Hello everyone. I am Para or you will see me in game as CJ_Para also. I am the Assistant Manager in the QA Department. My main role however centres on the Public Led Programs and working hand in hand with ProComGaming (PCG) to allow you, our users to have more direct contact with us in CJ Games Global.

Today I would like to introduce you to PCG (ProComGaming). This is a dedicated team who work alongside CJ to assist us in having a better connection with you, our community member. PCG has worked with Drake and myself for over a year now and we have devised a system that allows the community to be much more heavily involved with us and where we work directly with you to hear your suggestions, have the bugs reported and processed, work on community events, meet with clan/company/guild leaders every month. Those are just a few of the ways in which we will be working with you.

We are working hard to breach the gap that often occurs between the gamers and those who work and develop the game.Today I want to give you a small taste of what is to come in the next few months.

Next week, we will launch the ATG Program. This stands for the “Allied Tester Group”. You are all invited to come and work directly with myself and some other members of the CJ Team to report those annoying bugs in the game and to check that they are fixed once the Developers have told us that this is the case. ProComGaming plays an integral role in this process.

Next week a forum post will be put up and we will be inviting you to apply to join this team. PCG personnel who have been assigned to ATG and D187 as a whole, will then invite those who are successful to come in to ventrilo for some training on how to break the game down and to find those essential elements that might affect game play. PCG will be with the ATG group and will mentor some of you to actually take over their role in the Program so that in months to come, the D187 community will effectively be working directly with us in CJ to continue making the game better and better.

There are some benefits to being apart of this Program. Some I will tell you now and some will be left as a surprise.  ;)

Testers do get rewarded in NC according to how much time they participate in the Program. They will also hang out in ventrilo with other Testers, UWO Testers, UWO Mentors, PCG and also CJ Staff. These will include myself, Drake, Sinalis, Hexis and maybe some more….

Once we have the Tester Program up and running we have many more Programs to offer. These will mainly stem from the Tester group. Each person in this group must be over 18 and will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). We will then work with the Testers day by day and get to know them. At this point we can start thinking about other Programs and who might be able to assist with those. At no point do players get in game powers that GM’s have. They will however have a say and be involved in direct discussions with us regarding the game.

The ProComGaming site is being remade currently. We therefore do not have much to show you as yet, but if you check out the following link, you will get some idea about where we will be heading with the communities within the CJ Community as a whole.  www.procomgaming.com

Over the coming weeks I will let you know how we’re progressing and keep you updated on the plans. If you are interested in learning more please feel free to contact me through pcgprograms@cjgamesglobal.com. Please allow me some time to respond as my inbox gets pretty full.

Hello Again Everyone,

Drake here, today as foretold, I am going to talk a bit about D187’s Stealth System and some of the game mechanics and items that are involved with that system to make it work.  In a nutshell these are movements, sound reducing items, audio signatures and how these affect the UI Radar. All of these contribute to D187’s Stealth System mechanic.

One thing we read and hear a lot from the community is the lack of a sprint movement feature.  Your characters are already sprinting when you move by default, and the only other movement is walking. We don’t see a lot of FPS games that have a “walk” movement mode anymore. A few generations back in FPS games walking was a way to tighten up that bullet spread or CoF (cone of fire) and still be a moving target. In those days jogging was default movement; walking and running required a hotkey.  In some other more realistic tactical shooters you couldn’t even fire weapons accept for pistols when sprinting, and even then good luck hitting anything due to running vs. accuracy. So learning to run… walk/shoot …run …walk/shoot… was a good skill to master as you moved from cover to cover. The last game I played that really used this style of play was Joint Operations Typhoon Rising but that was years ago. A more current game that doesn’t allow running and firing is Arma II. These are more simulators though, so that type of restriction makes a lot of sense for that type of shooter. In D187 running is default, and walking is secondary, because walking makes no sound. I will explain why down below.

