Where are me people? The people who feel this game and see the beatiful things it brings to the table?
I like APB, too, so far. It's a very nice PvP game with several fun situations that come up randomly.
I gotta say that I bought it, since I think the price is okay. I get 50 hours of gameplay for sure. If I buy a singeplayer title for the same price, I usually end up siphoning 30-50 hours of gameplay...
But I have to admit. The missions you do in APB are a bit shallow and uninspiring. There could be more, like raiding a building with several objectives in it ... claiming a whole territory for a while (with more than 1 objective) and such things.
There is a high chance they will add up content within the first months after release, because the game has a good base to build on top of it. :-)
Only thing that boggles me is that APB freezes every like 20 minutes and I need to minimize it once to get it running again. Weird, but fixable.
Originally posted by Gevauden It's like the 1% of all the hideous hateful Trolls come out and want to eat me alive. I don't know what to say people but the future of gaming is looking rather bleak with people like these who can totally diss a game becuase it's asking you to pay them to play it. I have a fact for you - Spend your money because money won't be of any use to you when your dead. ( prolly Rotting in Hell for hating APB for no good reason..I'm just sayin.... Where are me people? The people who feel this game and see the beatiful things it brings to the table? Most of your horrible replies have ended all like this - I did not like this and the way that did that to me they need to fic that and untill then I'm not gonna "PAY" it all comes down to money and what kind of tightwad your are. You all expressed that the game is FUN and yet you hop on the ChooChoo Train of Trolls with a negative response that makes no sense. If this is what the people of the future of gaming are going to be like then were all doomed and the Mayans are right the world will END in 2012..
You came out in your very first post in this thread and in other related threads attacking and insulting anyone with an opinion different from yours.You are reaping what you sewed by your own Trollish behavior.
Hey guys I just wanted to let you know how much fun the new MMO/mmorpg "APB" All Points Bulletin is.
I've played every mmo/mmorpg and have nearly completes most of them and now have been looking for another to hold my attention and well APB has done just that and more.
The action you will encounter in APB is great fun and when you feel like switching gears you can go to the social district and mingle with others while basicly crafting/ creating new designs/clothes/symbols/theme songs/music/cars you name it you can do whatever your imagination can think of and put it into APB. This is the Sims/and improved GTA, there are no Enemy NPCs you ever fight...yet, all your encounters will be against a real opposing human and every mission will be differint becuase of it.
This game on some forums have had horrible Trolls lurking on them saying negative things about it which don't hold up very well, these trolls are usually bitter becuase this isn't a free 2 play game and they most likely sucked while playing the game and rage quit.
So all I'm saying is please I love all you mmo/mmorpgers your my people and I want you guys to be happy and to be happy you all need to play APB and when your done you can thank me cause I'll be playing this game till D3 comes out and still playing it while it's out lol. Amazing amazing amazing game.
I was going to post my own thread on this but instead I'll just put it here. I finally completed my 5 hours of initial game play with the pre-order of APB from Direct2Drive. I'll give you some of my initial impressions of the game below. A few things to mention before I do. I've been playing MMO's on a constant basis since SWG beta and have seen a lot of different styles, varieties, and flavors of MMO's out there. I've been there for the launches of a lot of the newer MMO's including WoW so I feel like my exposure to the world of MMO's isn't all that limited. APB thoughts below.. (I rated my experiences on a 1 to 10 scale of the things that I personally experienced in game. This is not meant to be an exhaustive review of the game as it has not been launched yet and I would like more time with the game as well.)
As everyone, including the Devs have mentioned, the customization of things such as cars, clothes, your characters look and many other items is far and away the most in depth and diverse of any MMO that I can think of. In this regard APB really is very innovative and brings something totally new to the MMO world. For that, I give the developers a thousand kudos. One thing I can say is that I do grow tired of everyone looking exactly the same in every MMO you play. This isn't going to be a problem in APB.
Gameplay: The control scheme for APB is very easy to learn and probably just as easy to master. After only about an hour of game time I felt very comfortable with the controls necessary to function adequetly in San Paro. There really isn't anything about the control scheme that will catch you off guard or should be difficult to learn. The simple design of the controls lends itself to a lot of fast paced action and "on the fly" controls of your character. Be ready to hit the "F" key, a lot. While the controls are easy to learn and work well with the game I am going to say that this is only part of the equation. Unfortunately the driving mechanics in the game are average at best. The physics and handling of the cars is what I would describe as sloppy and unrefined. This is an area that does need to be worked on. The cars aren't hard to drive per se as much as they just seem to lack physical realism in the way they handle. I felt like most of the time I was either driving a brick or the car was too unstable.
The shooting mechanics are good and I found them very easy to learn and control. It still takes some skill to hit other players as strafing, jumping, and other tactics are on full display as with many FPS games I've played. One thing I very quickly learned is to pay attention to your gun's range. Many of my frustrations were put aside once I found a weapon with a nice mix of range and firepower.
Overall I would rate the game play experience as 6.5/10. There is definite room for improvement in the car mechanics and some improvement in the shooting physics.
Graphics: I run a decent machine, what I would consider on the middle to upper middle end of most rigs and I had no issues with graphics lag. I do know some have reported "hitching" and other issues but I have found that most often these issues are corrected with new drivers as they are released. I know this isn't everyone's case but I had no trouble. The graphics in the game are quite good. One thing I actually like was the animation for my characters running. I didn't feel that he had a stick up his ass or looked like a complete moron while running. I'm not sure why that appealed to me but they got it right. One issue I did have was with the animation for grenade throwing. Just seemed stiff. Anyway, San Paro is a nice looking city and the graphics do not detract from the game play and at times do enhance the action.
Overall I rate the graphics as 8/10.
