Find the fun is difficult...

I had seen all those nice weapons with R100 as their requirement...

So I'd hoped the game would open up some and give me some hope when I reached that.

Nope. I'm getting wiped around the streets by R250+s with three +2 and +3 defensive enhancements, and guns with all three slots +2 and +3 in the most destructive effects (rapid fire, better aim, more damage). While I've advanced, so has everyone else, but even more so. Trying to fight such opponents actually makes me MORE upset than just letting them kill me, so pretty soon I give up and do just that. Aion was far less frustrating than this!

I only have a few hours left on my first 50 hours, and every night I sign off unhappy, discouraged and upset because I lose soooooo much. My partner can't believe I'm even considering spending any more money for this game. Can somebody please explain the fun when you're constantly being destroyed by players with more skill and better equipment?

Oh, DevilDolly, I do appreciate the gift of the gun. By the time I looked at it, I was already so discouraged I was just signing off. Should I send it back so you can give it to someone who will enjoy and appreciate it more?

At the core the game is a shooter and if you struggle at those then you will struggle at this. However, the fun lies in the many different aspects of the game. Getting the drop, car chases, rushing to that objective to capture the point, and the thrill of doing those things. Tuesday is a patch day, the N-Tech, OCA, and NL9 all will be adjusted on that day and should bring about even more balance to the game. In the future the matchmaking system will be adjusted so you are not thrust into the lap of the high end players such as myself and instead fight people on your level. Once those things happen along with other future tweaks the game will be better for new players. Right now the best option is to pair up with high end players and run missions with them. I, for one, am more than happy to take anyone on a mission with me.

In the end, however, if you are frustrated at the game at this time then the real best answer is to take time away from the game. Come back in a few months, maybe a year, see what the game has evolved into then and see if it is better for you then as compared to now.

Rule #1 of APB: Never Play alone.


If you're low rank, use a an N-HVR. Seriously. Im a pretty decent rank 200+ with Mono III Survivor II and Energizer II with an N-Tec Adeen with Savage II Dampening II. The only time someone lower rank than me legit 1v1 kills me in a fight now is with an N-HVR.

No im not saying these weapons are OP, i use one occasionally and i encourage it. Get a good group, stay back and use that N-HVR. Sniping is the best way to learning the fundamentals of an FPS at a distance much more forgiving. Trust me. Try it, play it safe. Know when to run, don't fight the guys that's creeping through cover towards you with a OCA. Grab a car and b-line it. Explore ure district find high ground to make sniping easier.

This game is about learning and unfortunately because this has RPG style advancement, and FPS style gameplay and the veterans of FPS walk all over the noobies and get further and further ahead because of it.

If you want to get you're monies worth Lamette, you gotta play through the pain and just learn.

P.S. Seriously tho, Dont play alone, and grab an N-HVR, I'm dead serious, No amount of uber upgrades can save u from 2 N-HVR hits.)

I'm always having fun. I honestly love being a complete noob at this game. I have come to terms with the fact that I will probably never get any better at this game than my current skill level ( well hopefully a little better) It doesn't bother me much as I just try to hang around people whom have around the same skill level. Being frustrated at losing turns into having fun at trying when your surrounded by a awesome group of individuals. =)

I tend to be hitting the same sort of thing... I haven't played shooters multiplayer in years and it ends up showing. I'm slowly gutting my way up the ranks, but it's hard... and it often ends up seeming like there's no other inexperienced players around. And then they grief me, farm APBs, beat me at any range I try to fight at...

... wait, hell, this was supposed to be encouraging.

I'm pretty much with the others in advice, but sorta... you're not alone, you know?

Lamette,

I know exactly how you feel. I know exactly how it feels to just get massacred by upgraded opponents, with only a second for bleating in terror like a lamb in a slaughterhouse, over and over and over. Well, its more like bleating in profanity drenched rage, but same diff. Then the NL9 stunning, over and over and over, without a chance to fight back. I know exactly what you mean about the sense of futility, the conditioned helplessness, when they stun you in one shot and it takes 8 or 12 shots (at least!) to put them down. I know how it feels to be caught between the things that you love about this game and the things you absolutely HATE.

But, Lamette, don't give up! First of all, if you get the drop on one of them and you land a shot, you've won. It's not your fault you don't have a gun that actually causes an injury besides an unsightly welt.

* The cure for this is teams. I know its hard with everyone's schedules, but always run with a full strength team. Call in backup whenever possible. The point here is to concentrate fire on one opponent to bring him down, upgrades be damned.

* More people distract the enemy. You'll have more chances to catch the enemy while his attention is on someone else. That's when you shoot him with your long range gun, OBIR, OBEYA, or HVR. You can't take him down in one shot, but if he's in a gunfight, his health might be low, and your shot could be the finishing blow.

