FA Discussion => General => Topic started by: Tbone on August 27, 2009, 12:33:34 am
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on August 27, 2009, 12:33:34 am
APB Discussion
Based on the information we currently have, APB will be the first "major leaguer" to step up to the plate. Since that's the case, I thought it would be wise to focus on what we'd like to do/see for this game.
The Backdrop
APB: All Points Bulletin is set in San Paro, a persistent, online modern city which lives and breathes, filled with a population of civilians going about their daily lives. Joining the civilian population are opposing factions of players: Criminals and Enforcers, fighting for control and leaving their mark as they succeed or fail. Imagine a GTA-feel, but more gangs and less mobs (a la CrimeCraft). So the style is modern punk, you could say. I doubt we'll want to "thug" it out, but our style should definitely be something badass.
Criminal or Enforcer?
The game has two main factions: criminals and enforcers. The criminals aim to create a city rife with violent crime. The enforcers are pitted against them, protecting the civilian population and fighting the criminals at every turn. I imagine most people will be playing criminal. For this reason alone we should go enforcer, but also it suits our usual RP and style. I'm thinking we're a rogue group hired to stop crime by any means necessary, skipping the red tape and letting our guns do the justice. I have a feeling that's the vibe they'll be taking with the enforcers anyway.
Customization
The game brags that it will be extremely customizable. Some things to think about... What should our symbol look like? We have the FA symbol, but how to we tweak that for the APB world? They have an in-game symbol editor, so we'll probably have to get our hands on that first. Also, you can load music into the game. When you kill someone, your theme plays. What should our theme music be?
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Lits on August 27, 2009, 07:32:40 pm
I vote our theme music should be the crescendo of "Furious Angels" into the instrumental part (from the rockier-sounding version).
Or a cutting of the E.S.Posthumous "Pompeii" we used for 'Angels of Vengeance"
Can other players hear this as well?
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on August 28, 2009, 12:26:23 pm
I've always like Rob Dougan's "Clubbed to Death 2" remix. But I also agree with Lits that E.S. Posthumus would be a good fit.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Anamodiel on August 28, 2009, 03:00:42 pm
So I got this e-mail about Beta. My G-Talk updates me when I have new mail and shows me the first two sentences of the e-mail without the title. Needless to say, I got a little excited when I saw this:
"Hello New Beta Tester! Are you ready to party like it's 1999, or wait... 2156? We are..."
Got a little excited for a second, only to find that it was for Fallen Earth. Blah.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on September 03, 2009, 08:08:50 am
Quick gameplay video from Cologne. It's in German: http://www.gamestar.de/index.cfm?pid=1589&pk=12657
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on September 03, 2009, 08:15:44 am
Much better gameplay video with a dev talking in the background. I heard some of what he said. Some important tidbits. Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23kxafcGhPc
I'll make a new news post.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Jeyk on September 18, 2009, 10:56:43 am
New Gameplay Trailer:
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on September 18, 2009, 01:06:38 pm
Holy Shit, the end of that vid was hilarious.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on September 18, 2009, 01:15:46 pm
Hahaha! The game is looking really good! Gameplay looks badass. Let's just hope it all lives up to its hype!
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on September 18, 2009, 03:09:25 pm
Quote from: "Tbone"
Hahaha! The game is looking really good! Gameplay looks badass. Let's just hope it all lives up to its hype!
Living up the the hype is where most games fail. That percentage is much higher if just MMOs are considered. I am hoping that APB is successful.
..........but I'm hoping even more so for The Secret World.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Anamodiel on September 18, 2009, 03:43:17 pm
Maybe this was discussed in another thread, but I'm still a little unclear on what they mean by "100 people in a city". Will it be like CrimeCraft where there's the Lobby and then the individual instances? Anyone have any idea?
Sorry if this was already discussed...
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on September 18, 2009, 07:01:03 pm
This is something that may be in discussion on their official forums. I haven't looked, but it may be a place to start.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on September 18, 2009, 08:15:16 pm
The details are a little unclear, but the cities kind of act like servers and instances I believe. So when you first start off, maybe you'll be in the newb city. First thing you'll do is pick an instance with less than 100 people. Then as you level up, you go to the next city and an instance of less than 100 people, etc. etc.
The difference between that and CrimeCraft is CrimeCraft had a lobby area where all the other stuff happened and then had instances for matches. In APB, your instance will provide you with everything, and matches will be happening automatically behind the scenes. So, for instance, maybe you're in the middle of buying a new gun when you get an APB of a crime in progress. You then cancel your purchase (or complete it), run to the parking garage, jump in your car, and head in the direction of the APB. Or you can choose to ignore it and loose out on the loot/points.
I'm not sure whether or not you can make yourself "APB available" or not. I'm not a big fan of instances. Why can't games just have a world as big as MxO's and use that as one big seamless server? With all the action of APB, though, I guess that would be lag city pretty quick.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Lithium on September 19, 2009, 08:02:05 am
Quote from: "Tbone"
I'm not sure whether or not you can make yourself "APB available" or not. I'm not a big fan of instances. Why can't games just have a world as big as MxO's and use that as one big seamless server? With all the action of APB, though, I guess that would be lag city pretty quick.
