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[MegaKungFuRadio]

Got it earlier today and playing it now. Not that far in ,but combat is very doable. Its in between ME 1 and 2.

Really hate the minigames though.

The shooting itself worse than ME1. The accuracy never improves to the point where you can be confident in the shooting without either using an active ability or holding the reticule over an enemy for a few seconds. The activated and passive abilities that come along with leveling up your weapons will keep things going smoothly, but it is pretty hard to play this game as a straight shooter even to the degree you could in ME1.

EDIT: The controls themselves feel a bit better than ME1, but the fact that you will never really be able to aim is hard to get used to.

 

[HK-47]

Are you talking about the stance system or the level of reactivity?

I ask because I am not sure what good could come of using the stance system for characters of more depth.

Reactivity derp

 

[Ventrue]

I think the Moscow Embassy mission is kind of bullshit and people are starting to notice it.

Spoiler

No matter what you do, it seems like you're always going to get blamed for MARINE DEATH. So even if you're playing a no kill run, Leland will hold that against you as do maybe others and it makes you feel "wtf I didn't kill anyone!?!".

If you talk to SIE, G22 attacks and blows up the place and kills marines.
If you talk to G22, SIE attacks and blows up the place and kills marines.

It's basically an unchangeable plot point that the embassy gets attacked and you get some blame for MARINE DEATH, boooo.

I think it's a bug; sneaking by them doesn't count. You have to have the conversation at the front door.

 

[Basileus777]

Well dont worry. Unlike AP, Bethesda projects get tons of mod support. NV will be no different methinks.

The sole benefit of running the game on Bethesda's busted engine.

 

[Cep]

The sole benefit of running the game on Bethesda's busted engine.

That and the resultant lulz generated upon watching the animations.

Why are these so bad anyway? It cannot all be the fault of the animators. I am guessing there are issues with resource distribution.

 

[Danj]

Also does anyone else get the annoying movement when you turn or whatever and the character keeps walking by himself a few steps???

Yes! I've gotten this a few times when I've been trying to creep up on bad guys to shoot them in the back of the head or whatever. Other than that I can't say I've noticed any problems with the game, though I too found the hacking minigame a little difficult at first. duckroll suggests unfocusing your eyes a bit so you can spot the areas where the numbers are not moving. The method that works for me is to find a pattern in the passwords and look for it, e.g. if there are two of the same number or letter next to each other, that's a bit easier to spot.

 

[BudokaiMR2]

Budo, the whole point of the pistol having range is so you can't cheat like MGS or SC where you shoot all the guys halfway across the map with a tranq pistol and then waltz right in with no challenge. AP wants you to actually play stealthy and get close up while avoiding enemies. The pistol is meant for taking out nearby guys when rushing them and knocking them out is too dangerous.

And like it's already been said, once you pump points into pistol it basically breaks the game because it's the most overpowered weapon by far.

I am sorry but I wouldn't call that cheating. And if anything breaks the game it is master shadow operative because I can press one button and then RUN around the room taking out every guy with a throat slice without a single person realizing something is wrong.

This is not the game to use challenge as an excuse as the vision on the guards is some of the most laughable I have seen(even compared to MGS1 pacman vision) especially if you actually put points in stealth. It makes it boring IMO. I don't even like using my stealth skills now because it feels so cheesy

 

[Cep]

Reactivity derp

Well that is hardly a 'system'...

/Pedant

 

[Nickiepoo]

Yeah, they could have replaced shadow op with something more interesting, it's simply too powerful and, frankly, kind of silly.

 

[Sloane]

You think it is narrow-minded to expect that a game should be polished? Because that's pretty much all I'm saying.

I thought you were also saying (with the passage I quoted) that Sega was marketing a different game than what Alpha Protocol actually is. I agree that the game should be more polished, of course, but to me polish doesn't necessarily include using systems similar to other games or explaining every little detail to the player.

 

[Gillian Seed]

I have been pleasantly suprised with this game. It is fun, has a great story, and a lot of depth.

 

[lsslave]

Beat the game, it was absolutely fantastic.

Haters can keep on hating because I am definitely going to replay this title a few times.

 

[Plasma]

I think it's a bug; sneaking by them doesn't count. You have to have the conversation at the front door.

To the right of the building you can climb up a ladder to the roof and sneak in through there.

 

[Aedile]

On the off chance there are people interested in RPGs like this who didn't play it to death years ago, I'd like to recommend Vampire: the Masquerade Bloodlines for a follow-up game to anyone who liked AP. Been replaying it myself these past few days, and it really hits the spot--it even has most of the same flaws that AP does! :lol

 

[Zinga]

Started playing it, the combat system really isn't too bad, I would rate it as good as ME1, and the storyline itself is pretty damn good.

