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Fallen Earth's May State of the Game letter showcases new Foothills PvP zone
Roamers of Fallen Earth's post-apocalyptic Grand Canyon province have long been awaiting the final release of the game's Global Territory Control update. Thankfully, the wait is almost over. But meanwhile, today's GamersFirst dev blog post aims to shed some light on some of the latest additions to the system. The spotlight of the post is set on the new PvP conflict area known as The Foothills. The zone is an abandoned settlement situated between Los Alamos and Citadel that "never quite made it." As a result, the various factions of Fallen Earth have taken to fighting for control of the area in order to further solidify their foothold in the region. The Global Territory Control patch is set to go live next Wednesday, so keep an eye on the official dev blog for more details as the update gets closer to launch.
Fallen Earth dev blog details Haven revamp
It's been a month or so since we've heard from the folks working on Fallen Earth. Today, that news drought ends courtesy of a dev blog by one Ninjanomics. The update is all about the changes in store for the town of Haven. Given the fact that the town is one of the more prominent features of the Northfields area, and given that it "had a confusing layout, was cruelly prohibitive to framerate, and didn't well reflect the serenity of the Lightbearers as a faction," the devs thought it was time for an extreme makeover. Ninjanomics (also known as GamersFirst's art ninja) walks us through the rebuild process and details both the stylistic and the layout changes to the town. The original design had "no logical flow to speak of," which led G1 artists to divide Haven into two sections: the town proper and a grove area. As a result, the new Haven experience is markedly smoother for weary wasteland wanderers and fans of Fallen Earth's free-to-play sandpark ambiance.
Fallen Earth's March state of the game gets territorial
Another month is upon us, and Fallen Earth is bringing some changes to its Global Territory Control system. While players wait with bated breath for the new features to hit the PTS at the end of the month, GamersFirst has put out a new blog post outlining what players can expect from the next round of updates. We've covered the basics of Global Territory Control previously, so if you want to get up to speed, go on and have a read. Don't worry; we'll wait. Caught up? Good. So what's new this month? The buffs granted by controlling territories have been changed. Now, each town and keep is worth a given number of points. The faction that has the most points will receive a buff that "improves crafting and harvesting speed as well as Random AP, Death Toll, Faction, and Experience gains." Meanwhile, the faction system is getting a revamp that "will see the elimination of shoulder factions." Completing tasks for your faction of choice "will only affect the specific faction you completed it for and its opposite on the faction wheel." This really only scratches the surface of the myriad changes coming to Fallen Earth, so to get the full details just head on over to the game's official site.
Fallen Earth entices Marketplace shoppers with first-time purchase package
Studies have shown that if players make the big step to buying something -- anything -- in an online game's cash shop, then they're much more likely to do it again. Ergo, studios are coming up with all sorts of methods to sweeten that first deal, such as GamersFirst's new Fallen Earth "first time purchaser package." The package is a bundle of 13 items, unlocks, and abilities that will be sent to the character of your choice once you make your first purchase in the Fallen Earth Marketplace. It's a very tempting deal, especially for free players, as it increases character slots to four, adds access to global chat, removes the chip limit, unlocks the core wardrobe slot, and tosses in a couple of mobile garage/stable managers for those too lazy to walk back to civilization after an accident. It's not clear whether this package applies to players who have made a purchase in the Marketplace before today.
Steam distributes Fallen Earth, gives out crabs
Fallen Earth has a new ally in its war on boredom: Steam. The digital games distributor added the title to its MMO free-to-play library yesterday, offering its users an additional way to get into the wasteland. To encourage Steam users to sign up, GamersFirst is dishing out a few in-game goodies for those who do so. Players can nab an in-game Steam t-shirt and Gordon's Ward, two items that boost crafting and social skills. Additionally, if you previously played Fallen Earth through Steam, you'll be treated with three days of premium subscription status and a non-combat pet, Trashy the Hermit Crab. GamersFirst SVP of Marketing Rahul Sandil thinks this is a match made in heaven: "Fallen Earth's return to the Steam Network is a huge milestone for us here at GamersFirst. Reintroducing the game on Steam side-by-side with APB Reloaded further cements our commitment to offering the hard-core gaming experience to players without an entry cost." Fallen Earth is a staff favorite here at Massively, and if you're curious about the title, check out our recent Why I Play column on the game.
