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All Points Bulletin
OVERVIEW:
Platform: PC Online / Console Online
Genre: Hybrid MMOG - (Massively Multiplayer Online Game)
Developer: Real Time Worlds
Publisher: EA Games
Status: Under Development
Release date: Q1 2010
Service Territory: North America, Europe, AsiaOfficial Website: http://www.apb.com/
Game Description
APB blends fast-paced third-person action, deep customization, and meaningful achievement to create a unique persistent online multiplayer experience. APB utilizes cutting edge technology to create a “living, breathing” city where players clash — on foot and in vehicles — to determine the future of San Paro, a fictional metropolis, where two factions — Enforcement and Criminal — vie for contro APB is being developed by Realtime Worlds — creators of the award-winning Xbox 360 title Crackdown — and is one of the largest and most ambitious online game projects in development worldwide.
All Points Bulletin (APB) is a massively multiplayer online free form combat and driving-based game, designed by the creator of the original Grand Theft Auto (GTA) franchise. Developed by Real Time Worlds Ltd, APB brings players into a living, breathing city where cash is king and territory equals respect. In a fight to dominate the expansive world of APB, players must decide which side of the law to abide by, as Law Enforcement who take on the challenge of supporting and safeguarding justice, or as Gangs, who operate against the law and any opposing groups by any means necessary. APB will provide players with ultimate customization options from their weapons, vehicles and clothes to their attitude, music and environment.
APB will carry other conventions of the MMO genre, although details are still being ironed out at this point. What's clear is that there will be a monthly fee to play, although it's not clear if that fee will extend to Xbox Live. Players will be able to create multiple characters, as well. There are "headquarters" of sorts within districts that allow players to have an area outside of the combat zone, possibly to formulate strategies, and in the case of criminals, plan heists. While groups can hold up to 40 members, PvP action only allows for 8 of those members to take on 8 opposing players.
Story
APB (All Points Bulletin) is a complete free style game based on the real world. Players have to choose whether to be on the Law Enforcement or Criminal side. To be good or bad, it is your choice.
I. UNRESTRICTED LIBERTY, ULTIMATE FREEDOM.
APB is a genre-breaking game unlike any other in the MMOG market in which Gangs commit crimes and Law Enforcement try to stop them, resulting in dramatic chases, shoot-outs, busts, escapes and arrests. A wide range of action-based activities are supported. Those winning an encounter gain status and cash, and the cash can be spent on advanced weapons, vehicles and other kits. Players can carry out these activities individually, or band together into groups.
II. PERSISTENT TURF WAR.
Both Gangs and Law Enforcement will continuously attempt to capture key areas of the city and expand their spheres of influence. These turf areas offer access to the best gear, while persistently displaying their owners status and symbols. Territory is vulnerable 24/7, with players constantly engaged in battles for control. For periods when they are not online, players must upgrade their defenses changing turf features or equipping AI adequately or run the risk of losing their turf to a rival Gang or Squad. Capturing multiple turf areas gets progressively harder, but provides correspondingly better rewards.
III. FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE GAMING EXPERIENCE. .
Gangs of APB live and breathe graffiti, attitude, customized cars and earning cash any way possible. Law Enforcement up holds honor, teamwork, advanced weapons, and the destruction of the Gangs. Players will determine how their characters live and grow in the APB world without typical MMOG leveling-up constraints. They create the ultimate customized online experience with vehicles, weapons, clothes, music, attitude, and environment. From tailoring characters looks to creating catalogues of shared elements to defining their identity, every crew can have a unique, custom look from hair and clothing down to the way they walk, talk and the music they play.
DEVELOPMENT STAGES:
Pre-Alpha - Sometimes a build known as pre-alpha is issued, before the release of an alpha or beta. In contrast to alpha and beta versions, the pre-alpha is not "feature complete". When it is used, it refers to all activities performed during the software project prior to software testing. These activities can include requirements analysis, software design, software development and unit testing.
Alpha - The alpha version of a product still awaits full testing of all its functionality and is not feature complete, but satisfies all the software requirements. As the first major stage in the release lifecycle, it is named after alpha, the first letter in the Greek alphabet. Alpha level software can be considered approximately 35% complete, and typically includes temporary material and multiple product-breaking issues.
Closed Beta - The closed beta is a limited number of selected users to allow testing, of a product under NDA.
Open Beta - The open beta is a open test on software, but spots may be limited to a set amount.
Release Candidate - A Release Candidate (often shortened to RC) is a computer software release that is intended for testing, in anticipation of a final release. Release candidates are typically released to identify and fix small issues that may remain in software. Any number of RCs can be released prior to an official release.
CITIES:
THE CITY OF SAN PARO
APB will support player encounters akin to Counter-Strike, set in a persistent hybrid-MMO city, San Paro, featuring support for up to 10,000 players, and with more than 1000’s of non-player civilians to interact with. The full extent of the environment and just how much players will be able to interact with it is still unknown. San Paro itself is currently divided into two distinct districts, each about 40 city blocks, with more planned for expansion. The two districts are the Financial District, with its multiple skyscrapers and back alleys, and the Waterfront District, where you'll find wider roads and ferries.
From there, players can enter a number of “game play districts” (or instances), comprised of 100-player “action” districts or 300-player “social” districts. Players choose which district they want to enter, and can see if rival clans/guilds, or in APB’s terms squads or gangs, are present in order to increase your chance of encountering them through the unique and very dynamic matchmaking system.
Players will also have the option of entering in to two different types of districts with vastly different governing societal rules.