Eve managed to do one big sandbox extremely well. I have a friend at work that will just go on and on to me about how great Eve is... lol. Everything is pretty much player run, including banks.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on October 25, 2009, 03:58:45 pm
External was nice enough to let me borrow his account for Thursdays since he can't play. I downloaded the game today and was able to login for about 5 minutes tops before the server shut down! Hopefully I'll get some good time in on Thursday and report back!
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on November 12, 2009, 09:05:27 am
Podcast 13:
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Ragnarok on December 17, 2009, 03:44:45 pm
Podcast 14
Podcast 15
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Ragnarok on February 08, 2010, 10:34:16 pm
Um this might be bad...http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/358/view/news/read/16175/All-Points-Bulletin-Delayed-to-Q3-2010.html
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on February 09, 2010, 12:03:50 am
The only way that will piss me off is if after the delay, the game still sux ass.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Orphaeus on February 17, 2010, 04:13:03 pm
I'm not too surprised by this news. Disappointed yes, surprised no. I'm hoping this doesn't turn into another adventurine-style "We're just making it better, be patient" thing like Darkfall, where it turns out shitty regardless.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on February 17, 2010, 04:36:33 pm
Have I ever mentioned that Darkfall is the second worst MMO I've ever played behind Anarchy Online. The only reason that WoW isn't first or second is that it worked.....it just bored the bejezuz out of me.
APB has the potential to be an amazing game. I just hope they can build a history and backstory rich enough to keep it going. That was the redeeming factor behind why MXO lasted as long as it did. Without The Matrix backstory to fuel it, that game would have crashed and burned within 6 months.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on February 17, 2010, 06:59:25 pm
APB is more about the conflict than the story. The story is there, but it's not something that I imagine you getting sucked into. It's fast paced and the missions are repetitious - just like playing TF2 or Counter Strike or something.
You get dropped into the district, pledge a contact, and then start receiving missions that you can accept or decline. You hop in your car, go to a waypoint, click F and whatever it wants you to click on or get in the car that it wants you to deliver. Then you go to the second waypoint and do a similar action. Most likely at some point the sirens will go off and people will be dispatched to come kill you. Then you have to get to your remaining waypoints and perform whatever action before the time runs out/the other team stops you. If you're on the other team, it's the opposite. You get a dispatch call and go from waypoint to waypoint trying to defend it or capture it against the other team. Usually at the end of the mission, you have to kill the other team 5 or 10 times to win. Rinse and repeat.
The meat of the game is driving around killing people to capture/defend/escort whatever. You rarely even have time to read the text as there is a time limit and you're faced against other players.
The story element comes more in your progression. As you level up with your contact, they send you email with rewards and information about why you are doing what you are doing. I don't really read the emails. I just hit the attachment button and grab my reward, because usually the rest of my team is waiting on me to hop back into the fray.
Teams are limited to 4 players, so your basic setup is 4 vs 4 dynamic matches in a few different locations. But you can call for backup and end up getting like a 10 on 10 scenario, etc. I would classify the game closer to TF2/GTA than MxO/WoW/Darkfall.
The big thing that is going to set this game apart is the customization and the driving. You can drive around doing stunts off ramps and flying through the air. You can do kills with your vehicle. You can customize almost everything to a very personal degree. A lot of the rewards you get from leveling up with a contact is customization options. For instance, "Congrats, you gained '/dance' emote" or "You gained Goth Fonts". That's the hook. Not story. Not really even combat. Vehicles and customization.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on February 17, 2010, 08:02:23 pm
That sounds cool. I'm guessing there is more in store as well hence the delay.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on February 17, 2010, 08:43:16 pm
Yeah, I think the latest build was 0.51, which would imply they are only halfway there. There's three districts so far - Social, Financial, and Waterfront. But we've only been allowed in Social and Financial.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on March 22, 2010, 06:23:55 pm
New video podcast showcasing the locational VOIP system.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Broin on March 22, 2010, 08:58:44 pm
Waterfront is open on US server
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Ragnarok on March 26, 2010, 03:33:30 pm
MMORPG's first look- http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/358/view/news/read/16554/All-Points-Bulletin-First-Look-Opinions.html
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on March 27, 2010, 10:47:07 am
Nothing that we don't already know, unfortunately.
I'm curious to see how tactical and organized the PvP can actually get, or if it will always devolve into the frantic run-jump-strafe-shoot kind of combat that is typical to FPS's. The author mentioned lots of options for team strategy. Could one side of a team plant a few snipers on rooftops to silentyly take out opposing team members?
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on March 27, 2010, 01:30:03 pm
My question is if we're going to be playing the standard or Chaos rule set.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Strod on March 28, 2010, 02:10:42 pm
Quote from: "Phienyx"
My question is if we're going to be playing the standard or Chaos rule set.
Is that anything like Normal or Hardcore settings for other games?
