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Fallen Earth Previews: Previewing After the Plague
MMORPG.com's Vitaliy Dikker writes this preview of the soon upcoming MMO from Icarus Studios, Fallen Earth which launches on Sept 22nd.
By Vitaliy Dikker on September 18, 2009
Fallen Earth is an MMO with a post apocalyptic setting on the planet Earth. A large scale global nuclear war has broken out after a virus has infected majority of a population somewhere in Asia. Because it caused unusual muscle contractions that made people dance, it was named after the Hindu goddess Shiva. Only 1 in 100,000 people have managed to survive this event. Now the land is desolated, death is in the air and mutants roam free.
You enter the world of Fallen Earth as a clone that was brought back from the dead by a LifeNet scientist. She is the one who is helping you escape the Hoover Dam complex, which incidentally is a cleverly disguised tutorial in the shape of your very first quest. Unfortunately the original functional facilities have been destroyed by Alec Masters, who was later hanged by one of six game factions named CHOTA (Children of The Apocalypse). And so you are actually a clone without the customary given gift of immortality, since your DNA is damaged. From the very beginning you learn that you are actually dying. As you manage to escape the Hoover Dam, the next active mission given to you is all about stopping your demise. The entire game plot and the storyline unfold from here on.
Let’s start by saying that Fallen Earth plays as a hybrid MMO and shooter survival sandbox game. Fans of Fallout series will likely feel at home here in many ways. For one, the world is enormously vast and missions are plentiful. There is a huge amount of gear, most of which appears to be crafted by players and the crafting systems themselves are incredibly sophisticated. It appears that a lot of thought has gone into wanting to create a rich and deep game world. The number of skills, mutations, recipes and character customization options is so vast that it’s quite likely that no two characters in this world will ever be exactly alike.
The shooter aspect of Fallen Earth is the actual combat system and it deserves a lot of attention, because it has also been given a lot of design consideration. You can choose to fight with melee or ranged weapons, each with their pros and cons. For example, a dual pistol wielding character will soon discover that he is very vulnerable to damage once an enemy manages to get up close. On the other hand, fighting with a piece of wood gives you some defense boost. Another thing worth mentioning is that damage inflicted on enemies is based on your aim and affected part of the body. Head shots will do more damage, and so skill is a huge part of Fallen Earth gameplay if you are the competitive type.
As an MMO, Fallen Earth promises to deliver all that is pretty much expected from a solid title of this genre. There is a great deal of land mass to explore, a huge number of interesting non-traditional parcel quests and a very intriguing storyline wrapped around this and holding it all together. A huge part of NPC dialogue has been voiced over and voice acting is surprisingly well done for an MMO. Another thing of note is that all NPCs have been given personalities, which seem to correspond to their appearance. For example, an evil mercenary who will be assigning you that assassination quest will boast a Mohawk and a piercing or two…
;)
While on the topic of physical appearance, as mentioned earlier no two characters really resemble each other. This is a result of a multitude of customization options. How do 26 hair styles in 32 possible colors sound? Now add a ridiculous number of tattoos, body painting, piercing and facial features, including ability to age your character into the mix. It seems that the game directly benefits from all of this, as mentioned earlier NPC models are also very unique and detailed in every way possible.
There are no traditional classes in Fallen Earth. The entire game is built around a skill based system, which allows you to become whoever you like by spending points in those skills you wish to advance most. Traditional magic and spells are replaced by something called mutations, which also give many branches to explore. You can be a healer, damage dealer or a buff expert, although the names used to describe these specializations are more along the lines of what sci-fi fans would prefer.
Getting on the topic of science fiction, the entire world has been given a very detailed treatment from both visual and auditory angles. As you explore the world of Fallen Earth you will indeed feel that you are walking the planet after a terrible disaster has struck. Abandoned scorched vehicles and human bodies, unwelcoming landscapes and ruined structures are a constant reminder of what time and space you are currently living in. Eerie music and sound effects make it much more immersive. There is no question that a lot of effort has gone into creation of an atmosphere that melds well with the plot and the circumstance.
