f13.net

In the wake of the Shiva Virus, a wide variety of mutants emerged to claim the world of Fallen Earth, ranging from the massive and deadly sandworms to the voracious porkupine. Some have been utilized as sources of food or materials for survivor settlements, such as the prairie chicken, whose meat has become a staple food in many diets. Other creatures, such as the vicious pack hunters known as blight wolves, are a constant threat any time you step outside the walls of a settlement. Worst of all are the Shiva’s Favored and the Cult of the Dead. Shiva’s Favored are mutants from deep in the wastelands who seek to spread the radiation and toxins they need to live across the fertile Grand Canyon Province, while the Cult of the Dead are parasitic mutants who must consume the flesh and blood of humans to survive. Not all the mutants of Fallen Earth are hostile; the vast majority are none too friendly.

I don't want to join Gamespot.

Could've stopped right there.

Isn't a before/after shot much more compelling if... you know... use the same shot before and after improvement?

Too many variables for me to make any sense out of it or notice an impressive change.

In recent months we’ve completely revamped the new player experience in Fallen Earth, rebuilding the tutorial from the ground up and restructuring many of the starter towns. These screenshots show some of the work that has been done in the tutorial, which now takes placing during the Fall of Hoover Dam and introduces the player to some of the more advanced parts of the game, such as vehicle operation and rocket launchers. The player will face everything from White Crow commandos to genetically engineered super-soldiers in the tutorial, and will interact with the six main factions. After the tutorial, players will be able to select what town they wish to start in, each of which has a different focus (crafting, combat, support, PvP).

Fallen Earth Character Improvements (http://www.fallenearth.com/?page=newcharacters)

What a betrayal! I had already orchestrated my backstory as a blood-soaked hippie slacker who enjoys a game of hacky sack when I'm not brandishing my M16.

Now, I guess I'll just be a space marine.  :oh_i_see:

FALLEN EARTH ANNOUNCES ALPHA TEST

CARY, NC – August 12, 2008 -- Post apocalyptic MMOG Fallen Earth announced today it will
officially begin Alpha testing on Thursday, August 14, 2008. The test is scheduled to run through
early 2009, immediately followed by Beta testing to begin in 1Q09.

Fallen Earth Project Manager Colin Dwan said, “During the Alpha test phase, testers will be
focused into specific towns so we can have miniature stress tests each week. They will be able
to experience all of our game systems including missions, combat, crafting, scavenging,
economy, and vehicles. We are extremely excited to move from general content creation to
game balance and bug fixing.”

Fallen Earth is a post-apocalyptic massively multiplayer online game that mixes first person
shooter and role playing game style mechanics. The game is set in 2156, one hundred years
after the world is brought low by a plague known as Shiva that killed 99% of the population. The
game takes place in and around the Grand Canyon, one of the few habitable places left on Earth,
which makes it a place many are willing to kill to control. Our world is one where mankind teeters
on the edge of extinction, clinging to the bones of the old world while trying to recover their lost
secrets. It's a world of scavengers and desperation. The players are those who choose to rise
above the hardships of this new world and work toward a better world, or decide the old world
was corrupt and all signs of it must be erased completely.

Gamers who are a GameSpot subscriber can apply for the free Alpha test at
http://www.gamespot.com/event/codes/fallen-earth/. Gamers who are not GameSpot subscribers
can go to http://www.gamespot.com/signup/index.php and sign up for free. Participants will be
chosen based on qualifying criteria, applicant numbers, and testing schedules. If accepted into
the Alpha test, gamers will receive a key code and can download the file immediately.

Fallen Earth, being developed using the Icarus Studios Tools Suite platform, will be showcased in
the Icarus Studios booth 307 at the Virtual Worlds Expo in Los Angeles, CA, September 3-4,
2008 and in booth 316 at the Austin Game Developer Conference Expo, September 16-17, 2008.
For more information, players can visit www.fallenearth.com.

# # #
Media Contact:
Doug Mealy, Online Marketing and Public Relations, at dmealy@om-pr.com.

Being introduced to Icarus Studios’ newest game “Fallen Earth”, I half-heartedly expected to see the same rehashed "oh-my-gosh-the-world-is-ending” MMORPG game. I mean, honestly how many times can we save the planet and do it in new and interesting ways?

As I sat down with Lee Hammock, Fallen Earth’s lead game designer, I surveyed the landscape in front of me: the remains of what was once a zoo filled with families and alive with laughter. It now sat in ruin, the reptile house full of cobwebs. I asked him what made Fallen Earth different.

“Imagine building combat robots..” said Hammock.

Ok, you have my attention!

No class here!
Fallen Earth is designed as a classless system, where each player allocates advancement points in order to advance their character’s stats. You want to be average in all forms of combat and skill? Spread out the advancement points over several skills. You want to be kick ass with a rifle? Put your stats into dexterity and perception. By allowing the player to specialize in certain skills they will be able to shine in a particular area, but at the cost of limiting their abilities elsewhere.

Factions (no..not that other game!)
Players may have the total freedom to select the skill set they want, but where they will be required to commit themselves is in selecting a faction. Players will not be required to join a faction immediately and in fact are discouraged and prevented from doing so until they’ve experienced the game a bit. The designers wanted to ensure that players are able to make good informed decisions about the different factions before they pledge themselves to one over another.

Pledging to a faction is no light choice. Each of the 6 factions (Chota, Techs, Vistas, Enforcers, Travelers, Lightbearers) will have two factions that they are allied with and one that they are sworn enemies. As a player explores the world and complete quests they will be able to raise faction with allies or enemies. If you are the type of player that would like to be “friends with everyone” you will have serious issues trying to maintain neutrality here.

Each faction will have bonuses to a particular skill set and will have specific game content only available to that particular class. Each faction can learn all skills, but some will learn faster than others. In fact, of the 800-1000 hours of total game content available to a player, remaining true to only one faction the player will experience only about 500 hours of content.

Now before you get up in arms about missing out on 50 percent of the game, the designers have it covered. You can effectively change your faction by doing quests which will raise your standing with that particular faction or their allies. As you level further in the game, you will find that as you head further down a path, changing faction will grow increasingly more challenging and time consuming. “Essentially you can work your way around the wheel of factions and experience all factions,” said Hammock.

Equipment: You have been killed by a baseball bat!
Each character will have 22 equipment slots for various items; 6 of those dedicated to weaponry. With slots available on a player’s back, belt, and thigh, characters will have more than enough room for weapons such as knives, swords, rifles, and yes..even a shovel!

Particularly interesting was the inclusion of dynamic clothing. Ski masks that can be rolled up or down, baseball hats worn either forward or backward, and jackets that can be zipped up or open were just a few of the ways that players could further ensure that their characters were in fact unique representations.

The best gear will be player made (of course!) and due to the fact that armor and weapons will have a set durability, crafters will be kept busy! To help entice those who enjoy collecting salvage materials and crafting items, players will have the ability to level their characters exclusively through crafting. This is good news for those players looking to hold the next monopoly on killer robot batteries!

