Alpha Protocol - $2 on Steam

AP has, in my opinion, the most reactive script I've ever seen - certainly the most in a modern action/RPG package. The gameplay isn't flawless but I don't think it's a long way from, say, Mass Effect 1 with the addition of more gameplay modes (stealth) and much, much more branching. Personally, I also loved the characters.

I haven't heard anyone mod out the timed dialogues (but I haven't looked). Just go with it. I actually enjoyed occasionally choosing the wrong dialogue and finding the game did something quite unexpected.

I would imagine quicksaves are beyond modders...not ideal, but the checkpoints aren't generally too far apart.
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
11,842
Location
Sydney, Australia
I thought the timed dialogues were an interesting innovation. No more looking up the "right" answer on the internet; just go with what your character would say. Now it didn't always work perfectly; sometimes you said things that didn't seem to match the option. And having a way to slow down the timers (based on difficulty level perhaps?) would have been good.
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2006
Messages
1,769
Location
Minnesota, USA
I take too long to decide which answer I want to pick and end up with something else. That is the worst part of the game to me and if it wasn't for that I would love the game.
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2006
Messages
1,596
I take too long to decide which answer I want to pick and end up with something else. That is the worst part of the game to me and if it wasn't for that I would love the game.

Well, of the little bit I played last night, I found the timed dialogs quite refreshing actually (more natural, like a real conversation). So, if that's the WORST aspect of AP (along with subpar graphics—which I don't care about btw—and some rough stealth mechanics) it definitely sounds like I'll be getting my 2 dollars worth with this game. Nearing the end of Deus Ex:HR, so should get some time with it this weekend.
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2011
Messages
333
Location
Ynys Afallach
I haven't heard anyone mod out the timed dialogues (but I haven't looked). Just go with it. I actually enjoyed occasionally choosing the wrong dialogue and finding the game did something quite unexpected.

While I don't like timed dialogues very much, I agree that it led to some very amusing results at times. If you are a "perfectionist" player when it comes to stories (like me a lot of times), meaning that you have a specific story-arc in mind to pursue, just let it go. A big part of what makes AP enjoyable is the ability to experiment with the story and trying different dialogue tactics depending on the character you are interacting with. If you "mess up" a dialogue, it's not a big deal; it just leads to a different result, which is fun.
 
Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
1,022
I bought the hard copy when it came out. Haven't played it yet so of course I bought this 1 too. I'll just add the other one to my collection of unopened games. To many games.
 
For 2 bucks there was no hesitation. Like someone said cheaper than a bottle of water. Not RPG related but you can also get the amazing Company of Heroes for $1.99. It's insane to not buy it at that price.
 
Joined
Nov 28, 2006
Messages
339
AP has a mind boggling number of choices and consequences. Almost every dialog can cause Attitude and Buff Shifts, not to mention Game World changes. Too damn bad Obsidian didn't get to finish the game or at the very least work on more patches.

A quick question to the fans who seem to be a majority replying to this thread.
Are there mods/tweaks/cheats to :
- remove timer in dialogs;
- add quicksaves ?

(these were the gamestopper for me)
Hah, I wish. :)
There are mods/tweaks/cheats but not for Timer or Quicksaves. Obsidian was asked about the Timer. Iirc they said it was hard coded and was something they wanted from the beginning to give a sense of urgency. In regard to the Saves, you can Hard Save at any point, though they will start you at the last Save Point but it's buggy.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
2,772
Thanks Dhruin and Acleacius. I've still bought it but couldn't find anything out there to remove the timer or add a quicksave either.

I'll just try and play it :
- without worrying about the dialogs and just skipping through (if I get interested in the dialogs, I want to have time to read them thoroughly and enjoy them, not be stressed and worried my little girl will call me right at the moment when I have a few seconds to decides what subtle nuance of Jack Bauer, James Bond or Jason Bourne I'm going to feed my interlocutor.
- and no stealth character for me either (too bad, how I loved to experiment in DE:HR, just quickloading to try something completely different if I felt like it or if I patheticaly failed at my daring but unrealistic action).

On a side-note, moders managed to add a quicksave to Far Cry for instance, where there where only widely spaced checkpoints, so its doable.
 
Joined
Nov 29, 2006
Messages
179
- and no stealth character for me either (too bad, how I loved to experiment in DE:HR, just quickloading to try something completely different if I felt like it or if I patheticaly failed at my daring but unrealistic action).