Another specific aspect that sets Fallen Earth apart from what is out there in MMO world is its aiming to target a niche of mature players. The game is rather Mature, which means there are numerous references to drugs, alcohol and plenty of offensive language in NPC dialogue. It seems like a good thing, because it adds realism to a harsh and punishing world. It certainly makes the interaction with this world seem as real as it should in every way.
;)
Because the world is so large, getting around on foot is not a very feasible option. And so players will have a number of ways to speed up their journey. This is a part where something odd happens; one has to decide if they prefer to ride a horse or a vehicle. Apparently game supports both science and nature skills, so choosing one of these will in a way define your personality as a character even more. After all there is noting like being a cowboy in a post apocalyptic world… and you even get to feed and stable your horse!
As you progress in your journey, your actions and quest action choices will determine how you align with each of the six main factions. These are:
CHOTA [Chaos] VS Enforcers [Order]
Vista [Nature] VS Techs [Science]
Travelers [Self] VS Light Bearers [Society]
It is interesting to note that in game these are represented as a wheel (think of a six slice pizza pie), and so it is easy to see visually which factions are direct opponents of each other. So you may score alignment points with CHOTA by performing a chaotic mission, but doing so will effectively make you lose alignment standing with Enforcers, the representatives of order. Benefits of increasing your standing with a faction include, but are certainly not limited to, opening new quests, storylines and being able to access certain towns and merchants located in those towns. There are also specialty skills and mutations that become available as you gain ranks within a specific faction.
;)
Player VS Player conflict happens in specifically assigned areas and you will be notified when you enter them. This is where a whole other dimension of Fallen Earth opens up. Tactical maneuvering around the landscape and real shooter skill combined with dedicated character development creates an interesting breed of PvP. Assuming lag will not be an issue, one can expect a very competitive kind of play here. It is safe to say that the winner will not likely be decided by just a roll of the dice alone.
Fallen Earth is shaping up to be an impressive sleeper title of the year. As of writing this, most game’s bugs have been squished and are continue to be eradicated at a speedy pace. Lag seems to be the only outstanding issue and appears to only affect largely populated areas, like major towns and other hot spots. Hopefully this will be resolved soon, so that players can enjoy the game as originally intended.
I have to say that although it is an incredible game, it is most likely not the right game for just anyone. Developers of the Fallen Earth world appear to be aiming at a very specific niche of mature science fiction fans. If you have enjoyed playing games like Fallout or are into science fiction genre, chances are you will appreciate this game a great deal. After a short initial delay from original September 15th date, it is scheduled to release next week on September 22nd, 2009. You can preorder Fallen Earth now from Direct2Drive at the following URL and doing so will grand you early access to the game as well as a free mount for your character:
http://www.direct2drive.com/6/8137/product/Buy-Fallen-Earth-Download
I just want to add, this game respects peoples playtime very much, from the goods on merchants to the crafting system (That works online, or while you quest) to how you get a horse. You can have a horse at any point, even right out of the tube if you can afford it.
Just waiting to see how long it takes for the ever insightful comment "Graphics suck, look like late 90's" to be made. Graphics are nice, but not the only aspect of a game. Gameplay is a big deal, and I have been digging the game for quite awhile now. The lag has been off and on for me, but the latest fix for Nvidia cards really helped me out.
So before we just take shots at the graphics being less then great, how bout we talk about the game itself. Of course this preview did that, just an early response to the all to common remarks made about this game based off visual first impressions.
Okay - why isn't there realistic water in the game, and why can't you respec?
How many characters can you have, and will you have to repeat the tutorial for each one?
Pretty accurate preview. I've been playing for a long time and through beta and have to say this game is awesome.
It's got a deep storyline which has me reading all the quest dialogue, even after progressing through the game a few times already. I appreciate the "mad max" style humour which you'll find throughout the game and attached to in-game equipment and items.
