I asked if the DSS could be used in future Obsidz games, MCA said "depends on the genre"

 

I would like to say "obviously" This system is really particular, and restricts possibilities. It offers a really cinematic experience and makes computing reaction to the player easier, but it has also its limits.

Thanks for the report, Pop.

 

the script elicited several laugh-out-loud moments in the scenes we were shown.

Laugh-out-loud good, or laugh-out-loud bad?

Good.

Any new information on the game you manage to obtain with your 18 points in charisma?

Mostly just the stuff gleaned from the stuff not shown in public, which I described. But I'll try to remember...

- At the demo, one of the SEGA presenters said that the "flashforward" mechanic would be used primarily to show the consequences of actions.

- There are 12 hours or so of cinematics in the game. In a single playthrough, a player will see about 4 of them.

- The biggest inspiration for AP was Way of the Samurai 1/2, both of which are very heavy on C&C, and very short. The goal was to make a 20+ hour spy version of Way of the Samurai.

- The guys at the demo seemed to indicate that stealthing through certain missions is possible, but it is impossible to go throughout the entire game having never entered combat and neutralized enemies.

- The first question asked to the panel discussion had to do with choice and boss fights, I think. It was mentioned that there will be plural bossfights, depending on game decisions.

- After the presentation, I asked MCA what he would've done to improve the game and he said that he would've gotten the tone right with the first iteration of the story instead of the third and final one.

 

The panel quickly covered the history of C&C in games, starting with Dragon's Quest (I think) and ending with Way of the Samurai. The name of the panel came from those notorious classic RPG "choices", specifically one from a game I can't remember (never played it) where you save a princess and you are asked if you love her. Giving the answer "No" yields a "but thou must" from the Princess, and you are asked the question again, ad nauseam, until you answer in the affirmative. A more recent example of bad choice was the seduction mechanic in Bloodlines, in which there's no reason other than laffs to choose a non-seduction dialogue option (one of the guys, MCA I think, admonished attendees to buy Bloodlines)

 

During the presentation the guys showed a few C&C flowcharts that looked rather impressive. They were broken up into little nodes for choice, boxes that held possible incidental flags (whether you had done X or Y previously) and other indicators for cinematic stuff. We were shown the basic flowchart for the encounter with SIE at Moscow we've seen over and over. The flowchart had 5 possibilities I remember - entering the scene, the game checks whether you've killed one, both, or neither of two named characters. If you've killed them both, the path veers offscreen to a scenario that wasn't shown. There was also a flowchart shown for the entire game. I didn't quite grasp how to read the chart, but if I did it right then I think I saw at least 6 different endings. That's assuming what I thought were ending nodes were in fact ending nodes.

Edited March 28, 201015 yr by Pop

Here are some pictures.

 

Matt MacLean and myself (Matt has sworn not to shave until AP ships)

 

 

MCA and myself

 

 

Matt MacLean and Joseph Bulock

 

 

Beginning slide of the presentation

 

 

MCA post-presentation

 

 

Prepping for the panel. The guy standing and speaking with the guys is Dan (is that the right name? I can't remember) the programmer. He was going to speak but they cut him for time and because programming is boring. If you zoom in you can see the refreshments lined up.

 

Edited March 28, 201015 yr by Pop

Way of the Samurai sounds sweet.

I remember that. Basically a Samurai choose your own adventure. Short, low budget and badly translated but still rather fun somehow. Bringing out a 360 version I think, just not out yet in Australia.

Programming is better than your mum, Pop.

 

And I'm sure you know how good she is.

Cole-Train-Dude was at the panel?

 

Also, I wish I could have gone...

Holy beard, Batman!

Cole-Train-Dude was at the panel?

Who the what now? MCA, Matt and Joseph were at the panel, as well as the Cinematics Lead, whose name escapes me presently. At the private demo, Joseph Bulock was not in attendance but Matt and MCA were, along with... Dan? Still can't remember his name (is he Framerate? I am mystified). I generally suck at names, but I know MCA (obvs) and Matt's the guy with the beard. Joseph's the one with the hat.

Also I should say that the SEGA guys were great people and very accommodating, and thanks to Matt Rorie for making it happen and letting the guys know I'd be there, it was really fulfilling to meet these artists and engineers I have had such great respect for, and seeing some things no other fan has seen! Everybody was great, the devs were really down to earth and obviously really passionate about what they were making. I kind of had to apologize on the behalf of the forums for some of our antics, but God bless them, they do pay attention, and they don't take it personally. I was really just in Boston to see some friends but the Obsidz stuff really made the trip, and I'll remember it.

Matt MacLean and myself (Matt has sworn not to shave until AP ships)

 

Wow, it's even longer than in the "Swag of the Gods" pictures on the AP blog

That's a... long beard.

Oh! Couple of other things from the demo thing.

 

MCA said that Obsidz is working on "two and a half" projects currently, and AP is not one of them. With Wheel of Time and New Vegas, that leaves an empty spot. AP2?

 

Also there was a journalist at our iteration of the demo and at one point he referred to AP as "Mass Effect". Everybody in the room groaned and MCA mockingly ran towards the door with his head in his hands. Fun times.

Edited March 29, 201015 yr by Pop

(one of the guys, MCA I think, admonished attendees to buy Bloodlines)

That was kinda rude.

Uh.. no?

 

Thanks pop for the details, sounds pretty awesome. Pity you couldn't play it yourself, though.

 

How was the framerate / loading times, and how were the sounds you could hear it 'live'?

Uh.. no?

Uh..dolphin?

Oh! Couple of other things from the demo thing.

 

MCA said that Obsidz is working on "two and a half" projects currently, and AP is not one of them. With Wheel of Time and New Vegas, that leaves an empty spot. AP2?

 

Uhm I don't think it's AP2, the pre-orders don't really seem to justify working on a sequel before the first comes out. I hope it's actually a totally new IP.

On the contrary, pre-production on sequels usually takes place shortly before the release of a game, so it can go into full production should the preceding game do well.

On the contrary, pre-production on sequels usually takes place shortly before the release of a game, so it can go into full production should the preceding game do well.

 

TBH pre-production wasn't exactly what I was thinking when I heard Obsidian's working on a new unannounced project, not to mention that they're hiring and the website quite clearly mentions a 'top secret project'.

Anyway, I'd be happy with Alpha Protocol 2 too (Beta Protocol?) as long as they can manage to expand the social/stealth gameplay and keep the same reactivity (assuming what has been promised untill now is true for AP1 ofc).

I doubt the secret project, on which Feargus is admittedly working, is a sequel to Alpha Protocol, it had been in the work for too long

Not to mention that is uses their own engine, not Unreal engine.

They should totally have Matt Maclean and his beard doing a thumbs-up as the cover art.