This is really starting to sound like pre-NGE SWG. As such, I may actually give it a shot even though I'm already running two accounts in another MMO (EVE). I loved SWG back in the day despite its many flaws (class imbalances being my most hated one).
-Wrayeth "Look, pa! I just contributed absolutely nothing to this thread!"
Spot on overview. --- Faction really means diddly in this game. Players routinely switch factions in order to gain access to mutations, skills, etc. Zerg guilds will own the PvP areas and therefore the resources. They do?
Is it a few that routinely does this or do you believe it's more common than not? --- People who play MMOs enjoy playing roles. Healer, tank, DPS, etc. In a game where you pick and choose you end up with utter chaos a la Champions Online. Ok?
You still pick up and decide what to do. And why would people that need to have healer/tank/DPS path decided at character creation, why do they have to play FE? (As you are writing your point here, it seems like you are thinking that FE is letting down those people, those people that already have games that does that.) --- As advocated by many in this thread, people are going to have at least two characters. One that crafts and one that adventures. Where does that place any sort of economy? If everyone can make everything there is no need for a market. Especially when you factor in that equipment doesn't degrade. They are? And if so it would also seem that nobody would miss that market.
You seem mighty certain about something that you don't really know. Ok the game have been out for close to a month now.
Routinely, utter chaos, nonworking market. Nobody is forcing you to play nor enjoy every game that is avaible, you do realise that?
Only thing that annoys me in Fallen Earth are the multi-faction guilds. It makes the whole lore and setting pretty meaningless when you are allowed to have for example Vistas and Techs (who would instantly kill each others) in same guild. It just makes no sense and the whole faction thing feels pretty useless... That's enough reason for me to not buy the game after 1.5yrs of Alpha and Beta testing the game. Even though the game is great.
i tested FE for some time and got mixed feelings. for a former fps hardcore player combat was quite ok, bit clunky but getting used to it wasnt a problem really, crafting is huge, maybe even bit too much for me. gfx is all right, we have to understand its a post-apocaliptic settings so no glittering and stuff. i guess i expected more fallout style gfx so im bit dissapointed. what i dont like is factions, and especially the start of the game(not the tutorial which is great). it's not user-friendly and many people might pass. i felt very lost in the world and had to get over it. many people won't.
still good overview and it covers what i think about this game in many aspects.
Great review, Joe is a good spin doctor that could make anything sound like a good thing without actually lying. Unfortunately, this impression article is the best thing Fallen Earth has to offer IMO. I played for about 5 hours before cancelling my sub and returning to Aion... what a waste of time and money. The controls absolutely break this game for me and make it completely unplayable. It is unique, it does sport excellent graphics and good sound, with a storyline that grabbed me and made me want to play. I can't say anything about PvP or crafting since I did none, but PvE was uninspired, and at once boring and frustrating. I'm told the game has a steep learning curve that for many is worth sticking with and not giving up on, but it's my least favorite MMO to come along in... well, ever.
Great review, Joe is a good spin doctor that could make anything sound like a good thing without actually lying. Unfortunately, this impression article is the best thing Fallen Earth has to offer IMO. I played for about 5 hours before cancelling my sub and returning to Aion... what a waste of time and money. The controls absolutely break this game for me and make it completely unplayable. It is unique, it does sport excellent graphics and good sound, with a storyline that grabbed me and made me want to play. I can't say anything about PvP or crafting since I did none, but PvE was uninspired, and at once boring and frustrating. I'm told the game has a steep learning curve that for many is worth sticking with and not giving up on, but it's my least favorite MMO to come along in... well, ever.
You found PvE uninspiring in Fallen Earth so you went back to Aion where the PvE is....ermm.....yeah you get the point I think.
Ok, so some of the selling points, IMO, of this game are the factions, crafting, and character customization.
Factions, while you indeed do have to work hard in order to spin the wheel (which I never did, I picked two factions and worked them) it is indeed a viable strategy. You only need 2000? positive faction in order to gain access to their mutations. Keeping one faction and going for their highest quality skill is 36k or 360k, I forget. So, while it may take time, so will staying with your primary faction.