Fallen Earth's Global Territory Control creates a singular faction to rule them all
The GamersFirst crew is back with a closer look at one of the exciting PvP features that's being created for Fallen Earth: Global Territory Control. The idea behind GTC is that the devs wanted a comprehensive system that would track faction dominance in PvP across the entire game world. Global Territory Control takes in data from Conflict Towns, Faction Control Points, and open PvP areas, crunches the stats, and spits out a single point rating that shows how well (or forehead-slappingly bad) each of the game's six factions is doing. The new system will go into place for the entire game except for Sector 1, and you'll have to be level-appropriate for the zone to contribute to your faction's GTC score. If a faction earns enough points, then an insanely nice buff is handed out as a reward -- but only one faction can have it at any time. The buff increases the speed of crafting and harvesting and also improves the gain of random AP, Death Toll, faction points, and XP. This system is still being prepped for a future update.
The Daily Grind: What vanity pet would you like to see in your favorite MMO?
Last week Turbine announced all sorts of huge updates for Dungeons and Dragons Online in 2012. Among exciting talk of expansions, Druids, and level cap increases, one little item may have slipped under some folks' radar. Vanity pets are coming to DDO in 2012 -- specifically, "fun and cute DnD critters," according to Executive Producer Fernando Paiz. Justin and I chatted a bit about that on this week's Massively Speaking, and Justin put forth the awesome idea of a tiny Beholder pet. I loved the idea and it set me to thinking. Vanity pets in MMOs are such a frivolous little thing, yet they're such fun to so many people, and it seems like everyone has a wish list of "wouldn't it be cool if..." vanity pets. So what's yours? Would you love a little Beholder in DDO? Would you love to see Fallen Earth offer a prairie chicken pet to go with your mount? Tell us what vanity pet you'd love to see trailing along behind your character! Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Free for All: A second look at Fallen Earth's free model
I used to be head-over-heels in love with Fallen Earth. I was on an immersion kick and had even designed a set of rules that dictated how my character would "live" in the world. Fallen Earth provided me with a lot of great tools to become immersed, and it was the type of game that really stuck out from the pack. Of course, it also sported uglier character models than Lord of the Rings Online and was more brown than a bakery at the earlier levels, but it was neat. I gave up on the title after a while and became too busy with other games to return. Then, the free-to-play version of the title came out. I still ignored it because of scheduling, but recently I have been returning to it. I am finding a lot of bugs and an overall lack of polish that I had forgotten about, but it's still a really cool game. So how does the free version stack up to the subscription model? How free is it? Let's take a look.
Fallen Earth lays the foundation for 2012 in its January state of the game address
Senior Game Designer Marie Croall sounded the klaxons and ran up the flag for the wastelanders of Fallen Earth in the latest state of the game address. For her and the team, it's time to shake off the ravages of holidays and get to work on laying the foundation for the game in 2012. Croall says that this month players should expect to get the ability to use bombs in Territory Control, which should change things up somewhat. The Territory Control PvP feature will be significantly expanded in the months afterward as well. Also on tap for the near future are additional mid-level quests, the augmentation system for customizing gear, improving the flow of starter areas, and better rare drops across the board. The art team is excited to move on to giving Haven a facelift much like the work the team did on the recent Embry Crossroads revamp. Perhaps the most intriguing is that Croall hints at a major top-secret project in the works: "This month we're also breaking ground on one of the biggest systems we've ever done. It's still too early to really get into details on but we'll make sure this one was worth waiting for."
Fallen Earth's December State of the Game talks F2P transition, new features
It's finally December, which means that I can go into a store and not fly into a rage when I discover that it's already playing Christmas music. It also means that it's time for Fallen Earth's December State of the Game letter. This is the first State of the Game since the title's change to F2P last month, so can you bet your hide there's a lot to cover. Marie Croall begins by talking about some of the "less sexy but ultimately critical things" that the team has been working on since the transition. Lots of bug-fixing has taken place as the Fallen Earth team works to iron out some of the kinks that arose during the F2P transition. Meanwhile, the town of Embry got a bit of a makeover. The art team went into the city and "replaced high-poly, high-batch buildings with newer ones that will improve performance and the overall aesthetic appeal of the town." The team is also working hard at developing new content and features, such as world events, farms, and the upcoming augmentation system. Croall closes out the post with some dates: Territory control, the revamped map, new world events, and New Embry will be added to the game in mid-December, while everything else will have to wait until next year. For the full details, head on to the game's official blog.
