Exploits and Espionage: A Let's Play of Alpha Protocol [Archive]

Guildenstern

2012-01-09, 04:07 PM

Hey folks, as one or two of you may remember, myself and Sir_Mopalot did a Let's Play series (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194841) for Batman: Arkham Asylum a while back and posted some of our exploits here on these forums. Well, we're at it again and this time we're playing the 2010 spy RPG Alpha Protocol. It's not the most glamorous of titles, to be sure, but it's one that we both enjoy and that hasn't gotten a lot of coverage. If you're at all interested in watching us run through the game, we'll be posting episodes here three days a week until we run out of episodes.

Advice, comments, and any related discussion is welcome and encouraged. Enjoy.

Trailer (http://youtu.be/Eq8zNSplh7Y) (Yes, we made a trailer. No, I don't know why.)
Episode 1: Meet Mike Thorton (http://www.nerdwatchshow.com/2012/01/nerdwatch-episode-201-meet-mike-thorton.html)
Episdoe 2: Espionage 101 (http://youtu.be/UN3CQCG_v4s)
Episode 3: Remedial Gunplay (http://youtu.be/S2OpjkBy2bo)
Episode 4: Graduation Day (http://youtu.be/LLTU1Iw9B6E)
Episode 5: Your Tax Dollars Paid for this Stuff (http://youtu.be/261nphyLIoA)
Episode 6: An Eye for an Eye (http://youtu.be/_nw3WNldql8)
Episode 7: The Desert Fox (http://youtu.be/53FoNbiT9r0)
Episode 8: Thorton vs. Suppressing Fire (http://youtu.be/mVe6TG97BTc)
Episode 9: The Great Terrorist Scavenger Hunt: Part I (http://youtu.be/S0tOgSpvpAI)
Episode 10: The Great Terrorist Scavenger Hunt: Part II (http://youtu.be/2JAFY-XyJc8)
Episode 11: America Wins! (http://youtu.be/eIIcmFEnCJI)
Episode 12: Who the Heck is this Guy? (http://youtu.be/nrdSBqqHXtE)
Episode 13: Mike Meets Sam Fisher(s) (http://youtu.be/12-xru8j7vg)
Episode 14: The Albatross that Follows Us (http://youtu.be/2ws1Sv8h3cY)
Episode 15: A Favor for Hong? Sure. (http://youtu.be/lcAp1JxJPcA)
Episode 16: Omen-ous Foreshadowing (http://youtu.be/MNMiT5bxbQs)
Episode 17: Man on Fire (http://youtu.be/BK8UcIZZOFI)
Episode 18: Mind the Gap... and the Minigun (http://youtu.be/C5k9a3M7D9k)
Episode 19: The Same Old Sung and Dance (http://youtu.be/hA0-ZHgCI9U)
Episode 20: What a Twist! (http://youtu.be/yI5zPbmlCi4)
Episode 21: I'm on a Boat (http://youtu.be/D_JvOPQd6sI)
Episode 22: A Little Bird Told Us... (http://youtu.be/cuY_fkWz5AI)
Episode 23: From Russia with Guns (http://youtu.be/5CfkOHdGqN8)
Episode 24: Russian Diplomacy (http://youtu.be/Nap7HOlt0Tk)
Episode 25: A Blast from the Past (http://youtu.be/nrq9Qvk0t_E)
Episode 26: Cocaine is one Helluva Drug (http://youtu.be/vJPmsk8sDsQ)
Episode 27: Gelateria di Spie (http://youtu.be/5nLOLar6sQ4)
Episode 28: Tuxedos in the Shade (http://youtu.be/tfrnCItmQ30)
Episode 29: Nobody Gets Shot in this Episode (http://youtu.be/f3JAk3pgy6g)
Episode 30: Murder with Class (http://youtu.be/XVFzGlmfpDE)
Episode 31: You Fail Archaeology Forever (http://youtu.be/g_4vJWo-les)
Episode 32: Madison Saint "Oh, James" (http://youtu.be/Qr7wvDYFmzQ)
Episode 33: Freeze! (http://youtu.be/ai5odf1VOHY)
Episode 34: A Distinct Lack of Sympathy (http://youtu.be/FSC75e_XrBE)
Episode 35: Let's Make a Deal (http://youtu.be/9AAUDEMHs5U)
Episode 36: The Thorton Gambit (Final Episode) (http://youtu.be/ZwR8oIBRpnQ)

GloatingSwine

2012-01-09, 04:47 PM

A test, before I donate my time:

How good are pistols in Alpha Protocol?

Guildenstern

2012-01-09, 04:51 PM

Depends on how you define "good":

Pistols are without a doubt the best weapon in the game, especially when combined with a stealth build. That said, gunplay as a whole leaves a bit to be desired due to the game's heavy reliance on numbers-based gameplay (i.e. your actual skill in regards to aiming is not as important as your pistols stat).

GloatingSwine

2012-01-09, 05:05 PM

Ahh, you were so close..

I was looking for "totally game breaking" (because neither your personal skill in aiming or the level of your pistol stat beyond 2 makes a difference compared to your ability to sit in cover and line up an instant kill 100% accuracy critical hit without ever exposing yourself...)

Guildenstern

2012-01-09, 05:12 PM

Heh, fair enough. Most of our commentary on the pistol is in regard to its use of chain shot and how horrifically broken that skill in particular is. But the fact that you can somehow aim with the utmost precision without even looking at your target does give you River Tam levels of unfairness, it's true.

Pronounceable

2012-01-09, 06:16 PM

Yay, Alpha Protocol is the bestest RPG evar! Or at least bestest RP evar. G part is bad.

GloatingSwine

2012-01-09, 06:42 PM

See, thats the thing. The game isn't really bad, but a lot of people are very bad at playing it, and you can usually spot them by asking a few simple questions (see: Pistols).

What made me attempt to combine laughter and facepalming was the general nerd reaction to Deus Ex Human Revolution, which despite being pretty much worse than Alpha Protocol in pretty much every way whilst doing most of the same things, was very polished and had a lolhueg budget, so the same nerds who berate AP literally creamed their pants over it.

Alpha Protocol also highlights some of the weaknesses of modern game reviews, because you can see the same outright lies being parroted in multiple reviews from ostensibly different people. Again, pretty much every review said that pistols, by far the strongest weapon in the game for anyone paying attention to how the weapons work, were useless and you should just use assault rifles. Most of them also claimed that the game "rolls dice to hit", when what it actually has is exactly the same conefire as every other FPS ever. Apparently game reviewers are too stupid to recognise a nearly ubiquitous game mechanic when they encounter it. Or they simply parrot each other because they can't be arsed to review a game that someone has already given a negative score to.

Guildenstern

2012-01-09, 07:13 PM

Yeah, it really isn't that the game is bad, it's just that it's unpolished in traditional Obsidian fashion and it necessitates a style of play that is by and large somewhat un-intuitive and clunky when compared to something like Deus Ex and especially when presented to your average gamer in the post-Black Isle era.

That said, where this game really shines is your ability to manipulate the hell out of the game world. The dialogue system is one of the best you'll ever find and the sheer number of minor elements you can influence for major changes is phenomenal. Playing the shooty bits of the game can sometimes be a bit tedious because of things like the necessity to wait several seconds before you're able to line up anything resembling a successful shot. But playing the dialogue RPG bits is so ridiculously rewarding (especially once you get to the endgame) that it makes up for it. It's for those reasons that we wanted to cover this game that doesn't get nearly the respect or recognition it deserves.

That, and c'mon: how many other games let you play what is essentially a Robert Ludlum novel?

GloatingSwine

2012-01-09, 08:51 PM

Also, other games don't have Heck.

Guildenstern

2012-01-09, 09:45 PM

Well, since Heck is voiced by Nolan North, then it's arguable that a ton of other games have Heck.

But in this instance, yes, we have to agree on that point.

Tengu_temp

2012-01-09, 11:21 PM

My brother keeps bugging me to play AP, saying that the story is really cool and that all the reviewers who bashed it don't have a clue. I believe him, and I like to see that his sentiments are shared by others too.

Landis963

2012-01-10, 03:12 AM

Um, I've played AP before as a veteran, and isn't Brilliance in Sabotage? I ask because back-to-back invisible sessions have saved my bacon against Brayko and that one section with the G22 agents at the Taiwanese warehouse.

EDIT: also, many games may have Heck, but they don't have Heck. If that makes any sense.

Guildenstern

2012-01-10, 03:23 AM

Nope. According to the wiki, basic Brilliance is unlocked at level 8 of technical aptitude.

Sabotage deals primarily with hacking/lockpicking/bypassing and one or two instances of upgrading your gadgets (such as making you immune to your own grenades).

Though Brilliance is a bit of a weird one; it doesn't really fit into any one talent tree too neatly so I guess it just got shoved into tech for the heck of it.

Landis963

2012-01-10, 03:28 AM

Nope. According to the wiki, basic Brilliance is unlocked at level 8 of technical aptitude.

Ah yes. Thanks for the clarification. However, will you be levelling Tech up to 8 anyway, or are there any plans for that?

Guildenstern

2012-01-10, 03:33 AM

Oh, indeed. I can't say when for sure, but we'll definitely be leveling to get brilliance. As you say, back-to-back invisibility (or chain shots) are a lifesaver/game breaker.

Granted, we don't really need that advantage for the difficulty level we selected, but it's fun to abuse the system anyway.

Guildenstern

2012-01-11, 05:29 AM

And Episode 2 (http://youtu.be/UN3CQCG_v4s) is now up.

Still a fair bit of tutorial stuff. Unfortunately this game does take a bit of time to get off the ground and really show its true potential, but these opening missions do allow us to garner a few extra perks and intel pieces, so its worth it in the long run.

Besides, the next episode lets us take a little something I like to call preemptive revenge.

Repeatedly.

In the face.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-01-11, 05:29 AM

Hey guys, I'm the controller jockey for the LP, and yeah. Pistols. I like having an assault rifle, as subsonic ammo and waiting a while is the only way to kill silently at long range (until you get to the silly part of the pistol skill), but yeah. Playing through with only pistols would be... well, it would be like playing the game in general. Chain shot + Brilliance = meaningless boss difficulty. And yeah, we got to brilliance basically as soon as we could get the skill that high, I believe. Heck's definitely the best character in the game (except maybe snarky Mike), and I always do Taiwan first since I discovered how he can help you with Brayko. Thanks to that (and chain shot) I honestly find Sis to be one of the hardest boss fights.

Landis963

2012-01-11, 06:53 AM

Besides, the next episode lets us take a little something I like to call preemptive revenge.

Repeatedly.

In the face.

"preemptive revenge"? that's not a euphemism for "I get my rear end beat black and blue" is it?

EDIT: and oh yeah, there's an exploit you missed in Parker's training op. if you do it before you change, then you'll be in your pajamas when you get the extra mission, which incidentally are much quieter than your normal clothing.
EDIT2: there's also a perk you can get if you listen to Shaheed's broadcast all the way through (it's on a TV where all the guards are relaxing). I think its an XP bonus, regardless, it's probably better to do it off camera as you're just standing there watching Shaheed yammer.

Guildenstern

2012-01-11, 05:13 PM

Oh no, we're the ones dishing it out.

Huh. I never knew you could keep the scrubs. That's sort of interesting.

And yeah, we know about Shaheed's broadcast, though we opted to skip it. You end up drowning in perks in this game anyway and we weren't looking to go out of our way to optimize. Plus, we didn't really want to take the time to make you all sit through a "die American pig-dogs, terrorism is teh roxxorz" speech.

Landis963

2012-01-11, 07:23 PM

Oh no, we're the ones dishing it out.

Phew.

Huh. I never knew you could keep the scrubs. That's sort of interesting.

It's just one of the many things that can be done to gain an early edge. And yeah, I consider it an exploit, because there's no reason to not change if you don't already know about the stealth bonus.