Character Customization
In addition to the endless options for equipment customization, players have the option to wear war paint, facial tattoos, have body piercings and wear facial hair. If someone should look down regretfully at that skull and cross bones tattoo they got in a drunken night of partying, have no fear! Players can visit the local in-game tattoo parlor which will remove that virtual ink in a jiff!

PvP? In an apocalyptic setting? Say it isn’t so!
Yes, the game will have 800-1000 hours of PvE game content, but you can’t have ruins, a wasted earth, and chaotic civilization without having some sort of conflict with those left behind! About 1/3 of the game world will be dedicated PvP areas. Beware of hunting in these areas, as there will be no safety, even from friendly fire.

“So, you mean to tell me that if you drop a grenade into the middle of your group and set it off…you can kill your entire group?” I asked.
“Yes.” Responded Hammock. Cool!

Have Tank..Will Travel!
As far as the size of the game, the map area available to players will be approximately 7500 square miles. Hearing that figure, I was thinking “I really hope that quests won’t make me drag my apocalyptic butt from one end of the map to the other!”

The designers have taken into account the fact that players have, more often than not, been subjected to endless quest runs. Quests will be centered around certain areas and then slowly push players out to other areas to complete quests in a new region. As far as transportation to get from point A to point B? There will be vehicles, but don’t hold out for motor homes just yet. “I really want to have a tank” said Hammock with a gleam.

Not. Likely. Odds are THEY had to pay to be on gamespot.

Hey all,

We had a number of technical issues come up today which have forced us to push back the Alpha registration process until approximately noon Wednesday (Eastern Standard Time for those who are curious).

I know a lot of folks on the forums are frustrated at this, if not outright angry. I know the feeling. After working on something for forty plus hours a week for almost three years, every little stumble is painful. We want this to run smoothly and to get good, solid testers into the game as painlessly as possible. Sadly the process has not been smooth or painless. While y'all are looking at a game you would like to play (hopefully very much like to play) as it keeps getting taken just out of reach, imagine how I feel, seeing my baby get tousled around.

We apologize. We are getting it done as quickly as we can. Please bear with us; we want this as badly as you do.

Lee Hammock

Is this link still up for the codes?

It's all terribly confusing.

I am so tired.

Required System Requirements

Processor: 2.4Ghz dual core processor
Video: 3D hardware accelerator video card supporting Pixel Shader 2.0 or later and 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible. Minimum 256MB video memory. NVidia GeForce 7800GT or better or ATI Radeon X1800 or better
OS: Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Vista (32 or 64 bit)
RAM: 2GB RAM (3GB for Vista)
Disk Space: 4GB of available disk space
Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card

In an announcement today, Fallen Earth released the final round of female character developments, including upgrades with re-texturized armor and clothing and advanced rendering techniques such as per-pixel lighting and specular highlights. With male character developments completed in mid-July and a tentative content complete date in mid-September, this is another sign for MMO gamers worldwide that the Apocalypse is indeed coming.

“We provide the best experience for our fans by giving players many high quality choices for customizing their characters as much as they like,” said Steve Coyle, Art Director for the independent LLC. “We also want to make game play as real as possible, and our characters have to reflect that.”

Using up-to-date rendering techniques, artists have modeled muscular and skeletal systems more accurately, and with the use of per-pixel lighting, shade and shadow provide a new level of 3D realism. With a toned-down, post-Apocalyptic color palette, female characters are more representative of the 2154 sexy super-soldier they were intended to be.

Female character upgrades follow the series of adjustments made to male counterparts last month, including anatomical updates, equipment, and customization options for faces, hairstyles and tattoos among other things. Players will also look forward to a wide array of faction-oriented bolt-ons, currently in concept phase.

New models represent a variety of snapshots of player advancement, from basic clothing and salvaged weapons all the way up to advanced armor plating and sub-machine guns. All of the individual pieces, from thigh plates to belts to boots, can be mixed and matched, enabling players to create uniform looks or more chaotic outfits. The only question left? What will you wear to the Apocalypse?

They shouldn't have thrown style out the window with the upgrade.

Well, considering crafting is an important part of the game, i would expect that color tints would be possible, but i'm not sure. Other than that, i personally think the new models and look are better.

What will you wear to the Apocalypse?

Dune Buggy

The dune buggy is a mid-level vehicle that crafters will be able to make when they reach Northfields. The knowledges involved in building the dune buggy are discovered through research, extrapolating from the ATV and motorcycle knowledges characters will have gotten earlier in their vehicle-building careers. Like most vehicles, the secret to their construction is found through lots of work crafting components and doing research.

At its core, the dune buggy is the mid-range vehicle of Fallen Earth. It uses more gas than an ATV, but has more hit points and cargo. It isn’t as fast as the Interceptor, but it is much more fuel efficient and much easier to build or repair. It is slower than a motorcycle, but can take a lot more punishment and has a bigger fuel tank. The dune buggy will probably be the vehicle of choice for many characters, since not everyone needs the high-performance abilities of the Interceptor. Also, like the Interceptor, the dune buggy can mount machine guns on its chassis.

The dune buggy is available in several versions, from the basic dune buggy all the way up to the Skirmish Buggy. Some dune buggy versions use different types of fuel, such as biodiesel or batteries, while others have varying amounts of armor, levels of fuel efficiency, and cargo. A basic dune buggy is worth about 15K chips, while a Skirmish Buggy is worth upwards of 200K chips.

All vehicles are made out of four core components: frame, engine, tires, and control system. Some also have a fifth core component in the form of weaponry. Many vehicles also require vehicle repair kits of varying qualities to represent all the little bits needed to put the major components together. Building a basic dune buggy requires a Science skill of 75, while building a skirmish buggy requires a Science skill of 195. The basic dune buggy requires 225 hours to construct all the core components and put them together into the finished vehicle.

Components needed for the core components of a dune buggy (which are subject to change through the testing process, but the ballpark is about right):
Engine:
Scrap Steel: 40
Scrap Gears: 30
Scrap Fasteners: 30
Weak Geologic Chemical: 10
Salvaged Copper: 15

Tires:
Scrap Rubber: 50
Weak Geologic Chemical: 30
Scrap Steel: 20

Control System:
Salvaged Copper: 15
Scrap Gears: 15
Scrap Fasteners: 20
Scrap Steel: 15
Scrap Glass: 5

Frame:
Scrap Steel: 70
Scrap Fasteners: 30
Scrap Rubber: 20
Scrap Glass: 10

For a total of:
Scrap Steel: 145
Scrap Gears: 45
Scrap Fasteners: 80
Weak Geologic Chemical: 40
Salvaged Copper: 30
Scrap Rubber: 70
Scrap Glass: 15

4) you could always just buy one.

