OpenWorldGames Server ONE

I bought a couple of games yesterday and forgot to mention this one. Thanks to Youtube where my favourite English game tester,  Tez710, is uploading his recent and ongoing playthrough of that game  -- see vid --

01.Alpha Protocol (Re-Sub) - Introduction (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFJQtGBkPIw#ws)

Because of him I learned of that game and I'll give it a try myself soon :)

Basically it's a TPS RPG, you're a special agent and hunting down rogue agents  I got that wrong. You become a rogue agent and try to find out what the heck is going on using customiseable skills, martial arts, computer hacking, and of course weapons. It is an espionage thriller, various secret services and factions and individuals involved.. your actions determine what's going to happen next and you're the author of the ending. The game has incredible depth and depends on choices, choices, choices.. action and reaction.. I think there are more ways of playing that game than you're capable of doing unless you play it a hundred times. Most excellent  :-X

More to come :)

This game looks cool!  8)

Reminds me of Splinter Cell games, which I enjoyed a lot... only played the very first SC and there are a few of them - a new title, SC Conviction is out now!

I like how the guy play stealth. For what he said you can just go guns blazing as well, which adds for good replay value even for a linear looking game!  :-X

Keep us posted of how you like it, mate!

will do :)

My first impression from what I've seen so far on youtube and gameanyone.com is that the game graphics are not the highest of standards, actually it reminds me a lot of hitman:bloodmoney. Which is years old. But I don't care as long as the game itself is fun, and this one sure looked interesting enough to try it. I already watched all eight vids from tez710 which he has uploaded until now, and I saw that you get truckloads of items to buy and as many components to upgrade your outfit and armour and weapons and and and.. a lot of stuff to customise, in other words. Unfortunately, that tez710 guy just (5 hours ago) posted about repeatedly having problems with his youtube account (I knew about them, he mentioned some in one of his other vids) and was so fed up that he signed up with a new account just to post into his own channel that he was no longer going to upload any vids on youtube. I'm afraid that's it.. but that is only an aside. I'm still here and I will let you guys know what I think about this game  ;)

meanwhile, here a link for a non-commentary playthrough on gameanyone.com
http://www.gameanyone.com/video/224517 (http://www.gameanyone.com/video/224517)

Quote from: Art Blade on August 03, 2010, 03:17:10 PM
Unfortunately, that tez710 guy just (5 hours ago) posted about repeatedly having problems with his youtube account (I knew about them, he mentioned some in one of his other vids) and was so fed up that he signed up with a new account just to post into his own channel that he was no longer going to upload any vids on youtube. I'm afraid that's it..

Good news, he set up a new channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/NewGunBunny). So he'll continue uploading vids  :-X

I was watching a few vids from this tez710 guy some time ago... I like how he goes. It feels really spontaneous as if it was a friend of mine showing me a game!  8)

yeah.. and commits mistakes, curses wildly, misses stuff everyone else might have seen.. that kind of makes me suffer and laugh and agree etc.. really vivid  :-D

Man I want to get started. 8) Although I have got the game, I'm busy with all kinds of things.. and I will have to start with Wings of Prey. Well, weekend is near  :-D

What I like about those Tez vids is that you get to see aspects of the game other reviews won't show, like how it can be a pain in the back to get some game settings sorted. He fights with the GUI and controls like everybody else does. Which is helpful, I think, because you'll know what to expect if you buy a game he tested. I decided that some of the things that may be slightly annoying are still worth it because the game in general seems to be cool. And even if the graphics don't look extremely realistic or posh, I don't care as long as the story and fun are worth it. In the end, I bought it, and I'm quite sure that I'll be having some fun :) I always liked Hitman and that was not so far from what I've seen about AP  :)

Have you ever considered a formal invitation for a cup of coffee at the OWG headquarters?   ;)




edited on behalf of JRD.
Re-edited after Art`s edit on my behalf  :-D
Re-re-edited by Art: because that ^ is funny  ^+-+

Hehe, actually I already did that.  ;)

QuoteI checked out your site for a brief moment, it does seem pretty cool, ill have a proper look when i get home.

He's a busy man, so I don't know if/when.. but I hope we'll hear from him soon  :)

Looks like a decent enough game. Only thing that bothers me (as well as most shooter rpgs) is the fact that you don't get to rely on your own FPS/TPS skills to shoot, but instead your xp level handles all that. I mean, i get the fact that it makes you wanna play more to be more accurate, but whats the point if you have the skills to begin with? In my book, a headshot should be a headshot regardless.

From what I've seen, a headshot is a headshot. Tez remarked about it that he noticed how any weapon penetrates a body and demonstrated it with a tranquilizer round that went right through a guy and slammed into a wall behind him. Like in FC2, you could shoot anyone with your very first pistol in the head, but needed to buy accuracy upgrades for better aiming at bigger distances.

Now I can't wait any more. Playing Wings of Prey is fun but this game kept nagging at me all the time so this is it.. installing now  :)

QuoteAlpha Protocol
Readme File

Thank you for purchasing Alpha Protocol for PC.
This file contains updated and additional information that may not be found in the game manual.

For more information, news and updates, please visit the SEGA website at
http://www.sega.com/support (http://www.sega.com/support)


Table of Contents
1)  System Requirements
2)  Installation
3)  AutoPlay Menu
4)  Begin Playing Alpha Protocol
5)  Uninstall Alpha Protocol
6)  Controls
7)  Troubleshooting
8 )  Alpha Protocol web sites
9)  Technical Support


1) System Requirements
Minimum System Requirements:
Operating System:
Windows XP or Vista
Processor:
2.4+GHZ Intel or 2.0+GHZ AMD
Memory:
1 Gigabyte RAM (XP)
2 Gigabyte RAM (Vista)
Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 6 series (6800GT or better)
ATI 1300XT or better (X1550, X1600 Pro and HD2400 are below minimum system requirements)
Hard Drive Space:
12 Gigabytes
Sound Card:
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers

NOTE: It may be necessary to update your hardware drivers.
Intel integrated graphics chips are not officially supported.


2) Installation
In order to play Alpha Protocol, you must first install the program on your computer's hard drive.
Please note that you may need Administrator access in order to install the game.

Insert the Alpha Protocol DVD into your DVD drive. When the AutoPlay screen appears,
follow the instructions on the screen to being installing the game.

If the AutoPlay screen does not appear, double-click on the My Computer icon on your
desktop, then double-click the DVD drive containing the Alpha Protocol DVD. Locate and double-click on SETUP.EXE to launch the install program. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation process.

Once you have successfully installed the game, you are ready to play!


3) AutoPlay Menu
The AutoPlay Menu will appear any time the Alpha Protocol DVD is inserted into the DVD drive:
Install Alpha Protocol - Install the game. Only available if the game is not installed yet.
Play Alpha Protocol - Begin playing Alpha Protocol.
Uninstall Alpha Protocol - Remove Alpha Protocol from your hard drive.
Readme File - View this readme file for additional information about Alpha Protocol.
Alpha Protocol Web Site - Go to the official Alpha Protocol game web site.
Technical Support - Go to the SEGA tech support web site.
Quit - close the menu.



4) Begin Playing Alpha Protocol
Now that you've installed the game, there are several ways to begin playing:
-Insert the Alpha Protocol DVD into your DVD drive and click PLAY ALPHA PROTOCOL.
-Click the Windows START button and select Programs>Sega>Alpha Protocol>Play Alpha Protocol.
-Double-click the Alpha Protocol icon on your desktop.

Next, the game launcher program will be displayed.
Select the screen resolution and language then press ENTER to start the game.

If the game fails to run properly, make sure to select a screen resolution that is supported
by your computer monitor.

Note: You will need to have the Alpha Protocol DVD in your DVD drive at all times in order to play ALPHA PROTOCOL.

 >:(( Had to interrupt and try again: For some reason some games seem to produce DVDs that cause the drive to rattle at some point (anti-piracy stuff), happened with WoP and other games, but took only a reasonable amount and then installation went on. AP did cause my DVD drive to rattle too but it wouldn't stop. So I opened the drive which of course resulted in some pop-up screens, I told win7 that it installed properly (not wanting to use default settings) and that caused the installation to stop with Disc1 in the drive. I decided to try my second DVD drive and that is running the installation right now.

Hah! No rattling this time, now installing from the 2nd DVD (two discs) :)

Works :) Online activation was quickly done from within the game (pop-up).

Funny enough, like Tez I had the same trouble with making the game remember changes in the setup. Exactly like him, I had to try a couple of times to get rid of the motion blur  ^+-+ There isn't much to choose in the options menu, graphic settings are very simple (like either low or high) and don't need tweaking much. Unfortunately in the keymapping setup there is no screenshot key  :(

As always, I decided to play on Easy, and chose to play as freelancer so I could spend my points on skills I like rather than playing some prefab type. Now I'll see how it goes..

Excitement!  ;D

 :D No screenshots, irfanView doesn't register anything, PRNTSCR only produces a black image. I'm in the setup of the game still, maybe during gameplay.  >:(( :-\\

Without proper skill upgrades, some things seem impossible. I begin to hate hacking into computers. There are two passwords left and right on top of the screen and below is a grid with random digits that keep changing. Hidden in the grid are those two passwords, recogniseable because their sequences of digits don't change. It's somehow as if you dropped two dead ants into a plate full of ants that kept running around.. try to spot two dead ants between a hundred of living ones.. it's not that easy to recognise for me. Time is running out and after like 10 seconds those hidden passwords get shuffled around on the grid and even if you had spotted one of them, they got relocated, and you've got to find them again. In case you found one, you need to move the left password around with a,s,w,d and place it onto its match on the grid, confirm with spacebar, and at the time you need to find the right password, move that around on the grid using your mouse and match it on the grid, confirm with LMB. I keep running out of time, when I managed to find the first, I'm too late for the second, and after 25 seconds it sets off an alarm which means guards are on their way. Apparently disarming the alarm once is enough (maybe due to Easy) but I have to run to the switch every time I set it off and shut it off again by simply pressing spacebar.

To deactivate the alarm, you need to solve a puzzle, there are numbers on a printed circuit board and you have to trace their circuits and click the corresponding outlet, all in numerical order. The circuits look like a maze that intertwines with other circuits, some are dead ends, some lead to a number that is not in the right order to be clicked just now.

Those puzzles that deactivate an alarm are rather easy to solve for me, but that computer hacking is just silly.

well, after a bit of practice, those hacking attempts are not that difficult any more. Phew  :)

I nearly forgot, the game saves automatically at checkpoints and then overrides that autosave with the next checkpoint and so on but you can also manually "save last checkpoint." Not exactly brilliant but better than nothing at all.  :-\\

Oh, no luck with PRNTSCR for screenies. A bloody shame, really, why so many games these days deprive us of screenshots.  >:((

The manual savegame came in handy once. I managed to miss one part of the tutorial and went straight to the main mission. Having missed out on weapons orientation, my starting gear was erm, sub-optimal ;) I reloaded, and found Mina who sent me on the training course. I'm still there, it looks easier than it is to get a real good score. You'll be evaluated both regarding accuracy and time. Accuracy can be a bitch, because shotguns and automatic weapons do tend to send a few rounds into the walls and by that diminish your score significantly. The assault rifle apparently can't fire single shots, you'll always disperse like at least three shots or you're just lucky if you manage to shoot a burst with less rounds. I saw a few times that despite proper aiming (any other game would have registered a bulls eye kind of shot) I completely missed a target, even three times in a row, same target! Whoa. Hehe  ;D

The game starts with a lot of dialogue / cut scenes blended with free roam (if you want to call it that) inside some facility. Thats why I missed part of the tutorial, I simply walked past a door behind which I would have found Mina's office and instead I got debriefed. The conversations are usually interactive, you'll get to see a few options to choose from which will determine how the chat goes, also your choice will influence how you're being perceived, resulting in positive or negative karma with your dialogue partner. Unfortunately the game presents you with those options to choose from while you're still listening, and the choice is time critical. Like, a count down time bar runs out and whatever choice you made until then will be your response, even if you haven't heard what to respond to, or almost. That's why I recommend either replay the tutorial or watch Tez's vids, so at least you get a chance to check out what will be happening the next time, or respectively, when you enter a conversation. Another recommendation is to manually save checkpoints to fall back to, in case you screwed up somehow during test courses or specific conversations. You can't screw up that badly because the game will go on, however it may be a good idea to do it the way you think is in your best interest.