We all know guns are loud, we can hear the gunfire when we play. Sound is used as an audio location tool in a passive and active format just from listening as we run around the map hunting down targets. Passively as a player we tune in on audio signals and react to them, sometimes we are actively listening, and other times we just react from passively listening. The game actively uses the sound generated by the character as an audio signature and feeds that information to the UI Radar. I especially listen for sniper rifles when I play FPS’s as their fire retort is generally louder and longer. Sneaking up on the guy with the longest ranged weapon and taking them out with a melee weapon, the shortest ranged weapon is pretty satisfying for me. I brought my knife to your gun fight and beat you type thing.

In D187 walking makes no sound or footstep sounds and your CoF is reduced and you are not a stationary target. So coming around corners in a walk means you might be a tad bit more accurate than the enemy coming around the same corner at a sprint. Another thing that walking does and ties into the Stealth System is it removes your character blip from the UI Radar. Your footsteps are actually tracked as an audible sound signature, which is then put on the UI Radar. Not only can you hear an enemy move by you but you can also see where they are by looking at the Radar if you do not have any line of sight (LoS) to that player. By walking, you removed your “footsteps” audio, and you no longer appear on the Rader, making you effectively in a “stealth” state from everyone but for LoS.  So you will hear that same player running up to the corner you are walking around, but he will not hear you, giving you another edge in surprise. This is also great way to sneak up on someone and use a melee weapon to stay unseen from the back. I don’t suggest using a gun without a silencer if you are trying to be stealthy.

Gunfire also adds to your characters audio signature and shooting without a silencer will put you on the UI Radar for the enemy to see. So when trying to be stealthy make sure you have a silencer on your weapon if you don’t use a melee weapon. Also keep in mind that by using a weapon, you’re also leaving tracer trails and your target will make hit impact sounds. All of these can be seen (for tracers) and heard (for impacts) by the players around you, so get as close as possible to reduce your visual signature. Using a Silencer does give a slight deduction to weapon damage and you can see that in the info on those items. And if you remember from my last blog, the distance the bullet travels also reduces the damage.  So we can easily guess that distance + silencer = more reduced damage. Keep that in mind when you are using one. That leaves the melee weapon as the best quiet killing weapon, usually only takes 1 hit, so your target only makes 1 impact sound.

Ok folks, that is all for this round. Next time I will talk a bit about weight, and how it affects the player in D187. Also be on the lookout for information on our new game feature called Street Fight. I think you will really enjoy what Street Fight is going to bring to D187. Maybe they will let me talk about that a bit as well.

In the famous words of Elmor Fudd, “Shhhhhhhhh be very very quiet, we are hunting rabbits!”

-Drake

Last week, we discussed an overview of what Street Fight is. Today, we’re going to talk specifics about what maps are featured and how things are scored. Currently, Street Fight features 9 districts. Each district is assigned 1 or 2 maps (Note: Initially a few districts will be unavailable). To claim a district your clan must play on the game map(s) associated with the district. The current game map <-> district assignments are as follows:

• Slums District includes The Slums game map initially and will include The Slums (Night) after District 187 officially launches.
• Ghetto District features The Ghetto game map.
• Commercial District features The Factory game map.
• Business District features The Sewers game map.
• Downtown District features the Downtown game map. This District will open after District 187 officially launches.
• Suburbs District features the Haven game map. This District will open after District 187 officially launches.
• The Port, Entertainment and Beach Resort Districts will all open at a later time as we update District 187 and add new game maps.

Street Fight requires players to think tactically both in game and out. In Street Fight, clans must focus on scoring the highest number of WINS possible. Street Fight maps all focus on either Round Mode (where you must be the last clan standing every round) or Bomb Mode (where you must plant a bomb or protect the bomb target). So going out and killing your enemy may not be the best option. Sometimes it may be better to complete the mission instead of hunting your opponents down. Additionally, based on how much you’ve played a certain map and how big your clan is, your clan leadership needs to be keen on focusing on the right maps at the right time.

At the end of the week, all registered clans have their Win/Loss scores pitted in each district against all other registered clans that played in the specific district. Wins and Losses however are capped at 35. This is done to encourage clans to move to other districts and not just focus on one. Also this allows smaller clans a fighting change against larger clans who, without this cap, could just continue to rack up more wins than the smaller clans by just having more members.