Pleasantly surprised, anyone who likes an RPG should get this one.

 

[Lafiel]

On the off chance there are people interested in RPGs like this who didn't play it to death years ago, I'd like to recommend Vampire: the Masquerade Bloodlines for a follow-up game to anyone who liked AP. Been replaying it myself these past few days, and it really hits the spot--it even has most of the same flaws that AP does! :lol

I'm planning on Finally playing that game when i finish my replay of planescape torment.

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

To the right of the building you can climb up a ladder to the roof and sneak in through there.

I did that and didnt attack or get seen by any guards and still got punished for it.

If you have teh conversation at the door, you dont get punished at all in the debriefing.

 

[Ricker]

Where the hell are the achievements for this game :lol ,no free points for finishing the tutorial? what the hell i`m down to the last mission in Saudi Arabia and after running for the helicopter like a scared little girl in the mission before it,I figured I would get something but nope...what`s up with having to work for achievements


And about the hacking the computer numbers,I still hate it but one of my mistakes early on was looking for the numbers only on the side of LT or RT ;P

 

[Y2Kev]

WTF at the chapter summaries. I just

Spoiler

f'd Scarlet and the summary said I turned myself in to Alpha Protocol? I haven't actually done that yet.

 

[Y2Kev]

Fuck this piece of shit game.

Final score: 1/10

 

[Schopenhauer]

I beat AP last night. AP was an underwhelming game that left me with the distinct impression that I only played half a game.

Obsidian's method of storytelling felt like a cop out. By the end of the first operation you know everything there is to know about the plot and the rest of the game felt like busy work to whittle away the time until the game allowed you to tackle the final operation.

 

[Bebpo]

Fuck this piece of shit game.

Final score: 1/10

hahaha, what happened in the endgame for you?

 

[duckroll]

hahaha, what happened in the endgame for you?

He had to fight a helicopter with a pistol and a shotgun.

 

[subversus]

By the end of the first operation you know everything there is to know about the plot and the rest of the game felt like busy work to whittle away the time until the game allowed you to tackle the final operation.

huh?

 

[Bebpo]

He had to fight a helicopter with a pistol and a shotgun.

Errrr...if you run out of rockets aren't you supposed to just load last checkpoint?

 

[Coop]

the rockets respawn after 10 seconds or so

 

[Schopenhauer]

huh?

Spoiler

By the end of the Saudi operation you knew that Halbeck was behind the missile attack and that the company has a large degree of influence over the Alpha Protocol team. The subsequent operations in Rome, Moscow and Taipei didn't really add anything meaningful to that knowledge.

The fact that you were going to end up in the interrogation room back at Alpha Protocol was inevitable regardless of the choices you made during those operations. Made the whole thing seem kind of pointless and left me wondering why you had to wait to do the final op when anytime would have worked story-wise.

 

[Basileus777]

Spoiler

By the end of the Saudi operation you knew that Halbeck was behind the missile attack and that the company has a large degree of influence over the Alpha Protocol team. The subsequent operations in Rome, Moscow and Taipei didn't really add anything meaningful to that knowledge.

The fact that you were going to end up in the interrogation room back at Alpha Protocol was inevitable regardless of the choices you made during those operations. Made the whole thing seem kind of pointless and left me wondering why you had to wait to do the final op when anytime would have worked story-wise.

Spoiler

The fact that your actions in those hubs don't really deter Halbech all that much makes this issue a bit worse. You don't really accomplish much between Saudi and the final mission other than recruit some allies, though I hear that's an awesome structure for a game. On my playthrough where I pissed everyone off I was left feeling like there was no reason my character shouldn't have turned himself in right after Saudi Arabia.

 

[Cep]

Spoiler

The fact that your actions in those hubs don't really deter Halbech all that much makes this issue a bit worse. You don't really accomplish much between Saudi and the final mission other than recruit some allies, though I hear that's an awesome structure for a game. On my playthrough where I pissed everyone off I was left feeling like there was no reason my character shouldn't have turned himself in right after Saudi Arabia.

Spoiler

Proof was needed, as well as a better understanding of the situation so you would know how to proceed.

Not to mention that Mina essentially cut you off from everyone else and so you were sort of blind and only had her word as to your best course of action.

Perhaps not the best, but there have been much worse structures in past WRPGs.

 

[Schopenhauer]

Spoiler

Proof was needed, as well as a better understanding of the situation so you would know how to proceed.

Not to mention that Mina essentially cut you off from everyone else and so you were sort of blind and only had her word as to your best course of action.

Perhaps not the best, but there have been much worse structures in past WRPGs.