There's nothing quite like finding a set of old football shoulder pads in-game to use as armour, with an item description: "Good for a friendly game of ball and/or wholesale slaughter". This kind of thing and the other references keeps me well amused :D
Anyway, as was said in the preview the only problem I have atm with the game are the lag in high-stress areas. Think Jita in EVE pre the optimizations. Once they have these issues sorted out there wont really be too much to fault the game on as it's pretty solid and has very few bugs.
Definately my kind of niche game :D
i may try this out next year if or when they decide to make vehicles more fun instead of 'Trains on rails' they have at the moment.
oh and a EU server they said in beta, but went back on.
I have a "duh" moment every night (this is where i figure out something about the game I should have picked up on a long time ago.) Last night I realized that I could jack up the resolution and graphics (never concerned me before.) I must say that the graphics are actually very impressive. This is especially the case on the interior areas like the mines and underground structures.
I'm maxed out still running 50fps (lightly populated areas) with a SLI dual Nvidia 8800 setup. I'm not sure if the SLI is helping as much as I would expect.
My only concern right now is that I went "all-in" on pistols and am spending 1-2 chips per bullet. I can dump about 1000 rounds a night easily.
Okay - why isn't there realistic water in the game, and why can't you respec?
How many characters can you have, and will you have to repeat the tutorial for each one?
Water, still a work in progress but low on priorities.
Respec, very complicated considering all the Skills and Abilities that have been learned and how they interact with each other. I believe a Respec ability will be implimented at some time in the future.
Characters, total of 4 per account can be made.
Tutorial, the Terminal that you first interact with has an option to skip the Tutorial.
Okay - why isn't there realistic water in the game,
No realistic water in game? Just because you can't swim in it? Juat don't be saying that a permament mirror like water is the only realistic option :S
and why can't you respec?
Icarus seemed to decide that they don't want to have that in their game. But there is some indication that it will change. You'd be better of asking them.
How many characters can you have,
4.
and will you have to repeat the tutorial for each one?
No.
Just want to add that you actually have two choices for pre-ordering. Just go to the official website for both choices. Basically, you can order through Direct2Drive and receive a special horse mount or you can order directly through the developer and opt for a nice ATV vehicle. I liked the idea of going directly through the developer, so went with that. Same price.
Also the game seems to allow for leveling up without fighting. Each time I harvest materials, I gain experience, for example. I think this was also an intentionally developed and supported playstyle. I'm not sure how far I can go like that, but seems pretty hopeful.
For those of you saying the graphics aren't bad, please show me some screenshots. I have the graphics maxxed out with a 8800GT and the latest drivers, and I think the game looks like crap. Mostly the terrain. Character models, indoors, weapons, armor, and structures look decent. It's the vegetation, the soil, the hills, and anything living that isn't human or humanoid that looks really bad. I'll try to remember to take a screenshot the next time I log in.
People are right, in that graphics aren't the end all be all in making a game, but it does enhance the immersion factor and enjoyability. Really bad graphics can be just as bad as really bad gameplay. Why else would people complain about there not being sandbox games, when there are 6-10 year old sandbox games out there. It's because graphics are important. I'm willing to give it the benefit of doubt though. Maybe it's just my graphics card, so if any fans want to post some screenshots of what the game looks like on their computer, I'd be grateful.
As for the rest of the game, it's different. Not different bad, or different good, just different. It'll definitely fill a niche, and I'm still playing trying to figure out if I'm in that niche.The combat is fun, and crafting/harvesting is nice. Having bank vaults for Clan and Personal right away is nice. Having mounts as low as lvl 3 is nice. Being able to weild all weapons, and them all show on your body is also nice. However, having a truck load of missions every step of the way, so many that your log is full constantly after level 4, and having to pass up missions because of this, sucks. Having to do an endless amount of missions is bad enough, without having the stress of passing up missions to add to it. Missions are required, because many of them give AP, which is the skill points the preview speaks of. It's not something I haven't figured out how to work around, because the solution is simple: Buckle down and do the missions, pick up those you missed as space becomes available. However, this sort of gaming sucks, because I'd much rather have very few, really long missions, than very many, short missions. It's a gameplay preference. Again, not a bad different, or a good different, just different.
