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Preview Alpha Protocol has more cause and effect than any other RPG

DarkUnderlord

Professional Throne Sitter
Staff Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2002
Messages
28,344
Tags: Alpha Protocol

VidoeGamer focus only on the choice and consequences in their <a href="http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/alpha_protocol/preview-1859.html">preview look at Alpha Protocol</a>:
<br>
<blockquote>More than any RPG in recent memory, Alpha Protocol seems to have cause and effect nailed. This is not an understatement.
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[...]
<br>
Three main dialogue stances, aggressive, suave and professional, present themselves at the bottom of the screen, all tied to face buttons. A countdown bar quickly evaporates – you only have a couple of seconds to pick what approach you’re going to take with each line of dialogue. As in Mass Effect, you don’t know exactly what you’re going to say – the text you’ve selected only gives an idea of what’s going to be said. Mike and Grigori chat – words flow quickly and smoothly – the countdown ensuring there are no awkward pauses during exchanges, as in so many video games.
<br>
[...]
<br>
And the story reacts to every decision, too, right up to the endgame. Who you’ve killed, who you’ve let live, who you’ve shagged (yes, Alpha Protocol has sex) – it all has an effect. That’s why reputation is important. That’s why you should care.
<br>
[...]
<br>
Nathan spends most of his time during this mission crouch walking with a silenced pistol for company. It’s all very Metal Gear Solid – third person camera, cover system, skill-based action and no dice rolls. Passive skills, like weapon stability, and reactive skills, like Evasion, are triggered automatically, and activated skills, like Chain Shot (cue up shots then unleash them in a split second) and Shadow Operative (turn invisible for a short period) are used when combat is unavoidable. Nathan spends most of his time sneaking up on enemies and using melee attacks to down them, but you’ll get experience for leaving enemies alive. This is the stealth way.
<br>
[...]
<br>
It is at the embassy that Alpha Protocol shows just how reactive it really is. Remember when Nathan was an asshole to Grigori? Well his email warning of your presence has resulted in increased security at the embassy. There’s a hard as nails marine standing outside, ready to break necks at the slightest sign of trouble. If you’d been nice to Grigori, a lame guard would have been blocking the way. Now here’s the interesting part. You’re able to try and talk your way in, which would then align all of the marines inside with you. These marines are great allies, much better than the bog standard guards. So while it seemed at first like scaring the bejesus out of Grigori didn’t benefit you, you have the potential to turn the situation in your favour. Nice.
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In this play through it’s all moot, because Nathan’s stealthing it in.</blockquote>
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[Awkward pause]. Read the article for more in-game examples.
<br>
<br>
Thanks <b>Hümmelgümpf</b>!
 

Shoelip

Arbiter
Joined
Sep 27, 2006
Messages
1,814
Cortex Command has the best cause and effect in any game I remember. You cause your gun to fire and destroy the engine of a dropship. The effect of this is it spinning out of control and falling to the ground. The falling to the ground causes it to explode, the effect of which is debris from that explosion flying everywhere. This causes a tiny piece of debris to intersect with your head, effecting the removal of said head.
 

Texas Red

Whiner
Joined
Sep 9, 2006
Messages
7,044
"Cause and effect" is a barbaric and very primitive way of saying "C&C".
 

MetalCraze

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Urkanistan
Mike and Grigori chat – words flow quickly and smoothly – the countdown ensuring there are no awkward pauses during exchanges, as in so many video games.
Yes because watching movie cutscenes in the game is cool.

I think it is only fitting how this game is constantly compared to ME and MGS - two most outstanding RPGs with complex gameplay and mature writing out there.
 

Haba

Harbinger of Decline
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Codex 2012 MCA Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2
Man,

Obsidian sucks because reason #124
Alpha Protocol will totally fail because #245
I am so not interested in this game, and therefore am replying to this thread.

Also, decline.

Codex_Cool_Points++;
 

CrimsonAngel

Prophet
Joined
Oct 2, 2007
Messages
2,258
Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Haba said:
Man,

Obsidian sucks because reason #124
Alpha Protocol will totally fail because #245
I am so not interested in this game, and therefore am replying to this thread.

Also, decline.

