Feb 8, 2023

APB Reloaded - Emily

APB: Reloaded has been upgraded to 64bit as part of version 1.30! It’s finally here! The upgrade to 64bit should result in better performance for a majority and, in the long run, allow the team to upgrade, fix, and improve the game further.

The Valentine’s Day event for 2023, “Seeking Love”, is now active! More information here: https://www.gamersfirst.com/apb/news/2023/2/7/v-day-2023

BUG FIXES:

A graphical glitch and potential crash vector related to the Blowtorch modification has been addressed.

FUNCTIONALITY:

POWER USERS: With the release of 1.30, you are now able to adjust your clients’ frames per second (FPS) cap on your own. We do not currently have a UI for this functionality, however, you may manually adjust specific configuration files.
Launch APB: Reloaded at least once after you have installed the 1.30 update.
Close the game.
Navigate to your APB install directory.
1. For Steam users, this is located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common by default.
2. For GamersFirst users, the folder is located at C:\Program Files (x86)\GamersFirst\Binaries\APB Reloaded\ by default.
Within this folder, navigate to “APBGame\Config” after patching the game, and open the file called "APBEngine.ini".
Within this file, search for the following section: [Engine.GameEngine]
There are two cap types that are able to be modified in this file: "MaxClientFrameRate", and “MaxSmoothedFrameRate”. Both of these correspond to the “Smooth Framerate” option in the game’s in-game options.
MaxClientFrameRate may be 0 (uncapped), or any value above MaxSmoothedFrameRate.
MaxSmoothedFrameRate may be any value up to 128.
Raising your FPS cap above 145 will worsen existing issues related to running above 128 fps worse – although a common bug known as sliding will happen if your fps is too stable at your current selected cap.
Additionally, there is an issue related to high framerates that causes your crosshair to expand with an inaccurate accuracy value. However, this is a purely visual bug, and does not actually affect accuracy.

1.30 KNOWN ISSUES:

There is a rare crash related to using Fullscreen mode and switching to other windows, commonly known as ‘alt tabbing’, especially when respawning after death.
Additionally, swapping between windows in Fullscreen mode may result in performance degradation over time.

We recommend that players temporarily use the “Fullscreen Windowed” or “Windowed” mode until we address the above two issues properly.

There is a known issue involving some types of environmental sounds missing appropriate volume levels, as well as an issue with Joker Ammo boxes repeating their lines too often.
Some districts may have incorrect lighting and shadows projected from objects that may not exist.
On first launch of 1.30, players may receive errors such as, “Battleye failed to install” or an “insufficient permission” issue upon launching the game. Performing the “Repair” option on the APB Launcher application may solve these issues.

We will be addressing the above issues in the weeks to follow as those fixes are available. We apologize for any inconvenience they may have caused.

Feb 7, 2023

V-Day 2023

APB Reloaded - Emily

VALENTINE EVENT 2023

The season of Cupid is once again in full swing. Eagle-eyed and mischief-loving, we heard he stalks San Paro with a bow and arrow, fully intending to wreak havoc. Legend says that anyone struck by Cupid's arrow falls madly in love with the next person they see. Even if we don't have hordes of lovestruck, confused vigilantes running amok, we reckon an epidemic of arrow wounds is almost as bad. We got a beef with Cupid and his army of lovebugs, and we raise hot lead to his quiver and bow. Whether you're partnered up or forever alone, we make no difference. It's time to show this cranky baby what for! And why not earn some sweet treats in the process?

Love is in the air, but we are ready for it! From February 8th through February 22th, we are coming together to bring it down.

2023 Valentine's Day Activities: Seeking Love

Cupid doesn't make things easy, but we've got your back by keeping the goods flowing through daily in-game activities. All you need to do is complete three missions for "Seeking Love" in a single day, and you'll earn rewards! You'll get a new set of different items every time you meet this objective. Do this four days in a row, and you'll earn all of the following:

Day 1 = Title: "Heartseeker"; 5 Valentine's Gift Boxes
Day 2 = Title: "The Hearty One"; 5 Valentine's Gift Boxes
Day 3 = Title: "Sweetheart"; 5 Valentine's Gift Boxes
Day 4 = Title: "A Perfect Match"; Unlock: Valentine's Quiver Backpack; 5 Valentine's Gift Boxes
Want more goods? Let's arrange a little something.

Every time you finish a mission, you'll have a chance to receive an additional pack of 2-5 Valentine's Gift Boxes!

