In the third part of our developer journal series from our friends over at Icarus Studios, the makers of the upcoming MMORPG Fallen Earth. In this journal, the team gives us a look at the Travelers and the Lightbearers.

Last week we posted images of the gear used by the nature-oriented Vistas and the science-obsessed Techs, and this week we move on to the Travelers and the Lightbearers.

The Travelers exist in the junction between traveling performers, underworld crime bosses, and used car salesmen. Their primary concern is money and trade, and they will go to great lengths to make a profit, even if some legs have to get broken in the process. The Travelers believe that trade in and of itself is a worthwhile goal, as it allows people to trade what they have for what they need, and the Travelers want some portion of that transaction. While most Traveler operations are concerned with trading, entertainment, or servicing the various vices that survived the apocalypse, they also have more than a few less pleasant activities. Assassination, extortion, and flat-out robbery are all part of Traveler operations. Travelers avoid standup fights where possible since they are rarely profitable, preferring a knife in the back or a silenced pistol to a fight where their enemies can see them coming. Through trade and their own handiwork, the Travelers are well equipped with a variety of new and salvaged equipment.

 

Read the Fallen Earth Journal.

 Damn that traveler on the center looks badass.

Looks fantastic, i look foward to this one. Outside the box is good.

Quit teasing us and release the game :)

Looks good guys, keep it up.

with all the factions revealed, i've decided on vista

From Fallen Earth FAQ

"What classes will be available?
We're not making our players choose a class. Instead, players will customize their characters with stats, skills, abilities, and mutations."

Really?  Sounds like classes to me.

Originally posted by Baio2k

From Fallen Earth FAQ

"What classes will be available?
We're not making our players choose a class. Instead, players will customize their characters with stats, skills, abilities, and mutations."

 

Really?  Sounds like classes to me.

Well there will always be your typical builds like somone who is a melee fighter or ranged or a healer. You can make a character proficient in one thing or a jack of all trades.  There is no point in character creation where you have to pick a class like, Solder, Sniper,Medic if you catch my drift.

Originally posted by Baio2k

From Fallen Earth FAQ

"What classes will be available?
We're not making our players choose a class. Instead, players will customize their characters with stats, skills, abilities, and mutations."

 

Really?  Sounds like classes to me.

They are most likely going to allow you the choice of a neutral character and choose a faction upon its relationship/reputation. Just a thought.

I am going Techs for sure

Originally posted by Baio2k

From Fallen Earth FAQ

"What classes will be available?
We're not making our players choose a class. Instead, players will customize their characters with stats, skills, abilities, and mutations."

 

Really?  Sounds like classes to me.

Do you mean faction classes or character classes?  Either way, you are wrong.

Yeah, you end up having the option to go with a faction, you gain access to faction missions/gear; without a faction you can go anywhere, but pvp won't be an option.  Since reputation will be gained and lost depending on what you do.

As for classes, there are none in a traditional sense.  You place points in to attributes so that you can use certain items/skills/abilities.  There isn't a screen where you click on the guy holding a medkit and *poof* you are healbot!

Originally posted by Hazmal

Originally posted by Baio2k

From Fallen Earth FAQ

"What classes will be available?
We're not making our players choose a class. Instead, players will customize their characters with stats, skills, abilities, and mutations."

 

Really?  Sounds like classes to me.

 

Do you mean faction classes or character classes?  Either way, you are wrong.

Yeah, you end up having the option to go with a faction, you gain access to faction missions/gear; without a faction you can go anywhere, but pvp won't be an option.  Since reputation will be gained and lost depending on what you do.

As for classes, there are none in a traditional sense.  You place points in to attributes so that you can use certain items/skills/abilities.  There isn't a screen where you click on the guy holding a medkit and *poof* you are healbot!

Except that your faction determines skill proficency, and the factions themselves are given class like descriptions: 

"Travelers avoid standup fights where possible since they are rarely profitable, preferring a knife in the back or a silenced pistol to a fight where their enemies can see them coming."

"The Lightbearers are skilled healers, knowing much of pre-Fall medical science and natural remedies. Lightbearers use these skills to help save as many people as they can, and also use their respectable close-combat skills to protect those who cannot protect themselves. While the Lightbearers do not use much in the way of advanced weaponry or armor, they make up for it with skill and the powerful mutations they have developed. "

So while you will be able to pick up and advance any skill you can find, your faction still determines the skills you excell at and therefore rely most on.  That is not how everyone plays, but if you tell people this factions strengths are melee and healing, that is what they are going to focus on.

