The Fall - first impressions

M

Moorkh

First time out of the vault
Not sure if I'm the first discussing this here, if not, please kindly guide me the relevant thread. :)

I've installed the game a couple days ago, and got a pop-up that there was a patch available even before I got a chance to check out the game itself. Not a good omen, perhaps...
Having installed the patch with little trouble (and a second one since...), I have yet to encounter any notable bug (aside from the regular graphics glitches I experience).

I must say I wasn't expecting too much from this title in the first place, so I was ready for the worst...
... and I am actually quite impressed so far. Not perfect by far, but a respectable effort to be sure.
The bad stuff first:
- game is a performance hog if I ever saw one. At a decent resolution, the game only remains enjoyable framerate-wise on my rig (p4 2.4, 1G RAM, GF 5900 XT) if I restrict my camera to an isometric perspective zoomed in reasonably far.
- character models and animations are downright ugly. Not so terrible if you keep your camera away far ebough, but it seems to reset every time you enter/leave a building.
- numerous interface glitches that stand a chance of getting ironed out eventully.


The good:
- rich game world
- resonably pretty when not looked at too closely
- promising RP system, acceptable depth and quality in dialogues
- enough customizability
- good interactivity
- living, breathing enviroment with npc schedules

the ugly:
- haven't played enough to really judge combat. Looks fine so far though, even though difficulty seemed to vary significantly.
- the game is probably closer to FoT in many respects than to FO.
- No idea how the story will develop. So far, it's a bit cheesy, but surprises seem likely.

Anybody else playing?
 
Thanks for the heads up. Will have a look when it's available in English. Do keep us posted on your impressions as you progress!
 
Hmmm... currently reconsidering if I should continue with Bloodlines first, after all. Another patch seems to be sorely needed here, and maybe an update to my system, too, in order to make this really enjoyable, and things on the Vamprie front seem to be taking a turn for the better (referring to my rant on the corresponding thread ;) )...
 
http://www.silver-style.com/forum/

there seem to be huge amounts of bugs. i will wait till most of the bugs are fixed. it seems to be that the english version is not out yet. according to the developers forums. typical example of publishing way too early, seems to be endemic with german developers (far cry, spellforce...)

ill post again if theres a 'stable*' english version available. if nma can handle some traffic, it would be a great idea to mirror the patches.

rgds horst
 
Fascinating. By the ss it looks to be more combat oriented like Tactics was but in a 3d kidna view. Also turn-based wich is a plus in my book. This is one I can see me getting verry soon.

EDIT:their English forums are pretty dead... the German forums are are alive and kicking but my german is VERRY rusty. I only get like 2/3 of what there saying.

Anyone see where t buy this daym thing?

EDITEDIT:Aparently its still in production... but thats kind offtrack with a French Patch being released, or so it says in the main page. I alm so lost. Every single page says sompthin diferent on here, one says its avil now, one says in dev... :(

EDITEDITEDIT:ok... main page of the game says its avil now... the page for the company that ownz them says its in Dev. From the games Main page thought...
When is The Fall going to be available?

The game is currently expected to ship in November 2004.

Will The Fall be available worldwide?

Yes.

The Fall? Is this in any way related to Fallout?

No. This game is completely different from the Fallout universe. The setting may be somewhat comparable, but overall The Fall is more similar to Mad Max for example, featuring vast deserts/wastelands. (like there is none of this in Fallout...ya whatever)

What is the setting?

The Fall takes place in the Southwest of the United States (Texas, Arizona, New Mexico). After a global catastrophe, the ecosystems of the world have collapsed and reformed, so expect wastelands/deserts.
(so its in the US but just not anywhere to be found in US stores? wtf?)

How long will The Fall be?

It'll take the average player about 40 to 50 hours to play through the game. However, you can keep on playing afterwards, explore the world and train your character since there aren't any level limits in The Fall. You'll even encounter new, enemies, quests, characters and hidden secrets and the game itself will be more difficult as well!
(nothing like Fallout only 3d my @ZZ!)
Click to expand...

That is from their own Faq. I want to play it. I cant find it. If someone else finds a place to buy it (In english not french) please let me know. Thx.

EDITEDITEDI...u get the idea...
so far this is the only place I have found to buy it I ahd to dig thru a German website to find this. Cant seem to find it in English though. German I can manage, looks like I might have to.
 
Search for the news on The Fall here at NMA, and you`ll see why we aren`t impressed with game. It`s unfinished, unstable and the combat is RT, not TB.
 
The Fall. Is it any good?

I'm considering buying this game and I want to know if it's worth it.
So... has anyone played it? What are your impressions? Should I buy it?
 
Ups, sorry should have specified that I'm talking about the English version... I'd also like some more details about it... and most of all would like to know is it worth the price?

