If there is one thing Bioware could learn from Alpha Protocol is...

[Korten12]

How your decisions effect the story. Seriously, after beating Alpha Protocol, I was spoiled of how all my decisions popped up and ending up effecting the outcome. Though it wasn't just the outcome, doing different levels before others had drastic effects. Characters you let live or die could have benefits or harsh consequences.

Now I realized then after playing Mass Effect, Dragon Age (never played Jade Empire and only a bit of Baldurs Gate) but I realized how little you really effected the story. Not that your choices didn't matter but they felt minimal and overall only a couple of choices really effected the outcome of the game.

anyone agree?

 

[Elamdri]

Now if only Alpha Protocol was good. >.>

 

[Mittens The Kitten]

The type of choice customization you're asking for is really hard to do, and putting that much effort into alternate outcomes will build slack in other areas.

 

[LetalisK]

I really enjoyed Alpha Protocol, personally. I don't know why it gets so much flak. >.>

 

[FoAmY99]

thats because the choices you make in Mass Effect are supposed to affect the next game.

 

[Elamdri]

Really, the problem with giving player choice too much choice in narrative is that you end up with a sloppy narrative and 6 disks for all possible outcomes.

 

[Korten12]

thats because the choices you make in Mass Effect are supposed to affect the next game.

But even those were minimal. Most of the effects from 1 to 2, were small things. Maybe 1 and 2 will have a bigger effect on 3.

 

[Crunchy English]

Alpha Protocol is one of the most underrated games ever. I loved that damn game. A few poor boss battles, but overall, better than most Western RPG.

 

[Nedoras]

Yeah I know what you mean. Alpha Protocol wasn't perfect, but it was really cool that every little thing you did or said actually mattered. Things that seemed so small could have dire consequences. From what I noticed, even what class you chose to be affected certain dialogue options. Truly, anyone who makes RPGs can learn from this. I really really want to see another game like it. A game where every little thing you do matters, a game where you truly do decide the fate or yourself and the people around you.

 

[fallouthirteen]

Hm, yes. I mean that's a difference between Bioware and Obsidian in general. I haven't played Alpha Protocol so I don't know what extent it has. Even Fallout New Vegas though has decisions matter story-wise though.

Though, in Bioware games even the decisions that do matter don't matter. Due to the sequel system Bioware has going they don't want to have a solid cannon story, so any decision you make can't matter or else the sequels will have essentially multiple games in them. I mean look at Mass Effect, the biggest decisions in the game end up just getting a bit more than a passing mention in the sequel.

 

[FoAmY99]

thats because the choices you make in Mass Effect are supposed to affect the next game.

But even those were minimal. Most of the effects from 1 to 2, were small things. Maybe 1 and 2 will have a bigger effect on 3.

Well they have said that they're just going to let the story go wild in ME 3 supposedly with many different outcomes at the end.

 

[Korten12]

Alpha Protocol is one of the most underrated games ever. I loved that damn game. A few poor boss battles, but overall, better than most Western RPG.

Also it had some great plot twists at least I thought some.

Spoiler

Scarlet being the assassin during the Teipei level... Maybe its just me, but I didn't expect that.

 

[IAmWright777]

I liked Alpha Protocol. I liked Mass Effect and Dragon Age. I certainly agree that Bioware could possibly learn something from that game, but what if they copied the boss battles, too?

 

[Korten12]

I liked Alpha Protocol. I liked Mass Effect and Dragon Age. I certainly agree that Bioware could possibly learn something from that game, but what if they copied the boss battles, too?

They can ignore that part. XD

 

[GotMalkAvian]

I'm glad to see that some other people enjoyed Alpha Protocol and appreciated the innovations. Unfortunately, a lot of people chose to focus on the game's less-than-top-notch shooting mechanics, and so the series is dead. I had no problems with the game's mechanics, and thought that it should've gotten far more acclaim based on its revolutionary handling of player-driven storytelling. It still amazes me the little things that actually mattered in that game; one of my favorites was getting a reputation bonus with a contact in a city just because I was respectful enough to visit him first before taking on any other missions.

 

[IBlackKiteI]

anyone agree?

Definitely.

I haven't played AP but the choices in Mass Effect effect nothing other than dialogue, which only effects more dialogue.
It just seems like your not really doing anything, and no matter how you interact with characters you will still be going down the same corridors killing the same enemies in the same ways.