I just thought, maybe they didn't allow screenshots so there won't be too many people judge the game by its graphics  ^+-+ -- it isn't that bad, though. I like the game so far, walking around and getting bonus missions even during a tutorial is rather nice. The way the game presents itself is, well, kind of a half-breed: neither a typical shooter nor a typical RPG nor a typical interactive film. The funny thing: it still works. I'm in it so deeply that I don't want to stop playing. It is immersive, alright  ;D

Now I had to laugh  ^+-+ After "failing" (for my standards) miserably during weapons orientation, and spite of having tried a couple of times, I finally aced it. How? "Critical hits." Take your time when firing. Forget about time evaluation. At first I scored only around 50 to 65 points, and when I went through it the last time, I took aim carefully. I don't know why my record states 24 (!) critical hits, but it was worth 120 points alone, so I scored 190 total. Mina said it was one of the most impressive scores she'd ever seen. And that leads to another bonus mission where some bloke who fancies Mina (she kind of hates him though) tries to top your score and Mina wants you to teach him a lesson with non-lethal rounds.. Instead of a headshot, I decided to land a "critical hit" where it counts the most in a man  :o ;D which gained me a very positive karma point with Mina. Hehe  ;D

Oh crap, I'm really lucky I decided to save and subsequently reload then, I just realised I also had missed out on gadget orientation which leads to a bonus mission that earns you a lot of money (20k) -- make sure you do fine when completing tasks so you do get those bonus missions. When I first got debriefed early, I started with I think $3,500 and few XP points. Now I'll be wealthier and more experienced when I go on a real mission. :)

just a remark on the computer hacking and the weapons evaluation. After the tutorial debriefing you get to see some stats, there I found out that I had 27 rounds fired with my shotgun and had an amazing 100% accuracy. With a shotgun. LOL! And 81% with an SMG. Also quite good, better than expected, but 38% with that assault rifle. As expected.

There is also a record of the fastest hacking, mine was 6.46 seconds, LOL! That was pure luck I managed to get both passwords in that time.. compared to numerous attempts due to exceeding 25 seconds without solving the hacking puzzle, that is quite something ;D I don't do it that fast all the time!  :)

By the way, the game dialogues are not really funny, most of them are more or less about information. But one, so far:

Westridge: "Read much?"
you: "Not really. Mostly stop signs. Which I ignore.."  <cheeky smile>

;D

Now I'm in the middle of a mission in the Middle East. Took a lot of time to get started for real, taking on a mission that is, because there were so many things to check out first.

After the tutorial you find yourself in a safehouse which has got a couple of things to use and to check out before you go on a mission (at least I like to check stuff out that's there rather than to leave that behind without knowing whether or not it would have been useful). There are simple things like change your appearance (very few options) or read emails (might be useful, like Mina's email had an attachment that on opening transferred 10k to my bank account, hehe) or log in onto your arms dealer and do instant business (funny, you purchase items online, switch off the computer and check your inventory or your weapons locker where those items will be available already) which includes weapons and armour and other stuff, weapon and armour upgrades, and last but not least intel. When you purchase intel (ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand bucks) it will help you with your missions; some "intel" rids you of some opponents (fewer guards left on site) and some may be an additional mission. So what I did was buy some upgrades like a silencer for my pistol, ammo, of course hand grenades (also some pyro stuff grenades hehehe)  ;D

After buying hardware, I spent the rest of my money on software (intel) so I'm both broke and got almost all intel available for purchase now. Was broke, that is, because during my first mission (I was allowed to select which one to start with) I found a bag with cash, another 10 grand added to my account  8) I killed a few enemies with a very noisy pistol.. noisy? The silencer must have fallen off, I had to put it on again using my inventory, strange. Ah, I remember replacing some barrel which excluded the silencer. That is exactly the kind of stuff that I know from Hitman:Blood money. Actually, it is really quite similar to that game: You're an agent with a license to kill, an agency offers jobs, weapons, intel.. a safehouse.. very similar. Which I like  :)

So far it is very nice. By the way, the lip sync is alright. I remember Tez remarking about that, and I believe that FRAPS interfered with it, same with arms dealer menu: mine worked just nicely.

It is nice to be on a mission now, because the environment finally has changed; no more bunker facility with fake combat, this time it's "real" and I can make use of what I learned. Whenever possible, I rely on my martial arts based close quarter combat and I am quite proficient with it. The silenced pistol with scope (again, like HM:BM) isn't that silenced.. later there may be some upgrades, I hope :)

Ok, I finished that first mission. I had to infiltrate a place, disable the power generator, and retrieve intel from the terrorists by hacking into their PC (lol, 7.x seconds). Then new enemies popped up -- sure, stealth hacking and no alarm yet here they come -- and I had to get out from a maze of subterranean chambers and tunnels just to clear the extraction point for a black hawk. The hand grenades are not bad but incendiary bombs (special hand grenades) are just better.. they blow up and set nearby people on fire  >:D Any grenade is useful when dealing with enemies in an elevated and covered position -- lob one up and grin while walking away  ;D The mission looked nearly impossible to get into at first, enemies all around me and the hint to wait for a sandstorm to arrive was crap, I didn't feel like hanging around doing nothing and that sandstorm might never have come anyway. So I died two times when attempting to shoot enemies with my pistol or SMG, the next attempt was to blow up a truck behind which some guys were hiding and lob grenades into watch towers to take out MG shooters. No way to sneak in unnoticed, at least not for me with my basic equipment, so I did it loud and dirty. With success. Like I do in FC2: Leave no man behind. Alive, that is.  ;D By the way, kill one enemy and then wait for his friends, kill them and wait for more.. until they stop arriving there. Hehe  ;D

I haven't figured out why when I earned and found money my balance is not as high as I had expected. Do I have to pay for medical bills? No idea. I had guessed I'd have something like 30k but only got like 17k after the mission. Never mind. Something I really don't like is that after a mission and before you reach the next checkpoint you level up and only then it saves. I might try to skip distributing XP points and try to do it after having saved. Like that I could redo it by reloading a savegame without having to finish some last part of a mission again. By the way, so far I don't think there is a limit to savegame slots, I keeeeeeep saving a lot :)

Currently I'm playing the next mission, locations so far look good but not overwhelmingly good. Still, don't worry if your read that, I mention it because I believe it is important to know but at the same time I repeat, don't worry because the gameplay will keep you busy enough that you won't take notice. It's not hectic, which I like, you can take your time to walk around, think about how you're going to proceed, enough time for tactical thoughts. What I don't like is that the map isn't bound to a key (or I haven't found it in the keymapping) -- you need to open the inventory and there open intel which will open the map. Quite a chore if you want to check quickly  where you are or where you're going to find objectives.

The basics of a mission are:

• follow waypoints (checkpoints)
• avoid or eliminate guards
• avoid or deactivate alarms
• lockpicking and computer hacking
• search all rooms for collectibles (ammo, upgrades, money)
• accomplish secondary objectives if available
• if you can't avoid it, finish the mission ;)

oh, another funny moment. "gather intel" led me to hack into a computer terminal which was located right next to a massive rocket launcher turret (looked like those of JC2 which protect military facilities, AA sites). The hack caused that thing to launch a proper AA missile that went straight into the opposite wall. My radio switched on

Westridge: "What the hell was that?"
you: "I, erm, launched a rocket."

^+-+

Ok I admit it, this game is addictive. The stories (missions) can be influenced by your actions. If you were to find a bad guy, once you found him you could decide how to deal with him, like taunt him, believe him, execute him (for the more drastic sort of conversation) and so on. Obviously an executed baddy can't be of much help any more, but in case you let him live, he may go and get intel for you or you might get better offers, money.. nice :)

Now after the first big series of operations in the Middle East, I am told to specialise. Skills like pistol or martial arts so far were freely accessible, you could spend your XP points randomly across the skills sheet, but there is a limit as to how many per skill unless you have to specialise in three skills -- then you have about twice as many upgrades available for those special skills (given you have enough XP points). What I like is that at this point, when you decide in which fields to specialise (operative = free choice, vs preset specialisations) you are allowed to redistribute XP points which allows for corrections or completely new arrangements. That part reminds me of Mass Effect 1, there you could specialise too and I believe you were also allowed to redistribute XP points.

Indeed, savegames are good. I reloaded one that put me back at the end of "episode 1" and before specialising. I wanted to redo some conversations and get a different result which I managed to do, also reconsider specialisation. Now things go the way I hope they're best for my type of game.

I like how it develops. And apart from shooting or stealth approaches the game is about choices. Many of them. And all of them have an influence on how it's developing. You can play a real badass and kill everyone when given the opportunity (not my style) or something in between or no kills at all. A lot of freedom there :) I play a style between professional and friendly (I don't kill any target unless I've got all intel necessary that justifies such an act) and I'm mostly into martial arts incapacitating opponents rather than using weapons, unless I have to shoot my way out, that is. I believe there is a lot of potential for replays, if you have time for it that is. I have a feeling that I'm far from the end, yet I've done so much already.

For some reason the graphics seem to improve over time.. almost as if rewarding you for playing on  ;D I really like the game, so far it is very immersive, you build some kind of relationship between you and main characters, be it like or dislike, there are characters you get used to meeting or hearing from. I like that a lot :)

Quote from: JRD on August 03, 2010, 03:00:33 PMThis game looks cool!  8)

Reminds me of Splinter Cell games, which I enjoyed a lot... only played the very first SC and there are a few of them - a new title, SC Conviction is out now!

It is a really good game. I like to spend time playing it, very enjoyable. No hiccups during gameplay, all smooth. I don't know SC apart from what I couldn't avoid hearing about it, but at that time it didn't interest me. So I can't compare it with AP.

Quote from: JRD on August 03, 2010, 03:00:33 PMI like how the guy play stealth. For what he said you can just go guns blazing as well, which adds for good replay value even for a linear looking game!  :-X

For me this time stealth wasn't really an option.. early in the game I failed miserably, so I chose to do it Star Wars style: "The force will be with you"  ;D If I see enemies, I take 'em all down. Those who are not into close quarter combat get shot, plain and simple. Hehe  ;D

Quote from: JRD on August 03, 2010, 03:00:33 PMKeep us posted of how you like it, mate!

I'm on it, I'm on it.. but I kind of miss responses. No replies ever since I've started to report..  :-(

Quote from: Art Blade on August 08, 2010, 02:50:24 PM
(...) I kind of miss responses. No replies ever since I've started to report..  :-(

Chillax, mate... I'm reading through your reports!  ^+-+

Only, I'm busy doing other stuff this weekend and also I can feel the excitement of a new game in your posts. Maybe after a few days of gameplay you'll come up with a less biased report!  ;)

Sriously now... the RPG aspect of this game sounds interesting, but if its too much RPG, I'll let it pass... when you have some kind of control on skills I find it cool, but when I have to study thoroughly how to distribute skill points before level up and choose among dozens of skills, then it turns into an annoying task instead of fun time! I quit playing Knights of the Old Republic due to that kind of thing. I actually picked it up from where I left once, but can't w@&k my way through so many options and stuff!

