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Wasteland Diaries: Hunting down AP
So there's an AP cap in Fallen Earth now. When there was a finite number of AP available, it was not very popular. But now that there is an unlimited number of AP available (in theory), it seems a bit easier to digest. The current AP cap at level 50 is 1250. This allows for a decent build while not allowing for a jack-of-all-trades build. With the new system currently on the PTS, most builds will have to be specialized. In other words, there will be no more healers or crafters that will be able to dish out maximum DPS anymore. Part of the purpose of the AP cap was to alleviate the need for a wheel-flip. In some ways, the de-factionalization of mutations has helped in that department. The entire Fallen Earth skill and mutation system is undergoing a revamp, but the AP mechanics aren't going to change much. The AP cap will still be in place and will increase by 25 every level. And there will still be random AP and repeatable missions for AP. But is a wheel-flip still necessary? The short answer is yes and no, but I'll delve into that a bit more after the cut.
Wasteland Diaries: To-do list
You would think that someone who had four characters that have been sitting at the level cap for months would be out of things to do. It's simply not so. I have plenty to do, and much of it isn't even directly related to PvP. I have been keeping myself quite busy in Fallen Earth, especially since I have been in-game so little these past few weeks. The time I have been logged in has been well spent. A lot of my time is spent crafting consumables like food, drinks and medicine to support the PvPing, but thanks to the magic of offline crafting, it doesn't matter. Most of it takes place while I sleep. It's the chips and materials that require interaction on my part. By saying I'm staying busy, I'm not referring to the new "golden age" of PvP revival we are currently experiencing in and around Haietta (and even Park City, to some degree). I'll spare everyone the PvP-oriented post this week and concentrate on some of the more carebearish things I've been doing lately. So if you are thinking about coming back, or you're wondering what else to do once you hit level 50, maybe this post will give you some idea of what you could be doing. After the cut I'll let you know what I've been up to in Fallen Earth when the PvP is waning.
Wasteland Diaries: Patch day mayhem
In Fallen Earth, patch day is always a happy day (for me, at least). But this most recent patch (1.7.4) brings in some sweeping changes. The changes that came with this patch were far-reaching enough to get us another full respec. I don't forsee myself using one yet, but they are nice to have. I actually still have my injectors that we got with the 1.4 patch. In fact, this patch changes so much that I spent the past couple of days preparing (in-game) for it. I haven't had time to even grab all of the new skills that all of my clones will now have available to them. An Enforcer rifleman with Fitness? Yes, among other things. Everyone in Fallen Earth now has more health, but it gets taken away much faster. Combat seems more intuitive with reliable damage from weapons. Without glances and extreme damage variance, combat feels crisper and less clunky. It's going to take some getting used to. The PvE combat has changed the most. There is actually an element of danger involved when fighting mobs, especially large groups. I find myself actually using contingencies and heals during combat with NPCs. I never really had to before, but now the mobs rarely miss (rather than rarely hit). While I didn't get to see everything we got with this patch, I did get some hands-on PvP action (and broke a tradition that had lasted some 292 days in-game) under the new system. I'll give up more about that after the cut.
Fallen Earth preps new patch, roach pet
If your wasteland abode is feeling empty this holiday season, the team at Icarus Studios is here for you. Fallen Earth's 1.7.4 patch is on its way, and with it comes a pet sure to please the gross-out fan in all of us. Yes, you can now snuggle up to your very own roach, the better to help you cope with all the changes the update has in store. For starters, 1.7.4 is adding an AP spent cap, a new random AP system, world PvP updates, and a rebuilt Boneclaw. Significant combat updates are also on order, and Icarus is gifting all current characters with a Pristine Recombinant Injector (which grants a full respec) for their trouble. You can read about all the changes in detail via the testing patch notes as well as get an early look at the update by heading to the public test server.
Wasteland Diaries: Tester-day
I spent an entire day on the Fallen Earth Public Test Server (PTS). I have to admit, I was pretty impressed with what I saw. The development team over at Fallen Earth, LLC is making some sweeping changes to the game. I wasn't just impressed by the new artwork and the smoother game mechanics; I was also impressed with the amount of communication the Fallen Earth dev team is giving to its testers. And why not? We pay the devs to test their product. While there is a lot of new stuff to check out, I spent the majority of a day trying to digest as much of this new content as I possibly could, and I didn't really even scratch the surface. I spent a good eight hours on the server, though about four of those hours were devoted to testing the combat system. I did a few bug reports, but aside from grenades being totally broken, most everything seemed to be in order. After the break I'll give you some first-hand accounts of what I've discovered. You could just read the patch notes, but it just isn't the same.
Wasteland Diaries: New direction
The state of the game announcement for Fallen Earth was a bit vague, but it did contain some good news. It seems the game, now under new management, is headed in a new direction. Does new mean good? All outward indications say yes. I have never been accused of being overly optimistic, but I like where Fallen Earth is headed. Most of the big news is still over the horizon, and the combat changes are the first order of business. With new management comes new direction. It's nice to know what that direction might be. Of the three who were let go, I have nothing negative to say about any of them. Marie Croall has taken the reins at Fallen Earth, LLC and seems to have a clear plan. That's not to say there wasn't a clear plan before, but we are finally getting definitive answers on huge questions that we have been demanding responses on for quite a while. More details await you after the cut.
