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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.
Fallen Earth 1.7.4 patch detailed
Fallen Earth's 1.7.4 patch is on the test server, and Icarus Studios' GM Carlin has your introduction to the laundry list of tweaks, fixes, and additions. The update includes significant changes to crafting components, a reduction of the critical damage modifier, and improved NPC melee AI. 1.7.4 also brings several new merchants, missions, and trainers, as well as a completely redesigned Boneclaw. In story terms, the town has been sacked by Alec Masters, allowing Icarus to improve both the content and the layout. The patch also features several improvements to Fallen Earth's visuals and sound suite, and you can find the complete list on the official forums. Also be sure and check out the Massively Speaking podcast featuring Fallen Earth's Marie Croall and lots of discussion about the new patch.
Wasteland Diaries: Long-term goals
So you're a brand-new clone in Fallen Earth, dressed in your snappy LifeNet ensemble? So far you've managed to get yourself blown to bits inside the bowels of the Hoover Dam. Remember that awesome scoped battle rifle you were using? Well, forget that. The weapons you will be using for the time being will be a bit more primitive and a lot less deadly. Luckily for you, Elena Winters was able to respawn you safely away from the dam. After being led around by the nose, you're no doubt ready to begin making some of your own decisions. I'm going to tell you that you aren't quite ready to do that. Not just yet. Before you go off on your own, there are some important things you need to know. These things I will tell you will save you a lot of trouble later on. I wish someone had given me all the information I'm going to give you, but I learned it the hard way. As they say: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." This also holds true in Fallen Earth. Now that you're in a safe place, I'll get that handy information to you after the break.
Icarus publishes latest Fallen Earth State of the Game
Fallen Earth fans have had a rough couple of weeks (to say nothing of the staff at Icarus Studios). The post-apocalyptic sci-fi MMORPG was recently hit with a round of layoffs that impacted several key people and likely left subscribers wondering as to the future of everyone's favorite digital wasteland. Happily, Icarus senior game designer Marie Croall is here with a lengthy State of the Game letter that puts a few of our fears to rest and outlines a path forward. Though Croall doesn't directly address the recent layoffs, preferring instead to focus on the upcoming development schedule, it's clear that there are a lot of improvements incoming, which bodes well for Fallen Earth's fans and future. Croall talks about Sector 4, a level cap increase, and new gear, consumables, and recipes that will soon see the light of day. Graphical upgrades and physical combat changes are also on the way, with the latter being pushed to the test server before the end of the month. The Fallen Earth team will also be improving high-end group content, tweaking the serendipity system, and continuing to balance Progress Towns throughout December. Finally, look for long-awaited additional character slots to be available in the Fallen Earth store as early as next week. Check out the full letter on the official forums, and also look for the Fallen Earth devs on next week's Massively Speaking podcast with Shawn and Rubi.
Wasteland Diaries: Flag up
Since the addition of the open world PvP flag to Fallen Earth, I haven't seen it being used often enough. There are only a handful of players, including me, who stay flagged for PvP 24/7. For a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Fallen Earth is a pretty safe and cozy place for most. The majority of the game takes place in relatively civilized areas where clones can't harm one another. PvP zones are optional, and many players simply avoid them. With the well-guarded towns, sporadic and weak mobs that are always right where you left them, and the resilience of player characters, there isn't a huge element of danger out there. I know a lot of these issues are being addressed with the combat changes, but today's wasteland isn't too frightening. I drive into PvP zones and almost breathe a sigh of relief, because everyone around me is on an even keel. When I roll into a crowded town, that is when I'm really on my guard. I appear to go about my business normally, but I'm looking over both shoulders. You never know who in the crowd might have it in for you or might just attack you on a whim. Truth be told, it's not so bad. Most people won't pay you any mind. After the cut, I'll take a look at the past month I've spent PvP-flagged and try to explain why I think it's the only way to play.
Fallen Earth and Best Buy team up for Blood Sports discount
Icarus Studios has a Halloween deal for you in the form of a $10 discount on copies of Fallen Earth. Head to your local Best Buy or visit online to pick up your box copy of the game. The discount runs for a limited time -- October 31st through November 27th, to be exact -- so don't delay. Blood Sports features the latest game client version including the titular update that added a ton of new PvP content to the wasteland. Head over to the official website for more details, and don't forget to check out all of our previous Fallen Earth coverage to see what you've been missing.