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on March 28, 2010, 04:54:57 pm
Loosely put, under Chaos set, you can run around attacking and killing other players at any time for any reason. Under the Standard rule set, Enforcers can attack criminals only when they are flagged as having committed a crime. I'm sure there are more specifics to it than that, but from what I gathered from the podcast, that is the gist of it.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on March 28, 2010, 07:24:05 pm
The game is nothing but PvP, so, unlike MxO, a "hostile" server isn't needed to make sure you are regularly engaging with other players. With Chaos, it seems like it'll just become a griefing match. Guilds will group up to "power level" (earn prestige, cash, and rep) by having 12 of their guys follow around a 2 person team and roll over the two guys on the other team. The flip side is that the maximum number of people allowed on a team is 4, so if you aren't on the chaos server, once you've got more than 3 friends online, you have to start another team doing completely different missions/APBs
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 02, 2010, 05:47:29 pm
They're gearing up for pre-orders.
http://www.apb.com/
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 02, 2010, 06:12:07 pm
New site does a really good job of selling the game. Hats off to their arts and content department. They got style.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 02, 2010, 07:31:12 pm
I downloaded the fansite kit:
http://www.apb.com/media/apb-fansite-kit.zip
There's some good stuff in here. Could use some of it for sigs, and incorporate into our APB page.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on April 02, 2010, 10:58:02 pm
I like that. They have sold me on a game I was already sold on. hehe.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 09, 2010, 10:53:02 pm
Glowing Hands-On Review of APB by IGN:
http://pc.ign.com/articles/108/1082311p1.html
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 10, 2010, 04:53:20 pm
APB Beta Key giveaway. Requires account registration on the site. I snagged one!
Patching the client now. Hoping to get some play time in tomorrow! WOOOO!!!
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 11, 2010, 05:57:18 pm
What did you new guys think?
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 11, 2010, 09:55:50 pm
I had an insanely good time. I thought a four hour session wouldn't be enough, but the game is so incredibly fast paced that we were able to squeeze so much in. Four hours felt like eight.
I really want to get my hands dirty with the clothing designer. In the final 20 minutes I was able to design a logo very similar to our angel symbol. It wasn't 100% accurate, but with more time I could definitely do it.
I am curious to know the specifics behind how the combat matching system works. It felt like we were being paired up against people who were clearly far more experienced than us.
The inventory system was kind of weird, but I guess it makes sense in the context of the game. Rather than an inventory "backpack", everything is stored in a secured locker at your base. You access your locker and take only what you think you'll need.
The driving controls obviously need a little work.
I want this game to launch! Aside from two or three server crashes, the beta runs damn well. I was very impressed. And I can't fully express how good it felt to experience that level of teamwork again. This is a game that was made for groups like ours.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 11, 2010, 10:19:46 pm
Yeah, I really enjoy playing the game as a group, but it loses a lot if you solo unless you group up with people who are using VOIP.
I think the issue with the combat matchmaking is that right now the instances are limited to 80 players. Whenever an APB is called, more than likely 60 out of those 80 are already doing something else, and out of the remaining 20, maybe 10 are of the opposite faction. I feel like there's just a limited playerbase to choose from when it matchmakes.
The inventory is fine once you get used to it. There's just a bit of a learning curve. I haven't played on the NA server, but I assume everyone experiences that half second lag when driving. I have no idea what there plans are for that.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on April 11, 2010, 11:18:08 pm
I would have like to spend more time with this than I did, what I was able to play showed that this game has alot of potental As mentioned the vehicle controls need work. While I know the missions in this game pretty much serve only as a stimulus for PvP, it would be nice to see a little more purpose and depth to the missions.
I am liking what I see and am as convinced to purchase this game now as I was before.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Anamodiel on April 12, 2010, 11:44:42 am
I want to play more.
MMMOOOAAAARRRRRRR.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 12, 2010, 12:40:22 pm
I dreamt about it last night. There was hyper-jumping involved.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 12, 2010, 01:46:34 pm
Next European playtest this Sunday! Same time: 12pm-4pm FA time.
I shall be there... But the crazy thing is though I have the game downloaded for NA Beta. When I ran the EU Beta loader it is reloading the whole game like it doesn't exist on my system.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 12, 2010, 11:31:14 pm
Took a few screens at Ana and I messing around with the clothing customization. Two different interpretations of the FA uniform. I also took a stab at designing some sort of logo using the symbol designer.
I shall be there... But the crazy thing is though I have the game downloaded for NA Beta. When I ran the EU Beta loader it is reloading the whole game like it doesn't exist on my system.
Do they have different folder paths? If that's the case you MIGHT be able to just copy all the contents from the NA path to the EU path...
Although by now i'm pretty sure you have it installed and ready to go...
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Subb on April 13, 2010, 03:57:34 am
I have it downloaded and ready. Should be awesome to get back into the swing with you guys.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Erathaol on April 13, 2010, 04:39:57 pm
I so wish I could join y'all for these play sessions, but I'm unavailable on Sundays during the designated time... I want to play so bad; from what I heard on TS is sounded like loads of fun!
Also, when I logged into TS it had me as a Guest, probably because I had to wipe my computer and re-install TS recently.
By the way Tbone, that symbol looks pretty darn cool. Not as cool as the real one, mind you, but still pretty killer.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 13, 2010, 05:04:56 pm
Do we intend to have a uniform? With the level of customization this game offers, I don't think we should limit ourselves to a single outfit.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on April 13, 2010, 05:46:21 pm
While I think a "uniform" has its place, I"m not sure I'd take myself seriously running around with a white leather jacket with Furious Angels and the logo on the back. ....kinda reminds me of a kinder, gentler Hells Angels. lol. Although I would definitely wear a t-shirt with the logo on the front....or back. (Are we able to import images for such purposes?)