Spoiler

But didn't the only actual proof of Halbeck's involvement come from files that Thorton retrieved from the Alpha Protocol mainframe during the final op? Well I guess there was the footage from the Saudi op as well.

None of those other op resulted in any concrete proof from what I can remember. That was all just I gotz to save the world for action, thrills or duty dude stuff.

 

[Metroidvania]

Spoiler

Not to mention that Mina essentially cut you off from everyone else and so you were sort of blind and only had her word as to your best course of action.

Come to think of it, is this ever addressed directly in any conversation besides that one with Leland? In my endgame, I

Spoiler

rescued Mina, but no comment was ever made about how she was the fake NSA agent who burned me.

The funny thing is, I found the secret part of her dossier which stated this all the way back in the CIA office in Rome, or something. Yet Michael never brings it up to her, at least, he didn't in my game.

 

[Bebpo]

Spoiler

By the end of the Saudi operation you knew that Halbeck was behind the missile attack and that the company has a large degree of influence over the Alpha Protocol team. The subsequent operations in Rome, Moscow and Taipei didn't really add anything meaningful to that knowledge.

The fact that you were going to end up in the interrogation room back at Alpha Protocol was inevitable regardless of the choices you made during those operations. Made the whole thing seem kind of pointless and left me wondering why you had to wait to do the final op when anytime would have worked story-wise.

Spoiler

The game was about getting proof & building up allies both political and lethal to help you take them down.

 

[Cep]

Come to think of it, is this ever addressed directly in any conversation besides that one with Leland? In my endgame, I

Spoiler

rescued Mina, but no comment was ever made about how she was the fake NSA agent who burned me.

The funny thing is, I found the secret part of her dossier which stated this all the way back in the CIA office in Rome, or something. Yet Michael never brings it up to her, at least, he didn't in my game.

Spoiler

The fact that this was availably so early on was definitely a problem, but depending on how you approached the game, either one Parker or Mina herself will tell you that she manipulated you.

As for the NSA, the dossier only speculates, but I get the impression that Mina may have been working for a governmental faction that opposed those that initiated all the black ops programs.

Spoiler

But didn't the only actual proof of Halbeck's involvement come from files that Thorton retrieved from the Alpha Protocol mainframe during the final op? Well I guess there was the footage from the Saudi op as well.

None of those other op resulted in any concrete proof from what I can remember. That was all just I gotz to save the world for action, thrills or duty dude stuff.

Spoiler

Part of the problem is that Mike was left rudderless and had no idea of the situation.

Mina gave him a purpose with the investigations, it is not until after everything is said and done does he have a clear enough picture of the conflicts at work to know how to act, who to blame, etc.

 

[Basileus777]

Come to think of it, is this ever addressed directly in any conversation besides that one with Leland? In my endgame, I

Spoiler

rescued Mina, but no comment was ever made about how she was the fake NSA agent who burned me.

Spoiler

Parker mentions it if you talk to him. And Mina will talk about it before the final mission if she hates you or IIRC if you confront her about it when she is captured.

 

[Cep]

Spoiler

Parker mentions it if you talk to him. And Mina will talk about it before the final mission if she hates you or IIRC if you confront her about it when she is captured.

Or she will tell you

Spoiler

when she visits the house if you have high enough rep with her.

But it is possible to completely miss this if you have low rep, go for the PDA data, and let her die.

 

[Basileus777]

Or she will tell you

Spoiler

when she visits the house if you have high enough rep with her.

But it is possible to completely miss this if you have low rep, go for the PDA data, and let her die.

Spoiler

The scene before you leave on the final mission is probably dependent on picking the right responses because I've gotten her to reveal it (over the screen, she didn't visit) when she hates me and didn't get it when when I had her at 10.

 

[D2M15]

OK. I'm psyched for my Thorton v2.0 run, although I still probably won't be able to make myself kill anyone, but I think I'm in the mood for another conversation-heavy RPG too.

Excluding all BioWare's output (which I have played, as much as I can bear) and given that I really can't force myself to enjoy Bloodlines (other than the Voermans), is my best bet Mask of the Betrayer? Or does it still follow the D&D videogame priorities list of min-maxing first, interesting character interaction a distant second?

 

[Cep]

Spoiler

The scene before you leave on the final mission is probably dependent on picking the right responses because I've gotten her to reveal it (over the screen, she didn't visit) when she hates me and didn't get it when when I had her at 10.

Yeah, you have to delay

Spoiler

kissing

her in order to get enough info out of her.

 

[Basileus777]

OK. I'm psyched for my Thorton v2.0 run, although I still probably won't be able to make myself kill anyone, but I think I'm in the mood for another conversation-heavy RPG too.

