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Two years after the fall of the world: Fallen Earth's second anniversary
It's no secret that Fallen Earth is somewhat of a staff favorite here at Massively. While its combat system may not hold the same polish of other titles, it more than makes up for it in sheer exploration, incredibly deep crafting, an engagingly different game world, and the dark humor that seeps into every aspect of the game. In fact, Massively is what convinced me to give Fallen Earth a shot when it came out two years ago. At the time, I was just a regular gamer looking for something a little different than the elves-'n'-fantasy fare that 99% of MMOs were dishing my way. Fallen Earth's semi-familiar setting -- modern guns, post office boxes, motorcycles, sunglasses, giant mutated ants -- was at once familiar and foreign. It took me two solid tries to get into the game, but once I did, I was hooked. I've always felt bad that Fallen Earth never got more popular than it already is, although I can understand why. The post-apocalypse setting is enough to weird players out, and the paradigm shift from getting your gear via looting to building your own gear via crafting takes some getting used to. Plus, the troubles that Icarus Studios ran into early on didn't help matters any. Fortunately, the future looks bright for Fallen Earth, and as it celebrates its second anniversary, we should look back at this past year to see just how far this cult MMO has come. Clones, assemble!
Wasteland Diaries: It's fixed
During the past couple of weeks, I haven't been playing Fallen Earth too much. I have been waiting for some changes to come along. I found the new combat system to be a bit too slow-paced and dull. It was very centered around healing. He who healed the best generally won the fights. I prefer a system in which he who deals the most damage is more likely to win. There are, of course, other tactical considerations involved in both types of combat, but the overall feel was just plain wrong in the healer-centric combat system. I'm happy to report that some changes have been made to the system. There are still a few things I don't like about the 1.9 patch, but 1.9.2 fixed almost all of these issues. I won't say it was a perfect patch, but it was very close. There are still some minor issues I'd like to see addressed, but these are probably conscious design choices that are working as intended. In this post, I'd like to cover what has changed, why it's so great, and what we will see in the coming months. The urge to log into Fallen Earth is coming back to me, and it is all due to this new patch. After the cut, I'll explain why.
Wasteland Diaries: Triumphant return
I remember way back when the Fallen Earth team released Deadfall there were many people didn't partake because they were waiting for Sector 4. And Deadfall was a pretty major update. It was practically a sector unto itself, with the level cap raised by four. As far as content goes, it wasn't far behind Alpha County in terms of scale. Yet for some reason, many players were holding off on re-subbing until the elusive Sector 4 raised its mythical head. Hopefully those players are willing to wait another week or two. Sector 4 is finally here, but I don't feel it's quite ready yet. It's not S4 itself, it's a slew of other things which I'll cover that later. The important thing is if you decide to head into Alpha, be prepared. You might be a little rusty after all of this time away from the wasteland and in need a refresher course in the finer points of not taking a Kaibab dirtnap. If that's the case, don't sweat it, we all are still working out kinks due to the new combat system. But even if you are stumbling back into the game in the most ungainly of fashions, an ounce of prevention is still much better than a pound of cure. There are a few things you can do to help yourself thrive in the new sector. After the cut, I'll give you some advice that may or may not help you along your way. I'm hoping on the former.
Wasteland Diaries: Exploring the Citadel
Normally, I prefer to PvP in Fallen Earth. It gives me the biggest sense of accomplishment and it's a handy way to gain tons of faction rep. But, while I'm leveling up my PvP clones and getting used to the new combat system, I've been doing mostly PvE. I went to Alpha County and ran some missions, but I'll go into more detail on that later in this post. I also got a chance to check out the progress towns. I have to admit, they are fun, and rewarding too! I actually had more fun messing around in the progress towns back in Deadfall than I did roaming around in Sector 4. Sure, I didn't do every mission in Alpha -- I probably didn't even do half of them. After a while, I decided to put my time to use in the progress towns. After the cut, I'll tell you why I left Sector 4 and came back to Deadfall.