Tiggs (http://forums.fallenearth.com/fallenearth/showthread.php?t=3924) has joined Fallen Earth's moderation staff.

I know no-one really cares, but hey, it saves looking up LinkedIn or something.

Tiggs (http://forums.fallenearth.com/fallenearth/showthread.php?t=3924) has joined Fallen Earth's moderation staff.

I know no-one really cares, but hey, it saves looking up LinkedIn or something.

Who is Tiggs?

I can't figure out how she keeps getting jobs!

You're really really bored, aren't you?  I can tell.  It was the even bothering to write something about Tiggs which gave it away.

FE is a game I want to really like, but in my heart of hearts I know it probably won't happen.

-New level of 3D realism through use of hi-poly normal mapped objects
-Hundreds of jackets, pants, belts, gloves and pads for players of all skill levels, yielding thousands of new character customization options
-More than a dozen customizable character slots including head, mouth, eye and ear slots
-New and improved range and melee weapons including bladed hockey stick, a parking meter, a Tesla hammer (a Taser on a hammer) and a baker’s rolling pin!
-Wide range of gear, including gas masks, hazmat suits, goggles and specialized body armor
-Approximately 70 towns including starter towns for beginner players, player-conquerable towns for PvP enthusiasts, and faction and barter towns for more advanced missions and character development (although this differs from our original estimate, we’ve honed in to make the best possible player experience)
-More than 5,000 missions available
-Three sectors of game play to be included in the game release: The Plateau (red desert sands and barren wastelands); Northfields (grassy wheat fields); and Kaibab Forest (trees and scrubby foliage)
-More than 50,000 lines of dialogue including information on missions, item descriptions, conversation options and NPC interactions
-More than 1,300 new and motion-captured animations and emotes
-Several thousand crafting recipes
-Database of more than 6,000 items
-Players combine materials and work with others to craft 95 percent of game items
-Players can mount and fire weapons from within different types of vehicles
-More than 1,000 square kilometers of explorable territory (this territory reflects game play for sectors 1-3 and will be available upon launch, while the remaining approximate 6,000 square kilometers will be made available in later expansions

From Fallen Earth:


Hi all… Circatrix here, writing on behalf of the Fallen Earth Team. We are happy to bring you a sneak peek of the faction gear you’ll see in Fallen Earth™. You may have seen the character modifications we worked on back in July and August, and there have been some impressive improvements. We have also taken the non-player characters’ (NPCs) wardrobe and accessories to a new level.

Leading up to Content Complete, the art department was hard at work improving the look of the Faction NPCs. The screenshots you’ll see here show NPCs, although many of the items are available to players. We worked to build consistency in the color palette, texture and overall design of the faction gear so that NPCs would be readily recognizable for players as they approach. This becomes especially important as eighteen towns are faction settlements and many of the missions are faction-oriented.

As you may already be aware, within the game there are three pairs of diametrically-opposed factions. The factions are CHOTA and Enforcers, Vistas and Techs, and Lightbearers and Travelers. Each week, we will cover two opposing factions. This week, we look at the CHOTA and the Enforcers. If you are familiar with the Fallen Earth storyline, you know that each faction has a particular interest in how the Grand Canyon Province is ruled, and each faction’s philosophy results from the Fall.

Known as the CHOTA, the Children of the Apocalypse are a product of the Fall. When Shiva struck and nuclear holocaust ensued, they embraced chaos and destruction, preferring to destroy any semblance of the old ways. They are led by the warlord Redhand, and prefer a tribal society. Although they are some of the most powerful warriors in the Grand Canyon Province, their alliance is fractured. CHOTA are made up of several independent tribes that only rally for major causes.

The CHOTA NPCs you’ll see in the screenshots reflect the faction’s tribal and savage characteristics. The tribal influence of the CHOTA can be seen mainly in their patchwork wardrobes, some pieces of which are available for players. Leathers and various animal skins have been stitched together to create pants, shirts and armor, hearkening back to the ways of the ancient Native Americans that inhabited the area. You’ll see a skull on the right shoulder of the NPC in back, and many of the decorative elements of their wardrobes include feathers, bones, animal teeth and claws. You’ll also recognize the lucky rabbit's foot hanging from the belt of the female CHOTA warrior in front. You might assume from their wild hairstyles and colors, random tattoos and face paint that they are on the edge, but their savage nature is also evident in the variety of melee weapons they keep on hand. From a shark-toothed mace to a huge axe, CHOTA have a flair for gruesome weapons. Several pieces of forearm armor have blades and spikes, as do some helmets and shoulder armor. The NPC in back even has four severed fingers dangling from his necklace.



Opposite the CHOTA and no less deadly, the Enforcers were formed from the remaining military and police forces of the U.S. government. After the Fall, they worked to bring order and stability to the Grand Canyon Province. They are orderly and systematic, and they police the Province, offering protection for settlements in exchange for food and shelter. They are without doubt the most efficient combat force in the area. They often get their latest and greatest weapons from the Techs, and they train constantly. At times, they’ve held off groups ten times their size.

You’ll immediately think of present-day military when you see the Enforcer NPCs. All have at least one camouflage element in their wardrobes—jackets, pants or gear. Many of the boots, belts and even the beret worn by the warrior in the middle are reminiscent of current military fatigues, and two of the soldiers wear traditional supply belts. Their gear isn’t tribal like the CHOTA, but instead focuses on function to make them more effective in combat. Many of the materials resemble metal or a Kevlar-like material, and the camouflage color palette ranges from desert browns to woodland greens. More clean cut and orderly than the CHOTA, the Enforcer NPCs don’t have many piercings, tattoos or face paint. Some boots featured in the screenshots and the pants worn by the officer in the beret can also be acquired by players. Players can acquire the weapons, including the rocket launcher held by the warrior on the left, at various stages in the game. Since they were formally trained by military, police and government agents, most Enforcers rely on ranged weapons. The helmets and hats pictured—as well as the night-vision goggles worn by the soldier in the middle—can all be acquired by players. The character customization slots accommodate a helmet and goggles simultaneously.

Although we’ve prepared a few examples in the screenshots, we hope that as players ally with a particular faction that they’ll max out the character customization options we have in store. More than a dozen character customization slots, with more than fifteen options for each slot, yield thousands of combinations. We are excited to see what players do with what they’ve been given.

Check in with us next week for the next round of factions gear and screenshots. And if you haven’t submitted yet, check out our Halloween Costume Contest (http://forums.fallenearth.com/fallenearth/fecontest.php). We hope you’ll use the screenshots for some inspiration. Winners will get an alpha key and Fallen Earth t-shirt. Good luck and stay tuned for next week!

Fallen Earth Image

Last week we posted images of the gear used by the nature-oriented Vistas and the science-obsessed Techs, and this week we move on to the Travelers and the Lightbearers.


