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10 refreshing realisms in FE
I'm literally stunned by Fallen Earth. How did an Indie company manage to do this??
1. No loading screens. Ever. Even when there is some sort of instance mechanism - I've only seen one of these so far - there is *still* no loading screen. There are no white grid lines on the map that you know and fear and feel. For me, it is an amazing touch and acheivement.
2. Horses and vehicles persist in the world. This is stunning. I have no idea why it hasn't been done before (perhaps it has, and is just the first time I've seen it) but it actually makes you feel like you really do own a vehicle or a horse or both.
3. You cannot carry ridiculous amounts, where too much is determined both by weight and space in your bags. And you cannot carry a horse or an ATV in your bags (see point 2). Instead of bothering me, it just makes the world seem more complete and logical, and hence immersive and hence fun.
4. You can try your hand at everything, including the skills that enable you to gather resources and including all the different types of crafting and all the different types of combat. You still have to work at things to progress, and it takes a lot of time to progress with all skills and you will be better at some than others depending on your stats so there is an advantage in specialising, but I was so sick of the traditional early choices of class and crafting profession. If I want to be a jack of all trades I damn well can be.
5. The things you find on corpses actually make sense. Humans you defeat often drop food and ammo. From killing the wildlife, you might find the odd useful tooth or bit of fur or something, and you can always try to skin them for hides and meat. What you WILL NOT do is loot the corpse of a canyon lizard and find a flame thrower.
6. Distances mean something in FE because there are no instant travel options. The task of travelling means something. You have to think about having enough fuel. It is actually a serious matter to go from A to B that becomes more serious the further apart A is from B. I don't know why I like this so much, but I do.
7. You need ammunition for guns. In other games this is simply annoying because so little else makes sense, but it makes perfect sense in FE and it adds to the excitement when you know you are soon going to run out of ammo and will have to resort to melee.
8. If you are using a gun, you need to aim and you need time to reload. If you aim at the head, you will kill quickly.
9. The movements of the mounts (the ATV and horse) are different and match some of the details how an ATV and a horse actually move. With the ATV you accelerate and decelerate and cannot turn on a pin. The horse can turn on the spot, you cannot strafe at high speed on a horse. I honestly expected the two mounts to move in exactly the same way because I am so used to such silliness.
10. The desert has moments of peace and beauty, but is pretty much drab and dry and harsh. That's the way deserts actually are.
Overall, I am completely impressed with how the cumulative effect of these realisms make a very immersive game experience. They enhance and distinguish the gameplay from the MMO genre I am used to. Well done Icarus. 
Comments
This one annoys me a little bit.
I don't think anyone strafes on his horse they way it's been implemented in game. Instead of strafing, the horse should just turn to left or right or diagonal while keeping the camera view straight forward.
For the other points, nice compilation. I agree with all of them :-)
Agreed. It is the most all-enveloping MMO I have played for a while.
It creates a mood, and sucks you in.
That said, I can feel it runs a danger of being 'samey'... but there is plenty of opportunity for interesting new directions.
What can I say, I just love this game and by the way totally agree with Strap!
_____________________________
E&B (Wikings of the North) - DAC - EQ 2 - EVE (DANIS)- WOW (Azur Order)- LotRO -
And have been waiting for PotBS for 5 years
Great post ,and totally agree .
The devs have indeed put some very good ideas in the game.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Nicely put. I am playing just for a few days now and focussing on crafting. So much to do, so much to work on
My brand new bloggity blog.
Is this game really that good. I ve been reading alot about it and it s peaked some interest. I like the look of the AC type skills. Can a casual player partake in this game and feel you accomplished something?
I would consider myself a casual player... a few hours in the evenings that I can play, though I cannot play every evening. In that time I usually level, I've made my way through an interesting quest chain or gone off exploring for resources and often have crafted something I value. Nodes have been plentiful so far and dealing with mobs goes quickly. So yes, at least from my perspective at this stage, a casual player can log on for a couple of hours and accomplish things.
The leveling curve - it is not exponential and may even be flat - makes a feeling of progression for a casual player easier too...
I expect the setting is not for everyone... the post-apocalyptic kind of cowboy/survivor thing. For me, it is a refreshing change from elves and dwarves and flashy magic.
I would consider myself a casual player... a few hours in the evenings that I can play, though I cannot play every evening. In that time I usually level, I've made my way through an interesting quest chain or gone off exploring for resources and often have crafted something I value. Nodes have been plentiful so far and dealing with mobs goes quickly. So yes, at least from my perspective at this stage, a casual player can log on for a couple of hours and accomplish things.
The leveling curve - it is not exponential and may even be flat - makes a feeling of progression for a casual player easier too...
I expect the setting is not for everyone... the post-apocalyptic kind of cowboy/survivor thing. For me, it is a refreshing change from elves and dwarves and flashy magic.
I love fantasy and it s setting, but I ve always loved apocalyptic feel in games as well. I know I would enjoy the setting. FPS in a MMO as well as 3rd person option is awesome and I think i ll pick it up. I really don t expect a sandbox, but to me it seems like a good mix of sandbox elements with some theme park thrown in. This is good IMO. Now if the faction wars for towns turn out to be fun it will be a keeper for me, along side beleive it or not FFXIV, which I m also really looking forward to. I have a very broad range of likes in MMOs, not pickey really, just sick of the same old same old thats out there now. Hope this game can provide many months if not years of fun, because it sounds very good to me.
