Nakirush

Something I loved about EQ2 was how it was very different from WoW. It was targeted at a mature audience and had a lot of number crunching and thinking involved.

It looks like they're taking EQ and trying to copy WoW. The art direction in particular is very WoW-ish; "very heroic" "very powerful" "big pauldrons and shoulders" "lots of color". All elements pushed by Blizzard and popularized by WoW (also the same issue I have with SWToR).

What I've seen so far worries me. I pray I'm wrong.

To add to what Tizmah said...

Beside your primary/secondary weapons there are also upgrade slots. These let you do things like act as an ammo vendor to your team mates. I'd say these could count as "abilities".

True, there are no "classes" to choose from, but if you take the time to organize a team then you can certainly create your own roles for each member. Short range, longe range, heavy weapons, etc. all add to the variety.

APB won't appeal to everybody and I get that, but I don't think you're being entirely fair when you say it has no variety beyond physical appearances.

To those still on the fence about APB (or any game for that matter), nothing can compare to giving it good try. Who knows, you may find something you like.

If you come into APB expecting all the tropes and features of a standard MMO, you will be sorely disappointed. There are no classes, epic quest lines, or end game raids. You will not spend your time mowing down waves of NPCs. You will not min/max stats or memorize rotations.

If you approach APB as an action shooter you may find yourself thoroughly entertained. Over the top car chases and adrenaline packed shoot-outs have kept me entertained for hours on end. Add to it the customization and team-oriented play style and you have a game that keeps me coming back.

My brother and I have been playing as criminals. He's good at shooting, I'm good at driving. I'll drive him to an objective and wait in the car. He grabs the loot, an APB goes out, he hops in the car and we're gone. I'm barreling down the highway with him hanging out the window popping shots at the enforcers behind us. We have a plan to escape, but as we're nearing our turn another enforcer joins the pursuit and blocks us off. I roar past our turn and head toward the docks. My brother is yelling at me about it being a dead end (according to the map). Sure enough, as I get to the docks there's nowhere to go but into a cruise ship. I drive into the ship and gun it - fully expecting to stop at the other end and shoot it out. But as I'm nearing the other end I see a jump! I take it and we're out on the road again, with no enforcers in sight. These moments are what make the game for me.

When I'm not in the action districts, I spend my time toying with the customization tools. I haven't seen anything like the amount of customization available in APB in any other persistent online game. As a commercial artist I find the tools incredibly flexible and extensive. I'm sure I'll be spending just as much time designing clothes, cars and tattoos as I do shooting.

If you're looking for a deep, epic role-playing experience avoid APB at all costs. But if you're looking for a fun game that's easy to get into and keeps the action coming, then you owe it to yourself to give APB a try.

If you're alive to hear my battle cry, then I am no Tier'dal....

I will be playing EQ2 with my brother, maintaining my guild in WoW, and checking out APB.

Si je demande en français, n'est-ce d'améliorer mes chances?

FOR PONY!

/roll

Yes please!

Please and thank you!