The first is the normal rule set. Here, you cannot shoot at players unless you're matched with them. This will prevent outside players from interfering with your game. This rule set is similar to what one would expect in most online/matchmaking games. In order to prevent one group of players from consistently preying upon or being matched against another group, there seems to be a balancing mechanic at work where if a gang gets busted too much by a particular squad or group of squads, there will come a point at which those Enforcers will not be issued an APB to stop that gang's crimes. This will allow certain skilled players from preying on weaker teams or new players simply to unlock game features or items, while allowing for weaker players to learn the ropes with more ease.
The other rule set is the chaos rule set where anything goes. If you want to join in on or interfere with another APB, attack a rival gang, or constantly go after a particular group of players, you will be able to do so. Just beware of any griefers out there. This is a true Player vs. Player environment.
THE MATCHMAKING SYSTEM
The matchmaking system in APB is truly dynamic, innovative, and asymmetric. As a player moves through city and engages in various activities, the game is constantly monitoring and preparing just when to throw you into a match against the opposition based on your skill, history, and reputation through this matchmaking system. Everything exists within the matchmaking. If you steal a car without being seen, the matchmaking might not kick in for a while, however, if you kill an innocent civilian in broad daylight you might raise a few alarms. The anticipation of being matched is as intense as actually being matched.
The matchmaking system will put equally balanced players head-to-head for action, or allow “metagroups” to form as well. Metagroups are formed by combining multiple groups of players through the matchmaking system to try to counter a single, smaller group of players that have been on a winning streak. It is possible to have 5 players matched against 15 other players, or even the entire district if they are good enough. This is a unique system to APB.
The district system also displays various leaderboards and leagues for the many different activities that a player can partake in within APB. So if your gang wants to be the number one in terms of stealing vehicles, there’s a league for that, or if your squad wants to have be the number one for non-lethal criminal arrests, there is another league for that. There are multiple ways players or clans can be number one, and multiple ways they can gain renown for doing a certain thing, or having a certain thing done to them.
When not in a match, players can create their own open-world fun in the social districts, or take on missions given out by the NPC organizations. By completing these missions and other player matches, you'll earn money to buy better weapons, customization options, and unlock the set of more than 30 cars. It is important to note that even missions assigned by NPC’s will match you against other players. There is no true Player vs. Environment in APB. The overall direction of the city and the gameplay is almost all driven by player actions and decisions.
VEHICLES:
In the city of San Paro, vehicles will be your means in transportation, and customization is key. Many vehicles will be at your fingertips; however you may have to work through the content before you truly get what you want.
In APB vehicle customization you are able to change up to 15 (or) 20 parts. APB players will also be able to customize their vehicles in ways such as putting decals on their cars. These decals would be created using the in game image creator. Your car(s) will also be able to have its own unique paint job and customized items such as lights, wings, rims, spoilers, carbon fiber parts, and body kits. . More fancy customized parts like Lamborghini doors, shiny chrome and the black alloy wheels is also in the mix and able to be had. Criminal and enforcer (some) vehicles will be different; however the customization and fun will still remain the same.
However if you really want to trick out your vehicle(s), you will have to really play through the some of the APB content and unlock it through various content. The designers of the APB cars and models attend modified car shows to keep up with new things and gain more reference and knowledge.
You will be also able to play music in your car, that people even outside on the street will hear as you pass by, they will ship 100 tracks with the game (radio) however you will be able to import all of your iTunes or any music collection to Last.fm technology and that data, song, will be pushed out to the other player and match up to a song in their own library. If they do not have the track, it will play a song by genre or even the same artist.
WEAPONS:
Given its contemporary real world setting, it is no surprise that APB features weapons based on those used around the world today. Indeed, it would have been somewhat odd if Realtime Worlds had adopted turbo-phased plasma rifles and broadswords as part of the APB armoury.
The E3 2009 trailer has given us a closer look at some of the firearms on offer in APB. Armaments showcased included: pistols and submachine guns, assault rifles, light machine guns and even a rocket launcher.
It’s evident that the guns reference specific modern weapons, without being carbon copies. However, given the similarities we can make reasonable assumptions about how they will work – especially as similar weapons have featured in many other games.
Below is a list of what we’ve seen so far, divided by weapon classification and with notes on which real world firearms the APB arsenal most resembles, as well as their assumed characteristics. Of course, the list is by no means definitive, as no official comment has been made of the APB arsenal, but we can have fun guessing.
(Screenshots taken from E3 2009 trailer)
PISTOLS
Looks like: 9mm pistol (Sig Sauer P-series)
Fire rate: Low (Semi Automatic)
Range: Short
Capacity: Low
Stopping Power: Low/Medium
Accuracy: Good
Pistol
A seasoned criminal offers a newbie a free toy.
As seen in the trailer, the first weapon the rookie criminal gets her hands on is a pistol. It’s reasonable to assume that this is the sort of entry level weapon new players will initially use, with more potent variations being available later in both enforcer and criminal careers - by which point a firearm such as this may be relegated to back-up weapon status. As some characters in the E3 video have been seen with dual pistol holsters, it may be possible for dual 9mm pistols to be wielded, thus increasing the fire rate and lethality, possibly with less accuracy.
Looks like: Desert Eagle
Fire rate: Low (Semi Automatic)
Range: Short
Capacity: Very Low
Stopping Power: Medium/High
Accuracy: Average
Deagle
Enforcer gets ready to reload his Desert Eagle, note the dual 9mm pistols.
Fans of action games and action films will recognise the distinctive shape of this gun as being inspired by the Desert Eagle. In reality, the gun is apparently not particularly practical given its high cost, low capacity, large size and excessive recoil and is more of an exuberant collector’s item. The gun is more popular in games, Counter-Strike being one such example. Usually depicted as a very powerful handgun - albeit with high recoil and low magazine capacity - the Desert Eagle may prove to be somewhat of a status symbol in APB.
