reviewed as some people are claiming. Not only that, but most regular gamers (not reviewers... but gamers) seem to like it.


PC Games (Germany) = 82/10

An astounding variety of ethical decisions, a wide range of believable, fun characters and a thrilling 24esque storyline make Alpha Protocol one of the most compelling role playing games of the last years. But be warned: The artificial intelligence is at times dumb as a rock, the save system seems rather antiquated, the graphics don't hold up to the genre standard and the mini games are clearly not made for PC gamers. However, Alpha Protocol combines an enthralling storyline with a functioning role playing core and the highest grade of replayability in years! Well made, Obsidian!


Meristation = 80/100

Obsidian doesn't produce the prettiest games, or the ones with the most impressive production values, but if there is one thing this studio does very well it's writing and they give another lesson of that with Alpha Protocol, inventing a solid, interesting and intriguing story in a world of spies and conspiracies. But beyond the quality, the most impressive thing is how the studio has managed to integrate decisions with story in a convincing way, creating a game where different choices, playstyles and attitudes have a direct impact on the narrative.


PC GAMER = 80/10

Alpha Protocol is an excellent hybrid between a straightforward third person shooter, a tactical game like the Tom Clancy series, and a plot-driven epic like Mass Effect; it is unlike anything else on the market.


1UP = 83%

So much of the dialogue and story changes depend on your choices that it's absolutely worth revisiting at least once after the credits roll.


3DJuegos = 80%

Alpha Protocol succeeds at being on of the first spy-gaming RPG ever. It's not easy to love because of its poor graphics and clumsy control scheme, but as awkward as some elements feel, it's hard to not get engaged with it in just a few hours.


Eurogamer = 70%

If you're willing to put in the effort, it can steadily win you over. Obsidian can't really compete with the bigger boys in the RPG field, then, but it's carved out a little space to call its own. With ambition instead of budget, and integrity instead of polish, in the end the choice of whether to persevere or not is pretty easy to make.


Gamepro = 70%

Despite its flaws, I was won over by its varied gameplay, conspiracy-heavy, character-driven story, and engaging mix of action, stealth, and role-playing elements. It doesn't match Mass Effect 2's Game of the Year-like quality, but it does make me want to assassinate, neck-snap, interrogate, hack, zip-line, and globe-trot my way to its other possible endings.

There are also a good number of reviews that have been enjoying the game as well. If you take reviews seriously then youll see some love it, some hate it, i suggest trying the game at a friends or just buyign it yourself if it looks interesting. There are some positive reviews out there as you can see above.

If you like good story and great rpg elements and dont care to much for grahics or AI issues then this could be right up your alley.


There are some credible websites here. Some of this sounds quite positive to me.
 
Also, there's this, from the website Joystiq:

"Take combat for instance: Much like obvious influence Mass Effect, whether or not your weapon scores a hit is more dependent on its accuracy statistic than your actual skill. Even if you line up your shot perfectly you'll often whiff, especially in the early hours of the game. Note to developers: I don't care if it's realistic, making me miss because of math is never, ever, ever fun. Now stop it."

Oh really.

Alpha Protocol is 'an obvious Mass Effect clone' is it? Um, no it's not. Here's a person reviewing the game who's just downright ignorant. Alpha Protocol is not a Mass Effect clone. And what does he mean that the aiming in Mass Effect is stats based? Okay, the first game was kind of like that - not really, but kind of. The second game, however, wasn't stats based at all. It was a shooter, with RPG elements.

Other people playing the game have even said that Alpha Protocol does not feel like Mass Effect - and why would it? It was never intended to be that. Clearly, this is a stats based RPG, much more along the lines of an NWN 2 or a Dragon Age.

The reviewer goes on to complain that 'even if you line your shot up perfectly, you'll often whiff, especially in the early hours of the game'. Yeah, moron, that's because it's a stats based RPG. If you don't pump points into shotguns, then don't use a frickin' shotgun.

Clearly, this reviewer was expecting Mass Effect, and clearly he reviewed the game along those lines.