* Use a long range gun with a machinepistol for backup. Stay back, always try to keep them at your most effective range. They won't even know you're there half the time. Let your teammates close range with their NTECs and OCAs, while you shoot from afar.

* When you're feeling frustrated RAM RAM RAM! They have NL9s, you have an armored truck. They're enforcers, they deserve it. Park your car in front of enforcers trying to shoot at crims. Run into them and carry them as far as you can, just to screw up what they're doing.

* Take a break and play enforcer. That way you don't have to worry about getting stunned all the damn time. Learn the limitations of stunners. Think of every mission as an opportunity to practice your tactics.

* Switch instances. If one instance has a bunch of aimbotters and upgrade tards then dump it. If you go up against people without upgrades you'll immediately see the difference.

* Test your guns. Learn their limitations. One thing I found enlightening was going up to a wall and blasting away at it to see how many accuracy degraded on full auto. It was horrible.

* Stick around for the 1.3.1 patch, where NL9s are getting nerfed to shit. One night I kept getting set against the same enforcer. He would just stun me in one shot with his NL9, over and over. It just sucked. Finally I told him that if he wanted to have a gunfight I was all for it, but if it was going to be the NL9 then I would just ignore the mission. Well what do you know. We switched to guns and I killed him half the time.

* We should clump up into a team and just fight each other. Not on a mission, just battle it out just to practice.

* If you feel like quitting but at the same time don't want to, just buy a few hours at a time. That way you're spending minimal cash.

* Really dig into the customization. Challenge yourself with the designer tools and sell your custom stuff in the auction.

Last night I switched over to another character, fell in with a great pick up group and HAD A GREAT TIME!! Car chases, gunfights and explosions. It was like my own personal action movie, and I stayed up well past my bedtime.

Feel free to message me if you want a team member or you want to go out and practice.

Thanks for all the advice.

It's 11pm again and I start thinking hopefully about APB. Maybe tonight will be better... It'd be so awesome to be in a group led by someone who knows infantry doctrine* and can lead a 3-man or 4-man fireteam... Maybe using Dolly's Army Ant will magically make things better...

Then I remember that no, it won't get better. I know how long it takes to write, debug, and propogate software through distributed systems. It'll be months before a better matchmaker is fielded, and even with the best Elo system in the world, the math of 80-person instances combined with 15-30 minute missions means that at any given time the number of people available for a match is actually quite limited. Once you sort for available groups of a similar size, you're down to just one or two potential matchups.

The sniper role is a nice suggestion, but I have a terrible time figuring out where the good vantage points are. I need probably another 50-100 hours of play to really learn my way around the city and its rooftops.

The suggestion of trying the enforcer side is also a good one. I'd no doubt learn a lot. Of course, no more Raindog runs while I'm moonlighting with the other side.

It's so tempting to be hopefully when I'm not playing. Then I get into the game and....groan....slaughtered again. I know I shouldn't pay so much attention to it, but darn it, I'm used to be successful!

*Due to an academic background in military history, I have a very keen and detailed knowledge of how small-unit infantry tactics evolved throughout the 20th century. Some, but not all, is applicable to APB. Unfortunately, as is obvious, right now I lack the confident can-do attitude that a good leader needs.

Another terrible night of total defeat. Enforcers using long-range rifles from cars and hitting me with every bullet. Unless I was behind cover. Perhaps they're exchanging stunguns for aimbots? Either that or people are getting REALLY good with the weapons in this game. Certainly far better than I'll ever be.

Only opponent under 200 that I saw was 130-something and with a group of R200+'s. Then there were the ones who jacked themselves up to the point where they could shoot at anyone they wanted, and were regularly killing me (I never respawned far enough away to survive long). I tried to fight back, but DevilDolly's rifle doesn't kill things very fast... certainly I was killed a lot faster by someone with a silly pistol and NO enhancements (although their personal enhancements were maxed out). I bailed on that instance - too hopeless.

Grouped up with an old friend, but group leader bailed out of the game in mid-mission and never came back. We were doing poorly, and after that, we were just slaughtered in two missions back-to-back. We both gave up and went to the Marina. She played with clothing, I whined and quit.

Overall, DevilDolly's Star 556 III "Spider" rifle was no more effective than my N-Tec 5 Nol at range, and less effective close up. Tried to mail it back to her, but the weapon attachment to mail system refused to take it. I could get as far as selecting the weapon to attach, but no matter how hard and frequently I clicked on it, it wouldn't go back to the mail screen. And there was no other button to make the attachment. It seems the rifle is stuck in my inventory. Sorry Dolly.

You have to select edit, then refurbish, then you can send the weapon.

seriously lamette, get you're hands on an N-HVR and stay waaaaaay out of the fight. You may lose mission as much, but you certainly wont die as much if u keep a car nearby and are ready to run when the Sh!t hits the fan.