Sub-Machine guns
Looks like: Uzi 9mm / Micro Uzi
Fire rate: High / Very High (Automatic)
Range: Short
Capacity: Medium
Stopping Power: Medium
Accuracy: Poor
Uzi
Drive-by shooting, courtesy of this naughty bald man
The Uzi was developed in the late Forties/early Fifties by an Israeli Army Officer (after whom the gun was named) as a substitute for unwieldy long rifles and for use by specialists who needed a compact, close-quarters weapon with a high rate of fire in situations where accuracy was not a major concern - also popular with cyborgs from the future who like to make a mess in Eighties nightclubs and with foursomes battling the zombie apocalypse (Left 4 Dead).
The above iteration of the Uzi has been superseded in some quarters by an even more compact design, which also features in APB – the Micro Uzi.
Micro Uzi
Lollypop ladies sure have changed over the years…
Looks like: MP5k
Fire rate: High (Semi-Auto and Automatic capable)
Range: Short/Medium
Capacity: Medium
Stopping Power: Medium
Accuracy: Good
MP5
America’s Next Top Model has been become somewhat extreme as of late.
The weapon featured by our female gangster friend bears more that a passing resemblance to the MP5k sub-machine gun. Slightly larger than the Uzis and of a higher quality, the MP5k is the little brother of the MP5 - which has featured in countless games, one recent example being Call of Duty 4. Capable of accurate semi-auto and automatic fire, the MP5k is favoured by specialist police and military teams.
Looks like: MP7
Fire rate: High (Semi-Auto and Automatic capable)
Range: Short/Medium
Capacity: Medium
Stopping Power: Medium/ High
Accuracy: Good
MP7
“Gordon Freeman it is you! Oh wait, it isn’t.”
A step up in firepower - and price - from the MP5k and in a more compact package, the MP7 is capable of piercing body armour thanks to proprietary rounds and is used by international police and military organisations who sought a replacement for the MP5 series of weapons. The first game to have featured an MP7 was Half-Life 2.
Shotguns
Looks like: SPAS 12
Fire rate: High (Semi-Auto and Automatic capable)
Range: Short
Capacity: Low
Stopping Power: High
Accuracy: Variable
Spas12
The annual ‘Superman Sprint’ had a sinister twist this year…
As with all shotguns in games, this is likely to be the weapon of choice in close quarters - usually capable of killing in a single shot. The SPAS 12 - as seen in Half-Life 1 and 2 - is capable of firing in full automatic, as well as pump action mode. The automatic mode is likely to be offset by a resultant higher recoil and limited ammo capacity, problems only if the APB version is capable of automatic fire. As the shotgun fires multiple pellets - or ‘shot’ - at close ranges multiple targets can be hit with one blast. However, over a long distance the lethality and accuracy of the shotgun is significantly reduced as the pellets disperse more widely.
Assault Rifles
Looks like: SG 556 Rifle (civilian version) / SG 550 (military version)
Fire rate: Low (Semi-Auto - civilian version) / High (military version)
Range: Medium/Long
Capacity: Medium
Stopping Power: High
Accuracy: Excellent
Sig Rifle
As seen in the E3 video, this is where an officer takes the law into his own hands.
This sleek looking rifle is courtesy of our fence sitting friends in Switzerland, proving that there’s more to the landlocked country than clocks, chocolate and assisted suicide. The APB model takes inspiration from both the civilian and military versions of the rifle (with the barrel looking more like the military model and the magazine resembling the civilian version). Why the obsessive scrutiny? Well, one is semi-auto only (civilian) and of course the military have the automatic version. As the E3 vid demonstrated, a disgruntled citizen dispatched an armed robber with a Sig-esque weapon using an accurate single shot - whether this means the rifle is only capable of semi-auto fire or has a fire selector mode remains to be seen.
Looks like: M16
Fire rate: High (Semi-Auto and Automatic capable)
Range: Medium/Long
Capacity: Medium
Stopping Power: High
Accuracy: Excellent
M16
“I don’t need no teenage queen, I just want my M14”, uh I mean M16. APB features a rifle that looks a lot like the US Army standard issue, only with a different colour scheme. The barrel grip resembles the underslung M203 grenade launcher slide, but in APB this appears to be a cosmetic touch as there’s no evidence of a tube under the barrel, or - to the disappointment of that crazy US politician ranting about the internet - any series of tubes.
Looks like: G36k
Fire rate: High (Semi-Auto and Automatic capable)
Range: Medium/Long
Capacity: Medium
Stopping Power: High
Accuracy: Excellent
G36
A popular weapon in action games with a military flavour, the G36 is the German Army standard issue rifle. The APB variant looks most like the G36k – a shorter version of the G36. Boasting an impressive futuristic look, this G36k impersonator may appeal to the aesthetically conscience shooter (i.e: the posers). Advantages or disadvantages over other APB assault rifles are unclear at the moment.
Looks like: AKM
Fire rate: High (Semi-Auto and Automatic capable)
Range: Medium/Long
Capacity: Medium
Stopping Power: High
Accuracy: Average
AK
AK-esque rifle in action.
Born in the USSR, the iconic Avtomat Kalashnikov (AK) series of weapons are world famous. Their ubiquity almost guarantees a place in action game armouries. Whilst they aren’t usually portrayed in games as being the most accurate or sophisticated weapons, they are always powerful and deadly. Nice wooden finish too.
