post-apocalyptic
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Fallen Earth dev interview with designer Brandes Stoddard
We're keeping our eyes open for information dealing with the post-apocalyptic MMO title Fallen Earth in development at Icarus Studios. Netherlands-based gaming site MMOZONE got a hold of Fallen Earth systems designer Brandes Stoddard, asking questions ranging from the game's PvP system to design decisions as they relate to the title's ESRB rating. Since there will be no classes in Fallen Earth, Stoddard explains what a typical group will look like -- a mix of melee and ranged combatants, he says, with others using their mutations to heal and buff. Stoddard also goes into how gear specialization will impart advantages tempered with drawbacks specific to those items in question. Mounts will also be a key aspect of Fallen Earth's gameplay. Since teleportation of any sort won't exist, characters will actually have to travel to visit other locations in the game's world. Despite the importance of these means of transportation (or perhaps because of it), it looks like it won't be possible to steal them from other players. Mounts, whether vehicles or animals, will be bound to their owners, and will require either energy or food to maintain. Fallen Earth's vehicles, in general, will only be available through player-crafting efforts. If you're interested in hearing what else Fallen Earth's system designer has to say about the game, check out the MMOZONE interview with Brandes Stoddard.
Upcoming chat with the Fallen Earth devs
There's one thing you really can't deny - the MMO genre has sorely needed some shiny new post-apocalyptic titles for some time now. Thankfully it looks like Fallen Earth's development is proceeding at a solid pace. With any luck we'll be able to jump in and get our post-apocalyptic warfare on before too long. As a way of working with the community to ensure that Fallen Earth is as solid they can possibly make it, the developers from Icarus Studios have been scheduling play-dates with the beta testers, followed by an open chat on Stratics for everyone who is curious - tester and non-tester alike. This month's chat, going on tomorrow at 9:00 PM EDT, should prove to be highly interesting, as not only will there be several developers on hand, but there's been talk of some swag (and beta keys) to be handed out as well! You can get all the details over on the Fallen Earth forums if you're interested in checking out more on this upcoming MMO. [via WarCry]
Earthrise interview sheds light on title's sandbox gameplay
Fans of 'sandbox' massively multiplayer online titles where gamers can largely play how they choose to might be interested in Earthrise, a post-apocalyptic MMO in development at Masthead Studios. Although there's no solid estimate on the game's release date, Masthead Studios is getting the word out about Earthrise in preparation for beta testing. The most recent interview they've done can be found over at GameSNAFU. Michael G. Koshgarian from GameSNAFU interviewed Masthead Studios CEO Atanas Atanasov, who dished out some info on the storyline quests for the warring Continoma and Noir factions. Of particular interest is the fact that players will be able to shift their allegiances and defect to a rival faction, but at the risk of being branded a traitor.
Fallen Earth interview drops info on factions and storyline
As Fallen Earth gets closer to being released, that previously hazy image of what the game will be like sharpens. The latest bit of info we've come across is an interview with Fallen Earth writer and designer Wes Platt conducted by MMO Gamer's Nate James. In a market rather saturated with fantasy titles, Platt discusses what Fallen Earth brings to the table and how the game will be differentiated from its competitors. The interview also touches upon the background of the six playable factions in the game and their motivations, as well as the storyline element of the Shiva plague. Have a look at MMO Gamer's interview with Wes Platt for more on Fallen Earth's approach to a post-apocalyptic MMO title.[Via WarCry]
Latest Earthrise newsletter updates on game's progress
Sofia-based Masthead Studios has released the March `09 newsletter for their upcoming post-apocalyptic MMO Earthrise. As with their previous newsletters, Issue IX points out where Earthrise has been discussed in the gaming press over the past few weeks, and shows off some of the game's concept art. This month, Masthead Studios is showing off concepts for the mutated Nathura zone.In addition, the developers write about what they love about Earthrise and working on the title -- ranging from the game's epic scale to the extensive combat system. Issue IX also expands upon the game's lore, with the struggle between the factions of Noir and Continoma, a clash between utopian idealism and anarchy. Have a look through the latest Earthrise newsletter and see how their vision of a post-apocalyptic future is turning out.
