Play Alpha Protocol in San Francisco

[Tigranes]

Story structure sounds awesome, and if delivered right will have a really good impact.

 

the dialogue example was stupid, but you can't win them all, I suppose.

[Pop]

Sounds like a "professional" response. $10 says it doesn't go down well with the chick.

 

Anyway, can we get confirmation that is indeed how the narrative is set up and not just the format of the presentation? I liked Pulp Fiction but I'm not sure that would work very well as a gaming experience.

[funcroc]

GDC 10: Developer Walkthrough (Cam)

[Pop]

So it does look that way. Don't know how I feel about that. I mean sure it's "cinematic" but still... It's going to take some getting used to.

[Starwars]

OK, I thought that was a really great video. The action looked pretty intense there which is great, and it also showed that even though you invest in Stealth, you won't magically be sliding through a level. The game looks like a lot of fun judging from that clip.

 

The cutscene/dialogue segments flow very well also, the acting is great.

[Pop]

OK, I thought that was a really great video. The action looked pretty intense there which is great, and it also showed that even though you invest in Stealth, you won't magically be sliding through a level.

That's not necessarily something to celebrate. I would've liked it if stealth were more useful beyond gaining a tactical advantage in combat - I think there's a real desire on the part of some for stealth to be an alternative to combat. But the level design that we've been shown - Moscow and the Middle East- has been highly linear, as in a shooter. You move down this canyon and deal with encounters.

[WorstUsernameEver]

The level design looks a bit too linear to be honest and the combat a tad too easy... While I can play a cinematic game once or twice I hope this isn't a direction that Obsidian will follow for all their projects.

As for the stealth part in the video I got the impression that it was basically the Sega PR that screwed up the stealthy approach and not the fact that it was impossible to stealth in that mission.

[Starwars]

As for the stealth part in the video I got the impression that it was basically the Sega PR that screwed up the stealthy approach and not the fact that it was impossible to stealth in that mission.

 

This. That was what I meant. It's a good thing that we still have to pay attention when playing stealthily, that it's not basically "turn on stealth mode" and then walk through the level.

 

As far as the level itself, I agree that it's linear. I don't think most levels will be more than a few alternate paths here and there though, I definitely don't think they'll be "sprawling" so to speak.

 

As far as difficulty goes, meh. I think I've learned not to judge that kinda thing in preview videos. We have no clue on what difficulty level it is, the skill of the guy playing the game, if the demo is "tweaked" to make it easier to preview. What I do like is that there seems to be basically "oh sh*t" moments where you can get cornered by enemies. Hopefully those will be difficult situations, at least on higher difficulties.

[HoonDing]

I was planning to specialize in Martial arts, stealth & other non-combat skills like Sabotage.

 

But after seeing that video in Saudi Arabia... seems it's all about the pew-pew anyway.

[mr insomniac]

That actually looked really cool. I would've loved to see some martial arts stuff myself, but the guy doing the walkthrough didn't build his Mike that way. I'm gonna believe, as the developers have been saying all along, that there's no right or wrong way to play the game.

[Pop]

Did we get any confirmation about whether XP was doled out upon enemy neutralization, or mission completion, or both? Matt?

[Bendu]

So the missions are gonna be flashbacks?

[Raithe]

Hm, I don't really see why people are complaining that theres a sense of things being too linear.. You only go into the maps when you have a mission.. that means a specific set of objectives to accomplish.. which is always going to imply a certain sense of linear action. Even if you have a whole variety of ways to accomplish those objectives.

 

And for flashy trailers , it's always going to have the roaring cinematic gunfight approaches because they usually "look" more exciting.

 

The idea of the railway yard in Moscow has an aspect of narrow maps, due to the design of railway yards.. and the only other maps we've really seen are short clips of the Saudi armed camps..

[Niten_Ryu]

GDC 10: Developer Walkthrough (Cam)

 

Gametrailers comments are not very positive and while it's often good to ignore 'em, they are close to your average gamer. If they say game look like crap, movement is odd, animation is stiff, AI is messed up, map is claustrophopic like ME maps, combat mechanics are sub par... well, actually I have to agree with 'em. And saying that makes me want to kick myself into face.

 

I've said this before and I'll say it again. Why didn't they just copy original Spinter Cell combat and stealth mechanics, have large and open maps for multiple ways to complite 'em and focus on their strong aspect - the story and interesting characters. Now it seem like gamers are going to ignore this game, because they can't get past the graphics and gameplay mechanics. Really sucks because modern games often have it vice versa.

[ericjones]

GDC 10: Developer Walkthrough (Cam)

 

Gametrailers comments are not very positive and while it's often good to ignore 'em, they are close to your average gamer. If they say game look like crap, movement is odd, animation is stiff, AI is messed up, map is claustrophopic like ME maps, combat mechanics are sub par... well, actually I have to agree with 'em. And saying that makes me want to kick myself into face.

 

I agree completely. However, if the role playing is strong and the story interesting, it could possibly gather some pretty good reviews still. And good reviews (read metacritic rating) sell games, even if the game is lacking in the graphics department.