Codex_Cool_Points++;

*Applause*
 

JarlFrank

I like Thief THIS much
Patron
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
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KA.DINGIR.RA.KI
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
NO AWKWARD PAUSES
NO SILLY STOPPING TO READ MY DIALOGUE CHOICES
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT MY CHARACTER WILL SAY JUST LIKE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY MASS EFFECT BUT HEY THE DIALOGUE FLOWS NATURALLY
 

racofer

Thread Incliner
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Your ignore list.
matt_schulze_michelle_rodriguez_vin_diesel_paul_walker_jordana_brewster_rick_yune_chad_lindberg_johnny_strong_the_fast_and_the_furious_001.jpg

motocross.jpg

800px-Motocross_in_Taiwan.jpg

xtreme_dtot1.jpg
 

denizsi

Arcane
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bosphorus
Haba said:
Man,

Obsidian sucks because reason #124
Alpha Protocol will totally fail because #245
I am so not interested in this game, and therefore am replying to this thread.

Also, decline.

Codex_Cool_Points++;

LOL IM MAKING FUN OF REPETITIVE CRITICISM WHICH IS STUPID SIMPLY BECAUSE ITS REPETITIVE LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL ALSO KOUNTER_KODEX_KOOL_POINTS+++³³³³
 

denizsi

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bosphorus
the countdown ensuring there are no awkward pauses during exchanges, as in so many video games.

BUT DOES THE GAME DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE AWKWARD PAUSES DURING COMBAT WHERE YOU CAN STAND DOING NOTHING AS IN SO MANY GAMES? NO? OBSIDIAN CAN SUCK MY BALLS!!!111 NEXT!

Some people just need to be shot right between the eyes.
 

Shoelip

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Joined
Sep 27, 2006
Messages
1,814
denizsi said:
the countdown ensuring there are no awkward pauses during exchanges, as in so many video games.

BUT DOES THE GAME DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE AWKWARD PAUSES DURING COMBAT WHERE YOU CAN STAND DOING NOTHING AS IN SO MANY GAMES? NO? OBSIDIAN CAN SUCK MY BALLS!!!111 NEXT!

Some people just need to be shot right between the eyes.

But that would be painless...
 

denizsi

Arcane
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bosphorus
Eyes were metaphors for balls, then. The "middle" serves the same function in both cases: defiling things.
 

yes plz

Arcane
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Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
2,158
Pathfinder: Wrath
As in Mass Effect, you don’t know exactly what you’re going to say – the text you’ve selected only gives an idea of what’s going to be said.

I'm still completely confused as to how anyone can think that this is a good idea.
 

Hoaxmetal

Arcane
Joined
Jul 19, 2009
Messages
9,157
yes plz said:
As in Mass Effect, you don’t know exactly what you’re going to say – the text you’ve selected only gives an idea of what’s going to be said.

I'm still completely confused as to how anyone can think that this is a good idea.

It worked in ME'h since dialogue layout was always like this:
-paragon -friendly
-neutral
-renegade -angry

And it didn't really matter what's written on dialogue choice, you just picked tone and listened to it. If you take any other RPG with more or differently branched dialogue then it would suck.
 

Jaime Lannister

Arbiter
Joined
Jun 15, 2007
Messages
7,183
In BG and NWN most of the dialog had no effect on the game, it was just choosing a tone for your character to speak in; it was flavor dialog.

Since flavor dialog doesn't affect the game, the designers decided to just make it sound more natural.
 

Joe Krow

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Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
1,162
Location
Den of stinking evil.
As in Mass Effect, you don’t know exactly what you’re going to say – the text you’ve selected only gives an idea of what’s going to be said.

I think this would have a better chance of being viable if it had something to do with the character. I say this not as someone who is interested in preserving a minimal standard for what's being called an rpg these days... the Codex is no longer the place for such talk. However, if the character did actually have some stats not related to explosions it might be worth watching such cut scenes.

For instance, if you characters intelligence, wisdom, and speech skills were used it might be interesting to see these stats have exclusive control of the conversation. The player would choose the tone but ultimately the character would ask the right questions and get the right answers because they were smart enough to think of them and charming enough to get cooperation.

As it stands now this is yet another example of a bastardized rpg mechanic wedged in for marketing purposes.
 

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