Valentine’s Week Massacre

The second way you can progress is by racking up kills with the following primary weapons:

STAR 556 'Love-Gun' - Gifted on login (please check your in-game mail after the V-Day Patch on 2/8)
Colby M-1922 'Chopper' - Level 4 reward of the 'Valentine's Week Massacre' role
Joker SR15 'Casanova' - Available through ARMAS & Valentine's Gift Boxes
Obeya CR762 'Heartbreaker' - Available through ARMAS & Valentine's Gift Boxes
Colby CSG-20 'Speed-Dater' - Available through ARMAS & Valentine’s Gift Boxes
N-HVR 243 'Cupid's Arrow' - Available through ARMAS & Valentine’s Gift Boxes
STAR 556 'Love-Gun' R&D III - Available through ARMAS & Valentine’s Gift Boxes
Colby M-1922 'Big Chopper' - Available through ARMAS & Valentine’s Gift Boxes

All is fair in love and war. Laying your love to rest will advance your "Valentine's Week Massacre" role and grant you the following:

50 Kills = Death Theme: Romance
150 Kills = Clothing: Love Heart Glasses
300 Kills = Death Theme: Pizza Guy
500 Kills = Colby M-1922 'Chopper' (10-Day Lease); Clothing: Pink Police Hat; Unlock: STAR 556 'Love-Gun'
750 Kills = Title: “Casanova;” Valentine's Weapon Skin

Snubbed Love

Still Hungry for more? Well. If you insist.

The third way you can progress is by giving Cupid a taste of his medicine and racking up kills with the Colby SNR 850 'Cherub' secondary weapon. This weapon is gifted on login, so check your in-game mail after Valentine's Event patch.

Working on the "Snubby Love" role will grant you the following:

25 Kills = Unlock: Ophelia - Blond Decal
75 Kills = Enforcers: Prentiss Tigers "Violet Valentine" Symbol; Criminals: Bloodroses "Rose-Heart" Symbol
150 Kills = Unlock: Ophelia - Redhead Decal
250 Kills = Unlock: Colby SNR 850 'Cherub'
375 Kills = Title: “Cherub Chaser”

The word spread and some faction contacts have joined the cause and want everyone to know it. You can find them wearing festive clothing in the Social and Financial Districts.

Additionally, for a limited time during the event, the STAR 556 'LCR' "Old Glory" has reappeared for sale in ARMAS. Don't miss it! Loved by Enforcers and Criminals alike, the STAR 556 'LCR' is a throwback to the old STAR from days of old. The STAR 'LCR,' or "Low Cyclic Rate,' fires its ammunition slower but at a longer effective range. This variant comes outfitted with Hunting Sight 3, Cooling Jacket 2, and a Mobility Sling for extra stopping power at range. It's the weapon of choice for any Cupid hunter out there.

Clear your schedules, reload your guns, and join us in San Paro on February 8th!

And bring some heart into it ;)

Jan 22, 2021

APB 2021 Roadmap

APB Reloaded - sakebee

Hello everyone,

For the last 2 years, I've done a State of the Game or Roadmap post for APB.

This year, I'm substantially later getting this organized than I wanted to be. For that, I want to apologize.

It started with a bit of extra time off after the holiday to try and decompress from an exhausting year. I chose to do something I rarely do, which is largely disconnect from the computer. When I came back, I immediately jumped into organizing the roadmap post for 2021, but after reviewing my first draft I felt like it was mostly lip service with no actual tactical plan behind it. We hit so many road bumps last year and the year before that, I felt I owed it to the players to take a long hard look at the game and to be 100% honest about its future. That led to quite a bit more research and planning sessions which in turn further delayed this post.

I am not normally absent from the community for what has now been over a month. Truthfully, I've been so busy that I haven't had the time to sort through my forum inbox, read forum messages, or do more than the occasional retweet. As a result, I am certain there are those who immediately leapt to one of several conclusions: (1) the company is shutting down, (2) the company has been acquired, or (3) the game is being shutdown.

I can assure you that none of those things are happening or in the works. So, with sincere gratitude for your guys’ patience, let’s take a look at the results of my deep-dive.

Before I jump into the roadmap itself, I want to briefly look back at some of the tasks we did accomplish last year.

We formalized Joker Tickets as our in-game paid currency.
Instead of forcing players to go to our website for paid purchases, we launched the in-game Joker Store and added hundreds of items for purchase, including guns, clothing, and vehicles.
We added bundled items to the Joker Store that automatically adjust their price based on items you already own.
We revamped how some purchases are delivered to player accounts so they don’t need to be kept around when not in use.
We removed Joker Mystery Boxes and created an entirely new rental system for getting Legendary guns with Joker Tickets.
And we added ways for players to earn Joker Tickets to finally make the game truly free to play with all content available to all players.