Heres from the June 4 2008 topic entitled:  Things that have changed over time.

"Lightbearers:

* Primary Skills: Dodge, Empathic, First Aid, Mutagenics, Medicine, Melee, Stealth, Telekinesis, Telepathy
* Secondary Skills: Armorcraft, Athletics, Group Tactics, Nature, Primal, Science, Sonic Manipulation, Suppression, Thermal Manipulation, Weaponry "
 

"Travelers:

*Primary Skills: Cooking, Athletics, Dodge, Melee, Pistol, Science, Sonic Manipulation, Stealth, Telepathy
*Secondary Skills: Armor use, Armorcraft, Ballistics, Enhancement, Geology, First Aid, Nano-Manipulation, Nature, Rifle, Weaponry"

Forgive me for thinking these resemble classes even if not in the traditional sense.

Nobody tells you to go with that build though. That's just what the specific faction prefers. You could go all Melee if you want and still be an Enforcer.

Originally posted by Baio2k

 

Except that your faction determines skill proficency, and the factions themselves are given class like descriptions: 

"Travelers avoid standup fights where possible since they are rarely profitable, preferring a knife in the back or a silenced pistol to a fight where their enemies can see them coming."

"The Lightbearers are skilled healers, knowing much of pre-Fall medical science and natural remedies. Lightbearers use these skills to help save as many people as they can, and also use their respectable close-combat skills to protect those who cannot protect themselves. While the Lightbearers do not use much in the way of advanced weaponry or armor, they make up for it with skill and the powerful mutations they have developed. "

So while you will be able to pick up and advance any skill you can find, your faction still determines the skills you excell at and therefore rely most on.  That is not how everyone plays, but if you tell people this factions strengths are melee and healing, that is what they are going to focus on.

Heres from the June 4 2008 topic entitled:  Things that have changed over time.

"Lightbearers:

* Primary Skills: Dodge, Empathic, First Aid, Mutagenics, Medicine, Melee, Stealth, Telekinesis, Telepathy
* Secondary Skills: Armorcraft, Athletics, Group Tactics, Nature, Primal, Science, Sonic Manipulation, Suppression, Thermal Manipulation, Weaponry "
 

"Travelers:

*Primary Skills: Cooking, Athletics, Dodge, Melee, Pistol, Science, Sonic Manipulation, Stealth, Telepathy
*Secondary Skills: Armor use, Armorcraft, Ballistics, Enhancement, Geology, First Aid, Nano-Manipulation, Nature, Rifle, Weaponry"

 

Forgive me for thinking these resemble classes even if not in the traditional sense.

Closer this time, however your faction does not determine skill proficiency in the sense you are talking about.  It determines at what level your character will be able to learn that particular skill.  Those who are not proficient in medicine will have to wait till level 20 or 30 to use the same skills that a Lightbearer would at lower levels because their faction is better with medicine. 

Being a lightbearer won't make your standard healing abilities any more effective than another faction with a comprable skill-level in medicine. 

Perhaps you can be forgiven in time.

Lets face it, a skill points system in a sandbox world is friggin awsome.

Oh how i miss you original swg

Originally posted by Baio2k

Originally posted by Hazmal

Originally posted by Baio2k

From Fallen Earth FAQ

"What classes will be available?
We're not making our players choose a class. Instead, players will customize their characters with stats, skills, abilities, and mutations."

 

Really?  Sounds like classes to me.

 

Do you mean faction classes or character classes?  Either way, you are wrong.

Yeah, you end up having the option to go with a faction, you gain access to faction missions/gear; without a faction you can go anywhere, but pvp won't be an option.  Since reputation will be gained and lost depending on what you do.

As for classes, there are none in a traditional sense.  You place points in to attributes so that you can use certain items/skills/abilities.  There isn't a screen where you click on the guy holding a medkit and *poof* you are healbot!

 

Except that your faction determines skill proficency, and the factions themselves are given class like descriptions: 

"Travelers avoid standup fights where possible since they are rarely profitable, preferring a knife in the back or a silenced pistol to a fight where their enemies can see them coming."