Fallen Earth takes part in NaNoWriMo
November, for those of you unfamiliar with the concept, is National Novel Writing Month and host to an annual challenge -- write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. It's a tall order that not everyone can manage, but the Fallen Earth development team contains at least one hopeful. Director of Content Development Wes Platt is working on his novel, and he's looking to the game's players to help make it a collaborative effort every step of the way. With an official thread on the forums, Platt is both posting his progress as he goes and taking suggestions from players as to where the story should head next. He also has posted his NaNoWriMo profile page so that players also taking part in the contest can track his progress and cheer him along. Fallen Earth fans would do well to take part in the crafting of the story -- it's not just the first novel for the game, but a novel written in a month's time.
Wasteland Diaries: What's next?
There isn't yet a known release date for the next Fallen Earth patch. The 1.7.1 patch will make some fundamental changes to the combat system. These changes will be far-reaching, but they will not alter gameplay drastically. Mainly, we will see an increase in damage dealt across the board. This will make combat in Fallen Earth seem a bit more dangerous than it is now. PvE just doesn't quicken my pulse like it did when I was a new player in Sector 1. The patch will also address this. It will also add the faction control points. The main focus of the patch is the combat re-vamp and the control points. The Armor Use skill and the Dodge skill have been redesigned, and the way that damage mitigation works is a bit different in version 1.7.1. The faction control points will give the clones a reason to fight, and the victorious faction will reap far-reaching rewards. I'll go into more detail about these tidbits and more after the break, so without any further ado, let's move on.
Operation Combat Upgrade coming to Fallen Earth
Fallen Earth subscribers are about to see some pretty big changes coming to their game. The team at Icarus Studios has been putting the final touch on the first phase, and Operation Combat Upgrade will arrive on the PTS this week. While these aren't as flashy as some of the recent cosmetic upgrades, they're going to have a significant impact on overall gameplay. According to the Fallen Earth developers, these upgrades will focus heavily on physical combat values. The changes run the gamut from armor requirements to high-level dodge and armor use combinations to NPC behavior, so you'll notice tweaks throughout the game. The Fallen Earth team has provided a complete and detailed list of the upcoming changes, so follow along after the cut to take a look, and watch for them on the PTS later this week!
Wasteland Diaries: Combat overhaul
Merging a roleplaying game (RPG) and a first-person shooter/third-person shooter FPS/TPS seamlessly can be difficult to say the least. I can only think of a few examples of games that have been done well in this manner. But none of the examples I can think of is an MMO. Granted I haven't played every game in existence, so this is by no means a definitive assertion. I'll call Fallen Earth an MMO/FPS in this post, for the sake of simplicity, even though it's an MMORPGFPS/TPS, but that's a mouthful and it looks like something an Enigma machine spit out. The Fallen Earth combat system is a mix of two very different game types: an MMORPG and a shooter. Some of my detractors insist that Fallen Earth is an MMORPG with "manual targeting," but I respectfully disagree and consider it as much of a shooter as games that run on the Quake 3 engine. Just because it doesn't have "bullet-drop" physics doesn't mean it's not a shooter. There is a combat revamp headed our way this month, so I thought I would do an in-depth analysis of the FE combat system. After the break I intend to pop the hood on the combat system and take a close look at its mechanics, then try to surmise what changes might be incoming (even though I've seen some of them).
Fallen Earth offers $9.99 box copy, prairie chicken mount
Still thinking about checking out Fallen Earth's wasteland charms, but looking for a little prodding to send you over the edge? If so, Icarus Studios' latest promotion -- announced today on its official website and via press release -- is for you. For a limited time (through October 22nd to be exact), customers who purchase Fallen Earth through GameStop retailers -- either online or at traditional brick and mortar outlets -- will receive a boxed copy of the game for a paltry $9.99. In addition to the $20 instant savings, players will get an in-game prairie chicken mount for their trouble. You can learn more at the official Fallen Earth website, or locate the nearest GameStop.