Heavy weapons
Looks like: M240/FN Mag
Fire rate: High
Range: Medium/Long
Capacity: High
Stopping Power: High
Accuracy: Medium
MG1
Enforcer sporting a light machine gun during a showdown with a criminal gang.
At the higher end of the bullet spitting food chain is this beast: the light machine gun. In reality, the role of these weapons is often to keep dug in adversaries pinned down whilst team mates manoeuvre to close in for the kill. Should enemies be kind enough to show themselves in any great numbers on open ground, this is the ideal tool to give them all an early nap very quickly. Drawbacks? Well, you carry this and it’s likely you’re the preferred target when the crosshairs scan your team.
Looks like: Recoilless Rifle / Rocket Launcher
Fire rate: Very Low
Range: Medium
Capacity: Very Low
Stopping Power: Excellent
Accuracy: Good
Rocket
A novel way of carrying out the scrappage for cash scheme, during the recession…
This is the simplest one to explain. Point, shoot, explode: rocket launchers in most action games are largely not more sophisticated than that – but given their bombastic power one can’t complain. If the excellent rocket launcher in Real Time World’s Crackdown is anything to go by, we’re in for a treat. Featured in the video is a launcher with a targeting scope: whether this is just cosmetic is unknown.
Possessing tremendous stopping power, we can assume that only veterans will be able to get their hands on this sort of firepower; while the rest of us have to be content with admiring the fireworks. Just please don’t toast my car.
Miscellaneous Tools
Battering Ram
Role: Forced Entry
BatteringRam
An interesting new item showcased in the new trailer is the battering ram – as seen on cop television programmes. Whilst the tool is usually attributed to law enforcement, it is conceivable to see it in the hands of criminals – for example, during gang raids. Going indoors is something we have seen nothing of in APB as of yet, so extent to which we will use this device is uncertain. To save embarrassment during a home invasion, make sure you’re wearing underpants.
Lockpick
Role: Forced Entry (into cars!)
Lock Pick
Isn’t it annoying when you’ve forgotten your car keys? Perhaps less annoying than having found out some miscreant has taken off with your car, using the above mentioned device. The inventories of even the most small time crook will doubtless feature this ‘master key’.
CUSTOMIZATION:
The All Points Bulletin customization features have been a much talked about feature of the game, known to be one of its primary “pull-factors” to new and current fans. The customization tool implemented by the ingenious team at Realtime Worlds has left options to do almost anything with your characters and cars alike.
Download the customization trailer
Character customization
If you’re the kind of person who likes to sink their teeth into the crazy and complex depths of various character creators, trust me, this one’s for you. It’s not just for the dedicated character creators out there but it has been made to suit the general audience of gamers too. With a “point and click” style interface, this definitely looks like the most simple, complex character creator out there (if that makes sense). The interface is simple, where you literally point at what you want to change, click, then drag. That’s right, no more trying to work out what the difference between head depth and head width is, no more moving customization sliders as a means of finding out what you are actually changing.
The creator has been claimed to be advanced enough to recreate living people inside the game. I can tell you, they weren’t exaggerating; as APB-Evolved community member, Din, soon found out.
Din-BeforeDin After
Looking beyond the interface and the basics, the customization tool also provides the ability to create custom tattoos and place them pretty much anywhere there is skin. On top of that, there is also a logo designer, similar to that of the tattoo designer, which allows you to put equally complex emblems on clothing.
Car customization
As the customization trailer showed us, there is also the ability to customize the paint scheme on cars. Matching the complexity of the logo designers on the character customization feature, this enables you to make your care look mighty dandy, or poopy, depends on your style. You can even go so much as to change your license plate number! (I shotgun P1MP).
As far as the trailer goes, we don’t have any information on property customization for cars, like the engine and how many exhaust pipes you have. But looking how the game is turning out so far, it wouldn’t be surprising if such customization options were available in the final release.
Overall
Overall the customization features of APB are, for lack of a better word, superbutaculamazing and I, like many fans, cannot wait to get to work on.
PLAYER CHARACTERS & FACTIONS:
Yes, there are a lot of choices to make in APB. However, none might be as important as which faction you join. The city of San Paro is basically torn apart by violence, with a struggle between the mostly benevolent Enforcer faction and the Criminals. It's a distinction that boils down to cops versus robbers when viewed in practical terms.
When creating your character, players will have the option of joining a faction as either an Enforcer or a Criminal, each with its own perks, “missions,” and other attributes. As APB is considered to be more of a hybrid-MMO or an Online Action Game, a player’s character does not level up as would be seen in a traditional MMO-RPG. Instead, as players progress their characters through increasing their own gaming skill level, they gain reputation and unlock “tokens,” items/clothing, weapons/accessories, vehicles/parts, and access to broader and more detailed character and vehicle customization tools. More information on this can be found on the Customization information page. Once you join a faction, you cannot switch alliances to the opposing side.
If you progress your character enough, you will be able to form your own Enforcer squad or Criminal gang. Individual squads or gangs can have roughly 40 members, unique logos/tattoos shared by members, and fight for control of turf locations within the player districts. Matchmaking is triggered through the direct actions of the players: if a Criminal steals a car and sets of an alarm, an APB will be issued to nearby Enforcers of similar skill levels, and if an Enforcer takes a job escorting an armored truck, a Criminal can decide to try to intercept and rob it. The type of scenarios triggered by players can vary wildly from chases and shoot-outs to busts, arrests, and escapes.
The core mechanics of the game have yet to be revealed, and any gameplay that has been revealed appears very similar to a Grand Theft Auto or Saints Row type of game--one in which a player's power is derived from the type of weaponry that he has access to.