nate1980, I do know there are some level of detail settings which directly affect the terrain. I think terrain is typically an area that is highly optimized for performance in many MMOs. There are lots of screenshots on this site for the game. Looking at user-submitted and official ones, I can deduce that terrain is, by default, given a pretty aggressive setting for level of detail which will cause some texture blurring at your character location and even more in the distance. I don't have the game in front of me now, but I know the settings are in there, or were during the beta.
It looks like the official screenshots use settings where that affect is toned down, so the ground looks more detailed. I can see finer details.
But anyway, I really like the graphics. They used high quality textures. I love the details on all of the buildings, characters, and all of the objects you find out in the terrain. The graphics are not going to jump out at you since they went for a realistic atmosphere. No bright colors, etc. Some of the plants in the terrain look kind of crude, but that's probably an optimization again and I've seen much worse.
I don't think they should allow respecs, the problem with that would be that everyone would level up as crafter type and when they cap out at max level switch to whatever pvp/combat spec they like with all their gears made, may be an unfair advantage, or if they do allow respecs maybe allow one at level 20 or make it very difficult to get.
http://apoc.in/x/screens_sept_18/Frontend 2009-09-17 16-53-46-85.jpg
http://apoc.in/x/screens_sept_18/Frontend 2009-09-16 23-12-02-39.jpg
http://apoc.in/x/screens_sept_18/Frontend 2009-09-16 21-06-24-80.jpg
http://apoc.in/x/screens_sept_18/Frontend 2009-09-17 16-53-46-85.jpg
http://apoc.in/x/screens_sept_18/Frontend 2009-09-17 16-53-46-85.jpg
Why am I posting this not sure.. The Quality of the graphics does not make a game. The game play is what does it.. Yeah you can see there not maybe AoC quality but guess what? How is AoC doing??? OHHHHHHHH Right yeah that is funny.. I guess sometimes making it pretty does not make it good..
Anyways them screenshots from sector one at the bottom so I have not been able explore much yet or see forests and such yet.
I play this game on high graphics and the graphics look really good, it may not be state of the art best graphics out there, but good quality nonetheless, and the gameplay is what sucks you into this game, not the graphics. This world is so absolutely huge and there are so many things to to its gonna take forever to even accomplish half of it. It is very addictive, haven't been able to steer away since early access opened and it's only gonna get better with the expansion they have coming.
Okay - why isn't there realistic water in the game, and why can't you respec?
How many characters can you have, and will you have to repeat the tutorial for each one?
you are really hung up on this very minor detail about realistic water. *lol*
you are really hung up on this very minor detail about realistic water. *lol*
It happens lots of kids out there are all about pretty looking stuff and not about gameplay anymore,. I would consider them the cause of the downfall of most MMORPG's now..
Crafting is "real time"...
So not only do you have to wait for crafts to be done, but also have to go harvest a crapload of resources to build what you need to level up.
So it would be very time consuming to level up with crafting compared to regular play. Fine for a crafter type, but a combat type that tried to level up by crafting to "exploit" respeccing? He'd be going back to combat before he had gained 3 levels :p
As far as respec goes, i don't think there should be one to respec, i know people like to min max their characters but who cares if one is slightly less powerful than another. There are character planners out there that will help you plan you build level by level if you are that worried about gimping a character. if a respec option is added it needs to be some long drawn out process to do so and can only do it once.
People said the same about SWG, yet it was one of the most loved features of SWG.
It wasn't the min maxers that used it the most, but the regular players. The ability to keep your character throughout a games lifetime, rebuilding him to your playstyle as you change or explore other playstyles, is way stronger than playing the "alt" game.
Yes, min maxers and "FOTM" people will be using it, but, why punish everyone to play the alt game, because the few would be trying to be the FOTM?
