Fallen Earth’s James Hettinger talks about the post-apocalyptic MMO
By Michael Lafferty

“…the biggest development in content has been in sheer volume.”

A post-apocalyptic world just ripe for the taking ... The human race has been mutated, as have the beasts that roam the landscape of the massively multiplayer world known as Fallen Earth.

Can advanced technologies drive the instincts for survival in this new nightmare, or will you – as a player thrust into this nightmare – have to rely on something a little more primal.

Fallen Earth is from Icarus Studios, and has been in development for several years. The vision is solid, and the game sports both Player-versus-Environment (PvE) and Player-versus-Player (PvP) action. The game begins, according to the press release and Web site, “with the Hoover Dam Enclave, an area chosen by the local survivors for its access to unlimited energy, water, as well as its apparent isolation from all major disease centers... During the twilight years the enclave built scattered self-contained Outposts – ‘Posts’ – where pockets of technological prowess were preserved from the times before the Fall… some with networks to reconnect so other enclaves around the globe might not be that far away after all…”

Intrigued? Want to know more? So did GameZone. And for that we turned to James Hettinger, CEO Icarus studios, LLC. James is also lead designer on Fallen Earth.

Question: It has been a while since last we talked about Fallen Earth. Has the game undergone any changes in the direction of the game?

James: “The basic game is still what we envisioned from the start. The biggest change, I would say, is that we have refined a great number of different aspects of the game. The look of the world keeps improving and we have made great strides in improving the artwork from weapons, armor, and characters to environments. The look and feel of the world keeps solidifying and taking on a life of its own. The game play features are becoming more and more polished and extensive.”

Q: Adding new content people must mean that you have added a ton to the title. What has been the biggest development in terms of content?

James: “Well, the biggest development in content has been in sheer volume. It used to be we had huge areas of artwork that needed to be done and now it is more of a process of where are we missing pieces. To give you an idea, we have over 3,800 different pieces of artwork created and that number is growing daily.”

Q: Has the game taken on any new directions in terms of art work or gameplay mechanics? Have the sound elements undergone any changes?

James: “Again, I would not say that the direction has changed as much as it has been refined and improved. Take for example our weapons; initially we had a pretty limited look and feel to them for performance and technical reasons. As the project progressed, we decided we really needed to improve in this area, so we took some time and made changes that allowed us to vastly improve the first person look and feel.

“On the sound side, we have been working on tools to allow us to have better control of the sound experience in the game and we have been layering in additional sound cues in the game to increase the immersive experience for the player.”

Q: What is the time frame that you are now working on? When can we expect beta?

James: “We don’t like giving out dates for release because it sets up expectations and to us releasing a great game is more important than hitting some predefined date.”

Q: On the reverse of that, what has caused the delays in moving this project forward and how were you able to overcome them?

James: “This is why I don’t give out dates because once you do it leads to a great deal of frustration, speculation, and concern from customers. We take the attitude that it is more important to have a great game than to release on an artificial time table.”

Q: The MMO market has been expanding by leaps and bounds since Fallen Earth was first announced. Where do you see this title falling in the genre and what type of gamers will you be attracting?

James: “We feel that our hybrid RPG/Shooter game will really offer a new gaming experience that hasn’t been addressed in the online space and we feel the dark gritty world we are designing will offer a very different environment for players.”

Q: Just to touch on the story thread again, what is the basic premise behind the title and how will players be able to interact with one another within the world?

James: “Basically, the players are dropped into a ruined world that is recovering from the brink of annihilation. 99.9% of mankind was eliminated by the Shiva 7 virus and those that remained have been changed. The survivors are broken up into six primary groups that are vying for influence, control and power and the players have to decide which group they are aligning themselves with based on their vision for the future. This is all set against a backdrop of exploration, discovery, and rebuilding in what is known as the Grand Canyon Province.”

Q: What aspects of this title are your favorites? If you could accomplish anything in the game as a player, what would it be?

James: “I love the fast-paced game action. It’s a real change of pace from the more passive MMOs. Using your skill to target an opponent rather than selecting a target and clicking a button makes for very exciting gameplay. Adding other FPS features such as sniper rifles, grenades, and AI really makes the gaming experience heart pounding. This layered on more traditional RPG elements such as trade skills and character development makes for a compelling combination.

“I also really enjoy the character customization, from designing what you look like to what you are wearing. We went to a great deal of trouble to make characters really look unique and we have a huge amount of variety to choose from. Our feeling is that the player’s character is the most important element in the game so we want them to look as unique and polished as possible.

“As far as the game world, one of my favorite aspects and something that really differentiates us from existing MMOs is that the game environment and the storyline matter a great deal. When you play Fallen Earth you get the feeling that this really might be where we end up in 150 years. It's almost creepy, cause all of a sudden you really start caring what happens. You feel that the people around you really matter because they may be all that's left. You pay attention to what the factions believe and what they're doing/planning because in a lot of ways it's similar to the conflicts we are having today. It hits home and feels real. You realize that you're not just there to live, but to help the human race survive.”

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