WorstUsernameEver

Just keep in mind that we're talking about Square Enix USA here. But maybe, you know, a cinematic or two, like with Deus Ex : Human Revolution

More on this from Eurogamer: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/bodycount-hands-on I found that preview was pretty bad in giving me an idea of what the devs are trying to accomplish with the game.. may be because I've never played Black but it felt very badly written.

The expansions were actually pretty nice, the multiplayer was far stronger (I don't know how NWN2's multiplayer is now, but at release it was a mess) and the modding tools were easier to use, so we have a LOT MORE mods to play with, though, to be pretty honest, the average level of quality is lower than NWN2's. Also, some found the interface and absence of a party better, not to mention that the combat felt more alive with NWN's animations (.... they screwed up attacks of opportunity though, so I'm glad that Obsidian took them out, though they could have done a better job at making combat interesting to see).

I doubt we'll ever see that kind of reasoning from a management bozo. More like 'how can I hide all these horrible gamebreaking bugs while spending no extra cash on QA?'.

Seriously? Games are released buggier and unfinished these days than back then. Even consoles fall to "bugplagues" as they are now online and thus able to be patched, so they don't have to be as polished as they should have been in the past days. Add the rise of DLC which would allow whole chunks to be cut from games to be sold later, and we you notice we have entered the age of most unfinished releases EVER. I don't know myself, I was just throwing ideas at the reason. It's true though that the industry standard of polish is higher than Alpha Protocol.. then again, I'm not sure if a game like Fallout 3 met it either Hell, it almost already is, if some people are to be believed it's a PS1 game (yeah, the PS2 argument became too stale I guess 0_0) Uh? Anyway, becoming a cult classic is not necessarily a bad thing, though it could be from a financial point of view. Personally I'm just happy I've enjoyed the game (and I'm still enjoying it since I'm starting my second playthrough ) and that I've enjoyed it far more than almost all the other RPG experiences this year.

We don't expect a bug free game Wals. But you must admit there's quite a difference between the level of polish usually provided by, say, Bioware, and that provided by Bethesda and Obsidian. Well.. that and the fact that I was half-joking Also bugs DO actually come out in FPS too, just look at S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and all its iteration.

SORRY WALS, CAN YOU REPEAT? I DON'T HEAR YOU!

We all do Krez. We all do.

Just one thing : I HATE VUVUZELAS.

If the game is really as buggy as the combination suggests, I'm curious about how the reviewers will receive it. In a lot of "professional" reviews there was no mention whatsoever on the technical mess that was Fallout 3 (granted, open world on console is difficult... but some things had nothing to do with that). Will they love it or will their perception be influenced by Obsidian's track record? Of course, my hope is that the game is the most bugfree the two companies have published.

I take it obsid is done with the main development phase and is now adding layer upon layers of polish.... right? No obsid, no more ambitious ideas! Save em for DLC or better yet: expansion pack(s). Tune up what you've already done so far. Like.. Bethesda level of polish? So flying protectrons, radscopions spawning under terrain, crashes and stuttering will make a triumphant comeback? COUNT ME HYPED!

Had a one night stand with Mina. The scene was surprisingly cute, but I can't still shake off the feeling that, excluding one flirty email, it really came out of nowhere, at least for my Mike. Never reached enough influence to do anything with the other three, and I wouldn't want to do anything with miss Vanilla Personality aka Madison.

Every game has at least little bugs. Also, it's always a question of what people assume to be a bug. Though, Deus Ex had tons of glitches, actually. It's the only way to skip some bosses. And I'm not joking not to mention Deus Ex Ki was considerd mediocre to weak for that time in contrast to for example Half Life. Deus Ex today probably wouldn't be as successful, but at the time, there's no denying it was a success. Critically and commercially. Alpha Protocol, I'm not so convinced. And I love both games. Where did I deny it? It still doesn't change anything game quality wise.... The only thing I wanted to point out is that no game is flawless, but that doesn't mean they aren't great games. Gamers' perspective also changed I think. Today we expect more polished products? AP is a multiplatform game and has been treated as such? In the end, I think I enjoyed Deus Ex a bit more (and I played it recently mind you, I'm not a nostalgic) and I can see where the criticism towards AP comes from, but I still found so brilliant in some area, and, generally, so damn fun that it's a great game in my book. And mind you, some reviewers rewarded it too, there are some very high scores, and not just from european mags... I think a lot of people expected a technically polished, slick and quick shooter stealth with rpg elements (meaning, great combat and stealth.. which AP doesn't have, even if I didn't find them as abysmal as some do) and didn't care one bit about one of the most carefully crafted aspect in the game, the narrative and how it intertwines with the gameplay (because it does, and a lot more than some of the most hyped games in this regard, like Fallout). In the end, I guess it comes down to preferences, but I can see the game becoming a cult classic now.

