(Post by Qwentle, Lead Designer of APB)
Hot off the 1.8.0. release and Weapon Skin improvements, we wanted to get back to the New Breed series of patches.
Next up, APB version 1.9.0 where we'll introduce Ophelia and Wilde, our resident Joker Distribution representatives. Situated in what was previously the Star Screen Cinema complex in Social, Ophelia and Wilde stock weapons, vehicles, clothing, car kits, titles and other goodies that players can purchase through the use of a new type of "award/currency" called Joker Tickets.
With the first release of 1.9.0 you will be able to start earning Joker Tickets when you win Fight Club challenges. Over time we will also start adding Joker Ticket Awards to Mission Districts as well.
When you win a Fight Club challenge, you will receive a stack of Joker Tickets giving you access to exclusive items from our new contacts. While some of these will be short-cuts to in-game rewards or items unique to Joker Distribution, we will also be allowing players to use these tickets to access items previously only accessible through Armas. Items available through this system include several Car Kits, Clothing Assets, Vehicles, and a number of previously Armas-only weapons. This gives players a path to earn some of these exclusive items purely from in-game activities.
When you win a Fight Club challenge, you will receive a stack of Joker Tickets giving you access to exclusive items from our new contacts. While some of these will be short-cuts to in-game rewards or items unique to Joker Distribution, we will also be allowing players to use these tickets to access items previously only accessible through Armas. Items available through this system include several Car Kits, Clothing Assets, Vehicles, and a number of previously Armas-only weapons. This gives players a path to earn some of these exclusive items purely from in-game activities.
Oh, I also mentioned Titles up there. As part of 1.9.0. we will add the ability to show a preferred title as part of your name, for that extra little bit of customisation. By default this is your rank, but you can choose from a number of options based on how you've progressed through the game, what achievements you have unlocked, and various other activities. This is a totally opt-in activity however, and it's something you can choose to disable if it's something you'd not like to broadcast yourself, or see on others.
There are also various optimization and security enhancements planned for 1.9 (and later versions) as we continue working toward improving the game in all areas.
/Qwentle
A note from Tech Mech:
Sometime in the "near-ish" future we are going to start sharing info on some REALLY BIG items being worked on by our "special" internal teams. Most of these items are still a long ways out before they are even remotely complete, but we hope to start talking about our long-term plans publicly sometime in the near future.
Some of these new things may blow your mind when we can finally share more info... but until them - have fun in 1.8, and we are all looking forward to seeing you in 1.9 when we release this version sometime in mid-July.
/TechMech
There are also various optimization and security enhancements planned for 1.9 (and later versions) as we continue working toward improving the game in all areas.
/Qwentle
A note from Tech Mech:
Sometime in the "near-ish" future we are going to start sharing info on some REALLY BIG items being worked on by our "special" internal teams. Most of these items are still a long ways out before they are even remotely complete, but we hope to start talking about our long-term plans publicly sometime in the near future.
Some of these new things may blow your mind when we can finally share more info... but until them - have fun in 1.8, and we are all looking forward to seeing you in 1.9 when we release this version sometime in mid-July.
/TechMech
Nice!, really looking forward to it! it's great to see things happening :D
ReplyDeleteBooya!
ReplyDeleteThis...is making me tingle in my bumhole.
ReplyDeleteKeep doing your thang G1.
Whoa... just a little bit too much information...
DeleteTitles - will this be the replacement for the long-promised icon to identify veterans?
ReplyDeleteLooking interesting, curious to see how you're going to handle the big influx of players swarming fight club for said tickets though.
ReplyDeleteColor blind-mode for the player name tag too? (for red-green color blind)
ReplyDeleteAny plans for actually balancing fight club? Or still going to allow the system to start a match 16v1 or some other ridiculously stacked number? I smell even more exploitation incoming.
ReplyDeleteClan Warfare?
ReplyDeleteThis looks uber AWESOME ive never been this exsited about a patch from G1 well i was pumped about 1.8.0 patch but not for a long time hope this all works out and please for the love off god please DIG in and test the patch before it goes live if we gamers find that there is a shit tone of problems about the game its just going to get u even more bad rep
ReplyDeleteeither way im glad there pushing out to the F2P community that cant get premium etc
Can we get an ETA on the music identification fix?
