JFSOCC

The reviews do Alpha Protocol no justice. It got ripped apart for a lot of stuff that other games that scored highly also had, and the stuff it did well got glossed over as well. AP has fantastic replayability because of the different ways your decisions can alter/change the way future quests play out. Unlike a lot of games that advertise it as such, in AP choices *do* matter and have actual consequences in the game. I played it twice, once as rookie and once as veteran, I don't think it's that replayable. The game is awfully short, sometimes it really didn't make sense to make a different decision than you had on your last playthrough either, and there were some set pieces that would always occur.

someone suggested in another thread that not all loot should be sellable or valuable. Clearly there should be some indication to the player if that were the case, but I think it would be nice. Because investing in an appraise skill would make sense, because it makes the player take care of it's inventory better than by just limiting inventory space. (no more encumbrance, rather you just don;t carry crap that merchants won't buy anyway.

would completely change how people determine what they would bring along when they loot. I like this idea a lot. I also liked the earlier mentioned idea of loot being in bad shape. because this would actually make a craft or appraise skill useful. -- Inflation sucks. if you can do with 300 gold what you can with 50000, 300 will feel much more valuable.

if he's using it wrong it shouldn't confer a bonus.and I can tell you that I absolutely hated the oblivion lockpicks.

I play to be engaged, not just have fun.

The map of Faerun makes no sense. There's deserts in places where you'd expect jungles, rivers with no credible source, badlands where by rights should be forest. I know, it's a fantasy world. so maybe I shouldn't care. But I do notice these things, surely I'm not the only one?

These are present in many RPG's, even KOTOR2 Even when they aren't a better option, I find it rather immersion breaking to see it in front of a dialogue option. So please no [intimidate][bluff][intelligence][spot] markers I'm not saying you should not have these options But it shouldn't be apparent that these are linked to the attributes or skills. That way, while I may have extra options, I will still roleplay based one which dialogue I feel is best, without meta-game information.

Please no tireless exposition. Exposition is akin to hand-holding and is a clear sign you don't trust the intellect of the player to figure it out. Or worse it's a cheap way to tell the story without engaging the player and letting them live it. I just finished watching Adam's playthrough of Icewind Dale II, that game has a lot of exposition. There was this point where I felt "Wth?" when you talk to an NPC and the dialogue goes "I spoke to your son, olap" Either you're telling the man olap is his son, or you're telling us. which means you're not expecting us have figured out it was Olap's father we are talking to. So why wouldn't we know. either we would, or you did a poor job of making it clear.

Save the Goblins! You can stop the Goblin genocide by donating 10 gold to... Together we can fight for Goblin personhood!

welcome to the forums. please use search function. though we share your enthusiasm.

For a real life example, just look to the Mexican cartels that use children as assassins. because they're disposable to them.

I'll say this, I have strong feelings on this subject in "Real life" but in the game I do enjoy a little escapism and unless these questions can be presented in an engaging way without detracting from the normal RPG experience I don't need to have them in there. So I guess I'm saying this is where I draw the line between how realistic I care the game to be.

How would this be functional in the game?

not a big fan of alignments, but that's a different thread. Yes. the more responses can be added to different forms of input, the more real and alive the world will feel in their response to you. that said, I reckon it's a lot of work to do all that.

Another way in which you can add richness to the world is by hinting at things or referencing them without explaining. This allows you to use your imagination and creates the illusion of a much bigger world that you only know a small part of.

I don't think you have to worry about absolutism. luckily.

the only reason I was happy that Yoshino left was because that left me room for imoen.

"Refusal of the call" They don't deserve it you know Those heroes all. They whine "Why me!?" As if some horror has befallen them. I admit I resent them for it What do you mean? "Why me?" It's something you must embrace! You are the fortunate one you get to be special and unique and you have the nerve to throw it in my face?! "Why me?" If you don't want it, let it pass to me! ME! I say to me! Yes I'll gladly take your place and stoutly face the brass I'll be the chosen one I'll learn the ways I'll slay the beast and leave everything behind Such Opportunity! Yes! let it fall to me! But never does it happen and I get relegated to the "arrow in the knee" A wise lesson to the kid, dumb farmboy he And while he fails the test to accept the quest, it wasn't even offered to me. And while the hero hears wise words he fails to pay them heed and never know, I loathe him so for getting to do the deed. A damsel to be freed in her hour of dire need the man to take the lead to sink the mighty fleet while thinking on his feet. and indeed it might be greed but while I dream and plead for just a chance to bleed more heroes I will meet. Maybe one, one day, will see my gaze the longing in my face the fire bright, my eyes alight and heart ablaze and be humbled by the rage and as we part our ways when I set him on his path better do me proud, his fate embrace or else incur my wrath.

in order to have them challenged

So we're arguing semantics now?

Unless Obsidian has the manpower to fend off a Jihad from the extremist I would recommend they stay way from Muslim imagery. Guild Wars has a dervish class and somehow they seem to be unbothered.

some enlightening answers. I especially liked the question (and answer) about influences. (reading history, great people, which artists he likes, music he listens too)

I'm intrigued. yes. this could work.

I do have naming conventions. and a few defaults too. Aehlona Kindheart is my main Default. If female over male matters little I usually play female because well, If I have to look at my character all game might as well be a pretty lady. think of that what you want. If there's more names, or other playthroughs, I base my first name on a DnD god (bastardized so it's slightly different. Aehlona is based on, well, you know...) and Kindheart or Hardheart are usually the surnames. think of that what you want. occasionally, when the game feels different enough, I name my characters after gods of our own mythology. I like Hephaestus, because he's one of my favourite gods (based on his myth)

I've bought that game 2 days ago and I'm playing through it now, having played the sequel before, I gotta say I like it. because the story is compelling despite it being a relatively simple point and click adventure. So far I notice that many of the answers are quests that don't feel very straightforward, quests that encourage you to think/be creative and quests which allow you to approach it from more than one direction. These stand out and stay with you and are compelling because they expect something from you the player, beyond "Go there, kill that" I've also learned there are quite a few games I haven't played yet that I should.