Spliter Cell is a stealth game with capital stealth! Once you engage in open combat, you are screwed. Your character pick locks, hack computers, hide in the shadow, stealth kill people, hide bodies.. all unnoticed... great game but very linear.

I'll keep checking here and see how you like it, but am more interested in your reports about WoP!  ;D ;D ;D

Thanks for that, lol  ;D

There are only like 10 skills (never counted them) 9 skills. One is stealth, one is martial arts, and the rest is devided into weapons and other skills, like how your health increases or how you can make use of tech stuff. So not too much of it, but each skill branch can be taken through maybe 25 15 improvements. That's when the specialisation kicks in, the basics can only be taken to like level 10 level 7, and from there on only three skills can be taken to the max.

You can try and accomplish missions unseen, but for my taste it takes too long  ;D I decided to do it pac man style.. gobble my way through every opponent as quickly as possible until I get to the heart of the mission. It still took some time  ;D The rest of the game (perhaps 50%) is story with dialogue options and decisions like which mission to take on, and reading through intel, emails etc.. so 50% action, 50% RPG. Just like we discussed a few times lately, it's kind of a TPS RPG or a RPG with TPS aspects  ;D Definitely not focussing on action although it plays a big role.. lol, you see..  ;)

And one thing, I'm not biased because it's new. Remember HoE? It was new and I virtually killed it on the forum very quickly. AP is just a good game from start  :)

did check the skills sheet ;)

About interaction with other characters through dialogue options:

From start, everyone is neutral towards you. A lot of those options are linked with karma points. If a character prefers a professional talk and you keep joking or insulting or flirting instead of talking business, you'll gain negative karma points with that character. Most of the time a professional attitude gains you positive karma points. The karma points are linked with the dialogue partner, not with you, so you'll never see it like we do on this forum where you'll know someone gave you  a thumbs up, in the game you'll see who  gave you a thumbs up (or a smite).

They turn from neutral to "like" (likes you) to trusting to friend. 10 positive karma points equals friendship, you can't top that any more as far as I could observe. One (maybe two) negative karma points still let them appear neutral towards you. In my game all characters range from neutral to "like" and only with Mina I'm friends. The way they talk to you changes depending on your reputation, someone who likes you will likely provide you with intel and keep a nicer tone in his conversations, and with a friend there's some personal touch to it, and you get emails asking how you're doing etc. If you piss someone off, that will be reflected in his replies and dialogue options, too. One example is what Tez showed in one of his vids, when Westridge communicated with him via TV, he switched it off. If you do that, cut off a dialoge, it will result in -1 reputation (with Westridge in that case) :)

So that's why it is important to consider (quickly) how to respond in a talk or if you are allowed to reply to an email (not common) you can choose which way you'd like to reply, too.

I like it how you can "make friends" or leave them be (neutral) or annoy them (I don't know what happens then, I never tried that on purpose -- I used to gain another positive karma to get even). Obviously you can't befriend someone when you keep annoying and pleasing them in turns.. that will just add up to neutral while you could have gathered positive karma all the way (or negative karma, if you are so inclined).

Quite interesting, that  :) :-X

Now I have to stop playing (bed time) -- this game has turned from a simple shooter with some RPG elements (what I had expected first) over a good RPG with TPS aspects into a great political thriller. If you do it right, regarding reputation and buying intel, it is even better than some movie productions. The plot is cool and turns in ways that are not exactly predictable. Probably the best "modern" RPG I've played so far. :-X On top, I like the voices and voice acting.

My initial reaction when you reported that the graphics are a bit dated was that it is not the game for me - unless the graphics are stunningly realistic, I find it difficult to get really into it.  However, as your stories develop, the RPG aspects seem intriguing.  :-X

Funny... I read some bad reviews at IGN and Gamespot... not that hey are spot on with my taste, but usually games I like get good reviews there and games I don`t like get bad reviews.

A good plot is essential for a good game, no matter if its an RPG, FPS, TPS. And also good action mechanics to stealth or combat. Both things are what those sites lists as clumsy and soulless!  ????

You know guys.. maybe they  are biased.  ;D Maybe they haven't actually played it themselves.. or, not intensely enough. Game graphics not stunningly realistic keep you from playing? FO3 got a lot of attention here, even a board of its own.

I'm not writing here to make anyone like or even buy any game, I write my personal opinion and try to be as open minded as possible, so I always mention stuff that doesn't seem to w@&k well and games like HoE get a virtual headshot from my end if they deserve it ("make sure to use a joystick" -- no joystick supported and even after patching it was not properly implemented). But if a game is good, I explain why I think it's good.

Bad critics? What about FC2? The game our entire site is built upon didn't exactly appear to be any good if you check the countless forums, including UBI's, and critics weren't exactly great if I remember correctly. I ended up here back then because I was desperate.. no one had good and useful advice so I was looking for cheats, and when I found the roots of this site here, only then did I learn how differently it could be perceived.

So I actually don't care what anyone else utters about games, unless they're members of OWG. Or if I can watch vids on youtube that show a lot about a game.. like those from Tez.

However, I've played a couple of RPGs and this here is a lot of fun. If it had graphics like Kane&Lynch, I'd probably need medication upgrades and be treated by a vet (bigger doses) to keep me from playing this day and night  ;D

About action mechanics, here you go:

Action is shooting, taking cover, seek and destroy, hide and discover.. all that takes place, while enemies don't really seem to hide. They're either posted or on patrol. If they spot you or alarm is raised (by the player who isn't yet able to quickly solve puzzles or gets caught in a vid cam surveillance) they will try to track you down without subtlety. This helps when you sneak away silently or if you want them to run into the trap you're sitting in waiting for them. They will use cover to their advantage and maybe wait for you to show, but I've not seen them trying to flank me. Perhaps because I killed them first or there was no way of flanking me (me in a trap, a room with only one door, lol). The fights are fun but hell, they sometimes manage to kill you if you're not really aware of dangers ;)

You can shoot them with all kinds of upgradeable weapons and different ammo types (for example armour piercing rounds or tranquilizers and other types). You're carrying two weapons of your choice, you're not bound to a pistol in one slot and a rifle in the second slot, you can go into combat with a shotty and dual SMGs if you like. Then there are gadgets, like mines, EMPs, explosives, remotely detonable mines, hand grenades of various flavours.. man, you can be a one man army  ;D Stealth depends on your outfit.. the heavier your gear, the more noise you make.. less noise = less items in your inventory and poorer armour. Full armour and stuffed to your teeth with weapons and gadgets, you're not exactly a butterfly in a mild breeze. More like a tank with smelly feet ;D Armour upgrades can increase your stealth. Stealth works, but it takes time to move around, better change your loadout before you go on a mission so you're not a rattling collection of tin pots when trying to sneak around unseen ;) And better use heavy armour and guns if you are the "all in" type  ;D

And there is martial arts. It does look very good, and you hit E a couple of times to perform a series of (random) kicks and punches, later you can upgrade to run and jump into an enemy knee first and knock him out, and then if you like stomp him in the guts to finish him off. Martial arts is my favourite style, it looks really cool and the sounds you make are cool too (due to very fast punches you hear your suit make noises that indeed resemble those noises that can be heard in a real life training / in a dojo). It usually doesn't kill enemies but renders them incapacitated, which is good enough. Later on you can upgrade martial arts to finish someone off after dishing out a blow and immediately pull out your gun to shoot your enemy at point blank distance, if you want to kill him that is. When hidden, you can choose between either "take him out" or "perform a kill" -- so again, choices.

So combat and stealth and all that is available, depending on how you like to play, and all of it can be fun. I'm more the tank type with a bit of camouflage around the cannons, though  ;D

Quote from: JRD on August 09, 2010, 01:33:45 AM
usually games I like get good reviews there and games I don`t like get bad reviews.

Quote from: Art Blade on August 09, 2010, 09:36:56 AM

Bad critics? What about FC2?

Hehehehehe... I see I touched a nerve  :-() :-() :-()

Both IGN and Gamespot gave FC2 8,0-8,5, which is very good imo.

Reviwers are usually meeting a deadline and not playing the kind of game they like - when they actually get to play it right! But some guys can be pretty much straightforward sometimes and bad reviews are bond to point out some fun ruining flaws  ;)

I'm glad you are taking the time to write about your gaming experience... an OWG member opinion worth ten thousand site reviews for me!  :-X :-X

A few questions you can answer though

- Environment: I've seen building interiors in a videoa and nothing else (didn't do my homework properly yet  ::) ). What kind of places you play at? Indoors mostly or anything outdoors where a sniper rifle is of some use? Linear games usually "make" areas for a sniper approach, like a big square in a city-like environment, but are otherwise a close quarter kind of thing!

- Cover mechaniism: if you ever played Rainbow Six Vegas, you know what a great cover mechanism is... how does it plays out in AP? Your last post mentions that mechanism, but when it is well implemented, a game gets a new meaning! R6V made a great w@&k with cover/blind shooting

- How much Artificial Dumbness they put into that game? Are enemies ameba-brained or do they care for their digital self?

Ahhh, balls. JRD, you posted while I'm still on this!!  ^+-+ So I'll slip in a reply and then add my freshly composed post  ;D

---

Quote from: JRD on August 09, 2010, 01:58:35 PM
Hehehehehe... I see I touched a nerve  :-() :-() :-()
Really? I haven't noticed.  ;D ;D ;D

I'm glad you are taking the time to write about your gaming experience... an OWG member opinion worth ten thousand site reviews for me!  :-X :-X Thanks, I see you're glad that you're with us, mate :)

A few questions you can answer though sure

- Environment: I've seen building interiors in a video and nothing else (didn't do my homework properly yet  ::) ).never mind ;) What kind of places you play at? Indoors mostly nope, like 50/50.. sometimes in a building, sometimes an Arab palace ruin, now I'm in Rome, then there is Moscow, and I think China.. all over the world, different locations, and you live in different safehouses with a really posh design :) or anything outdoors where a sniper rifle is of some use? Although a sniper rifle isn't available at the arms dealer (at least not yet) there are missions that provide the opportunity to use one which can be found in dead drops or guard towers. Linear games usually "make" areas for a sniper approach, like a big square in a city-like environment, but are otherwise a close quarter kind of thing! Here it's everything :) Even conversation meetings may take place in a street caffe or a bar.. really diversified :)

- Cover mechaniism: if you ever played Rainbow Six Vegas no..., you know what a great cover mechanism is... no idea... how does it plays out in AP? Your last post mentions that mechanism, but when it is well implemented, a game gets a new meaning! R6V made a great w@&k with cover/blind shooting You can do that, take cover and pop up from behind and shoot and flick back into cover, the AI does that, too

- How much Artificial Dumbness they put into that game? Are enemies ameba-brained or do they care for their digital self? They're not completely stupid, but they need to risk something if I don't leave a building.. so they get in and I kill them  ;D The AI is good enough on Easy, no idea how Medium or Hard plays out.

Now that is weird. A bad guy I'm after met with me and we had a chat during which I managed to gather 9/10 karma points with him = trusted. Later, different mission: When trespassed rather than break into his villa, he had me dragged to his desk and there we talked a bit more, resulting in 10/10 = friend. Which didn't stop him from ordering his guard to introduce me to an electro shocker that let me drop off my chair. He then said something like "That was 10,000 volts. Guards, beat him until he can no longer stand but make sure that he's still able to talk."  You see, there are friends and there are friends.  ^+-+

A tip on both disabling alarm and hacking into a computer: Learn to do two things at the same time: While you trace one route on the circuit of an alarm board, check where the next number is so you can go on quicker. While hacking, move both passwords around (left hand/left password with keyboard, right hand/right password mouse). That allows you to create shorter ways to the matches. My fastest attempt in hacking is now 4.80 seconds and indeed I've improved a lot and like that I usually end up under 10 secs.