The Travelers exist in the junction between traveling performers, underworld crime bosses, and used car salesmen. Their primary concern is money and trade, and they will go to great lengths to make a profit, even if some legs have to get broken in the process. The Travelers believe that trade in and of itself is a worthwhile goal, as it allows people to trade what they have for what they need, and the Travelers want some portion of that transaction. While most Traveler operations are concerned with trading, entertainment, or servicing the various vices that survived the apocalypse, they also have more than a few less pleasant activities. Assassination, extortion, and flat-out robbery are all part of Traveler operations. Travelers avoid standup fights where possible since they are rarely profitable, preferring a knife in the back or a silenced pistol to a fight where their enemies can see them coming. Through trade and their own handiwork, the Travelers are well equipped with a variety of new and salvaged equipment.


The Travelers are divided into eight families, each with its own particular trade and focus. The first Traveler on the left is an example of the Vegas family, which concentrates on alcohol and gambling; they were also the ones who brought the poker chip currency to the Grand Canyon Province. The second Traveler is an example of the Moros family, which once formed the criminal underground of Hoover Dam before it was ransacked in the CHOTA revolt. The third Traveler is an example of a high-ranking Traveler, probably of the Brenhauer family. The fourth Traveler is an Orphan, the Traveler family most closely tied with the CHOTA. The last Traveler is a member of the Black Hood Gang, which serves as the muscle for the Travelers when brute force is called for. The enigmatic Cleaners, the assassins of the Travelers, are not so careless as to be caught in a picture.


Opposing the Travelers are the Lightbearers, a monastic order of healers, mutants, and warriors. While the Lightbearers claim to be dedicated to helping all comers, there are rumors and whispers that they only actually help mutants and are working toward a future where all humanity has been replaced with mutantkind. The Lightbearers are skilled healers, knowing much of pre-Fall medical science and natural remedies. Lightbearers use these skills to help save as many people as they can, and also use their respectable close-combat skills to protect those who cannot protect themselves. While the Lightbearers do not use much in the way of advanced weaponry or armor, they make up for it with skill and the powerful mutations they have developed. The Lightbearers are the foremost experts on mutations in the Grand Canyon Province and can bring a number of different mutation talents to bear against their enemies. The Lightbearers often trade their medical goods to the Enforcers and Vistas for supplies and equipment, preferring natural materials in the same way the Vistas do.


The first and third Lightbearers are representative of low-ranking members of the order. The second Lightbearer is possibly a member of the Sun and Moon, the secretive order of Lightbearer assassins that some would call ninjas, but who don’t exactly wear their allegiance openly. The third is a Lightbearer Master prepared for battle, while the fifth is a Senior Lightbearer, such as you would often find in charge of a Lightbearer settlement.
 

For more information on Fallen Earth including live dev chats, contests and game updates, visit www.fallenearth.com.

I am really interested in playing as a Lightbearer in FE, but they do look like the kind of guys who bring a knife to a gun fight.

I like that the assassin is checking her watch, like it's, "How long is this going to take? I've got places to go, people to kill!".

I feel like I'm playing this game, except it doesn't have a monthly fee and is called Fallout  :oh_i_see:

I really can't drum up the interest to read the usual blathering overly wordy overpromises. Can someone please summarize what this game is trying to do and why we should care?

Bloodsworth thinks I am too hard on FE though.

A copy of the transcript is attached.

[Brannoc]Welcome to today's House of Commons chat with the developers of Fallen Earth!
[Brannoc]Questions may be submitted to directly to me by typing /msg Brannoc my question here!
[Brannoc] We'll begin with a brief introduction from our guests and then jump straight into the questions. The full logs will be available at http://www.stratics.com shortly afterward.
<Tiggs>Hiyas!! Tiggs here, Community Director for FE =)
<FELee>Hi guys, I'm Lee Hammock, the Lead Game designer on Fallen Earth.
<FEJames> I'm James, content writer and designer... One of Lee's minions.
<[FE]Wes>I'm Wes, one of the game designers working on Fallen Earth. Longtime support of the Landshark. Down with the Captain! Also: Pie over cake.
[Brannoc]> *Olly-* whats the game about ?
<FELee>Fallen Earth is a post apocalyptic MMORPG with an FPS based combat system and rpg style mechanics. It is set in the Grand Canyon and uses a classless advancement system.

[Brannoc] *bM`Noun* The FAQ states that there is no PvP at the beginning of the game, will PvP ever be a core part of Fallen Earth?
<FEJames>PvP will be supported in PvP zones in Sector 1, but really ramps up when the players join factions in Sector 2. In conflict towns, players will be able to fight alongside their faction for control of towns, giving them access to more missions and resources.

[Brannoc]*Avinalaff* Will a Workshop (if it exists), allow you to run more than one project at a time? As in could one person build wheels at the same time as another person builds a chassis, etc...
<[FE]Wes>Multiple people can work on projects in a single workshop. So, if you want to build a chassis, your friend can build wheels at the same time. However, players can't work on more than one thing at a time individually, with or without a workshop.

[Brannoc]*Zebranky* How much will players be able to affect the setting or the future development of FE through their actions in the game?
<FELee>We have a number of storylines that involve player decisions in the overall story of the game, such as players influencing the decisions of those who control the technology behind the player clones. Plus players can help decide the development and territory of different factions through PvP conflicts.

[Brannoc]*{DeM}wintergate* What will leveling be like in fallen earth?
<[FE]Wes>Leveling in Fallen Earth is rather unique, as you can do it by completing missions, scavenging, and even crafting. These avenues make leveling feel a lot less like a grind.

[Brannoc] *Quavis* If tradeskills/harvesting doesn't require you to spend any AP to learn, whats is the point of the tech faction in general? Won't absolutely everyone be harvesting anything they come upon anyways? This is very quickly going to make material and resources, and eventually finished products absolutely worthless?
<FELee>Tradeskills don't require AP to learn directly, but do require AP to master since you have to raise your attributes to master tradeskills. Also each faction only has access to certain skills, so Techs will be able to learn Science while the CHOTA are out of luck in that regard. Also the Techs are the only faction in the game that teaches Geology, allowing them to harvest more metals and refine metals than other factions. Lastly charac
<FELee>Lastly characters can reasearch new knowledges to unlock recipes that can only be gained by research and are never available from vendors, so crafters have a definite advantage in teh game. All the best stuff comes from crafters.

[Brannoc]*flora* For crafting, when gathering materials, if you take the time to gather while doing quests/doing PvP, will the generally be enough to sustain a moderate progression of crafting. Or will we have to go out of our way to collect materials?
<FEJames>Harvest nodes and materials are found through quests and are often scattered near points of interest and mission locations. You'll often find that your path toward your goal in a mission will bring you near materials you need for crafting. It's like finding little presents along the way.
<FEJames>In PvP, if players take some conflict towns, they may have access to even more resources.

