I've been in beta about a month, and will write a summary with pros and cons that someone picking up the game will see(regardless of whether it is intended or not) then give my personal review of the game.

COMBAT:

Pros:

• Easy to learn, hard to master
• Fast paced
• FPS mode and 3rd person
• Awesome weapon types at later levels: Rocket Launchers, Chainsaws for example

Cons:

• Can be slow paced or to fast paced depending on the situation
• Ammo is required
• No cool death things like removal of limbs or blood

 CRAFTING:

Pros:

• Realistic crafting
• Crafting queue of up to 4 items, any amount each; that will craft while you kill, scavenge, salvage, kill, socialize or LOG OFF!
• 95% of items are player crafted even the best items

Cons:

• Realistic Crafting - hard for some people to understand the basic principal
• Not enough storage
• No way to change the order or pause something to make something else(Example: I crafted an engine last night that required 4hrs, the rifle I was using ended up needing more ammo and I couldn't make more without canceling the engine, I logged off for the night after I queued some ammo)

MISSIONS:

Pros:

• Good waypoint markers for most quest
• A small variety: Kill, find item, talk to/deliver, and craft
• No level on quest, just a color for difficulty

Cons:

• Nothing new really
• Group quest aren't also requiring groups
• No level number on quest

GRAPHICS:

Pros:

• Realistic looking, good post-apoc art direction(IMO)
• Nice views when elevated, good draw distance

Cons:

• Rather bland environment, what would you expect though from a desert region
• Engine needs a bit more optimization
• Not visually appealing to all(though this is a person preference to all as well)

GAMEPLAY:

Pros:

• Learning curve
• Can play for hours gathering stuff, killing, and staying away from towns
• Weight limit for realism
• Horses, and other vehicles(atv, motorcycles, dune buggies) some have weapons attached and can use weapon and ranged weapon on horse
• Realistic travel times, and no fast travel options

Cons:

• Learning curve and confusing for the normal MMO player.
• Weight Limit
• Horses are the best off road, others get damaged easily
• Travel times

LEVELING:

Pros:

• Sandbox system
• No classes, and wide variety of characters to build

Cons:

• Nothing says AP is permanent
• Easy to screw up a character, especially if not informed that it isn't permanent
• Needs something to prevent screwing up a character in the first couple levels, whether that is a respec up until level 5 or 10, not sure.

Think that pretty much covers must aspects of the general game. Now onto my personal opinion. This game is still a bit rough around the edges, and I hope it stays that way. This game is not for everyone one. I think it tends to favor the older gamer, not the "Instant gratification crowd that John Smedley from SOE thinks only exist" With a lot of time involved, you feel that gratification of making something. Like when I finally was able to make that rifle it felt good, like I accomplished something in a time when things are tough all over.

Now a lot of the cons, are not cons IMO, they are what you don't see in an average MMO. A lot of people while have issues with these, I'm not blind to that fact. If they change them to get more subscribers DEVELOPERS will kill the key player base. The game has a learning curve, is crafting centered and if you don't go scavenge, salvage goods and just quest you will be overwhelmed by having underdeveloped weapons and armor and get killed quite quickly. Leveling isn't a focus of the game, and you can spend countless hours doing other things.

Overall I feel this game is going to have a solid following, but will not appeal to the large mass. It benefits by being an Indie developer that will keep it up for years and allow itself to develop and grow, not be shutdown because it doesn't reach some super number(Now of course they could shut it down, but I don't see that happening)

Am I going to get it? Yeah, I find the game play fantastic and it appeals greatly to me, I know it has some fleshing out and I feel it'll be a nice change that requires more than go raid a dungeon a million times.

I didn't cover:

PVP, I don't know much about it other than its not all pvp, but has 6 factions later on that can be KOS I believe of each other, so that will appeal to those people. Also has areas you enter that are pvp enabled, but nothing is preventing a level 45 from coming down to the level 1 area(other than the insane amount of travel time of course)

sounds like a post apoc darkfall... amirite?