HVR will help you with your aiming in the long run as well.

P.S. Seriously tho, Dont play alone, and grab an N-HVR, I'm dead serious, No amount of uber upgrades can save u from 2 N-HVR hits.)

^^Truth

First weapon I had any impact with was the Sniper Rifle. This game has a great cover system that (when people aren't mowing me down point blank with their N-Suks) can lead to some great shootouts. Crouch and lean around corners. I'm the idiot who never thought crouching would enhance my shot. All you need is two shots. Doesn't matter where. Anyone with a brain who gets hit with a sniper shot is gonna find cover. Then when you get to fight the people who think themselves untouchable, give them that second shot to remind them they are not.

I haven't had the oppertunity to play with a lot of Rain Dogs (cause of Comcast and their terrible service)

However, Lamette, I think I've grouped with you the most and it is always a pleasure. Come on, the other night you were making me and Dolly look terrible with you tagging all those Forcers. Plus the RPing between you Dolly was....well it was so good I almost flipped the truck.

This is also a learning process for me. I've played a lot of FPS so I know the only way I'm gonna get better is jumping into the fray. Cause soon enough, I'm gonna be the guy rolling over everyone with my jacked up weapons and upgrades.

Lamette,

Despite all the tooth-gnashing frustration APB engenders, it is possible to have a great time playing this game. I consider profanity and Relentless Bitter Complaining(TM) to be my God-given rights, and even I say this. You need a solid team that's going to stick together and to be in the biggest battles you can get in. Even in a 4 vs 4 fight, you can still engage / distract with one pair and flank with the other. If the team gets split up through people doing their own thing or respawning, the upgrade freaks can take them out one by one.

The best way to take down coked up upgrade freaks is to have 2 or 3 people lay down fire on them. Just imagine they're all on PCP.

Also, mad skills. Lamette I really think we should just meet up in some deserted instance and do a little urban battle training. I will let you shoot me as much as it takes for you to get the hang of how the weapons affect people. I will then dodge around so you get practice using your weapons effectively. Then I will shoot at you so you get practice dodging around. Bunnyyyy-hoppin' across the universe.... After we train you'll be bunny hoppin' so well that you can try out for the live action remake of Watership Down. For those of us too young to remember Watership Down, it was a 70s movie about a supply ship in the Pacific during WW2. We can also practice grenading for fun and profit.

As a person with a background in military history (You! So! Rock!) the gamey silliness of APB might be an insult to your intelligence and require you to free your mind of such trite conventions such as logic and common sense. This is difficult, but not impossible.

And remember, when you're on a losing streak and there's a black cloud of despair hanging over you, RAM EVERY ENFORCER YOU SEE. RAM THE FUCKERS. THEY DESERVE IT.

Thank you.

P.S. What was that military themed enforcer RP guild? We've mentioned it here before. That might be a good enforcer guild to try since they make a point of using authentic military tactics.

... ugh... is bunnyhopping actually... effective and or necessary? Hate it so much. Hate.

Bunnyhopping is really only moderately effective in games that have decent hitboxes (Where headshots and such matter.)

Since the hit box is just one area in APB its useless.

Thank goodness for that.

For me, it's become a damn chore to go into the action district on my criminal. Last night alone I dropped from threat level 10 to threat level 6. That's a pretty freaking huge drop. I thought I was just having an off night, but afterwards I logged to my enforcer (who was only rank 90) and got up to threat level 11 without any issue. I didn't really mind, since I was holding out for the patch, but now that it's out it's becoming more and more apparent that nothing was actually fixed. Not enforcers who are rank 310 being able to witness and dispatch against me if I so much as brush against a lamppost. Not aimbotters who can run around with am OCA and still kill me faster than a shotgun. Not solo missions where my objective is to constantly hold two points more than 100 meters away from one another with limited lives, and if they take one, it's not a tie, it's a loss. Not griefers sitting at gas stations blowing my car up as soon as I spawn it. Not even the NL9, which the patch was specifically supposed to balance in some manner.

I'm really trying to salvage my enjoyment for this game. This clan is full of great people and I enjoyed the hell outta myself in Beta and KTTC. I figure maybe if I get rank three upgrades, it'll even out some. But so far, not much is doing it.

I actually like the changes in the N-Tech. Once I started to get used to it, and realized I needed to burst fire, it was great. I noticed that the change in the NL9 has spawned a change in tactics from the enforcers. You will still see the stun gun groups, but they now are going two by two after a target because the weapon needs more precision to be as deadly as before. This is frustrating, sure, but at the same time it can be countered if the group is prepared for it. Bring a couple range weapons (OBIR, DVR, HVR) an N-Tech and a short range weapon (Shotty or OCA) and you can beat the enforcers.

