Accumulated Alpha Protocol Information

[Cycloneman]

So, I was kind of annoyed at the very lackluster amount of data at the new website, so I put this together. It's a collection of data from a wide number of sources, but I didn't go to the effort of sourcing them all. If you want the source for a particular statement, I can find it.

 

Alpha Protocol is a third person spy RPG with a lot of choices being presented to the player. In it, you play Michael Thorton, a superspy who is sent on a mission which goes horribly wrong; in the aftermath of it, you must escape to someone else's network of safehouses and try to find the people who burned you.

 

Your character has the following skills:

1. Shotgun

2. Assault Rifle

3. Pistol

4. Unknown Firearm

5. Hand-to-Hand

6. Gadgets

7. Hacking

8. Lockpicking

9. Electronics

10. Toughness

 

They can be leveled up ten times, and their effects are not wholly incremental; leveling up allows access to unique abilities. For example, Chain Shot is a special ability that is accessed by leveling up pistols.

 

Good news! No diplomacy skill!

 

Your experience in the social arena is also different from other games. Rather than providing an options menu that you can wait at for a year, the game forces you to choose between three choices rapidly. These three choices are linked to three buttons on the gamepad, and you can switch between them as the other character talks. Each choice corresponds to a general "stance;" a calm, professional stance, a impatient and angry stance, and a cool, suave stance. You can choose to adopt one stance for the entire conversation, leaving you to wait it out. In addition to the stance you choose having an identifiable pattern, there will also be a word or short phrase describing its effect onscreen, such as "flirt" or "bribe."

 

Another key difference in Alpha Protocol's interaction system is that you won't be confused about the results of a choice and be forced to reload. Instead, you will be given dossiers on the characters you encounter before interacting with them.

 

Many choices in the interaction system will have long-term effects. For example, if you choose to kill a Marine in one early sequence, you may later be attacked by his buddies in a later one.

 

There will be a large number of romance options which are not mutually exclusive. All, or almost all, of the women in game will be romanceable.

 

Known Mission Information:

• There will be a mission that takes place in Saudi Arabia where Michael is supposed to capture an arms dealer.

• There will be a mission that takes place in a US Embassy and involves marines and an old buddy of Michael Thorton.

• There will be a section of the game involving neo-conservatism and an out-of-control military-industrial complex. Woo!

• There will be a stealth mission taking place in a corporate office.

Edited November 6, 2008 by Cycloneman

[Humodour]

We get to kill neo-conservatives?

 

I'm totally buying this game.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

Many choices in the interaction system will have long-term effects. For example, if you choose to kill a Marine in one early sequence, you may later be attacked by his buddies in a later one.

 

I think maybe you're reading too much into the long-term consequences of the marine situation. There are a bunch of marines guarding the embassy. If you shoot at them, they'll shoot at you.

[Cycloneman]

I think maybe you're reading too much into the long-term consequences of the marine situation. There are a bunch of marines guarding the embassy. If you shoot at them, they'll shoot at you.

You are correct.

[Enoch]

Thanks. I had missed where the skill list was disclosed. I must say that I'm disappointed that only 4 of the 10 are non-combat skills.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Wait, do we at least get a preview of what Michael will say? Or just a "flirt" and the stance?

[Wrath of Dagon]

Many choices in the interaction system will have long-term effects. For example, if you choose to kill a Marine in one early sequence, you may later be attacked by his buddies in a later one.

 

I think maybe you're reading too much into the long-term consequences of the marine situation. There are a bunch of marines guarding the embassy. If you shoot at them, they'll shoot at you.

From what I understand, you have a reputation with each faction. If you kill the marine guarding the embassy, you'll be on the marines' crap list from then on.

[Cycloneman]

Thanks. I had missed where the skill list was disclosed. I must say that I'm disappointed that only 4 of the 10 are non-combat skills.

It wasn't disclosed all at once; that list is a compilation of information from multiple sources. There is a tiny (but extant) possibility that "Hacking" and "Electronics" are the same; however, they appeared simultaneously in one article, so... Also, Toughness may simply be a subskill of a larger set, like athletics.

 

Wait, do we at least get a preview of what Michael will say? Or just a "flirt" and the stance?

Just "flirt" and the stance.

[SirPetrakus]

I was under the impression there was a stealth skill too? Or am I that wrong?

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

It's possible the skill list in incomplete, since they haven't posted anything on the official AP website about skills.

[Cycloneman]

I was under the impression there was a stealth skill too? Or am I that wrong?

Well, there is the possibility that PCZUK was incorrect in naming "hacking" and "electronics" as two different skills, but it has never been explicitly stated that there was a stealth skill. I had also assumed that it was a skill until I got a list of eleven skills including it.

 

It's possible the skill list in incomplete, since they haven't posted anything on the official AP website about skills.

The number of skills was established as an even ten in the GI article, with a direct quote from Chris Parker.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

Perhaps so, but they just hit alpha, which means they are *now* content complete, rather than at the time of the interview.

 

Edit: I'm not trying to start something over it, but what little info we have on AP tends to be old and/or vague.

Edited November 6, 2008 by Cl_Flushentityhero

[Cycloneman]

Perhaps so, but they just hit alpha, which means they are *now* content complete, rather than at the time of the interview.

 

Edit: I'm not trying to start something over it, but what little info we have on AP tends to be old and/or vague.

I would agree with that; however, ten as a number of skills is unlikely to be a decision based solely on pragmatism. It's a nice round number. If the number of skills was determined by pragmatism, it'd probably be a different number. As such, it is unlikely to have been changed.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Thanks. I had missed where the skill list was disclosed. I must say that I'm disappointed that only 4 of the 10 are non-combat skills.

Wait, do we at least get a preview of what Michael will say? Or just a "flirt" and the stance?

Just "flirt" and the stance.

Well that's kinda lame... Really lame. Even more imprecise than Mass Effect's system.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Supposed to be more precise, since they'll explain what you will say or do, so you won't pull a gun when you don't expect to.

Edited November 7, 2008 by Wrath of Dagon

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

I believe there was a screenshot in which one of the dialogue options was "draw gun," so they've fortunately dealt with any ambiguity surrounding that particular option.

[Cycloneman]

Okay, I've seen multiple articles mentioning leveling up stealth, so I'm guessing either things have changed or PCZUK got it wrong, and either Hacking or Electronics is out.

 

1. Shotgun

2. Assault Rifle

3. Pistol

4. Unknown Firearm

5. Hand-to-Hand

6. Gadgets

7. Stealth

8. Lockpicking

9. Hacking/Electronics

10. Toughness

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

I'll hold off on my victory dance until we find out for sure

[mkreku]

A spy without stealth is like a soldier without a weapon.. or an actor without an audience.. or Britney without a scandal..

 

IT JUST DOESN'T COMPUTE!!