APC

"Nothing says "I've made it in this town." like a N.O.O.S.E Armored Personnel Carrier, equipped with a 360-degree rotatable turret and explosive ordinance."

- Official WebSite Description

The APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) is an Armored Assault Vehicle featured in The Ballad Of Gay Tony.

Design
As The Ballad of Gay Tony restores the over-the-top style of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the APC was created to fill a role similar to GTA San Andreas's S.W.A.T and the Rhino. The front and side of the APC bears a striking resemblance to the Soviet BRDM-2 scout car, with side doors from a Cadillac Gage Commando.

Performance


In terms of the APC's road-going abilities, the vehicle is evidently unintended for speedy travel. While the APC has a top speed of 69 mph (111 km/h), it possesses poor acceleration that dampens the APC's potential to reach its top speed and climb steep inclines. On the other hand, its soft suspensions helps in providing the APC with generally reliable steering, especially at low speeds, and its brakes are also effective even in higher speed, impressive for a large and heavy vehicle like the APC; however, the suspensions' configuration increases the APC's susceptibility to rollovers due to uneven weight distribution during sharp turns. Its excessively heavy weight also allows the APC to push aside any small vehicle without much disruption in the APC's movement.

However, the APC's true strength lies in its prowess in combat, making the APC one of the most lethal combat vehicles in-game (still a step below that of the Buzzard, but can overwhelm the lightly armed Annihilator). In place of GTA San Andreas' S.W.A.T tank water cannon is a turret loaded with explosive rounds, which is only as powerful as an explosive round shot from an Explosive Shotgun or Advanced Sniper. As little as two shots to any part of a car, and the car will catch fire. Afterwards, any medium-force impact will instantly explode the car. This is a mixed blessing. Catching a Police Car behind you on fire can make other Police Cars run into it, causing a dynamic chain explosion. However, doing the same to Police Cars in front has a price : one can find it hard to maneuver around the burning car, resulting in the car exploding on impact. However, the APC is very durable, as covered below, and can resist up to four explosions before catching fire itself. Despite its well-apparent power, the APC has some minor drawbacks. Due to it being a special vehicle with severely limited window space, other weapons cannot be used, preventing one from throwing sticky bombs or passengers helping to fend off pursuers. The turret also has a limited field of view that is incapable of shooting high up into the air where pursuing police/NOOSE helicopters may linger, although, depending on the position of the player and the pursuing helicopter(s), it is possible to hit the helicopter if the player aims the turret properly.

The APC is also the most durable vehicle in TBOGT, being able to resist high speed impacts without any noticeable body deformation, and survive gunfire and even multiple Rocket Launcher rounds. Though the APC is completely bulletproof in front of the back wheels, behind the back wheels lie the engine and air ventilation, and can take damage from that area. However, the APC itself has high durability, and can still withstand multiple magazines of LMG fire on the weak spot. If one were to destroy an APC, he should aim at behind the turret at the air vents.

Trivia

 * Although the APC is described on the official TBOGT WebSite as an APC utilized by the NOOSE, neither the NOOSE nor the LCPD actually use the APC in-game to chase the player, except during "Frosting on the Cake" when there is an APC chasing the player with two NOOSE Tacitical Response Unit Officers inside it.
 * In the said mission, the APC has a notable difference than the APC the player can drive. Instead of a turret that shoots explosive bullets, this APC has a machine gun.
 * Even though the APC has small but visible windows, shooting through them will not hurt the driver inside. It is also not possible to perform 'drive by shootings' or throw grenades or sticky grenades out of the window, but the turret makes up for this.
 * Despite being a (more or less) military vehicle, the second since Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the player can call Henrique Bardas so he can give Luis an APC after completing the mission "Departure Time". This probably pokes fun of NOOSE's incompetence in securely storing the vehicle.
 * If one were to put a sticky bomb inside the APC, detonation will frequently, not harm the APC at all and the only splash damaged received will be from other explosive objects, (i.e. cars, propane tanks).
 * The semi-kamikaze tactic above might spawn flames on the APC, don't worry as these are caused from the explosion of the bomb, and the smoke may confuse players as smoke coming from the APC.
 * In MultiPlayer, the APC is easily available in Free Mode and there is a dedicated race class where all the racers drive the APC, during which the player can use the cannon, albeit with a slower rate of fire and less power. Given its overpowering nature, however, the APC is not available in team deathmatch, deathmatch or other competitive co-op modes not directly related to the vehicle.
 * An interesting way to blow things up is to put sticky bombs on some of the sides; then drive towards the target and press down on the d-pad. The APC will not be destroyed; instead, it will catch fire and blow up by itself soon afterwards.
 * The APC can be damaged by the extreme power of the swing glitch, however, one probably wouldn't notice the damage unless one uses a health pack or the health cheat. Usually the front will suffer compression, pushing about it about half a foot into the APC.
 * The APC's main weakness is actually its own high suspension. Entering a turn quickly will result in flipping the APC over (except if it flips back again) as it's perhaps the strongest vehicle in the whole game. (i.e The player can flip a turned car by cheating an APC, but they can't flip an APC by any means. Excluding the exploding punch cheat.)
 * If the player drives the APC into the pond in Middle Park, it will gain damage but cannot be destroyed.
 * If the APC lands upside down, it is very difficult to flip back over due to its size and weight (crashing cars into it will have no effect.) However, using a helicopter by crashing into it (or using its rotors) may help flip it back over, causing only minor damage to the APC.
 * The APC, along with the Rhino and along several other vehicles, are listed in the vehicles.ide file in Max Payne 3, indicating the APC may make a return in Grand Theft Auto V.
 * Even though it's considered a Law Enforcement Vehicle, the player can pick up prostitutes and pay for their services.

Locations

 * The APC appears in the missions "Caught with your Pants Down", where the player steals one for Yusuf Amir, and "Frosting on the Cake", where the player destroys one with Sticky Bombs to escape the pursuing law enforcement after killing several Lost MC bikers.
 * Can be obtained from Henrique Bardas after finishing the main storyline.
 * Parking lot of the East Holland LCPD Station in Algonquin. The vehicle can be found parked underneath in a small garage with no garage door. (Multiplayer only)
 * Can be spawned via the player's phone by dialing: 272-555-8265 ("APC"-555-"TANK").
 * At Yusuf Amir's construction site after shooting all 50 seagulls and after the mission For the Man Who Has Everything is completed.

External link

 * Exclusive vehicles on the official The Ballad of Gay Tony website

N.O.O.S.E. APC (IV) APC APC APC APC