LAGWAR | GAMING'S BEST IN TOP NOTCH MEDIOCRITY

Yesterday, the Fallen Earth development team posted their latest State of the Game address. Typically, this type of address is a way for the development team to let the community know how far they feel the game has come as well as provide an inside look at what players can expect in future updates.

In response to this latest State of the Game, I wanted to share my thoughts, hopes, and concerns regarding the future of Fallen Earth. I’ve gone through and commented on the items I believe to be the main points. While future updates and specific patch numbers and notes were given, readers should take into consideration that not everything the FE team is working on was shared. Keep in mind there will be other fixes and content additions included in these future patches that were not mentioned in the State of the Game. If there’s something you are specifically looking for that was not mentioned – don’t rage quit just yet – it could potentially be included in one of these updates.

Fixes and additions thus far

— “We’ve seen the release of an extended new player experience, player camp system, gambling, taverns, and dramatic graphical improvements including upgrades to sky, fog, terrain and ground cover, not to mention countless tweaks and bug fixes! We’ve worked hard to deliver great new content while listening to the community and adjusting where needed.” —

I must say that I really enjoy the concept and execution of the bunker bars and the gambling features. It’s nice to be able to work on a rested bonus to XP and play Blackjack at the same time. And even though I’ve lost a lot of chips during this process, I consider it an even pay out with the experience bonuses I have gained from doing so. My hat’s off to the team for implementing one of the coolest features I’ve ever seen in any MMOG.

As for the bug fixes and graphical improvements my feelings aren’t quite as celebratory. Many of these bugs should have been resolved during the testing phases of the game. The game plays very smooth for the most part these days, especially when compared to it’s first month post-launch. It is my belief that the company simply could not afford to put the launch out another three to six months. By launching with what they had, I think they were able to generate revenue – probably hire on a couple more bodies – and really begin to crack down on bug fixes and overall polish.

Risky? Yes. But the game pulled through. I believe the main reason for this is fans saw the incredible amount of potential this game has. Combine that with the willingness to listen and the dedication this development team carries and you’ve got a winner.

Even still, the reason I believe the game launched with so many bugs is the same reason I worry over the next topic.

Future patches: 1.3 – 1.5

— “In the first large content patch of the New Year, Version 1.3, players will explore the frontier, reactivating old GlobalTech technology as they venture into the far reaches of Kaibab Forest to an area called Deadfall Point. Housing some of the old terraforming towers, Deadfall may hold the key to pushing back the radiation zone and tracking down odd LifeNet signals coming from the wastes. The area will raise the level cap by one and extend crafting, gear, and abilities for players to discover. Additionally, the Plateau will see an influx of threatening and dangerous creatures and raiders. A new Salvager Camp between Westreach and Embry Commonwealth challenges any band of clones brave enough to face them. The wilderness of the Plateau will continue to attract new unknown dangers with future patches.

In Version 1.4, the mysteries of Deadfall Point continue to unravel in the region of Deadfall as the radiation boundaries are pushed back and new settlements emerge. Why have old LifeNet systems reactivated? Who (or what) have they produced? Players will answer these questions and more as they increase their level cap by an additional four levels (bringing the total to 50) and continue to extend crafting, gear, and abilities. Players may even be able to ride some of the mutated creatures in this area! Back in the Plateau, Central Plains and Embry Commonwealth will continue to see more deadly creatures take over the wilderness. Players will also see the addition of a deeper item decay and new overcharging system.” —

This confirms what I anticipated. Level cap increases, new missions, new land to explore. I’m really excited about this and am very curious to see what adventures this new content will hold. My prediction is that we will continue to see this type of expansion on the game for the next 12 to 18 months. Smaller updates similar to DLC type content we’ve come to expect from singleplayer games like Dragon Age, Fallout 3, and Grand Theft Auto.

While I’m very excited to hear about these future additions, there is one element that worries me. Just how much is the team planning on expanding PVE? They have already mentioned level cap increases, new exploration, and crafting expansion but will we see any type of organized group PVE content that the game is currently lacking in? Now, I’m sure the first thing you are thinking is, “Go back to WoW!”, but that’s not what I mean. I’m not talking about 40-man dungeon raids. I’m talking about rounding up a group to go kill some tyrant and his band of rebels who are terrorizing towns. To take it even further, I think pseduo faction-specific group PVE content would be fantastic. Lightbearers and their allies have X underground facilities to explore and conquer or Travelers and their allies have X trade routes to defend and keep operational – requiring combat as well as component turn-ins and large scale town events. I want to see content that encourages grouping in PVE, not just PVP.

My first request would be fairly simple to develop, and is similar to existing content. But for the latter, I’m not sure if something of that magnitude is feasible for the amount of resources the FE team may have. Obviously I know and understand that not everything the team is working on is listed in this State of the Game. I just hope they are working on expanding PVE in new ways.

— “Version 1.5 soaks everything in blood. The Bankers capitalize on clones to turn a profit as they set up the Blood Sports league, pitting players against each other in arenas and head-to-head conflicts as they scrap for glory and chips. As players fight in Blood Sports, clans will be able to wage war on a global scale. If the PvP action isn’t enough to get your heart pumping, we are cranking up combat by evaluating animations, reactions, AI, and any area we think can improve the immersion and adrenaline during combat. Additionally, a deep Achievement system will allow players to chronicle and proudly display their feats in the apocalypse.” —

If nothing else, PVP is the one feature that players have been screaming about. It’s very comforting to see the team is working on new features for players who want to PVP. Blood Sports and Clan Warfare sounds very interesting and I’m confident these features will receive a warm welcome from players – especially the larger and more active PVP clans in the game.

I suspect Clan Warfare will be open-world – hence the words “on a global scale” – and the Blood Sports will introduce instanced arena type 1v1, 3v3, 6v6, etc. encounters or the like. While I normally prefer large-scale open-world PVP, the idea of instanced arena type Blood Sports where players could battle it out on a small scale in a controlled environment intrigues me. If it turns out to be anything like what I’m envisioning, this could be what gets me back into Fallen Earth PVP. I’ve done a good job of steering clear of any and all PVP encounters since I left Sector 2 – which is certainly not typical of me in any MMOG until Fallen Earth.

Additionally, I hope that Conflict Towns are not completely left behind in the new age of PVP features to come. I would love to see the developers slap a new coat of paint on that system, correct the issues that currently plague some players, and move Factional Warfare forward. Hopefully the plan isn’t to push factions to the wayside and drive Clan Warfare to the front. It’s hard to imagine that they would completely abandon the system, and when we last spoke with Lee Hammock he seemed quite confident that it would be revamped sometime in the near future. But hearts and thoughts change.

On the other hard, the brief description of things to come in V1.5 supports my concerns even more regarding PVE expansion. We can all probably agree that the development team does a great job at listening to it’s players. I’m just not quite sure if the voices of PVE players are reaching the team as well as the PVP crowd. I really only have the forums to go by, but if you look at PVP vs PVE requests on the forums, PVE is definitely behind. This is probably due to my theory that PVP players are typically more vocal than the PVE crowd. Of course this is pure speculation and I’m quite sure the team has much more in store for us PVE and RP players than we imagine, which is why I’m still in love with this game (one year later).

Overall, this latest State of the Game has me feeling many things and that’s a good thing. It’s usually the best games that make you feel a wide variety of emotions and Fallen Earth is a fine example of that. I’m really curious to hear from the Fallen Earth community regarding this latest address. Good or bad, either way, I’m sure it’s going to make for an interesting year in Fallen Earth.

To read the full State of the Game click here.