development The state of the game in 2021

[LoWERcAsELeTTerS 3]

@CookiePuss
Where is APB right now?
I think that being communicated to the player base clearly and concisely would be helpful. 

My biggest issue is there seems to be little communication in regards to what APB will turn out to be or what plan is really there to make it so. This community needs more communication I feel. 

However, looking at Matt's Twitter posts, most of what he's working on right now seems to be Fallen Earth. 

 

[CookiePuss 5378]

51 minutes ago, LoWERcAsELeTTerS said:

@CookiePuss
Where is APB right now?
 

Losing money every month. 

Nothing will really change on the live client besides weapon balance and I wouldn't expect too much of that either. 

52 minutes ago, LoWERcAsELeTTerS said:

My biggest issue is there seems to be little communication in regards to what APB will turn out to be or what plan is really there to make it so. 

The plan is to finish the new engine. That's all that's being worked on. 

If you want to know where they are on the new engine you can read Matt's regular posts. 

53 minutes ago, LoWERcAsELeTTerS said:

However, looking at Matt's Twitter posts, most of what he's working on right now seems to be Fallen Earth. 

 

After being shut down, FE is back online. It's kind of a big deal for their players. 

 

I dunno what Matt works on. Hes the CEO so I imagine he has a lot on his plate.

[Jorlak 41]

On 11/25/2021 at 9:04 PM, LoWERcAsELeTTerS said:

Yes, I definitely believe APB has the potentiality to retain a high average of players if the attention is given to the game. 

But I just don't know what the plans beyond that 2021 Roadmap are now. All I'm seeing are holiday events being put into the game and minimal response from devs. I also saw a GM in game once since I've returned to APB. 

I seriously think this community needs more communication from the devs.

Like many others, I do want this game to succeed because it holds a special place in our hearts. But to be very very fair, I do not feel like LittleOrbit is capable of saving this game.

Everyone seems to assume that once the engine releases everything is back to normal, but that's not the case.

 

There is clearly some form of either mismanagement or a complete lack of skills involved which will either way result in the end of it all.

 

We're almost what? 4 years further since the announcement of the engine upgrade and they're still working on getting the game on UE 2.5 whilst UE 5 has already been released. The game will still be on a incredibly outdated engine.

 

This game of itself is very old and it's going to take so much to get players to leave all the new and popular AAA+ games out there, an argument people have for that is (Yeah but we have Summit1G who really wants to play this game and that's going to bring in people)

Yeah, perhaps.. but he's one of many and let's not act as if every single moment he played the game he was grieved to shit causing him to quit playing the game and I can guarantee you that the same will happen. Or do you think that the engine upgrade will keep him playing through it all? nah..

 

Besides that, the game is incredibly unbalanced, wonky, ages old content, incredibly anti new player and so on..

 

If it takes them 4 years to get this game on UE 2.5, it's gonna take them years on years to just get the core gameplay of the game towards an acceptable phase.

 

 

[yourrandomnobody74 106]

On 11/30/2021 at 1:33 PM, Jorlak said:

Like many others, I do want this game to succeed because it holds a special place in our hearts. But to be very very fair, I do not feel like LittleOrbit is capable of saving this game.

Everyone seems to assume that once the engine releases everything is back to normal, but that's not the case.

 

There is clearly some form of either mismanagement or a complete lack of skills involved which will either way result in the end of it all.

 

We're almost what? 4 years further since the announcement of the engine upgrade and they're still working on getting the game on UE 2.5 whilst UE 5 has already been released. The game will still be on a incredibly outdated engine.

 

This game of itself is very old and it's going to take so much to get players to leave all the new and popular AAA+ games out there, an argument people have for that is (Yeah but we have Summit1G who really wants to play this game and that's going to bring in people)

Yeah, perhaps.. but he's one of many and let's not act as if every single moment he played the game he was grieved to shit causing him to quit playing the game and I can guarantee you that the same will happen. Or do you think that the engine upgrade will keep him playing through it all? nah..

 

Besides that, the game is incredibly unbalanced, wonky, ages old content, incredibly anti new player and so on..

 

If it takes them 4 years to get this game on UE 2.5, it's gonna take them years on years to just get the core gameplay of the game towards an acceptable phase.

 

 

You gotta keep in mind that Little Orbit is essentially the core dev team that has been working on this game for so long, just with a new front-end so to say, which as you've said, seem to be incapable of realizing that they're not helping the game by keeping it in this borked state of gameplay.