[Brannoc]*Timothy* Will Fallen Earth use a hitbox to calculate damage or will it be rock, paper, scissors based like Planetside?
<FELee>Fallen Earth uses hit boxes, skills, weapons, and armor to calculate damage. Base damage is determined by weapon and is modified by hit location and Rifle/Pistol/Melee vs. Dodge/Melee Defense and is then modified by armor. So it's toally FPS in hit determination and a mixture of FPS and RPG in damage determination.

[Brannoc]*AllenJB* How frequently do you see big ingame storyline events happening? Will player characters be able to affect the storyline? To what extent?
<[FE]Wes>One of the cool new features we've been working with are town events in Fallen Earth. Players complete missions, which escalates the situation around the town until players have to save the day.
<[FE]Wes>We've also got storylines that focus on the history of GlobalTech and where the clones come from. Between the town events and the big storylines, players get to make their mark in the world.

[Brannoc]*matrex0* so is the game set across the whole world or just america?
<FEJames>The game is set in the Grand Canyon region of Arizona, known at the time of the Fall as the Grand Canyon Province, which is under control of the GlobalTech corporation. It is one of the few remaining truly habitable zones left.

[Brannoc]*Olly-* what was the high concept for the game?
<FELee>Really we wanted to do something very Mad Max-esque. We wanted to do a very stereotypical 80s post apocalyptic sort of thing. Desert, mohawks, cars, sawn off shotguns, etc. There is a deep cultural identitification with that imagery among computer gamers and the scarcity of post apocalyptic setting works wonderfully with a gear oriented MMO.

[Brannoc]*[WSX]ZtyX* Is there a maximum level for tradeskills/crafting in Fallen Earth?
<FELee>Yes, sort of. Players can advance to 45th level until the first content upgrade and we have a extremely aggressive expansion schedule. Crafting will continue to advance with every expansion. Plkayers can craft up to 55th level gear in the release content if they concentrate on it.

[Brannoc] *Hapless* What are going to be the penalties for pvping in FE? Item drop, exp loss, temp stat loss, ect.
<FELee> PvP results in temp stat loss, item degradation (and eventual destruction). LifeNet pods are not in PvP zones, but are nearby, so if you don't have a buddy with a trauma pack it can be a walk back to the fight.

[Brannoc]*[WSX]ZtyX* And here is one more question: What would be the most important thing for someone new to know about crafting?
<[FE]Wes>To my way of the thinking, the most important thing to know about crafting is: You're going to need to conserve pack and vault space for materials. And scavenge and harvest as much as you can to get the raw materials you need!
* Tiggswould like to congratulate the following people who now have won an alpha key....
<Tiggs>noun, evoke, jekai, kitro, monto, oozy, squatch, yami, briped and ghost
<Tiggs>Please message me with a valid email address to send your key too and congrats!

[Brannoc]*[WSX]Rivers* How is stealth a factor in Fallen Earth?
<FEJames>We have stealth skill that grants abilities such as a reduction in aggro and even disguising oneself as a member of opposing factions.
<FEJames>Right now, we have a stealth system in the works that includes generation and detection of noise, but exactly how it will work is still to be determined.

[Brannoc]*Arkon* How focused on roleplay is the game intended to be? Will it be an enforced roleplay, no roleplay, or roleplay if you want system?
<[FE]Wes> I think we can expect a roleplay-if-you-want approach, although we're certainly going to police names for appropriateness. I'm a fan of immersive roleplay, but we also recognize that casual gamers aren't always the same way.

[Brannoc] *flora* Hypothetical scenario, yey! I log in to Fallen Earth, my character is at the level cap. What can I look forward to doing that play session.
<FELee>You can look forward to gather components and crafting, working with your faction, PvP, following storylines, and pursuing content you missed previously. Most players will only see 1/4-1/3 of the content on a single play through. It's a huge environment to explore. We hope to have additional content out quickly after release as well.

[Brannoc]*[WSX]Rivers* What was your desire, as a development team, to show the MMO gaming community with Fallen Earth?
<FELee>Show that just because a game has some complexity to it that doesn't mean its not fun. Our crafting is very indepth, our advancement system allows vast customization, we have 6 factions players can switch between, etc.
<FELee>Also we wanted to do something without elves. Stupid elves.

[Brannoc]*[WSX]ZtyX* And one more question: Is there going to be weapon and armour customization? More specifically: Damage/Armour/resistance bonuses?
[Brannoc](woo stupid elves!)

<FELee> First of all there is a vast variety of items available, so players will have multiple choices at any given point for what to wear or use. Some of these have multiple versions based on color, designs, etc. Each of these has its own resistances, so you can have switch out your heavy helmet for a gas mask as the situation arises. Players more customize their gear by switching or making new items as opposed to modifying the stats on their
<FELee>Players more customize their gear by switching or making new items as opposed to modifying the stats on their items.

[Brannoc] *[WSX]Carnifex* Question for Fallen Earth: How does taking over Towns work ? Is it "Hold a certain point for a certain amount of time", or "Annihalate the enemy", or maybe a different system ?
<FEJames>Our conflict towns have a few different ways of going about it, but the central mechanic is that the players must assist, through NPC missions, the takeover of towns.
<FEJames>In some conflict towns, you may be fighting to remove a villain faction from taking over a town (and thus gaining that town for your buddies) through NPC missions. Others demand that you gather resources and craft to support the economies of the town, making the locals more friendly. Either way, once your faction hits a certain threshold over competing factions, your team gains control, giving you access to additional content, resou
<FEJames> All of these conflict towns have one thing in common, however. Other players will be able to shoot you. That always complicates things.
<FEJames> Either way, once your faction hits a certain threshold over competing factions, your team gains control, giving you access to additional content, resources, and merchants.

[Brannoc]*[SF]Rein* How many hitbox locations are there?
<[FE]Wes>We've got six hitbox locations: Both arms, both legs, torso, head.

[Brannoc]*[WSX]ZtyX* One more question Brannoc: The Scavenging/Harvesting system sounds really cool. I can see some people complaining about it though.. Could it happen that you revamp it?
<[FE]Wes> Scavenging and harvesting might be tweaked - nodes might take longer to respawn, they might be fewer in number. But I don't expect we'd revamp the fundamentals of how they work and the purpose they serve in the game.

[Brannoc]*[SF]Rein* Will there be a FFA pvp server?
<FELee> We currently are not sure how many servers there will be. Due to our immense world we're hoping to be able to have a lot of people on each server, thus having few servers overall. That said, if we do have multiple servers we are looking at doing different rule sets on them.

[Brannoc] *[LoD]Sabbath* At what level can a player PvP?
<FEJames>Fort Forgotten and Slaughterville are PvP areas that you can run to immediately upon entering your starter town.

[Brannoc]Here's a question from the forums...
[Brannoc]1. How reliant will crafters be on other crafter? For instance, if I'm doing ballistics and want to make Gangster Gun X, will I never/rarely/sometimes/often need crafted components from somebody who has a comparable science skill?

