happy new year!

cabal001

Question of the Week: 01-03-08



Happy New Year! Sorry for the Question of the Week running a bit late; getting back in the swing of work has taken a bit longer than expected. After a few days off we're all back in the thick of things and working hard on Kaibab Forest. The sound guys are working on music for Northfields while the art staff is ahead in the Grainway laying out towns and encounter areas. This week we're working on Monkeytown, Fender Gate, Waste Farm, Brekshire, and Banker's Hole.



1. Is there a skill for running faster or tricks like a roll forward or to the side?



The Athletics skill has been something of the forgotten middle child of our skills, since it doesn't directly help you kill or heal people. It allows you the use of abilities that increase your movement and other physical attributes. Athletics is a valuable skill for just about anyone because running faster is always useful, but it's especially useful for Melee characters. A few weeks ago we were testing PvP functionality. The other content folks found out just how useful Athletics is, thanks to my dual-wielding Melee/Athletics/Armor Use character. Sure, they could shoot me down if I came right at them, but with some zig-zagging and cover, I was fast enough to run down most characters before I got killed.



Speaking of which, if you would find it interesting, we could post a PvP play-by-play when we test a town to tell you about the builds we use and how they work.



2. Will there be some sort of SWG-esque storyteller feature?



We've talked about doing player created missions, but the complexity of doing so is massive and it certainly won't be something available for release. We'd certainly like to do something like that, but it is a huge undertaking with everything else we have on our plate.



3. How will you guys tell us about beta? Will we get told in advance when it begins, or will we log on one day and be surprised that there is a big "Hurry up and download now!" button on the front page?



Beta is going to be a slow, creeping process. First we bring in a few people, then a few more, and then a few more, until we have all the testers we want. Open Beta will be more of a “Hey everyone, Beta!” but there are a lot of stages before then. For the earlier stages of Beta we'll primarily contact folks through email based on beta applications through the site and our personal interactions with them. For example, Andreeon and DarkTreader I have met personally, haven't felt an overwhelming urge to punch in the face, and they've done a lot to support the game, so they'll likely get in the early stages of the Beta assuming they don't prove themselves unworthy by then. (Note: the first person who posts “Well I've done a lot too,” gets nothing. NOTHING.)



In the earlier stages of Beta everything is very quiet, with NDA's all around. The early stages are not “come try this fully functional game;” it's more “come try this mostly functioning vaguely game-like thing.” Early stages of Beta are not always fun.



4. Will the NPCs in instances be "elite" and much harder than regular mobs?



No. We do have tougher mobs in some areas, but they are simply higher level. Instead of having elite mobs, we have more creatures in the encounter. We have very few “everyone dogpile on one creature” encounters, and those are only with big mutant critters. If you're fighting humanoids, they're always scaled to a level of toughness attainable by a similarly leveled PC. You'll never run into a humanoid in the game that has attribute or skills you cannot match, though they may have some special attacks due to mutations that you can't get, but those are rare.



5. Are there any possibilities to run the game as a role player also? to have fun without focusing on fights, more on support skills?



Yes, it is easily possible to play the game as a non-combatant and advance. Experience points can be earned by crafting, exploration, and our large number of non-combat missions in addition to defeating enemies and combat missions. We have a huge number of missions that can be solved without violence, so players will have plenty to do if they don't feel like getting in a scrape. We also have a number of support skills and mutation paths, such as Group Tactics, First Aid, Nanomanipulation, and Empathic Healing, that allow players to fill support roles from a number of angles.



taken from the question of the week from www.fallenearth.com check it out!

Burntvet

This will be the year of Fallen Earth. An actually good, deep, non-fantasy MMO.

Kyleran

Sounds like a great game, but their method of releasing info about the game reminds me of...... Darkfall. 

Burntvet

Well, unlike Darkfall, and some other games that have tanked upon release, which I shall not mention, the Devs are not going around and hyping this thing up. They are putting together a game that will be ready "when it's ready" and are not going to promise a whole lot of things and not deliver.

Closed beta will be starting soon, if it hasn't already, and will be done incrementally. We know that the Devs are still adding content and have a few game mechanics to work in, but a whole lot is finished.

This game is not vaporware, there are multiple clips of gameplay, which the devs have shown at various conventions. And Fallen Earth will be released this year. Darkfall.... who knows...

 

daarco

hmm, why have all good MMOs so secret developing?

I mean WAR and AoC throws out "info" all the time. DF and FE does almost nothing.......and i like it : )

cabal001

Originally posted by Kyleran


Sounds like a great game, but their method of releasing info about the game reminds me of...... Darkfall. 

they release info every week. the devs post in the forums all the time. they are putting together a pvp war to tell us how it plays out just for the fans. does darkfall do this?

daarco

Almost, there is two "updates" every month. And the DF devs are on the forum. And they are aiming for a special playerbase.

FE will be a bit more relaxed : )     (but you know that better then me)

sieno

 all I like to know  is about heavy and big guns     and will gernades be implamented  like an aoe effect

 

 very excited about fe