The Let's Play Archive

Alpha Protocol

by Bobbin Threadbare

Thanks! We like it too.Why not check out some similar LPs from our recommendations?
What would you like to tag this LP as?
Tag

Original Thread: Alpha Protocol: No Orphans Were Harmed in the Making of (Half) This LP

 

This LP is also available on the Internet Archive! Some video LPs are kindly hosted by the folks on archive.org. This means the original source videos will always be available for download or watching, even if the original video hosts are no longer available!

Introduction



There once was a game developer named Black Isle, and it was good. It created such classic CRPG's as Fallouts 1 and 2, Planescape: Torment, and Icewind Dales 1 and 2, and it helped a young Bioware publish its breakout title, Baldur's Gate.

But then its parent company, Interplay, crashed and burned after the guys who made Superman 64 bought them out. I have no idea how they're still alive. Sheer brain-dead tenacity, no doubt.

However! Black Isle regenerated itself into Troika Games and soldiered on. Okay, not really, but Troika was founded by three Black Isle veterans and survived the company by two years, so I'm counting it. In its time, Troika produced three games, all of which would have been excellent games had they only hired a few programmers. Fan patches have since made the games more reliable, and they have their devoted followings, but right now we are more interested in the Third Doctor: Obsidian Entertainment.

Obsidian is a more direct descendant to Black Isle. Essentially, all the employees stuck together, got some venture capital thanks to their solid history, and went into business for themselves. Bioware, which was doing better for itself (whatever you may think of its more recent titles), threw their old friends at Obsidian a bone and farmed out the sequels to their Knights of the Old Republic and Neverwinter Nights titles, garnering the latter some success. Bethesda, which bought the rights to Fallout off of Interplay, handed them the 3D engine they built for their sequel and let them create Fallout: New Vegas, essentially resurrecting the long-dead Fallout 3/Van Buren project and bringing closure to thousands of fans. However, Obsidian has also created a single game based on a unique IP: Alpha Protocol.

Since their first incarnation, the folks at Obsidian have stood for mature, thoughtful gameplay, in which the player has agency in a number of important decisions throughout a game, decisions which have no truly right or wrong response (although some choices may be more cartoonishly and/or disturbingly villainous than others). In Fallouts 1 and 2, your only unchanging directive was to save your home community, and whatever you did to the towns you passed through, including anything from propping up the powers-that-be to massacring every last living soul, was considered acceptable. Some epilogues were better than others, at least in terms of happy endings, but the player had no need to see these through, and often times doing every quest for everyone would result in a less-than-perfect result. Other games, created by all three companies, have followed this tradition.

Alpha Protocol is also a game where player input is important and hard decisions have to be made. AP follows the spy genre conventions: the hero, codenamed Michael Thorton, has just joined a super-secret US government agency, known as Alpha Protocol. Once he's established himself, he sets himself to fight against America's enemies, and going into further detail would involve spoilers. Let's just say that you can expect significant duplicity, stealth, betrayals, and, of course, plenty of gunfights.

So what to do with all this choice? I suppose I could farm out the major decisions to you, the audience, but that's what the other guy who did this game for SA did, so I'm doing something different. I'm doing a comparison run.

PS I've been planning this out since before he even did it I only just got a computer fast enough to record the game



This is Lance McGillicutty. Lance:



Now let's meet Kilroy Jenkins. Kilroy:

Please note that even these two complete playthroughs do not represent a comprehensive Alpha Protocol experience. The two characters will be following the same path through the game, even though they'll pick different options, and not every NPC they meet will be treated completely differently. There are any number of changes and permutations that I will not explore, and so I encourage everyone watching to check out the game for yourself if you have the means.

But what about those bugs I've heard about?

How'd you get in here? Yes, I've heard about there being a number of issues myself, but I can't say I've ever really encountered any. Well, aside from the game not running at all without the patch, but beyond that, I've got no real complaints. Perhaps it's because I struggled through the Troika games, so now everything that would bother a normal person has no effect on me (in Arcanum you had 50/50 odds that you could complete the game before your save file got corrupted!). Maybe this time will be different? Let's hope not.

So why'd you use a Music icon for the thread?

Watch the Kilroy videos. You'll understand.

Spoiler Threat Level

Spoilers are currently at Code Blue (Guarded): Events already covered in the LP are fair game. Future events can be discussed, but only in spoiler tags. Alternate choices not covered in the LP can also be discussed, but only in spoiler tags until their permutations have completely played out. Skills, weapons, gadgets, etc., including those not yet seen, are all fair game, since they are not especially important.

Please abide by these rules and please also avoid turning the thread into a CIA document, or I will be forced to raise the spoiler threat level.

Oh, and here's the entirely needless trailer I did to practice with AVISynth.