People said the same about SWG, yet it was one of the most loved features of SWG.
It wasn't the min maxers that used it the most, but the regular players. The ability to keep your character throughout a games lifetime, rebuilding him to your playstyle as you change or explore other playstyles, is way stronger than playing the "alt" game.
Yes, min maxers and "FOTM" people will be using it, but, why punish everyone to play the alt game, because the few would be trying to be the FOTM?
"Few"?
Try "Most".
This is the problem with skill based systems. Everyone wants to respec. Which is odd because of the "freedom" the skill system lets you have suddenly is too restrictive and you need to change....
This is why most games just go with classes. If you want to play a damage dealer, make a damage dealer. If you want to be a medic, make a medic. Doing SWG or UO macro skill grinds is a silly and stupid way to make a character advancement system.
Heaven forbid you have an alt...
People said the same about SWG, yet it was one of the most loved features of SWG.
It wasn't the min maxers that used it the most, but the regular players. The ability to keep your character throughout a games lifetime, rebuilding him to your playstyle as you change or explore other playstyles, is way stronger than playing the "alt" game.
Yes, min maxers and "FOTM" people will be using it, but, why punish everyone to play the alt game, because the few would be trying to be the FOTM?
see that is my point, respecs just cater to the i want it now crowd, something i'd rather not have around IMO. If one wants to change their playstyle around they should roll it not respec to it and have everything handed to them, The more of those you get the more certain dumbing down of features are screamed for and most devs i noticed gives in no matter how hard they try to stick to their original vision. This has been proven in almost every mmo since 2004, In this case Icarus is not aiming at those people, so here's hoping they continue NOT doing so the same way CCP for eve online has done.
So you are whinning about not having "realistic water" and at the same time whinning about not having an "unrealistic" feature like respec? (unless in your town you have shops that erase your memory and implant new skills for you, but i doubt it)
You can have four characters, and you can skip the tutorial after the first one. You can't respec because there's no reason to. You can't gimp your character in a skill-based system with as much freedom as FE's advancement system has. Sure there are so-called optimal builds that the min-max crowd will gravitate towards, but frankly those types of players are the ones that research their builds before spending any of their AP.
If you're too lazy to do that, roll another character. Respecs aren't necessary.
As to the water, I can't answer that. Maybe the same reason water kills you in Aion: it's an afterthought.
While I agree that graphics don't make a game, they do however add to a game. In this case they detract from it. Gameplay and performance aside, I just couldn't appreciate the graphics enough to enjoy the setting. I felt as if they were bland and without detail. Just because it's a post-apocalyptic world doesn't mean that there shouldn't be any detail. I just never found that "wow, look at that" moment like I have had in every other MMO that I've enjoyed.
My biggest grip with the graphics was with the textures and more so with the scrubs. First of all, the scrubs look horrific. Secondly, the max distance on them is way too short. Looking at screenshot #2 you can see that the scrubs just stop roughly 50 feet from the character. This made it so that they always "drew" 50 feet out as I traveled. I felt like a bug scrub crayon that was used to draw the scrubs while I moved. The ground details were the same (compare the LOD at your feet to how bland they are 50 feet out). Lastly, they stopped us from removing them completely and forced us into having them set to a minimum of 25 in the options. This is what did it for me. There is no reason that someone shouldn't be allowed to turn a graphics feature completely off if they so choose.
Again, this is with gameplay and performance aside so please don't call me a little child that only likes "shiny" things when I pay for a game upfront and monthly.
The first screenshot on your list is what I was saying about the game looking decent in the towns. The second screenshot is a perfect example of how crappy the game looks everywhere else. Maybe it's personal preferrence, but those graphics don't look good at all. I think they could have put a lot more detail into making those shrubs look real and the dirt and other terrain look more believable. Read my post above, and you'll see that neither gameplay alone or graphics alone make a game. You need a good mix of both. I'm not saying Fallen Earth doesn't have both, nor am I saying it does. I think tolerance for gameplay mechanics and graphics is all in the eye of the beholder. I'm still giving FE a real go, so I haven't decided yet, but as a consumer, I have a right to speak my mind on the good and the bad as I see it. Any more or less than that makes me a fanboy or hater.