Crafting: There wasn't "crafting" as you might consider from other MMO's but you do have the option of "manufacturing" items that you create which is basically making copies of an item to sell. Again, this goes hand in hand with the customization ability the game has. Seriously, creating and making items for folks to buy could be considered a game within itself. If you have a creative bone in your body I really think you'll enjoy this aspect of the game. As an fyi I was able to create a nice SPPD (San Paro Police Department) wife beater t-shirt which I was then able to sell on the AH. I was hoping to see someone running around with my design on but alas to no avail. Anyway, I had fun with this part of the game and I think it's pretty well done.
Overall I rate the crafting along with customization as 10/10.
PvE/Missions: Most of the PvE missions you are given in the action districts will be given to you "on the fly" from your mission contacts. I do enjoy not having to constantly run back to a mission giver. The missions are really not going to blow you away with difficulty or creativity. However, the missions usually turn into PvP at some point as the system will mix your mission with someone else's to create opportunities to PvP. I was skeptical of this design at first but after some play time I actually really enjoyed the challenge and the variation that each mission brought. I won't say this is the best leveling system or PvE type progression I've ever seen but it adequetly does what it is meant to do which is make progression more than boring as hell.
Pve/Missions rating as 7/10.
PvP: This game is at its core a PvP game which most already know. I found the pvp action to be very fast paced and at times very hectic. I am looking forward to seeing what pvp will be liked as groups organize and folks work together. I think this is the area of the game where skill will be needed, not so much in the game play mechanics. One sour note about the pvp which I seemed to experience was the outcome of most encounters came down to who had the better weapon/upgrades rather than a "skill" factor. The disparity between low end weapons and some of the high end weapons seemed to me to be quite noticeable. Maybe this is as it should be but it can be very frustrating for new players. My advice would be to relax, take a deep breath, and be prepared to die a ton.
Overall I give the pvp I experienced 7/10.
Community/Fun Factor: I went ahead and mixed these two. I didn't have a ton of issues with the community being bad or good to be honest. I will say the plethora of stupid or offensive names that folks chose for their characters was rampant and there is no filter on naming of characters. It didn't bother me though, it's a pre-launch trial and I hope that RL studios does a decent job on really stupid or blatantly offensive names. Overall I did have fun and ended my trial wishing I had more than 5 hours to play. I think the game is worth giving a try if you like games like Grand Theft Auto etc. It doesn't try to copy those games but is very much in that genre. I think what will ultimately be the deciding factor for me about long term play of the game is improvements in game play and expansion of content.
Community/Fun Factor I would rate at 6.5/10
My overall rating for the game based solely on the time I had available to play was 7/10. I think the game is good at what it is trying to do and has room to improve very quickly. Rather than games like STO which needed an entire overhaul at launch I think this game could become a solid 8/10 or higher within 6 months from launch provided the developers listen to the community and make positive changes. All of that remains to be seen.
I was going to post my own thread on this but instead I'll just put it here. I finally completed my 5 hours of initial game play with the pre-order of APB from Direct2Drive. I'll give you some of my initial impressions of the game below. A few things to mention before I do. I've been playing MMO's on a constant basis since SWG beta and have seen a lot of different styles, varieties, and flavors of MMO's out there. I've been there for the launches of a lot of the newer MMO's including WoW so I feel like my exposure to the world of MMO's isn't all that limited. APB thoughts below.. (I rated my experiences on a 1 to 10 scale of the things that I personally experienced in game. This is not meant to be an exhaustive review of the game as it has not been launched yet and I would like more time with the game as well.)
As everyone, including the Devs have mentioned, the customization of things such as cars, clothes, your characters look and many other items is far and away the most in depth and diverse of any MMO that I can think of. In this regard APB really is very innovative and brings something totally new to the MMO world. For that, I give the developers a thousand kudos. One thing I can say is that I do grow tired of everyone looking exactly the same in every MMO you play. This isn't going to be a problem in APB.
Gameplay: The control scheme for APB is very easy to learn and probably just as easy to master. After only about an hour of game time I felt very comfortable with the controls necessary to function adequetly in San Paro. There really isn't anything about the control scheme that will catch you off guard or should be difficult to learn. The simple design of the controls lends itself to a lot of fast paced action and "on the fly" controls of your character. Be ready to hit the "F" key, a lot. While the controls are easy to learn and work well with the game I am going to say that this is only part of the equation. Unfortunately the driving mechanics in the game are average at best. The physics and handling of the cars is what I would describe as sloppy and unrefined. This is an area that does need to be worked on. The cars aren't hard to drive per se as much as they just seem to lack physical realism in the way they handle. I felt like most of the time I was either driving a brick or the car was too unstable.
The shooting mechanics are good and I found them very easy to learn and control. It still takes some skill to hit other players as strafing, jumping, and other tactics are on full display as with many FPS games I've played. One thing I very quickly learned is to pay attention to your gun's range. Many of my frustrations were put aside once I found a weapon with a nice mix of range and firepower.
Overall I would rate the game play experience as 6.5/10. There is definite room for improvement in the car mechanics and some improvement in the shooting physics.
Graphics: I run a decent machine, what I would consider on the middle to upper middle end of most rigs and I had no issues with graphics lag. I do know some have reported "hitching" and other issues but I have found that most often these issues are corrected with new drivers as they are released. I know this isn't everyone's case but I had no trouble. The graphics in the game are quite good. One thing I actually like was the animation for my characters running. I didn't feel that he had a stick up his ass or looked like a complete moron while running. I'm not sure why that appealed to me but they got it right. One issue I did have was with the animation for grenade throwing. Just seemed stiff. Anyway, San Paro is a nice looking city and the graphics do not detract from the game play and at times do enhance the action.
Overall I rate the graphics as 8/10.