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Anamodiel on April 13, 2010, 08:33:13 pm
Tbone and I were discussing uniforms and their place in this game today and how we should approach them while we were playing with the clothing customizer today.
We came to an agreement that, instead of a hard uniform like we had for the Matrix, we should instead have a color scheme that we'd like everyone to abide by. So, for example, if Tbone decided that the color scheme would require us to wear black colored clothing (IE a buttoned black shirt and some matching pants/shorts), you could put white symbols on your shirts, pants, and whatever else. This would allow you to also make use of any jewelry, belts, sunglasses, hats, gun holsters, and anything else your minds can come up with while keeping with the identity of white on black.
This would allow for a much more liberal interpretation of the clothing scheme than was allowed in the Matrix. Of course, we could still have a uniform that we designate for any potential movies/formal events that occur to show that we are a united faction, but from the way Tbone was talking in Teamspeak, he is very much for a more liberal dress code. The customization in this game is just too much to be ignored.
As for importing images, Phienyx, from what I was able to tell, you can't. However, the in-game image editor seems to be powerful enough to create most anything you'd need.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 13, 2010, 09:29:56 pm
I've been creating several different outfits today. The game lets you easily customize several different outfits that you can switch back and forth from. So far I'm thinking of having a color scheme and a logo/emblem - maybe even a particular item of clothing like a hat or something. But I think it would be interesting to see what people come up with with the color scheme and logo and what they can create from that. Maybe we could eventually have one outfit that is uniform for special occasions (whatever that may be) and then your individual outfits that are FA-themed. I'll post some examples here in a bit.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 13, 2010, 10:15:52 pm
Here are some examples of some outfits I made today.
As you can see, after a logo is made, it can be manipulated in any number of ways. You can also get very creative while staying within a certain color scheme. All of those looks I can easily switch back and forth from as well.
This is an example of a display in the social district. To the left is advertising space bought by a guild. To the right is a covered up car that will eventually display the car of the week or something like that.
Players can also win having themselves displayed as a statue. I'm not sure whether it is a statue of their actual avatar or the default statue with their name on the plaque.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: TinCanHitMan on April 14, 2010, 01:09:58 am
Quote from: "Tbone"
This is an example of a display in the social district. To the left is advertising space bought by a guild. To the right is a covered up car that will eventually display the car of the week or something like that.
Yea i think they even have billboards in the crime districts you can buy too and some of the statues in the social district you can also buy. They are put on the open market sometimes in the auction house.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tecknik on April 14, 2010, 09:34:28 pm
I got a beta key, and downloaded the installer. But I can't seem to get the game to download?
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Anamodiel on April 15, 2010, 11:03:59 am
That thread has all related problems to launchers/installers/downloading. Log in with your APB Beta account.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 15, 2010, 11:30:12 am
The server was down at the time for a patch
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tecknik on April 15, 2010, 01:53:38 pm
Quote from: "Tbone"
The server was down at the time for a patch
Yeah, noted. Haha. I should have edited my post after I talked to you on TS.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 16, 2010, 09:49:02 am
Fuck, is it Sunday yet?
FUCK!
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Anamodiel on April 16, 2010, 12:20:49 pm
My group for a group project decided that we would have a meeting during the playtest time.
I hate group projects for this very reason.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tecknik on April 16, 2010, 03:03:04 pm
Quote from: "Anamodiel"
My group for a group project decided that we would have a meeting during the playtest time.
I hate group projects for this very reason.
Tell them to fuck off, and that you have more important business at the allotted time.
If they ask what, you tell them that you're busting crime in the digital world.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: ArchNemesis on April 16, 2010, 03:03:38 pm
Quote from: "Anamodiel"
My group for a group project decided that we would have a meeting during the playtest time.
I hate group projects for this very reason.
Laaaaaaame!
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 16, 2010, 06:01:42 pm
Quote from: "Anamodiel"
My group for a group project decided that we would have a meeting during the playtest time.
I hate group projects for this very reason.
Tell them you're grandma's funeral is on Sunday. No one will question it.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: ArchNemesis on April 17, 2010, 12:21:20 am
Quote from: "ManicVelocity"
Quote from: "Anamodiel"
My group for a group project decided that we would have a meeting during the playtest time.
I hate group projects for this very reason.
Tell them you're grandma's funeral is on Sunday. No one will question it.
That is terrible....
But it'll work.
XD
Either way, hopefully i'll be able to join in this time around.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Ragnarok on April 17, 2010, 03:21:11 pm
It looks like there is another play session on the 25th
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Subb on April 18, 2010, 05:58:58 am
My girlfriend decided that today would be the day to hang out. OUT OF ALL THE DAYS OF THE WEEK AND SHE CHOOSES AN APB DATE! BAH!
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 18, 2010, 03:55:18 pm
After about 3 hours I was able to re-create the FA symbol. It's not 100% accurate, but I think it's pretty damn close. I tried sending a copy of the symbol to Tbone's characters, but I ended up sending the symbol itself. So my character no longer has it. :(
With the NDA still in effect, please keep these images within the faction.