Fallen Earth launches Alpha County expansion [Updated]
Welcome to Alpha County, wasteland wanderers! That's right, the big day is here, as GamersFirst has finally launched (see below) the newest expansion to Fallen Earth. What does this new addition bring to Fallen Earth players? Well... (deep breath!) the largest addition is the eponymous Alpha County zone, which provides endgame-level players with a wealth of new content. The expansion brings the level cap to 55 and introduces a brand-new conflict town called Blockade. Also included are new areas known as Progress Towns. These towns are PvP-centric areas that players can fight over, command, defend, and hopefully, hold. The expansion also brings a wealth of combat balance changes and new skill lines. The new system "allows for wider varieties of player builds and roles in combat." In addition, skills will no longer increase alongside the character's base statistics, thereby requiring more specialized skill investment in order to receive the most powerful abilities. New players aren't getting left in the dust either, as they will now begin the game with 30 Advancement Points from the get-go, allowing them to take steps toward customizing and defining their characters much earlier in the game. For more information, and to jump into the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Fallen Earth for yourself, head on over to the game's official site. [Update: And it's just been announced that the Alpha County update is delayed until tomorrow. So there's that.]
Wasteland Diaries: Playstyles
Most MMOs have three playstyles. Well, that's incorrect; they actually have any number of play-styles with varying degrees of three types of play. PvE (player vs. environment) is the style of play in which the antagonists are a part of the gameworld itself. PvP (player vs. player) pits the players against each other. And RP (roleplaying) has the players vying for... whatever they decide they need to vie for. Most players engage Fallen Earth (or any MMO, for that matter) with a mix of the three. Fallen Earth is a great setting for the RPers. Its vastness and its interesting-looking locales make for a variety of backdrops. The interesting locales usually make for some great locations for open world PvP. And there are hundreds and hundreds of PvE missions here, there, and everywhere. All three types of players can get a lot out of Fallen Earth if they approach the game properly. The purpose of this post is to help you along with getting what you can out of the game with your preferred playstyle. So without any further ado, click past the cut and read on.
Fallen Earth announces cash shop sale
Even after the apocalypse, price-slashing still appears to be a running tradition. GamersFirst announced today that everything in the Fallen Earth cash shop must go! Or something like that, anyway. Many Fallen Earth cash shop items have had their prices lowered drastically, with the sale lasting until the launch of Alpha County on July 6th. The selection of items on sale is extensive, with extra character slots -- usually $30 -- dropping to a comparatively dirt-cheap $11. Faction resets drop from $15 to $9, and many other items, such as a fashionable pair of brass goggles and a terrifyingly fowl (ha ha) prairie chicken mount, have had their prices lowered by 50% or more. So if you're a Fallen Earth player looking to part with your hard-earned cash, head on over to the official site for the full sale listings.
Wasteland Diaries: Coming soon
Due to the new partnership between Fallen Earth and GamersFirst, there are some huge changes coming in the very near future and massive changes headed our way before the end of the year. Sector 4 is going to be released soon along with a major re-write of the skills and abilities system. There are still a great many questions that remain unanswered, but the developers on both sides have dropped some subtle and not-so-subtle hints here and there. There are still many players asking questions in global chat and on the forums that have been answered already. A few of the answers given have left me scratching my head, but I'm still optimistic at this point. But there's still a lot of confusion within the community about what is coming and when. I've dug up many of the responses to the toughest questions by Marie Croall of Fallen Earth and Joe Willmon of GamersFirst, who are holding their cards close to their chests but have nevertheless given up some good info. After the cut, I'll try to clarify what's going on in the short and long term, but it may result in some speculation on both our parts.
Wasteland Diaries: F2P?
There are some big changes coming to Fallen Earth in the very near future. Sector 4's Alpha County is looming on the horizon. There is a new skills-and-abilities system coming. We don't know when we're going to get it, but we are going to get it. But the biggest news is the game's new partnership with GamersFirst. GamersFirst is the company responsible for the rejuvenation of APB: Reloaded and its conversion to the free-to-play format (F2P). I've heard mixed reviews on what's going on with APB, but without any first-hand experience, I'll withhold judgment. Nobody has come out and said that Fallen Earth is going to convert to the F2P business model, but it's a pretty safe assumption at this point. Every GamersFirst title is F2P, so why would FE be any different? I haven't tried APB, so I'm in no position to judge the performance of GamersFirst on what has been done with that title. F2P can be a two-edged sword, and the FE community is strongly divided on this subject (at least on the forums). I am a member of the optimistic side, and after the cut, I'll tell you why I think this move could be a very good thing for Fallen Earth.
Wasteland Diaries: Sector 4 lives!