I like the reduction in camp sites, though some of the sites do still suck badly. I also like the simple fact that RTW is working to correct the errors that were caused by a quick release which was pushed by an overzealous production company (EA). In terms of issues in solo missions remember, even if it means doing the despicable thing and PUGing it up, running in a group of any size is the optimal thing to do.

I am working my way around and trying to group with as many people in the clan as I can. It is not easy to do (especially since I use the vent and that tends to form what appears to be a click). Last night I had the honor of playing with Thorsten and PetraBear, I have played with Maxine and DevilDolly a bit more of late as well, and though not in a while I have also been able to group with Myra as well. I want this out there, but when I am on and a person I have not grouped with is also on let me know. I will try and free myself up from whatever I am doing to dedicate some time to run with you. I don't care about wins or losses, I don't care about threat level, and I don't care about notariety. What I care about is meeting the clan, playing the game, feeling excited, developing RP, and having fun. All those things can and will happen, especially if you stop caring about the small stuff.

Side note, I have been up to Threat Level 13 before, but I am more comfortable at threat 7 or 8.

Like Delinquent said, I'm here to mainly have fun.
I die. More often than most people realize. But i still have tons of fun at the game.
If for any reason anyone is ever by themselves and needs some company send me a tell in-game. Sometimes I'll join in vent..sometimes not. Mostly because my character is a British female and I am a guy =)
Sometimes it all depends on what group your playing with and their playstyle. For instance I was in a group with Abraxas one night and climbed from TL6 to like TL9 or 10 in a very short time. We won a ton of missions with the group( I think Ian was there too and Dolly for most of the night). I also find that my groups with Petra, Dolly, or Lamette always have me laughing at some point even if on the whole we aren't doing spectacular.

Journey wrote:Like Delinquent said, I'm here to mainly have fun.
I die. More often than most people realize. But i still have tons of fun at the game.
If for any reason anyone is ever by themselves and needs some company send me a tell in-game. Sometimes I'll join in vent..sometimes not. Mostly because my character is a British female and I am a guy =)
Sometimes it all depends on what group your playing with and their playstyle. For instance I was in a group with Abraxas one night and climbed from TL6 to like TL9 or 10 in a very short time. We won a ton of missions with the group( I think Ian was there too and Dolly for most of the night). I also find that my groups with Petra, Dolly, or Lamette always have me laughing at some point even if on the whole we aren't doing spectacular.

Trust me, Journey, that guy / girl thing doesn't matter. I know Ana and Maxine are both guys in RL, but I still call them ladies, ma'am, miss, hun, and whore (though the last one is more toward Ana).

The heavy RP enforcer clan is 1st Royal Special Purpose something something. They seem cool, but they're community is way less active than ours. They don't have more than 10 posts in most of their forums. I've never actually seen a member in-game, either.

I'm down to just a few minutes on my original 50 hours, and haven't renewed yet...

The ten dollars is pocket change for me, but every time the lure of great graphics, gunplay and fast cars beckons to me, I remember the last couple nights I WAS playing. Went down from threat 6 to threat 2 or 3, but threat is meaningless because matchmaking is inherent broken due to small instances. With just 80 people per instance, if most players are R250+ or leveling up alts, then the number of potential "fair" matches is very small. The chances that "fair" opponent is available when I'm free to start a new mission (every 15-30 minutes) is stupidly small.

I've found that PUGs actually make things worse. When solo, once or twice a week I get lucky and have an with interesting, fair fight. Many times I never get an opponent since all the opposition is in groups. With a PUG I never get lucky - I can't remember winning more that one mission a night, if that, in a PUG. My record with Raindog groups isn't much better, but at least they have personality (that night oogling DevilDolly in her tutu was hilarious... I apologize if it ultimately embarrassed her into pulling on some tights).

Meanwhile, in my final two outings, despite taking pretty suicidal missions against R200+s, I only went from R102 to R108. If it's 1 rating per hour once past R100 instead of 2/hr under R100 (it took me 50 playtime hrs and 5 weeks to get from 1 to 100), then its going to take 12+ weeks to get to R200, and probably another 12 weeks to R250, at which point I'll be "competitive" with +2 and +3 buffs on self and weapon. That'll be about February of next year. Hmm.....

Drat, sorry to hear Morden is suffering the same malaise. He was a delightfully honorable and pleasant crook who always tried hard to make the team successful. I wish the clan were busier during my gametimes (11pm-1am Pacific), so there'd always be a group to form or join. That would really help. Of course, if pigs could fly...

So, I'm still struggling with the choice. One minute I want to renew and be hopeful, reminded of all the great people in Raindogs. The next I want to smack myself for being an idiot.