Crafting: There wasn't "crafting" as you might consider from other MMO's but you do have the option of "manufacturing" items that you create which is basically making copies of an item to sell. Again, this goes hand in hand with the customization ability the game has. Seriously, creating and making items for folks to buy could be considered a game within itself. If you have a creative bone in your body I really think you'll enjoy this aspect of the game. As an fyi I was able to create a nice SPPD (San Paro Police Department) wife beater t-shirt which I was then able to sell on the AH. I was hoping to see someone running around with my design on but alas to no avail. Anyway, I had fun with this part of the game and I think it's pretty well done.
Overall I rate the crafting along with customization as 10/10.
PvE/Missions: Most of the PvE missions you are given in the action districts will be given to you "on the fly" from your mission contacts. I do enjoy not having to constantly run back to a mission giver. The missions are really not going to blow you away with difficulty or creativity. However, the missions usually turn into PvP at some point as the system will mix your mission with someone else's to create opportunities to PvP. I was skeptical of this design at first but after some play time I actually really enjoyed the challenge and the variation that each mission brought. I won't say this is the best leveling system or PvE type progression I've ever seen but it adequetly does what it is meant to do which is make progression more than boring as hell.
Pve/Missions rating as 7/10.
PvP: This game is at its core a PvP game which most already know. I found the pvp action to be very fast paced and at times very hectic. I am looking forward to seeing what pvp will be liked as groups organize and folks work together. I think this is the area of the game where skill will be needed, not so much in the game play mechanics. One sour note about the pvp which I seemed to experience was the outcome of most encounters came down to who had the better weapon/upgrades rather than a "skill" factor. The disparity between low end weapons and some of the high end weapons seemed to me to be quite noticeable. Maybe this is as it should be but it can be very frustrating for new players. My advice would be to relax, take a deep breath, and be prepared to die a ton.
Overall I give the pvp I experienced 7/10.
Community/Fun Factor: I went ahead and mixed these two. I didn't have a ton of issues with the community being bad or good to be honest. I will say the plethora of stupid or offensive names that folks chose for their characters was rampant and there is no filter on naming of characters. It didn't bother me though, it's a pre-launch trial and I hope that RL studios does a decent job on really stupid or blatantly offensive names. Overall I did have fun and ended my trial wishing I had more than 5 hours to play. I think the game is worth giving a try if you like games like Grand Theft Auto etc. It doesn't try to copy those games but is very much in that genre. I think what will ultimately be the deciding factor for me about long term play of the game is improvements in game play and expansion of content.
Community/Fun Factor I would rate at 6.5/10
My overall rating for the game based solely on the time I had available to play was 7/10. I think the game is good at what it is trying to do and has room to improve very quickly. Rather than games like STO which needed an entire overhaul at launch I think this game could become a solid 8/10 or higher within 6 months from launch provided the developers listen to the community and make positive changes. All of that remains to be seen.
This is an excellent critique and is on par with my views on the game. I will say that I pre-ordered the game but that alone has no bearing on my opinions. This game has room for improvement as any game may have, but I think it delivers what it intended and leaves plenty of room for more. Another thing I mentioned in another post is that the community is one aspect that can't easily be reviewed during an open beta. Once clans are established and you see people wearing the threads of their chosen clan there'll be a greater sense of belonging and appeal. Then the PvP will mean more than just "You Alone VS Him". It'll be a battle of epic proportions - ongoing.
I was going to post my own thread on this but instead I'll just put it here. I finally completed my 5 hours of initial game play with the pre-order of APB from Direct2Drive. I'll give you some of my initial impressions of the game below. A few things to mention before I do. I've been playing MMO's on a constant basis since SWG beta and have seen a lot of different styles, varieties, and flavors of MMO's out there. I've been there for the launches of a lot of the newer MMO's including WoW so I feel like my exposure to the world of MMO's isn't all that limited. APB thoughts below.. (I rated my experiences on a 1 to 10 scale of the things that I personally experienced in game. This is not meant to be an exhaustive review of the game as it has not been launched yet and I would like more time with the game as well.)
As everyone, including the Devs have mentioned, the customization of things such as cars, clothes, your characters look and many other items is far and away the most in depth and diverse of any MMO that I can think of. In this regard APB really is very innovative and brings something totally new to the MMO world. For that, I give the developers a thousand kudos. One thing I can say is that I do grow tired of everyone looking exactly the same in every MMO you play. This isn't going to be a problem in APB.
Gameplay: The control scheme for APB is very easy to learn and probably just as easy to master. After only about an hour of game time I felt very comfortable with the controls necessary to function adequetly in San Paro. There really isn't anything about the control scheme that will catch you off guard or should be difficult to learn. The simple design of the controls lends itself to a lot of fast paced action and "on the fly" controls of your character. Be ready to hit the "F" key, a lot. While the controls are easy to learn and work well with the game I am going to say that this is only part of the equation. Unfortunately the driving mechanics in the game are average at best. The physics and handling of the cars is what I would describe as sloppy and unrefined. This is an area that does need to be worked on. The cars aren't hard to drive per se as much as they just seem to lack physical realism in the way they handle. I felt like most of the time I was either driving a brick or the car was too unstable.
The shooting mechanics are good and I found them very easy to learn and control. It still takes some skill to hit other players as strafing, jumping, and other tactics are on full display as with many FPS games I've played. One thing I very quickly learned is to pay attention to your gun's range. Many of my frustrations were put aside once I found a weapon with a nice mix of range and firepower.
Overall I would rate the game play experience as 6.5/10. There is definite room for improvement in the car mechanics and some improvement in the shooting physics.
Graphics: I run a decent machine, what I would consider on the middle to upper middle end of most rigs and I had no issues with graphics lag. I do know some have reported "hitching" and other issues but I have found that most often these issues are corrected with new drivers as they are released. I know this isn't everyone's case but I had no trouble. The graphics in the game are quite good. One thing I actually like was the animation for my characters running. I didn't feel that he had a stick up his ass or looked like a complete moron while running. I'm not sure why that appealed to me but they got it right. One issue I did have was with the animation for grenade throwing. Just seemed stiff. Anyway, San Paro is a nice looking city and the graphics do not detract from the game play and at times do enhance the action.
