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From Factions to Fabrication

Faction will play a leading role in FE, but I’m not talking about the kind of faction where you  complete the same mindless task exactly once each real-world day until you eventually please the NPCs enough to let you in on the secret of how to stuff a handful of additional  arrows into a quiver for the low, low cost of a month’s worth of skinning rare beasts. In Fallen Earth, factions are representative of what one might imagine would happen were attempts made to rebuild society in a post apocalyptic world. Like minded individuals would eventually band together in what could only be described as a more tribal form of society, regardless of any attempts made by some of those factions to rebuild an exact societal replica of what’s come before. It’s inevitable that at least some factions would either prefer the more chaotic climes of the new post-apocalyptic America, many of them in fact even thriving in such a setting.

Perhaps even more intriguing than factions that actually matter to a degree rarely seen since the original EverQuest is Fallen Earth’s approach to crafting. I’m one of those MMO gamers who never expects to get wrapped up in crafting when new titles launch, but when done right will eventually focus entirely on creating useful items for other players, adventuring then becoming a means to an end should it be necessary for things such as obtaining materials or recipes. Outside of perhaps healing in PvP, crafting is one of the most direct ways for an individual player to have a positive impact on the broader player base in any given MMO. When you consider that 95 percent of the items in Fallen Earth will be created by players, it’s no wonder the crafter in me is itching to get my hands on the game to see how deep the crafting rabbit hole really goes.

Creating Solid Connections

Between crafting and use of faction in Fallen Earth, there’s certainly a formula ripe with potential for harboring a tight-knit, solid player community. Add in the recent announcement that Fallen Earth will bear an “M” rating from the ESRB, and it could potentially be a more thoughtful, mature community to boot. While a ‘mature’ rating is by no means an indication that the community itself will actually be mature, it does lend itself to catering to a core audience of MMO players who focus their efforts on PvP victories rather than petty squabbles in guild chat. At least one can only hope!

Considering the approach to the overall atmosphere and setting for Fallen Earth, it should come as no surprise that the developers chose to promote the title through a series of fan events, or what’s essentially been a grassroots tour stopping in key locations in the US. I was fortunate enough to attend the first of these events that was held in Raleigh, NC towards the end of February and proved to be an extremely interesting way to connect with fans outside of the usual overly distracting industry shows that seemingly creep from one end of the summer calendar to the other. Promoting the game in such a way also speaks volumes of the type of connection the developers hope to create between themselves and fans of the game – a key area that many MMO players have been quite vocal about with many previous titles. By establishing a willingness to connect with fans in such a direct way, the developers behind Fallen Earth could very well establish a new norm for listening to the voice of their community.

Captain’s Log: Stardate 4130.9

While many of the concepts behind Fallen Earth may not be entirely unique in and of themselves, the approach taken to bring them all together paints a sci-fi picture of an MMO that promises to be greater than the sum of the genre’s previous parts. The title’s gritty post-apocalyptic setting certainly sets the upcoming MMO apart from an industry seemingly hell-bent on homogenization. In the coming months, I fully expect that as we see more details emerge on core gameplay mechanics, many gamers will begin to see Fallen Earth as a beacon leading them towards more interesting sci-fi waters than what’s promised by many of its high-tech contemporaries.

What are your thoughts on Fallen Earth? Do you consider the title to be different enough from the crowd to make a solid impact on the industry when it’s released later this year? Or perhaps you’ve been fortunate enough to attend one of the dev team’s stops along their national tour? Be sure to share your thoughts and stories right here on our forums, or you can always feel free to email me directly.

Until next time dear readers, this is Captain Sardu signing off!