Little Orbit is doing the same thing G1 did back in the days, just be a megaphone for someone that the engine upgrade is the holy saviour of APB.

 

I'd disagree with the "very old" statement though. CS:GO is old as well yet is still played in masses. People stay for gameplay and content (the latter being provided by the EU, but the latter can't keep the crowd hooked if the former isn't satisfied to the max)

 

The griefing aspect is sadly something I cannot see being preventable without the engine upgrade hitting live (or rather, they won't bother)

 

Also, a correction, the engine currently is running on UE2.5, the devs are upgrading to UE3.5

 

I think some people seem to not realize that the reason the game is so anti-new player is because the gameplay & current content doesn't favour new players in any way, along with only veterans being the majority of this game's population (similar situation with Quake and arena shooters)

And, as you've said, sadly, they seem to be unwilling to change anything, to mix things up, to involve the community that wants the best for this game in any way, shape or form. The devs' vision of the game seemingly doesn't coincide with our vision for the game.

 

[Kast2 29]

On 12/1/2021 at 2:27 PM, yourrandomnobody74 said:

Little Orbit is doing the same thing G1 did back in the days, just be a megaphone for someone that the engine upgrade is the holy saviour of APB.

Comparing Little Orbit with G1 seems to me too much. On a technical level it is true that there is little difference, but the fault is not totally given by LO, while on a communicative level it is a completely different thing.

Quote

I'd disagree with the "very old" statement though. CS:GO is old as well yet is still played in masses. People stay for gameplay and content (the latter being provided by the EU, but the latter can't keep the crowd hooked if the former isn't satisfied to the max)

This is a difference that would have stood if G1 had actually continued to update the game. Little Orbit has been handed a lot of shit, starting from the foundations of the game that is on how it was developed at the level of code and engine, updating in 2018 a game like APB would probably be like shooting yourself in the head. 

Quote

Also, a correction, the engine currently is running on UE2.5, the devs are upgrading to UE3.5

This is false, the game is being upgraded from UE3 to UE3.5, not only did Matt specify this, but you can also just go directly check the list of games created with the various versions of the Unreal Engine.

Edited December 3, 2021 by Kast2
Forgot "check"

[LilyRain 674]

On 12/1/2021 at 5:27 PM, yourrandomnobody74 said:

You gotta keep in mind that Little Orbit is essentially the core dev team that has been working on this game for so long, just with a new front-end so to say, which as you've said, seem to be incapable of realizing that they're not helping the game by keeping it in this borked state of gameplay.

Little Orbit is doing the same thing G1 did back in the days, just be a megaphone for someone that the engine upgrade is the holy saviour of APB.

Indeed, gameplay is at the center of everything AND also happens to be parallel to the Engine Upgrade. If it takes 6 shots to kill with N-TEC or 0.7s to kill with OCA, then that will also be the case after the Engine Upgrade & delaying balancing in theory is simply foolish. However, giving them the benefit of the doubt that changing stats indeed takes more effort and time with the current setup then they should at least PLAN ahead and implement better gameplay solutions early with the new Engine. Things like the HVR-crosshair-size-damage shouldn't exist after the engine goes live.

 

MattScott himself declared that the New Engine won't be enough, so there is a light of hope there. While LO has a roadmap to fix things like New Player Experience, matchmaking through phasing, etc, the concern is how fast they'll get these things done. Perhaps they are financially pressured and have no choice but to immediately go for sponsorships when the new engine goes live but I believe it is a mistake to put that as first priority, no matter how financially pressurized they may be. It is simply a recipe that will throw all their hard work into the bin.

 

 

[a Pair of Socks 126]

On 12/3/2021 at 3:53 PM, LilyRain said:

Things like the HVR-crosshair-size-damage shouldn't exist after the engine goes live.

^  Maybe just make quickswitching not a thing and boom, quickswitching is removed. Pogger gamer moment.

 

Merged.

 

On 11/28/2021 at 7:09 PM, CookiePuss said:

Losing money every month. 

Nothing will really change on the live client besides weapon balance and I wouldn't expect too much of that either. 

The plan is to finish the new engine. That's all that's being worked on. 

If you want to know where they are on the new engine you can read Matt's regular posts. 

After being shut down, FE is back online. It's kind of a big deal for their players. 

 

I dunno what Matt works on. Hes the CEO so I imagine he has a lot on his plate.

Hey! Quit speaking logically and truthfully and just let the people wear their end is nigh signs mate! Although reading what youve said has given me a tiny bit more of hope, you dont have to waste your time on these nay-sayers.