The folks at Fallen Earth have announced that the game is now feature complete and is now ready for the next phase of development.

CARY, NC – JUNE 19, 2008 -- Fallen Earth, a post apocalyptic MMOG in development using the Icarus Studios Tools Suite platform, today announced it is has reached the Alpha milestone and is now “feature complete.”

Over the past six months, the Fallen Earth team has implemented new production processes which has allowed for improved product quality and a streamlined development schedule.

Colin Dwan, who was promoted from Lead Engineer to Project Manager, said, “Fallen Earth has great technology and tons of content, but we needed to put a stake in the ground about all the features that were absolutely necessary to ship with. Now that we’ve finalized that long list, we’ve been able to spend all of our time making those features really fun.”

The Fallen Earth Art Department focused on an in-depth upgrading of the game’s overall appearance, improving textures, animations, and enriching the overall “look” of the game. Human models have been completely revamped, and newly added creatures include giant genetically engineered super soldiers and vicious killer fungi. Volumetric fog has been added and many towns have been completely rebuilt to take advantage of new building models and ecosystem options.

The Fallen Earth team has created a variety of new vehicle models from muscle cars to motorcycles to ATVs. They have also enhanced the vehicle combat system using the same basis as player-based combat so players will be able to attack from their vehicles, be it with pistols from a motorcycle or dual-mounted machine guns from a muscle car.

The core functionality players expect from an MMO, such as raids, clans, auction house, and a mail system, are now up and running in Fallen Earth. Players can combine their efforts in raids of up to four groups or thirty-two players, allowing them to tackle larger threats and compete more effectively in PvP activities. Clans allow players to form large social groups with a number of different ranks, each with its own configurable name and permission list. The auction house system allows players to sell goods to each other with ease, and to search the auction house for items needed for a specific recipe. The mail system enables players to easily stay in contact and trade goods among themselves through the vigilant efforts the Franklin’s Riders, the postal service within Fallen Earth.

Read more here.

omg, great news! :)

I'm anxiously waiting for this game and it's really great to hear it's advancing well. can't wait for more info!

well this is good news. congratulations for getting this far guys! Maybe this game coming out before I die of old age is a possibility after all.

About time.

Im slightly concerned, that when this does hit the shelf its graphics will be so far out of date that it will be a flop.

Any news is good news I suppose...

WOOOT way to go guys looking foward to seeing it finished.

can't wait!

Yes this is good news. Hope the next announcement is for the beta. Really want to try this game and get to work on building a car. I'm wondering how the real time element to the crafting is going to work. Sounds very interesting to me.

that is really interesting. I wonder how this will compete with other P2p games out there.

THis game is interesting but it will need originality

Originally posted by godpuppet

About time.

Im slightly concerned, that when this does hit the shelf its graphics will be so far out of date that it will be a flop.

Any news is good news I suppose...

I had the same feeling about the graphics. I remember a few years back when I saw screens of FE, I was like, "Wow those graphics are amazing!" Now when I look at them I think they are simply passable. Funny how that happens.

I wouldn't worry about the graphics.  I think in this day and age, its all about style and how well that style is upheld throughout the game.  As long as there is consitency and the "craft" is there, I don't think a few missing polygons or slightly outdated technology systems is worth to complain about.   I mean, its not like it has EQ1 graphics.  Based on screenshots, I still think the game still looks very appealing even if they have lost that "freakin awesomeness" that they had when they were first released years ago.   I mean, seriously, the game still looks good enough that even if they somewhat hit the mark on gameplay, it will probably still be a fun game.

As to the graphics, one reason I believe they didn't get a beta out last year as was hinted (and if you follow the game on the forums you know they don't hint easily) was a graphics overhaul that hasn't really been shown.

I believe we will have a beta by Sept, at least a invite only one, public by end of the year if not a launch. This game is being developed using the Icarus Studio's suite (FE's parent co.) and so that should iron out a bunch of bugs. Add in a lot of other hints dropped on the forums and in press releases, big things are coming :)

A big announcement is coming in September, ironically Fallout is released in September.  Eventually Fallout will be made into a MMO but Fallen Earth is going to be the standard that all future Post-Apocalyptic MMOs will be compared to.  If what the developers are reporting is true in their weekly updates,  and I believe it is,  Fallen Earth is going to be a big success.  It's interesting that we're seeing trends in film from the 80's repeating themselves, and by this I mean the Post-Apocalyptic genre.  Could it be that we are again growing scared of the end?  Before it was just the USSR, now its pandemic viruses, meteorites, and the Mayan Calender.  Regardless,  Fallen Earth is the one game I'll be most into when it comes out and the only game I'm really excited about and waiting for.  Hell, I've even trashed my old proprietary system (gateway) and built a system from scratch with a 27.5" moniter just in anticipation of this game.  Can't wait for it....