EDIT: How about one of Ratty's patented RPG diagrams©®™, I'd love one of those. :mrgreen:
 
typical example of publishing way too early, seems to be endemic with german developers (far cry, spellforce...)
Click to expand...

I think you mean endemic to ALL developers, German, American, or otherwise.

Search for the news on The Fall here at NMA, and you`ll see why we aren`t impressed with game. It`s unfinished, unstable and the combat is RT, not TB.
Click to expand...

AWWWWWWWWW!!!! I had looked into the game a little bit, but was waiting for an English release before i really checked it out. But i was so hoping for TB combat, which sadly seems to be a dying playing style.
 
In the year 2062, humanity is spinning out of control as the lines between the living and breathing are becoming crossed with the technologically powered. Rapid scientific development and major breakthroughs in research are commonplace, no longer reason enough to provoke a critique of mankind’s morality and ethos.
...
Click to expand...

The Fall screenshots did not made a very good impression on me. The thing that troubles me is: why can't I see any of technological progress that logically should have been taking place for 58 years until the catastrophe of 2062? Characters in the game use guns, clothing, armor and vehicles that are part of present technology! Where are all these fancy things like robots, blasters, combat/environmental/power-armors/suits? Who are "the few survivors": some kind of passionate antiquarians?

I *really hope* that I get wrong impression from these screenshots. If not, I probably won't buy a game, where developers didn't use their imagination to put some futuristic cyberpunkish stuff, but instead used their muscle to put *six* different sniper riffles in it.
 
Don't tell me I didn't warn you. The game sucks! I've bought it a while ago and wrote quite some of my bitterness about it into a posting not too long ago.

Alright, so it's good to get more and more opinions on the game to make your choice but one thing is definately not true. This game does not have a rich or interactive or living game world. No - way. None. Nothing.
 
The Fall - my first impressions (new fallout like Game)

EDIT: ouch, just saw ther eis another THE FALL thread sorry for opeining this one :)

hi all

Just wanna post my first experience with this game, because there are no english previews yet because its not released in english yet.

The german developer team has soem former Black Isle Fallout Creators in their team and the setting seems to be quite close to Fallout, thats why i bought it.

In "no Mutants allowed" News section i saw somebody posted already about this game, here is the link
http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14666


hehe , well i picked it up 2 weeks ago in a local shop for like 29 euros.
the box is very nice btw, high gloss with a folding cover and many screenshots on that box. all screenshots did remind me to jagged alliance (just in 3d) so much .
First i did was to make sure that the serial number/cd key is included, read about sb who said its not on the manual,omg^^ but it was :)
This poster (front and backside) is included btw.
http://www.the-fall.com/wallpaper.php?wallpaper=3
http://www.the-fall.com/wallpaper.php?wallpaper=1
It comes on 3 Cds, no DVDs tho, but since the game doesnt use or need the Cds to run its ok, but the copyprotection check ( very tough one, needs to reboot your pc in order to verify first time you run) needs a disc in the drive .
Installation was without any problems, i started the game and the screen stayed black...omg....wtf...but gladly enough it was just loading the game and i enjoyed watching the really cool animated and spoken intro.
After that i was dropped to the main menu and was able to choose between some faces . there are already mods that gives you custom faces like the one from mel gibson in mad max LOL but i first did want to see the game running smooth before modding it.
The player starts the game exactly where the Intro-Story has ended...
And now i really was enthusiastic while watching this game. i did expected a total different graphic engine, i was very sure that all that screenshots were made with a camera that zoomed in very close just to take the pic and that the character-graphics in the game are usually smaller like in a tactical game. but it was no fake :)
the beginning of the game is exactly like playing Gothic, same character size, good controls, didnt experienced any crashes or bugs anymore.
Entered a enclave ,guards stopped me asking me what i want....etc etc etc, very fallout like with gothic graphics, LOVED IT!
i continued playing the game , first thing i saw inside this enclave/village was a guillotine execution of a bandit, hehe. .. but well i dont want to spoil :)
The Game soon turned into a Jagged Alliance Like Gameplay.
After some time i got a six person party and now the game really started to remind me to jagged alliance, first thing i did was o search houses for equipment hehe.
With my first mission i was very sure that now a bit annoying part of the game will start, doing some minor jobs, talking, talking talking, some weak enemies here and there....but i was surpised....cutscenes every some steps hehe, that way it was actually fun to follow a mission:)
About Fighting...
Generally the Game has realtime combat and wont interrupt if you dont tell it to. with space you can interrupt the game anytime and giving your members orders like ordering them to hide behind that crate or throw a grenade or target a different enemy etc.
Has anybody played Baldurs Gate here? Its close to that (you can hit space to interrupt the fight anytime,but of course its all 3d graphics here.)
Moreover its possible to tell the game that it should pause the fight at certain occasions: for example everytime your party spots a new enemy....this is very jagged alliance - like btw. you can tell it to stop if somebody is dead or wounded below 25% health or out of ammo etc.
you can simulate a "round based combat" with those settings, just tell it to stop once a enemy or a party member got hit, once a new enemy appears etc and it will be a stop & go fight.
i myself like fights as in baldurs gate...real time fights and space interrupts it , thats enough for me and i play the Fall that way Smile i just enjoy the sound of automatic fire weapons too much to interrupt it all the time hehe.
there are tons of weapons, clothes and eaquipoment, yes...clothes....you can dress all your members and yourself to your needs, i hope that one day i will look like this guy on the poster hehe Smile
well hadnt time to play it much yet, cant tell anymore about that game, or tactical gameplay, well with the option to slow down or interrupt fights you have much time to assign targets and move into cover etc, thats the "tactical part" i guess.
but one thing is important to know...like in fallout you can have different options in conversations to solve problems if your persuasion/charisma skill is high enough (Charisma of team-members wont help here, you do all conversations in this game). i will defintly put many points in there just to see what option it gives me , often its funny to betray npcs hehe.
oh and you can (and should) hunt animals, eat and cook their meat, meat gives health back in combat and can be traded against equipment too (cause you cant buy stuff in the Fall *s*)
Like in jagged Alliance you can find obviously useless stuff lke tapes, wires , a pipe etc and combine them to mod your weapons (build an explosives or a silencer etc).
The whole atmopshere is close to Fallout 1+2, wastelands where ever you go, good graphics, and there are even vehicles in the game. the driving is like driving in a racing game , direct controlling vehicles, all assignments so far did remind me to fallout and so far i had often different solutions to solve the mission.
well just did want to provide this community with a short look into this game