(http://inspireatwill.com/manicv/apb/1.jpg)
(http://inspireatwill.com/manicv/apb/2.jpg)
(http://inspireatwill.com/manicv/apb/3.jpg)
(http://inspireatwill.com/manicv/apb/4.jpg)
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tecknik on April 18, 2010, 04:08:59 pm
That's full of win, Manic. :D Great job!
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: ArchNemesis on April 18, 2010, 05:57:25 pm
That shit is so fucking awesome. I creamed a bit when i saw it ingame.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 18, 2010, 07:55:36 pm
Next play session is in one week!
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 18, 2010, 08:19:23 pm
Sorry, you should have manufactured as a copy instead of manufacturing the original. Problem is I believe that it cannot be edited once it is sent and also can no longer be copied, so you may have to make it again. We shall see.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 18, 2010, 09:06:37 pm
Quote from: "Tbone"
Sorry, you should have manufactured as a copy instead of manufacturing the original. Problem is I believe that it cannot be edited once it is sent and also can no longer be copied, so you may have to make it again. We shall see.
I figured I would have to make it again anyway once the game went live. At least now I know what I'm doing and can hammer it out in less time.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Fuse on April 19, 2010, 01:33:14 am
Holy shit!...Other than that I'm speechless!
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: TinCanHitMan on April 19, 2010, 09:07:19 am
Jesus that is beautiful, anything i make ends up looking like a kids drawing
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Ragnarok on April 19, 2010, 08:19:51 pm
Manic great job man! It looks pretty sick.
Hey does anyone know the difference between Cop,SWAT,and Detective ranks in game? Also do you know how to obtain them? Thanks.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 19, 2010, 08:43:20 pm
Cop is Arrests, Detective is Missions, SWAT is Kills. They each unlock different rewards.
Also...
Prestiege - How well your doing in missions etc, higher it gets better the rewards will be. Get to 5 and your flagged to everyone in the district. This goes up and down based on your actions and will always decay back to level 2 over time.
Threat - Based off win / loss and Kill / death - Basically how "good" you are at fighting, used in the matchmaking. Threat levels (http://eu.beta.apb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2171)
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Ragnarok on April 19, 2010, 09:24:16 pm
Well it looks like I'm going for SWAT. Thanks Tbone for all the info.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 20, 2010, 09:58:46 am
Huh, I wasn't even aware that there were ranks. Nice.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Ragnarok on April 20, 2010, 05:58:14 pm
Hey just to let all you Heavy Hitters know you have an unscheduled beta test from today until Thursday. Have fun!
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tecknik on April 21, 2010, 03:21:49 pm
Does anyone need a key? APB just sent me one to give out.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on April 21, 2010, 03:28:24 pm
A key for the UK beta or the NA beta?
If its NA, I'd put it to good use.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tecknik on April 21, 2010, 03:30:11 pm
UK.
Is the US beta open yet?
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 21, 2010, 03:59:29 pm
I'm guessing most of us got that email. I got an email as well. Plus I still have 5 keys leftover from the website giveaway the other week. I posted on our facebook page opening it to any of our friends who want one, so we'll see if anyone is interested in testing it out with us.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: ArchNemesis on April 21, 2010, 04:08:36 pm
Are any of those heavy hitters or are they all from the new group?
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Erathaol on April 21, 2010, 04:39:19 pm
The only play sessions right now are the ones on Sunday morning, right? If there are more sessions at different times, I'll take a key. I've been itching to play APB, but I can't play during the normal Sunday sessions. So if that is the only time, I'll pass on a key until the NA Open Beta.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 21, 2010, 05:49:04 pm
I got the email as well. So, make that one more EU beta key to spare if anyone wants it.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 21, 2010, 05:52:36 pm
New people are in Sharp Shooters.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 23, 2010, 10:22:24 am
All of you should have EU Beta access now, yet our recruitment thread is still lonely. Make a sig and head over to our recruitment thread (http://eu.beta.apb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3881&page=4).
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Anamodiel on April 24, 2010, 11:52:46 am
110% sure I'm not going to be making the play-test this weekend or next weekend or any future Sunday play-test periods because I'll be studying the first two weekends, and then working every other Sunday evening from 2-10.
It's ok, though. All in the name of making money...
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on April 24, 2010, 12:59:23 pm
Where are you working?
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Broin on April 24, 2010, 10:56:44 pm
If everyone picked up a NA Key we might want to think about playing there. The play times are open for weeks instead of just one day.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Strod on April 24, 2010, 10:59:47 pm
I have not gotten an NA key yet :(
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Ragnarok on April 24, 2010, 11:38:36 pm
Quote from: "TheSorrows"
I have not gotten an NA key yet :(
This is where I got mine and supposedly he will have another 200+ tomorrow. http://twitter.com/TourneDisque
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Lithium on April 24, 2010, 11:39:19 pm
Quote from: "Broin"
If everyone picked up a NA Key we might want to think about playing there. The play times are open for weeks instead of just one day.