Crafting I would think would be done by people that want to supply people and make a profit. If everyone supplies themselves, where is the purpose of the dedicated crafter? You really don't need two characters to enjoy combat and crafting. In the end though, you may want the best of both worlds and would play both. (I think at end game I was wearing 135 skill use gear as a crafter, as an adventurer you would be wearing ~166 skill use, a significant difference)
Character roll is hard to create when the options presented to you are Dps, Dps, or Dps. Sure there is Group Tactics, Social, and First Aid but are they character defining? roll defining? Luckily the game isn't really at a point where a well built group is really necessary. Unfortunately for those that enjoy playing a specific type, they may be left in the cold.
The character creation process is actually rather shallow. You can't even change your body shape and size. Compare it to AION, SWG, Champions, CoX, EQ2, or Vanguard. Compared to WoW, okay the character creation system is better, but WoW's is as shallow as it gets.
The game has a two day learning curve pretty much. After those two days and about 4-7 levels, you understand the skills and AP system. It's really shallow actually, because there are only about 3 viable builds, compared to a class-based system where there are at least 8 classes and different ways to play each class. You have Rifles, Pistols, and Melee with a smattering of mutations and/or first aid for some extras. You take some defensive skills no matter what. I just don't think this game is that special, especially if you label it as a sandbox. The game is no UO or SWG, it's actually a rather shallow quest grinder like other games, with a few different features and stability issues.
I agree with most of the article. I really like the game so far, but it has some glaring faults as well. That said, I'm only level 10 at the moment, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Pros
The post-apocalyptic setting is amazing. It's really immersive, as the game world truly looks how it would a few hundred years after societal collapse. The character models also fit really well with the game. I like to turn off floating names when running around, and everything looks like it belongs in the universe. Huge pro here, for me.
The classless system is really refreshing. I love that I can pick and choose skills, including melee, first aid, and mutations, to customize my character the way I want. The article is correct that this can be daunting, however. Luckily, the game gives you suggestions for where to put points if you want to focus on a certain skill or join a certain faction, so if you like a little direction you can have it.
(The pros are short and sweet, but have a lot of weight behind them. Even though they don't have a lot of text backing them up, I consider them huge pros and they very much make the game worthwhile.)
Cons
The biggest con for me (and likely a pro for many) is the quest system. This game has loads of questlines for each starting city that can take you from level 1 to level 10 without ever having nothing to do (haven't made it to tier 2 yet, so can't comment on that part). While I consider delivery and collection quests every bit as much of a grind as a good dungeon crawl for experience, that's not my gripe with the system. The problem is the mini-map, which gives you a nice helpful "x", marking the spot of your next quest destination. Is this helpful? You bet. Does it allow you to finish questlines more quickly? Absolutely. Does it remove the need to use your brain to finish a quest? Sadly, yes. I know this is becoming the norm for new MMOs, but please - please - do not give me dozens of simple collection and delivery quests coupled with a little arrow telling me EXACTLY what to do, where to go, etc. I have a brain, let me use it!
Another problem is the combat system, which can feel very clunky at times. Trying to use a pistol or rifle in early levels will put you at a disadvantage as most enemies use melee and make targeting very difficult when they run to point blank range. I've tried rifle and melee, and enjoyed the rifle more, but definitely struggled as well. That being said, more enemies are supposed to use ranged weapons at higher levels (again, can't personally comment on this), making an actual shoot-out more likely.
Finally, the graphics aren't quite up to today's standards (although the art direction is stellar), yet somehow the computer requirements are quite high. While I've had no serious problems with lag set at high (not highest) settings, I know many people have struggled in this area. Be sure to check system requirements before buying!
Conclusion
I am very satisfied with my purchase of Fallen Earth. I love the setting and truly haven't felt this immersed since the original EQ (although they're very different games). The art direction and character models blend together seemlessly, creating a really believable atmosphere. I also love the classless system that allows me to create the character I want. There are no respecs, however, so a little planning ahead of time goes a long way.
