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Icarus preps Fallen Earth soundtrack release
Once upon a time, we spent an afternoon ripping audio files out of the recesses of our Fallen Earth directory. This wasn't fun, or especially productive, but the end result was a collection of MP3 snippets strung together on a playlist labeled FE Soundtrack. The whole hackneyed effort served as a stop-gap measure for getting our daily dose of wasteland ambiance while waiting patiently on an official solution. Happily, this half-arsed attempt is about to become obsolete, as Icarus Studios is gearing up to release their Firefly-esque soundtrack to fans all over the Grand Canyon province. The 20-track album will be available via the Fallen Earth website next week, and can be purchased for $13.99 US (or $.99 per individual track). Shiny.
Wasteland Diaries: PvP for dummies
PvP in Fallen Earth is different. It's not much like an MMORPG, and it's not much like an FPS (first-person shooter, for the uninitiated). It's a hybrid, and it can take some getting used to. But isn't that what PvE is for? To train us to PvP? I would like to think that, but many players of MMOs refuse to ever fight their fellow players. Considering I get most of my combat joy out of fighting other players, I find this online conscientious objector mentality beyond my ability to understand. But there are also those who will always PvP, and then there are the undecided. If you're wondering whether or not to try out some Fallen Earth PvP action, this article is for you. I have never understood why, in a game that has such paltry death penalties, so few engage in PvP. The fine folks at Fallen Earth, LLC have even been nice enough to put kid gloves on us when we PvP in Blood Sports. There is literally no penalty whatsoever for dying in a Blood Sports match. You respawn fully buffed and ready to get some. My goal in this article is to convince some of the players who are undecided on PvP to try it out. I'll give you the low-down on what to expect, and at the end I'll give you some tips from the pros. So, without any further ado, let's move on.
Fallen Earth's producer details upcoming patch
Fallen Earth producer Dave "Archangel" Haydysch popped up on the game's official forums yesterday to share his latest State of the Game post. In addition to touching on the Icarus team's experience at the recently concluded Pax Prime event in Seattle, Haydysch drops a few nuggets of exciting news regarding the 1.7 patch. Faction control points will add another PvP option to the wasteland, and will feature flags that players may capture throughout the world. Once in the player's possession, members of the conquering faction will have access to guards, buffs, and new harvesting nodes for as long as they maintain control and fight off would-be challengers. Speaking of fighting, combat is being rebalanced, and 1.7 will kick things off with mitigation and damage adjustments (as well as a free respec to help players cope with the changes). New encounter areas are also coming, and will be found near Old Kingman, Blaine, Gaia, and Deadfall. Following on from vehicle color customization in an earlier patch, social clothing updates are also included in 1.7, in the form of paint and dye kits that can be applied to jackets, pants, hats, and shirts. As if all that wasn't enough, Icarus is also phasing in a customer rewards program that will accrue Veteran Reward Points with each subscribed month. Points may be spent at in-game vendors for unique items and will also be retroactively added to current subscriber accounts.
The countdown to Fallen Earth's one-year anniversary is on!
One year ago, the post-apocalyptic wasteland entered this world a screaming, healthy baby MMO. It's been a year of highs and lows for Fallen Earth, as Icarus Studios weathered staff cuts while pumping out fixes, patches and a whole new zone. Also, monkeys. Lots and lots of monkeys. To celebrate this momentous occasion, Fallen Earth is inviting players to spend the next week counting down to the launchiversary with eight days of events, giveaways and parties. This will all culminate in a huge in-game celebration, which Icarus Studios is asking players to screenshot the heck out of in exchange for prizes. The company is also excited to announce two changes to its popular Fallen Earth mobile phone app. The basic app is now free of charge (available for iPhone, Blackberry and Android devices), but Icarus is also offering "premium services" for the one-time charge of $9.99. These special services include starting crafting projects, buying and selling on the auction house, and using the in-game mail system. You can read all of the details on the Mobile App FAQ.
Wasteland Diaries: Loyalty
In Fallen Earth you start out as a confused clone. You don't have any idea who you are or what to do. The answers are there if you choose to seek them out. But you may also choose to ignore your greater purpose and carve out your own little niche in the wastes. You may form bonds with other players during your journeys, and you might join a clan at some point. But there is another factor that might divert your moral compass from that of your colleagues: Fallen Earth's six factions. The factions add a bit of flavor to the game, but they also complicate matters for players who have formed friendships in Sector 1, before the factions had any sway. Sure, you may learn a little bit about the various factions during your adventures in the Plateau Province, but you won't choose sides until you get to Sector 2. You can always remain neutral, but that would be akin to playing the game blindfolded. You would be severely gimping yourself for no good reason. After the cut I will take an in-depth look at loyalties in Fallen Earth and how they might be torn between three different entities: factions, friends, and clans.