ENFORCERS
The law enforcement within APB is carried out through the Enforcers, a collective of private polices forces, “special forces” units, and “guns for hire.” Though many players will abide by a strict code of conduct while playing as an Enforcer, they are not limited by what they can do and many will act with extreme prejudice only distinguishing themselves from a Criminal by the fact that they carry a badge. The primary objective of the Enforcers is to prevent, respond to, stop, and contain criminal activity within the city of San Paro.
The Enforcers all report to and accept missions from LaRoche, the head of the Praetorians, the over arching NPC Enforcer organization. Apart from responding to APB’s, and example of a NPC assigned mission would be a sort of escort mission while working for a bank. As an enforcer, you might take on a gig driving gold bullion to a bank in an armored car. Simply driving from point A to point B is likely to attract the attention of any gangsters who happen to be in your path, so it then becomes a choice of taking a sneakier route or just jumping headfirst into a high-speed chase toward your goal.
It is important to note that as Enforcers stop more crimes, complete police detail “duties” (those missions assigned by the NPC’s), and take control of larger areas of turf, they gain access to better and more high tech gear, weapons, and vehicles.
Though there is potential for someone to just join the Enforcers and decide not to respond to APB’s issued or stop criminal activity, the matchmaking system monitors this and acts accordingly, putting the APBs out to other Enforcers, et cetera, and taking away rep from those players that don’t respond. This effectively acts as a deterrent from players not playing the game the way it was intended. It is also important to note that Enforcers cannot be matched against other Enforcers.
CRIMINALS
The Criminals within the city of San Paro are the driving force behind the primary game activity within APB. The idea is that the Criminals prey on the city -- they prey on the civilians, they prey on the cars, they prey on the businesses – and the Enforcers are sent out to try to stop them.
If you're working for the Criminals, you'll report to Zombie and the G-Kings. These two NPC criminal organizations will issue players objectives and missions. These can range from anything to stealing a car to robbing a bank, or taking on a bounty set against another player who has gained a particularly high reputation. While carrying out these objections, a player’s actions dictate what occurs throughout the rest of the world. For example if a group of gangsters attempt to steal a car, but triggers the car alarm, nearby Enforcers are alerted by and APB, and the objective changes to get away without being taken down.
As Criminals become more and more successful they take over areas of turf within the districts, and they are given bigger jobs and better heists when they have more turf at their command. They are at a constant war with other criminal gangs for this turf, and the system allows criminal factions to fight against each other. When these altercations escalate enough or cause issues within the city, APB’s are sent out to the appropriate number of Enforcers that are ready to handle this situation, effectively creating a three-way encounter.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Welcome to the Frequently Asked Questions of APB Evolved.
This section of All Points Bulletin Evolved consists of questions and answers that are asked constantly and are easily answered. To submit a question to be answered please contact us.
What is APB (All Points Bulletin) and why should I be interested?
Imagine a living breathing city, but for the first time ever an online one. Streets full of vehicles, thousands of civilians going about their daily life.
Now introduce 100 players to this online city. Their mission in life is to achieve fame and fortune, and achieve it fast.
Naturally many will take to a life of crime, feeding on the city, its people and its businesses.
The other players though, the enforcers, will feed on these criminal players.
What will the outcome be?
The great thing is, we don’t know. It’s an online sandbox. Many players will gain fame, fortune or notoriety. Alliances will be formed, rivalries will be bitter.
One thing we do know, every player will be unique. Thanks to leading edge technology, players can personalise their looks, clothing, vehicles and music.
Welcome to the next evolution of action games into the persistent online space.
Is there a beta? And can I get in?
Yes we plan to have a beta. And no, you can’t get in … at least, not yet. But we’ll be providing more information on our beta plans Real Soon Now™.
Will there be console ports? Or a Linux or Mac client?
We’re just starting to evaluate opportunities for a console port but do not have anything to announce yet. There will not be a Linux or Mac client.
How big is the game world? And how many people fit on one server?
Approximately 10,000 players per world consisting of 100 player district maps. A hundred customized players driving unique cars, doing crimes, shooting or busting each other is well worth checking out.
What will APB be rated?
Our game carries a Mature rating.
What engine is the game running on?
APB utilizes cutting edge technology of Unreal Engine3™ to bring the polish of next generation art and gameplay into the online space.
Will the game be localized into different languages?
We’re still evaluating which languages and territories to push APB to and hope to provide more information to you soon.
How much will APB cost?
Also to be determined, as soon as we have more details to provide, you’ll be the first to know.
Where can I buy the game?
We’ve yet to hammer out the specifics of our distribution channels, but we hope to have more details on this soon.
Who is developing/publishing APB : Realtime Worlds is developing APB, information is still unknown on who will be publishing APB.
Will be there be a beta? : At this time there is no information regarding a beta for All Points Bulletin, however it’s safe to say most games nowadays do have betas. And considering how unique APB is, they will need to tune things. The only real way to do this before launch is either private testing or a beta.
Does APB require an internet connection? : Yes, as it is online you will need an internet connection, and DSL/Cable+ preferably.
How large and how many cities will be available at launch for APB? : We can take a guess that the cities will be rather "massive". Most likely larger than any Grand Theft Auto series game you have played. It’s important to note that in any given area 100 players will be nearby. There is currently no information on how many cities there will be in APB. APB is located in cities, and hopefully rural areas also. It will be easy to expand on the size of the game from launch.
What methods are available for traveling? : Well, think about a city. We can’t give a definite answers at this point, but you can guess there will be cars, motorcycles, trains, metros and possibly even aircrafts, such as helicopters and planes.
When will APB release? : Currently everything is pointing towards a spring 2010 release date.