Fallen Earth slinging a major update to factions
If you've been making your way through the factions of the Fallen Earth wasteland for a while, you're probably familiar with their mechanical interplay by now. The game really rewards you, of course, for playing the field rather than picking one faction as your specific allies. But that's all going to change. As outlined in the latest developer blog, starting with the next major patch, players will be expected to choose one faction as their "core" faction to participate in Territory Control and Conflict Towns. This might seem like a bit of a downgrade, but it comes with the advantage that the developers are also doing away with shoulder factions, meaning that each factional pairing works as an unlinked two-way street. Fighting for one faction only loses standing for the opposing faction, not for other allied factions. Choosing a "main" faction is also not a requirement for several other faction features in the game, just the direct war between the various groups. Still, it's going to be a major update for the game's systems, forcing players to really decide who they want as an ally in the long run.
Fallen Earth partners with MAINGEAR for Play2Win contest
Are you in the market for a spankin'-new gaming rig? Of course you are. Well, GamersFirst wants to help you out. The company has partnered with MAINGEAR to run a contest that will reward one lucky winner with a shiny new MAINGEAR F131 gaming PC. But there's a catch, of course. In order to win the custom Fallen Earth computer, players must venture into the wastelands of Fallen Earth to collect MAINGEAR computer parts from unique resource nodes scattered about the world. Whoever has the most parts when the contest ends on December 14th will be declared the winner. Head over to MAINGEAR's website for the full contest rules, and then sign up to play at the Fallen Earth official site and get to scavengin'. [Source: GamersFirst press release]
MV Guide: November 7-13, 2011
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively's Livestream channel. Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of titles to take a look at. During livestream events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, and simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, livestream events are subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.) Follow along after the jump to see what's on this week's schedule!
Fallen Earth developer blog talks territory control and world events
The conversion to free-to-play has gone live, but there are more changes in store for Fallen Earth. A new developer blog entry has just been unveiled, discussing two of the bigger features in store for the game -- world events and territory control. The former will be dynamic content that appears at random, with multiple events able to feed upon one another and create some changing landscapes for players to explore. Territory control, by contrast, will start off in a single region north of Blaine. The region will have a total of 13 different control points for factions to hold, with six of them out in the open and seven in more fortified locations. There will be notable rewards for players holding these objectives, including resource nodes, increased experience gain, and improved death toll. It should certainly lead to some interesting battles in the wasteland as players fight over the region's spoils.
Fallen Earth's Halloween sale refunds all G1 Credits spent
Who amongst Fallen Earth's wasteland wanderers doesn't love saving money? No one, that's who. In light of that fact (and in celebration of Halloween), GamersFirst is providing a 100% rebate on every G1 Credit spent in the Fallen Earth cash shop from now until November 3rd. That mount you've always wanted? Snag it! Not satisfied with your character name? Change it! Those deliciously steampunk brass goggles you've always wanted? Rock 'em! Not only will you receive a complete rebate on all G1 Credits spent (that means everything is free, for the economically disinclined), but many everyday items have had their prices slashed as well. For the full details on what's on sale, head on over to the Fallen Earth official site.
Fallen Earth launches F2P, postpones world events
Fallen Earth has barreled over the falls today into the wild rapids of free-to-play, opening up the game for anyone who wants to experience what the post-apocalypse tastes like (slightly leathery). Current subscribers will find that their accounts have been upgraded to Commander-level status, and all previous subscribers and purchasers of the game will have a brand-new Spiked Chopper waiting for them by the end of the week. As part of the F2P launch, patch 2.0 has hit the servers, and with it came several changes and hotfixes. Loot drop rates from mobs have been increased and crafting has been tweaked as GamersFirst continues its efforts to rebalance the economy. In a new dev blog, GamersFirst discusses what's going on with the economy and why these changes are taking place. The primary reason that the devs are monkeying with this system is to get players interacting more and to introduce an element of challenge for crafters. Unfortunately, the world events that were scheduled to go live today have been postponed until next week, following the discovery of several bugs and performance problems.
