Alpha Protocol Cut Rome Content Details Surface

Ex-Obsidian developer Patrick K. Mills has updated his blog with a post dedicated to some cut content in Alpha Protocol, specifically a level in the Rome hub, and the reasons he decided to drop it. As it turns out, skylines are important:

What eventually killed this level was the story re-write. When the story was redrafted and the four hubs, Saudi, Rome, Moscow, Taipei, were reassigned to new designers, all the existing levels were reassigned too. Almost like a sports draft. I can’t speak for anyone else as to why they passed on this level, but I personally passed on it because it’s set in a high rise, with other high-rises visible from all the windows. The skyline is generic, but looks something like Hong Kong. Despite the fact that this level had originally been intended to go into Rome, no one on the team had ever actually been to Rome.

…

So yeah, no skyscrapers, no real high-rises. Definitely not the neon lit futurescape that surrounded Halbech Rome. Even Milan, the nearest match I could find, looks nothing like whatever is outside the window of Leland’s office. This is an important lesson to designers and artists. A designer is responsible for making sure that locations and events look right and feel natural. Don’t make assumptions about what a place looks like or how a gadget works- do some research. That goes for artists too, don’t be afraid to raise your hand when design isn’t doing it’s job. I’ve known artists that had internalized a kind of inferiority complex vis a vis the designer/artist relationship. The artist does not work for the designer or vice versa, you work together to create awesome stuff. If a designer hands you something that doesn’t pass the smell test, say something. Similarly, designers, double check what the artists make and don’t be afraid to ask for revisions.

As someone who’s actually been in Rome and already found Alpha Protocol’s recreation of it a little disappointing, I’m glad that at least this level of research and revision was done on the hub, although I can’t help but wonder how the mission would have played.

Thanks to a poster on the Obsidian boards who spotted it.