All Points Bulletin: Cops and Robbers MMO

Real Time Worlds is currently developing two new games for the Xbox 360. One that goes by the name of Crackdown, and another is a MMO titled APB. While still in the early stages of development Chris Stamp and Stephen Hewitt have released some details on what players can expect when APB finally releases a few years from now.

APB appears to be a PvP Cops and Robbers game at first glance. Being concurrently developed for the PC and Xbox 360 but similar to Blizzards standpoint, they will not be combining the Xbox 360 and PC online experience. Real Time Worlds hopes to create a new and revolutionary experience for fans of classic MMO style gaming. Their idea simply put is to create an experience that will draw in players that aren’t normally RPG fans. Many can remember playing Final Fantasy 7 for the first time and having the life altering experience of being drawn into a live story, captivated by the characters and eventually losing 3 or more days without sleep in order to experience everything the game had to offer. The difference is instead of a fantasy world with the likes of dragons, trolls and orcs, APB will take place in a extensive metropolis.

One thing that might shock MMO gamers however is there is a server cap of 100 users per server, this is alot less then the other massively multiplayer online games out now. Half can be the Coppers and half are the robbers. The better you get the less assistance you will need while fighting the opposition. Character models in the game will be fully customizable, you will even be able to design your own clothing. Groups will divide into squads and gangs. Each group can hold roughly 40 people. The goal of the PvP action is to take over as much city space as possible. As gangs take over areas they will be awarded with being heists and jobs to do. As cops take city areas they are given better crime fighting gear.

Gangs will head into an area and begin committing crimes. This will trigger and A.P.B. (All Points Bulletin) to a squad. This can develop into chases, arrests, firefights, and escapes. The game is NOT an RPG and players will NOT level up. However RTW will have a system in place to reward the more skilled players such as unlockables. The more crimes you stop, the better your ranking is, means cool unlockables which could be better guns or faster cars.

RTW also plans to implement a balance system which prevents higher skilled players from targeting lower skilled players by removing APB notifications for the specific gang. While there will be many more elements many features are still being ironed out, one thing is for sure, the game is planned to have a monthly fee for only play. We wait to hear more on this new MMO game.
Real Time Worlds is currently developing two new games for the Xbox 360. One that goes by the name of Crackdown, and another is a MMO titled APB. While still in the early stages of development Chris Stamp and Stephen Hewitt have released some details on what players can expect when APB finally releases a few years from now.

APB appears to be a PvP Cops and Robbers game at first glance. Being concurrently developed for the PC and Xbox 360 but similar to Blizzards standpoint, they will not be combining the Xbox 360 and PC online experience. Real Time Worlds hopes to create a new and revolutionary experience for fans of classic MMO style gaming. Their idea simply put is to create an experience that will draw in players that aren’t normally RPG fans. Many can remember playing Final Fantasy 7 for the first time and having the life altering experience of being drawn into a live story, captivated by the characters and eventually losing 3 or more days without sleep in order to experience everything the game had to offer. The difference is instead of a fantasy world with the likes of dragons, trolls and orcs, APB will take place in a extensive metropolis.

One thing that might shock MMO gamers however is there is a server cap of 100 users per server, this is alot less then the other massively multiplayer online games out now. Half can be the Coppers and half are the robbers. The better you get the less assistance you will need while fighting the opposition. Character models in the game will be fully customizable, you will even be able to design your own clothing. Groups will divide into squads and gangs. Each group can hold roughly 40 people. The goal of the PvP action is to take over as much city space as possible. As gangs take over areas they will be awarded with being heists and jobs to do. As cops take city areas they are given better crime fighting gear.

Gangs will head into an area and begin committing crimes. This will trigger and A.P.B. (All Points Bulletin) to a squad. This can develop into chases, arrests, firefights, and escapes. The game is NOT an RPG and players will NOT level up. However RTW will have a system in place to reward the more skilled players such as unlockables. The more crimes you stop, the better your ranking is, means cool unlockables which could be better guns or faster cars.

RTW also plans to implement a balance system which prevents higher skilled players from targeting lower skilled players by removing APB notifications for the specific gang. While there will be many more elements many features are still being ironed out, one thing is for sure, the game is planned to have a monthly fee for only play. We wait to hear more on this new MMO game.