AP Reflections

[SolidMike]

Here are some reflections after my two playthroughs of Alpha Protocol (once as a stealthy character with recruit background and once as a veteran shoot-everything-that-moves type of guy. Both plays on Hardmode)

 

(If these issues and ideas have been mentioned a hundred times before, consider them added to the pile.)

 

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Wishlist for patch:

 

Chainshot:

1. Fix the color of the targeting dot when using chainshot (it's orange, and the screen turns orange when using chain shot which makes it harder to see where you're aiming)

 

2. Further problems with chainshot: The more points you have in chainshot, the more bullets you get to stack, problem is if you only wish to headshot a single target, one bullet is enough, but then you have to either wait for like 40 seconds before the timer runs out, or waste 6 bullets for 1 target. This is especially grueling when trying to stealth kill and avoid detection, and be forced to waste 6 tranquilizer shots.

 

Intercept Surkov at the embassy mission:

 

This mission seems to never work out satisfactory no matter what approach you take. If you take Albatross as your handler and sneak in, you still get an email from Albatross after the mission where he asks

[edgarcuk]

Yes, that Sarkov mission must be bugged, I've done it 3 times without killing any marine, and still I've got the Albatross and Leland reminders of killing guards.l

[Hassat Hunter]

He also mentions killing VCI and embassy guards, even if you only use tranquilizers and non-lethal traps.

Thank you for confirming that indeed these mails are switched about.

 

Gung-ho people like me get mails about lack of kills after all, we were wondering (in another thread) if it was vice-versa or it would always give the no-kills mails...

[Flouride]

Yes, that Sarkov mission must be bugged, I've done it 3 times without killing any marine, and still I've got the Albatross and Leland reminders of killing guards.l

 

Try talking your way in and you shouldn't be getting that.

[edgarcuk]

Yes, that Sarkov mission must be bugged, I've done it 3 times without killing any marine, and still I've got the Albatross and Leland reminders of killing guards.l

 

Try talking your way in and you shouldn't be getting that.

 

Thank you for the tip, I'll try it

[thufirhawat333]

Skill-mapping is an excellent thing to mention, on the PC it was breaking the immerson whenever I stopped to switch.

 

Also, the Surkov-embassy mission seems to have a bug (I guess in the end there would have been an assault vehicle attack, but it seems to be cut. At least against the VCI the report mentions defeating a Stryker assault vehicle which was only present as an environmental detail). Enemies are respawning, that's great, but this way you have no chance to kill all enemies (against G22 for example, to impress SIE). If there's a counter for the enemies there (and the mission ends after, let's say, killing 20), then the respawner device could be triggered to stop after spawning the 20 of them. Or something like this.

[fkldnhlsdngsfnhlsndlg]

I suggest not nerfing assault rifles at range, since that is entirely their purpose in the game. Sure, they work up close too, but short of adding sniper rifles as a weapon you can take with you, there's not much of a solution.

Edited June 13, 2010 by sea

[SolidMike]

I suggest not nerfing assault rifles at range, since that is entirely their purpose in the game. Sure, they work up close too, but short of adding sniper rifles as a weapon you can take with you, there's not much of a solution.

 

It's more of a work-around if the AI cannot be fixed easily, since most AI bugs seem to happen at long range and when you are crouched in hiding.

 

If the game can still be challenging when using an assault rifle, then ofc it should be kept the way it is. It's fun to use, but really makes a mockery of alot of fights that stealth characters have to struggle hardcore with... just some balancing issues there;)

[unskilled-]

Give us the option to go 1 shot, triple shot or full auto on our assault rifles.

 

Subsonic rounds are expensive, if I only have to use one then I only want to use one, not 3 all the time!

[MarteenDee]

Give us the option to go 1 shot, triple shot or full auto on our assault rifles.

 

Subsonic rounds are expensive, if I only have to use one then I only want to use one, not 3 all the time!

 

Totally agree.

 

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On the side note - OP's post was one of the most constructive critics I've seen lately. Nice reading. I hope we get some nice patch soon fixing all the minor (but not unimportant) flaws we encounter.

[felix88]

But that will make SMG obsolete.

[MarteenDee]

But that will make SMG obsolete.

 

Not really if those would be "fast fire rate - cheap ammo" option. Depends on balancing stuff, really.

[FeeZ]

You know, I just wished the shooting mechanic felt like I was shooting and not dice rolling. It's the only real beef I have with the game and obviously it's the most visible.

 

I also wish there were more mission setups for stealth, the one stealth mission that I really enjoyed was the CIA listening post. Presumably the NSA would be similiar if you somehow don't bluff your way with the slightly unhinged store clerk.

 

One other issue:

Make it possible to switch targets... Like, do I want to stab that Russian Mafia or do I want to cheese and auto-hack his computer while under cover of Stealth Operative?