There's certainly nothing wrong with playing AP in whatever manner you see fit, but I would just like to recommend against playing it as a straight-up shooter (if that's what you mean by "no stealth character"). It's certainly a viable approach, but a stealth playthrough, in my opinion, is probably more satisfying for this type of game.

For what it's worth (which is probably not much ;)), my personal playstyle was a mix of both approaches; I equipped a silenced pistol for stealth (along with a few necessary stealth abilities/appropriate armor), and an assault rifle for when I messed up my stealth approach and had to resort to gunplay to get out of trouble. The game is really flexible in allowing "multi-class" characters that specialize in multiple areas (within reason, of course) with no penalties for spreading points out a bit, so there's no need to be afraid of gimping your character if you take a diverse route.
 
Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
1,022
Actually unlike DXHR you can play AP without killing anyone. If you enjoy Stealth I highly suggest maxing out Pistols, Stealth and Sabotage. You start the game as a Recruit but after the first chapter you choose a specific path. Operative allows you to choose your own 3 specific skills.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
2,772
How good is the German loca? Is it possible to download other languages on Steam?
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
7,830
You guys have convinced me to give AP another try... or at least to purchase it for $2. :)

I couldn't get past Saudi Arabia the first time I played it.
 
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
39,017
Location
Florida, US
You guys have convinced me to give AP another try… or at least to purchase it for $2. :)

I couldn't get past Saudi Arabia the first time I played it.

It gets better after Saudi Arabia and as you gain points to develop your character a bit. If you play the first time as a recruit, the second playthrough (and this is a game that demands at least one additional playthorugh just to see how different each one can be) will be less off-putting, as you can choose to be a "veteran" who has some points to spend right off the bat (without being over-powered at the start). The start of the game is quite awkward and frustrating to play when you have little to no abilities at your disposal. This approach works much better for open-world games instead of a mission-based structure, imo - at least when it comes to games that rely so heavily on having both passive and active abilities in order to enjoy the experience.
 
Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
1,022
I surrender guys: I played it until some missions in Rome... I played the first missions and almost all missions in Russia, then I went to Rome and... I uninstalled it. Fortunately I spent just 2 euros: for me, it has so much flaws that it's very difficult enjoying it.
 
Joined
Sep 2, 2011
Messages
341
Location
Europe's Boot
Well, unlike the first time I tried it, I played more than an hour or so. The controls still feel awkward, the dialog system annoys me and I loathe the minigames, but I suppose what made the biggest difference is that, this time, I didn't try to play this one right after Deus Ex! So it seems I'll keep playing it now, and I'll take care not to touch Human Revolution until after I finish this.
 
Joined
Sep 18, 2009
Messages
693
I was also told it would get better after arabia, it didn't.

I had more fun with human revolution, it actually had some exploration and characters you engage in conversation with and side quests. You have more of a sense of actually being a part of a living breathing world whereas the AP world consists of a dozen or so characters, a tv news report and splinter cell style maps where you have to go from A to B stealthing or killing everything in between.

The AP choices are fluff as far as I'm concerned, changing the colors of uniforms of the guys you're fighting with, you'll always be visiting the same linear levels, you get to choose the fate of the cast of a dozen or so characters you talk to, which only works if you actually care for the characters, or the story, otherwise they change little in your game experience.
A military contractor trying to start wars between the US and other countries so it can profit :shock: :awe:
The timed dialogs would only make sense for specific instances where you should have to hurry(server about to fry, having to choose where to upload the data to etc) when someone asks you what flavor of ice cream you want it shouldn't be treated with the same urgency as when you have to decide whether hundreds of people live or die on the spot.

I've heard people compare it to choose your own adventure books but I don't see it, I actually played those as a kid. In AP the adventure is always the same, you always go to the same places and end up interacting with the same characters. A choose your own adventure choice would be Roche vs Iorveth, that choice actually leads you to different locations, interacting with different characters, different quests and a fairly different game experience(at least throughout chapter 2).

As usual per obsidian the dialogs are well worded(although not particularly interesting, and the player character's looks and voicework are just unlikeable) starting to think mca fans are just suckers for well turned phrases.

Third rate splinter cell lite with elaborate mission brief/debrief dialogs.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
527
[...]which only works if you actually care for the characters, or the story, otherwise they change little in your game experience.

Is this not always the case? There are precious few games that actually change the gameplay with choices and, depending on how narrow a definition you choose, absolutely none. What you are really saying is, you didn't like the characters or the story, which is a matter of taste, otherwise you are holding AP to a standard no game exceeds.
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
11,842
Location
Sydney, Australia
Back
Top Bottom