Crafting is "real time"...
So not only do you have to wait for crafts to be done, but also have to go harvest a crapload of resources to build what you need to level up.
So it would be very time consuming to level up with crafting compared to regular play. Fine for a crafter type, but a combat type that tried to level up by crafting to "exploit" respeccing? He'd be going back to combat before he had gained 3 levels :p
Do you know anything about the game? You can level up full on crafting, and still max out an offensive weapon and dodge for defense. This makes it easy to level up through combat and crafting. Once at level cap, if there were respec, the person would just have to respec the points into Intelligence and put them into something else that'd further flesh out his combat build. So yes, a respec system would allow mix/max'ers to take advantage of the open-ended crafting system.
First off - I'm no kid.
Secondly - it's not about the appearance of the water, it's about the functionality of the water. This game is supposed to be high on realism, yet you can't swim in or even wade through water? So much for realism.
BTW, my first gaming computer was a TRS-80. Guess how important graphics are to me.
In a skill-based system, it is easy to gimp your character and have to suffer from then on, if you have no respec.
First off - I'm no kid.
Secondly - it's not about the appearance of the water, it's about the functionality of the water. This game is supposed to be high on realism, yet you can't swim in or even wade through water? So much for realism.
BTW, my first gaming computer was a TRS-80. Guess how important graphics are to me.
Well back in them days there wasnt anything better so you had no choice , just stop moaning and nit picking it does get very annoying.
If it is easy to 'gimp' your character, then it means that the skills are:
A.) not balanced correctly and
B.) not explained correctly.
yup you gotta plan and think.
If it is easy to 'gimp' your character, then it means that the skills are:
A.) not balanced correctly and
B.) not explained correctly.
C.)Read the owners manual(for those who purchase the Box)
D.)Spend more then 30 seconds on forums reading all the, "I wanna help you", "This is how to start" or "Read this or your screwed" type threads...
Anyone who buys a game and doesnt bother learning about the game deserves what they get, period.
Granted, this game levels fairly guickly so any bad descisions in regards to Skills can be quickly fixed by starting over.
C.)Read the owners manual(for those who purchase the Box)
This would fall under the auspices of 'explained correctly' would it not?
D.)Spend more then 30 seconds on forums reading all the, "I wanna help you", "This is how to start" or "Read this or your screwed" type threads...
If you as a developer are relying on external parties to compensate for flaws in your game design, you're incompetent.
Anyone who buys a game and doesnt bother learning about the game deserves what they get, period.
You should be able to learn about the game, you know, in the game, not have to spend hours delving through forums at 10Tonhammer trying to puzzle things together. There's a difference between implementing "easy mode" and just being lazy.
Granted, this game levels fairly guickly so any bad descisions in regards to Skills can be quickly fixed by starting over.
I'd be happier with a EU server, but i may pick it up .... :)
i've read bad stuff, and good stuff... i'm kinda on the line, just need a push
What this guy said. But I think i'm just going to go and give this game a go and make my own mind up.
The biggest gripe some people seem to have is the graphics. After all I've read and seen about this game think I can live with that :-)
"Few"?
Try "Most".
This is the problem with skill based systems. Everyone wants to respec. Which is odd because of the "freedom" the skill system lets you have suddenly is too restrictive and you need to change....
This is why most games just go with classes. If you want to play a damage dealer, make a damage dealer. If you want to be a medic, make a medic. Doing SWG or UO macro skill grinds is a silly and stupid way to make a character advancement system.
Heaven forbid you have an alt...
That reply is so wrong yet so typical these days. No one wants to think, they want the developers to do that for them. Heaven forbid you have to think how to develop a character. SWG and UO both let you respec skills. UO, once your skills were maxed some went down when other went up, you could choose which. In SWG you just changed skills sets. Eve you don't need to, you can have as many skills as you have time to learn them. Since the game is just coming out the lack of that won't affect play much.
