There isnt any recent thread about FOM (Face of Mankind) so I would like to re-open it again.

Why ?... because many things have changed in the last months, like new developer team, new content and improvements, increasing population and so.

I admit it, I like this game, but please, be constructive... this game does not have the best graphics, need some time to know how it works (combat, political, factions...), is not a grind game and it is a PvP oriented MMO, so dont cry because you didnt get used to it or got killed.

Btw, I would like to invite you to see my site at: 

http://fomsniper.tumblr.com/

If I were to join, is there anything for me to do? Seems like Planet Calypso but without the money investing... is there any PvE? :) Just message me your response so I get to it soon. :D Thanks!

I liked the concept, but the maps seemed very small, and there really wasn't much "to do" besides cause trouble or arrest people. I dabbled in crafting, but it just wasn't enough to keep me subbing.

What you do depends on the Faction you roll;

Cops, Military, Mercenaries, Drug Cartel, Miners and 3 flavors of Corporations (crafters)

I've found the craft and resource angles of the game boring as all shit, but the 'Role Play' of a game has never been more amazing. As a cop, you actually go around on patrols and look for criminal players and arrest them. As a cartel member you make drugs to sell to players for combat boosts, and generally avoid the cops. Every faction has a set of activities and deals with each other often, whether for trade or war alliances.

Some of the best PvP I ever had in a game was during New Years a few years back during one of it's last OBs. Amazing tactics and HUGE battles at the time, over many planets. Was great, but died out and the game got pretty boring during that lull.

The main issue is having nothing to do, but the easy fix is to have a higher ranking player within your faction online so he can set missions for everyone, and organize group events and such. It's really bad when nobody is on and the only missions available are boring ones, and there's no communication or drive to get people to work together.

~If you do play, pick the 3 factions that interest you most and go down the line. If you don't like one, you can kill off all your clones and remake that character under a new one. Some factions take their shit very seriously, it's kinda scary even.

~Oh, and no PvE without a GM spawning alien encounters during an event, or if they get bored enough. The entire game is player-interaction, and that very interaction determined by your faction's role. Amazing concept when it's working right (I.E., lots of people on), and it's been muy inspirational as a designer.

if anyone wants to help me get into the game id love if someone messaged me to help me get into it. thanks. :)

Hi, thanks for your answers.

To Assault3hro:

Its quite different of Entropia, FoM is based in a complex social-factional system and there are much interaction between players. Related to PvE, only in 1 colony (Necars fields) you will find mobs to hunt, if you are searching for PvE Im sorry but prolly you will get disappointed.

To Truthxhurts:

Learning curve needs time, but you can do a lot, mining, produce, political, PvP, PvE (a little), sell, colony wars... its like to say what can do you do in WoW ;) About maps, there are 15 colonies with a lot of room to play, but of course, if you are a explorer, its not like WoW or Entropia.

To GTwander:

You are right, and now, devs have added the civilian faction. About the factions I have to say that every corporation and group changes depending who is leading it, as example, the Colonization and Mining Guild would be an agressive or a retreating faction and your rol into it will be (in part) defined but that circunstances.

I agree to about the eco tasks, but mining 100 units of aluminium must be boring :D anyway you can do any other tasks while mining, like craft, hunt aliens and so.

About the combat you have a wide range of situations: colony takeovers (large groups), riots (groups), individual pvp. To be honest I do not really like at 100% the combat dinamycs, but its just one more part of the game. In fact this is not a FPS game, its a more role play oriented.

Finally, about your last comment, this is not a game like others where you have quests and more quests... its true that you have individual missions and now, factional events can be set up, but mainly you have to seek for your patch, to interact with the world. So missions and events are more a way to socialize and to get faction experience than a way to play.

Again I would like to invite you all to see my site:

http://fomsniper.tumblr.com/

Assault... Ive just contacted you by PM.

Does the game still feature the worst community on the internet?

Because if so then no thx.

The worst ?... Im not here to defend other players in that game, but why the worst ?.

There are a lot of people that do not like the way this game is played, it would be because you have to fit into a faction and there will be ranks higher than yours. Devs have implemented recently the civilian faction, so it wont be a trouble.

On the other side, after playing MMOs since 1999, this is one of the best community in the game, people in your faction will try to help and learn you the ropes and of course other faction members would try to kill you and even must have to kill you if you are at war.

SO... if you join the game and you are a LED and are at war with a BOS, do not try to make him to help you.

Other but not last reason to have a good community is that alter accounts are not encouraged, so your name is your passport to be in factions, groups, events and so, if you do not become a social player you are out.