Yup, I'm not even going to bother with the EU beta anymore. The NA so far has been running much smoother (the little bit I tried with my upgraded ram) and the pings are better.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 25, 2010, 12:00:24 am
I'll be on NA tomorrow, but I can only play for a few hours. I'll be on as much as I can throughout the week, though.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Erathaol on April 25, 2010, 01:42:01 am
I'm in the NA beta, though I'm getting pretty bad performance. Probably due to my barely meeting the 2GB minimum requirement. Oh well, I'll think about getting some more soon.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on April 25, 2010, 08:04:11 am
I do not have an NA key yet.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 25, 2010, 10:01:43 am
NA keys deactivate on May 1st. That's what the alienware site implied anyway. I'll be back home tonight if anyone is around. Do you have to redownload the whole game for NA? Or can you just get a modified launcher?
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Ragnarok on April 25, 2010, 11:18:39 am
Quote from: "Tbone"
NA keys deactivate on May 1st. That's what the alienware site implied anyway. I'll be back home tonight if anyone is around. Do you have to redownload the whole game for NA? Or can you just get a modified launcher?
You have to re-download it but for me it took less time.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: ArchNemesis on April 25, 2010, 03:24:16 pm
You can do what i did, I started the launcher till it made the NA folder. Then i just copied the folders (ONLY the folders, not the files otherwise you'll just get errors on your launcher) from the EU into the NA folder that was made and you'll patch for about... 2-3 minutes tops instead of waiting hours.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 25, 2010, 06:59:16 pm
Quote from: "ArchNemesis"
You can do what I did, I started the launcher till it made the NA folder. Then I just copied the folders (ONLY the folders, not the files otherwise you'll just get errors on your launcher) from the EU into the NA folder that was made and you'll patch for about... 2-3 minutes tops instead of waiting hours.
...yeah, that doesn't work.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Jeyk on April 26, 2010, 07:36:33 am
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 26, 2010, 12:31:31 pm
After a few more hours of playtime on Sunday, I really really hope they plan on designing more districts. After only an hour of play, it's rather easy to learn the layout of a district. After four hours the same district begins to feel extremely small. Moreso when mission waypoints start to pop up in almost all the same areas.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on April 26, 2010, 05:35:01 pm
Jeyk, that is reall bad ass, man!
ManicV, I know exactly what you mean. It didn't take even that long for me to get the same "small world" feeling. I don't know if its me or are missions fairly monotonous and repetative. For the short few hours the Sunday crew has to play, its not too bad, but those same missions hour after hour/day after day will get old really quick if there is no other content intended.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Anamodiel on April 26, 2010, 07:06:03 pm
Quote from: "Phienyx"
Jeyk, that is reall bad ass, man!
ManicV, I know exactly what you mean. It didn't take even that long for me to get the same "small world" feeling. I don't know if its me or are missions fairly monotonous and repetative. For the short few hours the Sunday crew has to play, its not too bad, but those same missions hour after hour/day after day will get old really quick if there is no other content intended.
I think the appeal of APB is supposed to be about going head-to-head against real people on those missions rather than the content of the mission. Sure, the mission itself is monotonous, but each encounter you have is dynamic and different just because you are facing a real life person rather than a scripted NPC.
I do agree, however, that there needs to be more districts to play in. There are two open right now, but I assume that they will open more up before release.
Title: Re: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on April 26, 2010, 07:13:00 pm
Not just more districts, bigger districts. What the MxO did with their "world" was amazing. Huge and each "district" had a distinctive look and feel.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Broin on April 26, 2010, 10:06:26 pm
Dude Jeyk that black vest is exactly the look I am wanting for my guy.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: ArchNemesis on April 27, 2010, 03:18:05 pm
Is it me, or do the wings look too droopy? Otherwise, it's looks great!
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on April 27, 2010, 03:53:38 pm
Quote from: "ArchNemesis"
Is it me, or do the wings look too droopy? Otherwise, it's looks great!
That's what happens when an "Angel" gets old.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Jeyk on April 27, 2010, 09:40:14 pm
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Ragnarok on April 28, 2010, 05:56:12 pm
Quote
We've got a number of changes in the next major APB update, so we thought we'd give you a brief glimpse at the changes revolving around weapon balancing! We spend a lot of time listening to the players and many of you have raised serious concerns over weapon balance, so we went to Mark "Goldilocks" Russell to find out what was changing in the next beta update. He and the rest of the design team have been busy tweaking the weapons values so they're not too weak, not too strong, but "just right".
Below is an overview of how those changes impact individual base weapons.
We'll be publishing more of these feature spotlights over the next few days, so make sure you check back to beta.apb.com for more information! __________________
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Erathaol on April 28, 2010, 06:24:25 pm
Yeah, I saw that news post. It makes me really excited; I'm so sick of being destroyed by N-Teks at ANY range. Though, to be fair, part of my inability to win most fights is because I hit massive combat lag any time more than two enemies are nearby...
In any case, I'm guessing this patch goes into effect during the beta hiatus. Looks like our next playtest is gonna be much improved over this one!
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 28, 2010, 07:50:56 pm
Fuck. Yes. That N-Tec was really starting to piss me off.
