Fallen Earth: QotW #15: Tell Us About Gas Masks!

Question: Tell Us About Gas Masks!

If you're wondering about the order these Questions of the Week are going in, it's roughly chronological, from the first questions asked to more recent ones. Some of these may be questions you haven't seen in awhile, but old unanswered questions are still unanswered questions.

We've all seen the screenshots of the gas masks, but will there be places where you actually NEED to wear a gas mask? That is, do the gas masks function, or are they only in game for the "look"?

In Fallen Earth, we have a wide variety of damage types. Everything from the basics, like Slashing and Crushing, to the more obscure, like Plasma or Psionic. For the foreseeable future, we're sticking to the more mundane side of things, though more unusual damage may come into play in future story arcs. (There will never be an anti-matter damage type. Never. If the content people tell you otherwise, they are lying and Captain Pouches will come for them in the night. Fear the wombat.)

Most types of armor provide protection from a half-dozen or so types of damage. This usually includes Slashing, Piercing, Crushing, Fire, Cold, Electricity, Poison, Acid, etc. Your kevlar vest may be really useful against bullets, but not so much against an axe; your sandworm hide armor may be acid resistant, but it does little to help you with fire. You will want to choose your gear based on the threats you face, so you'll break out the Disease-resistant suits when fighting giant roaches so you're not devastated by their Disease-based attacks. Some types of damage resistance will be rare, making armor that provides that type of protection exceptionally valuable. Finding something that provides Psionic protection is an epic task unto itself. We aren't planning for players to carry 15 types of armor all the time to stay alive, but instead that specific types of armor will be required for specific situations.

Most players will use the Slashing/Piercing/Crushing trinity of damage, but some mutations and tradeskill items will involve other types of damage. Creatures will often use other types of damage.

We have a specific type of damage for airborne agents such as chemical weapons, which is blocked only by gas masks, certain helmets, or respirators. This type of damage might come from a creature, such as the aptly-named stink bug, or from certain environments. Many areas of the game have a damage type associated with them, inflicting damage as long as you are in the area. These areas can only be navigated safely with the right equipment or abilities. Some levels require a gas mask to enter and survive, while in other areas you need a contamination suit to run across a radiation zone.

Protective gear is worn down when you take damage, so if you're in a dangerous environment for too long, your protective gear will fail, leaving you at the mercy of your surroundings. Protective gear can be repaired in the field using Armorcraft repair kits.