"The Lightbearers are skilled healers, knowing much of pre-Fall medical science and natural remedies. Lightbearers use these skills to help save as many people as they can, and also use their respectable close-combat skills to protect those who cannot protect themselves. While the Lightbearers do not use much in the way of advanced weaponry or armor, they make up for it with skill and the powerful mutations they have developed. "

So while you will be able to pick up and advance any skill you can find, your faction still determines the skills you excell at and therefore rely most on.  That is not how everyone plays, but if you tell people this factions strengths are melee and healing, that is what they are going to focus on.

Heres from the June 4 2008 topic entitled:  Things that have changed over time.

"Lightbearers:

* Primary Skills: Dodge, Empathic, First Aid, Mutagenics, Medicine, Melee, Stealth, Telekinesis, Telepathy
* Secondary Skills: Armorcraft, Athletics, Group Tactics, Nature, Primal, Science, Sonic Manipulation, Suppression, Thermal Manipulation, Weaponry "
 

"Travelers:

*Primary Skills: Cooking, Athletics, Dodge, Melee, Pistol, Science, Sonic Manipulation, Stealth, Telepathy
*Secondary Skills: Armor use, Armorcraft, Ballistics, Enhancement, Geology, First Aid, Nano-Manipulation, Nature, Rifle, Weaponry"

 

Forgive me for thinking these resemble classes even if not in the traditional sense.

it determines how soon you will be able to learn a skill. but not necesarily proficiency.

[quote]"While most Traveler operations are concerned with trading, entertainment, or servicing the various vices that survived the apocalypse, they also have more than a few less pleasant activities. Assassination, extortion, and flat-out robbery are all part of Traveler operations."[/quote]

From the moment I read about the factions the Travelers have stood out. I like their look as well. Seems I'll be joining the Travelers afterall.

Wow Travelers look good!

They've smoothed the graphics but I still think the design is a bit uninspired.

this game sounds great

pitty most games dont deliver now days lets hope this company has learned

but with that aside id have to go techs they sound like me

I'm looking forward to this game but to be honest I haven't read into it much (want to be suprised and not over hype it).

From the description it sounds like we will be given profession choices in the beggining Ala SWG and then through skill system we could basicially tweak them to hell, Is this correct?

To be honest every sandbox game lets you select a group of attributes and skills to start with If you guys are trying to say this game will have full blown classes you're wrong.

Originally posted by bigbudder

Lets face it, a skill points system in a sandbox world is friggin awsome.

Oh how i miss you original swg

 

Well put!

There isnt many out there and more companys should take that risk (easy for me to say), the rewards for discovering a new type of mmo style of playing would be a cash cow in this era of gaming.

Originally posted by metalhead980

I'm looking forward to this game but to be honest I haven't read into it much (want to be suprised and not over hype it).

From the description it sounds like we will be given profession choices in the beggining Ala SWG and then through skill system we could basicially tweak them to hell, Is this correct?

To be honest every sandbox game lets you select a group of attributes and skills to start with If you guys are trying to say this game will have full blown classes you're wrong.

 

From what I've read so far yes. Plus you can use consumables to balance or boost your skills. And all consumables are made by the players. There will be some faction items that can only be gain through the faction of your choice but that is expected and the purk for joining said faction.

The point system will be perfect for this game.

Neocron has it and it is working out great. Every character is different, no one is the same build.

Plus having a good amount of factions will make the pvp crazy!

Originally posted by bigbudder

Lets face it, a skill points system in a sandbox world is friggin awsome.

Oh how i miss you original swg

 

oh my ..

i cant wait, finaly the open, freedom sandbox game. Iam soooo eager. I am swg vet and was playing pre*nge swg, there was so freedom there and features like open world housing, player cities and colonies. most complex crafting ever, where nearly every single piece of goods you make it somehow unigue unless you mass product from the blue print etc etc. swg was.. sandbox until they ruined with nge WOW envy. I will see you in this post-apocaliptic game

Salut

This is defo the next big MMO for me. Can't wait!!!

[Except that your faction determines skill proficency] ~Hazmal

"it determines how soon you will be able to learn a skill. but not necesarily proficiency. " ~Baio2k
 

so does that mean it works like a tag skill in fallout? where you get a jump start on learning those abilities - or perhaps something like instead of needing 3 points (were they called APs?) to move up a primary skill you only need 1 to level up your cooking, or 2 to bump up your rifles (using traveler as an example)