To help explain next part of the scoring system a little better I am going to throw some data out as an example. Below are theoretical clans and their theoretical scores for a theoretical Street Fight event.

Assassin™ Clan has 37 clan members. During Street Fight their win/loss record was 60/13 . Their win/loss record when they hit 35 wins was: 35/5 (NOTE: This is VERY important, your record when you reach 35 wins is the record that is used to calculate your score!). The time they hit 35 wins was Wednesday at 10:23pm.

Romance Clan has 12 clan members. During Street Fight their win/loss record was 35/5 . Their win/loss record when they hit 35 wins was: 35/5. The time they hit 35 wins was Wednesday at 9:19pm.

cantComeclose Clan has 28 clan members. During Street Fight their win/loss record was 52/19 . Their win/loss record when they hit 35 wins was: 35/12. The time they hit 35 wins was Thursday at 1:01am.

The way this works is, the first thing that is looked at is whether or not anyone got 35 or more wins. IF only one clan got 35 wins on a specific district’s game map, that clan wins. This means no other clan got to 35 wins. However, if – as seen in the example above – more than one clan has 35 or more wins their W/L record AT THE TIME THEY HIT 35 WINS is pitted against each other to determine the winner. So in the situation above cantComeclose would not be in contention for winning due to their record being too low. So now the battle is between Assassin™ Clan and Romance Clan. Since their W/L Ratio is the same the winner would be Romance Clan since they hit 35 wins first at 9:19pm on Wednesday.

One last thing we want to mention is the timing for Street Fight. Last week we announced that the only time to participate in Street Fight was Monday and Wednesday from 6pm-9pm and Tuesday and Thursday from 10am-1pm. After feedback from you, our players and further consideration we’ve decided to change that. Now clans will be able to participate in Street Fight from 12:01am Monday through 11:59pm Thursday (PST). All you’ll need to do is log into the International server and play in 4v4, 10 minute ranked matches.

Street Fight registration is already underway, so grab your friends and sign up Here!

The streets are dangerous and the battle of suppression the S.W.A.T. faction has been waging is coming to a head. In some areas of the city, gangs have completely shut out S.W.A.T. and are running the show. The time has come to put it all on the line and now’s your chance to take control of one of the districts.

Street Fight is a new, weekly territory control event for District 187: Sin Streets. Players band together in clans and take to the International Clan server to duke it out to be the best of the best in ranked matches.

The city is divided into 9 “Districts”: The Slums, Commercial, Business, Port, Entertainment, Suburbs, Ghetto, Beach Resort and Downtown. Each District contains up to 2 maps (most only have one} that players fight to control. The clan that performs the best in each district every week, will take control of that district.

Controlling a district can be vitally important since it gives you and ALL of your clan members a prize. It also gives you bragging rights as your clan name is displayed for all to see as “Dominating”. The more districts you dominate, the more your clan receives in prizes. This event has been design specifically so that small, highly skilled clans have a shot at controlling a district and large clans can spread their focus over multiple districts.

To qualify and control any district, you and your clan must log in and play in ranked matches on the International Clan Server, Monday through Thursday. Times for Street Fight on Monday and Wednesday are 6pm-9pm PST. Times for Street Fight on Tuesday and Thursday are 10am-1pm PST. ONLY MATCHES PLAYED DURING THESE TIMES ARE CALCULATED IN THE FINAL RANKINGS FOR STREET FIGHT!

In the next few days Street Fight will enter Beta and you and your clan can register to participate. We encourage you to register early since registering after a Street Fight event has begun means you have to wait until the following week’s event to participate. We’ll be offering more details on Street Fight here and on Facebook and Twitter, so stay tuned!

Hey all,

Welcome to District 187! My name is Ashley and I am the Community Manager for all things District 187. Want to know where to find me? Knee deep in Facebook, Twitter and the Forums all day, every day! My job is to keep all you players up to speed on our developments, announcements and news updates. I am the see all and tell all for our players. We have been working nonstop on District 187 and hope to be able to provide you with a better understanding of our favorite urban shooter.