I wouldn't actually compare Ultima Online to Fallen Earth. Yes, the feature might be there but you know... The visual side is completely out dated. You have to be pretty "hardcore" to be able to play UO nowadays. It takes A LOT imagination.
unfortunately i compare most games i play to UO, and am quite bitter about it
... meh, gameplay > graphics... ultima online is... Quirky 
... it doesnt take that much imagination :P you run around in 2d glory and lightning bolt dragons... its not so different :P
Every game resembles to UO and Super Mario bross and Tetris and double dragons....for my grandmother :-)
To the OP: Spot on, those are exactly the reasons why I'm beginning to love this game. You really feel you are there, its a place to be and its not just some level in some irrelevant game.
To Sparkfunk: Well shouldn't you be be happy that someone at last took some the good things about UO and developed on them?
"You are the hero our legends have foretold will save our tribe, therefore please go kill 10 pigs."
Well, I missed the UO wave, so its nice to see a more up to date game bring them back and include them in the same game.
More and more I'm growing interested in FE and if/when my time in Aion comes to an end I might give this game a go.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Funny story about #2 (persistent vehicles.) I was playing around with a new alt last night and a guy sends me a tell "I gotta log, what do I do with my mount? I can't get it back into my bag."
You can tell just how different this game is by the questions asked by the new players.
I'm shocked that an independent developer could put out something with the sheer depth of this game. There are quest hubs in the middle of nowhere that you just stumble across.
Zero grind required.
Trevor Goodchild - Traveler - Crafing/Pistols
Sapo Loco - Rifle/Melee
I am not so sure about the ammo and ranged thing. It takes 11 mins to make 80 bolts or 80 zip ammo. However, in combat ammo finishes faster. Even more difficult if your not melee and want to be pistol/rifle. You are stuck with gimped melee weapons and can't do much when ur ammo runs out. i am lvl 5 and i have spent more time making ammo then fighting. Also its damn expensive to buy any kind of ammo from traders at lower levels. I wish they reduce prices a bit so that i can stack up some more ammo and go on long exploration trips.
I like Anarchy Online system better. its right mixture of fun and challenge. Ammo was cheap and you could buy loads without worrying about it finishing when you are on the other end of the map. Maybe at high level it changes but for now ranged combat is boring and frustrating. Either they should reduce the crafting time or let us make atleast 200 peices in given 11 mins time slot.
You seemed to have missed the INDIE part of his comments. By the time Origin Systems made UO, they were far from an INDIE company, with several notable titles under their belt.
Origin System's
* Ultima series (1983–1999)
* Autoduel (1985)
* Moebius: The Orb of Celestial Harmony (1985)
* Ogre (1986)
* 2400 A.D. (1987)
* Times of Lore (1988)
* Knights of Legend (1989)
* Tangled Tales (1989)
* Omega (1989)
* Space Rogue (1989)
* Windwalker (1989)
* Wing Commander series (1990–1998)
* Bad Blood (1990)
* Shadowcaster (1993)
* Strike Commander (1993)
* Privateer (1993)
* System Shock (1994)
* Pacific Strike (1994)
* Wings of Glory (1994)
* Bioforge (1995)
* Crusader series (1995–1996)
* CyberMage: Darklight Awakening (1995)
* Jane's Combat Simulations: AH-64D Longbow (1996)
* Jane's Combat Simulations: AH-64D Longbow: Flash Point Korea (1996)
* Privateer 2: The Darkening (1996)
* Jane's Combat Simulations: Longbow 2 (1997)
* Ultima Online (1997)
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
Chavez y Chavez
I've never had an ammo problem. I always look for the materials I need to make them and hoard it. Then I set myself up to craft ammo when I log out. You just have to be frugle to a certain degree and certainly have to plan ahead for things. 5 Scrap Wood and 4 Scrap Copper is not hard to come buy. In fact, around Midway, Embry and other starter towns it's down right impossible not to stumble over. You just have to either memorize a few good spawn spots or make and label waypoints for areas that spawn the stuff you need.
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
Chavez y Chavez
I'm enjoying the items on that list as well. Many of them I haven't seen since the early years of UO and some of them are refreshing new changes to how an MMO is played. For me, the FE game world is a real treat to experience.
- RPG Quiz - can you get all 25 right?
- FPS Quiz - how well do you know your shooters?
I've never had an ammo problem. I always look for the materials I need to make them and hoard it. Then I set myself up to craft ammo when I log out. You just have to be frugle to a certain degree and certainly have to plan ahead for things. 5 Scrap Wood and 4 Scrap Copper is not hard to come buy. In fact, around Midway, Embry and other starter towns it's down right impossible not to stumble over. You just have to either memorize a few good spawn spots or make and label waypoints for areas that spawn the stuff you need.
It took me a little while to get into the grove of having/constantly making ranged ammo as well. It does get easier as you level, guess your toon becomes a better shot with your help.
Anyway I waypoint mark all the rich node sites I find ie I know some nice spots around oil that have geo chems and petrol so even if I'm in s2 I'll road trip down to stock up on those two and make gasoline and gunpowder/shotgun shells for when I log out.
Good scav run will supply me for days and the end product will keep me in gas and bullets for a week or more.
I love how you need to plan stuff like this out in FE and often the scav run itself is like a mini adventure, with side trips to check out interesting spots or pop some mobs.
Also you can learn how to make more ammo per crafting session, you just need to research it.
Hey blakavar i tried to bookmark the locations for resources that i need for crafting. However, i can only do it once at a time. If i try to put a new bookmark the last one disappears. Is it possible to make more notes on the map? any help would be appreciated. I am in Terance and found some good areas to farm resources for ammo.
Only one waypoint can be active at a time. You hit alt P to bring up a list of all the waypoints you marked, I like to name them easily so I'll just rename the waypoint salvaged wood or petrol. Highlight the waypoint you want to activate and it will refresh to that new waypoint.
I also have been further subdeviding them with s1 petrol s2 scrap plastic so I dont inadvertantly start following a waypoint in the wrong zone.
At first it felt clunky buts its actually better, I dont have little yellow x's all over my map.