And yeah, we know about Shaheed's broadcast, though we opted to skip it. You end up drowning in perks in this game anyway and we weren't looking to go out of our way to optimize. Plus, we didn't really want to take the time to make you all sit through a "die American pig-dogs, terrorism is teh roxxorz" speech.

Good point. Although this is exactly why I say to do it off camera, because funny banter can only go so far in a Let's Play. Besides, it's not as though you're parched for skill points. What's the count now? 21 still waiting for allotment?

There's also another exploit in Mina's bonus training mission (this one for nigh-unlimited ammo of a certain type), but I'll save that for when you do her mission. (assuming, of course, that Parker's bonus + Mina's training will be one episode, leaving me the perfect opportunity to slip it in there).

EDIT: Quoth the Alpha Protocol Wiki: "News Conscious: 5% Intel discount from Saudi vendors: You watched all of Shaheed's broadcast." So it's even more useless than I figured.

Guildenstern

2012-01-13, 05:52 AM

Episode the Third. (http://youtu.be/S2OpjkBy2bo)

And man. We sure do regret not getting that intel discount. We actually had to take a few bucks out of the deep end of our giant swimming pool of money. Sir_Mopalot nearly hit bottom last week when he tried to Scrooge McDuck into the Benjamins. True story.

Landis963

2012-01-13, 11:54 AM

If I didn't completely agree with you, I'd say something like "wow, I'll need a mop to get all that sarcasm."

EDIT: You do know that pile of tranq ammo respawns, right?

Guildenstern

2012-01-13, 03:34 PM

I was going to make a joke about sarcasm being the lifeblood of what we do here. Then I realized that we expend so much of it that we would have died of exsanguination years ago. At any rate, we try to clean up after ourselves so don't worry about the mop.

And we definitely did not know about the respawning tranq darts. Ah well, we never run too dangerously low as far as I remember and ammo is relatively cheap given the not inconsiderable depth of our coffers at the moment.

Landis963

2012-01-13, 08:07 PM

Also, if you don't care about your body count, you can find ammo piles freaking everywhere. It's ridiculous.

Cristo Meyers

2012-01-13, 10:31 PM

And Episode 2 (http://youtu.be/UN3CQCG_v4s) is now up.

If you're making Lynch from the A-Team then he'll need to be about 10 pounds heavier and obsessed with owls. :smalltongue:

I may have to pick this up the next time a Steam sale comes along. Passed the last time it was on sale, maybe I made a misstep...

Guildenstern

2012-01-13, 10:51 PM

I honestly can't remember much of anything about the guy from the A-Team movie apart from the fact that he was the most thinly-disguised stand-in for Blackwater USA (Now Xe Services) that I've ever seen. You'll have to ask Sir_Mopalot what his ideas were there.

And both of us would highly recommend that you pick it up if and when Steam knocks it down to some ridiculous sub-five dollar deal. It's worth it just to play around with the different ways you can influence events and people. Seeing as how the game pretty much flopped financially, then it's doubtful we'll see another studio attempt a game in this style for a while yet. As such, Alpha Protocol is pretty much your only choice for a true espionage video game until Rockstar gets some work done on Agent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_(video_game)). (And no, Metal Gear Solid does not count as an espionage game, I don't care what the subtitle says.)

EDIT: oh, lookee there, Blackwater changed their name again and they're "Academi" now. I guess the idea is that changing their name often enough will gradually wash off some of the bad PR.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-01-16, 06:08 AM

In point of fact, the Blackwater knockoff wasn't Lynch, that was... I don't remember his name. Lynch was the CIA agent, and yeah, we change later, but it was a look that I figured worked a little bit.

And yeah. We kill... a lot of people. I think I used tranq rounds against the CIA agents and the Taiwanese police. The only other times I went non-lethal were all just punching people. Our bodycount was very high, I'm not sure if we got an orphan count from the end of the game.

Maxios

2012-01-16, 01:16 PM

I got this game last week, and beat it on Friday. Best RPG by Obsidian so far (even more so then New Vegas). For the most part, I went non-lethal. My most powerful weapons in the game were my fists (there were entire missions I beat just by punching the crap out of the bad guys).

That bossfight against Brayko? One of the coolest fights in the game. It helps that "Turn up the Radio" is playing in the background as you fight him.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-01-16, 03:40 PM

That bossfight against Brayko? One of the coolest fights in the game. It helps that "Turn up the Radio" is playing in the background as you fight him.

Totally agreed. Apparently (And I think I mention this when we get to him) originally it was going to be The Final Countdown. Ah, what could have been. Also worth noting if you don't know how to use your skills well/are playing as a rookie/did moscow first it's an incredibly frustrating fight.

Guildenstern

2012-01-16, 03:56 PM

I must say, it's refreshing to see folks that have the same appreciation for this game that we do. Perhaps we're not a large enough market for the folks at Sega, but ah well. The success of New Vegas probably guarantees that Obsidian will be around for at least a while longer yet so they've got more opportunities to refine their development and keep delivering us great game ideas like this.

Also, without classes today I nearly forgot that it was Monday. So it's a bit late, but here's Episode 4 (http://youtu.be/LLTU1Iw9B6E).

Maxios

2012-01-16, 04:00 PM

Totally agreed. Apparently (And I think I mention this when we get to him) originally it was going to be The Final Countdown. Ah, what could have been. Also worth noting if you don't know how to use your skills well/are playing as a rookie/did moscow first it's an incredibly frustrating fight.

Thankfully, I did Moscow second. Since I had a bunch of points in martial arts, I tried at first to melee Brayko. Ten seconds later I was running around his stage while being chased by a knife-wielding high mob boss. After I died and tried the fight again, I precision shot him with tranquilizer darts. He went down a lot quicker that way.

Landis963

2012-01-16, 10:56 PM

The closest to "kick *ss and chew bubblegum" would probably be the aggressive stance, IIRC. Also, Westridge likes that sort of thing, so there you are. Also, Suave works too, but Westridge doesn't like that as much.

And Shaheed is Osama bin-Ladin if he was voiced by Saren, or perhaps Mario Auditore.

Hee hee, "Those poor guards... and Darcy". Glad I'm not the only one who hates the jerkass with a passion.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-01-17, 01:08 PM

You do know they key to getting over 100 on the firearms course is All Critical Hits, all the Time?
And don't pay attention to the timer.

EDIT:And you can hide behind the cover next to the gadgets cabinet and just spam Radio mimics.

Cristo Meyers

2012-01-17, 07:29 PM

In point of fact, the Blackwater knockoff wasn't Lynch, that was... I don't remember his name.

Pike

"I should've chain-shot him in the head!"

Yes, yes you should have. I've known the man for all of 5 minutes and I already want to cause $58,432 worth of bodily injury to him, I might even round up to an even $60K for free...

Guildenstern

2012-01-18, 04:46 AM

I like to think that the remaining $1568 covers the psychological damage we inflicted on him.

Speaking of psychological damage: this episode (http://youtu.be/261nphyLIoA) has a lot of menu navigation in it.

Landis963

2012-01-18, 12:54 PM

WHY U SELL SOUND GENERATOR!?!

Seriously, it comes in handy for getting guards that don't see you to walk into traps. There's a couple places in Russia that it comes in really handy. Also, now it costs 10 grand. It would also have come in handy for getting that guard out of the way: when he gets close, zap the alleyway across from you with the sound generator, then when he moves to investigate, go in for the kill.

Maxios

2012-01-18, 12:59 PM

I personally never used sound generators. The only gadgets I used were First Aid Kits, EMPs, and occasionally a grenade. I also never switched my main weapon, so I used the pistol you get at the start for the entire game.

Guildenstern

2012-01-18, 05:15 PM

Thanatos 51-50

2012-01-18, 05:53 PM

I guess we just weren't that tactical. You'll notice in the future that whenever our "critical in the head from behind cover" method fails we basically jump straight to Plan B (http://youtu.be/4kr24G8jQpM).

Also, holy cow, Maxios, you went through the whole game with the starting Glock? Props.

The *Veteran* starting Pistol. Which is different than the *Actual* starting pistol. It's the "High Damage" line of guns, instead of the "balanced" line. And really, with Pistol skilled enough, Damage is the only thing you need to worry about.

I'm surprised by how... impatient you seem to be playing the game. I've never seen somebody rush in and play it like this successfully. I'm always pretty cautious.

Guildenstern

2012-01-18, 06:05 PM

The *Veteran* starting Pistol. Which is different than the *Actual* starting pistol. It's the "High Damage" line of guns, instead of the "balanced" line. And really, with Pistol skilled enough, Damage is the only thing you need to worry about.

Ah, that makes a bit more sense. And I guess with consistent headshot criticals then your gun doesn't matter too much (except for perhaps bosses).

I'm surprised by how... impatient you seem to be playing the game. I've never seen somebody rush in and play it like this successfully. I'm always pretty cautious.

Yeah, well, our line of thinking was that we're producing a show for entertainment purposes. While we normally would take our time camping out behind walls and boxes and all that, the fact is that it's boring to watch. We never aim for top-of-the-line proficiency in what we do here because hey, sometimes it's fun to watch somebody mess up. Though that judgment is of course up to all of you.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-01-18, 06:52 PM

And honestly, I'm very very impatient. I've never been that good at stealth games, and, well, the Heck style of play just is so much fun. :smallbiggrin:

Landis963

2012-01-18, 07:49 PM

Well, one of those places (where the sound generator comes in handy) is the rail line in Russia. If you time it right at that one room with the two active train lines running through it, you can get a mook to run onto the train line just as a train comes through. And this is the scripted train that comes through as you enter that area.

Alpha Protocol: Artificial Unintelligence.

Guildenstern

2012-01-18, 08:04 PM

What's even better is that with a little luck, their friends will come to check and see what happened to them. Guess what: there's another train on the way...

Landis963

2012-01-18, 08:57 PM

What's even better is that with a little luck, their friends will come to check and see what happened to them. Guess what: there's another train on the way...

:smallcool: "shouldn't play on the tracks..."

Thanatos 51-50

2012-01-18, 09:27 PM

Well, some of us have different preferences, I guess.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-01-18, 09:56 PM

I have a lot of respect that you can play more... slow paced. I wish I could, it'd make the older Splinter Cell games a lot more fun.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-01-18, 10:20 PM

I ADORE the older Splinter Cell games. Absolutely adore them.

I think it speaks to a mildly psychotic bent that I love methodically taking down enemies one-by-one.

Landis963

2012-01-18, 10:54 PM

I prefer the rush of glee that one gets from duping an entire room of baddies into thinking there's nothing wrong, at least until the nearby turret turns on them. Not that I'm picky about killing mooks if need be.

Guildenstern

2012-01-18, 11:49 PM

Speaking as someone who is currently playing through Deus Ex: Human Revolution again, I can agree with everything that was just said.

Only I'm a bigger fan of luring people towards that turret I just commandeered by making a lot of noise so they *know* something is wrong.

And then they find out just how wrong things are.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-01-19, 09:26 AM

I prefer leaving as much of the enemy systems and infrastructure intact as possible.
Hell, I even try to leave the guards alive most of the time, unless there's something truly, truly despicable about them.
A Lot of these guys are just schmoes doing a job. They have a wife and kids and a mom and a dad and stuff.

And sometimes, killing a terrorist is just creating about twenty other terrorists from his surviving family.

The point to this all being, of course "It doesn't matter how thick your walls are, how much you double the guard, or how tight your security is. I will win."

Guildenstern

2012-01-20, 05:19 AM

Hell, I even try to leave the guards alive most of the time, unless there's something truly, truly despicable about them.

Pretty much this. There have been times where I've painstakingly kept nearly everyone alive save one or two people. I once knocked a dude out, then read an email that indicated that he was pretty much scum of the earth. I backtracked a little bit and put a bullet in his head while he was still unconscious. Ruined an otherwise perfect pacifist run up through that point, but heck if it wasn't worth it.

Also, I got y'all an episode (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nw3WNldql8&feature=youtu.be).

