Fallen Earth Catch All (UPDATED!)

Well, I've been playing FE for about a week now and I'm torn over this one. This is by far the worst MMO launch I've ever experienced. It's a train wreck of massive proportions. The lag is completely off the charts. It hasn't been uncommon for it to take several minutes for a command I enter to be reflected on screen and sometimes quests won't update for 3 to 9 minutes after you've actually completed them. For a good chunk of time you won't even be able to take any actions, it'll just tell you the command is not available so you're just left standing there for a few minutes until the game decides you can harvest, reload, or mount your horse again. Mobs are rubber banding and warping all over the place. Any town center with more than a dozen players in it turns into a very slow slide show. I'm talking about seeing one screen and then 15 seconds later you take a couple steps and then stand there for another 15 seconds. It's agonizing. I've gotten dropped from the server several times, and once I was killed by something, not sure what or how, during a lag lockup and it just bounced my corpse into the stratosphere and I was left looking at an empty spot of land and unable to release. I just had to exit the game.

Buuuut... this game really is innovative. On the rare occassion when it's worked I've really enjoyed the fps-light combat and the insanely robust crafting system along with the post apocalyptic setting. Harvesting and crafting are, to me, really enjoyable in this game. Most of the recipes make sense and you can solo craft anything in the game since you can literally level up every single crafting profession if you want. Out of a dozen items I'm currently wearing or using only 2 came from quests, the rest I crafted from scrap I found lying around the wastes. I really, really want this game to work. It's what I

want

to be playing right now, it's just not letting me. Hopefully they can get things straightened out over the next few weeks but honestly it seems like things have only gotten worse over the last week.

I've seen some of the things you have Kehama, just not as bad. Yes on the lag, but it's manageable, commands are slow but not that bad. And as for the quests/missions update problem, I think it only got really bad recently and they are working on it.
Problems on launch is not uncommon but I do agree that alot of work needs to be done overall to polish things up.

What I really agree with is the innovation. It somehow keeps drawing me back in inspite of all these problems. Just last night I was in a PUG taking down a boss level MOB, and it was engaging to see the melee based players keeping close to distract the boss while trying not to get shot by the rest of rest hanging back and unloading with makeshift crossbows and BB guns. At one point I decided to go prone to keep firing because the guy behind me kept shooting me in the back and wasting his shots. Sounds technically typical for a multiplayer FPS but this was a full blown MMORPG.

Yep. Very much do like to this game work and continue. Hopefully it can carve out a good niche to continue support and updates, much like what EVE Online has done.

The game's running much better for me now. They've been patching almost every day and I've also been scouring the forums for tricks to improve performance on my end. It's still a little chunky in the bigger town but nothing like it was. I'm still enjoying the game and the crafting has definitely got its hooks into me. I was finally able to complete my first rifle last night so that was a big one for me. It took me two nights to scavenge all the parts I needed and I even enjoyed that. I don't think I've ever enjoyed harvesting in an mmo before.

I keep flirting with picking this one up. I am playing Aion and just dont know if I can legitimately play two at once. Maybe I will pick it up once it is in a more playable form - so keep up the state of play posts :).

Just picked this one up as well. It's chuggy, the interface is clunky as hell and the graphics tend to spaz out on me know and then... but... it's like Eve or UO when it first started. Maybe it's the single server, maybe it's the fact that even barebones it's deeper in many ways than most mmo's. It's got everything my spergie crafting side needs, I'm capping Female Doggoes in the face with a shotgun and there isn't a lame ass bathrobe wearing queefy elf anywhere in sight.

Is it outdated? Yep. Do they have miles to go on their netcode? Yep. Is it awesome... f*ck yea.

kung fu grip wrote:

Is it outdated? Yep. Do they have miles to go on their netcode? Yep. Is it awesome... f*ck yea.

I feel the same way but I still have no idea why. I probably read it here but I thought someone said they had to release the game early due to money problems. I could definitely believe that which would explain the shape the game launched in. But as I said earlier they really have been working on this game like crazy since it went live and it's drastically improving every day. At different times this game has reminded me of AO, early SWG, and for some reason even a little Matrix Online. The community definitely feels different than many other MMO's in that I get the sense that most of the players have played a half dozen or more other mmo's before getting to this one. I don't know if that makes any sense but it seems like true mmo noobs are few and far between in this game.