 

For me, the main character animations would be the main complaint regarding the newly released video. After all, we're stuck with watching Thorton's back throughout the game, and as such his animations should definitely have been of higher quality. The other animations I don't really care that much about, and, having Fallout 3 in mind, neither do other gamers. So I really, really, really hope that Obsidian have the time to give this specific problem some much-needed attention before release.

Edited March 12, 2010 by ericjones

[Purkake]

Gametrailers comments are not very positive and while it's often good to ignore 'em, they are close to your average gamer. If they say game look like crap, movement is odd, animation is stiff, AI is messed up, map is claustrophopic like ME maps, combat mechanics are sub par... well, actually I have to agree with 'em. And saying that makes me want to kick myself into face.

Not defending the game here, but saying that Gametrailers' comments are from the average gamer is like saying that youtube's comments are from the average person. That's just not true.

 

It's the "hardcore" console crowd, the "average gamer" doesn't go online to comment on random GDC gameplay videos.

 

EDIT: Some of the animations are pretty bad and getting stuck on geometry is not the best way to show off your game.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Purkake

[Enoch]

The 'flash-forward to cafe chat with antagonist' is an interesting choice. It could be a neat way to preview the long-term consequences of certain in-mission decisions, and to pull the player out of their immediate gameplay and character-building concerns and get them focused on the longer arc of the storyline. But it could also feel forced; a bit too much like a "Wonder Years"-style retrospective voiceover narration. Depends on the exectution and writing. (The rather flat obvious segue in the video-- "I'm more interested in what you did next"-- is what I'd like to see less of.)

 

The flashback potential is probably more exciting, though. Get glimpses of Thorton before his recruitment into AP or his selection for this mission, see why/how the powers that be selected him, and hopefully have a nice revelation or two that ties Mike's past into the whole global conspiracy angle to give Mike a more personal stake in the action. Parts of games that fill the player in on surprising elements in the Character's backstory often make for the best moments (e.g., Torment, Both KotORs, The Longest Journey).

[ericjones]

Not defending the game here, but saying that Gametrailers' comments are from the average gamer is like saying that youtube's comments are from the average person. That's just not true.

 

It's the "hardcore" console crowd, the "average gamer" doesn't go online to comment on random GDC gameplay videos.

 

EDIT: Some of the animations are pretty bad and getting stuck on geometry is not the best way to show off your game.

 

Whilst agreeing with your description of the Gametrailers userbase, I still think that the comments and video ratings there can be interpreted as something of a "hype meter". Of course, it is of little value if one is to follow proper methodology, but it does give you a pointer as to how the general public's expectations to the game are at this moment in time. The newest video has a rating of 7.9, which is substantially lower than the videos released earlier.

Edited March 12, 2010 by ericjones

[Purkake]

The 'flash-forward to cafe chat with antagonist' is an interesting choice. It could be a neat way to preview the long-term consequences of certain in-mission decisions, and to pull the player out of their immediate gameplay and character-building concerns and get them focused on the longer arc of the storyline. But it could also feel forced; a bit too much like a "Wonder Years"-style retrospective voiceover narration. Depends on the exectution and writing. (The rather flat obvious segue in the video-- "I'm more interested in what you did next"-- is what I'd like to see less of.)

Mafia did it.

 

 

...and it was awesome.

 

[Morgoth]

The walking/stalking animations look a bit funny, but otherwise I'm pleased with what I've seen.

[zkylon]

Two things: i wonder how will that route play without killing anyone (i hope you can beat the Liutenant in some way that's not "knocking him out") and i hope the flashforwards, flashbacks thing doesn't just mean that you spend the whole game telling what happened to that guy.

[Sannom]

The Lieutenant is probably not "killable" outright : you bring him at zero HP, and then there is cutscene where you decide of his fate, kinda like Sis. There was obviously some dialogue cut in that playthrough, probably after the Lieutenant was defeated and after we have Shaheed on the other side of our gun.

 

If we don't kill Shaheed, I wonder what Darcy would say... unless we fake killing him perhaps?

 

New preview :

 

http://www.justpushstart.com/2010/03/12/gd...col-impression/

 

Those bits make the flashback/flashforward thing weirder and weirder, and seriously makes me wonder why they never talked about it before :

 

The conversation system started up and before the enemy could be purged for information another scene started. This is one of their mechanics that they are proud of. Before huge moments where a decision must be made the game fast forwards to Michael Thorton sitting in a room being interrogated. During this interrogation the one asking the questions makes statements regarding Michael’s decision in a situation before the player has even chosen what to do. This means that during an interrogation scene Michael can be accused of killing someone and once the scene is over and the choice is back in the player’s hands they can decide not to kill the person they were just accused of killing in the fast forward sequence. Confused? It is an odd concept, but it is a fresh idea and could bring a new way of story telling to gaming.

 

Also, dialogue :

 

Remember when you were a kid and would pretend you could fly? This time you’re the plane.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Sannom

[Llyranor]

The conversation system started up and before the enemy could be purged for information another scene started. This is one of their mechanics that they are proud of. Before huge moments where a decision must be made the game fast forwards to Michael Thorton sitting in a room being interrogated. During this interrogation the one asking the questions makes statements regarding Michael

[Oblarg]

Keeps looking better and better. Can't wait!

[Oner]

These next 2,5 months will be excrutiating(ly awesome) it seems.