What are the minimum requirements? : APB is being developed on the Unreal 3.0 Engine, if you have an up to date system you should be fine. To give you a rough estimate, these are the requirements for Epic Unreal 3.0 Title : Unreal Tournament 3.
Minimum System Requirements
* Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista
* 2.0+ GHZ Single Core Processor
* 512 Mbytes of System RAM
* NVIDIA 6200+ or ATI Radeon 9600+ Video Card
Recommended System Requirements
* 2.4+ GHZ Dual Core Processor
* 1 GBytes of System RAM
* NVIDIA 7800GTX+ or ATI x1300+ Video Card
Will there be player housing? : There will not be player/clan housing on launch, but Realtime Worlds is definitely considering this for post-release content.
Is APB DirectX10? : Unreal 3.0 supports DirectX10, that being said it’s safe to say APB should have some of the latest DirectX10 features, although it most likely will be a DirectX9 title.
Will APB be cross-platform PC, Xbox360? : APB will be released for PC only, after launch RTW has plans for XBOX 360 production.
What does PVE & PVP stand for : PVE; Player Versus Environment PVP : Player Versus Player
Will there be PVE & PVP in APB? : Well that’s what makes a MMO primarily. It's confirmed it will include PVP and you will be fighting over territories. We do not have any information regarding PVE, and if so what it includes.
What is the level cap in APB, if any: It’s unknown what the level cap will be for APB, or if it will be more of a ranking system in general. It is known that you level or skill up, by how good you are at a task versus questing and such in a normal MMORPG.
Will there be guild support : Yes, players will be able to join or create their own guilds hosting up to 100 members.
What are the sides you can choose? : You can join either Enforcers or Criminals.
Will there be a Xbox360 beta? : There is no information regarding an Xbox360 Beta.
What kind of game is APB : It is a MMO - Massively Multiplayer Online Hybrid. APB is a unique game, therefore hybrid is represented as this.
Can you listen to music in your vehicle? : Yes, Realtime Worlds has even partnered with last.fm to provide your own play lists to play in your vehicle, so you can listen to what you want!
What do icons above players represent? : Red icons show your fellow criminals members, while blue icons show enforcers.
Will APB have physics, if so how will it be handled? : To a certain extent yes, it should be noted this is a huge area to cover so it takes a lot of power for these kinds of calculations. So physics may be very limited, like cars blowing up and boxes on the street you can hit with a car.
Once you capture a "point", what determines your group will keep this area? : Once you capture a point, AI will take place in your area, and watch over it the best they can. The higher level you are, the better the AI will be.
What are the service areas : America, Europe, Asia
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Crysis
| Crytek created an everlasting impact on the minds of first-person shooters with Farcry. Though Farcry was a game with immense graphics and environment effects, it cannot match up to the game which is yet to be released in the quarter half of 2007. This game is also developed by Crytek only and is published by Electronic Arts. Yes, we are talking about the game Crysis which with its release will bring with itself a new horizon that will change the future of gaming. With the most advanced engine CryENGINE 2 and the first game that is based on Microsoft Direct X 10, Crysis is going to come out as a game with the most advanced graphics, lighting effects, environment effects and so on. Some of the technology it will utilize include dynamic day/night cycle, fully interactive environments, sunrays and diffuse transmission, real time soft shadows, soft particles, interactive/destructible environments, volumetric clouds, and advanced shader technology. The story of the game goes like this. Cyris is set in the year 2019 when a giant asteroid from the atmosphere hits an island (in Spratly Island chain) in the South China Sea. As soon as the news of the unidentified flying object reached the North Korean Government they rush their troops to the island to find out about the object. After blockading the island they soon discover a large mysterious asteroid. After some time the United States also sends in their Delta Force squad to investigate what is going on in the island. Here you take up the role of Jake Dunn who is a member of this squad. When the Americans arrive on the island they are welcomed by attacks from the North Korean Troops and this rivalry grows intense between the two nations. While tempers flare and fighting continues between the North Koreans and Americans, the asteroid opens up revealing a large alien mother ship. The ship encloses itself inside a large sphere causing a large part of the island to become frozen (including anyone who was unlucky enough to get caught in its reach) and also causes variances in the weather. Thus nearly more than half of the part of the island is frozen thus making access into the deeper parts to reach the ship more difficult. Once the ship is revealed and the fighting between the Americans and the North Koreans continues, there is the entry of the villains, i.e. the Alien troops from the ship. This Alien enemy brings with it some extremely high tech and dangerous weapons - to such an extent that the North Koreans and Americans join forces. At this point, we have to fight our way through a raft of different environments and enemies to save the world. A feature which has been given to you as you fight all your enemies is your armor suit packed with the latest technologies. The best part about this tremendous suit is that energy can be directed to different parts of the armor to give players different options for their use. If the player wants to get to a place very fast before time runs out, then the armor can be configured to send energy to the legs to increase the speed so that you can reach the desired place on time. Sometimes it is also possible to provide the energy to give enough of strength to carry enough of those heavy loaded weapons as well as armor for extra protection. This suite is also designed in such a way that if your health level goes down then after some time the suite gradually restores your health level. The best part of this game is the details, the visuals and the effects. Using the Direct X 10 based design this game is sure to be a hit amongst others for its most advanced graphics. The gameplay environment is almost amazing, thanks to the newly developed cryENGINE 2. The reaction of the surrounding particles, for e.g. when we pass through a bush the leaves react to our contact with them by bending outwards or even falling off. Almost everything can be destroyed in this game in which you can also shoot down branches of a tree over an enemy to cause enough damage to him. The suns rays, the clouds, the sparkling water look almost