Sounds too difficult? Well here is something for you: EMP "grenades." Stick or throw them to the device you want to break and BANG.. done. 2 seconds perhaps  ;D Only you can't carry around a bag full of EMPs.. so keep them for the tough stuff you're having real difficulties hacking, if you're having difficulties, that is. You can also develop skills that give you more time disabling devices or hacking systems. And there are armour upgrades (let's call it a data glove) that slightly improve your skills, too. And there are perks that come with increased skills, you can activate them for some time and then they need to cool down for some time. All that to solve one particular situation, and that goes for other situations as well.. again, choices.. :)

Regarding graphics, the game is far from photo-realistic, but some elements are rather nicely done, others are still quite nice.. it's like a mixture of Hitman:BloodMoney on steroids combined with TDU (the interior design of villas) and now I think I know why the graphics are hmmm not typical for a PC game.. it's a SEGA production.. a console manufacturer/game publisher.. SEGA was never a top league player in this regard as far as I know, judging from SEGA games I know. Anyway, still, there are a lot of different areas and locations, interior as well as exterior, all in all quite nice. I'd like to think that even a modded FO3 looks a little worse ;)

Hmm... checking some gameplay vids on youtube as I type!  8)

Hey Come on... graphics are very nice!!! I've played Tomb Rider, mate, I've played Doom on release!  >:D

Hmmm... can't be more linear than what I see... seems like good fun though.  :-X

Most of all, I like the idea of an RPG that is neither in outter space / alien world or dungeons and dragons!

Enjoy, mate and keep the reports flowing!

cheers :) Doom? I see you're being realistic.  >:D

What I like about AP is that some of your communication actions take a while to kick in.. for example, emails. There are several characters I receive emails from and to some of them I may reply. There are, of course, choices as to how or whom to, like forwarding intel to someone you think is best or flirting rather than dismissing.. and then you've got to wait until after the next mission to receive a reply. And only then will you know if you did it "right." So you can't always just go back to the last savegame to redo some conversation but probably just accept the outcome. I once had the choice to either meet with someone who sent an invitation via email or forward it to Mina so she could try to find out something. I forwarded it and later I found out that because I didn't reply to the sender, the meeting never happened.. because he got killed. I might have had a chat with him if I hadn't made that decision. Or maybe he would have killed me when I showed up.. or I missed out on some intel or never got a new extra mission.. I don't know. You see, if you interact with characters, they may give you extra missions, or not. It all depends.. on choices  ;D

A couple of things, briefly.

I just played a mission that was different. At one point I had to choose left or right (no matter what, "you can't have the cake and eat it"), and after that I couldn't go back. The result of my choice had multiple effects, one in how the mission played out, two the debriefing, three in the general story telling (the game starts with kind of an interview situation and then goes three months back in time so you can play what had happened then, and occasionally you get back to now and play that current interview and so forth) and probably more effects yet to come. That branching is interesting regarding replay value and I think it calls for a savegame there so you can play the other way through (which I haven't yet). I believe both ways end in a brutal situation, at least what I did was rational but of course resulted in a win and a loss,  as assumingly would have if played the other way round, like a loss and a win.  Cool  :-X

The game is so massive and I want to get through quickly but there are too many options -- I'd have to play several times through to test at least some of them. Since the game makes you solve puzzles such as hacking into computers, I decided to hack into my very own PC.

What I did was reading out my RAM and changed some data and that enabled me to level up excessively and to max out rapidly all available skills. Also I treated myself to some extra cash and purchased all available weapons and upgrades etc from all weapon dealers. Now I'm sort of supercharged within the limits of the game settings and it is still fun to play because that doesn't change the story. At least I know what all those upgrades do and which armour suit is coolest etc. Like that I can comment on an awful lot of stuff such as weapons, armour, skills, upgrades and so on.

I used ArtMoney (nothing to do with me) which I already mentioned at the end of FC2's cheat topic, in case you're interested.

Anyone interested in a full spoiler, Wikipedia is just about right for that. Describes various aspects of the game, too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Protocol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Protocol)


Heh, what I've seen so far! Safehouses in the Middle East, Italy (Rome), Taiwan (Taipei), Russia (Moscow) yet to come.. nice. Dealt with CIA, VCI (Veteran Combat Initiative), triads, all kinds of fanatics, criminal businessmen.. yay.

There was a funny moment when I had an option to drop down into something like a canal with dark brown stuff in it.. out of curiosity (not need) I jumped in. Twice.

(Paraphrasing) You: "Eeeew.. I don't want to know what it is I'm stepping in.. it's pudding. Keep telling yourself you're walking in a big bowl of chocolate pudding.. Yech! It smells of gook a$$! -- Mina, remind me to burn everything I'm wearing when I get home!"  ^+-+

Quote from: fragger on August 11, 2010, 10:08:20 PM
Btw Art - I haven't commented yet, but I'm enjoying your review of AP. Sounds like quite an interesting game - yucky, smelly brown stuff notwithstanding :-X Just remember to wipe your feet before you rejoin polite company :-\\

Thanks, mate :)

Wipe my feet? Hehe, since there's martial arts available, I'd prefer a different approach.. if I see an enemy from behind, I'll kick him in the butt so hard the lump in his throat will be the tip of my boot.  ;D

I have a new funny friend. Crazed out, more likely :) Nomen est omen, he is called Steven Heck  ;D

From my (Mike Thorton) latest debriefing:

QuoteDuring the pursuit, Steven Heck (at Agent Thorton's request) arrived to offer emergency backup. Said backup came in the form of Heck crudely mounting a minigun to a subway car firing wildly at Chinese secret police officers as his train passed the platform.

When that happened I was busy a bit away in a room on that platform and I heard that ruckus outside. I thought a war had broken out. LOL  ^+-+

Now I see results of my general attitude and strategy. Two groups (a triad and a covert organisation) assist me in a current mission because of my previous actions and reputation and they are provided by Heck with better weapons and armour. Four of the many characters are +10 rep with me = friends and most of them range from liked to trusted towards me. Only very few are neutral. This is really a cool game, considering how many things there are that you can influence in different ways and the effects of your actions play a role in upcoming missions (as well as in whether or not there are extra missions available).  :-X

Also it payed off that I usually don't kill people unless it's unavoidable, I just received a reward for not killing 250 opponents.. my endurance got a significant boost. Actually all your actions give you all kinds of perks.

I've read a little on the net about this game: As usual, there are people who love it as well as people who don't. Most of what I read from those who don't like it seems to be unfulfilled expectation. Which means that they expected the game to be something, whatever that was, and apparently never gave it a chance. We all know, meanwhile, that the game's graphics don't meet extremely high standards, but hey, I told you, it's really ok. The issues some people report regarding glitches and so on: I don't know about them, the game never crashed here, never produced graphical errors of any kind and the AI was thank god quite predictable (as are mercs in FC2 and govmen in JC2 etc). It's not a fast paced action shooter alright.

The sneaking around does w@&k, only it really requires you to observe the patterns of the AI and cope with them accordingly which does take time. Sometimes a lot of time, but that again is cool.. it's thrilling not to get detected at all and it's doable. Then you'll have to find out which weapons suit you best, I think good advice is Pistol and Assault Rifle. When you read the mission briefing, you really should go back to your armoury and make changes necessary and hope you chose well. Which is another thrill. Once you've picked your weapons and combat suit (there are many) all upgrades and whatever kind of stuff you possess will be available during the missions so you can exchange parts to adapt even better, only you can't change the weapons, gadgets and suits during a mission.

The next thing you should consider is that aiming accurately requires you to train your weapon on your target and wait until the crosshair has homed in completely on the target ("critical shot"). Any firing while moving or from the hip is pure luck, so don't complain -- in real life it would be the same. Then there are your skills.. you'll find out quite easily what does or might suit you best because every single upgrade is clickable offering a description, even if you can't yet upgrade. So you can read what the master skills (maxed out) would be if you chose them. Which is way cooler than any other game I know, they used to hide such information rendering your levelling-up a matter of luck, here it isn't.

Then the main thing, the conversations, well.. you don't have much time to select a reply. It is still doable, and in case you screwed up, there are your individual savegames, so save the game after every checkpoing. If you forget to save, it's your own fault. You'd still progress but probably not the way you wanted to. I reloaded a few savegames to replay part of a mission so I could revoke previous mistakes during conversations or "wrong turns" in the game. You don't need to do that, the game will go on regardless, but I like to get it right (the way I want to) and for me it's not a problem to replay from the last (or any) checkpoint if I insist on getting a specific result. All that is mostly relevant if you want to get your reputation right (no matter in which direction you want to go) so either making friends or foes or keep characters neutral.. your choice. And it's fun to see what happens or how it changes if you choose a different reply.

All that said, the game is wonderful, you really get the impression that what you do does matter and you really can make a change = your decisions and actions are long-lasting and will have an effect on the game. Just great, excellent replay value for further playthroughs.

I am thoroughly enjoying the game  :-X :)

Quote from: Art Blade on August 12, 2010, 01:32:46 PM
Also it payed off that I usually don't kill people unless it's unavoidable, I just received a reward for not killing 250 opponents.. my endurance got a significant boost. Actually all your actions give you all kinds of perks.

I assume you`ll have another go on the game, this time unleashing the inner beast in a killing spree?!?!?!  >:D >:D

tempting, like: what happens if you choose "execute" rather than talk, and what happens if you piss everyone off you meet, and what you meant, what happens if you kill rather than subdue enemies.  :) But I know I can't do that for long, let alone through an entire game ;)

One thing that I need to mention about AP:

Low system specs supported. Due to the lack of extremely posh graphics. So that is actually a PRO rather than a contra point, people with less advanced machines are able to play a modern game. Consider that :) :-X

Ha, see.. staying cool and thoughtful pays off, "parting ways without a fight, SIE remains a potential contact and handler for future missions."  ;D

Quote from: Art Blade on August 13, 2010, 01:41:53 PM
tempting, like: what happens if you choose "execute" rather than talk, and what happens if you piss everyone off you meet, and what you meant, what happens if you kill rather than subdue enemies.  :) But I know I can't do that for long, let alone through an entire game ;)

In games like that I tend to play through once as a good guy, doing my best to help and being, say, polite...  :-()

Second time around, I'm a mean motherfucker... I'll kill you regardless of what you've done to me, so don't help me... or help me and die anyway  >:D

Subsequent attempts would be a mix of the previous two... kill if I think I should or let live if I think I should!

Man... being God ought to be cool!  8)

I see the many opportunities the game has to offer which allow for many different outcomes, and that is just great. The last bit you wrote, decide whom to kill or let live, is what you do anyway. My "problem" is that I'm used to logic and reason combined with social skills which the game rewards big time. I don't know if it rewards brutal jackasses  ;D

For instance, I just played through a set of missions, which were caused by previous actions, building on each other. The reason for that set of consecutive missions is that (again) I spared a life. That initial mission debriefing contained a warning "potential enemies" (for letting them survive) but I managed to turn that situation into an advantage: I gained a new ally (who used to be a "potential enemy") and that new ally on top opened access to new arms dealer items.. :)

This game is awesome.  ;D

Interesting stuff, Art :-X And thanks for the info re: system specs :)

thanks and welcome :) The sys specs can be found at the beginning of my report where I quoted the installation message.