Now with stylish Youtube playlists! Click if you'd like to follow:

LM's Passionate Pacifism
KJ's Rad Rampage
The Whole Thing at Once




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Alpha Protocol 1
Alpha Protocol 2
Mina Tang 1
Yancy Westridge 1

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Email 3
Email 4
Email 5
Email 6

Perks Gained

Professional
News Conscious

PS: I know it's Sabotage and not Technical Aptitude that helps with the minigames; I don't exactly have a reference sheet in front of me when I'm doing commentary and I always get those two mixed up.



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Perks Gained

Aggressive




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Alpha Protocol 3
Alan Parker 1
Mina Tang 2
Sean Darcy 1
Al-Samad 1
Halbech 1
Sheikh Ali Shaheed 1

Recovered Intelligence

Mission summary

Perks Gained

Custodial Work
Cage Match
Betting Man
The Basics
Testing the Waters



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Mission Summary (extended summary is the same as Lance's)

Perks Gained

Custodial Work
Cage Match
Betting Man
The Basics




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Henry Leland 1
Omar Mohammed bin Nasri 1

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Email 3
Email 4
Intel 1
Intel 2
Intel 3
Mission Summary

Perks Gained

Social Butterfly
CLASSIFIED



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Mission Summary

Perks Gained

CLASSIFIED




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

CIA 1
Sean Darcy 2
Mina Tang 3
Al-Samad 2
Sheikh Ali Shaheed 2

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1 (Attachment worth $10,000)
Email 2
Intel 1
Intel 2
Mission Summary

Perks Gained

Breaking and Entering
Limited Bloodshed



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 2
Intel 3
Mission Summary

Perks Gained

Testing the Waters




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Sean Darcy 3
Halbech 2
Al-Samad 3

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Intel 1
Intel 2
Intel 3
Mission Summary

Perks Gained

Data Theft
Black Belt



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1 only
Mission Summary

Perks Gained

Antisocial




Part 1: Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)
Part 2: Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Sheikh Ali Shaheed 3
Ronald Sung 1

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Intel 1
Intel 2
Mission Results

Perks Gained

Lurker
Tour of Duty
CLASSIFIED




Part 1: Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)
Part 2: Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Mission Results

Perks Gained

Tour of Duty
CLASSIFIED




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Scarlet Lake
Grigori Pazinhov 1
Grigori Pazinhov 2
Russian Mafia 1
Russian Mafia 2
Sergei Surkov 1
Sis 1
G22
Albatross 1

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Email 3
Intel 1
Mission 1 Results
Email 4
Email 5
Email 6
Intel 2
Intel 3
Mission 2 Results

Perks Gained

Friends in Low Places
Pistol Proficiency
CLASSIFIED



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Mission 1 Results
Email 4
Email 6
Email 7
Mission 2 Results

Perks Gained

Enough Chit-Chat
CLASSIFIED




Part 1: Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)
Part 2: Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Albatross 2
Sis 2
Sis 3
Grigori Pazinhov 3
SIE 1
SIE 2
VCI 1
VCI 2

Recovered Intelligence

Intel 1
Intel 2
Mission 1 Results
Email 1
Email 2
Intel 3
Intel 4
Intel 5
Mission 2 Results
Halbech Data
Email 3
Email 4

Perks Gained

Unseen Presence
Textaholic



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Mission 2 Results
Email 1
Email 4




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

CIA 2
Halbech 3
Jibril Al-Bara 1
Jibril Al-Bara 2
Madison Saint James 1
Conrad Marburg 1
Conrad Marburg 2
Mina Tang 4
VCI 3

Recovered Intelligence

Mission 1 Results
Email 1
Email 2
Email 3
Intel 1
Intel 2
Site Email 1
Site Email 2
Site Email 3
Site Email 4
Mission 2 Results

Perks Gained

Surprise Attack
Profiler
Professional Courtesy



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Mission 1 Results
Mission 2 Results
Email 4

Perks Gained

No Witnesses
Necessary Roughness




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Jibril Al-Bara 3
Jibril Al-Bara 4
Conrad Marburg 3
SIE 3
Henry Leland 2
Deus Vult 1

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Email 3
Email 4
Email 5
Email 6
Intel 1
Intel 2
Mission 1 Results
Email 7
Email 8
Email 9
Email 10
Intel 3
Mission 2 Results

Perks Gained

On the Guest List



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Email 4
Email 5
Email 6
Mission 1 Results
Email 7
Email 9
Email 10
Mission 2 Results

Perks Gained

Trigger Happy
Snap Shot
CLASSIFIED




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Deus Vult 2
Deus Vult 3
Madison Saint James 2
Madison Saint James 3
Conrad Marburg 4
CLASSIFIED

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Email 3
Intel 1
Mission 1 Results
Email 4
Intel 2
Intel 3
Mission 2 Results

Perks Gained

Merciful



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 3
Mission 1 Results
Email 2
Mission 2 Results

Perks Gained

Assault Rifle Precision




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Steven Heck 1
Steven Heck 2
NSB 1
White Oak Mountain Triad 1
Scarlet Lake 2
Sis 4

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Intel 1
Mission 1 Results
Email 2
Email 3
Email 4
Intel 2
Intel 3
Intel 4
Mission 2 Results