We’ve come a long way, but there is still a lot to do with APB. It would be disingenuous to talk about the good without acknowledging the bad, so I also took a moment to review some of our problem areas.

With our focus entirely on the new engine and on the transforming our store, we were largely unable to produce new content or new events. I think players would have tolerated that better had the new engine come out, but to-date we still haven't launched APB 2.1, and we haven’t seen the progress we were hoping for in our Open Betas. In addition, 2020 was a difficult year for Little Orbit overall. We still have a major project that cost the company millions of dollars held up in litigation, and while the APB playerbase grew dramatically over the summer, we ended the year at an all-time low concurrency.

So, that is where we are. Now, here is what we plan to do about it.

Many of you have seen these roadmap items before, but this year I also wanted to share more information on how we expect to get there. Here is our agenda for 2021:

Complete and launch APB 2.1
Marketing for APB
Updated console builds
Matchmaking fixes / DAM
New player experience
New contacts with new rewards
New car, new guns, new clothing - all immediately available in the in-game Joker Store
Cross play across worlds
New player name strategy
Phasing R&D and further matchmaking upgrades
Another large overhaul of our online store

For APB 2.1, it's become obvious that we don't currently have all the resources we need in-house to properly evaluate and solve the remaining issues. We have done 5 Open Beta tests, and while there has been a lot of hard work and some progress, it's not enough to meet our goals. To that end, we are in the process of signing deals with some Unreal 3.5 consultants that specialize in performance captures, identifying bottlenecks, and recommending specific optimizations that will work for the APB engine.

Admittedly, these kinds of resources have been very challenging to find in the past, which is why we haven't done this before. But, after the holiday, I made this our #1 priority. After weeks of sifting through resumes and candidates, we are now ready to move forward. Additionally, we are about a quarter of the way through a massive effort to go line-by-line through every inch of the code and identify problematic areas. I have built a very aggressive timeline, shared it with my leads, and we'll get started on Feb 1st. I hope to do progress posts to share more details as we go.

The launch of APB 2.1 needs to be accompanied by real marketing. This is an area that I have been holding back since we took over because I felt it would be a waste of money to attract players to a game that just wasn't ready for them. We now have a detailed marketing plan with budgets, large partners, and targets. I am excited to finally see it in action.

Directly following our marketing push, we will jump into finalizing console builds. As I've said before, these players have suffered long enough. They will be getting all of the APB content they’ve been missing from the last 3 years along with all of the new systems and changes we have made. Beyond simply making good on my promise, it is also critical that we sync up our entire code base for the rest of what we need to do. A lot of work has already been done to pay off the technical debt we created with all the new changes to PC.

The immediate benefit of a shared codebase is that we can finally launch the District Management system. This system will have the full pool of servers that it can dynamically distribute across any of our 3 platforms as concurrency goes up and down during the day. This also means we will be able to implement cross-play across worlds. Players from the EU will be able to hop on NY or LA servers and vice versa. Console players will be able to buy, sell, trade, and participate in Social districts alongside everyone else. It also opens up our ability to investigate phasing and other possible upgrades to matchmaking.

Finally, we know you guys have been looking for ways to continue to support us. It has been incredibly gratifying to see so many of you continuing to purchase Premium despite our delivering nearly a full year of free Premium to the community. Some of you have amassed a truly impressive amount of paid Premium. To make sure we can honor that level of commitment and support, we are going to temporarily remove Premium purchase options while our free option is ongoing. We will also be deactivating reoccurring Premium payments for anyone who is still on subscription at this time, as we want to make sure that all our users get exactly what they pay for. To that end, we hope to have new things you can support us with later this year, like a new car, some well-crafted clothing, and fun guns with new twists.

I won’t rehash the rest of the list, but in closing I do want to talk about one more thing that needs to get some focus in 2021: our new player experience. Aside from matchmaking and performance, this is the next biggest handicap for the game. Over the coming weeks, we will be organizing a series of design ideas to pick and choose a solution that will truly help players understand our mission system, contact progression, gun ranks, and mods. While we appreciate and will still need players to help mentor new blood, we can and will do much more to support onboarding new players.

Thanks,
Matt

Jun 22, 2020

Legendary Beta announcement

APB Reloaded - littleorbit

You've already read about our 10th anniversary celebration. Now, we want to make the last two very big announcements that will coincide with that event. To start, we are fundamentally changing our monetization model by removing JMBs and allowing you to rent and obtain Legendaries with in-game Joker Tickets. Alongside these changes, we are going to start the public Open Beta for the new engine on Saturday, June 6/27. Be sure to read to the end of this post to catch it all!