Game is just a working model of their world builder. Anyone expecting more will be disapointed. As a full supporter and fan of Darkfall i'm used to liking something not mainstream and glad you guys are enjoying it. Hopefully there'll be enough to keep it going.

ranalin wrote:

Game is just a working model of their world builder. Anyone expecting more will be disapointed. As a full supporter and fan of Darkfall i'm used to liking something not mainstream and glad you guys are enjoying it. Hopefully there'll be enough to keep it going.

you really do pop in to say that pretty often. However most people are expecting more and it seems by the more recent posts that less people are disappointed.

I don't really care if the game was started as a tech demo for their world builder, a bunch of games start in a similar fashion...tech demo for graphics engine, physics engine...etc that grew into a full fledged game. I think its time to move past how it began and look at what it is and what its becoming.

I saw the potential in my first few days with the beta and over a few weeks lost interest for bugs and broken systems. if they are working hard to fix them then i will definitely be revisiting.

ranalin wrote:

Game is just a working model of their world builder.

I had no idea and I find that truly interesting. Apparently I'm having more fun with a tech demo than I've had with several other full-fledged games. What's also funny is that I feel like the tech behind the game is one of its weakest points. The big seller for me is the setting, the fps/rpg blend, and the crafting.

Kehama wrote:

What's also funny is that I feel like the tech behind the game is one of its weakest points. The big seller for me is the setting, the fps/rpg blend, and the crafting.

Same here.

That being said, I seem to be falling behind on my crafting. Level 7 and I'm still using a crossbow? I see level 6 guys running around with dual actual pistols. And not the jury rigged zip guns.
Maybe time to ease off the quests and mob clearing and focus on just getting the materials for improving my guns and armor.

Falchion wrote:

That being said, I seem to be falling behind on my crafting. Level 7 and I'm still using a crossbow? I see level 6 guys running around with dual actual pistols. And not the jury rigged zip guns.
Maybe time to ease off the quests and mob clearing and focus on just getting the materials for improving my guns and armor.

I think I made my first pistol around level 8 but was still using my crossbow because it had better DPS. I made my first rifle at level 11 and I just made the schematics for improved crossbows last night at level 11. For me the hardest part has just been getting the right resources to build everything. I can level up stuff like armor crafting and science with almost no effort but it takes a bit more work for me to level up ballistics. At the moment I'm a couple points short of 60 in ballistics crafting so if you want a couple of pistols right now without first levelling up your crafting just PM me. You'd have to supply the mats but I'd be happy to whip them up for you as well as the ammo if you need it.

Cobble wrote:
ranalin wrote:

Game is just a working model of their world builder. Anyone expecting more will be disapointed. As a full supporter and fan of Darkfall i'm used to liking something not mainstream and glad you guys are enjoying it. Hopefully there'll be enough to keep it going.

you really do pop in to say that pretty often. However most people are expecting more and it seems by the more recent posts that less people are disappointed.

I don't really care if the game was started as a tech demo for their world builder, a bunch of games start in a similar fashion...tech demo for graphics engine, physics engine...etc that grew into a full fledged game. I think its time to move past how it began and look at what it is and what its becoming.

I saw the potential in my first few days with the beta and over a few weeks lost interest for bugs and broken systems. if they are working hard to fix them then i will definitely be revisiting.

I say it because its true and a lot of the problems that are mentioned here are due to the nature of the development of the game. Any game released has potential and if you see it then great, but as has been mentioned time/time again that this isnt a clean launch. With their focus not really being gameplay they're going to be a bit slower than other development houses to get those fixes. Not that they wont get them done, but probably not as fast as some may like.

If they keep going forward and fixing the problems then great, but history has shown that games like this reach a flashpoint at launch and dwindle pretty quick unless they're quick on those fixes.

Kehama wrote:
kung fu grip wrote:

Is it outdated? Yep. Do they have miles to go on their netcode? Yep. Is it awesome... f*ck yea.

I feel the same way but I still have no idea why. I probably read it here but I thought someone said they had to release the game early due to money problems. I could definitely believe that which would explain the shape the game launched in. But as I said earlier they really have been working on this game like crazy since it went live and it's drastically improving every day. At different times this game has reminded me of AO, early SWG, and for some reason even a little Matrix Online. The community definitely feels different than many other MMO's in that I get the sense that most of the players have played a half dozen or more other mmo's before getting to this one. I don't know if that makes any sense but it seems like true mmo noobs are few and far between in this game.