Come back to Fallen Earth for $4.99, get a free respec
Former subscribers to Icarus Studios' Fallen Earth received a welcome surprise in their inboxes this past week, as the North Carolina-based developer sent out a special subscription offer to help celebrate the title's upcoming anniversary. Former denizens of the wasteland can return to a full month of gameplay for $4.99, with the regular subscription fee of $14.99 recurring after 30 days. Returnees can also look forward to a free character respec courtesy of the Pristine Recombinant Injector that will appear in their in-game mailboxes upon account re-activation. If you've been away from the game for awhile, Icarus says there's no better time to check things out, as it has several anniversary events planned for residents of the Grand Canyon province.
Wasteland Diaries: Lone wolf
An MMO is a massively multiplayer online game. So what would attract a lone-wolf type to something that is massively multiplayer? You would think this would drive someone who enjoys his solitude away. This is simply not the case, as every MMORPG has lone-wolf players. If that MMO happens to be Fallen Earth, with its post-apocalyptic setting, it might seem to attract individualistic survivalist types who strive to be self-sufficient. I have never played an MMO in which so many people were withdrawn, introverted, and downright antisocial. Well, it is the apocalypse, and there are times when I just want to be left alone to kill in silence. I am a bit of a lone wolf, myself. But many times, trying to get a group together can be like pulling teeth... from a drunken throwback's maw. Sure, people aren't bound to be as friendly in a ravaged, unlawful world like the one we call home in Fallen Earth, but sometimes the wasteland can be a very lonely place. I enjoy doing my own thing as much as anyone else, and in many cases I don't want to stop what I'm doing to help other players, but I tend to. And I'm almost always glad I did. After the cut, I'll take a look at the pros and cons of being a lone wolf.
Icarus offers Fallen Earth Companion app full-featured trial
Fallen Earth's rubble-strewn wasteland may be a junkyard full of rusty old tech and rotting civilization, but the forthcoming mobile phone app update is the epitome of new and shiny. The team at Icarus is offering a full-featured trial of the extended app to all current users, meaning you can check out the full auction house functionality, the ability to craft an item from scratch, and the in-game mail attachment services for free. The trial period runs from September 3rd to September 13th, and naturally requires that you have the original Fallen Earth companion app installed on your iPhone, Droid, or Blackberry. You can grab it from iTunes, the Android App Store, or Blackberry App World, and get a sneak peak of the new and improved version prior to its official release in a few weeks. You can also view complete details via the press release on the official website.
Wasteland Diaries: Passing the time
With what looks to be a brand-new combat system on the way, there is a lot of anticipation for the next few incarnations of Fallen Earth. Well, I'm anticipating them, anyway. Dave "Archangel" Haydysch himself says the team will be "gutting" the combat system, for one. There are bound to be some major changes to Fallen Earth in the coming months. These changes include, but are not limited to, the combat system, factions, and PvP objectives. Not to mention that Icarus has verified that we will be getting PvE group instances to romp around in. There's a lot of goodness on the way, but it's still several weeks or a couple of months off in the future. We will know more with the September state of the game announcement. In the meantime, many of us are at the level cap (I have three level 50 characters myself), and many of us are running out of things to do. Even with PvP-flagging, which allows PvP anywhere, there is very little endgame PvP. Most of the action seems to be in sector 2. I blame the combat system for that, but that's another story. With Deadfall looking like a ghost-town, sometimes the apocalypse can be a lonely place, at least for those of us who have hit the level 50 brick wall a couple times. After the cut, I'll throw you some ideas to pass the time until the next content update.