Overall I rate the graphics as 8/10.
Crafting: There wasn't "crafting" as you might consider from other MMO's but you do have the option of "manufacturing" items that you create which is basically making copies of an item to sell. Again, this goes hand in hand with the customization ability the game has. Seriously, creating and making items for folks to buy could be considered a game within itself. If you have a creative bone in your body I really think you'll enjoy this aspect of the game. As an fyi I was able to create a nice SPPD (San Paro Police Department) wife beater t-shirt which I was then able to sell on the AH. I was hoping to see someone running around with my design on but alas to no avail. Anyway, I had fun with this part of the game and I think it's pretty well done.
Overall I rate the crafting along with customization as 10/10.
PvE/Missions: Most of the PvE missions you are given in the action districts will be given to you "on the fly" from your mission contacts. I do enjoy not having to constantly run back to a mission giver. The missions are really not going to blow you away with difficulty or creativity. However, the missions usually turn into PvP at some point as the system will mix your mission with someone else's to create opportunities to PvP. I was skeptical of this design at first but after some play time I actually really enjoyed the challenge and the variation that each mission brought. I won't say this is the best leveling system or PvE type progression I've ever seen but it adequetly does what it is meant to do which is make progression more than boring as hell.
Pve/Missions rating as 7/10.
PvP: This game is at its core a PvP game which most already know. I found the pvp action to be very fast paced and at times very hectic. I am looking forward to seeing what pvp will be liked as groups organize and folks work together. I think this is the area of the game where skill will be needed, not so much in the game play mechanics. One sour note about the pvp which I seemed to experience was the outcome of most encounters came down to who had the better weapon/upgrades rather than a "skill" factor. The disparity between low end weapons and some of the high end weapons seemed to me to be quite noticeable. Maybe this is as it should be but it can be very frustrating for new players. My advice would be to relax, take a deep breath, and be prepared to die a ton.
Overall I give the pvp I experienced 7/10.
Community/Fun Factor: I went ahead and mixed these two. I didn't have a ton of issues with the community being bad or good to be honest. I will say the plethora of stupid or offensive names that folks chose for their characters was rampant and there is no filter on naming of characters. It didn't bother me though, it's a pre-launch trial and I hope that RL studios does a decent job on really stupid or blatantly offensive names. Overall I did have fun and ended my trial wishing I had more than 5 hours to play. I think the game is worth giving a try if you like games like Grand Theft Auto etc. It doesn't try to copy those games but is very much in that genre. I think what will ultimately be the deciding factor for me about long term play of the game is improvements in game play and expansion of content.
Community/Fun Factor I would rate at 6.5/10
My overall rating for the game based solely on the time I had available to play was 7/10. I think the game is good at what it is trying to do and has room to improve very quickly. Rather than games like STO which needed an entire overhaul at launch I think this game could become a solid 8/10 or higher within 6 months from launch provided the developers listen to the community and make positive changes. All of that remains to be seen.
This is an excellent critique and is on par with my views on the game. I will say that I pre-ordered the game but that alone has no bearing on my opinions. This game has room for improvement as any game may have, but I think it delivers what it intended and leaves plenty of room for more. Another thing I mentioned in another post is that the community is one aspect that can't easily be reviewed during an open beta. Once clans are established and you see people wearing the threads of their chosen clan there'll be a greater sense of belonging and appeal. Then the PvP will mean more than just "You Alone VS Him". It'll be a battle of epic proportions - ongoing.
I agree 100% it delivers what I want and leaves plenty of room for more which they have said they will add. I already bought the game now just gotta wait a week
I shall play Mass effect 2 which is on sale today for 23 bucks that should kill the week
The fact that everyone posting how awesome APB is only have 3 posts seems fishy to me. They don't seem credible, more like plants.
I dont have 3 posts...and I say that I think this game is great fun! And Im gonna buy it for sure!
I don't have 3 posts either and I think the game is a ton of fun. I already bought it :P lol
I know, I know.... pre-orders are bad.... but I couldn't help myself on this one.
I have 3 + 5 = 8 Posts and I just preordered it. Great game!
I wish I had only spent the time here for 3 posts. I haven't bought it yet but for the last 9 hours or so it has been fun.
Above average gaming rig and a good connection are must though to reduce frustration. Having said thatI spent about 4 hours pissing about with the clothing design and pimping out the truck. Now I got no cash for guns , but I look good while I'm dying. Oh and the breaking dancing down by the dock at the free public music post is pretty inspired imho
----- The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species.
The fact that everyone posting how awesome APB is only have 3 posts seems fishy to me. They don't seem credible, more like plants.
I dont have 3 posts...and I say that I think this game is great fun! And Im gonna buy it for sure!
I don't have 3 posts either and I think the game is a ton of fun. I already bought it :P lol
I know, I know.... pre-orders are bad.... but I couldn't help myself on this one.
I have 3 + 5 = 8 Posts and I just preordered it. Great game!
I wish I had only spent the time here for 3 posts. I haven't bought it yet but for the last 9 hours or so it has been fun.
Above average gaming rig and a good connection are must though to reduce frustration. Having said thatI spent about 4 hours pissing about with the clothing design and pimping out the truck. Now I got no cash for guns , but I look good while I'm dying. Oh and the breaking dancing down by the dock at the free public music post is pretty inspired imho
Once you get over the customizations (wich are awesome) you'll realize how shallow the gameplay is... please try before you buy! the game trailer specifically promised a "ridiculously deep" game... I should sue them for false advertising.
The fact that everyone posting how awesome APB is only have 3 posts seems fishy to me. They don't seem credible, more like plants.
I dont have 3 posts...and I say that I think this game is great fun! And Im gonna buy it for sure!
