Alpha Protocol - IGN Blog Update

It's good to see some fresh material from Obsidian on Alpha Protocol.  This IGN blog update from Senior Designer J.R. Vosovic details the Moscow train yard level demoed at E3.  It's an in-depth description of the initial approach and then changes that were implemented over time and well worth a read if you want to peek behind the curtain:

The train was one of the first missions I designed for Alpha Protocol around Feb. 2007. Having just come off Tomb Raider: Legend in March 2006, I was still very much in a puzzle-y state of mind and my instructions were simple:

"Mike and SIE are chasing after an informant pivotal to the story and the climax to Moscow."

In my first sketch the player had to perform a series of hacks to change tracks, move loading cranes and other props to gate SIE from getting to the informant who she is trying to kill. The player would essentially be leap-frogging through the different sections getting ahead of SIE with a successful hack, then be gated by enemies allowing SIE to catch up or get ahead. This heavily-scripted series of events puts the player under pressure, forces some tough decisions and adds to the drama. The level was heavily influenced by the physics puzzles of Tomb Raider, and to a lesser degree, being a huge FPS fan, de_train from Counter-Strike.