New IGN walkthrough video

[Jaesun]

I liked this footage so far. Looks good, and I like the VO so far.

 

The one thing that bothered me was the Giant HERE I AM!!!11! blue triangles above the enemies. I really really hope there is an option to turn that off.

 

Still not sure what I think of the new dialogue stance thing... hmm.

 

Still looking forward to this in October.

[DarkXaero]

What are the chances of seeing improvements on the lip synching and the facial expressions? I expect the tearing and the frame rate to be fixed by the game's release but I wonder if the lip synching and the facial expressions will be improved.

[ninjitsubob]

I hope that they do actual character appearance customization in the next ign thing...instead of just game customization.

[drsquid]

hmmm just registered on the forums specifically to say that while I like a lot of what AP is doing, the dialogue feature and faction interaction looks esp good I notice 2 silly things in the video that really really bugged me

 

firstly as pointed out in a early topic (and something that is a problem in so many games) is the main character carrying his assauly rifle on his back, then talking to a guard to let him in ...WTF....ok even it is possible that he hides it then comes back to get it, it just breaks the 'realism' for me....if he is going to assault the entrance he should be geared up and knock the guard out, shoot him or something and burst in...if he is going to sweet talk his way in and then use force he should be 'unarmed' - since in reality I would thing the guards would either search him or have metal detectors in the entrance, then he would have to acquire weapons either by disarming a guard with hand to hand skills or find a weapons locker and get the gun out.

 

Another thing that really breaks the suspension of disbelief is the fact that he is running around in a short sleeved shirt in the Moscow winter....it just looks sooo stupid. He should either automatically be wearing the appropriate clothing for the weather, or another layer of complexity should be added (though this is probably too late in the dev cycle) where the environment can affect him depending on his clothing, so there could be a sequeance a la Die Hard where he does not have the right clothes or shoes and has to escape, by battling the environment and an enemy faction...

 

oh and yes the Voice Acting is quite bad...I hope those were just placeholder voices !

[Promethean]

hmmm just registered on the forums specifically to say that while I like a lot of what AP is doing, the dialogue feature and faction interaction looks esp good I notice 2 silly things in the video that really really bugged me

 

firstly as pointed out in a early topic (and something that is a problem in so many games) is the main character carrying his assauly rifle on his back, then talking to a guard to let him in ...WTF....ok even it is possible that he hides it then comes back to get it, it just breaks the 'realism' for me....if he is going to assault the entrance he should be geared up and knock the guard out, shoot him or something and burst in...if he is going to sweet talk his way in and then use force he should be 'unarmed' - since in reality I would thing the guards would either search him or have metal detectors in the entrance, then he would have to acquire weapons either by disarming a guard with hand to hand skills or find a weapons locker and get the gun out.

 

Another thing that really breaks the suspension of disbelief is the fact that he is running around in a short sleeved shirt in the Moscow winter....it just looks sooo stupid. He should either automatically be wearing the appropriate clothing for the weather, or another layer of complexity should be added (though this is probably too late in the dev cycle) where the environment can affect him depending on his clothing, so there could be a sequeance a la Die Hard where he does not have the right clothes or shoes and has to escape, by battling the environment and an enemy faction...

 

oh and yes the Voice Acting is quite bad...I hope those were just placeholder voices !

 

Good points. At least if he has, say, a coat he could conceal a pistol but I think walking up to a guard with an assault rifle is asking for immediate attack.

 

And I agree with your clothing statement. If you walk around in below freezing weather in summer clothes, it should have a detrimental effect

[Enoch]

I don't think that bundling up to avoid getting the sniffles is a particularly useful or fun concept to put in a videogame. (Should we also be penalized if we forget to put our sunscreen on before going outside in the Saudi hub?)

 

But clothing selection should absolutely affect other peoples' reactions to your character, even if it's just to make a crack about what the heck Panama Jack is doing in Moscow. I really like the fact that the clothing options in the inventory include Messy Attire, Casual Attire, and Formalwear. You might be able to gate-crash a black tie gala if you've got a tux on, but if you show up in short sleeves (or in kevlar!), that option has got to be off the table.