It really is an intangible quality, ain't it? I think it's a lot of really good ideas stolen from other games, like the crafting really reminds me of Eve especially in it's self-sufficiency. I haven't even left Clinton Farm yet, but I've already made all my own stuff and had a blast doing it. Sadly, I ordered from Steam and D2D, so all I got was this lousy t-shirt instead of a horse. Even then, getting to different questing areas and creep spawns has been quick and well planned out.

You think we're ever gonna get a 'tree' patch? Hehe.

I'm using the name 'Baz', so send a wave if you see me

If they keep going forward and fixing the problems then great, but history has shown that games like this reach a flashpoint at launch and dwindle pretty quick unless they're quick on those fixes.

That's just the thing though, it's so niche that it really does have a chance to develop in a way most mmo's don't. I think they were hurt somewhat with a relatively poor beta, but patch cycles seem to be almost daily and the fixes seem quality.

Then again, I've got an insane 13gig i7 Linux powerhouse, so I really don't have preformance issues anymore.

I just got back from NC yesterday and a visit at Icarus studios.. I really like those guys and hope the game succeeds.. discovered there that their CTO created Kingdom of Drakkar for those old enough to remember that game.. and were big players of Island of Kesmai.

TheGameguru wrote:

I just got back from NC yesterday and a visit at Icarus studios..

Knowing nothing about the studio I almost assumed it was just a bunch of guys in some basement in Serbia. A lot of things about the game definitely give me the eastern european rpg vibe. I think if the game can just get up to EVE niche levels, as Kung Fu hinted at, that it can make a go of it.

I was just about to install this game after putting my new ram in when my vid card stopped working, the sad thing is I pre-ordered this and still have yet to play it. I want to SO bad since it sounds like it is right up my ally and since I stopped playing WoW I need something to do. Is there a guild in there yet. Also my brother and I will be sharing it, thankfully he better have his own toon...after I get my vid card working again.

I picked it up. That's because I'm a filthy whore that will sleep with any game that has potential.

I don't think there's a GWJ guild as I'm not sure more than a couple of us are playing. And btw, they keep patching this thing like crazy so now it's a fairly stable, playable game. You'll still see rubber banding mobs here and there and it still loses connection or freezes up now and again but at this point it's really no worse than Champions Online was as of last month. If you start playing and need a hand with any crafting just give me a shout. I'm Garil in game and as far as I know there's only one server.

Kehama wrote:

I don't think there's a GWJ guild as I'm not sure more than a couple of us are playing. And btw, they keep patching this thing like crazy so now it's a fairly stable, playable game. You'll still see rubber banding mobs here and there and it still loses connection or freezes up now and again but at this point it's really no worse than Champions Online was as of last month. If you start playing and need a hand with any crafting just give me a shout. I'm Garil in game and as far as I know there's only one server.

I'm Boudicca. Currently in some Ze...land... level 4. Having quite a bit of fun so far. I like the reticule thing and I'm working on my horsie because I can see myself crying if I have to run all over the place at my current slow pace. I do have two other RL friends that are not GWJers playing as well that we could work into a guild if we need people.

After having said the game was running better it crashed on me 3 times last night in the space of about 30 minutes. Oh well. Anyway, I just finished making my first motorcycle and I've got 2 types of horses stabled away. Just in case you want to plan ahead, there are a series of quests you can run that will end up with you getting everything you need to make an ATV. You can't even get one of the quests until level 12 though. There are actually a ton of transportation options in the game. Every type of vehicle has multiple versions that change their durability, fuel/feed consumption, and carry capacity. (all of your mounts/vehicles will have their own inventory you can store stuff in) Unfortunately it doesn't seem that speed is affected by the type. All horses travel the same speed, all atv's travel the same speed etc. Anyway, they have horses, atv's, motorcycles, dune buggies, and cars. Some of the higher end dune buggies and cars also have weapons mounted on them that you can basically use as a turret if I've understood correctly.