The combat system definitely needs some work, at low levels at least, and the graphics are none too impressive despite relatively high system requirements. The quest system is by far the worst part of the game, but fortunately you aren't really forced to do the quests (although some will grant advancement points, which you will definitely want). Again, I'm sure many will appreciate never being lost as the game will pinpoint the precise location you should be at all times, but I find the system infuriating.
Anyway, that's my little review. I can definitely recommend the game if you're looking for something new. Sort of a blend of a sand-box character system, with a themepark questing model, all wrapped up in a Fallout-inspired package. It's worth checking out.
Only thing that annoys me in Fallen Earth are the multi-faction guilds. It makes the whole lore and setting pretty meaningless when you are allowed to have for example Vistas and Techs (who would instantly kill each others) in same guild. It just makes no sense and the whole faction thing feels pretty useless... That's enough reason for me to not buy the game after 1.5yrs of Alpha and Beta testing the game. Even though the game is great.
I agree, that irked me too. While most won't admit it, the game screems conflict as its purpose for playing. Factions are warring with each other; it's the whole premise of the game, yet people approach the game like it's Saga of Ryzom or something. People are more content to explore, craft, and grind out the multitude of quests than to actually take part of what the game is preparing you for: The Faction Wars (my own term).
I agree with most of the article. I really like the game so far, but it has some glaring faults as well. That said, I'm only level 10 at the moment, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. *snip* The biggest con for me (and likely a pro for many) is the quest system. This game has loads of questlines for each starting city that can take you from level 1 to level 10 without ever having nothing to do (haven't made it to tier 2 yet, so can't comment on that part). While I consider delivery and collection quests every bit as much of a grind as a good dungeon crawl for experience, that's not my gripe with the system. The problem is the mini-map, which gives you a nice helpful "x", marking the spot of your next quest destination. Is this helpful? You bet. Does it allow you to finish questlines more quickly? Absolutely. Does it remove the need to use your brain to finish a quest? Sadly, yes. I know this is becoming the norm for new MMOs, but please - please - do not give me dozens of simple collection and delivery quests coupled with a little arrow telling me EXACTLY what to do, where to go, etc. I have a brain, let me use it!
A nice, balanced and well written review.
I do think though you are too harsh on the quest lines. Firstly, they are of a higher quality than I am used to. There are the odd collect these or kill 10 of those, but so far I've found them to be refreshingly sparse. There was one in Terrance I think it was, where you had to kill creepers for valuables they might drop and the drop rate was lowish... too nakedly grindy for me so I didn't do it. This does seem to be the exception rather than the rule in my experience so far.
About the quest tracker. Normally I'd agree with you, but I am in favour of it as a balance to the sense of being at a loss as to generally know what to do and where to go and where to specialise and how to manage combat, etc. I am already using my brain a lot in other aspects of the gameplay, so in my case the quest helper probably saved me from getting completely frustrated and giving up. And I imagine that might be the case for quite a few players, especially those not having played a sandboxy game previously.
In fact I'd say the developers have been rather clever here in balancing that open world feeling of "what the heck do I do now" with a very friendly quest system.
Great review, Joe is a good spin doctor that could make anything sound like a good thing without actually lying. Unfortunately, this impression article is the best thing Fallen Earth has to offer IMO. I played for about 5 hours before cancelling my sub and returning to Aion... what a waste of time and money. The controls absolutely break this game for me and make it completely unplayable. It is unique, it does sport excellent graphics and good sound, with a storyline that grabbed me and made me want to play. I can't say anything about PvP or crafting since I did none, but PvE was uninspired, and at once boring and frustrating. I'm told the game has a steep learning curve that for many is worth sticking with and not giving up on, but it's my least favorite MMO to come along in... well, ever.
I am sorry that you enjoy the auto-attack auto-target mechanism for combat. I hear WoW is doing well, maybe you should check that out.
Only thing that annoys me in Fallen Earth are the multi-faction guilds. It makes the whole lore and setting pretty meaningless when you are allowed to have for example Vistas and Techs (who would instantly kill each others) in same guild. It just makes no sense and the whole faction thing feels pretty useless... That's enough reason for me to not buy the game after 1.5yrs of Alpha and Beta testing the game. Even though the game is great.
factions are bad full stop.