[SolidMike]

Another issue I forgot to mention:

 

The Sniper Rifle feels like trying to hold on to a slippery herring. Not even adjusting the sensitivity on the mouse fixes it. I understand that they're trying to make it more difficult to aim with the sniper rifle, but seriously... what's making the rifle so unsteady? Did Mike forget to go to the bathroom prior to the mission?

 

 

And as for the shooter mechanics in general, I think the RPG blend should work like this:

 

No points in the gun you're trying to use = you have no formal training with it and will miss alot and mess up in general.

 

Points in the gun = you're trained and handle the gun from a level of beginner to master. At a high level this means near perfect accuracy (what you could expect from a normal FPS game)

 

 

This is perfectly acceptable to me, and actually quite realistic. More training should mean better aim and damage etc.

[thufirhawat333]

Well, the RPG blend works like this.

If you get up your assault rifle or pistol for example, at master level you have near perfect aim - 1,5 seconds to carefully aim (which is shorter than you'd expect irl), then you can start raining death on your enemies.

If you're untrained with it, it's much harder to get the precise aim, and you can't aim precisely the same range, etc.

 

As for the Sniper, I agree completely.

Anyways, what I wished to add: the inventory slots themselves are bugged sometimes. Messing around with items (usually occurs when you change 2-3 upgrades/gadgets on the same slot) sometimes causes the game to not acknowledge the change. The first item you put in the slot remains there, but you can't get it out (not with changing it to something else, neither with unequipping) without quitting and entering the inventory again.

[Hassat Hunter]

I suppose the general uselessness of shotguns and SMG's can be countered some by:

 

* Cheaper SMG ammo.

* 4 Skill points for both of them, keeping 5 for pistol (with fixed chainshot) but 6 for assault rifles.

* Increasing the noise generated by assault rifles, so I can't just use it as semi-sniper and people still have no idea where I am.

[Kamikaze_Watermelon]

Shotguns were pretty useful for me, but damn the SMGs were terrible. Maybe I'm not using them right, but even with maxed out skill and a fully modded gun, it took quite a few bullets to take down one enemy, more so for armored guys. None of the other guns (pistol included) took this many shots.

 

Also, I'm going to go on a limb here and guess that the embassy email is based on how many MARINES survive. I say this because I conserved as many marines as possible (excluding those 2 that always die in the explosion) while pumping as many bullets into the enemies as possible and got a minimum casualties email from Albatross.

[Hassat Hunter]

Nah. It's just a bug.

 

I can frantically murder the entire embassy (marines and VCI alike) and Albatross can still wonder how I could be so friendly to VCI while murdering his bodyguard in cold blood :D.

[Sannom]

Shotguns were pretty useful for me, but damn the SMGs were terrible. Maybe I'm not using them right, but even with maxed out skill and a fully modded gun, it took quite a few bullets to take down one enemy, more so for armored guys. None of the other guns (pistol included) took this many shots.

 

Never played with SMGs, but just look to the damage they do, they're the lowest of all the weapons! I suppose you better take advantage of that critical streak they have...

[player1]

In my "soldier" playthrough I almost exclusively used SMGs (even killed most of bosses with it). Leveled both AR and SMG to the max, but after a while I pretty much used SMG all the time, exempt if enemy is really far away.

 

What SMG does bad is hitting enemies in cover (1/2 of rounds are then misses, due to spread nature of bullets), so you need to play a bit aggressive. Not to hide, but assault enemies as often as possible, and to have single clip last as long as it can (by prolonging it with bullet storm). Also good level of toughness is needed, due to aggressive style needed when using SMG. And most important: Controlled bursts to reduce recoil!

 

I played before with AR and shotgun combo, and I would take AR/SMG every time instead. It felt so much more effective.

Edited June 14, 2010 by player1

[SolidMike]

I suppose the general uselessness of shotguns and SMG's can be countered some by:

 

* Cheaper SMG ammo.

* 4 Skill points for both of them, keeping 5 for pistol (with fixed chainshot) but 6 for assault rifles.

* Increasing the noise generated by assault rifles, so I can't just use it as semi-sniper and people still have no idea where I am.

 

I had loads of fun with shotguns on my veteran playthrough. I used room sweep or normal critical hits to knock down enemies in heaps, then storm up to them and use E to stomp them in their faces :D It was sooo his style.

[Alpha]

Happened to me too but with SMG...I though were useless and now i am having a blast with them.

[unskilled-]

Tweak how the specializations work. IMO it should work around lowering the cost of skill points for your given class (ie, assault rifles cost 4 instead of 5 points).

[Shinaju]

They should be fixing problems B4 adding or tweaking. Fix the gear upgrade menu, fix the clearing house, fix mouse lag, fix chain shot colour and make it possible to fire 1 shot only.