Quote1) System Requirements
Minimum System Requirements:
Operating System:
Windows XP or Vista
Processor:
2.4+GHZ Intel or 2.0+GHZ AMD
Memory:
1 Gigabyte RAM (XP)
2 Gigabyte RAM (Vista)
Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 6 series (6800GT or better)
ATI 1300XT or better (X1550, X1600 Pro and HD2400 are below minimum system requirements)
Hard Drive Space:
12 Gigabytes
Sound Card:
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers

NOTE: It may be necessary to update your hardware drivers.
Intel integrated graphics chips are not officially supported.

By the way, just a FYI, the graphics (again): The game is based on the Unreal engine which explains a lot. ;)

***

People, I can't get that silly grin off my face  ^+-+ I'm playing the endgame now. Depending on what you did (if you played it like me) there will be some rather amusing moments that are, how shall I put it, quite "mature."  ;) ;D

There have been quite a few occasions that made me admire the storytelling and I love the numerous moments I could change the chain of events, making things happen that seemed unlikely, not to say impossible. I'm glad I have kept saving after each checkpoint so I had the opportunity to test a few things and there are still a lot of undiscovered ways which I'm looking forward to check out.

One thing is certain: This game has a replay value that looks extremely promising, almost uncountable occasions to make choices that change everything. Until now I'm talking about conversation choices and decisions during missions but there are even more basic things that will have a great impact on the gameplay like how you choose to spend your AP points in respect of diversifying skills and making use of various gadgets or with respect to maximising your skills according to your fighting and weapon style.

It's been a while that I enjoyed an RPG so much. The last good ones were Oblivion and FO3, but they are quite different from ALPHA Protocol. This game is a political thriller taking place here and now, not some fantasy or sci-fi setting. Very interesting concept and very addictive.

In case you're uncertain, I think this game is what you make of it. If you give it a chance and accept its unusual or perhaps odd ways, you will be able to immerse quickly and have a lot of fun. The game and story to me is like "I really want to know what's going to happen next" depending on the choices I made and so on.. In a way it's not exactly linear as there are too many ways to change the outcome of various events. :)

I'm through  :)

Man, that was so much fun and entertainment.. excellent :-X

In case someone is interested in cheats, I'm just taking a look at my favourite cheats site.

http://www.cheatbook.de/files/alphaprotocol.htm (http://www.cheatbook.de/files/alphaprotocol.htm)

Just for comparison

old graphics (about one year before release) vs actual graphics.

Alpha Protocol (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8O7YzkwZdw#ws)

Alpha Protocol The Espionage RPG official [HD] video game trailer PS3 Xbox 360 PC (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IVgwbAIItI#ws)

Actually, opinions voiced in the second vid are basically what I'd say about the game :) :-X

And the graphics aren't that bad ;)

Quote from: Art Blade on August 07, 2010, 01:31:02 PM:D No screenshots, irfanView doesn't register anything, PRNTSCR only produces a black image. I'm in the setup of the game still, maybe during gameplay.  >:(( :-\\

Strange, there is a folder called "screenshots" and there is a (one) screenshot with a date/time stamp matching my first playthrough. Although there is no way of mapping a key to it nor is a screenshot function documented, there must be a key. I remember that I once ran through all F-keys and that might have caused that lone screenie. After reading through various files in the game folders, I found an entry but no matching key.

In the spirit of OWG yours truly checked it out and found it.

F9 is the key! Unbelievable, but it produces BMP files with an incredible filesize of around 7MB and they are located on your OS/master drive. Nice. So that means.. cleaning up every now and then, batch-converting them into jpeg files so I don't litter my good old HD with silly amounts of massive pics. :)

[smg id=2498 type=link align=center width=400 caption="AP Michael Thorton"]

Well, at least you were able to discover a way to accomplish your desired task - funny how they seem to almost hide the fact that a game can capture stills or movies.

Not almost, they actually did hide it. I found it hidden in a file among a bulk of game files. The information wasn't even available on the net, all I found were comments like the ones I posted previously (black screen) and recommendations like "use FRAPS."

2nd playthrough commenced

[smg id=2499 type=link align=center width=400 caption="AP Thorton talking"]

Equipped with the experience gained during the first playthrough and still dwelling on fond memories of all the exitement and fun I had, I decided to start over. This time I chose to start as "Recruit" which gives you additional conversation options during orientation (tutorial). It was actually fun and one may receive special perks when using those recruit options. It will also unlock the "Veteran" option for future playthroughs (again, like recruit, it will only affect the orientation phase).

This time I enjoyed the tutorial and didn't miss out on stuff, unlike during my first attempt. Ahh, I'm rubbing my hands in anticipation of  new adventures as I am going to do some things differently. I also decided to erm, tweak my skills a little.. I already maxed all of them out (apart from those that go beyond upgrade level 10 when having to specialise, three skills can be maxed out up to upgrade level 15). Some extra cash doesn't do any harm, so I erm, inherited some money which miraculously boosted my funds. I'm more interested in the story than in slowly upgrading my stuff.

On we go  ;D

Something I do differently is how I deal with enemies. I focus on stealth and sneaking up on someone and take him out either using martial arts or with tranquilizer rounds from my pistol or throwing shock traps -- none of the aforementioned ways kill a person but they all serve well if you just want to incapacitate opponents. I'll still have to try flash bangs (deafening and blinding grenades).

For the first time I managed to finish a mission without setting off any alarm and without killing anyone. Stealth is taking quite some time but it also helps finding bonus objectives which then may be rewarded with some extra perks :)

I'm enjoying this. Stealth approach is interesting, because if you shoot someone in front of someone else's eyes, that'd be it -- alarm  ;) So I carefully pick each target and take them out one by one.. and then I can horse around unmolested.

[smg id=2500  type=link align=center width=400 caption="AP Thorton posing 01"]

Nice graphics!  :-X

Kind of reminds me of 15th century Italy  :-()

Hehe, I see.. AC2 on your mind :)

This here is in the Middle East, and yes.. as I said, the graphics aren't that  bad at all.  :)

Indeed - I love the AC2 graphics  :-X

Then you'd be fine with AP.

It's the Unreal 3 engine and I don't see much of a difference between AC2 and AP.  :)

Sounds like another one for the list of games I'd eventually like to play  :-X  ;)

Me too. I like the idea and technique of sneaking around and stealthily taking down enemies one by one. That was my favourite aspect of the old Deus Ex. I like to try to do that in FC2 as well on occasion, but it doesn't always pan out :-\\

Have fun on your second go-around, Art. If you're like me, you will - I always enjoy games more after the first -thru, when you can start thinking about doing things differently or better :-D

cheers :)
Enemies subdued:
38 tranquilized
14 electrocuted
83 knocked out
135 total. So far, no kills  :-X

Got to keep this one brief, bed time.. ;)

That`s definitely the kind of game I`d replay using the opposite technique I used on the first time around! I like to try the hard approach - stealth - at least once, maybe the first playthrough is so intense I would be eager to get to the end of the game and eventually go the noisy way. But my 2nd time around would be sneaking!

just the way I did it, then. Quick, loud enough (assault rifle plus grenades) and killing a thousand opponents, yet I discovered how cool the martial arts was (and it saved ammo). Now complete stealth and different skill set maxed out.

The game doesn't seem to reward the bad guy type of player, I tried some of that but soon noticed how much less options I had thereafter, so I try different things which are still "good." :)

You can learn a thing or three about subtle tactics and stealth from me.  ;)

[smg id=2501 type=link align=center width=400 caption="AP subtle tactics"]

Very subtle, I must say  :-()

I like the way that you linked to the original gallery image, plus the link back once you visit the gallery - very useful for navigation.  :-X

Thanks, PZ.  ;D

Regarding replay value, I discovered something rather interesting about the game.

Once you're done with orientation and the first assignment in the Middle East, there are three main missions and you can choose with which to start. During the first playthrough I started with Rome, this time with Russia. Once you've picked a main mission, you'll be transferred to that location and its safehouse (they all look different) from where you'll have to pick yet another mission out of three. The order in which to accomplish those sub-missions is up to you, but once you've played them you'll know that some missions may result in new allies and extra missions (or during a mission in bonus objectives). If you do it right, you can use those allies in missions you did without even knowing about their existence. So that indeed offers a way to play one mission completely different. If you manage to get one of those acquaintances to be your handler (voice in your ear that provides you with intel during a mission, kind of what a spotter is to a sniper) you'll be in for a surprise (as in how different that may play out). Now I'm on a mission I already played but this time I'm playing it with a different handler.. how cool is that  :-X

For those interested I'll give a little more detail in the following massive spoiler (how to make allies and make them your handlers) ;)

Spoiler

When you start in Russia, the mission that leads you to check weapons in a train depot will introduce SIE (a German female soldier) - to make her an ally, always use the top left chat/email option which is the hard and agressive one, because she's a hard girl and doesn't like sissies, hehe  ;D She'll be available as your handler for the "intercept Surkov at the embassy" mission. If you already investigated the Yacht (another previous mission) and didn't kill Sis (at least I didn't) and talked to Albatross already (who only likes the right chat option which is "professional") then he'll be available as yet another handler.

Nice  :-X

I for one, love spoilers - can't get enough of them.  Of course, I'm the kind of guy that can watch a movie dozens of times so that I get every single detail.  :-()

Hehe, it's just too tempting to leave a spoiler button untouched  ;D

One thing I haven't yet tested is what might happen if I chose to switch main missions during main missions. For example, while in Russia, after one mission, switch to Rome and do another mission. That's something I'll check out and see if it works and if it does, what you can do with it. :)

Right now I'm still on the no-killing spree (hehe) but was a bit puzzled to read a debriefing where they said I "ended up killing" some American embassy people (who were in a fight with G22). How? My stats prove that I've not killed anyone yet. Apparently attacking them by mistake is sufficient to produce that negative remark. Then again, SIE sent me an email lamenting that I didn't  kill all of G22's agents on site. Well, going to replay that mission sparing poor American embassy folks (who didn't hesitate to shoot at me) (I think) (or maybe they did).

:)

That'll show 'em   >:D

I picked up AP earlier. Will report soon, once my crummy internet access lets me stay online long enough to activate it... :D

Wow, that's very good news because you're one of the most talkative guys (post count) around here so we'll all be looking forward to reading a lot from you when sharing your impressions. I'm glad that you benefit from the low minimum system requirements and finally can play a brand new game without buying a new rig first :) :-X

You and I will be able to exchange tips and tricks etc, good for those interested in the game and for each other  :) Keeeeeeeep 'em comin'  ;D

Should be funny anyway, to have an Aussie post about what he did using Oz slang (but fragger wouldn't do that).

"When I started the orientation course, some drongo mimicking a head instructor tried to take the mick out of me and ordered me to be there at the course in a shake of a lamb's tail but after that test he realised I had been busier than a one-armed paper-hanger when I was clobbering his goons like a bear with a sore head.. Heh, I left them where they dropped and they were all over the place like a dog's breakfast. Those galahs prolly didn't expect me to get mad like a cut snake when they came the raw prawn with me, but I was flat out like a lizard drinking. The few who could still walk were off like a bride's nighty and I bet they shat bricks when they saw me flinging a bush oyster at them -- hah, them bloody nongs actually thought they could leg it. Those tossers got to be troppo to sign up for a job like that but they're just as useless as a one-legged man in an arse-kicking contest when it comes to real business. I think I passed the test, though."