Landis963

2012-01-20, 12:11 PM

I was wondering what steel core rounds did.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-01-20, 12:18 PM

They actually BOOST DAMAGE.
At least, they kill bosses faster.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-01-20, 12:20 PM

They actually BOOST DAMAGE.
At least, they kill bosses faster.

Cristo Meyers

2012-01-21, 06:49 PM

Also, I got y'all an episode (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nw3WNldql8&feature=youtu.be).

Thornton made 70 whole orphans that day.

That's seven tens.

And that's terrible.

(though I suppose it's better than making 140 half-orphans...)

Guildenstern

2012-01-21, 06:56 PM

(though I suppose it's better than making 140 half-orphans...)

Y'know, I actually made that joke during recording. Only upon review, I realized that my math was wrong. I edited that part out.

And then confessed to it here.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-01-21, 07:31 PM

Yeah, I admit it's kind of weird how many male single parents there are in the Alpha Protocol-verse

Landis963

2012-01-22, 01:42 PM

Yeah, I admit it's kind of weird how many male single parents there are in the Alpha Protocol-verse

Maybe being a mook is detrimental to one's personal life?

Guildenstern

2012-01-23, 03:47 AM

Yeah, I admit it's kind of weird how many male single parents there are in the Alpha Protocol-verse

And now thanks to Episode 7 (http://youtu.be/53FoNbiT9r0) there's about to be a lot more.

Landis963

2012-01-23, 01:05 PM

If you don't talk to Darcy, you won't be able to get his negative bonus.

Guildenstern

2012-01-23, 05:18 PM

If you don't talk to Darcy, you won't be able to get his negative bonus.

A valid point, but we should also consider that if we don't talk to Darcy, then we don't have to talk to Darcy.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-01-23, 06:03 PM

But the flavour text for Darcy's negetive bonus is awesome.

Landis963

2012-01-23, 09:10 PM

A valid point, but we should also consider that if we don't talk to Darcy, then we don't have to talk to Darcy.

I see. :smallwink: Carry on.

Guildenstern

2012-01-25, 03:09 AM

I see. :smallwink: Carry on.

And we shall. With Episode 8 (http://youtu.be/mVe6TG97BTc)

Hida Reju

2012-01-25, 07:32 AM

Well my main build that I crushed the game with was Unarmed, pistols, and stealth with a bit of lockpicking thrown in.

Chain shot renders hard enemies dead, unarmed is a great stealth kill or knock out that is free on ammo. Unarmed's only weakness is boss fights.

But for murdertastic fun go shotguns all the way up. The special knocks down a bunch of guys lining them up for quick kicks to finish them and it does great damage.

Guildenstern

2012-01-27, 02:53 AM

In this episode (http://youtu.be/S0tOgSpvpAI) we finally get to go after Shaheed. Mind you, we won't actually reach him for another episode or two but hey, at least we're making progress.

Guildenstern

2012-01-30, 02:58 AM

Episode 10 (http://youtu.be/2JAFY-XyJc8)

I don't have anything clever to put here, I'm afraid.

Landis963

2012-01-30, 08:45 AM

That one guy saw you through the window, and Evasion tripped. It's finicky like that.

Guildenstern

2012-01-30, 11:34 PM

Yeah, we learned during this let's play that evasion is very much a double-edged sword.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-01-31, 12:56 AM

Yeah. I just wish it didn't cut you out of chain shot.

Landis963

2012-01-31, 12:57 AM

Yeah, too bad it's necessary for the invisibility cloak.

Guildenstern

2012-02-01, 03:52 AM

Such is the cost of obtaining a Harry Potter magic item in a modern spy fiction setting, I suppose.

But look! Episode 11! (http://youtu.be/eIIcmFEnCJI)

Landis963

2012-02-01, 04:23 PM

Ooh, I've never seen what happens if you kill Shaheed. That's... darkly hilarious. Although Mike really should have put a bullet in his back afterward.

Also, yeah, there's no reason not to just do Operative. Although the fashion disasters they have as glory shots are even funnier than some of the lines, IMO.

Where are you planning to go first? Taipei? I mean, from an RP standpoint you would go to Rome first, check on the Al-Samad connection, but there are so many other bonuses if you do the two others first. I think you've mentioned one of them already - do Taipei before Moscow, and you can get Heck to spike Brayko's coke.

Guildenstern

2012-02-01, 05:58 PM

Where are you planning to go first? Taipei? I mean, from an RP standpoint you would go to Rome first, check on the Al-Samad connection, but there are so many other bonuses if you do the two others first. I think you've mentioned one of them already - do Taipei before Moscow, and you can get Heck to spike Brayko's coke.

I actually did Moscow first on my initial playthrough because it made more sense to me to stick to the old adage of "follow the money", or in this case the missiles. They kinda started this whole thing so finding out where the munitions were coming from seemed the most prudent to me in regards to seeking out leads.

That said, yeah, we'll be doing Taipei first this time around, mostly because of the Brayko thing. Also the sooner we meet Heck, the better.

Cristo Meyers

2012-02-02, 02:27 PM

Well, I was finally caught up on my game backlog with finishing Catherine...but then you guys had to come along and show me all of this...now I'm downloading the game, and right before Kingdoms of Amalur is coming out, too and right on the heels of the ME3 release...

...jerks :smalltongue:

I'm going to go shoot Darcy in the face now, and it's all your fault!

Guildenstern

2012-02-02, 02:33 PM

I'm going to go shoot Darcy in the face now, and it's all your fault!

This might be the most fulfilling moment in our admittedly short history of doing the show.

Guildenstern

2012-02-03, 05:10 AM

Episode 12 (http://youtu.be/nrdSBqqHXtE) is now available for your viewing pleasure. Sorry it's a few hours late but we got caught up in a Battlefield 3 match and I kinda forgot to upload it. My bad.

Guildenstern

2012-02-06, 07:01 AM

Aaaaaand we did it again when it came time to post episode 13. (http://youtu.be/12-xru8j7vg)

Landis963

2012-02-06, 11:13 AM

awww, you missed the Suave response to that e-mail to Mina. He makes a joke about Darcy getting raped by polar bears. Which is a surprisingly appealing image.

Yes, Heck is voiced by Nolan North, although traces of Nathan Drake didn't bleed through for me either until now.

you were about to do the Hong Shi contact mission before the break. Although that doesn't matter much, as you meet Albatross.

Also, if you do the Russia arc first, you meet G22 on Lazo's yacht, along with Sis.

You missed a server, the quest thing didn't pop.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-02-06, 02:50 PM

Those, um. Those camera-turrets?
Yeah, you had them hacked. They were marked as "Friendlies", hence the green health bar.

Guildenstern

2012-02-07, 07:15 AM

Those, um. Those camera-turrets?
Yeah, you had them hacked. They were marked as "Friendlies", hence the green health bar.

...

Well, that's awkward.

I wish I could say that's the last time we run into trouble with those turrets, too, but sadly I'd be lying.

Guildenstern

2012-02-08, 05:01 AM

A wild Episode appears! (http://youtu.be/2ws1Sv8h3cY)

Episode used "introduction of major plot character"!

It's... kind of generic and not very dramatic but still more or less effective.

PhallicWarrior

2012-02-08, 11:43 PM

I'm loving the series so far, guys. It's the first LP vid series I've watched that actually compares favorably to Spoiler Warning. Plus, you're covering AP, which they don't seem interested/able to do.

Guildenstern

2012-02-09, 03:04 AM

I'm loving the series so far, guys. It's the first LP vid series I've watched that actually compares favorably to Spoiler Warning.

While I can't speak for my partner, I'm a huge fan of Shamus Young's Twenty-Sided blog and Spoiler Warning was my biggest motivation for doing the show. So that's probably one of the best compliments you can deliver to us. Thank you, good sir.

Guildenstern

2012-02-10, 05:23 AM

I swear, one of these days I'm gonna start posting these things (http://youtu.be/lcAp1JxJPcA) on time.

But to make up for it, that somewhat obnoxious echo you've probably heard in our videos up to this point should be gone now and all the audio should be synced up more cleanly.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-02-10, 08:29 AM

...

Well, that's awkward.

I wish I could say that's the last time we run into trouble with those turrets, too, but sadly I'd be lying.

You can't hack all of them. Try investing in Sabotage until you get Binary Invisibility, though. It's like Evasion with a shorter cooldown and a longer duration.

Landis963

2012-02-10, 10:49 AM

Guildenstern

2012-02-10, 08:01 PM

Yeah, those sniper drops are often more trouble than they're worth, especially since if you take more than five seconds to get off a shot, everyone in the area sees you (why Thorton decides to stand up when he's focusing one is beyond me).

There's an old marksman's saying that goes "never stand when you can kneel, never kneel when you can sit, never sit when you can go prone".

Apparently Thorton learned an alternate interpretation that goes "never exercise caution when you can give your position away and get shot in the face by angry Taiwanese mobsters". A little situational, I'll grant you, but darn if it finally didn't come into play for that guy.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-02-11, 02:37 PM

Maxios

2012-02-12, 06:05 PM

Landis963

2012-02-12, 10:12 PM

Just beat the game again. This time, I did it as a Rookie Professional. I used the starting pistol from start to end, and only changed my armor once: for the final mission.
I got the Thorton Inc. ending, which is awesome.

Totally the best ending. Hands down. However, I always upgrade to the Seraphim ASAP, because if you want the sniper pistol, accept no substitutes.

EDIT: Triple post. :smallfurious: ARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!

Landis963

2012-02-12, 10:17 PM

Landis963

2012-02-12, 10:26 PM

Guildenstern

2012-02-13, 03:31 AM

I've been doing a veteran run myself and, somehow, despite having the best "easier minigames" armour component and maxing out sabotage, I'm still running up against five tumblers and ten seconds to pick them in with lockpicking.

Stupid lockpicking.

Except for Fallout 3, lockpicking is pretty much universally horrible. We feel your pain.

Anyway, we're on to Episode 16 (http://youtu.be/MNMiT5bxbQs) now and I'm afraid that my title puns are getting even worse. I really don't know what's wrong with me, but if this doesn't stop soon I might need one of you to kill me.

Landis963

2012-02-13, 07:37 AM

:smallyuk: oy, you weren't kidding. And really, there are better "omen" puns out there. However, might I suggest "'Deng' goes the bell" or something for a follow-up? :smalltongue:

EDIT: Omen of Doom also comes to mind as another suitably dramatic pun.

Hong Shi really annoys me. I'm not sure why. Possibly his half-hearted manipulation of you into a trap that was pushed ajar (if not blown open) the moment you started the mission, and led to him possibly being blackmailed by the rogue agent who would be his pet assassin. I mean really, a man in his position should know to put some effort into this stuff.

No buying up to Binary Invisibility? It comes in about as handy as evasion in some instances. (Although I realize that doesn't help its case...)

Incendiaries break the game, man. Much better than explosives and a much bigger margin of error on a toss. Granted, they don't break it as much as pistols, but there you are.

I just never really care about Scarlet's rep at all - although I will chat her up so I can manipulate her.

:smallbiggrin: Oh Steven. You always know just what to say.

Guildenstern

2012-02-15, 03:41 AM

Good news folks, this time (http://youtu.be/BK8UcIZZOFI) I managed to stop my seemingly unstoppable downward spiral of puns and replaced it with a reference to a marginally successful Denzel Washington movie.

I'll give you all one guess what happens in this episode.

Landis963

2012-02-15, 11:53 AM

:smallfurious: You got that one safe! That safe which is the bane of my existence on this mission. You got it on your first try! Feel my ire and jealousy!

And then you wasted an EMP on a dinky little keypad!

Thanatos 51-50

2012-02-16, 07:37 PM

Guildenstern

2012-02-16, 07:55 PM

A few things:
1) It actually *is* possible to kill the Al-Samaad Lieutenant at the end of Saudi Arabia, you just have to sneak up to him on the bridge, unspotted the whole way, and a slightly different cutscene triggers and you feel like a badass, but no tangible change to the fight. Only figured it out recently, though. No button input to pull it off, just get there.