real and it is really amazing to see such work done by the developers in creating such a game. The enemies in the game have an excellent AI and I am sure like other games this game won’t let you down in enemy interaction. An interesting enemy in this game is a giant bug called the Hunter. The Hunter is one hell of a beast. Lit up with all sorts of great glowing lights, outfitted with tentacle arms that grab and chuck objects at its enemies, and a massive beam weapon, it's an awesome spectacle. A few rockets right into the maw of the giant alien machine is enough to take it down, but in the final game the enemy AI should prove to be more adaptable. As the player progresses through levels he is encountered by various helpful additions to his weaponry. The player character, along with having very adaptable armor, will have customizable weaponry and customizable bullets. This means additions like vision, infrared, and microphone scopes along with silencers for those trickier situations where being quiet is important. Bullets on the other hand can be adapted to put an enemy to sleep or even act as a sound beacon to attract enemies away from an area. The game also has a multiplayer option which will also be very good if the game is installed on PCs with the latest Direct X 10 card, the NVIDIA GeForce 8800(even though the cost is heart breaking). So, in order to try out a game with the most advanced game engine and which works on Direct X 10 based graphics card, we will have to just wait till it releases. By Clive D’Souza |
| Crysis - The Story | ||||||
| Earth. 2019. Crysis begins with a colossal smouldering asteroid crashing violently into North Korean terra-firma. With the Koreans claiming the mysterious space-sent entity as their own, the American government speedily dispatches an elite team of Delta Force Operators to recon behind Korean lines.Amid rising tension between Crysis’ two core nations, the asteroid unceremoniously breaks open to reveal an enormous alien spacecraft, made with superior technology and malicious intent. The invasion of Earth is at hand.Faced with the greatest threat the planet has ever known, the two rival nations join forces and battle for the very survival of mankind.Crysis Players step right into the thick of this struggle, taking on the mantle of humanity’s last faint hope as they don their Nanosuits and scorch through intrepid jungles, perilous frozen terrain and into the ultimate zero-g encounter aboard the alien vessel to save the world… and end this Crysis. Crysis Preview
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Empire Earth III
| Empire Earth III Wallpaper |
| Official Empire Earth III Website |
| Empire Earth III Cheats |
| When Mad Doc Software developed Empire Earth II, it continued the vision set by the previous company, Stainless Steel Studios. In doing so, the game became extremely complex, with no less than 14 civilizations, 15 epochs to progress through and 10 different resources to collect. It sometimes felt that playing through human history took about as long to live it, but with Empire Earth III, Mad Doc takes a step back and, similar to its own game, goes back to the beginning to rework everything from the ground up.The next game is unlike any Empire Earth before. About the only thing this newest installment shares with its predecessors is that it encompasses the history of human civilization and catapults players into the future. Things were scaled down considerably, with only two harvestable resources and five epochs. This time around, the game features three factions that cover the Eurasian continent: Western Europe, Middle East and the Asian empires. Developers divided each of the three sides so players can choose between nations like Britain or France when playing the Europeans. Sub factions have different starting technology, but the regional benefits remain the same. Western Europeans specialize in technology and produce expensive but tough units. They will also have powerful walls and guard towers to give them an overall edge in defense, leaving players free to build up their forces and unleash it in one massive attack. Middle Eastern nations rely on stealth and mobility, so their whole base can be transported to keep opponents guessing, and employing hit-and-run tactics will keep them on their toes. Lastly, Asian nations rely on mass producing weak but inexpensive units to overwhelm their foes. Empire Earth III also uses a new World Domination mode for its single player campaign. Players use a 3-D globe that divides the world into provinces. A player or a "native tribe" either occupies each province and selecting an area to invade determines the direction of expansion. Or, empires can play nice with their neighbors by setting up trade and diplomatic relationships. World Domination plays much like a game of Civilization, where players manage their economy, research and military according to a clock. Each turn advances the clock a certain number of years, starting at 500 years per turn in the early stages, so players must carefully make their way through the epochs or quickly end up surrounded by technologically superior enemies. No one wants to be caught using muskets when the enemy has tanks. The future technology of the European countries will center on using advanced devices and computers, including an earth quake gun to rock enemy bases. Middle Eastern nations will capitalize on stealth and mobility with vehicles equipped with heavy weapons, but that doesn't mean that they won't get their hands on a few weapons of mass destruction. Asian nations, however, will perfect biotechnology and grow giant, living tanks. Scheduled to release this fall, Empire Earth III will seek to deliver the same depth of strategy using a significantly scaled back game. Come back to GameDaily to see how the next stage of human development turns out. by Steven Wong |
| Empire Earth III - The Story |
Sierra has officially announced that Empire Earth III will be released this November on PC. The second sequel in development at Mad Doc will also be treated to a pre-order campaign, offering early purchasers three exclusive unlockable units in the game. Machine Mortar (Far East Region, Future Epoch) ? A genetically engineered soldier that launches a devastating, area-affect salvo of shells. |
Empire Earth III Preview
| Empire Earth 3 Screenshots | ||
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Far Cry 2
| Official Far Cry 2 Website |
