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Fallen Earth

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Fallen Earth
The Fallen Earth logo
Fallen Earth logo (16 March 2009)
Developer(s)Icarus Studios LLC, Fallen Earth LLC
Publisher(s)Fallen Earth LLC
EngineIcarus Platform
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
ReleaseSeptember 22, 2009
Genre(s)Post-apocalyptic, MMORPG/ MMOFPS hybrid.
Mode(s)Multiplayer, Online, First-Person Shooter

Fallen Earth is an MMORPG developed by Fallen Earth LLC and Icarus Studios LLC.[3] The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting located in and around the American Grand Canyon. The game was released on September 22, 2009 with pre-orders from Direct2Drive, Steam and the official site granting early access from September 9, 2009.[4][5]

Development

After a number of years in the making, Fallen Earth developers announced in a June 2008 press release that the game had reached feature-complete status.[6] In October 2008, the Fallen Earth website reported that the game had reached content-complete status.[7] The first wave of Alpha tests began in August 2008, and closed Beta testing began in February 2009.[8]

As part of a promotional campaign, Fallen Earth announced a National Tour on their website in February 2009.[9] They planned to sponsor IGDA meetings, and participating in events across the United States, doing public demonstrations promoting the game and taking part in question-and-answer sessions with the audience.

Gameplay

The game world of Fallen Earth is based on a real-world topographical map of the Grand Canyon. The world map covers more than 1000 square kilometers of usable terrain.[10] The environment is zoneless and set in sectors which can be advanced through at the players own pace, each of which continue the story-arc of the game. Parts of the map will be unreachable at release, but will be gradually opened as more content is developed.

The game supports PhysX[11] and Vivox, Inc.'s in-game voice communication technology.[12]

Plot

The Fallen Earth story begins in the 21st Century, when the first in a series of natural disasters hits the United States. As Americans struggle to recover, an investment tycoon named Brenhauer buys a controlling stake in a mega-corporation named GlobalTech. By 2051, he moves his headquarters to the Grand Canyon Province, where GlobalTech eventually creates a self-sufficient economic and military mini-state. Meanwhile, in India and Pakistan, the Shiva virus, named for the dance-like convulsions that it caused in its victims, appears among the human populace. As the infection starts to spread, countries accuse each other of engineering the virus. Political paranoia turn to open aggression and nuclear conflict. The nuclear conflict combined with the virus decimates the planet. Less than one percent of Earth's population survived the Fall, and the Hoover Dam Garrison and Grand Canyon Province are the only known outposts of human civilization.

Outside the protective confines of the Hoover Dam Garrison, the player will encounter ruins of the old world, genetically-altered creatures, strange technology, and six warring factions. Some factions seek to rebuild the old world, others wish to build a new one in their own image, and some simply desire chaos and anarchy.

Among its features are first-person and third-person views, classless system, Player-versus-Player combat, and crafting.

Character Creation

Fallen Earth promises to have extensive character customization with customizable features including: clothing, facial features, skin tones, hairstyles and colors, age, body and facial hair, piercings, body art (tattoos), and makeup.

Character Development

Fallen Earth does not have a fixed class system. It utilizes skill-based character development with a strong emphasis on flexibility and player preference. The game features active skills—trade-skills as well as mutation-based skills—which can be increased through Advancement Points or skill usage. Advancement Points (APs) are earned alongside level experience, and aside from increasing skill points, can also be used to boost Attributes[13].

However, there does exist a system that allows you to select an general archetype (Medic, Melee, Rifleman, etc) and then the system provides you with guidelines with how to mold your character.

Combat

Combat in Fallen Earth is generally in a first-person shooter format. The camera can be moved to alternate between third and first person modes. Players will need to manually keep their targets in a targeting reticle to actually hit them in combat. Skills can be used to influence combat in different ways, but again, enemies must still be manually targeted. It has been stated that there will be no "target locking" as in other MMOs.

Equipment

Fallen Earth will have thousands of items as well as equipment and accessories of varying strength for players to craft and equip in up to 22 separate equipment slots. Character customization also covers equipment, which can be worn in a variety of different ways. In Newsletter #5 (November 2005) the developers revealed that you'll be able to wear baseball caps forward or backwards, tuck or untuck your shirt, and even zip your jacket up or leave it open.