On 6/10, Joker Gunworks started renovating gun rentals, but there's one legendary surprise they saved for last!

After our last update, you may have spotted Anne Partridge lurking around the Joker Store. She's been on the run from RedHill and keeping things quiet, but now she's ready to don her uniform and trade her hacking skills in for Joker Gunworks' protection.

Starting June 24, when you go into the Joker Store, Anne will be your official liaison for all those black-market deals Joker would prefer to keep off the books. She's been hacking shipments to secure more of the prototype parts and weapons they use to supply Legendaries to the public, so now she can make them available for valued Joker Gunworks customers to rent all the time.

Let's take a look!

There are a few things to note about this new menu. First, you can now rent Legendaries with Joker Tickets directly from the in-game Joker Store instead of going through ARMAS. Paying the rental price will unlock the Legendary for 7 days, which means you can try them out and see what matches your playstyle the best.

Anne likes repeat business and she likes to tease her customers. Occasionally, she'll make a "mistake" and not log that you rented the gun. Then you get to keep it for good. This means that, each time you rent from her, you have a 5% chance to permanently unlock that same Legendary for good. Once it's yours, that character can keep it, trade it, or sell it - whatever you want!

But what happens if you don't get lucky?

Don't worry, Anne has you covered! If you test a Legendary enough times, she'll give you the gun anyway as thanks for all the valuable field data you've collected. Here's how it works:

You may have noticed those green bars in the first menu we showed you. With Joker Gunworks' rental loyalty program, each rental where you don't get a permanent drop will fill that green bar slightly. Once a bar is completely full (around 20 rentals without a permanent unlock), your next rental is a guaranteed permanent drop! Whenever you get a permanent version, the bar is reset. For the first time ever, players can save up Joker Tickets to play with Legendaries!

As part of this change, we are finally retiring the Joker Mystery Boxes from ARMAS. We are moving away from loot boxes that never guarantee anything and often result in junk rewards you didn't want. Starting June 24th, if you want to speed things up, you can directly purchase bundles of Joker Tickets from ARMAS at a rate of 100G1C for 500JT.

As a thank you for your support, you get a bonus 1% chance at a permanent Legendary gun from the entire pool for each 500 Joker Tickets that you purchase this way. The advantage of this system is that we get to keep the jackpot moments that you guys love with absolutely no downside. You will always get the exact value for your money, and if you don't get the bonus, you can still use those Joker Tickets you purchased to get the exact Legendary that you want.

We hope that this new system will empower both new and old players to progress the way they want in APB. Whether you build up Joker Tickets through play or support us directly through purchases, all our guns now have a path for you to rent, try, and eventually own.

We are finally ready to open the Beta client to you all!

Our first Open Beta will run from 11am-2pm Pacific on Saturday, June 27th. It will have two districts available for you to use - Social and Asylum. To join, you will need to download the Beta client here and log in using your existing APB account. Please note that we will continue to update the client as we gear up for this test. If you have a limited connection, you may want to hold off downloading the client until Friday.

The first time you enter, we will copy over your characters from Live so you can try out the build for yourself.

Here are some things to remember when playing the Open Beta:

When selecting a district, the client will automatically connect you to the region with the best ping for you. If you want to change your region manually, you can do so by going to the "advanced tab." Players from Jericho and Citadel can mix and match on any server they want.
The numbers you use for mouse sensitivity and handling in the Live client will not be the same as what you need to use in the Beta. Because numbers scale differently in the new client, we can't give you a 1:1 conversion for your settings. Please experiment and find what numbers feel best for you.
Finally, please remember that this is a Beta! Things will break. In fact, we hope you guys will help us stress the heck out of this build. Every issue you find and report brings us one step closer to the Full release, so please be sure to get us all your feedback on the forums. Below are some instructions on where and how to do that in a constructive manner.

LEAVING FEEDBACK

Once you've had a chance to try things out, we'd love to hear from you.

We've made a dedicated section on the forums where you can go to let us know what you think, check out our known issues, and leave any bugs you might find. You can check that out here. Please be sure to leave your feedback in this new section and not in the forum's Social District section. There's a lot of stuff to unpack with the Beta, and we want to make sure we hear from every one of you. Posting in the right place will ensure your voice is heard.

This beta test is just one stop on our road to a Full Release, but it is an important one. Thank you for your patience on this journey, and we hope you will join us for this latest milestone.