Well that's kinda awesome. I guess I just kinda assumed he had some kind of stupid "boss invulnerability" that makes him impossible to do a takedown on. Looks like some games *cough* (Deus Ex: Human Revolution) *cough* could learn a thing or two from this.

2) No, Mike Thorton's guns fire Rocky Marciano, not Muhammad Ali. I am obligated to say this, as I currently live in Brockton. I am also obligated to point out that Rocky Marciano was undefeated. 49-0-0, with 30-ish KOs. Rocky Marciano is, therefore, Boss.

I respect and concede to your superior knowledge of boxing history. Seeing as how I know virtually nothing about boxing whatsoever it probably would have been safer to go with a Captain Falcon reference or something.

3) So THAT'S where the Slums Sniper Rifle is.

Yup.

4) Walking through the sluice gates prompts different responses from Mina when you ask her how many diseaeses it will get you, ranging from "Not enough" to "Enough to make you useless to a woman" to "Nothing a few months in Quarantine cannot fix."

Heh, I actually remember getting that second one during my initial playthrough of the game. It legitimately made me laugh. Can't believe I forgot about that.

5) HERSEY! The UC line of Pistols is the Best Line. Because all you need to worry about with enough pistol skill is raw Damage. And its top-line model is called the "Commissar."

To each their own. Honestly, my choice of pistol in the game has less to do with its capabilities (because stealth + headshots negates all else) and more to do with which one I think is the coolest. I'm a bit of a gun nut and I'm seriously considering picking up a Smith and Wesson M&P for my carry gun, so I used the "Hamilton" most of the time. Similarly, Sir_Mopalot is something of a Splinter Cell fan so using the FN Five-seveN was kind of an homage to Sam Fisher.

6) Yeah, Scarlet gets her flirt on even if you're not a sleezebag. It seems to be her primary method of info-gathering. Then again, she is a Redhead...

Which means that she's pretty much guaranteed success.

Guildenstern

2012-02-17, 04:49 AM

And as if that last post wasn't long enough for you, I find myself needing to drop by again in order to deliver this. (http://youtu.be/C5k9a3M7D9k)

This episode has what is very probably my favorite Heck moment. And it's a very difficult task to single out just one.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-02-17, 08:21 AM

I respect and concede to your superior knowledge of boxing history. Seeing as how I know virtually nothing about boxing whatsoever it probably would have been safer to go with a Captain Falcon reference or something.

It's not so much "Superior Knowledge of Boxing History" and more "I live in Brockton." Marciano is practically taught in the school system. I work in a building named after Rocky, with his stats plastered all over the place. The city's stupid nickname is "The City of Champions" because of Rocky Marciano (And, to a lesser extent, I guess, Marvin Haggler). Brockton is listed as a hometown of choice in more modern boxing games where you create a fighter.
It's just... a thing here.

But, yeah. What Mina says is a reflection of how much she likes you. I'm a huge Splinter Cell fan as well, and would seriously consider purchasing a Five-seveN if I had the dosh and the licenses, and MMMmmm Redheads... (Note to self: Do not allow fiancée to see this post)

Oh, and of course, Steven in the Chigmei Tunnels.
Classic Steven.

Landis963

2012-02-17, 12:43 PM

This is why you don't sell the sound generator. It's marked up a ton if you sell it.

I think you get that picture of Darcy in Saudi, and Thorton for some reason takes it with him.

We really shouldn't be laughing at Wen, but if we weren't laughing at Wen, we wouldn't be laughing at Steven.

:smalleek: You... forgot. You forgot about the freaking invisibility cloak. You forgot about the saving grace of many a sneaking playthrough. :smallsigh:

Yeah, that last guy you easily could have gone into cover, waited for him to get close, then crept behind him and stab to the jugular.

Y U USE EMP ON KEYPAD GAH! And then, why do you willingly do that lockpick minigame?

:smallbiggrin: Oh Heck. This is why we love you.

Guildenstern

2012-02-20, 04:36 AM

Alright listen; I've given up all pretense and I'm now just officially trolling you with these episode titles. (http://youtu.be/hA0-ZHgCI9U)

EDIT: Also, I totally forgot to mention this earlier, but somewhere between this episode and the last one we officially hit the halfway point of this series.

For those of you that have stuck it out with us this far, I applaud your diligence, apologize for our absurdity, and thank you for your viewership.

Landis963

2012-02-20, 12:34 PM

...Yeah, trolling's really the only explanation.

Yeah, it's the little things like "who downloads the files" that make a difference sometimes.

The little things such as "-we'll get to that later" before you find out about Deng's true purpose.

:smallconfused: Huh. I never thought of that before. He probably just said "I have important information regarding the rally for President Sung." If that didn't work, he could just say "Someone's planning an assassination, I have the relevant files."

To be fair, Sung does have a point about looking like a petty dictator if he doesn't have proof of the riots, but why he doesn't wear body armor if you don't give him the assassination plot, is... :smallannoyed: less clear, shall we say.

YOU HAVE INVISIBILITY! USE IT!

At least you're getting up close and knifing them instead of trying to get headshots on every one.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-02-21, 02:23 AM

Landis963

2012-02-21, 01:13 PM

It's worth noting, I'm afraid, that all of these episodes have been recorded already. Guildenstern and I live the entire state of washington away from each other, so we try to knock a game out whenever we do manage to see each other. So while I would love to mitigate my embarrassment and remember to go invisible, I cannot. :smallfrown:

:smallsigh: Gotcha. Although in a tangentially related matter, I was wondering whether the clip of the helicopter exploding was from this playthrough or from an earlier one.

Guildenstern

2012-02-22, 03:41 AM

And with this (http://youtu.be/yI5zPbmlCi4) installment we wrap up The Taipei hub of the game, leaving a trail of death, destruction, and political turmoil in our wake.

Just like every good espionage agent should.

Landis963

2012-02-22, 12:23 PM

Ah, we've gotten a reprieve from the puns. Although I still think "'Deng' goes the Bell" would be a suitably terrible title.

Of course, they keep the same A.I. as the normal mooks, so now the meatshields are on your side.

Yeah, AP is kind of broken. This, however, is the fun, id-gone-wild sort of broken.

The assassin didn't know about the vest, did he? :smallwink:

Mook-induced property damage, mass mook murder, bungled foiling of an assassination attempt, all in a day's work.

Oh Heck. I think that's all that needs to be said at this point.

"Freedom rolls" is the sort of s**t that causes a guy like me to play Bond!Thorton. (as opposed to Bauer!Thorton or Bourne!Thorton)

Sights in this game do not match with sights in reality. You complained about this all the way back in Saudi, you should know this by now.

Stasgard

2012-02-23, 07:31 PM

So, I only finished Alpha Protocol once and thought it was decent. This thread/LP inspired me to give it another playthrough and oh my god you guys this game is so awesome. I don't think I've ever played where there was this much change in how things played out.

My first run through I was basically "Meh" with everyone, but this playthrough my Super-Professional Thorton was in tight with Albatross, and it was so awesome seeing all the new content being friendly with G-22 gives you.

Punching Leland in the face was pretty damn satisfying, too.

Guildenstern

2012-02-24, 03:47 AM

So, I only finished Alpha Protocol once and thought it was decent. This thread/LP inspired me to give it another playthrough and oh my god you guys this game is so awesome. I don't think I've ever played where there was this much change in how things played out.

Awesome. Part of our goal here really was to try and demonstrate that the game can be very, very good in specific arenas (though it is still quite bad in others).

Punching Leland in the face was pretty damn satisfying, too.

Heh. You ain't seen nothin' yet.

Also, I've once again foregone the puns in favor of outdated pop culture references. You're welcome? (http://youtu.be/D_JvOPQd6sI)

Landis963

2012-02-24, 12:15 PM

:smallbiggrin: You're doing my favorite mission!

Yeah, Wen Shu exists mainly to prop up Heck as entertainingly psychotic.

You got that glass eye from "sneaking" up to the al-Samad lieutenant.

:smalleek: Dang, you tore through that mission fast. Even the boss fight with Sis was easily half as long as I normally take.

Also, Albatross explains it after that mission - he didn't know you'd be there, and ordered Sis to kill everyone on board.

PhallicWarrior

2012-02-24, 12:55 PM

Holy crap! I knew chain shot shredded bosses, but I'd never gotten it up to the 5 shot level by the time you fight Sis, so I didn't realize you could literally one-shot her with it.

SirSigfried

2012-02-24, 01:53 PM

The eye belongs to one of the Triad Rebel bosses I think. Red Eye Jinn or something like that.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-02-24, 02:23 PM

I was under the impression the eye was from Nasari?

Landis963

2012-02-24, 04:52 PM

I was under the impression the eye was from Nasari?

The beret is from Nasri. The eye is from Shaheed's second-in-command, that mountain of a guy with the gold assault rifle you can sneak up to and kill. I know, I checked on the AP wiki.

Guildenstern

2012-02-25, 03:17 AM

Y'know, I'm not even sure if I want to know who's eye that was. The idea of having a mystery eyeball sitting on our counter as a trophy seems to tie in nicely with some of the other delightfully disturbing objects Mike has lying around.

Except for the Darcy picture. That is just a regular kind of disturbing and not delightful at all.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-02-25, 02:14 PM

Just finished my Veteran Run. I WAS going to Judge, Jury and Executioner, but didn't kill Marburg, so I couldn't pull it off.
Got "rising Star" instead.

PhallicWarrior

2012-02-27, 02:17 AM

OK, so you guys made me pass up studying last week to tackle the whole Taipei hub, JUST so I could watch the vids without being spoiled. So if I fail all of my classes this semester, I'll refer my teachers to you. I'm sure they'll forgive me.

Anywho, having taken on the FF-Reject supercop and died like a hundred times (I specced Thorton to be more melee/stealth focused, and foolishly thought I might be able to fight him hand-to-hand. Shotgun->Room Sweep saved me.) I have to say, this game reminds me of the new Deus Ex more than anything. They do SO much right in regards to meaningful choice in character creation and storyline consequences, but they both get their boss battles SO INCREDIBLY WRONG. Granted, I don't know how one would go about building boss fights that can be solved through open combat, stealth, gadgetry, hacking, violin-playing, etc, and have all of the approaches be equally viable, but making it so open combat is the ONLY way to go is definitely not it.

Guildenstern

2012-02-27, 03:48 AM

The parallels to Deus Ex: Human Revolution are rather striking in that regard. The main difference being that Eidos outsourced their screw-ups while Obsidian managed to wreak havoc with their core game idea all on their own.

As an aside, any game that lets me defeat a boss through violin playing will probably be my GOTY. Presumably because it would allow me to build a character that is, for all intents and purposes, Felicia Day. Or Lindsey Sterling. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3KUyPKbR7Q)

Anyways, I got y'all a little something (http://youtu.be/cuY_fkWz5AI). Hope you like it.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-02-27, 09:23 AM

To be fair, a high stealth score is very useful for the following boss fights:
(Boss fight being defined as anyone with a health bar across the top of the screen)
Al-Saamad LT
All Three Triad LTs
Deng
Marburg
Darcy
Parker
Westridge/Leland

Of course, Stealth is mostly useful for taking out their toadies and/or making liberal use of Shadow Operative to get a clear line of sight for Chain Shot, but useful nonetheless.

Landis963

2012-02-27, 05:08 PM

Yeah, there's really no reason not to antagonize Grigori. It's a lot easier to get his supposed bodyguards on your side if they're US military rather than just embassy security.

Guildenstern

2012-02-28, 07:21 PM

Yeah, there's really no reason not to antagonize Grigori. It's a lot easier to get his supposed bodyguards on your side if they're US military rather than just embassy security.

I'm not sure if you understand: there was a dialogue option labeled "head slam" and then we got to club him in the face with a bottle of Stoli. Any potential benefits of this are entirely secondary.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-02-28, 08:06 PM

I actually kind of like Grigori.