Actually Character class/level system is just a inordinately dumb system for avatar design and guess who we can thank for that abombination, oh yeah Mr Smedley. Need I say more?
"Few"?
Try "Most".
This is the problem with skill based systems. Everyone wants to respec. Which is odd because of the "freedom" the skill system lets you have suddenly is too restrictive and you need to change....
This is why most games just go with classes. If you want to play a damage dealer, make a damage dealer. If you want to be a medic, make a medic. Doing SWG or UO macro skill grinds is a silly and stupid way to make a character advancement system.
Heaven forbid you have an alt...
That reply is so wrong yet so typical these days. No one wants to think, they want the developers to do that for them. Heaven forbid you have to think how to develop a character. SWG and UO both let you respec skills. UO, once your skills were maxed some went down when other went up, you could choose which. In SWG you just changed skills sets. Eve you don't need to, you can have as many skills as you have time to learn them. Since the game is just coming out the lack of that won't affect play much.
Actually Character class/level system is just a inordinately dumb system for avatar design and guess who we can thank for that abombination, oh yeah Mr Smedley. Need I say more?
I have a problem with skill caps. It's not really a gameplay issue but a Indy dev issue.
If A dev decides to give his sandbox a cap then they need to have enough content in game so that players that did reach cap don't just keep rolling alts or get bored and leave. Can the FE devs release enough shit to do in this game to hold over the players that no longer have character advancement to look forward to?
Character advancement is big in a sandbox. Games like Ryzom, Eve and DF don;t have overall skill caps at all so players look passed the limited content (in ryzom and DF atleast) and continually work on characters forever.
In games like UO and SWG we had a cap but you still had flexibility to change your character through a respec or skill set manipulation. Having the option to always grow your character or change is a big part of a sandbox game.
Now In FE, While the skill system is flexible. We have a cap and a static one at that. Having a static anything is usually bad for a sandbox game. What will happen when you hit cap? what will you do? farm faction the entire time? imo these games need continual character advancement.
Don't get my wrong I love FE, But im not Skill capped so right now I don't have the character advancement basically ripped away from me. What happens when it is? can the game stand on its own and give people enough to stick with it?
First off - I'm no kid.
Secondly - it's not about the appearance of the water, it's about the functionality of the water. This game is supposed to be high on realism, yet you can't swim in or even wade through water? So much for realism.
BTW, my first gaming computer was a TRS-80. Guess how important graphics are to me.
I think there is a general misconception that those who demand good graphics are the younger generation. I contend it is actually we older gamers. We who suffered through Atari et al. At the time it was amazing, cause it was all we knew. But as graphics improved, we came along for the ride and refuse to go back in time to poor visuals. Been there, waited for it to get better, and now that it is we are not taking a step back. Graphics ARE important to me, and I am far from a kid.
I think there is a general misconception that those who demand good graphics are the younger generation. I contend it is actually we older gamers. We who suffered through Atari et al. At the time it was amazing, cause it was all we knew. But as graphics improved, we came along for the ride and refuse to go back in time to poor visuals. Been there, waited for it to get better, and now that it is we are not taking a step back. Graphics ARE important to me, and I am far from a kid.
And thats great, graphics rock your boat, they used to with me before I realised I was being suckered in mindless crap all the time but looked good, think it was the same time I realised that about the opposite sex, and stopped being so shallow, (about my partner choices not your game preferences)
I much prefer a studio, to spend time on depth and weave a good story, after all not all great books come with fancy pictures, but by the same token I dont want to be handed some crayons and told to fill in the blanks myself.(its so hard to stay inbetween the lines) I am now very cynical when I see a game hype up its game engine more than its content.
So to recap I grew up and learnt not to be so shallow and see past the outer beauty, and to dig deeper for knowledge for my entertainment.....Its nice we all grow up differently, otherwise these forums would be about 2 games and everyone saying how nice one or the other is.