I didn't know there was a "Strafing accuracy penalty". I guess that means a weapon's accuracy drops if you strafe while firing? Maybe that's why I have such a hard time hitting everything.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 28, 2010, 10:35:17 pm
The shotgun/magnum combo was killer. Seriously I could not kill anyone who had both of those guns. I'm glad both of their ranges are being decreased, but that shotgun is still a two-shot kill up close. Definitely worth getting if you have a long range gun (like the magnum *used* to be) as well.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on April 29, 2010, 05:17:33 pm
Looks like we are close to release for APB. The next patch takes it from 0.6.2 to 0.9.8. I'm assuming 1.0.0 is when it launches, which means this will be our last big patch before the game goes live, probably in May or June.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Lithium on April 29, 2010, 06:07:29 pm
Quote from: "Tbone"
Looks like we are close to release for APB. The next patch takes it from 0.6.2 to 0.9.8. I'm assuming 1.0.0 is when it launches, which means this will be our last big patch before the game goes live, probably in May or June.
eh, that's not typically how build numbers work--it's not a decimal number that rolls over to 1.0 after 0.9--its more of a timestamp and version control. I hope for the sake of the game they have another few months and beta builds beyond .9.x to get these terrible bugs worked out...
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Anamodiel on April 29, 2010, 06:23:01 pm
I was reading through people's posts on the new patch, and apparently there are some files that I think that we will really, really enjoy.
File named coat_thighlength_trench.
Hopefully they're the traditional, open trench coats that we're used to from MXO.
Oh, a bunch of people are also seeing files dealing with Banks. I don't want to get my hopes up, but maybe we'll actually get to defend banks as enforcers?
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Lithium on April 29, 2010, 07:00:12 pm
Except I'm Lithium87 on EU.
I'm more like 32nd worst on the street.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 29, 2010, 07:50:11 pm
Quote from: "Lithium"
Quote from: "Tbone"
Looks like we are close to release for APB. The next patch takes it from 0.6.2 to 0.9.8. I'm assuming 1.0.0 is when it launches, which means this will be our last big patch before the game goes live, probably in May or June.
eh, that's not typically how build numbers work--it's not a decimal number that rolls over to 1.0 after 0.9--its more of a timestamp and version control. I hope for the sake of the game they have another few months and beta builds beyond .9.x to get these terrible bugs worked out...
Agreed. While the beta runs relatively well, there are still plenty of tiny dents that need to be smoothed out.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on May 14, 2010, 05:00:28 pm
Did anyone know we had access to the EU all this past week. I've been able to log in and play the last few nights.
Cars still handle like shit though.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on May 19, 2010, 10:47:59 pm
Are we still planning on doing the APB thing as a clan? I think I have about 60 hours in right now. I hope they delay release because it could use some more tweaking, but its pretty damned fun.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on May 19, 2010, 11:09:28 pm
We took a vote a week or so ago and no one voted to sub to APB. I'm afraid the payment model has killed it for us. I'm sure they'll realize the payment model doesn't work and make it free to play in a year or so. lol
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on May 20, 2010, 05:17:25 pm
Ow....that is disappointing. I think we could have rocked that shit.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on May 20, 2010, 07:14:03 pm
Yeah, I enjoyed the game, but I don't think anyone enjoyed enough to pay for the game, pay monthly/hourly, and then pay for each item you buy/trade.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on May 21, 2010, 12:33:15 pm
Something that occured to me this morning regarding their convoluted payment plan:
With the Social District being free, and the option to pay for gametime with points earned through selling customizations, it's going to turn the Social District into spam central. People will be hocking every customization they shit out just so they can make enough RTWP to pay the monthly access fee.
It could be interpreted that paying the monthly access fee is a means to avoid the content that is offered for free.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on May 21, 2010, 07:11:18 pm
Everyone's gonna try to sell to make enough RTW to play the game, but no one is going to buy b/c everyone is trying to save their RTW to play the game. I think you're right that the chat is going to be spammed while the auction house will be fairly empty, especially if they charge a listing fee regardless of whether or not your item sells. Everyone will be trying to avoid that additional cost.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: ArchNemesis on May 23, 2010, 10:50:39 pm
Quote
First off, I’d like to say thanks for all the feedback from our beta community over the months, as we have strived to make APB as much fun as we can for launch, and importantly for what we have planned post launch.
We listened very carefully to the (constructive) feedback on the business model. We think we met our goals of making it both flexible and good value no matter how many hours you want to play APB for.
Many players gave their feedback and concerns, and a concern raised more than once, was manufacturing costs. Our goal on this was to ensure that the marketplace was taken seriously, and for want of a better word, was not inundated with crap, or offensive material. Unlike other online games, where everything on the marketplace was a normal in-game item, this is the first game with a user-generated marketplace. Therefore a small barrier in place to protect its integrity is something we deemed in the best interests of the player. That issue is something we still deem important, however clan leaders and the great creative’s amongst you raised some valid concerns.
SO, today we announce that we are removing the RTW points manufacturing fee for launch. Ideally, we would have found a solution that addressed our own concerns, and that of you the players, but that’s going to take time and something we will continue to look at post launch, so we will address the players concerns first.
Finally, please remember, the reason we have two marketplaces is to give the avid players of APB an opportunity to earn points from the more casual player who would prefer to spend points. It’s purely optional, you can of course just stick to the APB$ marketplace, but remember every player is different and not everyone is rich in APB$ if they have limited time to play. Our goal is to cater to everyone. For some people, spending 50 RTW Points is preferable to spending 100,000 APB$.