ReplyDeletesome skins are invisible here can you guys fix it plz?
ReplyDeleteSweeeeeeeeet =)
ReplyDeleteAlways wondered who the lady on the front cover of the retail box was.
OH-AH ... this is really something to look forward to!
ReplyDeletethis is great
ReplyDeleteoptimization, and access to items using ingame currency that doesn't require always spending money.
i'll assume it'll cost a lot of tickets to buy these items, and some will have leases?
Or how about you just fix the clan system? Like permissions for different ranks, let us share a logo so we can have it as a clan emblem, set up a bookable fight club instance so we can have clan vs clan matches with a leader board, etc.
ReplyDeletegood to hear about the joker thingy. and this side-note from techmech also brings a bit of positive thinking about the game - finally the communication we have been waiting for.
ReplyDeleteWhere is racing district? Where is asylum district? Where is chaos district? Where is clan warfare? Where is the content that isn't shitty contact grinding? What happened to optimization? What happened to these promises? How can we trust the promises you're making now?
ReplyDeleteFunny you should ask. Asylum is getting close to production ready, but still needs more time before we can give it a launch date. Also optimization continues being a big priority for the team right now.
DeleteThe real issue is that while we have an awesome and dedicated team, given its small size of about two dozen people, progress is not as fast as we'd hope.
However, progress remains steady and very focused on the long-term survival of the game (ie - we have to balance, new game features, new content to sell and optimization - since those three counter-act each other; when we add new game features, optimization gets worse, until those features have progressed a generation or two at which point the optimization gets better etc.).
1.9 also introduces some critical architecture changes, such as support for Scaleform UI management, which should finally let us fix some long-standing user experience issues that have been near impossible to fix. Sadly those types of architectural changes don't really get any 'love' from any players since it's entirely 'under-the-hood' fixes and improvements.
So we can collect the Joker Tickets until we wanna buy something or will the tickets expire?
DeleteChaos District? I would like to see some info on this. Will tanks and missile launchers be involved? or even helicopters/jets? The fact it's called "Chaos District" makes me think all kinda of havoc will ensue.... there better be heli's and tanks >:| A district that though I presume will take a long while to get working o-o
DeleteLooking forward to my 4 slot semi auto OSMAW
ReplyDeletepls do something against the macro-users and the other cheaters. i would like to see more ban-waves.
ReplyDeleteSo we can collect the Joker Tickets until we wanna buy something or will the tickets expire?
ReplyDeleteNo they will not expire. They are 'reward currency' and behave similar to APB$ or G1 Credits. So yes - you can collect them for a long time for a top item (of course, not all items are available all the time to purchase, so you'd have to balance saving vs. spending for the best bang for your buck).
Deletewhy would currency expire?
ReplyDeletedont know. U could collect the tickets for months to wait for better things. To prevent that G1 could give the ticktet an expiry time. I just want to know that.
ReplyDeleteHow about resolving the old Conection Problems that some of us has experienciecing? Should we play another games instead of APB?
ReplyDeleteThat Joker Tickets ting sounds ace! The mysteriously announced items don't surprise me because of apbdb.com :D
ReplyDeletewill the joker tickets be traderable on the market place?
ReplyDeleteYes! Something is being done about that hole-in-the-wall Theater in social. I made my thoughts known in a Forum post about how that section was collecting dust and cobwebs. All these things sound amazing. Good work :)
ReplyDeletesounds cool. but i'm really waiting for some new buyable cars and completely replacement of current sirens sounds.
ReplyDeleteMaybe in patch 1.9.0 the all weapon from armas (E.G whisper and other..) and paramilitary , tactical pack (on this clothes ... gas mask other ..) is tradable... Maybe. :(
ReplyDeleteYou know what you could add in a future patch? A REPORT SUSPICIOUS PLAYER BUTTON in the Scoreboard of a Mission.
ReplyDelete