Fallen Earth launches national tour
The team at Fallen Earth are trying something a bit different to promote their post-apocalyptic MMO this year. They're actually taking the game on a national tour across key cities in the US to get the word out and let potential players get a better look at what their game has to offer.This tour kicked off at the Triangle International Game Developers Association (IGDA) meeting at Ess Lounge in Raleigh, NC on February 19th. The tour will continue to hit cities such as Baltimore, San Francisco and Houston throughout the spring and summer months. "IGDA is a very important organization in the gaming community, and it was really great to hear and answer questions that our fans had about the game," said Lee Hammock, lead game designer for Fallen Earth. "Player feedback is a critical component to closed beta testing, and we hope fans across the U.S. can join us at our future events."
Earthrise interview explains game's crafting and sandbox elements
We've been noticing that the post-apocalyptic MMO Earthrise is getting a lot of press these days. The latest piece that's caught our eye is an interview with Masthead Studios CEO Atanas Atanasov conducted by ReviewStash's Daniel Levy. The interview ranges across several topics of interest for potential Earthrise players, but perhaps what's of most interest are Atanasov's comments on combat game mechanics and crafting. Aiming in Earthrise's combat will be done as with standard shooters, but the weapons available to characters will allow a player to keep a bead on their target. On Earthrise's crafting system, Atanasov says that players will be "capable of infusing Designs into items -- special bonuses and enhancements, or totally separate effects that allow the crafter to customize an item to the needs of his or her customers." Certain crafters may well become influential figures in Earthrise, Atanasov says, known for coming up with powerful item builds.
Fallen Earth lead designer Lee Hammock on game's approach to genre
The post-apocalyptic massively multiplayer online game Fallen Earth has been getting more frequent mentions in the gaming press, earlier this month at Worlds in Motion and now at Italian gaming site Gamesource. Nolvadex from Gamesource recently caught up with Fallen Earth's lead designer Lee Hammock, who shared a bit about the inspiration that Icarus Studios has drawn from post-apocalyptic games and films. Their aim was to incorporate the best of these elements into a game that can stand on its own. In addition to discussing how Fallen Earth will balance content between PvE and PvP, Hammock addresses the competition the title is likely to get from the other post-apocalyptic MMO on the horizon, Earthrise. The two games are differentiated in ways beyond backstory Hammock says, such as Fallen Earth's 'use what works' approach to found objects and combat, specifically using "non-traditional weapons -- a parking meter or a baker's rolling pin for instance -- to provide more innovative combat and the sense of using whatever means necessary to stay alive." See the Gamesource interview with Lee Hammock for more on what Icarus Studios is doing with Fallen Earth.
Fallen Earth dev chat transcript a glimpse into the game
As the post-apocalyptic massively multiplayer online game Fallen Earth has now entered closed beta and gets closer to its launch, Icarus Studios is sharing more info about the title. Tiggs, the Fallen Earth Community Director, has posted the latest Stratics HoC Chat Transcript. Quite a number of the Fallen Earth devs were on hand for the chat, not limited to the game's writer and content designer, lead scripter, lead game designer, and the art director. They fielded questions from the Fallen Earth community about the game, hitting upon everything from their choice to create an MMO without classes to the goal-oriented PvP style of the game, where territorial control is key. If you missed this as it was happening, have a look at what the devs and players are saying about Fallen Earth.
Fallen Earth announces closed beta
As announced in a recent press release, Fallen Earth, LLC will begin closed beta sign-ups for their post-apocalyptic MMO Fallen Earth. Anyone interested in signing up for this closed beta is encouraged to apply at their forums and website. With the recent addition of a comprehensive tutorial and more content added or improved daily, the team feels it's ready to take on more testers to "better observe overall game play, perform system stress tests, and ultimately perfect the Fallen Earth game experience."The game is set in the Grand Canyon, circa 2156, after a plague of disease destroyed most of mankind. It features a classless advancement system, six factions and a powerful crafting system where players create 95 percent of the items for other players. An exact launch date has not been announced, but they're aiming for Q2 of this year.
