All Points Bulletin: Enforcers vs Criminals

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Law and Order is on the brink of collapse in the famous metropolis of San Paro, the major city of All Points Bulletin (APB). But before you start playing one must first choose your allegiance with the city. Will you be there to protect the city from becoming corrupt, or have a hand in its criminal uprising?

While creating a character in APB, the user must choose their faction from either an Enforcer or a Criminal. Once this faction is chosen, the player will not be able to switch sides to the opposing faction. Since APB is not going for the original MMO feel there will be no leveling. Characters will only progress by enhancing their own gaming skills forcing players to build reputations within the gaming world. This will lead to unlocking clothes, items, cars, and of course more powerful guns. Also, by forcing the players to build a reputation, the game will feel like it's a more persistent world. Both factions Enforcers/Criminals have missions that will help them build a reputation in addition to the fight against one another. Once players build a high enough reputation they will be able to create there very own squads or gangs, complete with there own tattoos, clothes, colors, and the ability to fight for control of turf in the city.

Now for a closer look at the factions:

Enforcers

Enforcers are the law enforcement fighting for a brighter future in the city of San Paro (aka, the GOOD GUYS). The main goal of the Enforcers will be to stop criminal activity, whether or not you abide by the book or you're just a killer doing it for the cash, it's all up to you. Enforcers come from different backgrounds from private Special Forces units to mercenaries for hire. But they all ultimately are building their rep working their way up to be in charge of their own Enforcer Squad.

Enforcers will do missions assigned by the head of the Enforcer Organization as well as respond to APBs out on the street. An example of an Enforcer mission would be like a typical MMO escort quest but a little bit trickier. For instance, the enforcer was told to drive an armored car from point A to point B. Driving this armored car out in the open would attract criminals played by players. This uses the well-known player vs. player system that APB likes to call player content, making the game more challenging and a lot more fun. Now instead of driving the car in a straight line from point A to B, the user must take back roads, swerve past enemy cars, dodge rocket launchers, know their city and be able to out play the opposing faction, the Criminals. In addition to these missions, Enforcers will also have APB Alert missions, which are basically the opposite. For example, the Enforcer is relaxing in his car about to meet up with some friends when, "BAM!" an APB comes out that criminals are stealing TVs from Bob's Stereo World. The matchmaking system APB uses will match up players of equal skill against each other. As the Enforcer, you will have to drive and find this criminal that's stealing TVs. Now what you do with him when you get there is up to you. Will you arrest him and complete the mission or will you arrive on sight and shoot to kill Judge Dread style? It's up to you!

Criminals

The Criminals wreak havoc on the city of San Paro. They take advantage of civilians, damage property, ruin businesses, and kill Enforcers (aka the BAD GUYS). But without criminals there would be no Enforcers and without Enforcers there would be no game. So you can say that the criminals are the force behind the games activity, and look like a lot of fun to play.

Tired of doing the same old same boring quests, where you have to save the princess or collect flowers. Let me introduce you to the Criminals, where stealing cars, robbing TVs, and collecting the bounties off of Enforcers heads, are perfectly ok. Criminals will have to do these missions while avoiding the Enforcers that are always hot on their trail. So before you do something bad you might want to get a good lay of the land, and map out a nice get away plan for when things go south.

But Criminals will not only have to worry about just Enforcers but also other Criminals. In APB gang wars will definitely be encouraged. Everyone wants to be the best, and in past MMOs people always fought over who is better, who killed what first, and so on. So in APB gangs will have the ability to attack other criminals. This will make competing gangs fighting for turf within the same district fun to watch. So, what's better then two different gangs both trying to rob the same bank, adding Enforcers in the mix, that's what! The matchmaking system will alert the proper number of enforcers when riots of two opposing gangs collide making it a three-way battle royal.

So, even though there are only two opposing factions the game is so customizable that there will be endless amounts of fun. APB doesn't come out till some time in 2010 so you have plenty of time to decide whom you will pledge your allegiance to... The Enforcers or their arch enemy The Criminals.