It's the way it's done, I loved Deus Ex's idea of moral choices, because there actually weren't any or at least they weren't all that obvious, but depending on how you deal with the people you come across other characters treat you differently, sometimes blocking or allowing parts of the game. (And Deus Ex was probably just a much better game overall but that's not the point)
I just personally really dislike the idea of picking the same options in a dialogue wheel over and over again to make choices.
I'd much rather them to be more in game, even if they are more minimal.

Oh yeah, this is a little off topic but a lot of the speculation regarding Mass Effect 3 is just silly.

I mean, one of the most widely held beliefs seems to be that the whole game will be about directly combating Reapers while your old squadmates will command fleets around the galaxy.
Obviously this makes no sense seeing as its a little hard to kill a giant spaceship of death with a gun and some special powers, and operatives from one of the most hated organisations in the galaxy aren't gonna have fleets at their disposal.

So yeah, of course there are many more 'ideas' than this, but I'd better stop bitching now before I go on a rant...

 

[Korten12]

I'm glad to see that some other people enjoyed Alpha Protocol and appreciated the innovations. Unfortunately, a lot of people chose to focus on the game's less-than-top-notch shooting mechanics, and so the series is dead. I had no problems with the game's mechanics, and thought that it should've gotten far more acclaim based on its revolutionary handling of player-driven storytelling. It still amazes me the little things that actually mattered in that game; one of my favorites was getting a reputation bonus with a contact in a city just because I was respectful enough to visit him first before taking on any other missions.

Yeah, the game is very underrated...

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

No morality system. That is all.

Also, well, no. I love how ME's choices affect the story somewhere down the line but don't really have a direct impact on the general narative. It keeps the game epic and structured, just because it's such a gigantic game.

AP - not gigantic. Therefore, they can easily afford making their choices actually affect the game.

I love both, really. But, BioWare, Paragon/Renegade - what the hell?

 

[Rayne870]

How your decisions effect the story. Seriously, after beating Alpha Protocol, I was spoiled of how all my decisions popped up and ending up effecting the outcome. Though it wasn't just the outcome, doing different levels before others had drastic effects. Characters you let live or die could have benefits or harsh consequences.

Now I realized then after playing Mass Effect, Dragon Age (never played Jade Dynasty and only a bit of Baldurs Gate) but I realized how little you really effected the story. Not that your choices didn't matter but they felt minimal and overall only a couple of choices really effected the outcome of the game.

anyone agree?

Alpha Protocol was designed as a single game and exploratory IP it had to have immediate consequences.

Mass Effects consequences are built with the idea of a trilogy which was a huge gamble for Bioware to attempt with a new IP. Deciding the fate of the council in ME1, has Effects in ME2 shapes a lot of the atmosphere. The deaths of squad-mates in ME2 will affect who is alive for ME3. Throw that in with the fact that you decide to either wipe out an entire alien species or give it new life in the galaxy (the effects of which are yet to be really seen). If those aren't consequences I don't know what are.

But yes Alpha Protocol probably had a good cause and effect system and henceforth a dynamic story but it was lost on the masses, myself included because of the severe lack of polish in the non story elements of the game. I have only ever returned one game to the store in my life and that was AP the day after I bought it, and I wasn't alone. The trade in value at Gamestop totally tanked too which should say something about the consequences quality has on supply vs demand.

 

[Rayne870]

Oh yeah, this is a little off topic but a lot of the speculation regarding Mass Effect 3 is just silly.

I mean, one of the most widely held beliefs seems to be that the whole game will be about directly combating Reapers while your old squadmates will command fleets around the galaxy.
Obviously this makes no sense seeing as its a little hard to kill a giant spaceship of death with a gun and some special powers, and operatives from one of the most hated organisations in the galaxy aren't gonna have fleets at their disposal.

So yeah, of course there are many more 'ideas' than this, but I'd better stop bitching now before I go on a rant...

Cerberus has demonstrated on several occasions the massive or seemingly inexhaustible budget of the organization (Several known bases, Normandy SR2 expenses, Reviving Shepard, an unknown amount of military assets, the ability to steal the technology of just about any other organization.

The squad mates becoming rogue agents or ship captains and such is pretty far fetched and a total break from the series mechanics though. So I will agree with you there that it is unlikely and if implemented probably the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

I would expect some ship to ship cinematic combat sequences with results based on choices made in game or maybe some sort of loose and dialogue based command quick time event thing, and probably more good old fashioned boarding the enemy vessel and destroying it from the inside or killing everyone aboard type of thing. Either that or we release our own Reaper or super weapons.

I do however expect support from the Geth and Rachni as a result of my "Paragade" play-through.