Thanks for your deep and well thought out input. Its good when people add explanations to their statements. Keep up the good work.
Factions are good in online games because they provide players with reasons for conflict.......and conflict is good because then players have a reason to unite with others against a common foe. Having factions in online games also provide a good source of roleplaying reasons.
Only thing that annoys me in Fallen Earth are the multi-faction guilds. It makes the whole lore and setting pretty meaningless when you are allowed to have for example Vistas and Techs (who would instantly kill each others) in same guild. It just makes no sense and the whole faction thing feels pretty useless... That's enough reason for me to not buy the game after 1.5yrs of Alpha and Beta testing the game. Even though the game is great.
I agree, that irked me too. While most won't admit it, the game screems conflict as its purpose for playing. Factions are warring with each other; it's the whole premise of the game, yet people approach the game like it's Saga of Ryzom or something. People are more content to explore, craft, and grind out the multitude of quests than to actually take part of what the game is preparing you for: The Faction Wars (my own term).
I totally agree. From reading the information on the Fallen Earth website its clear that this games main focus is about the conflict and alliances between all the factions due to their differing viewpoints. Surely this provides a great opportunity for roleplaying a character in a harsh world? I cant understand why anyone would want to ignore all of that.
That's the thing, factions don't contribute much except role-play reasons. You get a few unique skills and equipment looks but other than that, it's all RP stuff.
The game also appears like it would be PvP centric due to this faction conflict, not true.
---
The great thing is the game can become what it will due to the way the players choose to play it. It might develop in ways the devs didn't intend.
I know this is becoming the norm for new MMOs, but please - please - do not give me dozens of simple collection and delivery quests coupled with a little arrow telling me EXACTLY what to do, where to go, etc. I have a brain, let me use it!
You know, you actually CAN use your brain. Just select another mission and voila! The red mark will not help you any more and you can figure out everything for yourself. You also can completely disable the mission tracker.
I wanted to touch on one thing. The OP talking about risking being the "jack of all trades, master of none".
This may have rung true in beta, however, the devs put in a "sort-of" cookie cutter drop down list in the AP window which allows choosing a specific role. Choosing one will pretty much show you what skills to put points in to. For instance, you want to go CHOTA, you choose it from the list and it will mark the sliders appropriately. Personally i am going CHOTA, but not following the devs point allocation suggestions verbatim. But for those who like to be hand held to a point, check out the skill suggestion mechanism.
Great review, Joe is a good spin doctor that could make anything sound like a good thing without actually lying. Unfortunately, this impression article is the best thing Fallen Earth has to offer IMO. I played for about 5 hours before cancelling my sub and returning to Aion... what a waste of time and money. The controls absolutely break this game for me and make it completely unplayable. It is unique, it does sport excellent graphics and good sound, with a storyline that grabbed me and made me want to play. I can't say anything about PvP or crafting since I did none, but PvE was uninspired, and at once boring and frustrating. I'm told the game has a steep learning curve that for many is worth sticking with and not giving up on, but it's my least favorite MMO to come along in... well, ever.
You found PvE uninspiring in Fallen Earth so you went back to Aion where the PvE is....ermm.....yeah you get the point I think.
Yeah but ... Yeah but... you get to FLY! And there are lots of flashy lights going on .. mmm glitter .. mmm myspace.com .. mmm shiny things
Only thing that annoys me in Fallen Earth are the multi-faction guilds. It makes the whole lore and setting pretty meaningless when you are allowed to have for example Vistas and Techs (who would instantly kill each others) in same guild. It just makes no sense and the whole faction thing feels pretty useless... That's enough reason for me to not buy the game after 1.5yrs of Alpha and Beta testing the game. Even though the game is great.
Well that just some guilds, and those guilds most likely will fail when comes to pvp.
For example, if the guild allow Tech, Enforcers and Lightbearers and fight a city that controlled by CHOTA. Every guards they killed in the city will also hurt Travelers and Vista factions (which Tech and Lightbearers wont like)
My guild in FE is pure Travelers, so we can kill all the LB, Enforcers and Vistas without any problem.