Currently the game has 45 out of 150 planned lvls
over 3 sectors out of a planned 10
so misspending a few or more points in the grand scheme of things isn't prolly going to impact that greatly
and if your spending vast amounts of points in the wrong areas then your characters only gimp factor is you
as to crafting you dont need to stand around waiting for it you can carry on missioning/scavenging or logged off
realistic water hhmm why exactly would you want to wade swim in what is probably poisoned/irradiated water anyway?
and considering this is the grand canyon district theres not that many bodies of water that large to warrant the ability to swim
Well, I'm 43 and I think graphics are very important to the immersion factor of an MMO. And the texturing is so bad in FE you can't ignore it. The production generally is not of a high enough quality for people to pay a monthly sub. It has F2P written all over it.
First off - I'm no kid.
Secondly - it's not about the appearance of the water, it's about the functionality of the water. This game is supposed to be high on realism, yet you can't swim in or even wade through water? So much for realism.
BTW, my first gaming computer was a TRS-80. Guess how important graphics are to me.
I hate to do it but,
MMO_Doubter = 29 year old Male from Bedford, NS, Canada
TRS80 was discontinued in 1981 (before your first birthday), the model 2-4's carried on for a few more years (Model 4's selling in 1983~84 IIRC) This leads me to believe either, your posting on someone elses account or your maby slightly exaggerating that the TRS was your "first gaming computer" .. Pac-Man, Galaxian, Atari's Centipede, Zaxxon and Berzerk were fun times, but I'd think they by the time you could actually use and appreciate a computer, say around 8 or 9 (ie late 80s) you'd be at least using C64's (early 80s) or maby Atari 130XE's (mid 80's)
Heck maby your parents had an old TSR laying around you played with as a kid (Before you got a "real" computer).. but your trying to "imply" that your an old-time gamer and your really not "that" old :)
I'm in my mid-40s. I don't give my actual birth date to internet sites. The default date in that section is Jan 1, 1980. Which would make one - 29 years old.
I do commend your research, though.
Good point. As a consumer, we're after value, which means the most bang for our buck. In the case of gaming, our prize would be high graphics and great gameplay. It seems that most people in this forum think you can only have one or the other, which is why you hear the comments on how gameplay>graphics or graphics>gameplay. What's wrong with having and expecting both?
What people are tiptoeing around here, is that Fallen Earth cost the same amount as titles who offer more bang for our buck. That's the bottom line. People are more incline to look past bad graphics, bad gameplay, and stability issues if the price is right. For $50 and $15/mo, I expect graphics that are nice and gameplay that is nice. Otherwise, lower the price. Fallen Earth is not worth the money to me. That doesn't mean it's not a good game, but there's too much competition out there.
For Post-Apocolyptic fans, this game probably has high value, but for MMO fans in general, this game has less value than other AAA titles out there. For those MMO fans who like a more free progression system than your typical class based games, then Fallen Earth might hold higher value to them than it does to MMO fans that don't care as much, as long as the game is good.
Okay - why isn't there realistic water in the game, and why can't you respec?
How many characters can you have, and will you have to repeat the tutorial for each one?
NVM, already answered.
But who give a crap about water when all they have is maybe 4 tiny puddles in the entire landscape?
As far as graphics, its in the eye of the beholder, i think may of you are confusing the drab and dreary look of the post apocalyptic settings with "Good graphics", the graphics of FE are on par with Halflife 2 era techniques, sure its missing some lighting techniques, but halflife also wasn't a giant seamless world, Halflife areas are mush smaller than you even think.
I like what they did with graphics. The name is Fallen Earth, not Springtime in Twee Land.
Those who complain about graphics mistake pretty for good. Some just want something ultra high rez and super flashy to feed to the maxed out SLI rigs they spent all that money on.
The rest of us want a good game with graphics that are appropiate to the story. FE delivers that in spades.
lmao that is a great way of putting it.