Ah Face of Mankind. I remeber the first open beta back in like 2005. Over the years I've played it off and on. It was a great game once. Big faction wars and complicated politics. Heck my brother liked it so much he even become CM and stockholder (Silldude) It was a great game but it went downhill after they changed the engine. A lot of people left because of the bugs or not enough interest in the game. Nevertheless i really want this game to succeed because the concept of the game is truly unique and awesome. Hopefully it gets bigger and better like the old days.

I cant say much about the gameplay as it still looks boring as crap, same stuff every day, no change.  I can speak volumes for the GM staff.  Being permabanned for a joke over a year ago by Jackal because he is on the child molester sex offenders list is a bit extreme.  Expecially seeing as all others who took part in that joke have been unbanned.  So I have to say, screw FOM, and its terriboring game play.

As far as FoM getting better, well, to be honest, I find it hard to see how it could have gotten any worse really.

Tried it during beta, and at release (if you can really call it that), and found it to be very lacking in every sense.

As a former Shadow Guard i can tell you ...

You cant play this game, you can only live it.

FoM gives you a 100% authentic role, how YOU are and what consequencies you face out of that, the good or the bad.

Its really on YOU, to give this game a life, to give your faction a face.

FoM was an incredible experience but it ate all my real life so i had to drop it.

Until today i feel a deep loyality to the Brotherhood, we had incredible times.

Originally posted by rawfox

As a former Shadow Guard i can tell you ...

 

You cant play this game, you can only live it.

FoM gives you a 100% authentic role, how YOU are and what consequencies you face out of that, the good or the bad.

Its really on YOU, to give this game a life, to give your faction a face.

 

FoM was an incredible experience but it ate all my real life so i had to drop it.

Until today i feel a deep loyality to the Brotherhood, we had incredible times.

 

I too was a SG, and a long time member of the BOS, but it doesnt change the fact that the game gets boring FAST.

I heard someone mention this game once and went to go check out some videos. Is there any trial account available? or do you have to subscribe upfront?

I'd like to check it out since I'm into RP big time. EVE has the politics and conflicts but doesn't really bring much to RP besides the lawls..

The game does sound interesting.

There isn't any required fee's, subscription is optional and provides some perks, but nothing gamebreaking.  Occationally imbalances come out in the cash shop but NeXeon, the current developer is pretty quick and willing to respond when the community feels something is amiss, as well as putting a lot of work into a long backlist of community suggested fixes and additions.

It has the occational GM/Management problem but it's becoming much more rare, now that the original "hobby" developer Duplex and his Community Managers are entirely out of the picture it has had no where to go but up developmentwise.

Unfortunately it's had so many dark patches in the past that the community is at a suffering point.  The entire allure of Face of Mankind is that it is and for the most part always has been player driven, from the advertisements you see on the flying billboards, the mapping of the government structure, laws, codes, economic and physical warfare dramas, ect.  But as the original developer lost interest and some real bad staff continued to abuse the population, many influential and experienced players were driven out, leaving only a few sour ones who remember how to turn the wheels and many new players who are unfortunately too lost to make an impact because it is so different and the player leadership just isn't there.

Pro's:

-Entirely playable for free without gamebreaking restraints

-Great effort by the current developing team to push for balance and innovation in every patch

-POTENTIAL to always be a rare gem in the bag of coal that is the MMO market.

Con's:

-Low playerbase is a spiralling effect in a game driven by the players innovations and actions.

-Low playerbase leads to low income for the developers causing many cutbacks in the possibilities for the future unless things turn around.

- The more involved, experienced, and advanced you become, the more you're morally required to dedicate more efforts.  Much in the same way as moving up the ranks in any MMO guilds leadership

I recently started playing and I gotta tell you it can be boring as crap. the city's are mostly empty except for a few Faction run places. it is easy to get lost if you don't have a hand holding you. But if you have an active faction and the people in charge of it take it seriously it can be a blast. only down side to free as opposed to Prem. is you clone limit.

as 10 is max on free you have up to about 200 as a prem. and with OPEN PVP and ganking and murder galore YOU ARE GOING TO NEED EVERYONE OF THEM TO STAY ALIVE as once your last clone goes it's PERMADEATH. but you can top off clones as you need to max. and gaining UC is easy if your faction is active. and one has free or cheap clones.

It is worth a try(Psst, search for massively FOM giveaway and get a free week of PRemium and cool gear)

Here is the current situation of the game: Most people have quit playing this game, there is a very small but dedicated community left. All 8 factions are ran by players, but since there are so small amount of players left, they are up for grabs. 

Other thing is people are confused as to what to do when they start playing the game, as there are only few npc quests. The point is simply to get rich, get good in combat, and rule a faction. Then get your faction to war others for resources. Good leaders in the past have managed to takeover all of the capturable colonies for their faction. 

One thing that is good, this game is still getting updated, least once every month there is a patch.