Originally posted by Vyeth

sounds like a post apoc darkfall... amirite?

Not even close. First off, FE isn't an open PVP game, and there is no player looting at all.

There's no huge skill-grind, ala Darkfall.

Darkfall runs circles around FE performance-wise.

No, no.....FE is really nothing like DF at all. More like Anarchy Online meets Neocron, Meets SWG, meets Fallout....and then tweaked and changed to be different still. Some have likened it to EVE on the ground...but even that doesn't quite explain it.

I was actually pondering giving this a shot. I'm not expecting this to be totally awesome so maybe that is a good thing.

Its a great review, for some one who was doing beta from the start i think he has everything pretty much right

Thanks for the compliments, tried to cover all that I would want to know if I was going to buy it if I didn't try it.

Wharg0ul, I think your nearly perfect on the Neocron meets SWG meets Fallout.  If you liked all three of those titles, I imagine those people will love this game(I enjoyed all three, though not a big F03 fan)

I somewhat like the idea that you can't cancel something after you start crafting it... You can't make bullets for 4 hours or w/e? Well, you're gonna have to buy them from someone. You want to make some amazing weapon? That's cool, but it's gonna take you days (I'm speculating)... You'll have to buy your supples and consumables from other players while you're building your weapon. Anyways, sounds like an interesting game... not sure if I'm very keen on the art diection though.

Originally posted by logicbox9

I somewhat like the idea that you can't cancel something after you start crafting it... You can't make bullets for 4 hours or w/e? Well, you're gonna have to buy them from someone. You want to make some amazing weapon? That's cool, but it's gonna take you days (I'm speculating)... You'll have to buy your supples and consumables from other players while you're building your weapon. Anyways, sounds like an interesting game... not sure if I'm very keen on the art diection though.

The only time a combat oriented template will be crafting is in the very early levels of the game.  Once you cap out your tradeskills you have to make the choice if you're going to be a combat or crafter character. 

Dumping AP into intelligence/perception to continue crafting is only gimping a combat character, you wont be building your own stuff.  You'll just be buying it off the auction house.

It's also been something of a hot topic with the developers since unlike SWG where you could only have one character per server and that forced people to use the "crafter mains" in FE a combat player can just roll up various crafters of his/her own and make anything they want for themselves.  Though personally I think it's just easier to buy the stuff off the auction since you really have nothing to do or spend chips on at the level cap currently. 

Spot on review, i too have problems with the if you choose crafting your gonna be gimped in combat, i wouldve rather liked a cap system on each lvl where the int and perception dont matter.

I got a few questions, is the pvp like when you join a faction you are then entering a open pvp state and become KOS and have KOS lists from all other factions? Like when you declared special forces in PRE-CU swg you were pvp enabled.

Also Is there collision detection between players in this game?, I heard they have hitboxes from devs too, thats cool.

How many shots does it take to kill a naked compared to a full armored guy that has your weapon dmg type of armor?

How will you scale it to SWG? is this close the the game we were looking for, and do you think the devs will improve it a lot more within the year?

 ALso can you respec'ed you AP /skills and stuff.

How many characters per server? Can we have like 1 crafting 1 COMBAT?

Also is this game heavily instanced based?

the game is sound like a SWG mixed in with planetside alittle, I hope the pvp is good, this is my #1 concern,

When weapons break are they gone forever? or just stay at 0 til you repair, are items like a gun you made, in your inventory forever no matter what?

Originally posted by Izure

I got a few questions, is the pvp like when you join a faction you are then entering a open pvp state and become KOS and have KOS lists from all other factions? Like when you declared special forces in PRE-CU swg you were pvp enabled.

 no clue

Also Is there collision detection between players in this game?, I heard they have hitboxes from devs too, thats cool.

 In general they don't, im not sure if there is a system in pvp though.

How many shots does it take to kill a naked compared to a full armored guy that has your weapon dmg type of armor?

 Armour matters, specifics i really dont know

How will you scale it to SWG? is this close the the game we were looking for, and do you think the devs will improve it a lot more within the year?