Also: Making a pacifist run for the "Thorton, Inc." Ending.

Not sure if I should kill or punch out Lelean, though. At the end.

Landis963

2012-02-29, 01:31 AM

I'm not sure if you understand: there was a dialogue option labeled "head slam" and then we got to club him in the face with a bottle of Stoli. Any potential benefits of this are entirely secondary.

Y'see, if that was, say, Darcy, I would understand, but Grigori is, well, gregarious enough to be slightly likable. Likable enough so that one can plausibly want to be on his good side, simply out of personality. Also, no one compares to Darcy. Not in terms of sheer annoyance, anyway.

Guildenstern

2012-02-29, 03:55 AM

Our actions here stem not from any kind of an inherent dislike of Grigori so much as giddy excitement over an option labeled "head slam".

That, and we apparently really like "wodka" jokes.

Speaking of which, here's some more wodka jokes. (http://youtu.be/5CfkOHdGqN8)

GloatingSwine

2012-02-29, 04:12 PM

Speaking of which, here's some more wodka jokes. (http://youtu.be/5CfkOHdGqN8)

Wodka is no joke. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-9gzmQHoe0)

Guildenstern

2012-02-29, 04:24 PM

Wodka is no joke. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-9gzmQHoe0)

Bozhe moi. That was awesome.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-02-29, 04:54 PM

Did you know:
You can also shoot the propane tank next to the water tower?

I got SIE to like me during a pacifist run.

Guildenstern

2012-02-29, 05:53 PM

I got SIE to like me during a pacifist run.

Did you multiclass Thorton into Bard or something?

Thanatos 51-50

2012-02-29, 11:09 PM

Nope, just did really well with conversation options, minimized conversation with her, hit all the plusses EXCEPT for engaging her in combat (I didn't want to spend Steel Core Bullets on her).

I had her a +7 according to my "Pick a Handler" screen for the final mission.

In this same run I (finally) got Thorton, Inc. The only kill on my otherwise pacifist conduct was Leland and, during the fight against Shaheed's Stryker, one of the cronies was killed when a truck next to him blew up, and I somehow was credited with it.

Guildenstern

2012-03-02, 03:44 AM

I had her a +7 according to my "Pick a Handler" screen for the final mission.

Huh. Well, good on you. I don't think I've ever been especially on her good side. Though in SIE's case I think her "good side" is whichever side isn't pointing that M60 at me so I'll take what I can get.

But in other news I give you Episode 24 (http://youtu.be/Nap7HOlt0Tk), which apart from being kind of a fun one for us also is something of a milestone event for Nerdwatch: our previous let's play (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194841) ran for a grand total of 23 episodes so as of now this is officially our longest season.

Y'know, out of two.

Unless you count the Lost Season in which we tried to play Sneak King.

Which you shouldn't.

Landis963

2012-03-02, 11:33 AM

Oh SIE. Why must you be so creepy?

Yeah, if you like Albatross, there's really no reason not to go with him.

F**king turrets. I always hated that they go for you.

The trap ladder is outside, the one Thorton highlights when Albatross mentions roof access.

There's also no reason to shoot Surkov at the end there, especially since you get a conversation mission to the same effect if you let him get back to his office.

PhallicWarrior

2012-03-02, 09:23 PM

There's also no reason to shoot Surkov at the end there, especially since you get a conversation mission to the same effect if you let him get back to his office.

But it's FUNNY.

Guildenstern

2012-03-02, 09:26 PM

But it's FUNNY.

This guy gets it.

Landis963

2012-03-02, 09:33 PM

But it's FUNNY.

That is known as an opinion, and does not universally substitute for fact. In my opinion, it's unnecessarily brutal for a Bond! or Bourne!Thorton, which is how I normally play him. However, it fits quite well with Bauer!Thorton, which I'm beginning to suspect is how the LPers play him. I can't wait to see what they do with/to Madison. Also, it's very likely that Surkov would just not have anything to do with Thorton, meaning that call that Thorton wants from him? Not coming. Of course, that's not how it works in the game, but still.

Guildenstern

2012-03-05, 06:06 AM

Hey guys, sorry this one's (http://youtu.be/nrq9Qvk0t_E) a little late, but I ran into some trouble with the audio tracks and I had to re-export the original audio track as a .wav instead of an .mp3 to get it to work. The whole process took a little longer than I thought what with export and upload times but it's up now, and I rather doubt any of you are hunched over your keyboards at 3 AM waiting for the next episode to go live.

Also, a word of warning: what with Mass Effect 3 coming out tomorrow (and a sudden crush of midterms to worry about throughout the week) it's very possible that I might forget an upload or two while I'm busy saving the galaxy and/or trying to pass my courses. If that happens, just leave a reply here bugging me about it and I'll try to wrench myself away long enough to get back on track.

Guildenstern

2012-03-07, 07:52 AM

Crap, told you this would happen.

Oh well, better late than never: here's Episode 26 (http://youtu.be/vJPmsk8sDsQ)

Landis963

2012-03-07, 11:06 AM

Except that since you shot Surkov, you don't get the last mission in that hub.

Molotek? Potential boss fight w/ Championchik? Ring any bells?

Guildenstern

2012-03-07, 12:29 PM

Except that since you shot Surkov, you don't get the last mission in that hub.

Molotek? Potential boss fight w/ Championchik? Ring any bells?

We got an alternative boss fight, though: lvl. 15 Surkov's kneecaps.

We won.

Philistine

2012-03-07, 12:31 PM

Heh. I think I was on my second or third time through before I found out there was a whole 'nother mission in Moscow that I'd never seen before.

That's one of the more unusual things about AP: you get the story you play, and it's seamless enough that the first time through, you may very well not realize you're missing anything... until you play through a second time with different choices and find yourself forming a different picture of who did what to whom, when, where, and why, and this version makes just as much sense and is just as seamless. But you have to like the game enough the first time to decide it's worth playing again before you get to what I consider to be the really cool stuff (that is, seeing the different permutations of events and interactions based on your choices), and sadly the game doesn't make that as easy as it should.

And as long as I'm de-lurking here, I'd like to thank Guildenstern and Sir Mopalot for showcasing one of my favorite games. One that really is a diamond, but also really is rough.

Landis963

2012-03-07, 12:40 PM

We got an alternative boss fight, though: lvl. 15 Surkov's kneecaps.

We won.

:smallamused: Cutscene bosses don't count and you know it. Unless they're "verbal" boss fights like - well, like the one in the next episode.

EDIT: And you were level 12 during that mission. (I know because the levelup: level 13 marker popped during the Brayko assault)

Guildenstern

2012-03-07, 03:15 PM

That's one of the more unusual things about AP: you get the story you play, and it's seamless enough that the first time through, you may very well not realize you're missing anything... until you play through a second time with different choices and find yourself forming a different picture of who did what to whom, when, where, and why, and this version makes just as much sense and is just as seamless.

Exactly. In contrast to something like a BioWare RPG where there's one set story and you uncover it gradually in a more or less cemented narrative, Alpha Protocol lets you uncover (and create) drastic variations on the whole plot structure. ("Wait, you killed Albatross? Scarlet was the assassin? YOU DIDN'T BEFRIEND STEVEN HECK?!") I love playing a role like I get to do with Commander Shepard, don't get me wrong; but there's something really cool about being able to influence and shape a story like you get to in Alpha Protocol.

And as long as I'm de-lurking here, I'd like to thank Guildenstern and Sir Mopalot for showcasing one of my favorite games. One that really is a diamond, but also really is rough.

And we'd like to thank you for your viewership in return. I think we've really enjoyed seeing the shared interest for the game people in here have.

Thanatos 51-50

2012-03-08, 07:26 AM

I remember when I learned that Molotek was a thing. I was watching my little brother play.
"Wait, why are you fighting Championchiik? Are you going after Surkov again?"
"Yeah... wait, you've beaten the game. How did ou not know this was a thing?"

Philistine

2012-03-08, 12:13 PM

My first time through, I think I executed Brayko before he had a chance to finger Surkov. Or I might have shot Surkov at the Embassy... or possibly both. That was the run I tried to play the game more as a shooter (because it does kinda look like a shooter), and I carried that approach over into conversations as well. I never realized I was missing anything - or even that there was anything to miss - until I went though again as a suave sneak.

Guildenstern

2012-03-09, 01:01 PM

Okay, it is officially 10 hours into Friday at this point and you may have noticed something: there is a distinct lack of an episode posted here. Well, I warned you this might happen; between the crush of midterms and the self-imposed crush of finishing Mass Effect 3 (I should have my impressions of that particular game posted on the website later this week) I have now been awake for almost three straight days. Furthermore, in two hours time I need to commute across the state and then finish yet another paper before midnight. I'll try to get today's episode posted sometime before we roll into Saturday but if not then I'll have it up by tomorrow. My apologies.

EDIT: Alright, there we go. (http://youtu.be/5nLOLar6sQ4) Again, sorry for the delay, but it's been a pretty busy week for me. But I'm on Spring Break at the moment and the upcoming semester should be a little less intense so with luck I'll be able to keep these coming on time from now on.

Or at least I should hope so because we now have only ten more episodes left. Seeing as how that doesn't work very cleanly with our current three times per week update schedule, I may just combine the last two episodes into one 40-minute super-episode. Or I could post both on the same day or just wait until the following Monday to wrap everything up. If you have any preferences, you've got a little less than two weeks to let me know.

EDIT: as promised, for anyone interested, you can find my ME3 review here (http://www.nerdwatchshow.com/2012/03/review-mass-effect-3.html).

Philistine

2012-03-11, 06:21 PM

I think it's safe to say Leland was indeed being sarcastic there. You completely missed Halbech's real pipeline in Moscow, after all. :smallamused:

Landis963

2012-03-11, 08:05 PM

Personally, I'd split them up and then release on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, that or save the mega-episode for Friday.

On to the episode itself:

This is my absolute favorite sequence because you can run rings around Leland, depending on what you did. If you got stalled on Brayko, he wins that round, but you win every single other bout in that sequence. Bad. A**.

It's deliberately ambiguous so that it takes into account what you did. As I'm sure you know, he says the exact same thing regardless of whether Surkov likes you or not. Regardless, I'm still of the opinion that Leland is sarcastic here - exactly how many mob bosses did you run over during your trip? 3 - Lazo, Surkov, and Brayko. I'm sure Leland, or a proxy for him, can find many others with as little preparation as Mike had.

Your audience wasn't! :smallfrown: Seriously, the Russia arc is the mission hub where AP shines the most in terms of branching story. As mentioned, there is an entire mission you can miss if you say the wrong things to Surkov (or do the wrong things, but I digress). How Grigori likes you is directly linked to the durability of the guards at the Embassy, which is directly linked to how Surkov feels about you, which is directly linked to everything else. Also, Russia is your first real look at G22, not counting that one mission in Taipei with the warehouse.

Yeah, Moscow shines in terms of branching story, Rome shines in character development, and Taipei... shines in Steven Heck. :smalltongue: No. Where it really shines is in building that James Bond-esque feel that permeates the rest of the game.

... This is not to say that all three hubs don't have their weak points. For Moscow it was, IMO, the bugged roof access door, for Taipei, the G22 mission, because it was disconnected from the rest of the plot, and for Rome, that stupid point defense ruins mission.

Ah, the Gelato Man makes his triumphant return. In one of the more strangely hilarious missions ever.

And to be fair, the Roman gelato shop's I've been to were not subject to the trash of the Titans like this one has. I mean, there were a few chips in the floor, but the person serving the gelato did not lick the scoop, then use it to scratch his hair.

Aaaand the awkwardness of this mission extends into the stratosphere. Thanks Mina for pointing out the obvious "not-on-the-level-ness".

That's why I love AP so much - the riotously funny characters. We have a duo of snarkers - Mina and Mike - then Heck, which should be self-explanatory, then oneshots like Brayko and the Gelato Man.

