musa1357

So we've been quite noticeably silent over the past couple of months - there is reason behind the emptiness however, and much of it relates to how I and most others on the team have been increasingly busy with things in the real world and so on.  That doesn't mean that we're not still working away on LCPDFR, however, and it gets better than that as well because not only are we still pushing ahead with development on another update in the 1.0 series, but we've been focusing attention elsewhere as well - especially as it concerns both this community and the fast approaching GTA V which is seemingly just around the corner now.  Regardless, I thought that given the lack of news for a little while I'd take this opportunity to bring everyone back up to date with what we're doing and where we're going next.
 
IPS 4
 
On the immediate horizon for us is IPS 4, which is the major overhaul of our community software that powers LCPDFR.com.  IPS 4 has been in development for quite some time now and we've had a pre-release version of it hosted on a testing website for just over a month now, too.  For more information about IPS 4 and to take a look at it in action, I'd recommend you visit the pre-release demo set up by IPS at http://zend.ipsdevserver.com/ips4/  In short though, IPS 4 brings a much more modern and streamlined framework for building a community driven website.  Admittedly, LCPDFR has rocked the same design for just under 3 years now, and I do feel like it is again time for a change.  With IPS 4, we will be rolling out an entirely new theme, loosely based on this dark blue which we first introduced in late 2011. We are hoping that this is something that will be completed by the end of the year, although with this one. the ball isn't really in our court - we're just waiting for the software to be properly released.
 
 
LCPDFR 1.0
 
Back in the closing days of last year we released LCPDFR 1.0 - it was certainly a moment we'll never forget when our servers collapsed with all the downloads.  Throughout this year we've been updating LCPDFR 1.0 by bringing three patches, the last of which being 1.0c in summer of this year.  Work on the fourth patch, 1.0d, has, at a slow pace, been ongoing for a couple of months now and we'll be finishing it off by the end of this month if all goes to plan.  To give you an idea of some of the things that we've come up with for 1.0d, I've included an image I took a little while ago below:
 

 
 
GTA V
 
Of course, ever present in the minds of everyone now I would assume is the impending release of GTA V on PC.  Certainly we're all hotly anticipating it as well and are of course fantasizing over the possibilities that it could bring in terms of modding.  I'm cautious to raise high hopes considering the direction that GTA V has taken in terms of multiplayer integration and the tight restrictions that Rockstar and Sony/Microsoft have imposed on the current-gen release, although this hasn't deterred anyone from investigating what it might take to get the ball rolling with GTA V.  Our own LMS has been hard at work, with some others, studying Max Payne 3, the latest title which Rockstar released for PC, and has reported varying degrees of success in terms of modding.  It still seems to be a subject of ambiguity, but let there be no doubt about it, we'd absolutely love, more than anything, to be able to launch an 'LSPDFR' for GTA V.
 
 
Other notes
 
Despite GTA IV being nearly 6 years old, and LCPDFR being more than 5 years old, it is remarkable to see the level of interest that still surrounds us here on LCPDFR.com.  We recently just passed the 145,000 member mark and we're well on our way to reaching the big 150k.  I said last year (or at least I think I did) that it was an exciting time to be in the community with the release of LCPDFR 1.0 only weeks away.  Indeed, with just over two months until GTA V is released for PC, and a major website plus smaller LCPDFR update on the cards, I'd say that once again, it is definitely an exciting time to be here.
 
Sam. 

Community Team & Staffing Update (July 28th & August 1st, 2014)
 
In keeping with the continuous development of the site, we're in the process of making a few changes and additions to the Community Team.  As such, LukeD and willpv23 will be joining the team as our newest pair of community moderators.
 
Luke and Will are both longstanding LCPDFR members and are well known figures throughout the community.  Many will know Luke as the author of popular GTA IV script modifications and LCPDFR API plugins like Callouts+.  Will, on the other hand, was a staff member on LCPDFR's old SA-MP server, FCRP.
 
Additionally, we're also going to be making some changes to the International Community forums.  This might include the possibility of adding new forums for new languages, and we might take suggestions for these at a later date.  In the mean time, however, SuperStumpje will be joining the team as the new Dutch Forum Moderator.
 
In my original post, I also mentioned that we'd be adding a new member to the team and trying out a new role.  Sometimes we're criticsed for dealing with issues concerning modding but not actually having mainstream modding experience. In some ways there's some merit to this, so Sgt.Kanyo will be joining us in an advisory capacity, offering his take and advice on a range of community management and moderation issues.  I can't stress enough that the Community Team is exactly what it says on the tin - a team of members who dedicate their time and their effort to the community and its improvement.  We're always looking for people that we think can help us with this, and the team here is always committed to delivering the best for everyone.  We do have to make some difficult decisions, but it is because we do this that this site is still going and growing.
 
As always, we hope that everybody will join with us in welcoming our new staff members to the team.
 
Sam.