With regards to a lot of PVP unbalancing on class systems. A lot of MMO's feel too paper scissors stones you know what type of battle to expect on face value. Skill based feels the right way to go as anyone can have a few tricks up their sleeves.
Comments
Good article
But, to much freedom for your character? COMMUNIST!!
Tried: EvE, DnD Online, LotRO, WAR, AoC,
Played: UO, SWG(pre-cu), GuildWars, FFXI, WoW
Liked: UO, SWG, GuildWars
Disliked: WoW, FFXI
I really can't wait to try this. I'm very intrigued by the crafting system and the leveling. I hate class roles.
This is really starting to sound like pre-NGE SWG. As such, I may actually give it a shot even though I'm already running two accounts in another MMO (EVE). I loved SWG back in the day despite its many flaws (class imbalances being my most hated one).
-Wrayeth
"Look, pa! I just contributed absolutely nothing to this thread!"
You seem mighty certain about something that you don't really know. Ok the game have been out for close to a month now.
Routinely, utter chaos, nonworking market. Nobody is forcing you to play nor enjoy every game that is avaible, you do realise that?
I'm so broke. I can't even pay attention.
"You have the right not to be killed"
I didnt like this review. Not creative, boring, obv author spent little time playing and wtf, didnt even try crafting which is major part of FE?
The game itself is very fun and addictive.
factions are bad full stop.
i tested FE for some time and got mixed feelings. for a former fps hardcore player combat was quite ok, bit clunky but getting used to it wasnt a problem really, crafting is huge, maybe even bit too much for me. gfx is all right, we have to understand its a post-apocaliptic settings so no glittering and stuff. i guess i expected more fallout style gfx so im bit dissapointed. what i dont like is factions, and especially the start of the game(not the tutorial which is great). it's not user-friendly and many people might pass. i felt very lost in the world and had to get over it. many people won't.
still good overview and it covers what i think about this game in many aspects.
Great review, Joe is a good spin doctor that could make anything sound like a good thing without actually lying. Unfortunately, this impression article is the best thing Fallen Earth has to offer IMO. I played for about 5 hours before cancelling my sub and returning to Aion... what a waste of time and money. The controls absolutely break this game for me and make it completely unplayable. It is unique, it does sport excellent graphics and good sound, with a storyline that grabbed me and made me want to play. I can't say anything about PvP or crafting since I did none, but PvE was uninspired, and at once boring and frustrating. I'm told the game has a steep learning curve that for many is worth sticking with and not giving up on, but it's my least favorite MMO to come along in... well, ever.
good review!
for a great game,i'm loving this game,been since swg cu since I have enjoyed a game as much.
You found PvE uninspiring in Fallen Earth so you went back to Aion where the PvE is....ermm.....yeah you get the point I think.
Ok, so some of the selling points, IMO, of this game are the factions, crafting, and character customization.
Factions, while you indeed do have to work hard in order to spin the wheel (which I never did, I picked two factions and worked them) it is indeed a viable strategy. You only need 2000? positive faction in order to gain access to their mutations. Keeping one faction and going for their highest quality skill is 36k or 360k, I forget. So, while it may take time, so will staying with your primary faction.
Crafting I would think would be done by people that want to supply people and make a profit. If everyone supplies themselves, where is the purpose of the dedicated crafter? You really don't need two characters to enjoy combat and crafting. In the end though, you may want the best of both worlds and would play both. (I think at end game I was wearing 135 skill use gear as a crafter, as an adventurer you would be wearing ~166 skill use, a significant difference)
Character roll is hard to create when the options presented to you are Dps, Dps, or Dps. Sure there is Group Tactics, Social, and First Aid but are they character defining? roll defining? Luckily the game isn't really at a point where a well built group is really necessary. Unfortunately for those that enjoy playing a specific type, they may be left in the cold.
Kinda odd that he did no crafting at all. I think that's a large part of the game.