 

And I echo the comments above about weapon visibility. Realistically, any mission that starts with your character talking his way into an area should probably eliminate any weapon option other than pistol/melee. (Gameplay and skill-balance issues might trump this, sure, but ideally there should be ways to smuggle larger weapons in if you really want to.)

 

 

Edit: Just wanted to add that I enjoyed the video a lot. Nice job on the narration, Matthew. What I could hear of the music seemed good, too.

Edited April 27, 2009 by Enoch

[Matthew Rorie]

What are the chances of seeing improvements on the lip synching and the facial expressions? I expect the tearing and the frame rate to be fixed by the game's release but I wonder if the lip synching and the facial expressions will be improved.

 

There's an excellent chance of that. The builds we play already look a lot better; there's a bit of lag time between when these are recorded versus when the footage is released.

[Wrath of Dagon]

I don't get the new obsession of displaying all the weapons the PC carries. Are they also going to show him carrying all his other equipment in a satchell?

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

I don't get the new obsession of displaying all the weapons the PC carries. Are they also going to show him carrying all his other equipment in a satchell?

 

The "obsession" is not with the visual, but instead with the practical. If you're wondering what we mean, try entering pretty much any embassy with a rifle or shotgun in civilian clothes.

 

Funny-looking gadgets can be ambiguous in their purpose, most firearms are not.

[Wrath of Dagon]

That's my point, if they didn't display carried weapons, this issue wouldn't arise. Anyway, there's a bigger issue, if he wears a commando outfit in the middle of the street, that doesn't make sense either.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

That's my point, if they didn't display carried weapons, this issue wouldn't arise.

 

IMO, concealment is an issue that *should* come into play in a game that's about a spy who talks his way past armed guards. Just throwing that out there.

 

If two-handed weapons just materialized out of nowhere when you equip them, people would instead be complaining about that.

 

Anyway, there's a bigger issue, if he wears a commando outfit in the middle of the street, that doesn't make sense either.

 

I didn't see anybody walking down the street dressed like a commando in that video.

Edited April 27, 2009 by Cl_Flushentityhero

[Wrath of Dagon]

What if you choose to put on your commando outfit and just walk around in it? Is everybody supposed to react appropriately? Seems like a lot of extra work.

[DarkXaero]

What are the chances of seeing improvements on the lip synching and the facial expressions? I expect the tearing and the frame rate to be fixed by the game's release but I wonder if the lip synching and the facial expressions will be improved.

 

There's an excellent chance of that. The builds we play already look a lot better; there's a bit of lag time between when these are recorded versus when the footage is released.

Good to hear, thanks.

[Promethean]

I don't think that bundling up to avoid getting the sniffles is a particularly useful or fun concept to put in a videogame. (Should we also be penalized if we forget to put our sunscreen on before going outside in the Saudi hub?)

 

But clothing selection should absolutely affect other peoples' reactions to your character, even if it's just to make a crack about what the heck Panama Jack is doing in Moscow. I really like the fact that the clothing options in the inventory include Messy Attire, Casual Attire, and Formalwear. You might be able to gate-crash a black tie gala if you've got a tux on, but if you show up in short sleeves (or in kevlar!), that option has got to be off the table.

 

And I echo the comments above about weapon visibility. Realistically, any mission that starts with your character talking his way into an area should probably eliminate any weapon option other than pistol/melee. (Gameplay and skill-balance issues might trump this, sure, but ideally there should be ways to smuggle larger weapons in if you really want to.)

 

 

Edit: Just wanted to add that I enjoyed the video a lot. Nice job on the narration, Matthew. What I could hear of the music seemed good, too.

 

I think it would add a new dimension to some of the missions and to buying clothes. Like if you want an extra challenge. And it did look ridiculous that he was wearing a light shirt in weather that demands insulation.

[funcroc]

New interview on gry.o2.pl

[Enoch]

New interview on gry.o2.pl

Neat. I don't recall having seen this tidbit anywhere else before:

 

Ryan Rucinski (Obsidian): We did have our theme created by a pretty famous composer which the publisher will reveal in the near future. From that theme song we take the stems and work it into new songs that are a variant but very similar to what a Bond movie would do.

