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Alpha Protocol |OT| Bourne, Avellone, Denton, and the Agency's Sagacious Secrets

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
I've finally come back to this game. Man, it's so good.

This is my build:

apgame2011-01-2801-23-04-13.jpg


I decided to take the Tech Specialist title very seriously.
 

syoaran

Member
I really enjoyed it. It was the first game I played in a long time where I felt that my actions meant something, but the results were difficult to predict.

Combat was fun, dialogue was entertaining and the game practically demanded a second (or third) play though to understand everyone's motivations.
 
Is the shotgun viable in this game? I rather not deal with bad game design to put me off the story. I heard stealth + pistol is overpowered once you get certain abilities. I kind of want to just play a heavy armor shotgun character.
 

Grayman

Member
I cannot remember if I finished my shotgun playthrough or not. I do not see why it would not be doable but two boss fights at the end may be much harder. For one you will have to rely on the janky sniper rifle controls and in another you will have to get close to an enemy instead of killing them from the starting point.
 

Shurs

Member
So the PS3 version is on sale on Amazon for $17. Are there significant differences between the PS3 and 360 versions?

If not, I'm gonna pull the trigger.
 

Karish

Member
I'm interested in playing this game, but I heard there is a "way" to play it so that it is more enjoyable. Can someone please explain this to me?
 
marathonfool said:
Is the shotgun viable in this game? I rather not deal with bad game design to put me off the story. I heard stealth + pistol is overpowered once you get certain abilities. I kind of want to just play a heavy armor shotgun character.

That's how I wish I had played it. The dialog system is so much better than the shooting and stealth; focusing on shotguns and health would let you plow through to the good parts.
 

Bread

Banned
Just beat the game yesterday as a Recruit specialized in pistols and stealth (obviously), what an amazing game. I'm going through another time as a veteran, and I'm going to focus more on stealth and hacking stuff this time. I want to get that extra 100% cash from hacking early on so I can buy some sweet stuff.
 
My Pc copy from newegg just showed up and I'm pretty excited to check this out. If I'm reading correctly I should go stealth/handguns for a more mgs style of play. Is it worth it put points in shotgun if I want to plow through? Also is there a guide on what skills I should be taking? Hopefully one that avoids spoilers?Oh and easy/med/hard for first playthrough?
 

krzy123

Member
Beat the game last weekend as well, did the stealth/pistols route w/ Tech App. all maxed. I think the last stealth and tech app skills (Master shadow op and master brilliance) should be removed from the game :).

Playing on Normal isn't difficult, i think the best run and gun weapon would be the assault rifle.
 

Stallion Free

Cock Encumbered
krzy123 said:
Beat the game last weekend as well, did the stealth/pistols route w/ Tech App. all maxed. I think the last stealth and tech app skills (Master shadow op and master brilliance) should be removed from the game :).

Playing on Normal isn't difficult, i think the best run and gun weapon would be the assault rifle.
What did you think of the game (other than gameplay)?
 

water_wendi

Water is not wet!
im finally going to be able to get this game when my tax return comes in. Actually i might get it today if i can find it for $20. i know spending money before i have but i need a new rpg to play.
 

krzy123

Member
Stallion Free said:
What did you think of the game (other than gameplay)?

I enjoyed myself, the story is somewhat interesting though there are some plotholes (I could have missed these), I thought the decision system was good as well. There are AI issues obv. as well.

Like many of said before the hacking minigame in this is possibly the worst ever, the other minigames are easy.

It feels like an awesomely ambitious game and never quite gets there. I'd still recommend it.
 

YagizY

Member
dralla said:
The PS3 is version cheap on Amazon. is there any differences between it and treesitty version

Haven't played the 360 version but PS3 version runs pretty well IMO. Little bit of tearing every once in a while but nothing on the level of Mafia II or anything like that.
 
I gave Obsidian the benefit of the doubt but I'm about to stop playing now. Trying to rescue Serkov but there is nothing I can do against the stupid G22 onslaught in front of the embassy. I hate this kind of frustrating bullshit. The forced gunplay in this game is just too atricious.

I like the stealth stuff, but it's already getting repetitive. Story and choice system is good though. Horrible inventory. Everything takes ages to do. Ebay here we go.
 
schennmu said:
I gave Obsidian the benefit of the doubt but I'm about to stop playing now. Trying to rescue Serkov but there is nothing I can do against the stupid G22 onslaught in front of the embassy. I hate this kind of frustrating bullshit. The forced gunplay in this game is just too atricious.

I like the stealth stuff, but it's already getting repetitive. Story and choice system is good though. Horrible inventory. Everything takes ages to do. Ebay here we go.

There is a sniper rifle up on the roof that makes it a lot easier. You may have had to purchase the drop on Clearinghouse though.
 
schennmu said:
I gave Obsidian the benefit of the doubt but I'm about to stop playing now. Trying to rescue Serkov but there is nothing I can do against the stupid G22 onslaught in front of the embassy. I hate this kind of frustrating bullshit. The forced gunplay in this game is just too atricious.