It's a balancing act, like everything else. I agree that a few too many game-breakers slipped past, *cough*Chain Shot*cough*, but then we wouldn't have the witty repartee between Mina and Mike, or we wouldn't have quite the widely branching chain of missions we have in Moscow.

Guildenstern

2012-03-12, 01:40 AM

Ah, the Gelato Man makes his triumphant return. In one of the more strangely hilarious missions ever.

I have a somewhat long-winded rant posted beneath the video over here (http://www.nerdwatchshow.com/) that expands upon why I think the gelato man is actually rather stupid, but you can read that at your own leisure if you so choose.

And another Monday, another episode. And holy crap, this one's (http://youtu.be/tfrnCItmQ30) actually ahead of schedule. What foul magic is afoot here?

Landis963

2012-03-12, 09:26 AM

I have a somewhat long-winded rant posted beneath the video over here (http://www.nerdwatchshow.com/) that expands upon why I think the gelato man is actually rather stupid, but you can read that at your own leisure if you so choose.

It's kinda true, especially with the poorly animated "grabbing something" gesture.

You do realize that the Infrared Flashbulb upgrade reduces camera sight range, right?
EDIT: that should be "keeps cameras from noticing you for a short while".

Actually, that contact is probably more "on-the-level" than Mr. Gelato Man. Which kind of says something, wouldn't you say?

Whoracle

2012-03-13, 02:35 PM

Guildenstern

2012-03-13, 04:51 PM

I've been wanting to watch this LP for a while, and wondering why I haven't. Now I know why:

"This video is not available in your country. Sorry."

Any chances of getting download links or mirrors for this? Other hosters than YouTube perhaps?

Oy, that sucks right there. The worst thing is, that's definitely my fault due to the music choice in the intro. As of now youtube is the only place where we upload our videos. If anybody knows of a convenient alternative that they can vouch for, we're all ears. But for now we really don't have them available anywhere else outside of the source files on my laptop.

We really are very sorry about this, we didn't really consider this eventuality, I'm afraid.

Guildenstern

2012-03-14, 02:06 AM

Today's episode (http://youtu.be/f3JAk3pgy6g) is exactly what it says on the tin: we give you a break from brutal murder for a bit.

Whoracle

2012-03-14, 02:50 AM

Well, I use blip.tv for my LP. It's pretty decent, the ads for it are Opt-In, so you usually can't accidentally forget to disable ads, they also provide a direct download link for each episode, and their recoding is fast enough. I dunno how big your source files usually are, but for me and my 400 MB files it usually takes about 30 minutes after uploading for processing.

Only downside is you can't mark an episode "private" unless you go for a pro account.

And don't be too sorry. If I didn't live in germany, I'd most likely not have considered this either :smallwink:

Landis963

2012-03-14, 06:37 AM

title: ...That is a new occurence. Are you feeling OK? :smalltongue:

3:34: I've never actually found the line that implies that. I know Madison says it, while she's your handler in his villa, but I've never gotten it to trigger.

8:06: Ominous foreshadowing GO!

10:07: You only had 10 skill points. You couldn't reach that level of Evasion if you tried. Not now.

10:34: Oh, you were planning to pick that up next level. That makes more sense now.

11:13: It's Madison's dossier: Parker's secret fact is his involvement in the plot.

15:02: Funnily enough, you never use the Russian safehouse's deck either.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-03-14, 07:36 AM

title: ...That is a new occurence. Are you feeling OK? :smalltongue:

3:34: I've never actually found the line that implies that. I know Madison says it, while she's your handler in his villa, but I've never gotten it to trigger.

Well, you have to go into a certain hallway with Madison as your handler, there are a bunch of naked statues. I think that's how it triggers, but honestly I haven't gotten it either, I'm basing that off of repeated read-throughs of the TVTropes page, which honestly works kinda like a let's player's bible for any game.

Landis963

2012-03-14, 07:41 AM

Well, you have to go into a certain hallway with Madison as your handler, there are a bunch of naked statues. I think that's how it triggers, but honestly I haven't gotten it either, I'm basing that off of repeated read-throughs of the TVTropes page, which honestly works kinda like a let's player's bible for any game.

It's true. I'm a troper myself, and not only is it a let's player's bible, but it's excellent for anyone who's mildly interested in a series to learn more about it without putting in the effort to actually read/watch/play it.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-03-14, 08:17 AM

PhallicWarrior

2012-03-14, 05:44 PM

Landis963

2012-03-14, 07:13 PM

Exactly. The only bad thing I can think of about it is that sometimes it can be a shortcut to actually pulling a work apart and thinking about it yourself. I know I catch myself starting a new TV series, or watching a movie, and without fail I'll check the TVTropes page to see how others interpreted it, and often I like their ideas enough to adopt. Not the worst thing in the world, of course, but something I think I'd rather avoid as a matter of course.

It's funny, I use it as a one-stop shop for spoilers, and if the tropes as a whole interest me (spoilers and all), I check it out. However, on things I'm really interested in, I hold out as long as I can against the temptation. This is why I'm staying the heck away from the Mass Effect 3 page, because I'd really like to get it eventually (I'm hoping my brothers got it for me for my birthday, but if not I'll just bite the bullet and get it. And Origin. :smallsigh:).

Guildenstern

2012-03-14, 09:02 PM

It's funny, I use it as a one-stop shop for spoilers, and if the tropes as a whole interest me (spoilers and all), I check it out. However, on things I'm really interested in, I hold out as long as I can against the temptation. This is why I'm staying the heck away from the Mass Effect 3 page, because I'd really like to get it eventually (I'm hoping my brothers got it for me for my birthday, but if not I'll just bite the bullet and get it. And Origin. :smallsigh:).

I have a tendency to only ever check a trope page after I've already finished the entire work it relates to. I won't open up a page on a TV show until I finish all the seasons, and I'll wait until I complete a game until I go back and check out a list of tropes to see if they match up with what I thought. Though like my partner, I find that the trope entries can often color my perceptions of a certain event.

At any rate, I'd highly recommend resisting the urge to check out the ME3 page before you play it. There's a lot of really powerful stuff that happens in that game that you really need to experience fresh for it to have the full impact.

Guildenstern

2012-03-16, 01:35 AM

Alright, I dunno about you guys but I think that's about enough time we've spent not shooting people in the face. So with Episode 30 (http://youtu.be/XVFzGlmfpDE) we return to our old standby of murder... but this time we do it with a classical music backdrop to give the illusion that we're not completely barbaric.

Whoracle

2012-03-16, 04:21 AM

DId you change something? I can actually watch Episode 30 :D

Guildenstern

2012-03-16, 04:54 AM

DId you change something? I can actually watch Episode 30 :D

Y'know, I didn't change a darn thing. Guess the YouTube gods just decided to acquiesce to your desire to watch.

So that's awesome.

Landis963

2012-03-16, 07:31 AM

Title: Ah, that's better.

4:46: Of course not, It's Marburg. He probably hasn't done anything fun since he was 12.

9:30: Maybe I'm just too sneaky for my own good. I never found that dossier.

9:44: Aaand that's where the line triggers.

10:43: I don't know, Mansions are usually referring only to the house itself, villas usually have grounds associated with them too. Point being that Villas are very large.

14:13: There's a sniper rifle up on the second balcony, but if I try and use it, half the area fails to load and I fall into the negative zone. Maybe it's because I usually have enough Shadow Operative by this point to ghost through that entire area without touching a single goon.

15:04: it triggers if the fight with Omen Deng goes on long enough, regardless if you were actually listening or not. I'm actually not sure you can hear it over ":smallannoyed: You're in over your head. :smallannoyed:"

PhallicWarrior

2012-03-16, 09:28 AM

That shootout in Marburg's Villa's Game Room is one of my favorite setpiece fights in the game. No OP boss enemies, no turrets. Just you, your weapons, some guys, their weapons, some pool tables that provide only partial cover, a bunch of loot (some of which you missed, btw. It's by the bar.) and a really nice classical piece playing over it all. Feels like something out of a movie, much moreso than other such moments in the rest of the game. It's good level design, too. A good cover-based shooter should keep you moving, and way too many of them don't. The limited cover opportunities and plentiful loot incentivize staying mobile, which keeps this particular fight from devolving into the "whack-a-mole" kind of shootouts that crop up all the time in this kind of game.

Unless, of course, you have really high stealth and enough skill in pistols to kill piles of of people from across the hall. :smallamused:

Guildenstern

2012-03-18, 12:25 AM

4:46: Of course not, It's Marburg. He probably hasn't done anything fun since he was 12.

Man, he hasn't done anything fun since the 13th century. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konrad_von_Marburg)

9:44: Aaand that's where the line triggers.

Mystery solved.

That shootout in Marburg's Villa's Game Room is one of my favorite setpiece fights in the game. No OP boss enemies, no turrets. Just you, your weapons, some guys, their weapons, some pool tables that provide only partial cover, a bunch of loot (some of which you missed, btw. It's by the bar.) and a really nice classical piece playing over it all.

Words can't even begin to describe how much I love soundtrack dissonance in action scenes. If anyone here has ever played Bioshock, that scene where you're in Fort Frolic taking out waves of Spider Splicers while Tchaikovsky plays over the speakers is one of my favorite gaming moments.

PhallicWarrior

2012-03-18, 10:31 PM

Words can't even begin to describe how much I love soundtrack dissonance in action scenes. If anyone here has ever played Bioshock, that scene where you're in Fort Frolic taking out waves of Spider Splicers while Tchaikovsky plays over the speakers is one of my favorite gaming moments.

Reminds me of the scene in Sherlock Holmes 2 when

Moriarty tortures Holmes with a fishhook while singing Schubert's "Die Forelle" (Which, btw, is about a fisherman outfoxing a fish and catching it through devious means.) SUCH. A. PERFECT. MORIARTY. SCENE.

Guildenstern

2012-03-19, 02:35 AM

Episode 31 (http://youtu.be/g_4vJWo-les). In which our penchant for wanton destruction severely damages the archaeological record of ancient Rome.

I genuinely feel bad.

Landis963

2012-03-19, 09:31 AM

2:07: Wait, how does it make it harder? The first third of the level is already done, and Deus Vult goes down to Chain Shot like any other mook.

8:26: one of the perks of playing Veteran.

11:14: At this point, I usually take a few incendiaries and booby-trap the places where the mooks jump down. I find it therapeutic to periodically hear the "fwoosh" and realize that I've just ruined someone's day. But you don't have those, so oh well.

13:57: Hit the guy with armor a second time - headshots can only do so much.

14:16: although apparently it didn't matter.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-03-19, 04:52 PM

Well, okay, it's only marginally more difficult, but between Al-Samad and Deus Vult, the former are easier to fight. And it's not like there are so many Al-Samad troops at the beginning that it's much of a challenge anyway.

Guildenstern

2012-03-21, 02:10 AM

Episode 32 (http://youtu.be/Qr7wvDYFmzQ), Return of the Pun Titles.

Okay, we're not actually James Bond, but it still fits.

Landis963

2012-03-21, 09:39 AM

Title: :smallbiggrin:

1:34: There was a "question" marker in the fourth slot. I guess I'll find out but... might that have been the crucial one? Or will it always be marked "Dossier"?

6:38:... I'm not quite sure how they got that line past the censors.

7:39: BUG! I guess you were lucky he didn't stick his arms out like an airplane.

11:48: Awkward love cutscene, GO!

12:18: Oh, THAT's where it unlocks.

13:08: Ah, you're going for that version of events. I could never unlock her secret fact, so I always killed Marburg in Italy.

Guildenstern

2012-03-21, 07:29 PM

11:48: Awkward love cutscene, GO!

Still better than Dragon Age.

Cristo Meyers

2012-03-21, 07:54 PM

Still better than Dragon Age.

Oh come now! What could be better than an awkward bump and grind to sappy romantic music followed by a giant "ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!" banner once the deed is done?

Felt kinda like college...