 

We also used an orchestra to create our theme and then manipulated it to fit with what we were looking for.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

I'm guessing they decided to show me up after I said Harry Gregson-Williams was too big-time for Obsidian. Speaking of guesses . . .

 

Saudi Arabia is brighter yellows, Moscow levels are bluer and colder feeling, Rome is a greener tinge. Basically, we took visual elements from movies like Syriana, 21 Grams, the Bourne movies, Ronin, and a few others.

 

I totally called it. Let the riots commence.

[Pop]

New interview on gry.o2.pl

hmmm

Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): What types of weapons are going to be available in Alpha Protocol?

 

Matthew Rorie (Obsidian): We have four main weapons in the game, two of which Mike Thorton can carry into any given mission. The pistol is a stealthy choice; accurate but limited in range and power. Dual-wielding SMGs will make you feel like a man, and you can mow down groups of enemies with them, but you'd better make sure you do it from up close since they are fairly inaccurate. The shotgun will let you blast through tough enemies fairly easily, and the assault rifle is the weapon best suited for dealing with distant enemies. There are also some special weapons that you will pick up at various points throughout the game, as well

Mystery solved!

[Promethean]

Are they going to at least have a gun strap for the large guns?

[Pop]

Well yeah you can obviously carry around bigger guns, you just can't get away with toting them around everywhere and being inconspicuous.

[crakkie]

Well yeah you can obviously carry around bigger guns, you just can't get away with toting them around everywhere and being inconspicuous.

Unless they vanish when you begin a conversation

Edited April 28, 2009 by crakkie

[samm]

[rant]Wow, looks very yesteryear, esp. the bland low polygon surroundings using like one texture and the movement. And yes, the pink sunglasses... They don't look trashy, or funny, or anything except out of place. All that in combination with time pressure in dialogues shows that this game aims in other directions than I normally prefer [/rant]

 

Good to hear that it's continuously improved though

Edited April 28, 2009 by samm

[HanSh0t1st]

First thing I have to say is that it's looking great so far. One of my major worries having watched previous videos was combat - the questionable AI and the general mechanics of it - but this has provided some reassurance.

 

Like a few people here, I'm definitely most interested by the dialogue and the faction gameplay so I'd definitely like to see more dialogue in future videos (though I'm not sure how they could elaborate on the factions idea without spoiling story details.)

 

I wasn't particularly bothered by the disappearance of the shotgun when MT entered dialogue, either, or by the pink sunglasses (which I hope MT can equip when trying to infiltrate the embassy, or some sort of gay disco.) My one minor gripe, though, was that the dialogue "wheel" no longer corresponds to the four xbox buttons (as seen in previous videos.) True, it's not really that big a deal but there's not much more for me to complain about yet

 

One thing I am wondering about, though, is the "hub system." My original assumption was that it worked sort of like planets in Kotor II, but it wouldn't appear to. So, I'm guessing that it works more like Super Mario 2: 6 Golden Coins except with added layers of complexity. I'd like to know, though, how "open-world" AP is. Ie, Are the missions self-contained and with clear objectives or can you explore the area, doing reconnassaince and interacting? I'm assuming that you can't just walk out of the safehouse and explore the whole city but within each mission is there a certain freedom to walk around the area and interact as you would on the planet's in Kotor II?

[Enoch]

My one minor gripe, though, was that the dialogue "wheel" no longer corresponds to the four xbox buttons (as seen in previous videos.) True, it's not really that big a deal but there's not much more for me to complain about yet

I'm guessing that this has to do with previous videos being made from the Xbox version, while this video was made from either the PS3 or PC version.

[HanSh0t1st]

I'm guessing that this has to do with previous videos being made from the Xbox version, while this video was made from either the PS3 or PC version.

 

That seems probable. Though I'm fairly certain we've seen an older video which showed PS3 buttons in their place rather than generic white dots.

Edited May 1, 2009 by HanSh0t1st