To many players of Fallen Earth, the expression "when hell freezes over" has been supplanted by "when Sector 4 is released." At launch, the sector was supposedly largely completed, and it was expected to be released shortly thereafter. After a year had passed and we were still waiting to see it, many players started to believe that it didn't even exist. Well, I am here to tell you that not only does it exist, but I spent a few hours roaming around on the other side of the big wall. Aside from some nice pictures, I got a little bit of insight on what we might expect to see in Alpha County, which will be the first installment in the fourth sector. It's been quite some time since Fallen Earth's opening day, and we have been waiting quite some time for the new sector. But the team at Fallen Earth, LLC has given us a few things to tide us over: Deadfall and Terminal Woods, which combined have as much content as a full sector. So it's not like we've been stuck in Sector 3 for over a year and a half; the devs have given us some new stuff and made some fundamental changes to the game (some good and some bad, but mostly good). The first bit of S4 we will see was released on the public test server (PTS) earlier this week, so I took the opportunity to do some exploring for you (actually my motivations were entirely selfish). After the cut, I'll tell you a little bit about what I saw (slight spoiler alert!).
Fallen Earth lets players take a stroll through Alpha County
Long-awaited and heavily anticipated, Fallen Earth's Alpha County has long been the game's promised land, an environment that's at once near and far. But the release is just around the corner, and the developers are giving players a chance to peek behind the walls just a little bit early. Starting tomorrow, May 17th, Alpha County is going live on the public test server, giving all of the game's players the chance to wander around in a strange new territory. For players who want to dive into the story on the actual release and no sooner, fear not -- the announcement promises that the test server won't offer any spoilers as to storyline. But players will be able to explore a new environment and get a feel for the lay of the land, even if they can't get a feel for every new piece of content right out of the gate. Fallen Earth players had best prepare for the test server sneak peek, as it's only a day away.
Fallen Earth state of the game talks combat tweaks, progress towns, and more
It's the beginning of another month in the wasteland, and that means that in addition to scavenging for scrap metal and dodging ginormous prairie chickens, denizens of Fallen Earth are heading to the game's official website to check out the latest state of the game address. Much of producer Marie "Aro Sei" Croall's letter concerns progress towns, Alpha County, and combat tweaks. While we've previewed progress towns before, there is an interesting nugget in this month's letter that details a new form of related currency. Croall calls it "a PvE form of death toll" and explains that it is intended to reward players for capturing and building one of the three progress towns. She also takes the time explain the changes to minimum skill levels, which is an important consideration when it comes to players spending their hard-earned stat points. Finally, there's a bit of discussion about post-Alpha County development plans including an objective system and potential world events. Check out all the details at the Fallen Earth website.
Through the woods to Alpha County: Fallen Earth issues the March state of the game
February is a quick month for everyone, but it seems to have been even busier than normal for the Fallen Earth team. There are some major content updates in the wings for the game, several of which are being discussed in the most recent State of the Game address. Obviously, the biggest issue on the minds of players is the promised Sector Four and Alpha County, both of which are going to be rolled out in a staggered fashion starting with the Terminal Woods (which Edward Marshall toured just last week). That will include a surfeit of new missions, achievements, PvP objectives, and special new Scavenger bosses. Alpha County itself, meanwhile, will be getting rolled out sometime in the following months, an update that will see a level cap increase to 55 and new expansions to crafting among other improvements. The letter also states that the team is moving forward on player-crafted housing, as it's long been on the agenda for the team to handle with detail. Fallen Earth players are encouraged to read the full letter on the future of the game, sure to make any clone happy about the content just around the corner.
Fallen Earth state of the game letter details upcoming content
It's a new month, and that means it's time for a new State of the Game letter direct from the wasteland. Fallen Earth producer Marie "Aro Sei" Croall checks in on the official forums to let us know about the next patch coming our way from the folks at Icarus. All things considered, it looks to be a pretty substantial update, and nowhere are the changes more noticeable than in the game's skill and mutation lines. We're particularly excited to see how the Dirty Tricks and Escape Artist lines work out, since the descriptions dovetail perfectly with the cutthroat atmosphere of a post-apocalyptic world on the brink. The patch will also bring a new Scavenger Boss Area that serves as a preview for the new tech going into the upcoming Alpha County release. The area, called Ruination, includes several camps and encounters that showcase new creature behaviors and destructible barrels. You'll find it on the way to The Wall that serves as the Sector 4 border. Economic tweaks are also under way, as are a number of February events. Finally, Aro Sei concludes this month's letter with the answers to a few pressing community-generated questions. Check out all the juicy info on the Fallen Earth forums.