 I definetly think the game would be improved alot

 ALso can you respec'ed you AP /skills and stuff.

 No you can't, but the devs said there looking at some possible solutions.

How many characters per server? Can we have like 1 crafting 1 COMBAT?

 I'm not sure on the limit but ive seen people with 5 characters.

Also is this game heavily instanced based?

 Nope its a very open world with very little instancing, mainly its the quests.

the game is sound like a SWG mixed in with planetside alittle, I hope the pvp is good, this is my #1 concern,

 The game isnt centered around pvp, its meant for roleplayers and the devs seem kinda against pvp.

When weapons break are they gone forever? or just stay at 0 til you repair, are items like a gun you made, in your inventory forever no matter what?

You can repair your stuff but i dont think it goes away after a certain time or anything.

Answered what i could

sounds kinda of dumb, FPS combat with devs against pvp lol.

Why no collision detection talk about crappy, Its fun walking through out players lol!.

and friendly fire I heard is on right? but it does not matter ewhen you can just walk through them.

Wow, how did they make hitboxes with no colision detection :(!

ye there's quite alot of people on the forums ranting about pvp so devs might actually do something, and collision detection like i said i havent really tested it, friendy fire from what i know yes its on. But all in all if your a total pvp player, this game isnt for you.

Great review!! 

I think collision detection is on I remember testing this 2 days ago. 

The only thing I would add to the learning curve is not so much complicated as kind of jsut LOST once you get out of the tutorial.  The Tutorial was fun but, you are like level 40 when in there and are level 0 when you come out.  While it gives you a taste of what can come in the game it really seems to leave you thrashing about on the floor once you are out.

I really wanted to like this game.  It does have a lot of the aspects of a game that I like to see.  However, after playing it for some time I realized I do not have the time to invest in games like this any more.  Too much RL sneaking in.

I wish it the best because we need more indie games out there and more that are successfull within themselves the better we all are for variety!!!

Let me add one thing.  ANYONE that claims this is a WoW Clone is a clown and needs to be ignored.

I've been testing this game since February. I think if you're in to post-apocalyptic sandbox games you'll be a pretty happy camper. I can see a great deal of old SWG vets enjoying the game play.

This isn't like other games where devs seem to lie and promise a bunch of shit then don't deliver. It's also not being made by a deep pocketed developer. It's a solid game that i think will improve much over time. I got the feeling that the devs care a great deal about this game not just about filling their pockets.

Consider the critiques on this forum but also try to get in on the open beta and try it for yourself. I'm not really in to the post apocalyptic thing so it's not really for me but it's got what it takes to succeed over time. I've played and tested many games that were much worse recently.

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Originally posted by NovaKayne
Great review!! 
 
I think collision detection is on I remember testing this 2 days ago. 
 
The only thing I would add to the learning curve is not so much complicated as kind of jsut LOST once you get out of the tutorial.  The Tutorial was fun but, you are like level 40 when in there and are level 0 when you come out.  While it gives you a taste of what can come in the game it really seems to leave you thrashing about on the floor once you are out.
 
I really wanted to like this game.  It does have a lot of the aspects of a game that I like to see.  However, after playing it for some time I realized I do not have the time to invest in games like this any more.  Too much RL sneaking in.
 
I wish it the best because we need more indie games out there and more that are successfull within themselves the better we all are for variety!!!
 
Let me add one thing.  ANYONE that claims this is a WoW Clone is a clown and needs to be ignored.

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I agree on the tutorial. When i got done with the tutorial i was all "WOOHOO" and then the cold cruel world hit me. I think over time they'll polish that transition.

Originally posted by NovaKayne

 

 

I think collision detection is on I remember testing this 2 days ago. 

 

Well I just tested it and there is collision detection for NPC's but not for Player Characters. At least not the people I tested in Terance. Maybe collision detection gets turned on with players once you get into a PvP zone.  IDK  I really havent played the game much cuz I don't want to spoil all the fun at launch.