well time to continue playing, cu all


make sure to watch this great gameplay video
http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=1261&type=mov)
its worth it.

these are the offcial THE FALL Boards
http://www.silver-style.com/forum/index.php?c=8

you find a preview to the game here,
http://www.rpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10053&ID=1041&sid=fb2bbbea4bc735d78a1bba2b7f7bfab9/
http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/launchnews.asp?newsid=139324
but its a very early preview from last year :( (the game has released in an extended edition meanwhile because their first release in germany was full of bugs which are now completly fixed and new voice output, because the first one was too crappy)
i read the next patch will add facial expressions :) msised those.

Gamespy has a really long english interview about this game too but its quite old meanwhile already
http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/the-fall-last-days-of-gaia/508825p1.html

dont forget to download the ingame movie its great :)


feel free to ask questions about gameplay (if any are left after reading the interview hehe)
 
Merging with the other thread.

Also, we have been giving the Fall a reasonable amount of coverage for a long while now here, just saying.
 
schuhart said:
The Fall screenshots did not made a very good impression on me. The thing that troubles me is: why can't I see any of technological progress that logically should have been taking place for 58 years until the catastrophe of 2062? Characters in the game use guns, clothing, armor and vehicles that are part of present technology!
Click to expand...


hi , i am at the very beginning of the game still, but i dont think that science fiction weapons and robots and stuff fits into a post-apocalyptic setting, we got wastelands, civlization is all back to the roots, you can be happy if you own a car that runs and you always will be concerned on still finding gas to run it

- hehe i just love this "broken down" atmopshere , this "wastelands" setting , I love the "revolver-action" feel of it!

running around in high tech armors with phasers and laser rifles just wouldnt fit into this setting.

but i heard later in the game you will find a laser rifle , but the ammo always will be limited on that. kind of a "relict" of past times.

i however agree on the theory why those weapons are based on 2005 weapons, why is it a ak47 that i pown and not a ak 67 ^^
(that was developed sometimes in the future before the big apocalypse) .
but well i like post apocalyptic games and there are lots of typical science fiction games around if i wanna play a science fiction game :)

oh but i already made the proposal how about subsurface bunkers that were completly sealed from the outworld (wastlands) and because of that still have security systems , laser technolotgy, and robots hehe. that would be cool and i heard that there is something similiar later on in the game , at least hope there is
 
Re: The Fall - my first impressions (new fallout like Game)

Beatrix said:
... good controls ...
Click to expand...
good joke bro :clap:

sorry for gravediggering, but I have a few questions about The Fall

1. its possible make screenshots direct from game (which key)? now I must use Clipper
2. how is possible change resolution?
I have 800× 600 now and want more, will create detailed locations maps
with equipment in crates, because interface and inventory its hopeless bad
 
Start thefall.exe with the parameter -o. With this you open the options. Don't know why they didn't added this in an other way.

I take screenshots only via print key and then alt+tab to some graphic program.

By the way, I've made an SA80 model fix some time ago. Somehow they took the wrong model for the weapon (the CAWS model), which annoyed me. They must have overlooked it or whatever... that's why I made my own model. You can download the mod file here, if you are interested in it. :>

/Edit: And here is some russian website with information about everything.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top