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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: The story of the fall
I've determined that I'll make this week's post a bit of a history lesson. How did Fallen Earth fall? I'll tell you, because if there is one thing I can't possibly fault about the Fallen Earth dev team, it's their writing. Though it's a little far-fetched (in my opinion), the background lore is pretty good. The game dialogue is second to none, but it's the lore we are going to take a closer look at. Much of the story unfolds and is fleshed out throughout the game while talking to various NPCs. But knowing the back-story will help you understand a little better about what is going on in the Grand Canyon Province, especially how the factions inter-relate. So click past the cut and let's get started.
Wasteland Diaries: A fond farewell
Fallen Earth's Alpha County: the first installment of Sector 4 is here at long last. There was a time when the place was considered a myth by many wastelanders, but it has finally become a reality. If you want to see what it has in store, check it out for yourself. It's very likely that's what I'm currently doing. Since the patch date got pushed back a day, I wasn't able to do a piece on my first impressions of the new zone. Maybe I'll handle that next week. I've instead decided to do a retrospective on what I am leaving behind in Fallen Earth, a fond farewell to some of the things that will no longer matter. There are a great many things I will miss as I cross over into S4, and there will be a great many things I won't miss. As a creature of habit, I fear change, but I'm trying to be as optimistic as possible. With that in mind, after the cut, I'll try to concentrate on some of the changes that I'll be pleased about.
Wasteland Diaries: RP-PvP
In Fallen Earth, I spend most of my time PvPing. Well, actually, I probably spend most of my time waiting or preparing to PvP. I engage in PvE content out of necessity. In order to be effective in PvP, one needs levels and chips and gear. If this stuff could be earned through PvP alone, then that's all I would ever do. The situation has gotten better with the FCP rewards and XP for PvP, but it still isn't really enough. The other prominent playstyle in Fallen Earth, one I usually shy away from, is roleplaying. Some people will never do it, and some people are always in character. Most of us fall somewhere in between. This week I dipped my toe into the RP field. I would normally never decide to attend a roleplaying event, but lately I've been trying to broaden my horizons. Knowing there was a possibility of some PvP action solidified my decision to head down to New Flagstaff for Rowdy's Bunker of Blues. This is an event held every Wednesday night at the bunker bar by the pond in the center of the city. There was a live DJ and free drinks (plus the aforementioned possibility of a fight), so why not? After the cut, I'll describe what happened there and how I did when I threw my hat into the RP arena.
Wasteland Diaries: Bosses and battles
This week in Fallen Earth has been, for me, a good mix of PvP and PvE action. I've gotten plenty of both. I literally wished that I had more time to play. Alas, real life was standing in the way again. I haven't played any other games all week. Unless you consider the Fallen Earth forums a game (which I sometimes do). Between protecting territory that rightfully belongs to the CHOTA and cracking the skulls of world bosses for their precious volatile chemicals, I've found myself pretty busy. I know that everyone feels that Sector 4 is long overdue; it's probably the reason most people haven't come back to Fallen Earth. If you are on the fence about re-subbing or are waiting for Sector 4, there is still plenty to do, especially if you left before Deadfall Point and Deadfall were released. Even if you left in the past couple of months, things have changed, and new content has been added. There is plenty of PvP action if you know where to look, and new faces are joining the fray every day. After the cut, I'll give you some examples of what I've experienced this week, and it may help you decide to come back... or to keep holding out for Sector 4.
Wasteland Diaries: Glad to be back
It's been a couple of weeks since I was able to visit the Fallen Earth wastelands. My absence wasn't by choice. But now that I'm connected to the internet once again, I can stop wasting my time away playing Minecraft (actually I enjoyed every minute of that!). I also played a little Mount & Blade in between huge construction projects. Still, it's good to be back in my favorite (though not quite so sandboxy) world. And what a glorious time to come back. I came back to Fallen Earth to find a good deal of new content. Unfortunately, the level cap was not raised to ago along with that new content, but it's still new stuff, and that's what matters. To be honest, I had already seen some of it on the PTS, but not everything. One thing I enjoyed about the new stuff is that it's fairly difficult. I died more times than I'm willing to admit. There's enough content to keep a casual player busy for a while, but just like any other PvE content, it will be chewed up and spit out by the PvE crowd and leave everyone asking for more. Hopefully, it will be enough to keep us all interested until the unveiling of Sector 4. After the cut, I'll tell you a little about what I've seen in Terminal Woods.
Wasteland Diaries: Faction interaction
The factions in Fallen Earth are a diverse bunch, each one bent on dominating the other five. They all have their reasons to want to impose their will upon the inhabitants of the Grand Canyon Province. They are all also very narrow-minded in their approach to rebuilding society. They are all very intolerant of the other factions and will impede and harass them at every opportunity. Some factions (those on the opposite side of the wheel) espouse downright hatred of their diametrically opposed faction and kill its members on sight. The factions also have sub-factions which usually straddle the beliefs of an allied faction. Each faction in Fallen Earth has one arch-enemy, two enemies, and two allies. The two allies are sometimes called the shoulder factions due to their position on the faction wheel. The allied factions, however, are enemies to one another. This can complicate relations in multi-factional task forces. It can sometimes lead to fighting one allied faction to appease the other. Sometimes the ally of yesterday becomes the enemy of tomorrow. Yes, it makes for some intriguing politics and some excellent canonical roleplaying situations. But when players are interjected into the politics, it can get downright confusing. After the cut, I'll describe the faction mechanics in more detail and the players' effect on the wheel as well.
Fallen Earth sniper trailer shows that 'life is cheap, bullets are expensive'
Fallen Earth is an upcoming post-apocalyptic MMO that will take place in a near-future setting, one ravaged by nuclear war and viral epidemic, sparsely populated by a factionalized society of survivors. Although the game is still in beta, the Fallen Earth team has been stepping up their game trailer releases and the latest introduces us to a mercenary of sorts. The video shows us the lengths (or depths) a person will go to for a handful of irradiated squash: stabbings, beatings, and for the sake of expediency, sniper headshots. Still, in Fallen Earth, "life is cheap, bullets are expensive" and the video aims to show us more of the game's harsh setting. Stick with us after the jump for a look at the latest HD video from Fallen Earth:
