APB: Finally, I Can Be A PUNK!

[NiX]

Why exactly would they do a 180 and go into the future with this game? Nothing hints to anything like that.

[LK]

In other news:  Realtime would be foolish not to do a Cyberpunk (not S-Run) xpac. for this game.  It's a ridiculously obvious content direction to go and wouldnt be hard to implement given the foundation they've got in place.  I just KNOW they're thinking about it.  EJ??  What say you?

That's the kinda question you shouldn't ask him.

[Ghambit]

Why exactly would they do a 180 and go into the future with this game? Nothing hints to anything like that.

Not saying to do it NOW.  I said as a later expansion or total conversion.  And why not?
And I wouldnt call throwing some cyberpunk in a "180."  All you're essentially doing is changing some skins, some politics, and adding more gear.  It's all the same cops vs. robbers in the end, with a little corporate flair added.

[EvilJohn]

What I will say is that the direction of APB and its future will largely be driven by feedback/dialogue with the various communities that we see evolving from the game. Besides the obvious method of people voting with the dollar (or pound, or euro... you get my point) - we believe that by releasing what we consider to be the "standard ruleset" first, we can use the various components (plus new feature work) to treat APB like an online action game developer construction kit.

E.g. RTW constructs new rulesets/maps/etc. based on analysis of user metrics, community feedback, and our own contributions.

Sounds a lot like the warm fuzzy feeling speak that a lot of previous products like to say too, right? After working/shipping a few other titles, this is the first place that I've experienced that believes in the philosophy - not just using it as buzz.

But don't take my word for it, try the beta (when we let more in) - leave feedback - and buy it if you like it. If you don't, no hard feelings on my part. ;)

[LK]

Ooooo.

[01101010]

But don't take my word for it, try the beta (when we let more in) - leave feedback - and buy it if you like it. If you don't, no hard feelings on my part. ;)

Tease. 

[Sky]

A beta block for f13 would be the polite thing to do.

[NiX]

After WAR, I don't know if we'll be getting that.

[tazelbain]

If they have nothing to hide, they have no reason to fear us.

[Ghambit]

Ooooo.

Told you.  Kinda.  (NDA by the balls)
APB is a beautiful template for a variety of ideas (cyberpunk or not).  'Nuther sandbox layer if you want to look at it that way.  It'd pwn as an SDK, 'specially being UE3 derived.

And yah, I see f13 wreaking havoc on something such as this... on multiple levels.

[HaemishM]

After WAR, I don't know if we'll be getting that.

That would be unwise. After all, it wasn't until a month after release when many of us had already purchased it and recommended it that we discovered it sucked monkey ass and started hammering it. We were very kind to it in beta.

[LK]

Beta is a good time to be hyper critical. Saying something is fine for now, even if its completely fucked up, because it's beta is letting the dev get off easy. If you keep the pressure on, they might actually make some changes before they ship instead of seeing a player base content with current implementation.

[Lantyssa]

It was due to WAR's focused beta testing and schedules.  No one had the time to play from start to finish to realize how everything fit, or rather didn't, together.  In many ways AoC suffered the same problem.

[Ghambit]

Beta is a good time to be hyper critical. Saying something is fine for now, even if its completely fucked up, because it's beta is letting the dev get off easy. If you keep the pressure on, they might actually make some changes before they ship instead of seeing a player base content with current implementation.

Works fine in large betas, but not this one for now unless we get an f13 block and a closed forum.
That being said, games like APB (note I'm walking on eggshells here) are fairly reliant on group tactics & content.  Having a solid block of testers from ONE community is a LOT more valuable than scattered random folk from all over.

My experience in a few other high-end FPS' (Global Agenda, Arma, and a few others come to mind) is that their devs (the smart ones rather) typically love to pick from certain viable communities as a whole for testing blocks, rather than just singletons.  I'd have thought APB would fit into that category, but then there is the question of overpowering districts with "organized" numbers - making it unfun for others.

Maybe it'll happen later, but as you say... it's more useful to be hyper-critical at THIS point in the dev. cycle rather than later on.  'Twer me, I'd pick testers from groups like f13, goons, etc. (for your creatively chaotic griefers) and then folk from groups like tacticalgamer or simHQ for your hard-nosed military sim. crowd.  Those two testing groups together would make the perfect APB imo.

[TripleDES]

I'd have thought APB would fit into that category, but then there is the question of overpowering districts with "organized" numbers - making it unfun for others.

It's going to happen in the live game, anyway, so why not try and see its effects in beta already, giving them a chance to think and find something to influence these scenarios before release?

[Ghambit]

I'd have thought APB would fit into that category, but then there is the question of overpowering districts with "organized" numbers - making it unfun for others.

