Stolen Pixels #204: Alpha Etiquette

[Shamus Young]

Stolen Pixels #204: Alpha Etiquette

It's almost like nobody ever taught the Alpha Protocol spies any manners.

Read Full Article

 

[Jared]

I have to admit, the whole, making you choose in a time limit thing is kinda annoying...Its one thing it could have learned from ME for sure

 

[Carbonic Penguin]

I actually like the sound of this. It means it's more like a real conversation, you don't have a planned tree ahead of time, you just make up the words based on your current emotion.

 

[z3rostr1fe]

I guess that's just a bug of Alpha Protocol... Oh well, should wait for the patches.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

I have to admit, the whole, making you choose in a time limit thing is kinda annoying...Its one thing it could have learned from ME for sure

But that's the whole point.
You shouldn't feel relaxed and have an eternity making the right decisions.
It's a spy game, after all.

 

[dochmbi]

The fact you could wait for 30 minutes without responding back gave Mass Effect it's charm. On youtube you have several popular spoofs. Alpha just failed to live up for me.

Can you provide a link please? I couldn't figure out which words I should use to find such a video.

 

[AvsJoe]

Hahaha, great comic. I wonder if Captain Terrorist gets that a lot?

The fact you could wait for 30 minutes without responding back gave Mass Effect it's charm. On youtube you have several popular spoofs. Alpha just failed to live up for me.

Can you provide a link please? I couldn't figure out which words I should use to find such a video.

Seconded.

 

[Frybird]

The writing in these very Dialogues make the game worthwhile for me. It's freakin' hilarious, and tends to be wonderfully over the top. Michael Thorton = King of Douchebags

Especially the "Suave" Options lead to many "I can't belive he/i just said that!" moments.

 

[starlight2098]

I can see the quite understandable relative realism angle here, but dammit, it sounds like too much stress and bother. In Mass Effect and its sequel, I spent up to five minutes agonising over some dialogue choices, wanting to make my attitude clear. Though those long pauses were often due, it must be admitted, to the fact that the wording of the options seems to suggest different intentions to me then the developers. "No! No! I didn't mean THAT! Bloody writers! Now I have to further break immersion and reload!"

I suppose a more reasonable solution to the problem would be to have the time limit, but have a little bit of subtext (or perhaps at the very least some hint of colour co-ordination?) beside each answer so your character doesn't end up saying the exact opposite of what you meant.

 

[Chipperz]

I suppose a more reasonable solution to the problem would be to have the time limit, but have a little bit of subtext (or perhaps at the very least some hint of colour co-ordination?) beside each answer so your character doesn't end up saying the exact opposite of what you meant.

Left is "Suave", right is "Professional" and up is "Agressive". This is what it ALWAYS is. It takes a few lines (or reading the dossier, but if the "there's no story in World of Warcraft" argument proves anything, it's that most gamers can't/won't read...) to work out what will work and what won't work on each character, and then it's just a case of choose if you want to piss off or befriend each character.

The idea that having thirty seconds to pick a dialogue option is "hard" or "stressful" is really, really sad for a subculture that prides itself on quick reflexes and above-average intelligence...

 

[Formica Archonis]

The idea that having thirty seconds to pick a dialogue option is "hard" or "stressful" is really, really sad for a subculture that prides itself on quick reflexes and above-average intelligence...

Yeah, when we're being shot at. Interpersonal relationships is a whole different minefield.

 

[DTWolfwood]

Gross XD

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

I honestly didn't realize you could "click" those, but I guess now that I think about it the mouse does come up during dialog... hmm. I always just used WASD to select whichever stance, works quicker.

As for the odd waiting, there were only a handful of dialogs where there's much of a pause at all before you respond, so most are just giving you the opportunity to change your mind at the last moment before the timer runs down. Unless you're fast forwarding, then you get big long pauses with no conversation.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I suppose a more reasonable solution to the problem would be to have the time limit, but have a little bit of subtext (or perhaps at the very least some hint of colour co-ordination?) beside each answer so your character doesn't end up saying the exact opposite of what you meant.

Left is "Suave", right is "Professional" and up is "Agressive". This is what it ALWAYS is. It takes a few lines (or reading the dossier, but if the "there's no story in World of Warcraft" argument proves anything, it's that most gamers can't/won't read...) to work out what will work and what won't work on each character, and then it's just a case of choose if you want to piss off or befriend each character.

Don't forget that there's often down for "Recruit" (clueless tosser) and "Veteran" (arrogant fuckwit) options.

 

[Starke]

I suppose a more reasonable solution to the problem would be to have the time limit, but have a little bit of subtext (or perhaps at the very least some hint of colour co-ordination?) beside each answer so your character doesn't end up saying the exact opposite of what you meant.

Left is "Suave", right is "Professional" and up is "Agressive". This is what it ALWAYS is. It takes a few lines (or reading the dossier, but if the "there's no story in World of Warcraft" argument proves anything, it's that most gamers can't/won't read...) to work out what will work and what won't work on each character, and then it's just a case of choose if you want to piss off or befriend each character.

Don't forget that there's often down for "Recruit" (clueless tosser) and "Veteran" (arrogant fuckwit) options.

Down can also be kick in their teeth and piss down their throat on occasion as well.

Anyway, who in here noticed you could receive that disgusting eye as a trophy if you spared him?

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

The fact you could wait for 30 minutes without responding back gave Mass Effect it's charm. On youtube you have several popular spoofs. Alpha just failed to live up for me.

No no no. The thing that gave Mass Effect its charm were these conversations:

NPC: Hello, Shepard, how can I help you?
Shepard: I'd like to ask you a few questions.
NPC: Certainly.
Shepard: I should go.
NPC: C'ya later.

The game that got its charm from waiting long periods before replying was KOTOR because your character would make these amusingly serious facial expressions while you delayed. (Though I dunno, maybe Shepard does that, too)

 

[Darktau]

The fact you could wait for 30 minutes without responding back gave Mass Effect it's charm. On youtube you have several popular spoofs. Alpha just failed to live up for me.

No no no. The thing that gave Mass Effect its charm were these conversations:

NPC: Hello, Shepard, how can I help you?
Shepard: I'd like to ask you a few questions.
NPC: Certainly.
Shepard: I should go.
NPC: C'ya later.

The game that got its charm from waiting long periods before replying was KOTOR because your character would make these amusingly serious facial expressions while you delayed. (Though I dunno, maybe Shepard does that, too)

Indeed. I also remember this:

Wrex: Shepard
Shephard : Wrex

It's epic in every way.

I cried when it didn't work with grunt.

 

[_Nocturnal]

I never had long pauses between the lines, it all goes pretty smoothly.

Also the general idea here seems to be that it's not the content of the line that you're choosing but instead the style in which it's delivered. I'd say it's a neat idea. Fits the context of the game, too.