;D

Quote from: Art Blade on August 16, 2010, 04:59:22 PMOne thing I haven't yet tested is what might happen if I chose to switch main missions during main missions. For example, while in Russia, after one mission, switch to Rome and do another mission. That's something I'll check out and see if it works and if it does, what you can do with it. :)

Out of curiosity I tried that. Went from Moscow to Rome, and the intro scene (dialog) did pick up on things that had happened in Moscow where I had worked with that blonde German (by the way, excellent brute German accent, LOL  ^+-+ :-X ) -- Mina is a little jealous of SIE. So when I mentioned she might be useful gathering intel, Mina said, "I don't think so, unless you want to know about implants"  ^+-+ ^+-+ ^+-+ :-X There are only a few funny lines scattered across the game which make them even funnier  ^+-+

So I think it's an interesting option: Do some missions on each location just so you get to know people which may offer you access to more weapons and stuff, take what you need, make friends etc and then go back and around.. this might be helpful to build up a cool outfit and loadout as well as a considerable base of allies that may offer even more intel.. wow, this is cool..  ^-^ :-X

Quote from: Art Blade on August 16, 2010, 04:59:22 PMWell, going to replay that mission sparing poor American embassy folks (who didn't hesitate to shoot at me) (I think) (or maybe they did).

I did replay it, sparing poor American embassy folks who did NOT shoot me. In my debriefing it turned out to have been a bonus objective, to support them fighting off the enemy.

My stats prove that I killed 43 (G22 agents). Then, again, SIE sent me an email lamenting that I didn't kill all  of G22's agents on site. Oh man. I think I must have missed one or two in the end because a "mission accomplished" popped up (help Surkov) which kind of deprived me of finishing a proper search and kill task.

But I'm pretty sure I killed them all.. strange. Now I have to replay it again without killing anyone and  sparing American embassy folks. lol  ;D

I just found out that playing as "recruit" does have slight effects on some conversations later on in the game, which I like -- so many variations in that game  :-X

Also, playing "cross missions" (moving between locations without finishing all local missions first and then go back and forth between those) has an effect on dialogues. It may have even more influence if you bought say a new armoured suit in Rome and used that in Moscow, things like that. Interesting :)

A slight spoiler for Rome:

Spoiler

I already mentioned that at one point during my first playthrough I received an email from some professor (the one you found staking out his villa with a sniper rifle, the scope of which transmitted data to Mina. If you didn't kill the man he'd send you an email later) and back then I had it analysed by Mina. I thought that I should have gone straight on to meeting that guy instead of having the mail checked because he got killed before I could actually meet him.

This playthrough I went straight to the meeting but.. he was dead again. Someone else came in his place. So I think you'll never meet him which may allow for a different reply to his mail or whatever option there is after having received it.

This game so far is logical despite the many different ways of playing it. Excellent  :-X

Thanks Art, you made me blow coffee out of my nose with that Aussie diatribe ^+-+ I don't have to post all that now, you said it all for me! ;D

Anyway, I got the game installed and only played about five minutes before being dragged kicking and screaming from my computer and made to act sociable towards the relatives that had lobbed for what turned out to be an all-day visit. So not much to report at this stage. Looks pretty interesting, though, once I get the hang of the controls. I need to set it up differently as it's been a while since I played a 3rd-person type game. That time-limited conversation response thing caught me off-guard initially... I ran out of time before I realised that I'd inadvertently settled on a bum response, and I ended up having to clout some jerk of a guard who came running into the room intent on giving me a knuckle sandwich. That's about as far as I got before I had to go out and clout - er, greet - the visitors.

I think the graphics are perfectly OK, maybe not as wow-inducing as some games, but definitely fine. From what I've seen so far, the style of the game does remind me a lot of the original Deus Ex, regarding skills levelling and what appears to be an emphasis on rewarding a stealthy approach to missions.

I'm looking forward to getting into it. I've got some stuff I have to do before bed so won't get to play any more tonight. After w**k tomorrow will be the go - barring any more unexpected drop-ins.

hehe :) You didn't do anything wrong with that random dialogue choice you made -- you're attempting to break out. No matter what, that guard will always greet you with a knuckle sandwich  ;D

A few things about the game you might want to consider:

Save, save, save. Until the game tells you the savegame limit is reached (lol, happened to me, but I was already on my second playthrough and already had created a backup of the entire folder with logs, savegames and all).

Savegames will help you to try again, again, again, until you get the result you had hoped for. Or to find out what would have happened if you had done something differently and by that decide which way to continue. And all that will help you during future playthroughs, and you will play it more than once  ;D

Then: The game indeed awards stealth and non-violent behaviour (no or few kills) while killing and annoying people doesn't help you (by depriving yourself of help and support and other useful stuff).

During conversations, try to find out which of the three main options works best with each person you're dealing with. Most of them like the right side option (honest, straight-forward, professional) while a few like the top left one (aggressive, intimidating, taunting, annoying, provoking) and the rest is down left (joking, suave, flirting, lying, bluffing, comforting). Some situations differ from that general way, down right may be an extra option, like when you gained extra knowledge you may take advantage of it but it is not always paying off or recommendable to use it. Test it :) Then there is yet another different kind of situation where you've simply got to choose between names or actions or things like that, sometimes that is corresponding to the main three options, sometimes not. So.. save often if you don't want to miss out on anything ;) Sometimes it is quite interesting if you divert your chosen path, like if you're friends with someone who generally prefers the professional approach, they may like a flirt or a joke but you may as well lose a reputation point degrading your relation from friend (10) to trusted (9). The other flavours have a broader range, you need a couple of points to improve or impair a relationship.

Playing the first few missions on one location so you get to know people that may open up opportunities like making weapons available to you and things like that will offer interesting new opportunities if you change to a different location and do those first few missions there and so on. You can play straight through a location and then you'll have to move to one of the two remaining ones, but I believe the overall fun and benefits are better if you play "cross missions" as I call it.

Thanks for all the tips and info, mate :-X I love games where you can experiment and try all sorts of different approaches. I didn't actually realise you could save anytime as I saw something about checkpoints in the manual (yes, I do actually read them before starting a new game - call me eccentric), so I assumed it was that kind of a system. Good to know it ain't.

Well, at w@&k today, some kind and generous soul gave me a cute little flu virus to bring home and call my own. Since I don't want my enjoyment of the game marred by frequent tissue fanfares and eyeball dabbles, and since I feel like something the cat dragged in without really wanting in the first place, I thought I'd hold off on AP for a day or two until I can really appreciate it, i.e. without having to do a nose bugle call and whip my glasses off every half a minute to dab up sneeze-impulse-induced tears.

But again, thanks for the game tips there Art, much appreesh :) :-X :-X

Quote from: fragger on August 19, 2010, 05:12:43 AMI feel like something the cat dragged in without really wanting in the first place

^+-+ ^+-+ ^+-+

Get better soon, matey!

As to saving games, you can manually save at a checkpoint. The game itself only makes a temp save there which gets overridden once you've reached the next checkpoint. It also seperately saves your "last safehouse" checkpoint. What I meant was.

"save manually after each checkpoint."

Get well soon, fragger - I'm a bit under the weather due to a virus as well, and can commiserate! 

PZ, get better, too  :-X

Thanks Art - really fatigued today and all stuffed up  :'(

Thanks, fellas :)

PZ, let's hope we both feel better soon!

One more general tip

Try to take your time and carefully search every location for items. Although there will be an icon hovering above an item of interest they are easily missed and sometimes you need to be quite close to them to spot them. Best thing to do is to stick close to walls and to pay attention to the message on your screen that will pop up if you're close enough to take/activate etc those items.

I am surprised at how many of those I keep finding that I must have missed during the first playthrough  :)

Just on a side note: 457 enemies subdued, not one enemy killed  :) 463 pistol shots fired (tranquilizer rounds) and 82% efficiency with that weapon.

Tips on weapons:

When composing weapons (you have four slots per weapon: barrels, sights, magazines, accessories) try out various combinations when you're at a safehouse. Sell everything in case you don't have much money, and then buy weapons and upgrades that you think fit your style (precision, balance or brute power). Write down what you liked best and reload your savegame for that safehouse.. then buy what you can afford. Note there is a "buy/sell" button which toggles between black (buy from arms dealer) and red (sell your gear). Selling is never as good as not buying in the first place, sales are only a fraction of what you pay. Good though if you found upgrades during missions (they are random, perhaps try reloading a savegame so you can pick up a different upgrade).

The pistol is the only weapon that comes with a silencer slot. My favourite precision pistol is either a Rittergruppen Razor (most precise) which I buy once it is available (expensive, too) or a Samael Seraphim (more balanced and expensive) and I also played with Hamilton Duelist.

The best upgrades (they stick with the type, e.g. all pistols) for a precise stealth pistol (Razor) is Silencer Mk3 (Mk1,2,3 are upgrade stages), or for more balance the Perfected Rifling upgrade, then Featherweight Pistol Reflex Sight, Featherweight Pistol Clip (very few rounds, but you're going to aim carefully anyway) and either a Custom Pistol Grip (more accurate) or a Composite Pistol Grip (more balance).

If you keep using a pistol and stealth approaches, you'll achieve some perks that expand characteristics of any of your pistols, in my case +1 damage, +1 accuracy and more rounds. So my current pistol is the most precise weapon:

Pistol Rittergruppen Razor

Stealth Silencer Mk3 Featherweight Pistol Reflex Sight Featherweight Pistol Clip Custom Pistol Grip Damage: 21 Accuracy: 29 Recoil: 29 Stability: 35 Ammo: 6

Precision Perfected Rifling Featherweight Pistol Reflex Sight Featherweight Pistol Clip Composite Pistol Grip Damage: 21 Accuracy: 30 Recoil: 32 Stability: 37 Ammo: 6

OK, I've finished the finale a couple of times choosing different paths and handlers. Although the general course is known to me, those variations are still worthwhile and surprising. Maybe somehow like a James Bond movie. You basically know what it's going to be, but they're all different. :)

Having finished a career as "Rookie" I am now allowed to play as "Veteran" which is funny.. you can cut the crap during the orientation course (who wants to get through all that talk all the time) using some straight veteran lines, and on top gain reputation points doing so  :)

Although I tried, I really can't play completely cold-blooded. For instance, I never killed Mina, Scarlet or SIE. I even find it hard to kill Marburg. But I did kill Westridge and Leland a few times, and let them live the other times. All characters in this game are strong and full of secrets, so you won't think of them as just another AI dummy to be killed. I read how some people complained the game didn't reveal all the background stories or how things remained unsolved.. so what? This game is more into reality than most other games and at least for me it's totally understandable that some things will never surface or remain partly a secret. During various attempts I found intel that wasn't available while opting for other paths to play, so if you want to know it all there is but one way to get there: Replay the game several times (or deviate from savegames) and do what you haven't done.

This is one of the best games I've played.  :-X

I have NO idea why this game has kind of failed to be rated a lot higher, and it is a shame SEGA won't make a sequel.  :-\\

I'd like to play this game through yet another time and another and another, hehe, but I'll now get to playing different games that are still sitting on my desk awaiting installation and I've already started WoP which I will now resume.

After what I read here and saw on youtube, I can't understand why this game got so bad refviews either.  ????

Graphics seems quite good, good replay value, player can approach the game in different ways (stealth or Rambo), nice plot, deep charaters... Who knows SEGA give it another shot and w@&k on some major complaints and come up with a sequel?

I for one will take this game if it ever comes up on a fire sale in the near future!  ;)

SEGA officially stated that there will be no sequel. Sales were like 700,000 games while other games sold twice as many copies  :-\\

Hey guys, if you want to see the funny side of AP, check out this vid.  ^+-+

Michael Thorton, Psychopath. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUydx57te9s#ws)

I'll have to check out that vid sometime when my net access is a bit quicker - it's running like a snail tonight :D

OK, I spent several hours with AP today. It took a little while to grab me, probably because it's been a while since I played a TPS game, but it's growing on me very quickly. I fumbled with the control of the guy for a bit at first until it clicked with me, then it was fine. I went through all the training stuff at the beginning, which you can skip over most of, but I just wanted to see what was there, so that accounted for a good dollop of time spent thus far.

