Alpha Protocol...

[Talon_Skywarp]

I feel the need to write this given my intense loathing of this game and to see if anyone else felt the same.

I was generally excited for this game, it looked different. I always try to play games that push ideas so I was happy to give it a shot.

However...soon it fell into despair and here are my reasons.

1. One word dialogue- How am I meant to know what your rogue one word answers mean? I thought I'd ask about assistance, just a casual so I knew what to expect...ended up in an argument over it. No way of knowing. No way of guessing. I had no control. Dragon age gave me a full answer so I understood, Heavy Rain made sense with how they spoke, Alpha just seems to make it up. As the great man said 'How am I meant to know what trousers means?'

2. Guns- I accept that skills need putting into guns in order to make them better but what! I was meant to be a freelance agent who had worked in war torn areas and I can't seem to hit anyone that is 3 metres away. What was I doing in Africa? Hunting hippo like a 18th century English gentlemen? Playing cards? Or did I not bother doing much shooting? Just sat there and ate all the cherry pie. I had rage when my Pistol couldn't hit a man 2 yards away...Come on, I was standing still, aiming at his body. I hit the old lady crossing the street reading a copy of the metro.

3. Stealth- Have I got very loud shoes on? And why do they guards only react to my footsteps, why am I the only person who makes them? Where do I get these magic silent shoes? I hit the wrong button, he takes one step and I've got a swarm of guards on me. For one footstep! BTW, he looks stupid when he's moving in stealth, like a dodgy homeless bloke who used to live near me. Bad back problems await you...oh ya...when I want to move to cover...do it please. Or else I get caught...and have to laugh at the useless excuse for AI.

4. Jackie Chan- That's what I became...my attempts at anything else ended up in fail so I just kicked them to death. I was waiting for Owen Wilson to appear and for us to ride into the Sunset. Then make a dodgy equal.


5. Hacking- I just got on my nerves, your cursor moves at the pace of a sloth with weight issues. And high heels. so many times I couldn't reach it because it wouldn't get there fast enough!

I have more in me but these were the reasons I had to give up...I am now preparing for flame. It was a good looking girl who pulled up for dress and a spider crab dropped out.

 

[Meggiepants]

The sneaking does look stupid. That's the first thing I noticed.

"Why is he sneaking like that? He's doing a duck walk!"

I also ended up kicking everybody for the most part. I thought it was because I put most of my points in stealth and hand to hand, but maybe not...

 

[Withall]

What frustrated me about the game (of what little I was able to play before the lagging got to me) was the hacking as well. If you didn't read the instructions from the start, you were fucked.

It was initially really difficult figuring out how to connect the circuits, but when you figured out how, it was a nice challenge, which is a bit more in line with what I think "real" hardware bypass is about.

The dialogue options were also something unusual, but more in line of how Mass Effect did- but what bothered me about it was that due to lagging, I barely got any time in seeing what the options were- by the time the game had decided to let me see the options, the counter had already depleted.

I didn't get far enough for stealth or weapons to be a real factor. It felt like a very Hitman-esque Mass Effect, based on what I remember from all three games- just with computer-choking graphics.

 

[Talon_Skywarp]

The sneaking does look stupid. That's the first thing I noticed.

"Why is he sneaking like that? He's doing a duck walk!"

I also ended up kicking everybody for the most part. I thought it was because I put most of my points in stealth and hand to hand, but maybe not...

I thought of Elma Fodd myself...

Strange point to add- You gave me three hair styles at the start...they were the same. Except one looked a bit messy. Well done.

 

[Meggiepants]

The sneaking does look stupid. That's the first thing I noticed.

"Why is he sneaking like that? He's doing a duck walk!"

I also ended up kicking everybody for the most part. I thought it was because I put most of my points in stealth and hand to hand, but maybe not...

I thought of Elma Fodd myself...

Strange point to add- You gave me three hair styles at the start...they were the same. Except one looked a bit messy. Well done.

The hair styles were pointless, as were most of the outfits. He pretty much looks like a doofus no matter what you do.

I did give my guy aviators though. That was a necessity.

 

[Talon_Skywarp]

I tried that night stealth gear...still got caught.

The quiet shoes weren't included. Must have brought it at Primark.

The sunglasses were only things to save him from looking like Matt Damon

 

[GloatingSwine]

I was going to address each of your points in turn, but it all comes down to this:

Ur Doin It Rong.

Learn how the guns work, pay attention when it explains what the conversation options mean, learn how to do hacking, pay attention to the properties of the armour you're equipping (hint: your stealth sucks because you're wearing the Interceptor armour, aren't you?).

Learn to shot terrorists, don't criticise a game because you're not capable of paying the scrap of attention required to figure out how you're meant to be playing it.

 

[infinity_turtles]

Put points in stealth if you want to be stealthy? Not getting seen now and then is still almost impossible, but the ability that gives you a few second of auto-invis when you're seen makes up for it. And if you aren't already, put something other than the interceptor armor on. And don't use any of the -stealth add-ons. You should probably learn to use the gadgets as well, since they sidestep accuracy issue when you have low skill in guns. Once you add points to guns, still avoid SMGs though. They're pretty worthless.

Honestly though, the game feels like it was meant to be played as a veteran, which you have to beat it as a recruit to unlock. Still, everything but your first complaint pretty much falls under "Ur Doin It Rong"

 

[Altorin]

1. People in Alpha Protocol generally respond to tones, rather then actual words. Westridge typically likes Aggressive people, Darcy likes Suave, Parker and Mina both like Professionalism. I won't go into more details then just that, but generally speaking, most people (apart from Heck and a couple others) like a Professional response (Red B). If you're trying to get Conrad to attack you at the end of Rome, you need to be entirely Suave (Blue X).

2. I never really had a problem with the weapons.. the only one that I disliked entirely as shotgun. Level them up, and the pistol, assault rifle and SMG are all super deadly - the pistol most of all, being able to fire 1shot kills without leaving cover, or hitting a button and firing 6 1shot kills in slow motion isn't really something to complain about. Level up the weapons. Pick one, if you want to be stealthy, I suggest Pistols. You won't have a problem after you get about 5 points into your chosen weapon.

3. Stealth can be a little tricky, but again, all it takes is a little levelling up and it gets silly. full level Stealth can run around at full speed for 15 seconds every minute or so knifing everyone in the room to death without being seen. At low levels, yeah, it sucks, but this is an RPG. If you want to be stealthy, make sure to wear armor that raises sound dampening, and if you need to move quickly, use the silent footsteps ability.

4. Wouldn't know, I could take out an entire room full of guys with my pistol without alerting any of them to my presance. I didn't even try the martial arts.

5. I discussed Hacking in another thread, it just takes practice.