Gamespot E3 First Look Preview

[H]

So the story is different, but not too much else.

Yeah, I bet stealth, unarmed combat and gadgets were taken straight from Mass Effect as well. Does Obsidian have no shame? Stop ripping BioWare off and create something original, dammit!

[Xard]

It is also "funny" when they list characteristics of roleplaying games and then say THESE WERE TAKEN FROM MASS EFFECT

[Wrath of Dagon]

Can you promise a functional, and not cumbersome UI/inventory?

 

*cough* ME *cough*

Can you promise a real RPG? *cough* ME *cough*

 

Some of these reviewers are way too obsessed with graphics, and don't even understand what makes a game an RPG. Btw, is the character creation out of the box UE3, or did Obsidian have to make any modifications?

[Xard]

Tons of modificatoins

[Pidesco]

I was going to complain about all the ME comparisons, but the fact is a lot of people commenting on the kotaku article say they'll buy AP just based on the supposed similarities to Mass Effect.

[Bos_hybrid]

I was going to complain about all the ME comparisons, but the fact is a lot of people commenting on the kotaku article say they'll buy AP just based on the supposed similarities to Mass Effect.

 

And that surprises you? Despite what elitist say, it only 2nd to Neverwinter Nights in terms of sales and the quickest to reach a million.

 

That said, IMO AP as the opportunity to outsell it, it ain't SCI-FI and it isn't Fantasy( ), which would of turned people of ME and Oblivion, NWN2 etc. It's a Spy rpg that look sweet.

 

It is also "funny" when they list characteristics of roleplaying games and then say THESE WERE TAKEN FROM MASS EFFECT

 

Which is funny, because with Mass Effect they said everything was taken from KotOR.

[funcroc]

1up preview: Think Mass Effect meets Tom Clancy...from Sega?

 

Previews: Alpha Protocol

Think Mass Effect meets Tom Clancy...from Sega?

 

What's the game about? Think Mass Effect meets Tom Clancy -- it's a modern-day (or close to it) RPG with military espionage dressing instead of space-based science fiction.

 

What's new for E3? Our E3 demonstration illustrated the game's dialog system (once again, similar to Mass Effect) where you can choose the tone of your response. The twist here is that there's a timer for all responses, so the dialog keeps running at its natural pace (if you take too long to decide whether to act tough or play nice, it'll default to your last selection). The way you treat people has a direct effect on your interactions with them later on, as there's a faction system in place to govern friends and foes. If you're in good standing with the U.S. military, for example, it'll be significantly easier to gain access to the embassy where your mission objective resides (and the terrorists laying in wait will understandably welcome you with a bit more hostility).

 

We also were shown some of the game's special skills -- most notably the "chain shot," which slows down time and lets you set up shots on multiple targets. When the time is up, you quickly empty your clip into all assigned enemies.

 

What's our take? It was a bit of a double take, as it took a few minutes for it to sink that this is one of very few RPGs set in a realistic, modern-day era. That alone is worthy of attention, and the timer on the response options will help to even out the pacing of the game's "acting" bits. It's still a ways out (melee combat looked rough), but there's definite promise.

[Redfield]

In my opinion, Obsidian really has no way to escape being typecast as a BioWare-copier. It's been the entirety of their history so far, even back when they were Black Isle, making games based off of the Infinity Engine.

 

I think it would have really helped if, for their first original IP, they would have chosen something that didn't have so many gameplay similarities to Mass Effect, because that certianly won't help them differentiate themselves from BioWare--which is what they really need to do.

Edited July 19, 2008 by Redfield

[Pop]

It certainly appears on its face that in many ways AP is very similar to ME, but on closer inspection the comparisons don't really add up. The combat looks a lot more dynamic, the only similarity in the dialogue system is the "cinematic" touches, the engine looks similar but is probably quite different. The only things I can think of that AP will definitely have in common with ME are the style of character progression and the unlimited ammo.

[Redfield]

It certainly appears on its face that in many ways AP is very similar to ME, but on closer inspection the comparisons don't really add up. The combat looks a lot more dynamic, the only similarity in the dialogue system is the "cinematic" touches, the engine looks similar but is probably quite different. The only things I can think of that AP will definitely have in common with ME are the style of character progression and the unlimited ammo.

 

I agree that there seems to be differences--but keep in mind that none of us have actually *seen* the game in motion. However, those who are comparing it to Mass Effect *have* seen it in action, so maybe it's not as different as we on the forums would like to believe.

[Alvin Nelson]

RPGFan E3 preview

 

Obsidian showed us first one of the passive skills players gain when they toss some of their points into the pistol skill. While the targeting reticule is normally a large circle that provides a general area of fire, when Thorton's pistol skill is high enough, a cross shaped reticule will appear inside and slowly shrink so that players can make pinpoint shots, even while under cover. Players will also have active abilities that they'll have to pause and activate. Obsidian demonstrated two of these abilities - Chain Shot for the pistol and Bullet Storm for SMGs. Chain Shot allows players to pause the game, select targets for up to three shots, then watch Thorton take down the targets with amazing accuracy. Bullet Storm, on the other hand, makes Thorton seem more like Chow Yun Fat in a John Woo film, having infinite ammo with his SMG for a short amount of time as he mows down a wealth of enemies.