<FELee>All characters can learn any tradeskill, so ultimately you can cover all the bases if you want to work on it. That said, most people will end up concentrating on a few skill due to limited resources and time. Tradeskills do have crossover needs: for example for making bullets you actually make the bullets with Ballistics, but you make the gunpowder used in the bullets using Science.
<FELee>Also you may put the parts for a Steel Auto Action together using Ballistics, but you may need to refine the some scrap gears to salvaged gears using Science or refine some salvaged steel to common steel to do so. These last two examples are common components that can be found through salvaging or harvesting as well.

[Brannoc]*Quavis* One of the recipes thats been released, the dune buggy, seems to require and extrodinary amount of resouces to construct. Will there be enough room in players banks to store all of this material. This is also likely to be a group/guild project. Will there be some sort of clan/guild bank to store materials for a large project like this?
<FELee>Yes it will fit in your bank, you can but you won't be carrying it all around at once. The parts you're not working on direclty will probably be in your vault, or with your buddies. Clans do have access to clan vaults.

[Brannoc]2. You've stated before that characters will be able to queue and create their crafted items over night but at a slower rate than when they are online. You've also stated that crafting while online can be expedited faster by doing so in a "workshop." If you log off in a workshop, will your items queue faster than if you log off anywhere else on the map? Also, has anything changed with this mechanic and can you guys give us a more numeric
<FELee> Quick correction: we had to change the system so offling and online crafting speeds are the same.
<FELee> If you log off in a workshop you get the speed bonus for the entire time you are logged off. Generally the bonus is a 25% reduction in crafting time. Some particularly items will require workshops, but generally the workshop is only required for a small percentage of the total time spent building the item.

[Brannoc]*[WSX]ZtyX* One more question Brannoc, I'm asking for a whole community lol: What sort of amounts of resources will we see regular crafters go through to level fairly high up? 100s, 1000s 10.000s?
<[FE]Wes>In order to reach the more advanced recipes, players are going to go through a pretty astonishing amount of resources. It'll take time, patience, and perseverance. And lots of vault space. Maybe even the trunk of your car.

[Brannoc]3. As to the teaching skill, will players be able to teach one another recipes/schematics?
<FELee>The Teaching skill has actually been removed from the game, but all the functionality remains, just under each individual skill. Players can teach what we call basic crafting knowledges to each other. They cannot reach researched knowledges that players have to research themselves, but can share other crafting knowledges.
<FELee> So crafters have to learn how to make the best stuff on their own, but can learn to cover the basics from their friends.

[Brannoc]*AllenJB* Are we going to see some more videos soon?
* Tiggs sneaks in and says the first 10 people that havent won a key to message me with their email address will get a key to the alpha test.
* Brannoc lol's as tiggs is flooded
<FELee>Yes. We're shooting to have some very soon, including a preview of our post-tutorial cut scene

[Brannoc] Will items wear down with use at a rate comparable to fallout 3?
<Tiggs> i have 10 people!
<Tiggs> oops i need one more hurry!!
<FELee>Weapons won't wear down as quickly, but the concept is similar. I'd say the wear down rate is about half as fast. You use repair kits instead of other weapons.

[Brannoc]*Hapless* Are there going to be any significant pve encounters in the game or will it be mainly based around Pvp and crafting?
<Tiggs> sorry we have 10 now
<FEJames>There's a LOT of PvE content. You'll have faction storylines, backgrounds into villain factions in the game, and just guys who want you to help them get revenge. Each town has many hours of PvE content, and we'll launch with at least 70 different, fully-fleshed out towns.

[Brannoc] > Will players be able to repair items (fallout 3), or be forced to buy new ones (star wars galaxies) once the durability is gone.
<FELee> Players will be able to repair items using repair kits, but if they don't repair items regularly the items will become unuseable, unrepairable, and good only for salvaging.

[Brannoc] *[LoD]Sabbath* Will there be player cities and asset destruction?
<FELee>Players will be able to take control of conflict towns through PvP conflict, but they will not be able to build towns of their own yet. As such, there is no concept of destroying such player assets at this time.

[Brannoc]*flora* When you die in PvP your goal is to make the trip back costly. Do you feel like this may be an issue and cause PvP to be too sporadic ie: people abandon it quickly upon dying? Thoughts?
<[FE]Wes>PvP won't be that huge a hassle if you're in a party and someone in that party has an item that can rez you on the spot. If anything, it stresses the importance of PvP with a team rather than going solo.

[Brannoc]Will players get to experiment during crafting and create custom parts to weapons/items, or create new weapons altogether?
<FELee>There are literally thousands of recipes so players have lots to discover, but all the crafting is done through preset systems so there is currently no experimentation portion. There's still plenty to do for crafters and lots for them to research and pursue.

[Brannoc]Is there a crafting system out there that you could compare FE's to?
<[FE]Wes>Actually, there's not a crafting system out there that reminds me of what has been developed for FE. We've gone out of our way to develop something that stands apart.

[Brannoc] *Avinalaff* Will females have as many customizable options as the male characters? They often get overlooked!
* Tiggs waits on this one
<FEJames> They use the same types of clothing and armor, so there everything is equal. As for the visual customization,
<FEJames>Instead of beards, female characters get some makeup options.
<FEJames> Instead of body hair as seen on the male, female characters get belly piercings. The same number of options, but different things.
<FEJames>The hairstyles are different, also, but they have an equal number of options.

[Brannoc]*Goune* will your NPC's use a blasted wastes version of english 'Fracking this' and 'nuken that' or other similar language?!?!
<FELee>Sort of. We curse up a storm. F-bombs and everything. We do have lots of slang, especially among the Travelers.

[Brannoc]*flora* You've talked briefly about guilds being able to level up and choose abilities to differentiate the guild. Can you talk about that in more detail, such as requirements, what kind of abilities, etc? Is this idea still around (for launch)?

<[FE]Wes>No, we're not going to have the guild-leveling feature at release.

[Brannoc]*[WSX]ZtyX* Is it possible to craft houses and furniture in Fallen Earth?
<FELee> Not for launch. We have plans to do that eventually, but not initially.

[Brannoc]*flora* What's the game plan for players to find out your goals and provide feedback post day 1. Are there going to be more chats? Is the question of the week going to return? What, if anything, will be our way to provide feedback and ask questions of you?
<Tiggs>Currently on the Alpha forums we have a section set up for feedback on missions and other game aspects. Moving forward to launch we will still have a feedback forum process to gather information on game play and mechanics.
<Tiggs> The QoTW is going away for now and will be replaced by Monthly HoC chats. As you can see we get many more questions responded to and its easier to follow up on responses.