Let's play Fallen Earth (blind, 300 episodes)
Let's play Guild Wars 2 (blind, 45 episodes)
The character creation process is actually rather shallow. You can't even change your body shape and size. Compare it to AION, SWG, Champions, CoX, EQ2, or Vanguard. Compared to WoW, okay the character creation system is better, but WoW's is as shallow as it gets.
The game has a two day learning curve pretty much. After those two days and about 4-7 levels, you understand the skills and AP system. It's really shallow actually, because there are only about 3 viable builds, compared to a class-based system where there are at least 8 classes and different ways to play each class. You have Rifles, Pistols, and Melee with a smattering of mutations and/or first aid for some extras. You take some defensive skills no matter what. I just don't think this game is that special, especially if you label it as a sandbox. The game is no UO or SWG, it's actually a rather shallow quest grinder like other games, with a few different features and stability issues.
I agree with most of the article. I really like the game so far, but it has some glaring faults as well. That said, I'm only level 10 at the moment, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Pros
The post-apocalyptic setting is amazing. It's really immersive, as the game world truly looks how it would a few hundred years after societal collapse. The character models also fit really well with the game. I like to turn off floating names when running around, and everything looks like it belongs in the universe. Huge pro here, for me.
The classless system is really refreshing. I love that I can pick and choose skills, including melee, first aid, and mutations, to customize my character the way I want. The article is correct that this can be daunting, however. Luckily, the game gives you suggestions for where to put points if you want to focus on a certain skill or join a certain faction, so if you like a little direction you can have it.
(The pros are short and sweet, but have a lot of weight behind them. Even though they don't have a lot of text backing them up, I consider them huge pros and they very much make the game worthwhile.)
Cons
The biggest con for me (and likely a pro for many) is the quest system. This game has loads of questlines for each starting city that can take you from level 1 to level 10 without ever having nothing to do (haven't made it to tier 2 yet, so can't comment on that part). While I consider delivery and collection quests every bit as much of a grind as a good dungeon crawl for experience, that's not my gripe with the system. The problem is the mini-map, which gives you a nice helpful "x", marking the spot of your next quest destination. Is this helpful? You bet. Does it allow you to finish questlines more quickly? Absolutely. Does it remove the need to use your brain to finish a quest? Sadly, yes. I know this is becoming the norm for new MMOs, but please - please - do not give me dozens of simple collection and delivery quests coupled with a little arrow telling me EXACTLY what to do, where to go, etc. I have a brain, let me use it!
Another problem is the combat system, which can feel very clunky at times. Trying to use a pistol or rifle in early levels will put you at a disadvantage as most enemies use melee and make targeting very difficult when they run to point blank range. I've tried rifle and melee, and enjoyed the rifle more, but definitely struggled as well. That being said, more enemies are supposed to use ranged weapons at higher levels (again, can't personally comment on this), making an actual shoot-out more likely.
Finally, the graphics aren't quite up to today's standards (although the art direction is stellar), yet somehow the computer requirements are quite high. While I've had no serious problems with lag set at high (not highest) settings, I know many people have struggled in this area. Be sure to check system requirements before buying!
Conclusion
I am very satisfied with my purchase of Fallen Earth. I love the setting and truly haven't felt this immersed since the original EQ (although they're very different games). The art direction and character models blend together seemlessly, creating a really believable atmosphere. I also love the classless system that allows me to create the character I want. There are no respecs, however, so a little planning ahead of time goes a long way.
The combat system definitely needs some work, at low levels at least, and the graphics are none too impressive despite relatively high system requirements. The quest system is by far the worst part of the game, but fortunately you aren't really forced to do the quests (although some will grant advancement points, which you will definitely want). Again, I'm sure many will appreciate never being lost as the game will pinpoint the precise location you should be at all times, but I find the system infuriating.
Anyway, that's my little review. I can definitely recommend the game if you're looking for something new. Sort of a blend of a sand-box character system, with a themepark questing model, all wrapped up in a Fallout-inspired package. It's worth checking out.