Wasteland Diaries: Sector 1
In the past few weeks in Fallen Earth, I've been spending a bit of time in sector 1 -- the Plateau Sector. I have to admit, it's still my favorite sector. It's the epitome of a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The other sectors (possibly excluding Deadfall) look a bit too lush and green for my tastes. Of all the sectors, it is also the busiest. It holds the most missions, towns and bonus AP. Even though it looks like a sparsely populated wasteland, there is plenty for a new clone (or an old one) to do. In this post I will take a look at Fallen Earth's sector 1 in all its glory, from the starter towns to the capital. I've visited them all, and they all have a distinct place in my earliest memories of Fallen Earth. I was most amazed at how different the entire sector looks now, after all the graphical enhancements. I was looking at some old screenshots from last year, and everything looks so much better now. I'm not saying that an apocalyptic landscape can be a beautiful thing, but I sometimes stop killing whatever it is that I'm killing to admire the sunset. So, without any further ado, let's take a look at sector 1.
Wasteland Diaries: A year? Already?
Has it been a year already? I guess it has been. Fallen Earth launched on September 22nd, the same day as Aion. But by launch day I was already working my way to Sector 3. I pre-ordered and got to start playing on the 9th. My performance at work suffered that first week as I tried to keep up with the power-levelers. Ultimately, I couldn't. But on launch day I was nearly level 30 and still, to this day, I couldn't tell you why I was rushing. I made it to the level cap of 45 a couple of weeks after the official launch. My next three trips through the wastes would be more slow-paced and lackadaisical. While Fallen Earth is still the same game, it has changed drastically since launch day. Drastic change can be good or bad, but in FE's case, it's all good. The game has gotten nothing but better. Sure, the developers have added some mediocre content, but overall the game has been improving by leaps and bounds. And there seems to be no end in sight for these improvements. Let's take a look back at Fallen Earth's transformation from buggy, beta-like MMO to a first-rate gaming experience. After the cut, I'll break it down by patches.
Fallen Earth patch 1.7 goes live with in-game events
Happy birthday, Fallen Earth! Today is the one-year anniversary of Fallen Earth's launch, and Icarus Studios is celebrating in style. Patch 1.7 is live on the servers now, with a huge list of bug and cosmetic fixes and over 50 new missions for wastelanders to participate in. This patch also kicks off the Customer Rewards Program, and an FAQ is on the site to guide players through this new feature. If a pile of new content isn't enough to keep you busy, this special day also brings two in-game events. At 1:00 and 8:00 p.m. EDT today, an in-game event will take place and every wastelander is needed to help. Details of the event are sketchy, but we know that villain Aro Sei is planning revenge for what happened at the Hoover Dam. All the available details are on the Fallen Earth site now.
Massively's Community Detective, Issue #8: Fallen Earth
Welcome to another installment of Massively's Community Detective. This week, I pay a visit to a region decimated by economic and environmental collapse, widespread ignorance, and social anarchy run amok. No, it's not 21st century America but rather the fictional future-world of the Grand Canyon province as depicted in Icarus Studios' Fallen Earth. Travel forward in time with me to 2156 as we dodge plagues, mutated animals, and a big bit of nasty called the Shiva virus that lurks in the dark and dusty corners of the American southwest. What exactly does this grim future hold? Is there hope for mankind? Have Facebook and American Idol died horrible, well-deserved deaths? Are Cool Ranch Doritos still available? Who cares about all that, we just want to know whether MMORPGs have great communities and good customer service, right? Fortunately, Fallen Earth fits both bills, even though each institution has its quirks. Find out what's good, bad, and ugly about the game's social elements after the break.
The Daily Grind: How important are loyalty programs to you?
This past week, EverQuest joined the growing number of MMOs that include some sort of loyalty or veteran rewards program: "For simply continuing to subscribe to our game you will gain 'crowns' every week that can be spent on items to improve your game play. There is no additional charge for the items you find on this vendor... The amount of crowns you gain increases for every month that you have a continued subscription to EverQuest. This increase in points per week caps out after 12 months." The basic idea behind such programs is to provide additional incentive for players to stay subscribed. These incentives can be as trite as a new title or a badge only you can see, or as substantial as cash shop currency, special outfits or unique skills. While companies like NCsoft, Cryptic, Icarus and SOE have utilized loyalty programs as part of their subscriber strategy, plenty of other studios (Blizzard, Turbine, CCP) do not. We'd like to know: How important are loyalty programs to you? Do they make a difference in choosing which game to play? Have you stayed subscribed to an MMO you're not even playing just for the rewards? Would you like to see your current MMO offer a veteran rewards program like this?
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.