Excluding all BioWare's output (which I have played, as much as I can bear) and given that I really can't force myself to enjoy Bloodlines (other than the Voermans), is my best bet Mask of the Betrayer? Or does it still follow the D&D videogame priorities list of min-maxing first, interesting character interaction a distant second?

You don't have to worry about min-maxing in MOTB, because like all of NWN2, the gameplay is too easy for any of it to matter. MOTB has the best written story/characters of any RPG in years.

 

[D2M15]

You don't have to worry about min-maxing in MOTB, because like all of NWN2, the gameplay is too easy for any of it to matter.

Sold.

 

[Schopenhauer]

Spoiler

The game was about getting proof & building up allies both political and lethal to help you take them down.

Obviously. What you quoted was a response to a question, not a standalone statement.

Spoiler

Part of the problem is that Mike was left rudderless and had no idea of the situation.

Mina gave him a purpose with the investigations, it is not until after everything is said and done does he have a clear enough picture of the conflicts at work to know how to act, who to blame, etc.

It isn't that I don't understand what Obsidian was trying to do. I just don't think that method facilitates good story development.

Also, regardless of what the characters knew or didn't know, as the player who to blame and how to act was painfully obvious for the majority of the game. That ended up bothering me more than the story format.

 

[Prime crotch]

I'm just astonished to how Obsidian managed to make an even more unpolished game than Storm of Zehir.
AP's fun and all but even Cavia did a better job with Nier when it comes to presentation

one game mechanic I don't appreciate, at all, buying intel

 

[Haunted]

Fuck this piece of shit game.

Final score: 1/10

:lol :lol

now I want to know what happened

 

[lsslave]

:lol :lol

now I want to know what happened

HUGE SPOILERS!

Either he

Spoiler

didn't manage to figure out all he has to do is use an emp to quickly break the lock to get into the tower with the sniper rifle to kill Darcy like a pro without getting hit once

or

Spoiler

he didn't realize that there are blind spots during the helicopter battle that you can hide in to make your life incredibly easy

OR

Spoiler

he didn't figure out that you can break the fight with Leland by moving left and right at the pillar you start at and taking your shots because he can't hit you there

or else he was like me and did the mission without bringing any first aid and didn't realize it until it was over half way through >.<

 

[Vlodril]

Finished it a second time. The asshole run was pretty funny. Especially with Madison

Spoiler

Bitch. Asshole. :lol

.

Also found the assault build pretty liberating. I just mowed everything in my way no worrying like the first time for alarms.

Felt bad about

Spoiler

killing Sis and Brayko.

Ill do a third one at some point in the future to see the suave replies.

All in all an excellent game. Good job Obsidian.

 

[Bebpo]

HUGE SPOILERS!

Either he

Spoiler

didn't manage to figure out all he has to do is use an emp to quickly break the lock to get into the tower with the sniper rifle to kill Darcy like a pro without getting hit once

or

Spoiler

he didn't realize that there are blind spots during the helicopter battle that you can hide in to make your life incredibly easy

OR

Spoiler

he didn't figure out that you can break the fight with Leland by moving left and right at the pillar you start at and taking your shots because he can't hit you there

or else he was like me and did the mission without bringing any first aid and didn't realize it until it was over half way through >.<

Spoiler

I always thought the point of the final boss battle is you're supposed to run up to the door, hack it, and then fight the boss face to face. If you just do a straight run for the door you can't be hit and if you have an EMP you can quickly open it. Otherwise you need to stealth or something to give you time to hack it.

 

[Bebpo]

Are you guys doing ok with assault runs using the AR?

I'm doing an assault run on my 2nd playthrough and I focused only on the shotgun and I'm having an awful time trying to stay alive. I had assumed a pumped up shotgun would be like the terminator where I waltz in and go BOOM BOOM BOOM and everyone flies back and dies in 1 hit...but uhhh AP is not like that Shotgun does bad damage unless close up and aimed at the head area and when fighting multiple guys it's baad times. Even the skill that knocks enemies down is lame because it doesn't kill them so you have to run around stomping them.

In short, Shotgun only does not seem to work for me I'm thinking about starting over and doing an AR build instead for my assault run.

 

[Basileus777]

The shotgun is a decent secondary weapon for close combat. Like the SMG, you probably want to pair it with the AR or Pistol. If you are going combat heavy, there's no reason you can't invest points in two weapons.

 

[Peff]

The AR is super powerful, I had no problems in any level with it. Just make sure you max out the ammo before every mission.

 

[Bebpo]

The shotgun is a decent secondary weapon for close combat. Like the SMG, you probably want to pair it with the AR or Pistol. If you are going combat heavy, there's no reason you can't invest points in two weapons.

Yeah I was taking Shotgun + SMG into missions and it was a really sucky combination.