| After a hard day spent chasing antelope around the Serengeti, one craves - as the cheetah in those Schweppes ads would say - the 'particular effervescence' only to be found in a sequel to one of the PC's best shooters. And here it is: Far Cry 2 - a pure tonic. It's less jungle, more elephant. Less beach, more gazelle. Less shooting, more socialising. In case you've just fallen out of your chair, we should mention that what we're dealing with here is a classic case of developers and publishers divorcing one another, each gaining custody of various bits and bobs to do with the copyright, licence and IP. It's rather confusing, but basically, Crytek, Far Cry's creators, took the original game's code-guts and ran off to make the much-anticipated jungle shooter Crysis, while Ubisoft were left with the floppy, hollow skin - the right to use the words 'Far' and 'Cry' on the box. BUDDY SYSTEM So what have they got to back up the eye-catching title? Well, quite a lot, as it happens. Ubisoft Montreal are taking charge, having had first-hand experience developing the console versions of Far Cry, and what we've been shown of the new game is a strong indication that they're not going to fudge it. They've been working on this since before Far Cry: Instincts, in fact, and as such you'll find that Jack Carver's silly feral superpowers are thankfully absent, as is Jack Carver himself. This is a complete departure from Far Cry's mutants and mercenaries. Where the game's set is even more interesting - an unrestricted 50sq km chunk of Africa. And no, we don't mean 'unrestricted' in the sense of Far Cry's supposedly 'open' jungles, which were implicitly linear affairs; it's genuinely unrestricted, enabling players to roam freely through the nameless African state. As a consequence, the story itself will be dynamically and procedurally generated. The actions of key characters and the placement of plot points are determined by the game as you play - maybe not quite to the extent that each player will have a drastically different storyline to follow, but perhaps just enough for you to really feel like you're a part of some African tale. In a roundabout way, it's comparable to Boiling Point. Your ultimate goal is to find and kill one man - a bad man - and to do so you've got to manipulate two factions, playing them off against each another, accepting missions and building up a reputation for yourself as you go. Your allies, AI-controlled both physically and in a narrative sense, are called into play when the storyline needs them. These AI 'buddies', as they're being called, are important in some way that's yet to be properly revealed, but they'll be the ones getting involved in Far Cry 2's various storyline events. How these events happen, who's involved in them and how they resolve themselves will be determined either by chance or by the actions of the player. It's this ambitious, contextual artificial intelligence that'll drive the game - and there we were thinking Ubisoft would simply knock out a paint-by-numbers shooter. SMART GAZELLES The AI even filters down to the game's wildlife. Day/night cycles and a needs-driven AI system (similar to STALKER's A-Life) allow for gazelles - oh yes, gazelles - that wander to certain places if they're thirsty or sleepy. The same logic applies to humans too, with every NPC needing to fulfil their Rest, Social and Duty needs. Specific points in the world, such as a bed, another NPC or a patrol path enable them to do this. So they'll find somewhere to sleep, wake up, chat with their mates and then go on patrol, all according to their needs at any given time. These need-fulfilling points in the world, called SmartTerrain Points, are active only at certain times too. At night, for example, you won't have a guard wandering off two miles into the wilderness to find someone for a quick chinwag. Likewise, guards will stick more rigidly to a patrol route at night, generally staying close to their camp. It's more likely you'll find sleeping guards during the wee hours than under the midday sun. It means the world and its inhabitants, man and beast, will be more unpredictable. Coming across an enemy base and deciding how to tackle it will be more than just a matter of observing patrol routes and timing your shots; likewise, it won't be a simple matter of learning a particular NPC's set schedule. What part gazelles play in all this is anybody's guess, but a game with sleepy gazelles is all right in our books. SAVANNAH GOOD TIME Ubisoft have made the bold claim that Far Cry 2 will contain every type of African terrain you could possibly think of, or your money back. We're talking grassless, grassy, partially grassy and jungles, at the very least. Yes, that's right - jungles, the things which made Far Cry so impressive, have been relegated to a mere subsection of the gameworld. Not that they've decreased in splendour - they've been built in such a way as to be more conducive to thrilling shootouts. They'll be as dense as in the original game, but situated in clumps, thus creating natural pathways through them. Not necessarily in a restrictive way either, but more to enable the player to spot enemies through trees and react by hiding - or by peppering the foliage with a few high-velocity rounds until something bleeds. Just to prove that these jungles aren't funnelling you down a predetermined path, Ubisoft have included a tree-toppling machete in your inventory, giving you the option to make your own way through the vegetation. Outside of these jungles, the vast, open arenas allow for a different sort of playing style. Draw distances touch the horizon, so long-range sniping becomes the preferred method of death-dealing, while Ubisoft promise at least one high-speed car chase across the dusty plains. Not much is known about the vehicles yet, but the screenshots confirm that Far Cry's iconic hang-glider is definitely making a welcome appearance, along with what's swiftly becoming an FPS staple: jeeps. Possibly punchable ones. We're hoping planes and maybe even helicopters make the final cut - with a massive playing area, the only thing to hold it back would be the engine, which looks more than capable. SOCIAL STUDIES So that's Far Cry 2, then, a game that's shaping up to be so much more than just a name-dropping, licence-holding filler title - and, refreshingly, a game that's aimed squarely at the PC market. Those in-house developers at Ubisoft seem pretty ambitious, with promises that Far Cry 2 will put you in the most socially complex situations ever seen in a game. Exactly what kinds of situations these will turn out to be isn't clear yet, but the dynamic narrative and AI buddies will surely play an integral part. It's all intriguing stuff, and we'll let you know exactly what Ubisoft have got up their sleeves as soon as we find out. This game may have less in common with Far Cry than Crysis does, but it's retaining that Far Cry feeling of being lost in an exotic world. Asking if Ubisoft Montreal are capable of carrying the weight of such a highly regarded PC shooter series is clearly unnecessary - they're taking the weight and running with it. Running to some really weird places we didn't expect them to run to. Man's natural ruthlessness, his deeply ingrained animal instinct versus his social nature, is what Far Cry 2 hopes to explore. Which, if anything, is a bit more interesting than an icy jungle. by Steve Hogarty |
| Far Cry 2 - Key Features | |||||||||||||
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