[Brannoc]*Avinalaff* How will the FE-team deal with bots/macro's/goldfarmers?
<FELee>We do have some advantage in our combat system, due to its FPS component and verificvation systems, is not as easy to bot as other games. That said, they will find a way and we're working on puting in stringent methods to locate such problems. Folks found using bots and macros will be banned, and gold farmers will be hung.
<Tiggs> As an added bonus we will be giving the first two guilds to sign up with over 20 members access to the alpha. Email alphatest@fallenearth.com with the members names,email addresses and guild name
<Tiggs>We are also accepting guild sign ups for guilds of any size and play styles
<Tiggs> You can sign up at the same email address

[Brannoc]Ok folks, that's itfor tonight! Thanks for joining us, keep an eye on the Fallen Earth website for more information!
<Tiggs>Thank you everyone for coming! It was a lot of fun!!
<FEJames>Good night, everyone! Thanks for stopping by!
[Brannoc] The logs will be up on http://www.stratics.com shortly.
<[FE]Wes>Night, folks! Thanks for having us.
<FELee>G'night everyone! Try the veal! Thanks for your time!
<Morgana>night everyone

Stop getting my hopes up.

As we start a New Year and ramp up for launch, we at Fallen Earth wanted to take a moment to review some milestones of 2008. We are also excited about many changes we’ve recently made to improve the player experience and look forward to milestones in the near future.

In 2008, we began a new production method to provide clear timelines for each town, as well as a place for artists, designers, scripters and QA to mix ideas and stay on the same page. Earlier on, we went back and forth between the design team and the art department with no real communication or verification of what the town would look like or what the teams wanted. Some good ideas were lost due to lack of communication, and we lacked solid deadlines and processes for QA. By implementing the scrum method, we have eliminated many communication issues between different teams working on the same end product and we have solidified our goals and deadlines.

We also recreated many towns in the first sector and thoroughly reviewed the rest. That’s a huge amount of content:

    * 75,000+ text strings
    * Almost 5,500 missions
    * 6,000+ items
    * 14,000+ unique characters/creatures
    * 143,000+ in game objects
    * 70 towns
    * 600+ hrs of content

There are still things we can improve in each town, but we’re working currently in polish phase and are proud that we’ve revisited and improved so much content. So we have a killer game, now what?

We recently released the tutorial and new character creation, and we plan to polish the new player experience even more. There are also new UI features in almost every patch to clean up the interface and give players more information. The graphics engine is also getting a lot of bug fixes and optimizations to improve frame rate. We continue to fix crash bugs and build the infrastructure necessary to maintain live service with GM commands and more robust system monitoring.

We’ve signed up roughly 4,000 testers in Alpha and are currently running the sign up process through our Web site. We will keep adding qualified new testers as they are needed. We’re still cranking out patches for the alpha testing environment and are looking to our next milestone of closed beta.

We are also working to beef up our marketing machine. We recently hired a PR agency to help with media relations and are looking forward to having more of a presence on the Web, dev journals and features in upcoming magazines and contests and free stuff for our fans. You’ll also hear more about Fallen Earth on the road in some fan events and public demos.

The team has done amazing work this past year and we are mere months away from showing off our baby to the world. Thank you for your support and confidence in Fallen Earth. We look forward to working with you to make an awesome game.

The Fallen Earth Team

They just announced Closed Beta.

They just announced Closed Beta.

They just announced Closed Beta.

CARY, N.C. - February 4, 2009 - Fallen Earth, LLC, developer of the self-titled post-Apocalyptic MMO Fallen Earth, is excited to announce that the game has now transitioned into closed beta testing. Interested testers can sign up for the opportunity to receive a closed beta key at www.fallenearth.com and join thousands of fellow Fallen Earth players each week as the online community expands to accommodate more closed beta testers.

"This is a critical milestone for our team and an opportunity to showcase updated content and features," said Colin Dwan, project manager for Fallen Earth. "We are excited to see how players progress through all three sectors without any interference, and anxious to see where we can improve the overall experience."

The Fallen Earth team has been working very hard to improve and polish all aspects of the game. Recent updates include the creation of a comprehensive user tutorial and continued enhancements to balance the in-game crafting system. With the move to closed beta, players will have the opportunity to piece together aspects of the storyline, play freely through all three sectors, and gain a better understanding of how the game will look and feel at launch. Closed beta testing also allows the development team to better observe overall game play, perform system stress tests, and ultimately perfect the Fallen Earth game experience.

I just signed up to their forums and did the dxdiag stuff. I had no idea they were this close to alpha/beta. Are they jumping the gun, or do they have a legit reason to let in external testers? Can I get a head nod one way or the other?

:nda: - This will be a fun beta

Can these types of games die already...

Can you be a little more specific?

Can you be a little more specific?

Sandbox/simulation.

If you don't like the genre, don't post in threads about it. It seems to more of a personal problem than a genre-related one. Maybe they want you to die! But Simulation isn't speaking up and Sandbox is too busy being a sandbox.

these types of games will long after I'm too old to care. I don't see the point in designing an entire game around sandbox when you can do the same thing in any other mmorpg for a 1/100 of the money by opening a pvp server....

Oh, you're one of them.

Shut up.

So does that mean I'm right? :drill:

Meh I concede this is one of those wait in 5 years to say I told you so type arguments. I generally don't care enough about this subject to get in a fight with a ban hammer wielding admin.

If you don't like the genre, don't post in threads about it. It seems to more of a personal problem than a genre-related one. Maybe they want you to die! But Simulation isn't speaking up and Sandbox is too busy being a sandbox.

Didn't you go and take a steaming dump in the Dollhouse thread 3 days after posting that?

Honestly, I figured you wouldn't care since there were probably a number of people asking.

I still just haven't dl'd it... Should I?

Not sure if this was posted before. But g4 got some footage. (http://g4tv.com/thepile/hdvideos/37780/The-MMO-Report-Fallen-Earth-Special.html)

I'm actually gonna play this when it officially launches. Decided that a while ago though. So if there's any interest in bat country - well, just saying.

I'm actually gonna play this when it officially launches. Decided that a while ago though. So if there's any interest in bat country - well, just saying.

I'm in as well. I'm gonna need people that can make me guns and shit.

Hell they should just call the game "Detroit."

Nice, Surly is a Wings fan so I'll assume he's from the Detroit area. Since Detroit is basically a modern day post apocalyptic city, he'll be our ace. Hell they should just call the game "Detroit."

So, I heard this got much better since the alpha.

Tell me things about this game, I'm too lazy to read up on it. :P

NYC, actually. But I spent enough time in the ruins of motown to get my Mad Max on, so it's all good.

Makes perfect sense actually. Nobody can really be a Rangers or Islanders fan and have any self respect. However, we WILL require you to spend 72 consecutive hours in the Bronx alleyways to make up for the deficit and make sure you're ready for front line duty. It'll be like LARPing only you'll be the only actor.

And instead of casting lightning bolt, you'll wake up with a gunshot wound and a throbbing pain that just won't go away.

Grew up in Harlem, across the bridge from the burnt out South Bronx. There's a mall there now. =P And I've already been shot.