Guildenstern

2012-03-21, 08:03 PM

Oh come now! What could be better than an awkward bump and grind to sappy romantic music followed by a giant "ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!" banner once the deed is done?

Felt kinda like college...

Even more so when you factor in the shared feelings of shame and embarrassment. At least Dragon Age won't give you a horrible disease.

Oh wait... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Age_II)

Cristo Meyers

2012-03-21, 08:23 PM

Even more so when you factor in the shared feelings of shame and embarrassment. At least Dragon Age won't give you a horrible disease.

Oh wait... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Age_II)

Careful, I'm one of those deviants that actually enjoyed 2 :smalltongue:

I really need to actually get to playing AP...then I can actually start watching this again.

PhallicWarrior

2012-03-21, 09:35 PM

Episode 32 (http://youtu.be/Qr7wvDYFmzQ), Return of the Pun Titles.

Okay, we're not actually James Bond, but it still fits.

That pun injured me. I think I'm bleeding. From the pun.

I'm impressed you guys have such a variable game down to a science. The only game I've ever nailed down to this degree (in terms of knowing where all the easter eggs are, how to go through the dialogue trees to get your intended result, how to optimize your character, etc) was KotOR II, which was pretty much the first RPG I ever played, and remains my favorite to this day. Speaking of which, what's your overall opinion on these two games. Both by Obsidian, both with some of the best, most insightful writing in video games of the past 20 years, but both possessed of some pretty crippling flaws.

Guildenstern

2012-03-22, 12:57 AM

That pun injured me. I think I'm bleeding. From the pun.

Sweet. Three more victims and I'll have enough XP to level up and take the "Improved Punning" feat.

I'm impressed you guys have such a variable game down to a science. The only game I've ever nailed down to this degree (in terms of knowing where all the easter eggs are, how to go through the dialogue trees to get your intended result, how to optimize your character, etc) was KotOR II, which was pretty much the first RPG I ever played, and remains my favorite to this day. Speaking of which, what's your overall opinion on these two games. Both by Obsidian, both with some of the best, most insightful writing in video games of the past 20 years, but both possessed of some pretty crippling flaws.

I love the KoTOR games, though I confess that I prefer the original over the sequel, mostly due to the time crush that resulted in the horrific ending of the second game (an ending which has only recently been out-awful'd by ME3). And of course I have a lot of respect for Alpha Protocol otherwise this LP never would have happened. KoTOR II does end up being the better game in my mind due to the fact that they were building off of a pre-established game system so they had very little to screw up when it came to combat and what have you, whereas Alpha Protocol was built from the ground up by Obsidian alone and we can see their lack of serious gameplay development skill pretty easily through that.

Ultimately, I would say that the stance I take on both of these games is one of respect: they're certainly not my favorite games because they're just too laden with problems to stand out as pinnacles of my gaming experience, but what they try to do through their writing is so ambitious and so entertaining that you can't help but love them. As a point of reference, my roommate is a guy who usually can't stand a game unless it has a really tight set of mechanics; if it doesn't play well, he puts it down and never looks back. Despite that, he's working his way through Alpha Protocol right now because the dialogue system and the branching narrative is just that good.

I may not go back and play Alpha Protocol or KoTOR II very often, but rest assured that I'll always remember them.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-03-22, 06:01 PM

That pun injured me. I think I'm bleeding. From the pun.

I'm impressed you guys have such a variable game down to a science. The only game I've ever nailed down to this degree (in terms of knowing where all the easter eggs are, how to go through the dialogue trees to get your intended result, how to optimize your character, etc) was KotOR II, which was pretty much the first RPG I ever played, and remains my favorite to this day. Speaking of which, what's your overall opinion on these two games. Both by Obsidian, both with some of the best, most insightful writing in video games of the past 20 years, but both possessed of some pretty crippling flaws.

Well, it's not like we haven't missed some stuff, as has been pointed out, but there are a couple things that are really contributing to however well we get it. Between the two of us this is our sixth time through the game, which makes a huge difference. Also being very helpful is a very thorough walkthrough on Gamefaqs which I use on the run right before the LP to make sure I remembered what dialogue did what (although I couldn't remember Scarlett's, she's just a little too complex). That showed a lot of the little hidden gems and also helped stop us from running into the (even at this point) surprising results of some of the choices you can make. Third and finally, TvTropes, as we've mentioned before, has a lot of the most interesting stuff that you'll run into throughout the game right there. As to KOTOR 2, I have to confess that I don't love either game in the series that much, and haven't finished them. This is because of issues I have with the Old Republic setting as a whole, as well as the fact that I just couldn't get into the weird, pseudo D&D style combat. So while I can't say for KOTOR 2 I'm that well qualified to judge, I love Alpha Protocol. It's worth noting that this was not true of the first time I played through it. It took me a solid year of not playing it at all to get the bug for it again, and it was only then that I honestly started to enjoy it as much as I do now. I would love for someone to make a game that had AP caliber writing and (well except for Mike) voice acting but had more refined gameplay and slightly less awkward graphics and animation, all still within the spy genre (an underserved genre in my opinion, Splinter Cell being a notable exception), but no-one has, and until they do, Alpha Protocol is certainly enough to scratch that itch.

Landis963

2012-03-22, 09:32 PM

Guildenstern

2012-03-23, 04:01 AM

Does Metal Gear tap into the "spy genre" at all? How about Deus Ex: HR? I ask because in the latter, you basically have the same set of tools as in AP (plus or minus a few: you don't get a parachute in AP, and the pistol isn't quite as broken in DX:HR)

Metal Gear markets itself as "Tactical Espionage Action" and all, but Kojima is pretty open about the fact that his influences lie in Escape from New York instead of The Bourne Identity. I love the Metal Gear games, but they're a little too action-focused and anime influenced to fit into the spy genre very neatly.

Deus Ex* comes close in play style, and even basic subject matter, but the games are more focused on conspiracy/mystery with a heavy dose of cyberpunk. Again, totally awesome, but it's far closer to something like Ghost in the Shell, which is great but isn't really classified as a spy fiction franchise.

I think when we say "spy genre" (and my partner can feel free to correct me if I'm off the mark here) we mean stuff like the old government espionage yarns of the 60s and 70s. Splinter Cell is a good example of what we're talking about (super secret government organization employing highly-trained operatives in the field), but apart from that the video game industry really doesn't have a lot of good espionage tales. I would absolutely love to see a Three Days of the Condor style game, but I really can't think of one that emulates that feeling right off the top of my head.

Anyway, here's today's episode (http://youtu.be/ai5odf1VOHY). And a word of warning: the title is more of a description than a command.

*And the pistol in Human Revolution is only slightly less broken than the one in Alpha Protocol. Pop in the armor piercing mod and you're set for the rest of the game.

EDIT: Sorry for the lateness of this post (and the original quadruple post if anybody caught that). Sever backups on these forums were particularly irritating and set me back by over an hour today.

Landis963

2012-03-23, 11:04 AM

Metal Gear markets itself as "Tactical Espionage Action" and all, but Kojima is pretty open about the fact that his influences lie in Escape from New York instead of The Bourne Identity. I love the Metal Gear games, but they're a little too action-focused and anime influenced to fit into the spy genre very neatly.

Fair enough.

Deus Ex* comes close in play style, and even basic subject matter, but the games are more focused on conspiracy/mystery with a heavy dose of cyberpunk. Again, totally awesome, but it's far closer to something like Ghost in the Shell, which is great but isn't really classified as a spy fiction franchise.

The Ghost In The Shell influences are pretty blatant, aren't they? Although GITS is pretty close to "AP With cyborgs! And Depression!" as I recall.

I think when we say "spy genre" (and my partner can feel free to correct me if I'm off the mark here) we mean stuff like the old government espionage yarns of the 60s and 70s.

You mean like the original James Bonds, or something like Get Smart?

Anyway, here's today's episode (http://youtu.be/ai5odf1VOHY). And a word of warning: the title is more of a description than a command.

Oh no, did it lock up on you? I haven't watched the ep as I write this.

*And the pistol in Human Revolution is only slightly less broken than the one in Alpha Protocol. Pop in the armor piercing mod and you're set for the rest of the game.

I respectfully disagree. The real brokenness of the pistol (aside from, of course, Chain Shot) comes from the fact that you can slot tranq rounds into it, making it the perfect weapon for both a lethal and a pacifist playthrough. You can't do that with a laser-sight-armor-piercing pistol in DX:HR.

EDIT: Sorry for the lateness of this post (and the original quadruple post if anybody caught that). Sever backups on these forums were particularly irritating and set me back by over an hour today.

And now onto the episode itself:

1:21: Did you not see the extra intel under the mission?

Wow, not much else to say. Pity about that game freeze, I don't think I've ever had enough EMPs to shut down both in such quick succession. Maybe it freaked out because of the number of guards in the area or something.

Guildenstern

2012-03-23, 12:24 PM

The Ghost In The Shell influences are pretty blatant, aren't they? Although GITS is pretty close to "AP With cyborgs! And Depression!" as I recall.

I've found that GITS influences are going to be fairly apparent (or at the very least perceived) in any post-cyberpunk setting, though Human Revolution walks the line between post-cyberpunk and traditional cyberpunk. Actually, unless I'm wrong there are a few direct references to GITS in Human Revolution: if you look around, you can find references to a company named Kusanagi. I think you can find it right next to the "R. Deckard" computer terminal in the police station. Both got a good chuckle from me.

You mean like the original James Bonds, or something like Get Smart?

As I said, I was really thinking of Three Days of the Condor when I wrote this, though the original James Bonds are never too far from my mind when spy fiction is mentioned. I still have hope for Rockstar's Agent game scratching the espionage itch, provided they ever announce anything more on it.

I respectfully disagree. The real brokenness of the pistol (aside from, of course, Chain Shot) comes from the fact that you can slot tranq rounds into it, making it the perfect weapon for both a lethal and a pacifist playthrough. You can't do that with a laser-sight-armor-piercing pistol in DX:HR.

Point.

Wow, not much else to say. Pity about that game freeze, I don't think I've ever had enough EMPs to shut down both in such quick succession. Maybe it freaked out because of the number of guards in the area or something.

Possible. I think a more distinct possibility is that my XBox is over four years old at this point. Still no red ring of death, but it's no spring chicken anymore either.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-03-24, 02:24 AM

Wow, not much else to say. Pity about that game freeze, I don't think I've ever had enough EMPs to shut down both in such quick succession. Maybe it freaked out because of the number of guards in the area or something.

After you disarm the first trigger, another wave of bad guys comes in to attack you. Apparently if you disarm the second trigger before they get a chance to spawn it locks up. Or at least that'd be my guess.

Landis963

2012-03-24, 08:33 AM

After you disarm the first trigger, another wave of bad guys comes in to attack you. Apparently if you disarm the second trigger before they get a chance to spawn it locks up. Or at least that'd be my guess.

Could be. However, I thought the second wave of baddies spawned in the elevator, before it dinged and they came rushing out. this was before you disarmed the second bomb. Also, I've played Psychonauts on a computer where the graphics started vomiting when three or more NPCs were on screen at once. Maybe this is similar?

Guildenstern

2012-03-24, 08:57 AM

Landis963

2012-03-24, 09:20 AM

If the 360 couldn't handle 3 NPCs being onscreen at the same time then Dead Rising never would have been made, Alpha Protocol would have frozen about a million times before this, and this Let's Play never would have gotten past episode 1.

Sometimes things just freeze. I'm no programmer, so that's enough of a reason for me.

That Psychonauts playthrough was on my laptop that I got in 2004, so I'll admit there is a slight difference there. Also, the graphics didn't start vomiting until, like, the beginning of the third act, so there's that. Actually, I'm surprised your playthrough has been running as smoothly as it has, as playing AP on that same computer causes lag spikes every boss battle for me. :smallyuk: Brayko was not fun.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-03-25, 04:17 AM

It's because we're on a console. The certification process works at least a little bit. I think that may have been our only freeze.