I agree, that irked me too. While most won't admit it, the game screems conflict as its purpose for playing. Factions are warring with each other; it's the whole premise of the game, yet people approach the game like it's Saga of Ryzom or something. People are more content to explore, craft, and grind out the multitude of quests than to actually take part of what the game is preparing you for: The Faction Wars (my own term).
A nice, balanced and well written review.
I do think though you are too harsh on the quest lines. Firstly, they are of a higher quality than I am used to. There are the odd collect these or kill 10 of those, but so far I've found them to be refreshingly sparse. There was one in Terrance I think it was, where you had to kill creepers for valuables they might drop and the drop rate was lowish... too nakedly grindy for me so I didn't do it. This does seem to be the exception rather than the rule in my experience so far.
About the quest tracker. Normally I'd agree with you, but I am in favour of it as a balance to the sense of being at a loss as to generally know what to do and where to go and where to specialise and how to manage combat, etc. I am already using my brain a lot in other aspects of the gameplay, so in my case the quest helper probably saved me from getting completely frustrated and giving up. And I imagine that might be the case for quite a few players, especially those not having played a sandboxy game previously.
In fact I'd say the developers have been rather clever here in balancing that open world feeling of "what the heck do I do now" with a very friendly quest system.
That's how I feel anyhoo.
I am sorry that you enjoy the auto-attack auto-target mechanism for combat. I hear WoW is doing well, maybe you should check that out.
Which Final Fantasy Character Are You?
Final Fantasy 7
factions are bad full stop.
Thanks for your deep and well thought out input. Its good when people add explanations to their statements. Keep up the good work.
Factions are good in online games because they provide players with reasons for conflict.......and conflict is good because then players have a reason to unite with others against a common foe. Having factions in online games also provide a good source of roleplaying reasons.
I agree, that irked me too. While most won't admit it, the game screems conflict as its purpose for playing. Factions are warring with each other; it's the whole premise of the game, yet people approach the game like it's Saga of Ryzom or something. People are more content to explore, craft, and grind out the multitude of quests than to actually take part of what the game is preparing you for: The Faction Wars (my own term).
I totally agree. From reading the information on the Fallen Earth website its clear that this games main focus is about the conflict and alliances between all the factions due to their differing viewpoints. Surely this provides a great opportunity for roleplaying a character in a harsh world? I cant understand why anyone would want to ignore all of that.
That's the thing, factions don't contribute much except role-play reasons. You get a few unique skills and equipment looks but other than that, it's all RP stuff.
The game also appears like it would be PvP centric due to this faction conflict, not true.
---
The great thing is the game can become what it will due to the way the players choose to play it. It might develop in ways the devs didn't intend.
You know, you actually CAN use your brain. Just select another mission and voila! The red mark will not help you any more and you can figure out everything for yourself. You also can completely disable the mission tracker.
I wanted to touch on one thing. The OP talking about risking being the "jack of all trades, master of none".
This may have rung true in beta, however, the devs put in a "sort-of" cookie cutter drop down list in the AP window which allows choosing a specific role. Choosing one will pretty much show you what skills to put points in to. For instance, you want to go CHOTA, you choose it from the list and it will mark the sliders appropriately. Personally i am going CHOTA, but not following the devs point allocation suggestions verbatim. But for those who like to be hand held to a point, check out the skill suggestion mechanism.
You found PvE uninspiring in Fallen Earth so you went back to Aion where the PvE is....ermm.....yeah you get the point I think.
Yeah but ... Yeah but... you get to FLY! And there are lots of flashy lights going on .. mmm glitter .. mmm myspace.com .. mmm shiny things
Well that just some guilds, and those guilds most likely will fail when comes to pvp.
For example, if the guild allow Tech, Enforcers and Lightbearers and fight a city that controlled by CHOTA. Every guards they killed in the city will also hurt Travelers and Vista factions (which Tech and Lightbearers wont like)
My guild in FE is pure Travelers, so we can kill all the LB, Enforcers and Vistas without any problem.
With regards to a lot of PVP unbalancing on class systems. A lot of MMO's feel too paper scissors stones you know what type of battle to expect on face value. Skill based feels the right way to go as anyone can have a few tricks up their sleeves.