I don't have 3 posts either and I think the game is a ton of fun. I already bought it :P lol
I know, I know.... pre-orders are bad.... but I couldn't help myself on this one.
I have 3 + 5 = 8 Posts and I just preordered it. Great game!
I wish I had only spent the time here for 3 posts. I haven't bought it yet but for the last 9 hours or so it has been fun.
Above average gaming rig and a good connection are must though to reduce frustration. Having said thatI spent about 4 hours pissing about with the clothing design and pimping out the truck. Now I got no cash for guns , but I look good while I'm dying. Oh and the breaking dancing down by the dock at the free public music post is pretty inspired imho
Once you get over the customizations (wich are awesome) you'll realize how shallow the gameplay is... please try before you buy! the game trailer specifically promised a "ridiculously deep" game... I should sue them for false advertising.
I guess that could depend on what you're looking for, the same is often said of planetside by a lot of people but I've been playing that for over 6 years now.
----- The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species.
I was going to post my own thread on this but instead I'll just put it here. I finally completed my 5 hours of initial game play with the pre-order of APB from Direct2Drive. I'll give you some of my initial impressions of the game below. A few things to mention before I do. I've been playing MMO's on a constant basis since SWG beta and have seen a lot of different styles, varieties, and flavors of MMO's out there. I've been there for the launches of a lot of the newer MMO's including WoW so I feel like my exposure to the world of MMO's isn't all that limited. APB thoughts below.. (I rated my experiences on a 1 to 10 scale of the things that I personally experienced in game. This is not meant to be an exhaustive review of the game as it has not been launched yet and I would like more time with the game as well.)
As everyone, including the Devs have mentioned, the customization of things such as cars, clothes, your characters look and many other items is far and away the most in depth and diverse of any MMO that I can think of. In this regard APB really is very innovative and brings something totally new to the MMO world. For that, I give the developers a thousand kudos. One thing I can say is that I do grow tired of everyone looking exactly the same in every MMO you play. This isn't going to be a problem in APB.
Gameplay: The control scheme for APB is very easy to learn and probably just as easy to master. After only about an hour of game time I felt very comfortable with the controls necessary to function adequetly in San Paro. There really isn't anything about the control scheme that will catch you off guard or should be difficult to learn. The simple design of the controls lends itself to a lot of fast paced action and "on the fly" controls of your character. Be ready to hit the "F" key, a lot. While the controls are easy to learn and work well with the game I am going to say that this is only part of the equation. Unfortunately the driving mechanics in the game are average at best. The physics and handling of the cars is what I would describe as sloppy and unrefined. This is an area that does need to be worked on. The cars aren't hard to drive per se as much as they just seem to lack physical realism in the way they handle. I felt like most of the time I was either driving a brick or the car was too unstable.
The shooting mechanics are good and I found them very easy to learn and control. It still takes some skill to hit other players as strafing, jumping, and other tactics are on full display as with many FPS games I've played. One thing I very quickly learned is to pay attention to your gun's range. Many of my frustrations were put aside once I found a weapon with a nice mix of range and firepower.
Overall I would rate the game play experience as 6.5/10. There is definite room for improvement in the car mechanics and some improvement in the shooting physics.
Graphics: I run a decent machine, what I would consider on the middle to upper middle end of most rigs and I had no issues with graphics lag. I do know some have reported "hitching" and other issues but I have found that most often these issues are corrected with new drivers as they are released. I know this isn't everyone's case but I had no trouble. The graphics in the game are quite good. One thing I actually like was the animation for my characters running. I didn't feel that he had a stick up his ass or looked like a complete moron while running. I'm not sure why that appealed to me but they got it right. One issue I did have was with the animation for grenade throwing. Just seemed stiff. Anyway, San Paro is a nice looking city and the graphics do not detract from the game play and at times do enhance the action.
Overall I rate the graphics as 8/10.
Crafting: There wasn't "crafting" as you might consider from other MMO's but you do have the option of "manufacturing" items that you create which is basically making copies of an item to sell. Again, this goes hand in hand with the customization ability the game has. Seriously, creating and making items for folks to buy could be considered a game within itself. If you have a creative bone in your body I really think you'll enjoy this aspect of the game. As an fyi I was able to create a nice SPPD (San Paro Police Department) wife beater t-shirt which I was then able to sell on the AH. I was hoping to see someone running around with my design on but alas to no avail. Anyway, I had fun with this part of the game and I think it's pretty well done.
Overall I rate the crafting along with customization as 10/10.
PvE/Missions: Most of the PvE missions you are given in the action districts will be given to you "on the fly" from your mission contacts. I do enjoy not having to constantly run back to a mission giver. The missions are really not going to blow you away with difficulty or creativity. However, the missions usually turn into PvP at some point as the system will mix your mission with someone else's to create opportunities to PvP. I was skeptical of this design at first but after some play time I actually really enjoyed the challenge and the variation that each mission brought. I won't say this is the best leveling system or PvE type progression I've ever seen but it adequetly does what it is meant to do which is make progression more than boring as hell.
Pve/Missions rating as 7/10.
PvP: This game is at its core a PvP game which most already know. I found the pvp action to be very fast paced and at times very hectic. I am looking forward to seeing what pvp will be liked as groups organize and folks work together. I think this is the area of the game where skill will be needed, not so much in the game play mechanics. One sour note about the pvp which I seemed to experience was the outcome of most encounters came down to who had the better weapon/upgrades rather than a "skill" factor. The disparity between low end weapons and some of the high end weapons seemed to me to be quite noticeable. Maybe this is as it should be but it can be very frustrating for new players. My advice would be to relax, take a deep breath, and be prepared to die a ton.
Overall I give the pvp I experienced 7/10.