Earthrise lead designer on player-driven economy and crafting unique items
MMO fans of all things post-apocalyptic are probably eagerly awaiting more info on the in-development game Earthrise. Will it be a breath of fresh air into an industry overwhelmingly dominated by fantasy titles? It's still far too soon to say, but the Earthrise developers, Masthead Studios, have been doing a good job of communicating what their vision for the game is, both in terms of building up a community (pre-beta no less) and actively talking about the title with the gaming press. The latest bits of info about Earthrise come to us through a Stratics interview with Lead Game Designer Apostol Apostolov. He starts off by succinctly explaining the lore behind the game, but his talk with Stratics also touches upon what he sees as the advantages of using a skill-based advancement system, which tips its hat to Ultima Online. Apostolov also discusses Earthrise's economy, with hints about rewards tied to the offline profession(s) a player chooses. On the subject of the players, Earthrise will have a completely player-run market which could be a boon to crafters.
Interview reveals more juicy details on Earthrise
If you were just kinda "meh" about Masthead's Earthrise before, we have a little something for you that might change your mind. In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Masthead's CEO Atanas Atanasov speaks openly about the game's unique features, storyline, class-less system, PvP endgame and potential launch date, set for later this year.While this sci-fi game will be classified as post-apocalyptic, Atanasov says that there will be more technology than your normal story set in the aftermath of civilization's collapse. "When designing the title we wanted to add more technology than typical post-apocalyptic settings because it brings more fun to the game," he said. "And we're designing a game, not writing a movie or a book. We want our players to have more fun with big weapons and blow up things, and use all kinds of special attacks."
Earthrise interview slots launch date for later this year
In a recent interview with MMORPG.com, the folks at Masthead Studios' Earthrise sat down to answer a few questions regarding the past, present and future of the upcoming sci-fi MMO. Apparently, 2008 was a huge year for the game, as the number of developers working on it doubled, and it went from a concept first announced in January of 2008, to a playable world that is ready for beta testing in January 2009.This year should prove to be significant for Earthrise, as the beta process begins soon, and a projected launch date of "later this year". Where does Masthead see the game in January of 2010? "In just a year's time, we expect Earthrise will be on the market and available for every MMO fan looking for a post-apocalyptic, sci-fi setting will be able to buy and play our game. We have no doubt that our dedicated community will be thriving in Earthrise, fully exploring all of the games features." Check out the entire interview at MMORPG.com for more information, and don't forget to join MMORPG.com in their dev chat with Masthead this Saturday, January 24th at 2 pm EST.
The Daily Grind: What do you want to see in a post-apocalyptic MMO?
Sure, you could point to my heavy Fallout 3 playing lately, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think the genre was long overdue for a post-apocalyptic MMO. The good news is that there are companies working towards that end, like Icarus Studios' Fallen Earth, for example. This got me to wondering - with so many different spins on what a post-apocalyptic future would be like (the only thing they seem to agree on is that there's a lot of rubble strewn about) what kind of things would you want to see in a post-apocalyptic MMO? Would you like to see interesting mutations to irradiated humans? Perhaps you're looking for civilzation to be more Thunderdome and less Megaton? Would there be high-tech weapons to scavenge in underground vaults, or would everything be put together from scraps and creativity? How about transportation?
Fallen Earth state of the game details, well, everything
Fallen Earth -- a post-apocalyptic MMO -- went through a lot of changes in 2008, but it seems as though it was all for the better. Now with the 'State of the Game' post for January 2009, the game is in the spit 'n shine stage and teams are going back over things that need to look as good as their more recent work. Here's what the game is touting as of right now: 75,000+ text strings Almost 5,500 missions 6,000+ items 14,000+ unique characters/creatures 143,000+ in game objects 70 towns 600+ hrs of content Wow, our eyes required bulging at the last item on that list. Granted, we're assuming that's an assertion of both questing, killing and various free-form styles of gameplay like PvP.But that's not all, Icarus Studios has also hired a PR firm to start getting the game's name out on both the web (hello!) and at gaming conventions as well. We're excited for the game to move from alpha and into beta in the coming months so we can finally get our perfectly sanitized hands on it. Yes, we promise -- lots of disinfectant.