Where do I begin? To start, this is actually one of the most unique FPS games I have played in awhile, meaning we have gone out of our way to make a quality game with differences that stand out among those “other” first person shooters. That being said, my  favorite thing to do in game is to sneak up and shoot people by muting my footsteps by simply hitting the shift key. So watch out! Another thing I am most amazed by is the fact that the developers actually took into consideration real life physics with this game, which, I think QA recently touched base on a little bit. But, if you are trying to run with a shot gun it will have a much slower speed, than say, if you were running with a knife. Also, jumping weight is completely different with each weapon you are holding. I can jump up on a high crate or box when I am holding a knife, but with the shotgun sometimes I can’t even make it up on some of those high jumps. This simple yet basic real life element is actually something that stands out among the rest. And let’s just say, I need a game with some real life elements!

On the community side, we have a lot in the works for our players and we want to  hear what you have to say, period. That is one of our biggest priorities! We want to create a place where people who play our games feel apart of something bigger. Last week we started a Twitch.Tv broadcast where all of some of your player’s questions were heard and answered in real time. Not only does this help all of those lingering questions get answered but it also keeps us on our toes! And trust me, you players do not hold back.

We try our best to let players have as much input as possible, we are currently running a Youtube contest where players get a chance to create and edit a trailer for District 187! And we are not letting winner’s go empty handed, we will be giving away a ton of prizes including a Microsoft Surface.

Alright that’s all I have time for today! Of course, I will be back with more community news, maybe I’ll discuss Boss Mode next time! If you happen to be in game and see the name GM_SafetyScissors, that’s me!  So feel free to shout out and hit me up with any feedback you have. Use those forums and feel free to ask me any questions you have on Facebook or Twitter! It all boils down to you and your voice, let it be heard!

See you in game…

~GM_SafetyScissors

BTW, what’s wrong with Neume’s face here?

Hello Everyone -

My name is Drake but you can see me in most of our games as CJ_Drake, I am the QA Manager for CJ Games Global. My Assistant Manager Para (or CJ_Para) and I work with Pro Com Gaming or PCG to test our games. I am sure Para will fill you in on what PCG is and how it works with the Game Communities to make the games better for you the player in her blog post. But today I am going to talk a bit about two game mechanics in District 187 (or D-187) called “Hit Indicators” and the games “Bullet Speed Drop-Off”.

A lot of FPS’s try to employ real physics in terms of recoil, bullet spread or cone of fire, which is essentially what we call ray casters. Recoil and cone spread simulate this and translate into cone of fire in the code. Normally we don’t get to see all the bullets or rays being cast out of the weapons. However you can really see this effect in District 187 through the bullet tracer mechanic the game uses. This replaces the getting hit indicator we are used to normally seeing in most FPS games. It really does the same thing, if you’re getting hit and you do not see tracers to the left, right or in front of you, that means your opponent is behind you. You might even see tracers coming from behind you as near misses. It is a more realistic representation. Once you are use to it, you can see the angle of the bullets, and more or less trace them back to the origin at which they were fired.

District 187 also uses a bullet speed drop-off mechanic that not a lot of players are aware of. It is kind of hard to tell in District 187 because of the very dense and crowded cover objects in the maps. We call these vis-blocks. These objects block the vision of not only the player but also your firing lanes, creating a more tactical urban feeling. Bullet Speed Drop-off simply means that the farther the bullets go, the less damage they do. This affects each class of weapons in different ways. Sniper Rifles have the least speed drop-off  as they are designed for long distance firing, assault rifles and sub-machine guns cover the medium ranges, while pistols and shotguns have the greatest bullet drop off because they are short ranged weapons. Pretty common knowledge for any FPS fan. But for any class of weapon, the further the target is away from you, the less damage the bullet does, unless you hit the oh so mighty head. Head-shots, with the head damage multiplier are still the best place to hit another player at any distance. I am sure some of you have noticed that even with a pistol or shotgun at med to long range, a head-shot is still a one shot kill at any distance because of this damage multiplier for that hit location.

Those are two mechanics District 187 uses in its game play. Next time I will discuss and explain the Stealth System and how it functions.

Until then, good hunting!

-Drake