I like the stealth stuff, but it's already getting repetitive. Story and choice system is good though. Horrible inventory. Everything takes ages to do. Ebay here we go.

Serkov's kamikaze AI is particularly helpful. I ended up having to act as a human shield to keep him alive.
I'm enjoying the adventure-y stuff, but as a shooter it's all kinds of broken. Still, it only cost me £10.
And Sega let them use the SEEEE-GAAAAAA voice at the beginning????????!!!!!?!?!?!?!!1???
 
Dr Zhivago said:
Serkov's kamikaze AI is particularly helpful. I ended up having to act as a human shield to keep him alive.
I'm enjoying the adventure-y stuff, but as a shooter it's all kinds of broken. Still, it only cost me £10.
And Sega let them use the SEEEE-GAAAAAA voice at the beginning????????!!!!!?!?!?!?!!1???

I think I will give it one last try today, but this part is very frustrating :(
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
schennmu said:
I gave Obsidian the benefit of the doubt but I'm about to stop playing now. Trying to rescue Serkov but there is nothing I can do against the stupid G22 onslaught in front of the embassy. I hate this kind of frustrating bullshit. The forced gunplay in this game is just too atricious.
Didn't have an issue with that one, played stealth/pistol/non-lethal. Did a lot of invisibility/chain shot stuff to take down most of the first wave, recharged cooldown with Brilliance to do another set, then just took down the remainder w/ critical shots from behind cover (crit shots are guaranteed, no worry about the gunplay aiming there).

Moscow's the hardest hub overall, when I played I was going back and forth through all the hubs and by the time I hit that mission I was pretty high-level.
 
That's one problem with AP, its hard to tell when you are screwing up or the game is just screwed up. Boss fights tend to be ridiculously difficult if you didn't level up at least some kind of a firearm skill but on the other hand there some difficult parts of the game that have a rather simple solution that you just might not have noticed.
 
Just finished Saudi Arabia on my first playthrough. I'm really enjoying the game right now. I'm going with a Shotgun, Tech, and Toughness character. The level design has really surprised me. I can tell if I were to go stealth, I would buy certain intel that would help me immensely.

The gunplay is satisfying. Mind you I'm using the shotgun exclusively. It's fun to charge up a critical shot, run up, then kick the enemy when the they are down. I love how everything you do and say can effect your character stats.

The A.I. is a bit hit and miss, but generally good enough. The Unreal Engine stinks. Lots of texture loading, pop up, and occasional screen tearing. The dialogue options are interesting and the characters respond in accordance to their personality. I'm looking forward to playing this some more.
 
schennmu said:
I think I will give it one last try today, but this part is very frustrating :(

Just finished it. Overall an enjoyable experience and some of Obsidian's greatness (later fully exposed in Fallout: NV) shines through. I can't believe how stupid and difficult some of the boss battles are though. Respawning minions? Regenerating armor? Bad gunplay? Game design from the 90's. Overall this has soured my opinion of the game a bit, but it was still an enjoyable experience. Writing, voice acting and the (cruel!) dialogue choice system are top notch. Perk system was also pretty nice. Not sure if I would call it an RPG though.
Is it just me or is Thorton voiced by "Burn Notice" guy? He seems very similar to his personality.
 

Karak

Member
schennmu said:
Is it just me or is Thorton voiced by "Burn Notice" guy? He seems very similar to his personality.
I am not sure. But I am sad he hated the sessions so much that even if they did a sequel he probably wouldn't do it. His vile hatred towards the audio sessions and changes were epic:) I think he wanted the character to be spouting Hamlet or something.
 
I also finished this today. It's a pity it's such a terrible shooter, since the other elements are generally nicely done.
Plot made no sense, though :p
Who exactly are G22 and Albatross? How did VCI connect to Halbech? Why did Random Character #6 triple-cross Organisation #78?
 

hemtae

Member
Dr Zhivago said:
Who exactly are G22 and Albatross? How did VCI connect to Halbech? Why did Random Character #6 triple-cross Organisation #78?

Its implied that G22 was a former alpha protocol and Albatross is their Parker. something something Marburg. and because Organization #78 is a bunch of assholes
 
Karak said:
I am not sure. But I am sad he hated the sessions so much that even if they did a sequel he probably wouldn't do it. His vile hatred towards the audio sessions and changes were epic:) I think he wanted the character to be spouting Hamlet or something.

lol, interesting! I can fully imagine the sessions being torture though. I think he did a great job. Josh Gilman is the name.
 
Ok, I finished the game. Here are my final thoughts.

I played an aggressive no-nonsense shotgun, toughness, and tech character. He was impatient, aggressive, and generally antagonistic in conversations. Yet, was mindful to not to kill or disregard information if it led him to what he wanted.

