[Review/Guide/PC] Fallen Earth - Welcome to the Apocalypse

[Ark of Truth]

 

Disclaimer: Subject to change!

 

 

Developer(s): Reloaded Productions (formally Icarus Studios, Fallen Earth)
Publisher(s): GamersFirst (formerally K2 Network)
Engine: Icarus Platform
Platform(s): Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X
Release date(s) September 22, 2009
Genre(s): MMORPG
Mode(s): Multiplayer
Distribution: Download Only


Introduction

Fallen Earth is a Massively multiplayer online role-playing game based in a post-apocalyptic Earth in the year 2156. The game takes place is post-apocalyptic wasteland located around the American Grand Canyon and surprise surprise the Mojave Desert. Over all the game can be classed as a multilayer version of Fallout with a massive crafting system, which you will most likely fall in love with!

Fallen Earth offers customizable features for characters, including: clothing, facial features, skin tones, hairstyles and colors, age, body and facial hair, body art (tattoos and piercings), height, and makeup.


Crafting System/ Tradeskills

Weapons, armor, accessories and vehicles (expect event vehicles and unique reward gear) can be crafted in game using the game's in-depth crafting system and then equipped in one of the 22 separate equipment spots on their characters, note some gear my take more then one slot, for example a mask will take the head, mouth and eyes slot. Each item is broken down into a category which you learn from various manuals which can be found in loot or purchased from a NPC of the relevant item type.

For example pistol ammunition is a category located under the ballistic crafting skill, when learned the skill allows you to craft light, medium and heavy as well as two or three manuals. The manuals will be the one you needed to learn in order to craft the item you which to make in this case pistol ammunition, a manual to create the next tier of pistol ammunition and in some cases depending on the item a improved manual for the item you wish to craft, the improved manual is normally for weapons, armor and accessories.

Crafting is a extremely affective way of making money in Fallen Earth, all it takes is a little effort levelling your skills to make loads of money. You can even make your own houses, farms and automatic resource harvesters using crafting, its that great!

 

The current tradeskills are as follows:

 

• Armorcraft - The construction of armor.
• Ballistics - The construction of ranged weapons and ammunition.
• Construction - The construction of camp sites and other placeable buildings.
• Cooking - Used to make meals and food which can be used to boost a players stats temporary or that for their allies.
• Geology - A tradeskill used to harvest resources from mine deposits.
• Medicine - Used to create medical items such as painkillers and bandages.
• Mutagenics - Used to create items which can be used to temporarily boost mutations.
• Nature - A tradeskill used to harvest resources from plants and deceased wildlife.
• Scavenging - A tradeskill used to harvest resources from junk piles and other refuse.
• Science - The construction of gun  components, gunpowder etc.
• Weaponry- The construction of melee weapons.

 

Combat

Combat is either done from first person or third person view, this can be toggled using the F9 key. You point your weapon of choice using the mouse and then attack using the left mouse button, guns can zoom in using the right mouse button with character movement being controlled using the WASD keys.

Damage resistances play a key role in this game as they greatly reduce the amount of damaged received from all weapons types. It is important to keep up to date with the latest gear for you level which is easily obtained using crafting if you are willing to put the time and effort into it.


Auction House

Like most MMOs Fallen Earth has an auction house which allows you to sell the items you acquire or make in game. The fees are pretty reasonable and is accessible to all players from level 1. If you are going to be a crafter it will your main way of selling your stuff to other players.

NOTE: After you buy an item, it will appear in the mailbox. It does not appear immediately...there is typically a small delay of ten minutes or so.


Locations

Auction NPCs can nonetheless only be found in certain towns in the world of Fallen Earth.

Sector 1: Embry Crossroads, Oilville, Odenville and Watchtower.
Sector 2: All the faction towns and its capital New Flagstaff.
Sector 3: All the faction towns and its capital Trader's Flat


Mutations

 

Maybe it was the virus, maybe it was the radiation, or maybe it was some kind of manipulation of the basic genetic structure shared by all humans. Most likely, it was some combination of all these factors that created the different Mutation Paths available to the denizens of the Grand Canyon Province.

 

 

Mutations are abilities which fall into 3 fundamental types: Augmentation, Restoration, and Destruction. The types describe the purpose of most, but not all, mutations in that path.

 

Augmentation focuses on enhancing a players abilities and skills.

 

Restoration focuses on healing and keeping you alive.

 

Destruction focuses on causing damage to a target or targets.