Cristo Meyers

2012-03-25, 10:52 AM

Finally got started...only over a month after buying the game.

I thought Darcy was a putz from just watching the first few videos...but in person...I wanted to Chain Shot him in the face too. Playing on PC and the menus are a little wonky: everything tries to follow the mouse cursor, which isn't always properly centered on the screen. Makes lock-picking and hacking a bit annoying.

I love the dialogue system, especially since I've been approaching it like "how do I best manipulate this person). Mina's already on my strings...:smallamused:

I'm only one mission into Saudi Arabia and money's pretty tight, so I have to make every shot count.

Landis963

2012-03-25, 11:55 AM

I'm only one mission into Saudi Arabia and money's pretty tight, so I have to make every shot count.

I'm telling ya, exploit the respawning pile of tranq ammo in Mina's bonus mission. Even if you're not using it for a pacifist run, you can sell it for some petty cash.

Cristo Meyers

2012-03-25, 01:59 PM

I'm telling ya, exploit the respawning pile of tranq ammo in Mina's bonus mission. Even if you're not using it for a pacifist run, you can sell it for some petty cash.

I wish I'd thought of that...

But, you know, when you're looking at Darcy's face over a set of iron sights...

Guildenstern

2012-03-26, 03:56 AM

And now we enter the final week: We'll start you off with episode 34 (http://youtu.be/FSC75e_XrBE) here, and we'll polish things off with a 40-minute super episode on friday, provided youtube allows me to upload something that big.

Also, the first few minutes of this episode were originally going to be cut and put in a Nerdwatch "blooper reel" (or simply relegated to the back rooms of my hard drive, much like the aforementioned "Lost Season" of Sneak King). But when I looked at it again, I managed to get enough of a chuckle out of it that some twisted part of my mind convinced me to leave it in. Whether that was a mistake or not is largely up to you to decide.

PhallicWarrior

2012-03-26, 08:35 AM

I can never get used to how quickly you guys deal with boss fights. You just Chainshot->Brilliance->Chainshot and everything just flies apart.

Landis963

2012-03-26, 09:23 AM

Well, well, well. The home stretch.

1:18: Charming. I can see why you wanted this to go in the blooper reel.

2:07: Did you guys get high from the burp fumes or something?

3:05: moment of truth.

3:26: Yay it worked!

3:44: And this is why I always want to kill Marburg right then and there.

7:58: It's always business with Marburg.

10:08: Ugh, this section always gets me.

13:19: She probably saved your life by doing that. At the very least, she was able to warn you about the missiles. And even if you did survive Saudi, you would have been locked away in the Greybox, easy pickings for a poisoned drink or a Halbech sniper. And something tells me you wouldn't get armor.

13:56: eh, I never kiss Mina here. Something about her poorly-rendered ponytail.

18:14: MAX OUT ON EMPS. They help so much in the Darcy boss fight.

18:25: Unless you somehow run out of cash. This has certainly not happened to me at all during this mission, no sirree.

19:30: I see nothing wrong with this line of reasoning.

20:36: You could have upgraded the digital camo, and if you wanted, replaced the underlay with the multispectral flashbulb, which I believe lengthens the time you can spend on camera without being pinged.

20:47: you don't need the mimics, not for the final mission.

21:20: Yeah, go G22!

Sir_Mopalot

2012-03-26, 06:01 PM

Not high, but basically everything from when we hit Taipei we did in one night. So it's like three in the morning at this point. So yeah.

Edit: Taipei, not rome. Rome is where we were.

Guildenstern

2012-03-28, 02:11 AM

Here we go folks, the penultimate episode (http://youtu.be/9AAUDEMHs5U).

Also, I'd like to make a quick announcement: on March 28, 2011 the first episode of our Batman LP (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194841) was posted on youtube, making today the one year anniversary of Nerdwatch and our let's play efforts. Sure, we've only posted two seasons in that time frame, but we've had one heck of a lot of fun doing it.

Landis963

2012-03-28, 07:48 AM

1:19: On a plane.

2:38: Albatross' secret fact always seemed underwhelming to me. Of course, we already have the major thing about G22, but still.

10:12: Oh good, you didn't punch him. That way lies the greatest ending of all time.

13:13: As I said. Greatest. Ending. Of all time.

14:23: It's true. He expected we'd go for Madison too.

17:52: This is why you stock up on EMPs - they upgraded their locks in your absence.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-03-28, 11:05 PM

17:52: This is why you stock up on EMPs - they upgraded their locks in your absence.

Good lord they have. Worth noting, I don't think we use a single gadget when we see Darcy again, and although the first time I went through the game it was an enfuriating boss fight, it was not difficult this time. :P

Landis963

2012-03-29, 02:20 AM

Good lord they have. Worth noting, I don't think we use a single gadget when we see Darcy again, and although the first time I went through the game it was an enfuriating boss fight, it was not difficult this time. :P

Did you use that sniper rifle, like I always do? Or did you just run out of EMPs en route?

Guildenstern

2012-03-30, 02:59 AM

Well, that's it everybody: the grand finale. (http://youtu.be/ZwR8oIBRpnQ)

We'd like to thank everybody that contributed to this thread (along with any lurkers that might be out there) for making this Let's Play so much fun. We've had a lot of good discussion going on here and it sounds like we've managed to get a few people back into the game that might not have normally. I'd call that mission accomplished for us.

By all means, if anybody has any more talk to contribute about the game, or any suggestions about things they'd like to see us play in the future, please continue to post here. We'll have more videos coming in the future and we'll be starting to post a series of D&D campaign logs over at Nerdwatchshow.com, along with miscellaneous other content so feel free to check the site now and again for new content.

Again, thanks a lot for sticking with us and we hope to see some of you contribute again in the future.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-03-30, 10:30 PM

Just reiterating, we welcome ideas for future Let's Plays. We've got a 360, Gamecube, and a PS2, so especially if you know of an underappreciated gem, we'd love to hear about it.

PhallicWarrior

2012-03-31, 02:39 AM

I hope you guys are happy. You made me bring my X360 to school with me so I could beat AP and keep abreast of spoilers. And the game's variable enough that other than killing basically everyone our endings were almost completely different anyway. (I brought Heck along and elected to NOT sign on with Halbech. Leland and Westridge got shot in the face, and I rode off into the sunset with...Heck? I honestly have no idea what happened to Mina, but Heck's dialogue at the end was amusing enough that I didn't really care.

As for what games you guys should play next? There's really only one acceptable answer:

TES V: Skyrim. :smallamused:

(I know it's not exactly viable, given the size of the game, but it'd be funny to see you try. And if you stuck to the main quest and a few of the better sidequests, it'd motivate me to actually beat the damn thing.)

Guildenstern

2012-03-31, 04:07 AM

the game's variable enough that other than killing basically everyone our endings were almost completely different anyway. (I brought Heck along and elected to NOT sign on with Halbech. Leland and Westridge got shot in the face, and I rode off into the sunset with...Heck? I honestly have no idea what happened to Mina, but Heck's dialogue at the end was amusing enough that I didn't really care.

Mike Thorton is so cool that even psychotic, unstable dudes want to have a romantic ending cutscene with him. That's in addition to the psychotic, unstable women (cough) SIE (cough).

As for what games you guys should play next? There's really only one acceptable answer:

TES V: Skyrim. :smallamused:

There are at least two problems with this idea:

For starters, neither of us owns the game as of right now (and my intention is to purchase the PC version after I get my computer built).

And second: we don't do Bethesda games.

Well, okay, that might be a little bit too hardline, but suffice to say that we tend to avoid them more often than not. It's nothing against the games themselves (God knows I love New Vegas), but the ridiculously, obnoxiously huge world maps and the nigh-incessant inventory management is not at all conducive to a Let's Play, I've found. Even sticking to main mission objectives, it's a long, tedious process and then you end up hitting the endgame seriously under-leveled. The guys over at Spoiler Warning did a pretty good job with Fallout 3 and NV, but we tried and failed in the same endeavor and eventually just said "screw it" before moving on to Arkham Asylum.

Trust us, if you'd seen what we had recorded you'd thank us for sparing you.

Landis963

2012-03-31, 11:24 AM

Cristo Meyers

2012-03-31, 12:06 PM

One of the Deus Ex games, perhaps? I realize that the world sizes start a bit large, but it tapers off as you get through it. I seriously doubt that, say, the final dungeon in Deus Ex: HR is any larger than Operation Full Circle in AP. Oh, and the "tapering off" counts for the original as well as for HR, I don't know about IW.

I was just about to suggest Deus Ex: Human Revolution myself. Parts of that game are just made for this kind of snark treatment.

I just managed to (TURN UP) beat Brayko (THE RAY-D-IO!) last night. That boss fight was...I suppose surreal is the right word.

At one time, purple gay cheetahs roamed the landscape...then came Konstantin Brayko...

Guildenstern

2012-03-31, 08:00 PM

Y'know, I'd be up for going through Human Revolution. It's one heck of a lot of fun to play and there's plenty to talk about in regards to its various themes and influences. If we don't do too many sidequests it should work out to be a reasonable length for us as well. Granted, I don't think Sir_Mopalot has played it yet and I'm not sure if we'd want to do it 1/2 blind and 1/2 in the know, but we'll definitely take it into consideration.

EDIT: OH DEAR GOD PONIES ARE EVERYWHERE. WHY, RICH, WHY?!

EDIT THE SECOND: Nevermind. All is well again. You may go about your business.

Sir_Mopalot

2012-03-31, 08:37 PM

Coincidentally, I just today picked up a copy of Human Revolution. I'll give it a good looksee.

Philistine

2012-04-01, 02:12 AM

I'd like to suggest Jade Empire. It's a good length (similar to AP IIRC, maybe a little shorter), and despite generally favorable reviews it never made much of a splash in the marketplace.

Cristo Meyers

2012-04-01, 03:50 PM

And finished. Thanks guys for finally bringing this game out from off my radar, this was a blast.

I got to play everyone for fools and take over the world at the end. Now that's an ending. Throw in shooting Darcy in the face a few times with a high-powered rifle and you have a game in and of itself.

Marburg was determined to like me. And I mean determined. Just about any time I hit a negative reputation with him something would happen to bring it back up to neutral:

"You're such an insufferable smart-ass! (-1 reputation)...but, you didn't kill that house full of CIA agents, so I guess it's cool (+2 reputation)."

Ugh...so satisfying when he finally shot Madison, only because I knew the seven different varieties of hell Parker would rain down on him. :smallamused:

I wasn't expecting it to be so easy to end up sleeping with just about every woman in the game: Madison, Mina, Scarlett all in pretty rapid succession. But then, considering the spy movie inspiration for the game...though cheating on a woman with high-level NSA clearance is probably not good for your long-term health.

It may have been broken as all hell once I hit Chain Shot and Brilliance, but this was FUN. I knew I should've picked it up when it went on that ultra-sale last year, but even so it was well worth the $20 I spent.

Landis963

2012-04-01, 04:14 PM

EDIT: OH DEAR GOD PONIES ARE EVERYWHERE. WHY, RICH, WHY?!

I think it's kind of funny that apparently "barbarian" (my level as of this point) translates to "Pinkie Pie" in My Little Pony terms.

EDIT: Back on topic, there's only 11 side quests (in DX:HR) that, if you want all the achievements, you have to do. If you don't, you can let a few slide.

Guildenstern

2012-04-01, 10:23 PM

I'd like to suggest Jade Empire. It's a good length (similar to AP IIRC, maybe a little shorter), and despite generally favorable reviews it never made much of a splash in the marketplace.

We've both played that one, and we both liked it so it's definitely one to consider. It really is under-exposed and it has the immeasurable bonus of having Nathan Fillion in it.

And finished. Thanks guys for finally bringing this game out from off my radar, this was a blast.

It may have been broken as all hell once I hit Chain Shot and Brilliance, but this was FUN.

We're glad you got a kick out of it, and we're glad that we managed to accomplish one of our goals for this LP: get people interested in the game when they might not have been normally.