Overall, I was pleased with the outcome. I felt the game allowed me to play the way I wanted. Started as a recruit on normal and didn't encounter any frustrating boss fights many here have complained. I loved the conversation system and how it impacted the story/gameplay from one location to another. All the characters were generally interesting, especially since my character typically attracted some of the extreme personalities.

I won't make any excuses for some of the jank gameplay elements. Enemy A.I. can start climbing stairs or stop shooting for no reason. It is there, but doesn't take away from letting you play your style. The missions are varied and interesting enough to replay. I felt a fondness for the email system like I was really connected to these characters.

The biggest turn off for me were some of the glitches and technical problems I encountered. I had to make one boss spawn out of thin air because the game didn't load him up. Another boss got stuck inside an object allowing me kill him easily. One of the levels didn't load after a door, it was just a black abyss even after loading the checkpoint. I figured out the solution by closing the door behind me so the next room could load up. The Unreal Engine shows all the typical problems. Screen tearing, pop ins, texture loads, and inconsistent framerates. (This was on the PS3 which I heard was the worst version)

I'm a bit sad to hear Alpha Protocol won't be getting a sequel. I think if you can overlook some of the technical and gameplay jankiness, you'll find an ambitious game with great potential. There's a tremendous vision underneath the crude exterior. If you're patient and willing to look past the technical shortcomings, this game offers a great sense of freedom and fun.

I just started a second professional stealthy character. I can't wait to see what changes will occur in the gameplay and story. I highly recommend this game.
 
The only technical problems I had on 360 were:

- One freeze during a loading screen
- Tearing in cut scenes
- Some slowdown in safe houses

Other than that it was fine.
 
Got this for cheap after seeing the GAF praise.

Would a first playthrough on recruit/normal seems a reasonable choice or am I in for a world of frustration ?

I'd spontaneously favour a stealth character for this kind of game. From the info I can gather it would mean investing mostly in stealth/pistol branches. Any other useful skills I should look into (sabotage ? tech ?).

Any other general/specific for a smoother experience ?
 

Grayman

Member
BaronLundi said:
Got this for cheap after seeing the GAF praise.

Would a first playthrough on recruit/normal seems a reasonable choice or am I in for a world of frustration ?

I'd spontaneously favour a stealth character for this kind of game. From the info I can gather it would mean investing mostly in stealth/pistol branches. Any other useful skills I should look into (sabotage ? tech ?).

Any other general/specific for a smoother experience ?
I did recruit and stealth/pistols(not knowing it was the most powerful choice) for my first play through without much difficulty. It will take you a few levels to get the awareness skill to be always on and for chain shot to do big boss damage but you will be fine with that choice.
 
Pistols is the way to go. Chain Shot is ridiculously overpowered compared to everything else, made the final boss into a joke.
Make sure to search the levels for secret files, the plot barely makes sense otherwise.
 
Dr Zhivago said:
Pistols is the way to go. Chain Shot is ridiculously overpowered compared to everything else, made the final boss into a joke.
Make sure to search the levels for secret files, the plot barely makes sense otherwise.
You're right. You can also instakill people from behind cover without peaking your head out. Pistol > *

I've beat the game 3 times and I find all of the endings are bleh but the rest of the game is awesome
 

Snuggles

erotic butter maelstrom
I tried playing this but I could not wrap my mind around the hacking minigame. I eventually had to just quit the game because I couldn't proceed. I've never felt so retarded.
 

iavi

Member
Snuggler said:
I tried playing this but I could not wrap my mind around the hacking minigame. I eventually had to just quit the game because I couldn't proceed. I've never felt so retarded.

Missing out. I picked it up on Steam after ignoring due to the backlash/ME2 comparisons, and ended up loving it a ton. The gameplay is full of jank, but that broken kind of jank that you can use to abuse your way through the game.
 

firehawk12

Subete no aware
Man, this thread reminds me that I should get back to the game. I can't believe I'm slogging through DA2 but I haven't finished AP.

Of course, I just need to learn to let go of the achievements. The way they're designed makes it interminable for anyone with OCD. :lol
 
Snuggler said:
I tried playing this but I could not wrap my mind around the hacking minigame. I eventually had to just quit the game because I couldn't proceed. I've never felt so retarded.
You just need to give it time. Its like learning to let your eyes go out of focus to see those weird 3d pictures or whatever.
 

Grayman

Member
Snuggler said:
I tried playing this but I could not wrap my mind around the hacking minigame. I eventually had to just quit the game because I couldn't proceed. I've never felt so retarded.
it can be tricky to spot the static numbers and the PC controls feel awkward for it if you are playing there. If you put a couple points into one of the skills the hacking games get easier and the strings are half a grid wide most of the time. You can also use an emp grenade with a few skill points somewhere.
 
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