 

These types then break down into 11 subcategories:

 

• Alpha Mutation‎
• Empathic
• Enhancement‎
• Illumination‎
• Nano-Manipulation‎
• Patho-Transmission
• Primal
• Sonic Influence
• Suppression‎
• Telekinesis
• Thermal Control‎

 

 

Skills

 

There are various skill in the game which are divided into 12 skills subcategories. By increasing the amount of skill points in this categories you will increase the effectiveness 

 

• Armor Use‎
• Dirty Tricks
• Dodge
• Escape Artist
• First Aid
• Group Tactics
• Melee
• Pistol
• Power‎
• Precision‎
• Rifle‎
• Social

 

 

Player Versus Player

Players can engage in PVP by going into PVP specific zones or arena combat known as Blood Sports. There is no regen pods (Spawn points for when you die in PVP zones, if you are in the arena you will start at a random spawn point in the match zone)

In PvP zones you can hurt anyone, even your team mates. Be careful.


Clans, Factions and Faction Warfare

A player if they wish can join a clan in Fallen Earth, clans in themselves are not beneficial in anyway except they contain other players which may be willing to help you. Players in a clan will get access to the clan vault which they can use for storage but please note all clan members can take from the clan vault.

Clans do not provide any other benefits such as EXP boosts, special mission, vehicles, mounts or gear. Only players which may be willing to help you. You do not need to be in a clan in order to join a faction. It should be noted some clans may enforce mandatory use of a voice chat program such as Skype, Vent or Teamspeak failure to use these program may result in you not being allowed to join or being kicked from the clan. Some clans issue level caps for reasons which seem stupid or may force you into normal and factional pvp and sometimes even a certain faction when you reach level 15.

Some of these restrictions could kill the game for you, I know it did for me at one point and I stopped playing for over a year as all the clans were demanding certain factions, voice comms and level caps. It is important that you check these things before joining a clan. For me a good clan is one that will help but will not force you to do something you don't want to do such as PVP or use voice comms or limit your gameplay in any way such as tell you not to go over a certain level.

Players in Fallen Earth can go into one of 6 factions when reaching level 15, each faction has has 2 allies, 2 enemy and 1 arch-enemy faction. Please note that this is only how the NPC see each other not how they will see you. After joining a faction you can check your standings with other factions using the faction window.

If you are playing the game with friends make sure they go into the same faction as you. If you help them in a factional quest for their faction you can make your own hostile which will mean you cannot enter their towns. You can change factions once for free after that you must pay real life cash to purchase G1C credits to buy a marketplace item to reset your faction standings and place you in a neutral state.

Make sure that you and your friend get this all cleared up before reaching level 15 as it can cause problems in game for both of you if you want to play together and arguments down the line between you if you have different play styles, goals or one of you wants the other to join a clan which the other can't join due to faction related issues, such as one of you is a hostile faction to the faction of the clan your friend wants you to go to.

My advice: If you can't agree on one then save your time and potential friendship problems by not going in one or make your own.


Children of the Apocalypse

The Children of the Apocalypse (CHOTA) are a defiant heretical group who vehemently oppose order. They acknowledge that abuse of technology and human ignorance were responsible for the apocalypse, yet they embrace the collapse of civilization due to the absence of government and fight to prevent history from repeating itself.
The CHOTA are allied with the Vista and Travelers, are enemies with the Techs and Lightbearers, and rivals to the organized Enforcers.


Enforcers

The Enforcers are the militaristic body of Fallen Earth. They are based upon strict values of organization and control, and despise anything chaotic or un-organized. They try to restore the world through the use of rigid discipline and government.
Enforcers are allied with the Techs and Lightbearers, are enemies with the Vista and Travelers, and rivals to the chaotic Children of the Apocalypse.


Lightbearers

The Lightbearers are a group of spiritual sages who are dedicated to the practice of martial arts and enlightenment. They employ the use of advanced healing techniques and mutations to accomplish the task of restoring the old world through wisdom and understanding.
Lightbearers are allies with the Enforcers and Vista, enemies with Tech and CHOTA, and rivals with the greedy Travelers.


Techs
The Techs are a group of scientists and engineers who are primarily interested in restoring the world as it once was through technological knowledge. They enjoy inventing, fixing and tinkering with anything mechanical.
Techs are allied with the Enforcers and Travelers, are enemies with the Lightbearers and Children of the Apocalypse, and arch rivals to the technology-hating Vista.


Travelers

The Travelers are the gypsies of the new world. They travel from place to place, peddling their wares, trying to make as much money as possible. They believe the best way to restore the world is through financial gain.
Travelers are friendly with the Tech and CHOTA, enemies with the Enforcers and Vista, and rivals with the ritualistic Lightbearers.


Vistas

The Vistas are advocates of the natural ecosystem. They believe that this planet requires mankind's protection and that Earth and its resources are the most sacred elements of all living creatures.
Vista are allies with the CHOTA and Lightbearers, enemies with the Travelers and Enforcers, and rivals to the technology-oriented Tech.


NPC Factions (Cannot be joined by the player)

There are a few unplayable neutral factions;
Franklin's Riders
Bankers
Townsperson
Outsiders
Human League
Shiva's Favored

 

 

Is there any politics in this game?

Sadly yes, but the less said about that the better.