Perks Gained

Speaking the Language
Intelligence Analyst
Camaraderie
Variable Approach



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 5
Email 6
Mission 1 Results
Email 2
Email 3
Email 4
Mission 2 Results

Perks Gained

Everybody Loves Dry Cleaning Solution




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Hong Shi 1
Hong Shi 2
White Oak Mountain Triad 2
White Oak Mountain Triad 3
Alan Parker 3
Omen Deng 1

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Intel 1
Mission 1 Results
Email 3
Email 4
Email 5
Email 6
Email 7
Intel 2
Intel 3
Intel 4
Mission 2 Results
Mission 3 Results

Perks Gained

Pistol Mastery
Email Enhancement
Behind the Lies



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Mission 1 Results
Email 2
Email 3
Email 4
Email 6
Email 7
Mission 2 Results
Mission 3 Results

Perks Gained

Impatient




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Steven Heck 3
NSB 2
Omen Deng 2
Ronald Sung 2

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Intel 1
Intel 2
Intel 3
Intel 4
Mission Results

Perks Gained

Be Prepared



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Email 3
Mission Results

Perks Gained

Plan B: Kill It with Fire




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Konstantin Brayko 1
Pavel Vanyaev aka Championchik 1
G22 2
Grigori Pazinhov 4
Scarlet Lake 3
SIE 4
Sergei Surkov 2

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Email 3
Intel 1
Intel 2
Intel 3
Mission 1 Results
Mission 2 Results

Perks Gained

Circuit Breaker
Veteran Attitude
These Aren't the Agents You're Looking For
Birds of a Feather



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Mission 1 Results

Perks Gained

Tough as Nails
Transmission's Breaking Up
Verbal Ménage a Trois
Shotgun Ramapage




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Madison Saint James 4

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Intel 1
Intel 2
Mission Results

Perks Gained

The Better Part of Valor
Psychological Warfare



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Mission Results




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Madison Saint James 5
Scarlet Lake 4

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Intel 1
Mission Results

Perks Gained

CLASSIFIED



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Mission Results

Perks Gained

Perfect Pitch
CLASSIFIED




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Alpha Protocol 4
Conrad Marburg 5

Recovered Intelligence

Intel 1
Site Email 1
Site Email 2
Site Email 3
Mission Results

Perks Gained

Seasoned



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Mission Results

Perks Gained

Seasoned
Lurker
Assault Rifle Marksmanship




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Albatross 3
CSP 1
CSP 2
Omen Deng 3

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Email 3
Email 4
Email 5
Intel 1
Intel 2
Mission 1 Results
Email 6
Mission 2 Results

Perks Gained

Know Your Competition



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 3
Email 4
Intel 3
Mission 1 Results
Mission 2 Results




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Omen Deng 4
Ronald Sung 3

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Intel 1
Intel 2
Intel 3
Intel 4
Mission Results

Perks Gained

Experienced
CLASSIFIED



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Just a quick head's up here, but most of you probably won't be able to watch the Youtube version of KJ's run because apparently Charlie's Angels of all movies has first dibs on the song I used.

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Mission Results

Perks Gained

Experienced
Real Men Don't Hide
CLASSIFIED




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Konstantin Brayko 2
Konstantin Brayko 3
Konstantin Brayko 4
Russian Mafia 3
Championchik 2
Surkov's Guards 1
Sergei Surkov 3

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Email 3
Email 4
Intel 1
Intel 2
Intel 3
Intel 4
Mission Results

Perks Gained

Know Your Enemy
World Traveler
CLASSIFIED



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 3
Mission Results

Perks Gained

World Traveler
Shotgun Crowd Control
CLASSIFIED




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Championchik 3
Surkov's Guards 2
Sergei Surkov 4

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Intel 1
Intel 2
Intel 3
Site Email 1
Mission Results

Perks Gained

Ready for Anything



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Mission Results

Perks Gained

KJ's Personal All-Time Favorite Perk




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Alpha Protocol 5
Albatross 4
U.S. Military 1
Mina Tang 5

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2
Email 3
Email 4
Email 5
Email 6
Mission 1 Results
Mission 2 Results

Perks Gained

Office Romance
Exclusive Interview



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 4
Email 5
Email 7

Perks Gained

Email Enhancement




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Dossier Information

Alpha Protocol 6
Alpha Protocol 7
Henry Leland 3
Henry Leland 4
Conrad Marburg 6
Conrad Marburg 7
U.S. Military 2
U.S. Military 3
Alan Parker 4
Scarlet Lake 5
VCI 4
Yancy Westridge 2
Yancy Westridge 3

Recovered Intelligence

Email 1
Email 2

Perks Gained

Savage Love
CLASSIFIED
CLASSIFIED
CLASSIFIED
Know Your Rival
Practical



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Perks Gained

Electronic Warfare




Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Mission Results

Perks Gained

Hard to Kill



Youtube (Polsy) Blip (Polsy)

Recovered Intelligence

Mission Results
Archive Index