Alpha Protocol with Ryan Rucinski

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What is the significance of character interactions?

This is a primary feature of Alpha Protocol, because all the relevant story information is fuelled by talking to the characters.

When the player is in a dialogue with one of the many NPCs in the game, the attitude or stance being used will determine which information will be received and how future dialogues with the NPCs will unfold.

If the player shoots a guy in the kneecap to get some information, the next time the player visits the NPC they might not be so willing to share information... or they might be extra-willing to share information because they don't want to be capped in their other leg. The player will have to figure out what may be the best way to handle folks.

How will the story be told without it degenerating into cliche?

Great effort was taken with the writing to make sure that we didn't fall into any of the traditional pitfalls. In fact, the story had to be written several different ways to take the player's decisions into account, making it quite the endeavour.

That, and we don't have any evil masterminds stroking white hares.

How is combat integrated into the game, and how large a role does it play overall?

When the player isn't buying, selling, in a dialogue, or researching intelligence for any upcoming mission, the player will actually be in a mission. The three basic ways to beat a mission is by stealthing through it, blowing away everything that moves, or using technology to hack their way around obstacles. The player can mix it up (and often will have to) to be able to get through the level.

Does this game mark the beginning of a new series?

We certainly hope so! If the game is well received and sells a bunch of units I can assure you that a sequel would be looked at by the powers that be.

Is there a political dimension to Alpha Protocol?

There is. Without going into great amounts of detail I will reiterate how the player's actions affect everything that happens in the world on a global and political scale. Hypothetically, if you shot a high ranking official and make it look like another country did it, that could cause tensions between the two countries.

The game is out on PC and consoles. What are the challenges of creating an RPG on consoles?

Thankfully some great RPGs came out on the consoles in the last couple of years that have helped pave the way for upcoming titles. The key thing is to maintain a delicate balance of how much information to feed the players. If we have a ton of information buried in a bajillion interface screens, the players (PC and Console players alike) are going to drop your game like a bad habit. Luckily we have some very talented people working on our UI, which is looking sharper every day.

Lastly, what do you believe sets this game apart from the crowd?

The obvious first choice would be that there are no spy/espionage games set in the present day. I would follow that up with the dialogue stance system. When Brian Mitsoda came up with it, it was so straightforward that we were all surprised that it wasn't used more often.

Basically, when you are in most RPGs you can re-hash the same conversation over and over until you milk all the information from the NPC. Not in Alpha Protocol. The conversations unfold in real-time and decisions have to be made quickly, giving it a much more cinematic feel, both visually and aurally.

Thanks for your time, Ryan.

By Luke Guttridge