This is the very reason I posted this quotation days ago: ""It is a pity that so many professional critics devote their ingenuity to explaining how an artist could have done something quite different much better, how he could have improved his work out of all recognition by doing what he never intended to do. Such critics tend to forget that the critic's job is not to indulge in irreverent smartness at the artist's expense, but to try by patience and insight to find out what the artist meant to do, and then to estimate how well he succeeded in doing it."

Just a disgraceful review. Utterly disgraceful. A shambolic piece of writing. Worst review I've ever read. What a total donkey.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/28/alpha-protocol-game-review/3
 
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I pre-ordered Alpha Protocol on this Steam this morning. I've loved poorly reviewed games before - Two Worlds being one of my favorite RPG's of 2007. I have a feeling I'll love Alpha Protocol.
 
Summary: A "decent" to "pretty good" game on its own merits.

I can't believe how much long winded back and forth there's been over this.

Have we all played and bought better games? Yes.

Have we all played and bought far worse games? Too many, yes.

What else need be said?
 
its a fun game but it has a lot of problems the AI is really stupid some times. i can kill i guy in a room fill of people whit a SMG and some times the other guys in the same room don't do shit. and the assault rife wtf no full auto mode just 3 round burst? other then that its a fun game
 
thax said:
its a fun game but it has a lot of problems the AI is really stupid some times. i can kill i guy in a room fill of people whit a SMG and some times the other guys in the same room don't do shit. and the assault rife wtf no full auto mode just 3 round burst? other then that its a fun game
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I'm sure the AI has some issues but I'd be interested to know: How are your stats alloted thus far?
 
Started playing it and got to the first hacking point and quit. How the hell are you supposed to do it? I don't get it. It doesn't give you enough time to find the matching sequence. Its a terrible mini-game that seems to rely far more on luck than actual skill. The bypass and lock picking mini-games aren't bad, its just the stupid hacking one.
 
Derangel said:
Started playing it and got to the first hacking point and quit.
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Heh, I looked around. You're not the only one. That's sad. Doesn't bode well at all.



How the hell are you supposed to do it? I don't get it. It doesn't give you enough time to find the matching sequence. Its a terrible mini-game that seems to rely far more on luck than actual skill. The bypass and lock picking mini-games aren't bad, its just the stupid hacking one.
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http://www.vgrevolution.com/2010/06/alpha-protocol/

Lock-picking requires you to apply varying levels of pressure to the left trigger and then set the locking pin by pressing the right trigger.

Early in the game, locks will have a few pins, and enough time to finish this task, but as you progress the mini-game gets incredibly harder, and at times very frustrating.

There were times that the pressure sensitive trigger just wasn’t responding with the accuracy needed, and with barely any time to spare locks would take multiple attempts, sprinkle in hordes of enemies running up to punch you and you’ll soon want to throw a controller at the screen. The two hacking mini-games are also great on paper but as you progress get increasingly more annoying.

Computer hacking requires you to use both joysticks to line up a line of code on a page of changing letters and numbers. The correct line of code won’t be flipping like the rest of the screen, but if you don’t hurry the line will move, this mini-game took awhile to get use to as all the flipping number caused the correct code to really be overly masked.

The last mini-game is for hacking alarms and doors, you are presented with a circuit board maze, and must follow the correct path to various numbers and cut the circuit. Again this starts off well but gets so complex later on that you’ll be annoyed real quick. Now all these mini-games can be made easier by increasing your skills, but dumping all your precious points into one area that is rather pointless in the grand scheme and really hurts true character development. And lastly these mini-games can become rather abundant with one popping up around each corner and totally kill the flow of the action..
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^^ This just sounds terrible outright. I have no patience for this sort of thing at all.

Obviously you'll have to correspond the following to the PC but you get the idea.


This makes me not want to open the box and send it right back when this game gets here. Reject delivery.

It shipped so I can't cancel the order but I have no patience for this sort of thing at all. None. I run away from this kind of stuff. It's bad gaming any way you cut it.


I'm definitely getting that rushed botched vibe when I see and hear complaints like yours which are already quite common out there on the 'net and in some of these reviews.
 
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