Fallen Earth Intro Game Guide: The Factions

Every faction has different specialty Tradeskills, mutations and abilities. For example, the Enforcers are particularly good with combat skills, while Lightbearers are gifted with mutation skills. Some faction skills take longer to master than others, and you'll be able to pick up many things from allied factions, allowing you to branch out beyond the Knowledges that may be favored by your faction.

You do have the option of playing in a neutral organization within the game, but the tradeoff is a depth versus breadth experience. Neutrals can experience a lot more in the game since they aren't being targeted by an enemy faction, while engaging in a faction provides a richer, deeper play experience as players explore the inner politics, specialized Knowledges and community bonds of playing Fallen Earth in a group.

This guide will basically give you a brief walkthrough of what it's like to play in the various factions found within the game. The sprawling environments and massive exploration factors a lot into where you'll likely end up and who you'll likely end up allied with. Do you prefer the lush forest areas of the less radiated segments? Perhaps you like traveling the open roads through canyons and hillsides? Maybe you just like the desert plains? Find out more in this detailed Fallen Earth faction guide to help get you started.

The Chota are the Children of the Apocalypse and a product of the fall of mankind. Rather than choosing to rebuild society, the Chota reacted with a violent desire to destroy any semblance of past civilizations. They have a decentralized lifestyle and preference for chaos that has driven them to the wastelands. These fearless fighters are weakened only by lack of organization among their fractured tribes. Their primary strength is the number of members in their faction, their mutations and ferocity in battle. The Chota have a large percentage of mutations among their numbers due to their extensive exposure to the Shiva virus and radiation of the wastelands.

Each Chota tribe has its own leader, usually referred to as a Warchief. The only person who has some influence over the tribes is Redhand, the leader of the Chota revolt against Alec Masters. Redhand leads his own tribe but his word is often given due consideration by the other tribes of the Chota.

The Chota do have a central base of operations, but have settlements scattered all over the Province. The closest thing to a home base they have is Six Points, located in the southern end of Chota Gulch, where Redhand rules his tribe. The inhabitants live in ramshackle huts and tents among the badly damaged buildings.

The Lightbearers are wandering disciples who teach peace and emphasize spiritual, mental and physical development. They believe in protecting their "light' within and fighting for peace if necessary. They follow the teaching of Shakti, a woman who traveled the Province healing and protecting the innocent in the years after the fall, and excel in martial arts and close combat techniques. Currently they work to heal the population, defend fledgling towns and teach their philosophy of moderation and light. Lightbearers also excel in harnessing their mutations, and their highly trained fighters are some of the best in the Province. The lightbears desire to heal hasn't been embraced by all and they have had to learn to defend themselves against those who oppose their mission.

The Lightbearers are led by six Grandmasters called the Council, all of whom were selected by their predecessors for the position. They lead until they decide to step down. During the attack on the Monastery, the original home of the Lightbearers, four of the Grandmasters went missing. At present Kim Jurr and Ryan Joshi preside over the council until new members are appointed.

The Monastery, the original home of the Lightbearers, was a hospital before the fall. Shakti used the facilities to treat the sick and house new recruits to her cause, and finally attracted some doctors to the cause who wanted to continue treating the sick. This is a great place to be if you enjoy healing and/or selling healing supplies.

The Techs want to preserve the knowledge and technology that existed before the fall and feel this is more important than past dedication to military forces. Founded by a mixture of civilian engineers and military technicians, they're comparably less experienced in combat, wilderness survival and diplomacy than the other factions. After the Chota revolt, the few surviving Techs from Hoover Dam retreated to Dawson Hill, which was an industrial complex before the fall. They often provide technology and gear to other factions in exchange for protection.

The Techs have a set series of ranks, but are not so tightly bound in their structures as Enforcers. A Tech must be at least a doctor to sit on the Congress of Science, their organized leadership. All members of the Congress of Science are technically equal and all their votes count the same, but one member, usually the representative of the University, is chosen to act as Speaker, keeping the Congress in order.

The Techs are located in Rot Valley, the University has been the stronghold of the Techs since the fall of Hoover Dam. They set this school up for new recruits and to house their members. The area around the University actually has some newly paved streets, lamp posts and other luxuries uncommon in the current era.

Have you ever played Tabula Rasa and were maybe planning on playing again. Read our article on the history of Tabula Rasa.

The Enforcers are the primary force of stability in the Grand Canyon Province and were formed from the remnants of the military and police forces left after the fall. The Enforcers once spent more time enforcing the laws and rules under the command of Alec Masters but since then have reverted to protecting settlements. The best and most efficient military force in Fallen Earth, they're unmatched in combat, and are able to hold off groups with ten times their numbers. Rival factions insist that although skilled in combat, the Enforcers crush the life and freedom out of the remains of Fallen Earth.

The leader of the Enforcers is Colonel Elizabeth Pryce, an officer who served under General William Masters as the Captain of the 72nd Military Police Company. After the death of General William Masters, she had a falling out with Alec Masters over his treatment of civilians, and disappeared. After the fall of the Hoover Dam, she helped unify the Enforcers and is now working to bring order to the Province.

The Enforcers largest base of operations is the settlement of Masters' Folly, which is now a fortress surrounded by concrete walls and patrolled by well-armed Enforcers. This settlement is one of the securest in the Province and therefore commonly visited by many people. Usually these visitors are new recruits or village representatives hoping for Enforcer assistance.

The Travelers is actually a loose affiliation of families that specialize in smuggling, entertainment and assassinations, and follow their own self-interests and lack hierarchy. They have settlements controlled by eight families; Orphans, Cleaners, Black Hood Gang, Brenhauer Family, Buckland Family, Hearn Family, Moros Family and Vegas Family. The Travelers usually rely on mercenaries for combat operations and they have a talent for maximizing profit. They currently have the best maps and information, more control over currency and the most mercantile clout of any faction in the Province.

Each particular Traveler family selects their own leader, usually through a combination of bribery, extortion, blackmail, murder and various other underhanded acts of politics.

The various families have built embassies of a sort within the settlement now called Fairgrounds. Once a centerpiece of GlobalTech's scientific accomplishments, now it serves as neutral ground between the eight Traveler families who live among the technological achievements of a dead age.

The Vistas were formed from the 21st Century Vista Club. The Vistas are protectors of the last remaining ecosystems in Fallen Earth. Before the fall they came to the Grand Canyon Province to oppose GlobalTech's methodical environmental exploitation. They're made up of farmers, ranchers, guerrilla fighters and craftsmen that preach self reliance and independence. They produce tools, clothing and most of the food in the Province. A majority of Vistas are skilled hunters and marksmen and share a respect for the environment and an idealistic philosophy.

The Vistas have a leadership structure loosely based on communistic philosophy. All decisions are usually voted on by all of the adults in the commune, with the majority carrying the decision. Every commune has a single person designated as Speaker Citizen, who organizes such votes and handles quick decisions that might need to be made. The Speaker Citizen is elected by a simple majority of the adults of the commune and serves until he or she does something unpopular enough for a majority of the commune to vote for his or her removal.

The Vistas have a number of communes spread across the Province, varying from small villages to large farm compounds, most of which are built out of natural materials and have some manner of fortification.

Want to play a new MMORPG? Read our article on Champions Online.