How to prepare for an Alpha Protocol playthrough?

[Mouthfarts [Bego]]

Okay so I just bought this game on sale and I was wondering what I should be wary about before starting. Are there any important community patches and/or mods that make it more playable? Are there certain character builds that are completely broken? Is there anything else I should do or know prior to starting this game? Anything else I should avoid doing?
I like to play speech/stealth/hacker characters, is that a good option in this game?

thank you for any replies!

[Pethulla]

AP is perfectly playable - ok, you can find bugs (it is game from Obsidian - they haven´t bug free game) but none of them haven´t ruined my game and I´ve finished it many times. Not working awareness is annoying bug if you play with stealth character but you noticed if it works really soon - in tutorial.
Almost every build works fine - if you want to play stealh character put your points in Stealth then choose one of the weapons skills (or martial arts) - sometimes you have to fight - and you shouldn´t have problem.
My advice. put one point to sabotage and buy some EMPs. It helps a lot.

[midnite rule]

Pistols are the best Weapons in The Game, followed by Assault Rifles. Shotguns and SMGs are more or less worthless.

A lot of new players have been complaining that they can't hit anything when they fire their weapons, that's because they don't realize you have to aim them first. If you wanna get a headshot with a pistol, for instance, you're gonna have to wait until the crosshair turns red and the little crosses touch the dot.

[[AD] Inqui117]

I also prefer the type of character you want to be.

I personally main the pistol w/silencer, and as a secondary I have the assault riffle for those moments things get un-stealthy, and subsonic bullets help if I want to get long range kills and remain stealthy.

Don't spend points in the other two weapons if you don't plan on using them.

Investing exp in tech and sabotage is useful to get better performance for your weapons and gadgets.

Also, check your gear stats. Some suits are designed to be more armored while others are aimed towards stealth builds. Check the "sound dampening" stats of the suit before buying it.

As for gameplay, don't rush things. And as Pethulla said, EMPs can save you at some parts. Also midnite rule's comment on aiming is spot on. Wait for the crosshair to be completely shrinked and red if you want to land a perfect shot, which is vital to do so with a stealthy character.

[blazer774433]

Also, never forget to put a few points in Toughness. It never fails that someone will catch you at some point or another, and having that bit of extra health and endurance can make the difference

[Mouthfarts [Bego]]

Thanks, everyone!