One real mission completed at this stage, where I had to sneak into an airfield and bug the radio in the control tower so that my agency could monitor the comings and goings of a shady and suspicious Sheik. I tried to be stealthy but I made a bit of a hash of it (belting up a guard in view of a security camera will do that), at which point I decided stealth be damned and went in like gangbusters. I did manage a few sneaky takedowns, though - it's quite fun to sneak up on unsuspecting baddies and punch their lights out. This guy has some good moves ;D

I'm not concerning myself too much with stats and performances the first time around. I like to get the feel of a game before I go into that sort of depth. Graphically, I'd rate it as very good. Not eye-popping or breathtaking, but still up there. Better than I was expecting, actually. For replay value, even at this early stage I can see that there's a lot of scope for variations in techniques and approaches, and lots of options when it comes to levelling up.  When it comes to stuff like picking locks, hacking computers, deactivating alarms, and so on, these game elements are quite unique and interactive, almost like mini-games. In these regards, and in choices of conversational responses with other characters (not in words but in attitudes), the game is very reminiscent of Deus Ex, only AP has a more imaginative and better conceived approach. AP is really the game that DEX tried to be but never quite became.

It's not what you'd call an open world game, of course, as the nature of the gameplay won't permit it. But it's not strictly linear either - you'll get a clutch of missions that you can attack in any order within that group, and you can jump online at your safehouse before starting a mission and buy stuff like intel on the upcoming mission, dossier info on chief characters, etc, as well as weapons, ammo, gadgets (some of which are cool) to help you on your missions.

I grabbed a few screenies, will try and get some action ones next go around. These are pictures of my safehouse in Saudi Arabia. I must say, safehouses are rather opulent compared to the rough shacks that I'm used to ;) How the other half of the espionage community lives! It's a far cry from Africa :-()

[smg id=2521 align=center width=400]

[smg id=2522 align=center width=400]

[smg id=2523 align=center width=400]

He's got a better TV then the one I have in my house!

Looking forward to delving deeper into this game, I think I'm going to like it a lot :-X

Very nice read, fragger.. good to read a different style on the same game.


One thing I'd like to clarify:

Quoteyou can jump online at your safehouse before starting a mission and buy stuff like ...

It's not actually online as in the player has to go online but the character uses a computer and virtually goes online himself. Basically to the player it means you get to see an interface similar (well, much better) to the arms dealer PC in FarCry2 where you had to go "online" too.

As to the mini games: some games, including this one, start out bloody difficult and get easier over time, mostly because of gadgets, acquired skills or armour upgrades (I call one of those "data glove"). So if you find those mini games difficult, make sure to invest in appropriate skill upgrades.

On an aside, that vid: JRD once suggested to try it the hard way.. that vid basically shows key dialogues when playing tough guy. Hilarious. I've watched another vid which was not composed as nicely, but both vids show how different the game can be if you take decisions I never dared to. I couldn't stand that hardliner jackass path, but it is hilarious to watch. :)

Great media guys - Art - are those cut scenes or game play?

well, kind of both. The cutscenes are no different from what you see while actually playing, apart from camera angles/views. The vid mostly shows typical dialogue situations which you control by picking a response to which other characters will respond accordingly, and it sometimes allows to seamlessly break from dialogue to gaming (like, choosing "attack" and you'll be in control of your character and fire if you're so inclined). It is a perfect blend which makes the game so immersive.

Sounds interesting - although I'm still a bit reluctant about the semi-linear nature, I think it is worth a shot, and am putting it on my list.  :-X

Quote from: Art Blade on August 24, 2010, 12:16:03 PM
It's not actually online as in the player has to go online but the character uses a computer and virtually goes online himself.

That is what I meant, I just didn't phrase it very well :)

PZ, it is linear when compared to FC2 or JC2, but not as linear as some games, such as Call of Juarez or Half-Life. You do get a bit more lattitude in AP, but what it lacks in non-linearity I think it makes up for in replay value due to all the different choices you can make along the way.

Stick it on your list anyway, even if you wait for it to hit the bargain bin before buying it - which might not be a long wait if the sales figures Art mentioned are anything to go by :)

Quote from: fragger on August 25, 2010, 02:19:16 AM
...Stick it on your list anyway, even if you wait for it to hit the bargain bin before buying it - which might not be a long wait if the sales figures Art mentioned are anything to go by :)

Most definitely - it's already on my list.  In fact, I used it to start a new blog article which I'm using to track the things I'd like to purchase.  :-X

I've played quite a few RPG/TPS titles and boy, this one is the best so far. I can't express well enough how much I enjoyed AP and I really  miss playing it again (I have got other games that I haven't played through). I am so  looking forward to giving AP yet another go  :)

And there he goes again  ;D

Something funny about AP: When you complete a mission during which you defeated an enemy, you'll keep a souvenir. Sometimes friends leave a present, too. For example, that Steven Heck character once left me a cigar clipper (he likes to torture people with it) and another time he left a canister of bleach (he was about to use that to wash out the guts of a guy he was interrogating, trying to find out where he had left his keys).. A triad boss left a ceremonial sword, and you took a glass eye as souvenir from some triad guy you killed. A moscow mobster either leaves you his butterfly knife (with enough coke residue to get very high) or his stereo (more like discotheque gear with lightshow and speakers the size of a mini van) or you could take his golden SMGs. Stuff like that. All that will be scattered across your safehouse :)

Disguising à la Hitman? No problem  ^+-+

[smg id=2530 type=link align=center width=400 caption="AP Thorton posing 02"]

I love this game. Finding new ways around the story.. preferrably using perfect stealth and trying not to kill people. So many cool ways conversations can develop, makes me laugh sometimes, and other times think "wow, didn't expect that" and so on. Amazing :-X

I talked a colleague into getting this game. He's already a fan, barely started  ;D

I`m glad to see that there is intelligent life in the linear game world. In the end AP isn`t that linear as it might take turns and branch the story so much!

Reading about AP here it does appear to be an interesting game and I am getting to a point where I'm starting to cast an eye about looking for something else to absorb some time.   :)

Have you encountered any design glitches in the game where an unanticipated action triggers an error trap or some other oddity?  Not a bad thing if you have necessarily as I enjoy pushing a game's boundaries and enjoy discovering quirks like the holes that have been found in FC2's maps or actually being able to kill the Jackal at the prison or the Prince after he tells you how tough he is.  ;D

I think there are only two minor glitches:

There is one organisation (a certain group with a certain leader) which the game assumes you'll be be meeting for the first time during one mission in Rome Taipei. So when you start in Moscow, where there is another mission involving that particular group, the game pretends that you meet them "again" - hence you'll be a little puzzled when your character behaves as if they already knew each other (which in this case you don't). But that is only a minor logical flaw.

And sometimes there is a waypoint which helps you to find the right spot, that once or twice didn't disappear even when standing on it. Eventually it dissapeares, no negative consequences either. That's the second minor flaw.

That's all. :) A very well programmed game, logical and no hiccups.  :-X

Quote from: JRD on September 01, 2010, 08:12:45 AM
I`m glad to see that there is intelligent life in the linear game world. In the end AP isn`t that linear as it might take turns and branch the story so much!

At first I thought it was linear, but as you say, it isn't really that linear. Compared to FC2.. about as linear as that game.. you too need to play certain missions in FC2 to advance. Only the level design is different. Usually you have to find a way to achieve your goal (different approaches possible, freedom of choice and so on, just get it done) but levels are sometimes a little corridor-like levels. Like, find your way out of a warehouse, done, go down that path, ok, but.. you can't go back into the warehouse. That sort of thing. So you progress inside a level, that is linear. How you do it is rather free, like using explosives, guns, stealth, go through undiscovered or kill everyone.. that sort of thing.

The big difference is that you do influence the story, all the time. Be it during conversations (how do you act and react?), do you make friends or foes or leave them neural (depending on conversations and email replies and on like, did you shoot a particular person, arrest him, or let him go?). All that keeps going all the time, decisions, decisions, decisions.. and all have an impact on how the story develops.

There are various endings, too. :)

At the very beginning of my report on AP I said that there was next to no humor in the game. That's true. But the little bits that are  there make me laugh or chuckle every time.  ;D

I just added a Topic Note (on top of each page of this topic)

check my game rating (http://openworldgames.org/owg/forums/index.php?topic=1777.0)  topic for AP.

By the way, I just edited the first post of this topic.

Oh and I re-evaluated the story rating. Another 10! I love this game: the more I play it, the better it gets  ;D :-X

Get a better loadout before the real missions start:

Spoiler

During orientation, make sure to score very high in each category, unlock bonus missions. If you're good, you'll unlock weapons and stuff that will be available in the Middle East already. Later, each region (Rome, Moscow, Taipei) offers a simple mission to meet someone who will offer new stuff (weapons, armour, gadgets, intel etc). Just check out those first, go from region to region and unlock those local arms dealers. Those missions that are about meeting someone usually unlock new stuff. For example in Moscow it's Grigori and SIE, in Taipei it's Heck and the triad boss, in Rome and Moscow it's Albatross.. some of them will show up later on. Just get those first or as early as possible. If you think you're late, don't worry, there's always a next playthrough  ;D

 :-X

you gettin' the game?  ;D

I'm looking at it.  I still haven't decided yet and I do tend to be glacially slow in making this kind of choice.  ;D

OK, here's the deal: Purchase it while you can (now). Then think as long as you need about whether or not to install and play it.  ;D

ah, on second thoughts.. the game is about choices.. some of them have to be made really quickly.. OK, forget it.  >:D

 :-D

Like always, I love the spoilers!  :-D

Quote from: Art Blade on September 02, 2010, 08:30:03 AM
you gettin' the game?  ;D

I know I am, but will wait for the STEAM fire sale near Christmas!  ;) 8)

Quote from: JRD on September 02, 2010, 12:45:06 PM
I know I am, but will wait for the STEAM fire sale near Christmas!  ;) 8)

I forgot about the fire sale - great idea - I think I'll do the same.  AC Brotherhood is going to keep my busy until then.  >:D

I think I'll be either still playing AP or return to playing it when you guys finally get it at the end of the year. :)

Sounds like we're going to need to add another board  :-()

might come in handy  ;D

As this is now an official post at the new AP board, I can say:

Not a physically open world game, but an open minded game as you do influence story and it won't go linear for too long!  :-X :-X :-X

indeed. :)

Oh man, I'm on my fourth playthrough (let's not forget about some variations I played using savegames) and only now I managed to find out yet another cool thing.. I was always wondering how to start a romance with Madison, this time I got lucky, so to speak. The interesting part is that this led to information that made me go  ??? wow, this game never ceases to amaze me  :-X

By the way, I started a topic for those character-specific infos and used spoiler tags for delicate info. :)

yay! I finally managed to kill Conrad Marburg! This requires planning and you need to do it across half the game to get it right  ;D woo-hoo!  >:D

I'm not exactly sure how many times I played this game through now, I believe it's four or five times (the problem is that I resorted to savegames and continued from there sometimes to find out what would happen if you did this or that, so in a way it's more than just those complete playthroughs).