Community/Fun Factor: I went ahead and mixed these two. I didn't have a ton of issues with the community being bad or good to be honest. I will say the plethora of stupid or offensive names that folks chose for their characters was rampant and there is no filter on naming of characters. It didn't bother me though, it's a pre-launch trial and I hope that RL studios does a decent job on really stupid or blatantly offensive names. Overall I did have fun and ended my trial wishing I had more than 5 hours to play. I think the game is worth giving a try if you like games like Grand Theft Auto etc. It doesn't try to copy those games but is very much in that genre. I think what will ultimately be the deciding factor for me about long term play of the game is improvements in game play and expansion of content.
Community/Fun Factor I would rate at 6.5/10
My overall rating for the game based solely on the time I had available to play was 7/10. I think the game is good at what it is trying to do and has room to improve very quickly. Rather than games like STO which needed an entire overhaul at launch I think this game could become a solid 8/10 or higher within 6 months from launch provided the developers listen to the community and make positive changes. All of that remains to be seen.
This is an excellent critique and is on par with my views on the game. I will say that I pre-ordered the game but that alone has no bearing on my opinions. This game has room for improvement as any game may have, but I think it delivers what it intended and leaves plenty of room for more. Another thing I mentioned in another post is that the community is one aspect that can't easily be reviewed during an open beta. Once clans are established and you see people wearing the threads of their chosen clan there'll be a greater sense of belonging and appeal. Then the PvP will mean more than just "You Alone VS Him". It'll be a battle of epic proportions - ongoing.
I agree 100% it delivers what I want and leaves plenty of room for more which they have said they will add. I already bought the game now just gotta wait a week
I shall play Mass effect 2 which is on sale today for 23 bucks that should kill the week
Good reports. I agree. The game is great fun, has some limitation which can be over-come with post-launch tweaks and content adds, but the content as it is now leaves little to be bored with wide ranging breadth and depth of game-play across many outles.
I'll pre-order and take it month by month, but this game can easily satisfy my third-person shooter itch, replacing clancy, battle-field, modern warfare, etc, for the meantime.
The fact that everyone posting how awesome APB is only have 3 posts seems fishy to me. They don't seem credible, more like plants.
I dont have 3 posts...and I say that I think this game is great fun! And Im gonna buy it for sure!
I don't have 3 posts either and I think the game is a ton of fun. I already bought it :P lol
I know, I know.... pre-orders are bad.... but I couldn't help myself on this one.
I have 3 + 5 = 8 Posts and I just preordered it. Great game!
I wish I had only spent the time here for 3 posts. I haven't bought it yet but for the last 9 hours or so it has been fun.
Above average gaming rig and a good connection are must though to reduce frustration. Having said thatI spent about 4 hours pissing about with the clothing design and pimping out the truck. Now I got no cash for guns , but I look good while I'm dying. Oh and the breaking dancing down by the dock at the free public music post is pretty inspired imho
Once you get over the customizations (wich are awesome) you'll realize how shallow the gameplay is... please try before you buy! the game trailer specifically promised a "ridiculously deep" game... I should sue them for false advertising.
Everyone has a different definition of "deep" gameplay. A ridiculous amount of customization is fine with me if I can take that ridiculous amount of customization and use it to shoot somebody in the head. But the developers should really make that headshot be more than a body shot. They've done some interesting things, but some of those things are questionable. They've implemented some really stupid mechanics to try to make the transition from the MMORPG genre to Action genre, but I'd like to see them use the best parts of both genres.
The game is fun, and more importantly, it works. I didn't see any bugs yet and the server stability is good. The only complaint I have with the game is that I'd like more content... which is good. I mean, if thats my only complaint, then I'm pretty comfortable with pre-ordering. The "core" of the game is great already, its a great base to add stuff to.
Whats crazy is that alot of people are trying to compare APB to other more old school mmorpgs. Games like EQ2, WoW, ect. when thats not really fair. APB isn't about grinding quests to gain the next level, to reach some magical endgame. APB is about jumping into a fps game and having fun without all the hassle and bagage that goes along with most MMORPGs.
The reason APB is being compared to traditional MMO's is because they are asking for a subscription to keep playing it, and therefore it is natural to compare it to other subscription based games.
And this presents it's own glaring question, covered by other people in the thread - why pay a sub, when using your very own description APB sounds exactly like other fps free games such as MW2, BFBC2 etc etc which do not require a sub. What exactly does APB give me for a monthly sub that I cant get from a free online FPS? Look forward to your response.
the only way it can be reasonably compared to any MMO in existence ATM is in number of players per area.
there's no other MMO like it, therefore no sensible comparisons. its got no competition. even if it had the crappiest gameplay mechanics, the crappiest character creator or any other specific measurement. it covers an area of the marketplace that nobody else does, and is guaranteed a certain audience because of that (just like EQ was guaranteed a certain audience back when it was the only 3D accelerated MMO).
what it gives. real actual action gameplay (as opposed to RPG mechanics) mixed with a populated world. great personalization/self-expression. really its that simple. just cuz you don't care about real gameplay and simultaneously wanting it in a populated world, doesn't mean others aren't willing to pay monthly or hourly for this new combination. i haven't been able to afford it yet so i don't know if there will be any personal dealbreakers....
....but i've been waiting for exactly this kind (in broad terms, not anything specific about APB such as a gangsta setting, which i actually kinda DISlike) of thing for 11 years. i will happily pay monthly for it, and unlike all the other MMOs i've played KEEP paying monthly for it (assuming no dealbreakers).
adding all the RPG bullshit trappings would totally ruin it. i wish there wasn't even any item/weapon progression at all.
this is emergent gameplay. something WAY more complicated and varied than any PVE RPG gameplay mechanics. doesn't matter if there are only 10 (or whatever) guns versus thousands of hardwired, convoluted spells/abilities/stats systems. all those UI & conceptual (needless) complications will never match the true, less explicitly quantified & understood (by most end users) combinative emergence of "simple" systems that are fully & properly (IE not dice rolls) simulated in virtual 3D spaces. and AI will never (not likely in our lifetime) match human opponents.
if you're not a shooter fan, you shouldn't be PLAYING in the action districts, and trying to compare it to something from a completely different world/paradigm. stick to the social area and compare that to SL if you wish. but don't compare its shooting action against RPG "gameplay".