Fallen Earth launching free-to-play conversion with a last chance at veteran rewards
As of October 12th, Fallen Earth will be the latest title to join the hybrid free-to-play business model. This also means that Wednesday marks the end of the road for players who want to be subscribed before that transition in order to be eligible for special veteran rewards. Returning and existing players will find waiting for them upon login a Spiked Chopper, a vehicle that will allow them to get from place to place while still looking as stylish as possible. Existing subscribers will be eligible for the veteran rewards package, which include monthly gifts, wardrobe spots, and a discount on the top subscription tier. But even if you're not subscribed when the change takes place, you can still benefit from the new world events being brought to the game with this update. Taking place randomly in any part of the wasteland, these spontaneous special quests will allow players to dynamically jump in and take part in the struggle to preserve the wasteland and society from the forces that threaten it. Special rewards are also available for players who take part, giving all the more reason for both free and paid players to jump back into the sandbox environment of the wasteland. [Source: GamersFirst press release]
Wasteland Diaries: Player-run economy
The economy in Fallen Earth has been stagnant for a while. The auction house has been just a place for trader clones (with maxed social skill) to post wares with a small markup from the NPC vendors prices. In some cases, these traders would post mats that could only be bought in PvP conflict towns or found in secret or dangerous scavenging spots. It was hard to be competitive in a market like that. Every resource had an unlimited supply thanks to the vendors. There were a few items that actually worked on the supply and demand principle, like vibrant and volatile chemicals and pre-fall tech. These items had prices that were dictated completely by the players. Through competition, the prices got pretty reasonable (and I even bought a few pre-fall techs to allieviate the Citadel grind). All that has changed now, and the Fallen Earth team has made some massive changes to the way the economy works. In this post, I'll take a look at what has changed. I'll try to give my best guess about what will happen to the economy in the coming weeks. A great many players are already freaking out about this concept on the forums and in global chat. While I admit it's too early to tell what will become of us in the near future, there's no need to panic. People were rage-quitting the game mere hours after the changes were made. If you ask me, it's a bit premature to make a decision like that. Nobody really knows what will happen, but click past the cut to see my best guesses.
Preparing for the apocalypse (again): GamersFirst on Fallen Earth's F2P shift
Today was my last day in Fallen Earth. My subscription ran out, so I was cut off from everything: glorious crafting, expansive exploration, black humor, and gas mask fashionware. Fortunately, my adventures will resume on October 12th, when Fallen Earth officially makes its transition to a hybrid free-to-play/subscription model. Like many current players and potential clones, we are understandably curious about the implications and (pardon the pun) fallout from such a fundamental shift in the business model. Will F2P be the savior of this niche game? What's being done to prepare for the change? To answer these questions and more, we talked to Joseph Willmon, an associate game director for GamersFirst. Massively: How are you preparing your servers for the added influx of free-to-play tourists? Joseph Willmon: We're still wrapping up some of the final stages of settling the Fallen Earth servers into their new homes at GamersFirst, so soon they'll be as optimized as we want them to be. We're lucky in that Fallen Earth was designed from the ground up to support lots of people playing -- we'd have to blow all estimates out of the water really quickly in order for population to be an issue, which wouldn't be such a bad problem to have!
Fallen Earth kickstarts its second anniversary live event a week late
"At Fallen Earth? Our events are fashionable. We have fashionable events," the latest Fallen Earth blog begins. "How fashionable, you might ask? So fashionable that they arrive fashionably late." When the servers go back up today with the new patch, Fallen Earth's second anniversary live event will be ready to go. The six factions are duking it out over New Flagstaff and looking to recruit all the clones they can in order to win the war. Players can sign up for PvP or PvE service in any of the sectors and do their part for the glory of their faction (and be awarded a nifty novelty item for their participation). The live event will occur on Wednesday, October 5th, at different times for European and North and South American players. The patch contains a number of changes to the gathering and crafting systems in the game and also puts in place the new cosmetic appearance system. Unfortunately for the fashion-conscious, you can look at the wardrobe but not touch -- until October 12th, that is. When Fallen Earth goes free-to-play on that date, GamersFirst will flip on the switch for the wardrobe... and there will be much rejoicing.
