Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Foggy Language, Awesome Info

So chappies, this here is an IRC chat between Chris "Ulric" Dye (the APB PR gent) and some of the members of the lead APB fansite, APB Evolved (my primary source for APB news). It has quite a few tasty morsels of gameplay info in here. Check it out.

So, Ulric visited our IRC channel and answered loads of questions..
Summmary:
Ulric - how is everybody?
good ofcourse.
...
Daniel| - Ulric, will there be a non-camera version of the video you showed at gamescom?
Ulric - looking into that Daniel, certain ratings etc we would need to get etc

Daniel| - i recall reading or hearing (in the podcast) there wouldnt be names above peoples heads, but the gameplay videos tell different?
Ulric - so the "no names above heads" was a misunderstanding of a comment by Dave i beleive, he was trying to emphasise that players would be identified more by there style and "celebrity" rather than simply by a name over their head

Cadus - Also, to be perfectly frank- when is the speculative closed beta date? We heard month and a half and several weeks, can you clarify a bit?
Ulric - everything staying on target i would hope for 4 - 6 weeks as a current timescale, sorry i cant be more specific right now

Downside - Oh, when you have some one in hand cuffs can you then shoot them kinda like an execution or are they out of bounds?
Ulric - deum kills a handcuffed person in the video
Ulric - but there would be consequences for the eforcer

Xyzer - If you let him wait 25 seconds, than kill him he has to wait another 15? >:)
Ulric - yes xyzer, but other criminals can try to get to their arrested colleague and free them

Cadus - Ulric- do criminals have an equivalent of the arrest spawn... elongater? Like can you take them as a hostage or whatever, same effect?
Ulric - not atm cadus no i dont think so, its an enforcer incentive

oneilmatt - hey ulric do all of the buildings have interiors
Ulric - oneilmatt - not all buildings no, but a large majority

Discussion about player housing started...
Ulric - player housing - can i get back to you guys tomorrow on that one, need to check the "official line"

Kuwaji - Ulric: Kind of like MxO? You can enter the first floor of a large amount of buildings. Or will we be able to go on multiple floors?
Ulric - there are multiple levels, steps, ladders etc etc

Tomservo - yeah, is it MXO like random instanced geometry, or does the interior match the building layout?
Ulric - interiors will match (for example in video mark rein starts in an enforcer station, with relevent interior)

Xyzer - Ulric, in a server with a lot of people in it, the city would be a mess.. (Trashcans everywhere, bodies) Do they respawn, disappear or what?
Ulric - Xyzer - items will respawn after a while if destroyed etc

Ulric - ok guys but i dont have much longer if i want to make sure the booth is open later for xyzer
Way to go, Xyzer!

Kuwaji - Ulric: A lot of us have been concerned about how slippery the cars look when driving. Can you say something about that?
Ulric - all vehicles are different, deum was driving a performance vehicle (plus hes a rubbish driver)
Ulric - dotn tell deum i said that though

Lokideviluk - Ulric did you expect a fan forum to get this much community spirit?
Lokideviluk - Especially early on before any information was released
Ulric - i always felt apb would be something special, so im not suprised the community is 'evolving' like it is

I think this was a question about when official forums gets released
Ulric - well not specific date as yet, we are still working on all thesite stuff, but we will have something private in place for closed beta

Ganj-Up - Ulric: i dunno if this has been answered but why can you make 10 characters? Can you use more than one at a time?
Ulric - the customisation is so detailed im sure players will want as many altds as they can make

Lokideviluk - another question that always made me wonder, why you dont do presentation on the PodCasts?
Ulric - im shy
Ulric - hehe

Kuwaji - Will we get to see the full-length presentation your gays have been doing at Gamescom?
Ulric - hopefully kuja, will try toget that sorted when bakc in sunny dundee

after - Ulric: is it possible to have more then 1 car?
Ulric - after - yes multiple vehicles

More discussion about podcast
Ulric - i could be ina pdocast but will probably scare you all away

Gagar1n - Ulric: in some interview with Mark Rein, he said in social districts you can watch movies. That means the movies you make with the ingame video editor, right?
Ulric - yes we will have a video editor for players to make their own in game videos
(i think this question was misunderstood)

after - I hope there are suits in the character customization, i'm gonna make one with a tie etc, classic style
Ulric - after - yes to suits

Cadus - Can you show us some of the characters the team has made? In the podcast or whatever
Ulric - cadus - yes this is something i want t ostart doing

Lokideviluk - And i assume its a damage down to a certain point before arrest?
Ulric - loki - it a stun affect that makes u arrestable

Discussion about enforcers being overpowered because of stun
Ulric - enforcers have a "less than lethal" range of weapons

Lokideviluk - Ulric have you played Crimecraft yet?
Lokideviluk - Id say its your direct competitor as far they overal game goes
Ulric - loki - ive taken a quick look

Lokideviluk - What did you think?
Lokideviluk - We have had mixed reviews
Ulric - i wouldnt say its a direct competitor - they have a certain style game, at a very high level there could be the assumpiton they are similar games, buti think once everyone has seen (or played) both, they will appreciate the big differences in the features of the games
Ulric - obviously they are an independant developer so i wish them all the best with crimecraft

Discussion about weapon customisation
Ulric - apb does have weapon customisation

Reyd - What's the interaction with regular pedestrians
Reyde - Enforcers forcing people out of their cars?
Reyde - Ulric, anything on my question? Or are the peds just mindless drones you can run over
Ulric - criminals can mug / kill pedestrians, enforcers are encourged to try and limit any pedestrian casualties

Nicozy - Ulric: ANy news on the social district?
Ulric - social district will have cool areas to chill in, im trying to get a list i can publish
Nicozy - I GOT ANSWER

Lokideviluk - Encouraged how? (continuing discussion about pedestrians)
Ulric - enforcers will lose prestige for killing pedestrians etc
Ulric - prestige for enforcers, notoriety for criminals

Ulric - ok guys, im gonna haveto head off

Monday, August 24, 2009

It's just one of those days I guess...

Alternate Title: Mariachi bands are much cooler when you understand the cultural significance.

Thursday, August 13, 2009