This week we're working on Gaia (the Vista town in Kaibab Forest), Fender Gate, St. Sebastians (the Lightbearer town in Kaibab Forest), Trader's Flat (the barter town in Kaibab Forest), and Haietta. We're getting towards wrapping up Kaibab Forest and going back to the Plateau for a polish and bug fixing pass now that QA is tearing through that area.
The art update is coming along, but there is a lot left to do. Our art database has over eight thousand, five hundred models in it (not counting creatures) so putting normal maps, specular, parallax mapping, etc. on all those is a big big job. I'm hoping to have some screenshots in the next few weeks of areas that have mostly finished objects.
We're also shooting for starting up a regular design blog for FE that will let some of the other developers write about what they're working on, allow folks to get to know some of the people at the company, etc. We'll let folks know when that is up and running.
1. Could you fill us in on some of the abilities in combat that we will have, such as:
Stun - Yes
Knock Down - Yes
Pin/Snares - We have things that will root you to the ground, not sure what the difference is between pins and snares. We don't have many; I think we may only have one or two.
Binds - Assuming you mean things that stop you from moving your body, we do, but again I think it's only one or two.
Slowing Effects - Yes. It's hard to run when you get shot in the leg.
Dizzy - Not so much.
2. Will we have items and abilities that will remove the negative effects?
Yes, through mutations, skills, and items. If someone gets hit with a taser they become stunned, but a stimulant shot or the right mutation can wake them up.
3. If so, could you fill us in on the average length of the timers of the effects and what will be the average cool down timer on the combat specials if we have them?
Usually the length is less than six seconds. Combat happens fast, so getting knocked on your ass for ten seconds is pretty much a death sentence. The cooldown timer varies according to how useful the ability is, but most are thirty seconds to a minute.
4. What level of exploration places will you have in FE that won't be a part of the story line, but just something you will find while exploring one day?
A whole lot. There is a ton of stuff that isn't part of the storyline or on the map that you'll only find by just wandering around. We try to fill every empty space with something to do, even if it's just some really nice scavenging nodes out in the middle of nowhere. We have a lot of towns and encounter areas in remote locations for players to find that have their own missions, mission givers, etc.
5. Any chance of having destroyable buildings?
Probably not. It's a huge resource hog on a number of levels.
6. Will there be pitchforks and torches for the occasional CHOTA hunt?
Yes.
7. Any plans on having events like a CHOTA raid on one of the Enforcer towns that players can get involved in defensively and offensively, or some new sub-group that has shown up with a nuke and if not stopped in time by one of the major groups they will set it off?
Yes.
8. Do you have cloaks in the game, something that would cover the whole person not just parts?
We have trench coats but not cloaks.
9. Aside from items/recipes/weapons/armor/missions you get access to from holding a pvp town, will players be able to affect the town's defenses, both as an opposing player trying to lower it and as a defender trying to strengthen it, aside from flat-out attacking it or just staying there the whole day?
Yes. Guards can be upgraded in conflict towns by the controlling faction, along with merchants, trainers, and mission givers.
10. Just wondering, but I haven't really seen any mention about vista or traveler mutations. Do they get any at all?
Yes, but not a lot. Travelers and Vistas aren't that big into mutations.
11. Will there be a means of tracking the faction point gains/losses of your character (such as an on-screen pop up), or will the most efficient way of doing this involve a personal pencil and notepad?
Yes, we have a window that displays your ranking with the big six factions, townsfolk in general, Franklin's Riders, and the Bankers' Guild.
QotW#41: Combat Abilities, Negative Effects and Timers, Exploration...
This week's feature is brimming with eleven straight and concise answers, plus a development progress update straight from Fallen Earth's Project Lead Lee Hammock:
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