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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 I have never played an MMO in which so many people were withdrawn, introverted, and downright antisocial.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.
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.
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%
Fallen Earth offers freebie time for old subbers
Missing the rusted hulks of automobiles, radioactive pools of standing water, and the rest of the visual splendor that is Fallen Earth's ravaged wasteland? Fear not, as Icarus Studios has your fix in the form of two free weeks of unrestricted gameplay (if'n you're a former subscriber). If you've played the post-apocalyptic sci-fi MMORPG at any point in the past, whether on a trial or fully paid account, you're eligible to receive two weeks for free if you reactivate your subscription (or sign up for one, in the case of trial players). Fourteen days seems like the sweet spot for seeing a little bit of what the game has to offer. "That's enough time to re-join fellow clones or an old clan, take out some nasty raiders, craft and sell some goods, utilize a respec and get yourself a handsome mount," says the press release on the official Fallen Earth website. Check out all the details and when you're ready, reactivate your account instantly.
Fallen Earth state of the game: silent does not mean distant
The Fallen Earth developers have released the latest state of the game, and they may have been quiet lately, but they've been hard at work behind the scenes. Upcoming changes run the gamut from cosmetic items such as color customization on vehicles to gameplay-affecting additions like respec availability. Many of the additions and changes will start small and be upgraded and expanded over time. The respec injectors, for example, will begin as a merchant item, and eventually players will be able to craft their own. They didn't stop with colors and respecs, though. We got an update on the long-awaited addition of Sector Four as well. Rather than a huge expansion, sector four will be introduced as a series of counties over the next year. PvP is going to get a bit scarier in the future -- rather than having designated PvP zones, a player can flag for PvP anywhere he or she chooses. These few things are only the beginning. Housing, an improved auction house and a better leveling curve are just a few examples of the new content coming to Fallen Earth in the near future. Check out the full state of the game for all the details.
Wasteland Diaries: Fansites
Finding your way through Fallen Earth can be daunting at times, but there is help out there. Sometimes the people in the game might not be the most knowledgeable or helpful lot. I said sometimes. Luckily for us, even though Fallen Earth has a relatively small community, it is populated with knowledgeable and helpful people. If something has you stumped, and you just can't seem to find anyone in-game that can help you, there are alternatives. Most of your simple problems can be solved in the help channel by a HazMat Team member or by other players in region chat. Some of your more complex problems may require a bit of research. Researching can be quite fruitless if you don't know where to look. After the cut, I'll give you several resources that you should bookmark immediately if you haven't already. Some of these resources are more up-to-date than others, but even out-dated information is still better than nothing.
Fallen Earth boss-killing event in the works
Think your wasteland clone is tough enough to stand toe to toe with a giant mutated fungus named Deathspore? If so, put your money where your mouth is and join Fallen Earth fansite Broken Future for a series of community boss take-downs. Currently scheduled for Thursday, July 15th at 11pm eastern, the party will leave from Jimbo's Cracked Egg in Needle Eye in search of adventure, excitement, and (hopefully) coming home alive. "Bring your combat gear and prepare for a night of fun. If the event goes well, I have a little surprise in store for everyone at the end. So hope to see you all there and take care," says Broken Future's Jkillz in a post on the official Fallen Earth forums. Check out the news posting for all the details.
Fallen Earth developers want you to read their mail
It's been a little over a month since members of the Fallen Earth dev team asked for snail mail from the players, and they've gotten their wish. Typed and handwritten, serious and funny, the letters came in from quite a few fans, and the developers of Fallen Earth have posted a few of the standouts. They're definitely worth a look -- the fill-in-the-blanks letter gets extra hilarity points -- and the devs are certainly open to more. They promise to write back and maybe even include a little gift. Check out the information page for the details, put pen to paper, and watch for your letter to be posted on the Fallen Earth site!
Wasteland Diaries: Capstones
Capstones in Fallen Earth are powerful abilities that can be learned at level 45. In the literal sense. a capstone is the final stone placed in the top of a wall. In the figurative sense, it is an important achievement. Either way, it is a final step; something that will be realized at the end. Well, now that the level cap is 50, capstones aren't max level abilities anymore. If our level progression continues to 150 (as was the original plan), eventually we will be able to achieve about half of the capstone abilities without even trying. So, let's enjoy them while they aren't a dime-a-dozen, shall we? After the cut I'll give a brief summary of each capstone and its requirements. It's important to know what each capstone does before building a character, as some builds will benefit greatly from certain capstones. In many cases, Fallen Earth's capstones are goals for certain builds, and the theme of the build works hand-in-hand with its capstone.
Fallen Earth companion app released on Blackberry
Fallen Earth has been pushing its mobile app with quite a bit of vigor ever since it was released on both the iPhone and the Droid a few weeks ago. And it's with good cause -- the app allows for players to take care of a number of more tedious play elements while on the go, freeing up in-game time for more exciting endeavors. While the functionality of the software hasn't been expanded, the user base certainly has, as the mobile companion is now available for Blackberry phones and devices as well. Available via Blackberry App World for $2.99, the ported release offers all the functionality of the original Fallen Earth application. That means players can browse the auction house, check in on the world map, keep track of crafting, and interact with both friends and clan members. For a full picture of the features, players are encouraged to check out the official release and FAQ for the prior versions, which apply equally for the latest release. Whether you're wandering as much as your favorite clone or just want to browse auctions at work, the expanded potential user base is a good thing for the game's players.
Buy Fallen Earth at Walmart, get a free dog
Still haven't picked up your box copy of Icarus Studios' Fallen Earth? Get thee to yonder Walmart and grab the new Fallen Earth Blood Sports retail package for all your wasteland pseudo-sandbox needs. The new offering comes with an exclusive feral hound companion pet that is sure to make your homely avatar look like a beauty queen in comparison. If you've already purchased the new box and activated your account, you can expect your new pet key in your registered email inbox early next week. The new box includes the original Fallen Earth game as well as all the latest content from the Blood Sports patch. Check out the press release on the official site for more details.