Fallen Earth producer talks major combat changes
Things have been pretty quiet on the Fallen Earth news-front lately. Aside from this week's patch and the announcement of an upcoming customer rewards program, the team at Icarus Studios has been rather scarce for much of the summer. Happily, a new State of the Game letter from producer Dave "Archangel" Haydysch outlines everything the dev team has been toiling away on behind the scenes. Haydysch kicks things off by mentioning Fallen Earth's fall update schedule, currently slated to begin with a major patch in late September. "This will be the beginning of several major patches in which we will roll out combat and faction improvements as well as many other new features," he says. What sort of features, you're probably wondering? For starters, the team will be adjusting combat formulas with the goal of creating a faster, more visceral overall experience. Significant tweaks will occur with regard to high-level mitigation, random damage spread, and statistical requirements on armor. Faction skills, mutations, and regular skills will also receive additional balancing after the major combat changes are in place. In addition to combat, Icarus will be adding content in the form of Progress Towns, as well as Faction Control Points, clothing color customization, camp improvements, and more. Check out all of the details in the State of the Game letter on the official forums.
Fallen Earth's newest patch addresses animations
One of the fan criticisms often leveled at Icarus Studios' post-apocalyptic sci-fi MMO Fallen Earth is the quality of some of the title's combat animations. With the launch of the game's newest update, Icarus has begun to address these concerns by polishing the animations for both dual-wielding and melee combat reactions. The 1.6.2 patch, which hits the live server today, also brings particle and sound synchronization on melee combat as well as user interface tweaks and a small bug fix pertaining to the respec system. Finally, in case the wastelands weren't gritty enough already, the Fallen Earth team has re-enabled blood spatters and sounds for normal, glancing, and critical hits with regard to melee combat. Check out the press release and the full patch notes for all the details.
Wasteland Diaries: Sector 2
In Fallen Earth the Grand Canyon Province is divided into sectors. Sector 1 is where you will learn the basics of the game, but there are a few important and new concepts you will be introduced to in sector 2. Those two concepts are mutations and factions. NPCs will try to introduce you to these concepts through a series of quests in Sunshine Corners. The quests will give you a basic rundown of each of Fallen Earth's faction's ideology, but there are a few other things you should know. The purpose of the post will be to make sure that you know what to expect when you arrive in sector 2. You will be making one of the most important choices in your character's development when you choose a faction to align with. Each faction has different perks, mutations, and capstones. These all play a major part in what your character will become and must not be taken lightly, unless you like dumping chips into respec injectors. After the cut, I will arm you with the knowledge to make a better-informed decision.
Fallen Earth introduces customer rewards program
Icarus Studios unveiled some new subscription options for Fallen Earth players yesterday, and today the studio is sweetening the deal a little more. September will bring customer rewards to the Wasteland, a program that offers up some extra incentive to players who subscribe to Fallen Earth. The news is a little light on specifics, but more details are promised soon. For now, we know that the first phase of this program will be "tailored for veteran players," but other phases will presumably follow. Points are earned for each individual month you hold a subscription, as well as additional bonuses for cumulative months. Check out the Fallen Earth site for all the current information.
Fallen Earth offers new subscription options
With all the game trailers flying at us from Gamescom 2010 in Cologne, Germany, it's easy to overlook the news closer to home. Happily, the team at Icarus Studios sent us word that their post-apocalyptic MMORPG Fallen Earth is expanding its stable of subscription options. In addition to the industry-standard $14.99 monthly rate, you can also get your wasteland fix via 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month bundles that will save you, well, a bundle. For the mathematically challenged, you'll save $5, $18, and $55 if you opt into one of the long-term deals when compared to a standard monthly sub. Check out the full press release at the official Fallen Earth website, or go straight to the online store.
Wasteland Diaries: Combat fatigue
Fallen Earth has the best crafting system I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Fallen Earth's PvE is not too shabby either. And I actually enjoyed the game's PvP for a time until the end. I can't really say that Fallen Earth's PvP is bad, but it has several fatal flaws. And these flaws have caused the vast majority of the endgame PvP crowd to move on. In this post I will examine what I think these flaws are. This is just my opinion, but my experience PvPing on all levels extensively lends my opinion at least a shred of credibility. The fact is: PvP in Fallen Earth is at an all-time low. There is hardly any real penalty for dying in the game, so why are there so few people partaking? There are several reasons that nobody PvPs in Fallen Earth, and the death penalty is not one of them. After the cut I will analyze the most common reasons for not PvPing. I will try to represent the facts of the matter, but like most of my critical articles, this one will be smothered in opinion.