 

Players will also have quite a bit of freedom when they choose their path, but the game won't feature a good/evil option system like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Rather, Thorton, as a spy, sometimes must use different tactics to survive, and sometimes those might be thought of as evil. The game doesn't track good and evil like KotOR, but players will be able to gain favor with different factions based on their actions and this will affect story and options down the line. In Obsidian's demo, Thorton comes across a weapons dealer whom he has been ordered to arrest. Players will have the ability to arrest him as ordered, extort him, or simply murder him. Instead of seeing a screen informing them they've done good or evil, however, players will simply see how the action unfolds and will deal with the consequences later. Players can expect to see some great dialogue, as well, as Chris Avalon [sic], the writer of Planescape: Torment is on board, as well.

 

yay! I did this interview!

[funcroc]

GameTrailers developer video interview

[Xard]

What's funny is that this game has been longer in development than ME

 

It certainly appears on its face that in many ways AP is very similar to ME, but on closer inspection the comparisons don't really add up. The combat looks a lot more dynamic, the only similarity in the dialogue system is the "cinematic" touches, the engine looks similar but is probably quite different. The only things I can think of that AP will definitely have in common with ME are the style of character progression and the unlimited ammo.

 

I agree that there seems to be differences--but keep in mind that none of us have actually *seen* the game in motion. However, those who are comparing it to Mass Effect *have* seen it in action, so maybe it's not as different as we on the forums would like to believe.

 

That's because both use same "mold" for combat. ME's is poor man's copy of GoW or somesuch game. Uncharted was anotehr GoW style game when it came to combat and that has heavily influenced AP

[Pidesco]

GameTrailers developer video interview

 

Is the music in that video from the game?

[Leferd]

What's funny is that this game has been longer in development than ME

 

I do not believe it.

[Xard]

Well, at least it was in development way before Mass Effect was made public

 

*does some background checks*

 

Whoops you're right, ME started in 2003. AP in 2004/2005 or so.

Edited July 20, 2008 by Xard

[funcroc]

http://boards2.sega.com/sega_board/viewtop...hlight=#2325317

 

Alpha Protocol is actually Pre-Alpha at this stage of development. That's pretty early in the development cycle to really come down on how graphics look. I strongly believe the E3 showing was more about the game and concept in action, rather than how good it looks.

[Wrath of Dagon]

I wish people would stop being so obsessed with graphics. That's what's ruining games right now.

[Pidesco]

People have always been obsessed with graphics. Even in the Spectrum days.

[Xard]

Whining about people wanting better graphics is like whining women are too hot in the summer

 

Nothing's going to change the instinctive will for good "looks"

Edited July 21, 2008 by Xard

[funcroc]

Gamervision Blog - E3 08: Eyes-On Alpha Protocol

 

It was an unfinished game, with a lackluster framerate and plenty of graphical glitches, but with nearly a year of development left they have plenty of time to work out all of the kinks. Obsidian promises a 20-hour campaign, and if the game I saw is as fun to play as it was to watch 2009 will find itself with one of the best titles of this generation.

[H]

It's very refreshing to see that the journalists actually criticize the game and don't fill the previews with painfully common this-is-gonna-rock hype-speak. I assume Sega and Obsidian are pretty confident in the quality of AP and don't want to rely on cheap marketing tactics. *cough* Bethesda *cough*

[Xard]

Obsidian promises a 20-hour campaign, and if the game I saw is as fun to play as it was to watch 2009 will find itself with one of the best titles of this generation.

 

Woah, looks like Sega's belief definetly has some basis

[Wrath of Dagon]

20 hrs sounds pretty short for an RPG, where are those DX comparisons now?

[themadhatter114]

20 hrs sounds pretty short for an RPG, where are those DX comparisons now?

 

Was Deus Ex much longer? Maybe 30 hours? I never finished it so I wouldn't know, though I've often considered finding another copy.

 

But, anyway. Take a typical RPG. Now make it a shooter so that enemies go down in just a couple hits and you don't have drawn out combats with people missing and having tons of hitpoints, etc. Take out the reading of dialogue and make everything voiced with responses put on a timer. Take out waves of enemies and grinding for XP. Make it for just a single character and make leveling up a straightforward, quick thing to do. Take away all the filler content like sidequests that have nothing to do with the main story, and replace that with some stuff like optional secondary objectives, some optional missions that play into the storyline, and conflicting objectives for different factions. Then perhaps base your play-time on a gung-ho character who kills everything in sight and doesn't take the time to sneak, hack things, or explore, and who mainly just completes primary objectives. Now say that took 20 hours. What you're left with is a gameplay experience that is at least twice as long as most shooters with most of the depth of a longer RPG condensed into more fast-paced responsive gameplay. I'm all for it.

 

And I think NWN2 was once quoted as being a 20-hour campaign, which it only is if you're not reading dialogue, skipping cut-scenes, and not being meticulous about finding everything and completing sidequests. So maybe on a second run through.

 

Unlike Bethesda, which promises 100 hours of gameplay for every game they release, despite the main quest taking 10 hours or so, the times that Obsidian gives seem to always be on the low side.