New Fallen Earth teaser trailer released
The developers at Fallen Earth have recently released the first video trailer in a series they're aiming to release to help educate fans on the game's story line, factions and missions.This teaser trailer introduces us to the six rival factions in the game. This is not new info to those who have been following along, but it's always nice to get a bit of info in video form. We also get a view of the Hoover Dam, which is described as the last bastion of civilization in the game's post-apocalyptic setting. Check out the full trailer just after the cut below.
Earthrise releases new screenshots of the Old Town area
Now that Earthrise's closed beta process is in full swing and we all eagerly await the status of our applications, Masthead has given us a new batch of screenshots to gawk over. In these shots over at Ten Ton Hammer, we see some of the wasteland areas of Old Town, and its mutant rodent inhabitants.If you're unfamiliar with the storyline behind Old Town, check out this excerpt from the game's website: "During the catastrophic events of the Third World War, many people tried to reach Old Town for sanctuary. The residents turned them away, keeping the already scarce resources for themselves. Not every group of refugees was willing to give up so easily, and they attacked Old Town. Ruined shells of primitive bunkers and defensive obstacles are all that remain to mark the effort to keep the now demolished city."
Earthrise beta signups begin
Fans of massively multiplayer online games who think fantasy settings are getting a bit stale are looking at other genres to explore -- namely the upcoming sci-fi MMO titles soon to arrive. One such game that we've been keeping tabs on at Massively is Earthrise, a post-apocalyptic MMO currently in development. We recently mentioned that Earthrise would be taking beta signups at the end of 2008, and the team at Masthead Studios kept their promise: Earthrise beta signups have begun. Earthrise's Community Manager, Moll, let prospective players know the details about the stages of beta on the game's official forums. If you're excited about getting an early hands-on with Earthrise, you'll want to check out the Q&A there before going ahead and filling out the beta application, which could get you into the fray on Enterra Island soon.[Thanks Aron]
Join Fallen Earth creators during their monthly "Day with the Devs"
Today marks yet another "Day with the Devs" for Fallen Earth, where players have an opportunity to interact with the upcoming post-apocalytic MMO's creators. The first one of these was last month during a Stractics House of Commons chat, but today's will double the effort. At 9pm EST tonight, you can head over to the Stratics HoC chat to talk with the devs about Crafting and PvP. All questions will need to be submitted on the Fallen Earth forums ahead of time.Plus, at 4pm EST this afternoon, all registered Alpha participants will have the chance to fight alongside the devs for control of New Gallows, one of the conflict towns in Sector Two. Not in the Alpha testing program? No problem! The team is currently accepting clans, while individuals will soon be able to sign up through forum membership. You can check out the main website for the individual Alpha sign-up info coming soon. If you're not in Alpha now, you certainly won't make it for this afternoon's event, but the Fallen Earth folks promise to have these "Day with the Devs" on the second Thursday of each month. Check out this post by Community Director Tiggs for more information on today's happenings.
Earthrise devs talk specifics in live chat
During a recent dev chat at MMORPG.com, the Earthrise team answers a ton of fan questions and gives us a better look into this post-apocalyptic MMO. As happens in many of these "live" dev chats, we've come to expect a certain degree of non-answers to specific questions. In this chat however, it seems the majority of questions were answered by someone on the Masthead Studios dev team. Of course, there were two or three questions that just couldn't be answered yet, but even some specific guild mechanics questions were answered in relative detail.If you haven't had a chance to see what this upcoming sci-fi MMO has to offer, check out more of our coverage on the game. Some of its unique(ish) features include an entirely player-run item and economic system, items that decay to uselessness over time and an open-ended faction system, where you are not locked into one faction throughout the game. Be sure to read this entire dev chat, as it reveals a few more exciting tidbits of information for those following along with Earthrise's development.