Comments
I like APB, too, so far. It's a very nice PvP game with several fun situations that come up randomly.
I gotta say that I bought it, since I think the price is okay. I get 50 hours of gameplay for sure. If I buy a singeplayer title for the same price, I usually end up siphoning 30-50 hours of gameplay...
But I have to admit. The missions you do in APB are a bit shallow and uninspiring. There could be more, like raiding a building with several objectives in it ... claiming a whole territory for a while (with more than 1 objective) and such things.
There is a high chance they will add up content within the first months after release, because the game has a good base to build on top of it. :-)
Only thing that boggles me is that APB freezes every like 20 minutes and I need to minimize it once to get it running again. Weird, but fixable.
You came out in your very first post in this thread and in other related threads attacking and insulting anyone with an opinion different from yours.You are reaping what you sewed by your own Trollish behavior.
Mention this masterpiece of a game before I can actually run it on any machine I own, and I will cut you. Until then enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ9xwkMr3e4&feature=related
"Yea, I've been drinking again.."
I was going to post my own thread on this but instead I'll just put it here. I finally completed my 5 hours of initial game play with the pre-order of APB from Direct2Drive. I'll give you some of my initial impressions of the game below. A few things to mention before I do. I've been playing MMO's on a constant basis since SWG beta and have seen a lot of different styles, varieties, and flavors of MMO's out there. I've been there for the launches of a lot of the newer MMO's including WoW so I feel like my exposure to the world of MMO's isn't all that limited. APB thoughts below.. (I rated my experiences on a 1 to 10 scale of the things that I personally experienced in game. This is not meant to be an exhaustive review of the game as it has not been launched yet and I would like more time with the game as well.)
As everyone, including the Devs have mentioned, the customization of things such as cars, clothes, your characters look and many other items is far and away the most in depth and diverse of any MMO that I can think of. In this regard APB really is very innovative and brings something totally new to the MMO world. For that, I give the developers a thousand kudos. One thing I can say is that I do grow tired of everyone looking exactly the same in every MMO you play. This isn't going to be a problem in APB.
Gameplay: The control scheme for APB is very easy to learn and probably just as easy to master. After only about an hour of game time I felt very comfortable with the controls necessary to function adequetly in San Paro. There really isn't anything about the control scheme that will catch you off guard or should be difficult to learn. The simple design of the controls lends itself to a lot of fast paced action and "on the fly" controls of your character. Be ready to hit the "F" key, a lot. While the controls are easy to learn and work well with the game I am going to say that this is only part of the equation. Unfortunately the driving mechanics in the game are average at best. The physics and handling of the cars is what I would describe as sloppy and unrefined. This is an area that does need to be worked on. The cars aren't hard to drive per se as much as they just seem to lack physical realism in the way they handle. I felt like most of the time I was either driving a brick or the car was too unstable.
The shooting mechanics are good and I found them very easy to learn and control. It still takes some skill to hit other players as strafing, jumping, and other tactics are on full display as with many FPS games I've played. One thing I very quickly learned is to pay attention to your gun's range. Many of my frustrations were put aside once I found a weapon with a nice mix of range and firepower.
Overall I would rate the game play experience as 6.5/10. There is definite room for improvement in the car mechanics and some improvement in the shooting physics.
Graphics: I run a decent machine, what I would consider on the middle to upper middle end of most rigs and I had no issues with graphics lag. I do know some have reported "hitching" and other issues but I have found that most often these issues are corrected with new drivers as they are released. I know this isn't everyone's case but I had no trouble. The graphics in the game are quite good. One thing I actually like was the animation for my characters running. I didn't feel that he had a stick up his ass or looked like a complete moron while running. I'm not sure why that appealed to me but they got it right. One issue I did have was with the animation for grenade throwing. Just seemed stiff. Anyway, San Paro is a nice looking city and the graphics do not detract from the game play and at times do enhance the action.
Overall I rate the graphics as 8/10.
Crafting: There wasn't "crafting" as you might consider from other MMO's but you do have the option of "manufacturing" items that you create which is basically making copies of an item to sell. Again, this goes hand in hand with the customization ability the game has. Seriously, creating and making items for folks to buy could be considered a game within itself. If you have a creative bone in your body I really think you'll enjoy this aspect of the game. As an fyi I was able to create a nice SPPD (San Paro Police Department) wife beater t-shirt which I was then able to sell on the AH. I was hoping to see someone running around with my design on but alas to no avail. Anyway, I had fun with this part of the game and I think it's pretty well done.
Overall I rate the crafting along with customization as 10/10.
PvE/Missions: Most of the PvE missions you are given in the action districts will be given to you "on the fly" from your mission contacts. I do enjoy not having to constantly run back to a mission giver. The missions are really not going to blow you away with difficulty or creativity. However, the missions usually turn into PvP at some point as the system will mix your mission with someone else's to create opportunities to PvP. I was skeptical of this design at first but after some play time I actually really enjoyed the challenge and the variation that each mission brought. I won't say this is the best leveling system or PvE type progression I've ever seen but it adequetly does what it is meant to do which is make progression more than boring as hell.
Pve/Missions rating as 7/10.
PvP: This game is at its core a PvP game which most already know. I found the pvp action to be very fast paced and at times very hectic. I am looking forward to seeing what pvp will be liked as groups organize and folks work together. I think this is the area of the game where skill will be needed, not so much in the game play mechanics. One sour note about the pvp which I seemed to experience was the outcome of most encounters came down to who had the better weapon/upgrades rather than a "skill" factor. The disparity between low end weapons and some of the high end weapons seemed to me to be quite noticeable. Maybe this is as it should be but it can be very frustrating for new players. My advice would be to relax, take a deep breath, and be prepared to die a ton.
