Alpha Protocol - Non-Combat Path

[Dhruin]

From Obsidian's tweets (http://twitter.com/Obsidian_Ent/status/3250295388) comes the surprising news that Alpha Protocol can be completed with killing anyone. Obviously that could mean a number of things and my headline may not be strictly accurate but I look forward to finding out:
Learned yesterday that it's possible to get through Alpha Protocol without killing anyone. That's kind of awesome.
More information. (http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/newsbit?newsbit=12872)

[Bargeral]

I think you mean to say "without".

[Santos]

Damn it. Someone thought of the children. :P

[DeepO]

From what I¨ve seen so far, I´ve found AP´s combat boring.
If I´ll buy the game I might try the non-killing playthrough right away.
Should be interesting.
Hopefully the tweet isn´t too misleading.

[JDR13]

This game gets more Deus-Ex -like every time I read about it.

[guenthar]

It is probably going to be through the use of martial arts, tasers, and tranquilizer darts. I hope there really is a real non-combat way through the game taking the route of diplomacy rather then combat.

[Badesumofu]

It's been said before that the game distinguishes between lethal and non-lethal takedowns, much like Deus Ex. So I would imagine you're still in for some combat - but maybe with stealth you can avoid most, or even all, of it.

[Prime Junta]

Excellent! Looking forward to this more by the day. With DX, the non-lethal playthrough was clearly the most enjoyable one. (The heavy weapons playthrough was a close second, though. KABOOM!)

(I would be a bit surprised if it was possible to beat the game entirely without resorting to violence of any kind -- that would be a bit... bizarre, for a spy thriller. I dig non-lethal takedowns, though.)

[guenthar]

It would be great to play a spy where you try to deal with situations through diplomacy and if that doesn't work use stealth. If you need to capture a person you could break in and hack the computers to kill the security system and use chloroform to put the target to sleep. This wouldn't happen until all diplomatic options are exhausted.

[Prime Junta]

It would be great to play a spy where you try to deal with situations through diplomacy and if that doesn't work use stealth. If you need to capture a person you could break in and hack the computers to kill the security system and use chloroform to put the target to sleep. This wouldn't happen until all diplomatic options are exhausted.

That would be cool, yes. Although in my book, chloroform counts as a non-lethal takedown. :)

[Konjad]

Alpha Protocol can be completed with killing anyone.
Well, most of the cRPGs can be completed with killing anyone ;)

Anyway that's first interesting info about the game for me and I may have some interest in Alpha Protocol from now on. First lady Malkavian and now no-killing path! :)

[GothicGothicness]

From what I have seen of Alpha Protocol I am really wounder how this would work out,,, a no killing path is really cool.... but I am woundering how exactly it would work out in the combat heavy footage we have seen..... will these sequences be skipped completely if you choose a certain path??? or is it possible to just run/sneak past them ????

[skavenhorde]

Definitely interesting news and unusual. I haven't really been keeping tabs on this one, but I'm now intrigued. My interest in this game just went from mild to "scour all info on AP from past news posts".

What's that heavy weapons playthrough you're talking about PJ?

[Starwars]

They've already confirmed that sneaking is a viable path through the game, so I imagine that will account for a lot of the "pacifist" playthrough. For the rest, I imagine it's the use non-lethal takedowns, tranquiliser darts and so on.

You will definetely not be able to talk your way through the game.

[Krzychu]

Innnnnnteresting.

The no-kill playthrough in Deus Ex was kinda funny in how you just kept ignoring some villains in order to elude them, even though they tried to kill you.

[Alrik Fassbauer]

In my personal interest-meter, this game has just gained a few points.

[txa1265]

This game gets more Deus-Ex -like every time I read about it.

Absolutely ... if they can pull it off it will be amazing!

[Acleacius]

Wicked, this is a hell of a lot better plan. We have to break the intention of the game with Deus Ex to do this, even though you didn't have to cheat to do it.

[wolfing]

This actually makes me interested in this game which I had decided to give a pass on.

[Morbus]

Don't be fooled. This only means you can use sedatives instead of bullets. It is totally NOT a non-combat path.