Kehama wrote:

After having said the game was running better it crashed on me 3 times last night in the space of about 30 minutes. Oh well. Anyway, I just finished making my first motorcycle and I've got 2 types of horses stabled away. Just in case you want to plan ahead, there are a series of quests you can run that will end up with you getting everything you need to make an ATV. You can't even get one of the quests until level 12 though. There are actually a ton of transportation options in the game. Every type of vehicle has multiple versions that change their durability, fuel/feed consumption, and carry capacity. (all of your mounts/vehicles will have their own inventory you can store stuff in) Unfortunately it doesn't seem that speed is affected by the type. All horses travel the same speed, all atv's travel the same speed etc. Anyway, they have horses, atv's, motorcycles, dune buggies, and cars. Some of the higher end dune buggies and cars also have weapons mounted on them that you can basically use as a turret if I've understood correctly.

I got an ATV quest from Oilville and Embry Crossing at level 6.

The game was highly unstable on me last night too. Seems better today. It started crashing around Oilville and Embry, but the problem stopped (though that's certainly not contingent on the area I was in) when I went to the smaller towns.

I fired Steam up and downloaded FE a few days ago and... uph. I want to like this so much, but lowish frame-rates make the FPS portion of it impossible. There's so much float in my mouse pointer that I can't aim worth a crap. I may research the forums a bit to see if I can improve the situation, but as it stands, I can't spend any time in-game.

If anyone else had similar problems and fixed them, please pass along your magic.

I think the biggest frame-rate boost I got came from turning off anti-aliasing iirc.

Kehama wrote:

I think the biggest frame-rate boost I got came from turning off anti-aliasing iirc.

Post FX too. Also, look out for the options button on the bottom left in the launcher application and check the settings there. Those are some that can only be changed before the client is launched. Might want to turn down the textures to medium from there.

Well crap. I finally snapped tonight and cancelled my account. For the last week the game seems to have either crashed every 20 minutes, locked up and forced to reboot a couple times to just login, or the servers were just flat out down. I started to feel like I had to be extremely lucky to just get into the game. Three nights this week I just got frustrated, stopped playing and booted up something else. I cancelled just before my free 30 days ran out. I really do like the game but it just feels like stability has tanked while performance has improved if that makes any sense. I think I'm going to have to give it a few more months to cook and I may come back. I loved so many things this game does, I just can't pay 15 bucks a month for it right now and have this much trouble keeping the game running.

Kehama wrote:

Well crap. I finally snapped tonight and cancelled my account. For the last week the game seems to have either crashed every 20 minutes, locked up and forced to reboot a couple times to just login, or the servers were just flat out down. I started to feel like I had to be extremely lucky to just get into the game.

Ouch, I feel for you there. My game experience has been nearly flawless, but many I know have echoed similar problems. I've also suspended my sub for now - the recent patch nuked an extreme amount of work, Borderlands promises to be both more fun and accessible, whilst Dragon Age will slake my thirst for story, even if it does have elves in it.

InfluenceDevice wrote:

the recent patch nuked an extreme amount of work

How so? I haven't followed the patches since I quit.

I gave this another shot given recent patches, and two of the improvements really stand out: their goofy software control of the mouse has been removed, so mouse lag is no longer an issue, and they've improved the new-character starting quests so that things make a bit more sense. I'm playing around with alts right now, but my main, primarily a crafter, is Phaestus.

So far, so good. The play is fairly smooth for still being close to launch. I'd recommend a try.

Phaestus wrote:

I gave this another shot given recent patches, and two of the improvements really stand out: their goofy software control of the mouse has been removed, so mouse lag is no longer an issue, and they've improved the new-character starting quests so that things make a bit more sense. I'm playing around with alts right now, but my main, primarily a crafter, is Phaestus.

So far, so good. The play is fairly smooth for still being close to launch. I'd recommend a try.

My character is Bertha. You can be my friend and I can craft or send supplies you might be needing. I'm a 85 level armorcrafter and 75 ballistics and high 60s Science. I'll try like hell to remember Phaestus. I'm primarily a crafter, but I haven't really decided what else I'm doing.

I just started tonight, played for about an hour and will try to play some more tomorrow night. Taking a break from Borderlands so I can play it with my wife this weekend with out any burnout from over playing it.

So far I like it but the controls are going to take me a little while to get used to. I read up before I started and played around with a character planner. I do like how complex the leveling and skill system is. I think I am going to focus on Primal and Patho Mutations and will probably focus in melee combat. I would like to try Rifles but that combined with the mutations I would like are just stretching my AP too thin. I just started the beginner quests after the dam, so my plans will probably change once I have played some more.

My characters name is Despoiler.

Edit: This is my planned Build