OK.. time to list my favorite characters of the game. I must admit, MCA and co did a very good job with archetypes here : they're not Obsidian's best character, but they have layers, depth, they may not be what they seem at first, they have an interesting past, they react at almost everything you do (and that's what made them live and breath for me)...... and awesome voice acting to boot. Characters that were simply... AWESOME Steven Heck - .... I'm not sure if he's the most intelligent and unpredictable agent ever, always covering his moves under absurd conspiracy theories, or he really believes all that stuff. Either way, he's really incredibly talented, and I wouldn't want to EVER meet him in combat.. I'm pretty sure he would rape all the other bosses without problems. Marburg - He's the type of villain we all like to hate. Calculating, professional, almost respectful and admiring (at least when it came to my professional, duty-driven, pragmatic Thorton) in some instances, I feel I'll need another couple of playthroughs before really seeing the totality of his character. His backstory makes him a sort of anti-Thorton, giving your fights against him a dramatic edge other bosses lack.... super chain shot Mike Thorton always wins though. Leland - His character concept is simple, but the dialogue and voice acting are so well executed that he comes alive and becomes believable. The 'flashback conversation' with him was definitely one of the best moments in the game, and paradoxically I gained his respect by being his opposite. Kicking the crap out of him was OH SO SATISFYING. Omen Deng - He deserved more screen time. Professional, good background, awesome boss fight, incredibly cool character design and great voice acting. The cutscene when he lets his cape fall is pretty much the definition of awesome. Characters that grew on me Mina Tang - She initially seemed vanilla.. a decent character, but nothing special. But somehow, her interactions with Mike, her dossier, everything well... they made her better. By the end of the game I had the feeling she was a pretty good character.. not one of my favorites though. Scarlet Lake - I liked her since the beginning.... well, I have a thing for redheads. But the reveal towards the end casted the character in a totally different light and made some events make much more sense. Darcy - I expected more from him as a character, a sort of rival relationship throughout the whole game... still, his boss fight redeemed him and the last interactions you have with him sort of redeemed him. Untapped potential as a villain, but still a fun character. .. and the only meh character of the game, according to WorstUsernameEver is..... THE PORNSTAR! MADISON ST. JAMES! - Really... she sort of didn't fit the game. Not so interesting dialogues, so and so voice acting, and you can understand me if I let her die without thinking about it much. EDIT : Of course, a lot of the characters deserve mention, even some minor ones (like Hong Shi and Championchik) but I felt these, for a reason, were the one who caught my attention. 2nd EDIT : Favorite convo? Leland flashback convo and Marburg caf

22 October? I was honestly expecting a further date, considering all the problems with Alpha Protocol, Obsidian and Bethesda problems with bugs etc... Whatever, release date (assuming I'll have the money for the CE) buy for me.

EDIT : I feel like I've pulled a funcroc

P.S. : So will we have infinite arrows in DSIII?

'Incorrect' is a word that I wouldn't use talking about game design, but he has a good point. The boss design in Alpha Protocol is pretty cheap. Honestly, I don't know how many HP they had though, since I've managed to kill most of them with a chain shot to the head. Come up with something better. Given the direction the setting is it would have been better if they were avoidable. But I can't see how it could be much better. They at least tried to make them interesting. Come up with something better. Seriously? I'm not a game designer. That's not my job. But there are examples even in the game. The Darcy boss fight, the Parker's one. Those are, imho, while not perfectly executed, good examples of how a boss fight in Alpha Protocol should be done. Omen Deng and Marburg were so and so. Sis? That was the worst boss fight of my playthrough, though I didn't fight Championchik or Sie.

'Incorrect' is a word that I wouldn't use talking about game design, but he has a good point. The boss design in Alpha Protocol is pretty cheap. Honestly, I don't know how many HP they had though, since I've managed to kill most of them with a chain shot to the head.

Yeah, I too choose the 'talk with Surkov' route, and I killed Brayko of course.

Screenshot would be the best here to depict your problem. I can't even imagine what might mean "messed up". My only thought is that if you're talking about long shots it might be poor mipmap quality or shimmering caused by too high texture resolution... Or - if you tried mine or some other fixes - you could set up lowest mipmap level too high and engine isn't rendering textures properly. In other words - screenshot please (if F9 isn't working during cutscenes use printscreen key on your keyboard) - and we can help you more precisely. Clipping/see-through problems (e.g. you can see Sie's hair under her hat ). I'm not sure if that's the exact problem Starwars had, but that's what I have. And yeah, I'm using the tweaks, and I had the idea it could be that but.. didn't quite know what to change.

We were discussing this with Oner on the IRC chat yesteday. If anyone has any idea how to fix this, it would be appreciated.

You mean 2 years before right?

So, no Alpha Protocol 24/7? But.. I wanted to ask you about the Embassy mission...

I must be the only one who liked the ... What. The. Hell?