Wasteland Diaries: Take a hint
In the past, I've written guides to help new Fallen Earth players. Most of the information I put in these guides is common knowledge. I have compiled a list of things one should know about playing Fallen Earth, whether one is a brand new clone or a grizzled veteran of the wastes. This guide is different because it isn't really a guide at all, just a compilation of advice. Most of this stuff may not help you, but I can assure you, at least one of these bits of wisdom will be of use to you. Essentially, I have compiled a list of useful hints, tips and tricks that I think every player should know. Some of them might evoke a facepalm from the veterans, and some might make life easier for a new player, but you will learn something. So without any further ado, proceed past the cut and prepare to be enlightened.
One Shots: Fallen Earth fashionista
While anyone who has listened to Massively Speaking can tell you that Shawn just loves Fallen Earth, what you may not be aware of is just how hardcore he is about aesthetics. Indeed, it would appear that our fearless leader happens to be a post-apocalyptic fashion fiend -- and the rougher-looking the fashion, the better! Today's One Shots also gives us a view of the higher sectors of Fallen Earth for those who haven't traveled there as yet. Shawn explains: "Whenever we see Fallen Earth screenshots, they're always from the desolate brown desert wasteland in Sector 1, but I wanted to show that there's much more to the game than that. This was taken in the swampy region near Docuer's Court in Sector 3, filled with Cypress trees and swamp moss. I'm also sporting my brand new MOPP 7 mask I grabbed as a quest reward from the recent Quarantined Monkeytown instance. The stats might suck, but its looks make it worth wearing." Have you been to a place we haven't seen as yet? Why not snap a screenshot and send it in to us! We love to see what you're doing. Email those screenshots to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here and give you the credit for sending it in. %Gallery-85937%
Wasteland Diaries: New paint job
The Fallen Earth 1.6 patch is a couple days old now, and I've had a chance to check out some of its features. I've painted more vehicles than Earl Scheib this week. I was able to test the respec injectors on the Public Test Server (PTS). I haven't tried them on the live server yet, but I have a few misallocated points that aren't serving much of a purpose. I was able to run through the new, extended tutorial with a brand-new clone. And the Fallen Earth team has given us the ability to flag ourselves for PvP anywhere, anytime. This should prove interesting. If you have been waiting on the sidelines for the next patch or are wondering what new things are in store for us, I will give you a breakdown of the new stuff I have been able to check out myself after the cut. The patch is only a few days old, but I have been trying to experience the new features to the fullest in that short time.
Fallen Earth patch 1.6 arrives today
The Wasteland is temporarily closed for maintenance. The Fallen Earth servers are down, and when they come back up at 1 p.m. eastern, you can expect to see a lot of changes thanks to patch 1.6. The game's patch notes, posted last night, gave us an idea of what to look for. You'll find quite a few minor fixes and changes with this patch. Cars will be pink, orange, and powder blue. Doors will be fixed, weapon sounds will be improved, and floating items will be brought down where they belong.. It's not all just cosmetic, though. If you've been putting off heading to Monkeytown to get that song stuck in your head and pick up a set of monkey wrenches, it's too late -- the town is gone, replaced by new missions and a repeatable town event. Check them out to find out what happened in Monkeytown. Minor Respec -- a welcome addition that allows you to to reallocate 5 AP -- will arrive with this patch, as will an extended tutorial that will help new players a bit more. If PvP is more your thing, you'll be happy to know that once the servers are back up, you can type /pvp and flag for PvP anywhere in the world, not just designated PvP areas. There is even more to be seen, and the patch notes make for a good read while you're waiting for the servers to come back up, so check them out on the Fallen Earth forums.
Bring a little color to your ride in Fallen Earth
As you scour the wastelands in Fallen Earth, most likely you're taking advantage of the situation by getting yourself a vehicle. Not just any vehicle -- you want something that's flashy, functional, and durable. A fair amount of storage would help, too. Yet for all the options given to players, you've been largely restricted to the main colors of the game world for your new roadster until now. The first phase of color customization is hitting the live servers tomorrow, and it brings with it the option to pay a Garage Manager a fee and pimp your ride with a nice new paint job. Four paint and dye kits are being added to the crafting of dyes, with each one working on a different range of vehicles and offering the same selection of colors. On top of that, there are eight additional kits of higher rarity -- three of which are found out in the world, and five of which are crafted from new rare components. While our preview gallery doesn't seem to include Safety Orange, Hot Pink, or Powder Blue among its selection, you can take a look to see just how slick your Fallen Earth wheels will look after the patch. %Gallery-98329%