  • Possible Equipment (Clothing, Armor)
    • Bandanas, hockey masks, gas masks, cowboy hats, top hats, welding helmets, sunglasses, eye patches, goggles, etc.
    • Jackets (denim, leather), t-shirts, shoulder pads, trench coats, tank tops, etc.

Weapons

Fallen Earth will allow its players to carry as many as 6 active weapons which will be a part of your character's appearance (visible to yourself and other players.) Screenshots, videos, and subsequent newsletters have revealed a small list of weapons to appear in Fallen Earth such as a baseball bat and rocket propelled grenades.

Vehicles

Fallen Earth will feature a range of vehicles, from small, fast motorcycles with little carrying capacity to a heavy duty Tornado jeep-style vehicle with a large carrying capacity. Each of the available vehicles differs in speed, fuel type and efficiency, ability to scale different terrain, cargo capacity, armor and weaponry. Vehicles also come with varying storage capacities. Characters can own up to 5 vehicles, which are acquired through research and crafting (up to 3 weeks non-stop in some cases). [14][15]

Factions

File:Factions.png
The faction allegiances displayed as a wheel.[16]

Players start out neutral in Fallen Earth and can remain neutral or choose to align themselves with a particular faction. Aligning with a faction will give characters a head start in skills and equipment that the faction specializes in (eg. they will have easier access to learning certain skills). There are also a number of NPC factions that players can build alignment with. Helping or disrupting factions will affect the player's relationships with them. Killing faction members can also influence your faction alignment.

The alignments of the 6 main factions can be arranged into a "wheel". Each faction has 2 allies, 2 enemy and 1 arch-enemy faction, with the arch-enemy being the faction on the opposite side of the wheel.[17]

Primary factions also have a number of sub-groups that hold to various motives and differences in ideology. While some of these sub-factions are known, many are secretive and will only reveal their existence to those they trust. Characters can become members of a sub-faction and gain special titles, abilities and equipment. Some sub-factions are mutually exclusive, but not all are.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ "ESRB Rating". Retrieved 2009-06-19.
  2. ^ "Fallen Earth System Specs". Fallen Earth LLC. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
  3. ^ "Icarus Platform Interview with Chris Gardner". WarCry Network. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  4. ^ "Fallen Earth Forums: Announcements: Launch Date Moved to Sept. 22, Early Access Sept. 9". Fallen Earth, LLC. Retrieved 2009-09-04. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishdate= ignored (help)
  5. ^ "Fallen Earth on Steam". Fallen Earth, LLC. Retrieved 2009-09-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishdate= ignored (help)
  6. ^ "Fallen Earth Press Releases". Fallen Earth, LLC. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  7. ^ "Fallen Earth hits content complete development goal". Fallen Earth, LLC. Retrieved 2008-10-03. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishdate= ignored (help)
  8. ^ "Fallen Earth Enters Closed Beta Testing". Fallen Earth, LLC. Retrieved 2009-02-11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishdate= ignored (help)
  9. ^ "Fallen Earth MMO Launches National Tour at North Carolina IGDA Meeting". Fallen Earth, LLC. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
  10. ^ "Fallen Earth Press Release: Retail Launch". Games Press. Retrieved 2009-08-12. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishdate= ignored (help)
  11. ^ "Featured PhysX Titles". Nvidia. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  12. ^ "Press Release: Vivox Gives Voice to the Battle for Fallen Earth" (PDF). Fallen Earth, LLC. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  13. ^ "Fallen Earth: Interview with Lee Hammock". MMORPG.com. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  14. ^ "New Vehicles". Fallen Earth, LLC. Retrieved 2008-09-11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishdate= ignored (help)
  15. ^ Alec Masters (AKA Lee Hammock). "Developer response in thread: New Vehicles in Fallen Earth Discussion". Retrieved 2008-09-11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishdate= ignored (help)
  16. ^ Faction wheel graphic created by Phenix
  17. ^ "Question of the Week: Feb 21, 2007 - How will factions be handled?". Fallen Earth Developers. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
  18. ^ Fallen Earth Developers. "Question of the Week: August 29, 2007 - FE QotW Omnibus". Retrieved 2007-12-30.
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