[Prime Junta]

Glad we got that sorted out, then. Where did you get this information?

[Guhndahb]

That's awesome news! I love non-lethal but non-ghosting runs like I could do in the Thiefs (how do you pluralize that anyways? Thieves doesn't seem right.), Deus Ex (mostly), and the last Hitman. Ghosting is great, of course, for those who enjoy it, and the ultimate challenge for the skilled. Personally, I prefer just knocking everyone out. :D

[Starwars]

Glad we got that sorted out, then. Where did you get this information?

I know Matthew Rorie said in some video preview that providing a diplomatic solution to the game was not a focus.

It's also confirmed here: http://forums.obsidian.net/index.php?showtopic=52932
"Mike will be forced to fight in some missions, just not forced to kill."

So yep, I think I'd change the topic title because OEI never said there is a non-combat path. It's very different than not killing someone, especially since the game seems to have quite a heavy focus on kills vs non-lethal takedowns.

[guenthar]

Using something like chloroform would be considered a non-combat solution since you are not attacking the person but just putting them to sleep. There wouldn't be damage so no combat occured. Most other forms of non-leathal takedowns are combat solutions like tanquilizer darts since you are attacking the person to stop them.

[Prime Junta]

I know Matthew Rorie said in some video preview that providing a diplomatic solution to the game was not a focus.

It's also confirmed here: http://forums.obsidian.net/index.php?showtopic=52932
"Mike will be forced to fight in some missions, just not forced to kill."

So yep, I think I'd change the topic title because OEI never said there is a non-combat path. It's very different than not killing someone, especially since the game seems to have quite a heavy focus on kills vs non-lethal takedowns.

Cool, thanks for the info. That's what I figured too -- along the lines of Deus Ex with a combination of stealth, tranq darts, and cattle prod, and minus the set-piece battles that you had to sort of wiggle out of, and the game acted as if you had killed your man afterward anyway. I like that approach just fine; a cRPG with *no* combat at all would be a bit... unusual, and I'm not sure how much I'd enjoy it.

[JemyM]

Well, most of the cRPGs can be completed with killing anyone ;)

Nah, most cRPGs can be completed with killing everyone, this can be completed by killing anyone. Defeat the first NPC you see and you have completed the game!

[JDR13]

a cRPG with *no* combat at all would be a bit... unusual, and I'm not sure how much I'd enjoy it.


I was thinking the same thing. Considering the length of most crpgs nowadays, I couldn't imagine going the entire game with just diplomacy.

[JemyM]

To finish MGS4 on 100%, you cannot kill a single NPC in the entire game. The MGS series and Splinter Cell relies on stealth to get through the mission and not being spotted once is the real challenge. If they draw inspiration from those games I can understand what they are going for.

[guenthar]

I think having a way to go through most of the game using diplomacy would work since diplomacy is an option and depending on how the person is roleplaying they may want to take a diplomatic direction at certain points and not at others. This way it would be up to the player on when and where to take the diplomatic root and not to.

[Dhruin]

Thanks for all the comments and I've updated the headline. Still cool, though - I'm pretty happy with an effective stealth path.

[txa1265]

To finish MGS4 on 100%, you cannot kill a single NPC in the entire game. The MGS series and Splinter Cell relies on stealth to get through the mission and not being spotted once is the real challenge. If they draw inspiration from those games I can understand what they are going for.

There is actual gameplay tucked in between the cutscenes ... crap, must have missed that! :D

[Morbus]

Glad we got that sorted out, then.
Good. :)

Using something like chloroform would be considered a non-combat solution since you are not attacking the person but just putting them to sleep.
In gameplay terms, it's combat all right. Of course, the semantics of the thing change, but if there's no impact in the plot, it's just metagaming, or different approaches, at most.

To finish MGS4 on 100%, you cannot kill a single NPC in the entire game. The MGS series and Splinter Cell relies on stealth to get through the mission and not being spotted once is the real challenge. If they draw inspiration from those games I can understand what they are going for.
Indeed! Here's hoping that they do.