NOW we're fucking talkin my good man. Carry on.

EDIT: Wait, what caliber? If it's that puny .22 shit it doesn't count. .45 or better to get cred, .50 cal or better to be a real internet gangsta.

EDIT2: Ok, 9mm will also be legit.

.380

I'm actually gonna play this when it officially launches. Decided that a while ago though. So if there's any interest in bat country - well, just saying.

...

Seriously?

I don't see where anyone broke an NDA.  I think we're allowed to say that you can get a key through FP. 

Aww =)

Oh, and uh, new FE screenies released. (http://fallenearth.com/screenshots)

They've already improved the models once, I don't know if they'll do it again.

So anyone willing to give the rundown on fallen earth?

So anyone willing to give the rundown on fallen earth?

NDA means no rundowns.

I'm actually gonna play this when it officially launches. Decided that a while ago though. So if there's any interest in bat country - well, just saying.

hahaha

This game

those screenshots! Oi vey

hahaha

This game

If Fileplanet opens up servers to anyone, someone post up here.  I'd like to beta, but not at my expense.

I really wouldn't think going out to Fileplanet members is the best way to build momentum for a MMO of Fallen Earth's... stature.

Opened up to all fileplanet users now. 

You'll get no argument from me.

The only way I see it as being bad is if the servers completely melt or real potential customers are driven away.

The biggest complaint I've seen of FE publicly is "it looks ugly".

This isn't a title to put in front of the Fileplanet crowd. For every one new player you might attract, you'll lose 50 who go "it looks like ass" on other gaming forums.

Its kinda odd really. Their landscapes and buildings don't look too bad from what I've seen from the screenshots.  Not cutting edge, but certainly acceptable.  But whenever I see monsters/enemies/models in general, they look like they are 10 years old.

In-game graphic is not even close to the quality of the screenshots

I'd be more worried about Borderlands burying this title, rather than ChampO or Aion

Borderlands is the only reason I might not pick up FE. I really wish they weren't released so closely together.

Since there is no choice because you don't have a 360 and hopefully won't be breaking your head, are you going to get Fallen Earth?

Players who want to get an early glimpse of Fallen Earth on August 17 need only register on FilePlanet beginning Friday, August 14 at 1 p.m. ET (GMT-4).

NDA should drop shortly-ish. Whenever open beta starts.

Official announcement.

It's not a great game. I'm not even sure it's a good game.

If I can find the time, I'll be playing.

It's very craft-heavy, undoubtedly grindtastic, and the animations are ass.

But it strokes me in a way I haven't been stroked since launch SW:G.

Fin.

I got into the beta. It ran like ass. Like. Ass. At some point I forgot it existed between the crashes and assiness. I have no idea if it's good or not past an hour's worth of playtime.

It might be back to single player Japanese RPGs for me.  I guess that means I should sort out that PlayStation 3 and a Wii, eh? 

How is the vehicles?  I hear you can ride a horse, can you fight from horseback?  Can I build an ATV or Jeep and run over people and mobs?  How is the grind?

How is the vehicles?  I hear you can ride a horse, can you fight from horseback?  Can I build an ATV or Jeep and run over people and mobs?  How is the grind?

There is definitely something appealing about this game from the bit I've played. You can't beat the atmosphere. I like the way you build a character and I dig crafting. But sweet mother, I didn't mind the combat when I was using a gun, but the moment I made a character to focus on melee, ouch. I won't be doing melee characters anymore.

There is definitely something appealing about this game from the bit I've played. You can't beat the atmosphere. I like the way you build a character and I dig crafting. But sweet mother, I didn't mind the combat when I was using a gun, but the moment I made a character to focus on melee, ouch. I won't be doing melee characters anymore.

From everyone's impressions here, the game sounds interesting but not worth the investment. Maybe when the box goes down to the $20-30 range, I'll pick it up and give it a shot.

Y'know, I've always wondered why MMO devs. dont take a more business-oriented approach and market their products cheaply at startup and THEN increase the price to retail after the dust has settled.  Imo they'd sell a lot more boxes if prices were reasonable to start.  Similar to how many electronics are sold, below retail at release to boost marketing through word-of-mouth.

The pricing on something like FE just spells to me that they're trying to moneygrub and run and have little faith in their own product.

From my own experience, this is about what I am going to do.  The game is definitely worth keeping up with, because it is ALMOST something I want to play, but in its current state, I won't buy it.

Especially since I am buying CO anyway.

That's reasonable, but...


NOT SO MUCH.

Y'know, I've always wondered why MMO devs. dont take a more business-oriented approach and market their products cheaply at startup and THEN increase the price to retail after the dust has settled.  Imo they'd sell a lot more boxes if prices were reasonable to start.  Similar to how many electronics are sold, below retail at release to boost marketing through word-of-mouth.

The pricing on something like FE just spells to me that they're trying to moneygrub and run and have little faith in their own product.

No you don't have a higher tolerance than me for indie games, but you probably have a higher tolerance than me for low framespersecond. Or a way better rig.

Anyway, I just gave it another spin and it's so much a better game than a few weeks ago. Performances are still crappy for my FPS-addicted arse, and that's disheartening. I want to play this, but I can't let myself enjoy anything stutterish anymore *cries*

I've had absolutely zero issues with aiming. The crosshairs move smoothly and the enemies have hitboxes, so hitting things in the head with a crossbow does more damage than hitting someone in the legs. I dig it.

Goddamn your avatar is nasty, change it. No one really likes bats.

I gotta say, this is the first chiropteraphobic forum I've been to.

It takes all kinds. We're pro-masturbating duck, however.

At one point in the beta the mobs zigzagged apparently to make aiming harder, so I think that may have influence people's perceptions.

Sigh. I am about to cave-in (as a depleted mine) and buy this. Someone stops me.

Do it.  :awesome_for_real:

Falconeer, you visited America and then proceeded to complain about going back to Rome after going to places like goddamn Ohio and Maryland. You make bad decisions all the time. How is this even comparable?

I'm actually gonna play this when it officially launches. Decided that a while ago though. So if there's any interest in bat country - well, just saying.

Umm, what?  I was ignoring this because I thought it was in the same category as seed.  Now it's a "Playable at launch" game?

I'm not going to call Fallen Earth "must-play" or even "should-play" but frankly, what this team has done given their resources is nothing short of a miracle when compared to Aion and CO which are nothing short but total letdowns.

No, it's a water gun. You fill him up from the ass, then squeeze his penis to shoot.

I'm very tempted to get this.  I'm pretty much dying for a non-fantasy MMO at this point. 

Although I pretty much only have the cash for either this or Arkham Asylum. 

I'm very tempted to get this.  I'm pretty much dying for a non-fantasy MMO at this point. 

Although I pretty much only have the cash for either this or Arkham Asylum.

Every game deserves a couple of weeks in the sun before its inevitable trip to the Graveyard.  :awesome_for_real: