fallen-earth
Latest
Checking up on Fallen Earth: One month later
It's been a little over a month since Fallen Earth launched, and we think it's safe to say that quite a bit has changed since then -- but what, exactly? For those who may have found themselves unhappy with the game's state at launch, this article is for you. For those of you who may have tried the game during a beta stage or stress test event, and come across some technical issues that made the game completely unplayable, this article is for you, too. We want to continue our tradition of revisiting games after launch, and this time it's Fallen Earth's turn. So we're going to spend the first half of the article discussing the facts, and what the community has to say about the last month's changes to the game, and the second half will be spent giving my own impressions of what I've experienced in the first month. Follow along, won't you?
GameX 2009: Massively talks with Lee Hammock on what's next for Fallen Earth
Content, community, and epic beards ahead fair readers! When lead game designer Lee Hammock walked into the media room at GameX 2009, we immediately tackled him into a chair and demanded he answer our many questions on what's coming up for Fallen Earth. What we got (after he figured out that we wanted to interview him and not kidnap him) were answers on the upcoming "social" patch for Fallen Earth, a look at the brand new crafting skill, construction, and the camps that will be added to the game, what lies beyond Sector 3 (hint: it's Sector 4) and how much the team loves their community. So if you're interested in Fallen Earth, or are looking for a reason to get into the game, look no further than the interview that lies beyond the break! Unfortunately though, we must make a slight correction to what Lee says in the interview. Fallen Earth did send us 2,000 trial keys, but thanks to an overwhelming response, we're out of keys! This makes us sad pandas, but you can still enjoy what Lee has to say about the game, and be amazed by the hypnotic beard.
Massively Exclusive: Fallen Earth dev event transcript (and another party!)
This weekend we had the chance to hang out with a bunch of rough-and-tumble types in the wastelands of Fallen Earth. No, we weren't just doing our typical weekend gaming! We were lucky enough to get to spend some time in-game, hanging out with Marie "Arosei" Croall, Content Team Lead for Fallen Earth. During the evening, we asked her some of the great player submitted questions we solicited last week. She also tossed out a couple of interesting asides to the huge crowd that amassed to take part in the event - and to get some of the free goodies we were handing out! For those of you who may not have been able to make it - or would just like to check it out without all the cross-chatter - we've transcribed the interview (and some interesting asides) behind the break. Also, remember that we have another Massively Fallen Earth event happening this Wednesday night at the Embry Satellite, starting at 9:00 PM Eastern. This time our very own Shawn Schuster will be dropping by to hold a Massively Reader Meet-up, with - you guessed it - more free stuff, and a special Halloween-themed show on Post Apoc Radio.
One Shots: Gates would be proud
In the world of Fallen Earth, you really never know what you're going to run into next. Sure - you can count on infected during the current Days of the Dead promotion. If you wander too far into the wastes, it's likely some form of mutated pack poultry will take a chunk out of your backside - if not send you back to a spawn point. But sometimes it's the little things that just make us stop and remember - this is set in a world familiar to us. Today's funny One Shots comes to us from Ampersand, who is part of The Fourth Tribe clan. He writes in: It looks like the Blue Screen of Death has something in common with cockroaches: it can survive the apocalypse. This screenshot shows some of the humor in Fallen Earth. It was taken in the Kingman Prison instance. If you're among the many trying out Fallen Earth - or playing any other MMO - feel free to send in any funny or interesting screenshots you run across on your travels. We love to see them. Just email them to oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll post them here and let the world share in the funny. %Gallery-9798%
Spin a spooky Fallen Earth tale for in-game prizes
With the Days of the Dead in full swing in Fallen Earth, various different player groups are holding their own events. If you love to spin spine-tingling tales of terror set in the post-apocalyptic world of Fallen Earth, the players at The Shop (with help from Saints Incorporated clan) have a great contest for you! They're looking for player-submitted spooky stories for their Halloween Narrative Contest - and you could score some sweet prizes in the process! The idea is pretty simple: write a story of no more than 2500 words having to do with something evil, spooky, scary, or macabre. Some suggested examples were digging around in a crypt for treasures, fighting off Blight Wolves, or even throwing a Halloween party at The Shop. The first prize winner will make off with 45 blue chips and their choice of an Electric Motorbike or a Dune Buggy. Second place will win 30 blue chips and whatever vehicle isn't chosen by the First place winner. Third place will take home 20 blue chips. For all the specifics, be sure to head over to the Fallen Earth forums and read all the delicious details. Good luck to all who enter!
Massively's Fallen Earth trial key giveaway and in-game events
As we mentioned last week, we have quite a treat for you today as part of the Fallen Earth Halloween event. We're happy to present 2,000 trial keys for anyone interested in trying out this indie post-apocalyptic game before forking over the cash. This special trial key is good for 15 days, which will bring you through their entire Days of the Dead Halloween event, as well as our own upcoming in-game events.To get your trial key, simply visit our giveaway page and follow the posted directions. For more information on our in-game events - including a great developer interview - keep reading below.
Fallen Earth patch 1.1.0 live
Last week we told you about Fallen Earth's upcoming patch planned for this week. The patch went live yesterday, and didn't disappoint. While the main feature discussed in advance was the optional expanded tutorial, Icarus Studios wasn't even close to finished. The patch notes were given in the forums on the official site just before, in a post that was the definition of "wall of text". The full list can be seen on the site, but here is a (very) brief overview of what was done. The largest part of this update by far was made up of the many, many bug fixes and polishing throughout the game. Things like battle music, drops from foes that don't quite make sense, NPCs standing in the background swinging a hammer at...nothing, and sounds made when someone sits or stands aren't necessarily game breaking, but those small touches add up to make the game. You'll find new LifeNet facilities, garages, and merchants in every sector, as well as updates and small changes to quests and events. Changes were made to chat -- most significantly that only players below level five are automatically added to the help channel. Higher level players may still access it, but will have to manually add themselves. Days of the Dead camps and content added - the Halloween event has begun! Check out the full notes for all the details, and our congratulations and thanks to the Fallen Earth team for the huge amount of work that went into this update.
Fallen Earth fan: "Don't play Fallen Earth"
You should most definitely not be playing Fallen Earth. How can you tell? Why, because Bio Break recently posted a long article explaining exactly why you shouldn't be playing it. And this isn't coming from a fan who's just disgruntled about a certain update or class rebalancing (though the latter would be pretty funny) -- it's from one of the game's most adamant fans who has no shortage of good things to say about the game. So why would he tell you not to play the game? One of the best things a fan can have is perspective. In his piece, Syp outlines all of the reasons that most players, even if they've been enamoured of the game's press, might want to use extreme caution stepping into Fallen Earth for the first time. Technical problems such as the server instability issues, of course, are likely to be improved -- but the game's unforgiving character-building system, its dwarfing sense of scale when the players get started, and the survivalist attitude that the game tacitly enforces are all part of the charm of the game. Of course, he's not suggesting that the game is bad -- but giving everyone a much-needed dose of perspective on a game that's really not well-suited to everyone.
One Shots: Everybody dance now
While the bulk of what we do here as part of One Shots are reader contributed screenshots, every so often we love to give you a look into what we're playing. This particular image comes from an event I attended on Friday evening in Fallen Earth. Dustfox, as seen to the left, is the head of a player-controlled radio station called Post Apoc Radio. Different players take turns DJing on the station (including me), where they take requests and generally have fun RPing with the community. This last Friday during DJ Dustfox's set, no less than 4 Fallen Earth GMs showed up throughout the evening to come dance with players between help calls. It was a great surprise - and a lot of fun! One Shots needs your screens! So while you're out playing - or digging through your hard drive - grab some screens for us. Send them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a brief description of what's going on in the screenshot. In turn we'll give your contribution a moment to shine, right here on Massively. How cool is that?%Gallery-9798%
Upcoming 1.2 details expanded for Fallen Earth
Playing a game like Fallen Earth teaches you the value of hitting the ground running, as it makes it much less likely that something or someone is going to jump you, take your things, and possibly eat you. It's a lesson the developers have clearly taken to heart, as they've been running and working hard at developing their game. Patch 1.2 is scheduled to go live for the game on October 22nd, and the developers have given more information about what players can expect. Chief among the changes is the expansion of the game's tutorial -- with a game that has a very strict philosophy against letting you roll back any changes you make, understanding the importance of each choice becomes vital. Currently, the tutorial covers a number of elements of the game and is supposed to tease the player regarding high-end gameplay. In patch 1.2, there will be an optional expansion that runs an additional 35-40 minutes, covering crafting, scavenging, mounts, and harvesting. It's also slated to help reinforce the game's basic combat system. In addition to these changes, the game is streamlining and improving several of the game's town events. Areas such as Clinton Farm, Boneclaw, and the Embry Crossroads Monster Hunt were a bit more obtuse than the developers liked, and with the feedback from players they're going to be making the missions more understandable and straightforward. There are good things coming soon to Fallen Earth, certainly, although it's still probably not a bad idea to hit the ground running -- tutorials don't last forever, after all.
Fallen Earth announces Halloween event and trial key giveaway
Let's see a show of hands for those of you who love zombies. They might come in all shapes and sizes, but we all have our favorites. Are you more a fan of the slow-moving George Romero zombies, or the leaping-over-cars infected zombies? Perhaps you're more of a vampire-zombie aficionado. Regardless of your preference, it's still fun to smash a few in the head, am I right?There are already several types of Infected in Fallen Earth, but starting next week, there's about to be a whole lot more. The folks at Fallen Earth have announced their Halloween event -- aptly named Days of the Dead -- where you will have a chance to kill throngs of Infected as they pour from the Lifenet pods into the wasteland. Of course you'll need some back-up for this, so we'll also have 2,000 15-day trial keys to give away to your zombie-hunter buddies. In addition to this, we'll have our own in-game events in association with Post Apoc Radio to be held during Days of the Dead. The giveaway and our in-game events won't start until next week, but we're getting you prepared for the onslaught now. Follow along after the jump for complete information on the Days of the Dead event.
Should MMOs in general slow their roll?
Over at Keen and Graev's blog, Keen brings up a rather interesting point about the pace at which we play MMOs nowadays. He's concerned that everyone -- developers included -- are too concerned with leaping and bounding through each and every moment they play an MMO.There may really be no 'right' answer to the question this observation raises: Do we move too fast through an MMO? Or even more to the point -- in our opinion -- is this genre becoming too concerned with imitating a singleplayer game? Those two questions are most definitely connected and it really comes down to what people want, which ultimately reaches the question of how people spend their money.Walled garden games -- we're talking World of Warcraft and such here -- most definitely thrive on pushing players forward. It's the sandbox games that ask their players to move around horizontally; to actually talk to someone for a reason other than finishing a quest to level or craft. It's all a matter of preference. If the sandbox loving, slow rolling players aren't being properly served, someone will capitalize on that. Why, we're pretty sure there's a new game called Fallen Earth that some of you may be interested in checking out.
The Digital Continuum: In pursuit of immersion
Some folks feel that immersion should trump game mechanics in a way that other find uncomfortable. Should we parley mechanics for the 'greater good' of some mystical all encompassing concept of improved immersion? Good question, and perfect for today's The Digital Continuum.Immersion vs. mechanics, it's a theme that grabs you by the shirt collar and smacks you around a little bit -- or a lot, depending on how serious you take the discussion.
One Shots: Always darkest before the dawn
With a huge number of changes having rolled out in the last month since the early start, the team at Fallen Earth continue to improve the game for those who are enjoying this post-apocalyptic indie MMO. One such player, Fleendini, wrote in to share a snapshot he got before heading out for another day in the wastes of the Grand Canyon. he writes in: My first sunrise in Fallen Earth. Unfortunately, I need to run at near minimum graphic settings, but it's still a beautifully apocalyptic sight. Hopefully with the graphical changes coming in to help improve memory, you'll be able to crank those settings up before long, Fleendini! If you're playing an MMO, we want to see your screens! From big to small, all of them are welcome. Just drop them in an email to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll post them out here and give you the credit. %Gallery-9798%
State of the ruined wasteland of Fallen Earth
There's definitely a developer communication theme running through MMOs these days. After one month of players being able to stomp around in Fallen Earth, the game has received its first State of the Game address from developer Colin Dwan, better known as "Ilkor" on the official forums. The address goes through some of the concerns players have had, some of the minor bugfixes and improvements, and what the developers are planning on introducing for patch 1.1 and 1.2. The former is slated to have a content improvement for levels 32-35, and the latter is intended to boost social content and group-oriented activities.The address also takes time to respond to some issues that have come up on a repeated basis. Faster travel is on the list to be implemented down the road, especially once later updates arrive, but it will be expensive and between very strictly delineated points for thematic reasons. Respecs are also on the table, but again will be expensive and limited. As Dwan himself puts it, "[We] would like to help the people who spend a few points wrong and want to fix those mistakes, not folks who want to rebuild their whole character. The specifics are still up in the air, but it will be expensive, slow, and limited." If you're interested in the near future of the game and are curious about the overall developer plan, take a look at the whole address at the official Fallen Earth forums.[ via WarCry ]
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite indie MMO?
There's never enough credit given to the indie MMO developers. These are the teams that usually put it all on the line with the hope of making a darn good MMO for people to play in. They don't have the budgets that the big teams do, and sometimes they don't have the graphics, but what they always have is the soul and innovation to put out their title.So today's Daily Grind is dedicated to the independent teams out there. And, in honor of them, we ask you what your favorite indie MMO is. You've got lots of choices, from Love to Face of Mankind to Neocron to Fallen Earth to Ryzom to Istaria to Darkfall to A Tale in the Desert to many others. We could keep going, but you'd probably get bored of us naming off all of these games.So tell us of your favorite indie MMO! For good measure, tell us some stories about your indie MMO of choice! Go go go!
Second annual costume contest announced for Fallen Earth
Some people would say that the complete end of the world as we know it kind of precludes dressing up in costumes and going out for candy. And there's a word for those people -- quitters. Lucky for all of us, however, the end of the world as we know it has only come in video game form, and now the fans of Fallen Earth can earn some prizes in the second annual Halloween costume contest on the official site.Running until October 21st, the contest calls for players to send in their faction-themed costumes, with all of the entries being displayed on the site on October 23rd. In addition, the top five entries will receive a Fallen Earth prize pack, which includes a game t-shirt, a messenger bag, and a game poster autographed by the development team. The full rules are available at the official site.If you're a fan of the game, it's a nice chance to dovetail putting together a costume and winning some nice bonuses from the developers. And, on the off chance that the end of the world really does roll around, you'll have the added benefit of being dressed for the occasion.
Aion and Fallen Earth dominate Steam/D2D charts
Aion. Champions Online. Fallen Earth. Three MMOs intended for three different audiences and yet they all have one thing in common: September gaming sales chart domination! The latest numbers on Steam and Direct2Drive show a bit of a re-shuffling compared to the last time we checked in.Steam (9/20 - 9/26)1st - Aion Collector's Edition2nd - Aion Standard Edition3rd - Fallen EarthDirect2Drive (9/20 - 9/26)1st - Aion Collector's Edition 2nd - Aion Standard Edition 3rd - Fallen Earth8th - Champions OnlineChampions Online was launched a few weeks before both FE and Aion, so we believe that might have something to do with their now lagging sales (according to these charts). Be sure to check out our one-month checkup on CO. Both Aion and FE appear to be doing quite well for themselves since release. Considering the lack of marketing behind FE and its more design, we're happy to see it up ranking so high. Actually, it makes us warm and fuzzy to see any MMO selling well, so kudos to all!
Catch an insider glimpse of a Fallen Earth meeting
If you ever thought to yourself how cool it would be to work for a video game company - well, obviously you're not alone. However, the team at Fallen Earth, LLC have decided to release a video that's part-trailer and part behind-the-scenes at their indie studio. Entitled only "Fallen Earth Marketing Meeting" it shows off not only the team's passion for Fallen Earth, but reveals that one guy who still hopes for "elves... magic" in the mix. Aww, poor misguided soul. For a very silly look at an up-and-coming studio (and of course, their new MMO) be sure to check out the very tongue-in-cheek "marketing meeting" video behind the break.
The Daily Grind: Naming and shaming?
Yesterday, a bit of a kerfuffle broke out on the Fallen Earth forums. One of the largest fan sites, Globaltech Atlas, was asking the community about whether or not they should consider adding in a "Honorary Douche-bag of the Week" award, which would allow members of the community to "name and shame" enabling players to nominate other Fallen Earth players who were "cheaters, scammers, liars and thieves and [deserving of] the oh so important 'poor sportsmanship' awards." Now ultimately, they decided to drop the idea, instead opting to warn the community about any scams going around without naming people. However, two forum threads had already started, hotly debating the various pros and cons.One side felt that by doing this on a single-shard game (much like EVE Online in this aspect) they could potentially stop people from being flaming jerks because the community would immediately be aware of what they were doing. Others pointed out that since there are members of the community who thrive on being jerks, there was a certain element that would likely step up their griefing just to get an award like this - considering it a mark of honor to actually get named. Some pointed out that screenshots and chat logs could be faked easily; others pointed out that anyone actually being a big enough jerk would be essentially blacklisted simply because enough people had it happen to them. This morning we thought we'd put it to you - what do you think of "naming and shaming" people who are rude/scam/etc? Do you think that this is a good idea and can be a useful tool to dissuade players from being jerks? Or do you think this is a poorly-advised idea, offering little beyond a chance for drama llamas to compete for fame - or should we say infamy?