It's going to happen in the live game, anyway, so why not try and see its effects in beta already, giving them a chance to think and find something to influence these scenarios before release?

Ur preachin to the choir brother.
This beta is done this week anyways.  Safe to assume they'll be ramping things up fairly soon, including testing of the chaos server.  (u have no pvp protection on chaos)

[TripleDES]

This beta is done this week anyways.  Safe to assume they'll be ramping things up fairly soon, including testing of the chaos server.  (u have no pvp protection on chaos)

Actually this beta has long ways to go. If they're going open beta in just a few weeks, it'll just be the generic MMO buggy release cycle yet again.

[Trippy]

Ghambit stop talking about the beta.

[Ghambit]

FYI; Those of you going to PAX East (Boston) can try the game publicly.

[LK]

Damn it. I knew there was a reason I should have went.

[TripleDES]

If the mission payouts don't scale properly, I can pretty much tell you their business model: One-way RMT.

[Signe]

Fileplanet still has beta spots for Euros.

[Zzulo]

oh, neat.

[TripleDES]

I'm just leaving this here...

http://apb-evolved.com/news/123-apb-payment-model-faq

[Stormwaltz]

I'm just leaving this here...

http://apb-evolved.com/news/123-apb-payment-model-faq

Hey, neat. They're trying to modernize AOL's payment model for the original Neverwinter Nights.

Pay by hour will totally work.

EDIT: Yeah, yeah, I know there's a sub alternative. I just think it's funny. Also... two currencies? One to play, one to customize? Overcomplicated, IMO.

[NiX]

EDIT: Yeah, yeah, I know there's a sub alternative. I just think it's funny. Also... two currencies? One to play, one to customize? Overcomplicated, IMO.

* All Realtime Worlds services, including Gametime packages are purchased with RTW Points – real money values shown above are RTW Points-value equivalents.

There's only 1 currency. They mention that you can either A) sell your items for RTW points (to fund game time) or B) in-game money to buy customizations. I don't see how that's complicated.

[Ollie]

APB pre-order promo video, or cool as defined by middle-aged accountants.

For a game that boasts an amazing customisation system, those gifts were beyond weak. Way to underwhelm me into pre-ordering.

[Modern Angel]

That's the first firm release date I recall seeing, though. Hotness.

[UnSub]

I'm just leaving this here...

http://apb-evolved.com/news/123-apb-payment-model-faq

Hey, neat. They're trying to modernize AOL's payment model for the original Neverwinter Nights.

Pay by hour will totally work.

EDIT: Yeah, yeah, I know there's a sub alternative. I just think it's funny. Also... two currencies? One to play, one to customize? Overcomplicated, IMO.

The cost to sell stuff to other players is interesting. Roughly 25c to sell a vehicle to someone else, 5c for minor clothing, etc. It's certainly going to help restrict their market and is probably the first cost item that will be dropped / changed.

[LK]

Wow.

They had me at the start with 9.99 for unlimited game time, but then they started throwing other stuff at me that made me go "Wuh?"

So... the only way to generate RTW points is from players putting it into the system, right?

...

Oh man this is brilliant. Now they've given criminals a reason to steal! If I can just offload 40+ cars a month, I can play for free!

[tmp]

The intent of the nominal Manufacturing charge is to prevent high volume of low quality items from crowding the Marketplace listings.

Like the entrance barriers have ever prevented 90% of stuff be crap, in any creative field.

[Ghambit]

The intent of the nominal Manufacturing charge is to prevent high volume of low quality items from crowding the Marketplace listings.

Like the entrance barriers have ever prevented 90% of stuff be crap, in any creative field.

This isnt a game where people will buy crap.  And over time, that 25c manuf. fee adds up.
Regardless, the incentives to create are there moreso with this payment model...  I think it was a smart move.  Gives more weight to the creative meta that this game lives off of.

(and that's all I'll say about that)

[Lantyssa]

This isnt a game where people will buy crap.  And over time, that 25c manuf. fee adds up.

If they're willing to play, they'll pay extra to buy crap.  25 cents is nothing.

Have we already forgotten the $25 flying horse?

[tmp]

This isnt a game where people will buy crap.

Not exactly my point, i just don't think their reasoning regarding that has any merit.

As for whether people will buy the crap... of course they will. They always do, it's not like this one game out of all things worldwide is going to be an oasis of impeccable, discerning taste. Or brains.

[Ollie]

Given the subject matter, most likely the exact opposite. Still, I'm mostly bitching out of habit. They'll get a box sale out of me with their character generator alone, so it's not like I'm exactly hard to please.