Overall I give the pvp I experienced 7/10.
Community/Fun Factor: I went ahead and mixed these two. I didn't have a ton of issues with the community being bad or good to be honest. I will say the plethora of stupid or offensive names that folks chose for their characters was rampant and there is no filter on naming of characters. It didn't bother me though, it's a pre-launch trial and I hope that RL studios does a decent job on really stupid or blatantly offensive names. Overall I did have fun and ended my trial wishing I had more than 5 hours to play. I think the game is worth giving a try if you like games like Grand Theft Auto etc. It doesn't try to copy those games but is very much in that genre. I think what will ultimately be the deciding factor for me about long term play of the game is improvements in game play and expansion of content.
Community/Fun Factor I would rate at 6.5/10
My overall rating for the game based solely on the time I had available to play was 7/10. I think the game is good at what it is trying to do and has room to improve very quickly. Rather than games like STO which needed an entire overhaul at launch I think this game could become a solid 8/10 or higher within 6 months from launch provided the developers listen to the community and make positive changes. All of that remains to be seen.
This is an excellent critique and is on par with my views on the game. I will say that I pre-ordered the game but that alone has no bearing on my opinions. This game has room for improvement as any game may have, but I think it delivers what it intended and leaves plenty of room for more. Another thing I mentioned in another post is that the community is one aspect that can't easily be reviewed during an open beta. Once clans are established and you see people wearing the threads of their chosen clan there'll be a greater sense of belonging and appeal. Then the PvP will mean more than just "You Alone VS Him". It'll be a battle of epic proportions - ongoing.
I agree 100% it delivers what I want and leaves plenty of room for more which they have said they will add. I already bought the game now just gotta wait a week
I shall play Mass effect 2 which is on sale today for 23 bucks that should kill the week
I dont have 3 posts...and I say that I think this game is great fun! And Im gonna buy it for sure!
I don't have 3 posts either and I think the game is a ton of fun. I already bought it :P lol
I know, I know.... pre-orders are bad.... but I couldn't help myself on this one.
I have 3 + 5 = 8 Posts and I just preordered it. Great game!
I wish I had only spent the time here for 3 posts. I haven't bought it yet but for the last 9 hours or so it has been fun.
Above average gaming rig and a good connection are must though to reduce frustration. Having said thatI spent about 4 hours pissing about with the clothing design and pimping out the truck. Now I got no cash for guns
, but I look good while I'm dying. Oh and the breaking dancing down by the dock at the free public music post is pretty inspired imho
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The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species.
Once you get over the customizations (wich are awesome) you'll realize how shallow the gameplay is... please try before you buy! the game trailer specifically promised a "ridiculously deep" game... I should sue them for false advertising.
I guess that could depend on what you're looking for, the same is often said of planetside by a lot of people but I've been playing that for over 6 years now.
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The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species.
Good reports. I agree. The game is great fun, has some limitation which can be over-come with post-launch tweaks and content adds, but the content as it is now leaves little to be bored with wide ranging breadth and depth of game-play across many outles.
I'll pre-order and take it month by month, but this game can easily satisfy my third-person shooter itch, replacing clancy, battle-field, modern warfare, etc, for the meantime.
Everyone has a different definition of "deep" gameplay. A ridiculous amount of customization is fine with me if I can take that ridiculous amount of customization and use it to shoot somebody in the head. But the developers should really make that headshot be more than a body shot. They've done some interesting things, but some of those things are questionable. They've implemented some really stupid mechanics to try to make the transition from the MMORPG genre to Action genre, but I'd like to see them use the best parts of both genres.
I like APB a lot.
The game is fun, and more importantly, it works. I didn't see any bugs yet and the server stability is good. The only complaint I have with the game is that I'd like more content... which is good. I mean, if thats my only complaint, then I'm pretty comfortable with pre-ordering. The "core" of the game is great already, its a great base to add stuff to.
the only way it can be reasonably compared to any MMO in existence ATM is in number of players per area.
there's no other MMO like it, therefore no sensible comparisons. its got no competition. even if it had the crappiest gameplay mechanics, the crappiest character creator or any other specific measurement. it covers an area of the marketplace that nobody else does, and is guaranteed a certain audience because of that (just like EQ was guaranteed a certain audience back when it was the only 3D accelerated MMO).
what it gives. real actual action gameplay (as opposed to RPG mechanics) mixed with a populated world. great personalization/self-expression. really its that simple. just cuz you don't care about real gameplay and simultaneously wanting it in a populated world, doesn't mean others aren't willing to pay monthly or hourly for this new combination. i haven't been able to afford it yet so i don't know if there will be any personal dealbreakers....
....but i've been waiting for exactly this kind (in broad terms, not anything specific about APB such as a gangsta setting, which i actually kinda DISlike) of thing for 11 years. i will happily pay monthly for it, and unlike all the other MMOs i've played KEEP paying monthly for it (assuming no dealbreakers).
adding all the RPG bullshit trappings would totally ruin it. i wish there wasn't even any item/weapon progression at all.
this is emergent gameplay. something WAY more complicated and varied than any PVE RPG gameplay mechanics. doesn't matter if there are only 10 (or whatever) guns versus thousands of hardwired, convoluted spells/abilities/stats systems. all those UI & conceptual (needless) complications will never match the true, less explicitly quantified & understood (by most end users) combinative emergence of "simple" systems that are fully & properly (IE not dice rolls) simulated in virtual 3D spaces. and AI will never (not likely in our lifetime) match human opponents.
if you're not a shooter fan, you shouldn't be PLAYING in the action districts, and trying to compare it to something from a completely different world/paradigm. stick to the social area and compare that to SL if you wish. but don't compare its shooting action against RPG "gameplay".
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Corpus Callosum
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