However, so far no end has been the same. There are numerous endings of the game  :) :-X

Also, there are a couple of beginnings (depending on where you want to start, like Taipei, Rome or Moscow) that change how forthcoming events play out.  :) :-X

Although during various playthroughs you'll come across dialogues that will be familiar, but most of the times you have options, a lot of options, to change the dialogue and by that events in the game. Playing this through various times just makes you feel more comfortable, you'll know how to move and how certain things w@&k -- for example, once I found out that those EMPs (devices like grenades, used to disable electronics and to bypass locks) are the easiest way to "hack" computers or disable alarms (although alarms can be deactivated by a fake radio message, another gadget) and that using EMPs 25+ times will increase your carrying capacity from two to three per slot, and that you won't need more than 3x3 EMPs per mission (well, some locks can be picked manually to save some EMPs), life was a LOT easier.

In the beginning stealth is very difficult. I think most people who want to try stealth will give up that approach more than once during missions until they start a new career. Because by the end of the game you'll have enough experience and will know that stealth is a cool way to play AP. You don't need to, but most missions will play out a lot better and the benefits for playing stealthily are great. Generally speaking, the game rewards you for everything you do, but most of the best rewards come along with thoughtful play, avoiding unnecessary bloodshed and playing along with major characters (befriend them). Not always easy, might take a couple of tries (or playthroughs) but then.. :) The game gets better every time you play it.  :-X

Still, I cheat two times during the game (early on).

First, I treat myself to a LOT of tranquiliser rounds because I don't want to kill people and because tranquiliser rounds are rare and extremely expensive (something I don't understand, you can only carry like 30 or so around with you, later, with perks and upgrades, 50 to maybe 70, and buying them costs a fortune while finding them randomly scattered across the game is, well, random).

Second, I help myself to a lot of money so I can buy all intel and favourite weapons and armour. Of course I wouldn't need to do that, but it allows for a lot more fun and it gives me a lot to read (dossiers, emails).

With that, the game is exceptionally good :) I still need to get to know the arms dealers to unlock the good stuff step by step, so I don't cheat like the uber weapon and mega armour right from start, all I do is changing my background ("funding")  ;D

The stories and missions are still fun and I enjoy playing them every time. During my last playthrough I basically played exclusively with a pistol (the Assault Rifle was mere decoration on my back) and concentrated a lot to line up shots and shoot accurately. Before the end game (after that you can't see your overall stats) I had around 600 pistol shots fired and an accuracy of 96%  ;D

Finished yet another playthrough, this time around 560 pistol shots and incredible 100% accuracy  ;D - whenever I missed a target with the pistol, I replayed from the last checkpoint, hehe  :)

I tried different paths again and indeed the game surprised me with unexpected dialogues and scenes I hadn't seen before. As a variant, I chose to annoy some characters that I usually befriend and I managed to get to see that scene when Madison whacks me over the head with a statue and finishes me off with a shock trap. Hilarious  ;D Also, making reckless decisions sometimes payed off in unexpected ways, I thought I'd be "punished" but no.. the game has perks for everything you do but as mentioned before, the "good guy" type of playing is more rewarding. A good mixture of bad guy and good guy however keeps the game at balance and it is doable (probably always, no matter what you do, unless you manage to croak  :-D ).

It must have been the seventh playthrough now and still there are things left to do differently. I kept some things that I liked about previous playthroughs which I wanted to keep by all means and deviated when I thought it might be worth a try. A lot of fun, still  :)

Wow - 7th time through - sounds like lots of replay value to me  ;)

Add one to that  ;D (Started yet another playthrough)  :-D

you know, although this game has a couple of characteristics that are typical for linear games (can't free roam, levels may contain sections you can't go back to) there still is a lot of freedom. There are several missions that allow you to get from one point to another point using different paths (literally, paths, or there are buildings with stair cases and catwalks etc that connect one section with another one). It is more than likely that you won't find the best paths at once.

So it is even more surprising and satisfactory if and when --during a different playthrough-- you found a path or staircase or platform etc that suits your style. Sometimes you can crouch around on the ground floor, but the same level may offer alternative paths using ladders, stairs, or jump from one rooftop to another one etc. So even if the mission design is somewhat linear, you may still find different approaches :)

Incredible. I've seen yet another outcome of one mission which led to a totally different start of another mission.

This time I used a different handler "B" for mission 1 which automatically made mission 2 start with that same handler "B". Usually I play Mission 1 with handler "A" and mission 2 either starts with "A" or allows me to choose between "A" or "B."

Handler "A" is stealthy and silent, mission 2 starts with a covert operation type of play, and with "B" I was really surprised to see myself in an armoured personnel carrier (APC) armed with a machine gun I found myself manning and started to shoot the living daylights out of guards I formerly took out with a silenced weapon or a sniper rifle from an elevated position.  ??? :-X

found an early vid (I hid it in the spoiler, hehe) recorded before AP was released -- you'll have a quick glance at a woman in an orange suit, Madison, with long hair, which is cut short in the release version. Also, some HUD elements are a little different.

However that vid basically shows us some part of what I've told you in my previous post.

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdPkKbnyeME

This is insane, my eighth playthrough and still new stuff to see, new dialogues to listen to and new events to admire. I even had Brayko (one Russian mafia boss) send some support to Rome and after the mission I received a "well done" email from Brayko  ??? :-D :-X Also, SIE supported me some more.. it's just so cool.  :)

Finished the 8th playthrough: For the first time I had Scarlet with me when I left the island, never managed that before :)

This playthrough was kind of funny because at least 75% of the game I played as usual (stealth, avoiding kills by using non-lethal means, being friendly with people) which gained me nice and wanted perks and benefits. For some reason however.. ah, I remember: because I was testing ammo pouch capacities combined with various weapon upgrades which led to posting a new topic about those pouches.. so that made me reload and reload one particular savegame again, and again, and again.. until I was both finished testing and fed up starting from the same point all over. So that was the reason why I needed to vent off a little and went on a killing spree not overly concerned about accuracy and body count.

I went through missions like a hot knife through butter. It is so easy (quick) to play through if you kill everything that has at least as many legs as you have, and during like two missions I acquired perks for my assault rifle for the first 50 headshots and then accumulating 100 headshots ("In an impressive display of homicide, you scored 100 head shots with your Assault Rifle over your career.") yet another one. Hehe  ;D Also, my latest discovery, Flash Bangs, resulted in a perk with another nice description ("Having rendered 50 enemies languishing in a state of partial blindness and bleeding ears, you have proven yourself a master of flashbang tactics.")  ;D I didn't give a toss about "fellow American" agents when raiding the US embassy, and each kill of my countrymen (well, in the game they are) resulted in -1 rep with Mina Tang, in the end I went from +10 to a measly +1 with her.. so I killed her too. >:D It was great fun playing the game differently from that point after the ammo pouch testing, I might give it another try and start playthrough #9 as a real badass and I might swap my assault rifle for a shotgun because shotties have a very special ammo type.. phosphorous slugs. Which set targets on fire.  :-D

OK, #9 on the way.  :)

I took a short cut starting off somewhere in Saudi Arabia from a savegame, skipping the tutorial (as I had mastered that already the best way possible). I had to go back to the Middle East because I didn't find any shotties at the arms dealer right after that part of the game and I didn't want to walk around until I found someone. Also, I did want to kill a few people I had spared before that point. I want to know what the game will be like if those are dead.

And.. I bought a big shotgun with a few upgrades (sold my assault rifle). Then the first mission with phosphorous slugs.. LOL >:D Not only does one shot set a few people on fire (if they were standing close to one another), those guys usually even explode! (Unfortunately they don't rip apart and come raining down at you) What exactly exploded, I don't know.. probably their hand grenades which I set off by setting the bearer on fire  :-D I had to reload a savegame once because I didn't expect those explosions to eat away my armour and health.. I was about to croak after I killed someone up close and personal because I was in his blast radius and the force was immense ;D

And I had a good laugh when I combined flashbangs and my shotgun.. In a small courtyard with only two guards I placed a flashbang on the ground so one guard would step on it on his next round. Meanwhile I snuck up on the other guard and waited in his back with my shotgun ready.. when the flashbang set off, "my" guard turned around and ate a bucket full of burning pellets. While running to the second guard who was still holding his ears I heard the first guard explode behind me. Then that second guard got my knife run through his neck. No alarm was raised.  >:D

I love this game  ;D :-X

Browsed though the thread and watched some videos. Although I'm not a big fan of RPG's and prefer FPS's I thought I would give this a shot. Otherwise, it meets much of the criteria I look for in a game -- high immersive potential and realism.

That is good news :) And I'm sure I can provide help if needed :)

When I think about how I got into AP: I had never heard about it until I accidentally happened upon it (because I kept checking on Tez's new vids who just so happened to play it). It didn't look toooooo promising but somehow it had something that never let me rest until I saw it in my favourite games shop, so I bought it along with other games. I had started with Wings of Prey but kept thinking about AP, so I installed it although I hadn't finished WoP, the rest is history. I believe it is even cooler than HitMan, which was already a game I loved and still do :)

OK, I force myself to do bad things. So far, I killed someone with a sniper rifle just because he was suspicious, killed an arms dealer rather than having him suffer in jail, killed a radical leader because I felt like it, slammed good old Grigori's head onto the bar, thoroughly pissed Darcy off and shot that teenage girl Sis dead when she was helpless. All I'm sorry about is my bad language.  :-() Killing everyone around me during the trainyard <sic> mission and being strictly aggressive towards SIE earned me some extra reputation points with her (only one mission and I already had her trust me, +7 rep). She's the right handler for the tough boys, along with Steven Heck who is extremely fond of making people drink bleach (he's running a cleaning business) and wreaking havoc whenever possible. He once killed everyone in a soccer stadium to be certain to kill the Premier of some country... "did you know a soccer ball can decapitate people at 400kph?"

Some more about Heck: "Dates when Heck claims to have been engaged in operational activity coincide with reports of unusual causes of death at the Taipei morgue, including a man with known Triad affiliations found with the chassis of a ten-speed mountain bike driven through his torso and a Vatican Intelligence agent with his airway obstructed by 17 communion wafers."

I am already looking forward to working with him.  >:D

As much fun as it is playing the evil ba$t@rd everyone hates, the options are bad. Minimal support and intel, weaker weapons and upgrades, even less missions, all that doesn't make up for the fun of burning down the house and bleeding out people.

The shotgun, even if maxed out and with the best model available (I changed shotgun weapons a few times during this playthrough) it isn't as rewarding as with a proper assault rifle. Although I was crazy about phosphorous ammo which sets people on fire, I realise that it isn't half as useful as one might expect. Some opponents shrug the flames off and recover and resume shooting at you. Plus that ammo is hard to get and extremely expensive if you have to buy it. Normal ammo isn't half as much fun with the shotty, so.. not so cool.

I'll play a "decent" game next time through, much more fun and many more options  :)

I finished that playthrough about worst possible (I killed virtually every opponent I could) and annoyed most of the remaining characters. The game treats you the same way you treat it: Play dull, get a dull game. The more you think about what you're going to do and what your best options might be, the better the result and the more rewarding the perks and all that.

I am really looking forward to playing it once again, the nice and stealthy way. Man, the game shines when played like that :)

I really admire the effort you have put into promoting this game and providing assistance but in the end I just couldn't bond with it, even after completing four missions.

Thanks for your efforts here, Art...really.  :-X

 ;D

Welcome, and sorry it doesn't w@&k for you. At least you tried  :-X :)

I got this game on release and loved the crap out of it, I later traded it in for somethng else and missed it so much, I re-purchased it a couple of weeks ago :)

It got incredibly (and imo, quite unjustified) bad press, I think people were trying to play it like a shooter and not a RPG.

Agree about the unjust press.. a shame, really.. I played the living daylights out of that game  ;D