Thanks again, and we hope you stick with us as we stay on our mission of making APB into one of the best online fun action games over the coming years.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on May 23, 2010, 10:55:40 pm
Wow, I'm impressed. This is one of the few times I've seen a company change such a huge policy so quickly based on player feedback. For their sake, I hope the damage hasn't already been done.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on May 24, 2010, 07:59:24 am
That's actually pretty impressive. I guess those days-long threads of clans deciding to drop the game lit a fire under the dev's asses.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tecknik on May 26, 2010, 09:15:55 am
Quote from: "Phienyx"
Did anyone know we had access to the EU all this past week. I've been able to log in and play the last few nights.
Cars still handle like shit though.
Yeah, I noticed last night.
Play session is for all groups and goes until June 6th, I believe.
Damn. That was what... two months that the game lasted? With Activision of all companies swooping in to the rescue?
If the game doesn't go free-to-play by the end of the year, I will be surprised.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: likwidtek on January 27, 2011, 12:39:26 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvm0MI421fA
I bet this guy is pissed.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Anamodiel on January 27, 2011, 01:58:13 pm
Gross. Beyond gross.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Phienyx on January 27, 2011, 09:15:13 pm
Has anyone recently received an email invite to the closed beta of APB: Reloaded? I received this on 01/26/11. Supposedly 2k has purchased it and is re-releasing it or something like that. I hope they make some of the much needed changes to make it successful this time. I can't see same game different owners doing any better if they don't.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on January 27, 2011, 09:43:25 pm
Yes, we all have.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: XxUnforgivenxX on January 28, 2011, 12:11:35 am
Quote from: "likwidtek"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvm0MI421fA
I bet this guy is pissed.
I can't get over the needle passing through his nostril. *cringe*
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Paitryn on February 01, 2011, 10:48:33 pm
So looks like APB is going to be run by K2 and EA as a F2P MMO. its now going to be APB: reloaded.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tbone on February 01, 2011, 10:49:57 pm
Quote from: "Paitryn"
So looks like APB is going to be run by K2 and EA as a F2P MMO. its now going to be APB: reloaded.
Welcome to a few months ago :-P
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Saint on February 02, 2011, 12:22:38 am
OH great K2, the game is screwed for sure, hackers will be rampant.. so sorry... try again..
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: JazzyC on February 25, 2011, 01:44:20 pm
Got my APB:Reloaded Beta key today. Anyone else?
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Lithium on February 25, 2011, 02:11:02 pm
It's actually only a 'sign-up' key. I misread it as well.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Ragnarok on February 25, 2011, 04:07:48 pm
Just filled my key out. It seems they have supposedly fixed driving but we will have to wait and see. The also are suppose to have some new turf wars system.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on April 15, 2011, 11:33:35 am
Hilarious video displaying the "Dump truck bug" that will soon be patched.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLPtaV5TInw
From what I can tell based on the devblogs, there's a bug in the way collision detection works with dump trucks. When other vehicles collide with a dump truck, don't "see" a dump truck. Instead they see an entire building moving at high speed, and react by exploding. It essentially turns dump trucks into mobile death machines for everyone else on the road.
In other news, APB:Reloaded will be headed into open beta soon. I plan on giving it another go.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Ragnarok on April 15, 2011, 06:24:44 pm
I have been and beta for some time and can say that driving is fixed at least for the most part. Guns are still unbalanced though.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Revalis on April 16, 2011, 08:14:17 pm
What side are you on? I've been playing it too, enjoying it quite a bit. :P
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Ragnarok on April 16, 2011, 09:34:38 pm
enforcers
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on May 03, 2011, 10:43:06 am
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tecknik on May 05, 2011, 07:37:21 am
Got my closed beta invite the other day. Got an email today saying that "Character Migration is Live!"
Apparently you can now migrate your RTW's APB characters into GF's APB Reloaded. I thought that was cool until I realized that it probably doesn't include characters from the original beta.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tecknik on February 21, 2013, 03:17:14 pm
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Manic Velocity on February 21, 2013, 03:43:16 pm
Quote
This post is a gamer's dream post come true for a number of reasons, but mainly because it transparently tells you exactly why the game runs the way it does, why the player-count per district can't be increased (yet) and what the roadblocks are. It's not all about what the hampers are that prevent some players from truly enjoying the game, the blog also talks about progress, solutions and how the team plans to fix these things.
This is exactly the kind of transparency developers need to adopt with their communities. Statements like "We've got some really cool stuff coming soon! Unfortunately we can't go into much detail yet!" get really irritating really fast. If you can't share your awesome secrets with the people who are giving you money, don't even bother bringing them up.
I hopped into APB a couple months ago, and though I was really bummed to see a lot of the customization options locked behind a paywall, the game ran a lot better than I remembered. Load times were still noticeably long, but actual gameplay was very smooth and fun.
I'm really glad this game is still being worked on. It had so much potential that got clouded by a very rocky launch. I'll probably jump in this weekend to check it out again.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Sared on February 22, 2013, 06:16:49 am
For anyone interested, it's free to download and play on Steam now.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Longboard on February 22, 2013, 04:59:38 pm
Teck got me involved so I'm open if we want to group up sometime.
Title: APB Discussion
Post by: Tecknik on May 24, 2013, 10:13:40 am