Today marks the launch of patch 1.2.1 in Fallen Earth, and this one includes a lot more than just bug fixes. The team has enhanced the graphics engine to improve the wilderness, terrain, fog and cloud movement in an attempt to make the game's environment more realistic.

Graphics Programmer Kevin Coyle has written a blog entry for Ten Ton Hammer that includes some before and after screenshots, so check them out to see exactly what this graphics update adds to the game. You can read the full patch notes after the jump.

The Fallen Earth team has decided to help clans with their recruiting efforts by showcasing one clan each day this month on the game's official Facebook page. After all, it's a new year in the wasteland and it's a perfect time for a fresh start in a new clan.

The first featured clan is The Roamers, a group of German-speaking roleplayers. Today's group is Black Rose, a Traveler-based clan open to Techs and CHOTA. Keep an eye on the Fallen Earth Facebook page throughout the month for information on more clans you can join. Contact details for The Roamers and Black Rose can be found after the jump.

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, things tends to disappear - even Facebook pages. The original Fallen Earth Facebook page somehow vanished, so the team created a new one to replace it. Here's the explanation straight from a status update:

So you probably already heard by now, but we lost our Facebook page a few hours back. Not sure what exactly happened, but the intern told us that the page was lost in time. That's a good enough story right :P? Well we're starting back from ground zero, so tell everyone that the Fallen Earth Facebook page is BACK!

If you were a fan of the previous Fallen Earth Facebook page, make sure you become a fan of the new one.

Developers Icarus Studios have announced that their unique post-apocalyptic MMO, Fallen Earth, will now come with a new exclusive item for players who purchase the game from Direct2Drive. Having worked with the digital distribution site for three months, the Fallen Earth Marketing Manager, Jessica Orr, notes that "Direct2Drive has been a major player in Fallen Earth's digital distribution since launch and we are pleased to be able to offer their customers a new item."

The item being given to players is called a "Wasteland Survival Kit," and it simply provides new players with some practical items for getting started in their new post-apocalyptic Earth. Contained in the kit are two "Back Alley Experience Shots," a "Wasteland Scavenging Tool," and a Buddy Key.

The Back Alley Experience shots both grant an additional +5% experience gained for a few hours, while the Wasteland Scavenging tool adds an additional six points to the player's scavenging skill, which will help them get through those tough first days of scarce resources. Finally, each Direct2Drive purchase also comes along with a buddy key, so that players can invite their friends to come survive in Fallen Earth!

The Fallen Earth team is getting in the holiday spirit by offering a 20 percent discount on purchases of the post-apocalyptic MMO through the game's online store. Also, a 10-day free trial is now available through the official Fallen Earth site.

The free trial gives players the perfect opportunity to try out the First Night holiday event and the new social options that were just added in patch 1.2. Users now have the ability to create player-made camps and enjoy some virtual gambling.

Today marks the launch of the social patch in Fallen Earth, and it introduces some interesting gameplay options to the wasteland. Not only does it give users the ability to create player-made camps and signals the beginning of the First Night holiday event, but it also adds bars and gambling to the game.

IGN is hosting a bunch of developer diaries and a trailer for the patch, so head over there for more information on version 1.2. You can also read the full patch notes after the jump. The server should be up around noon EST.

The Fallen Earth team just made a couple of interesting announcements in anticipation of the holiday season. The new First Night in-game holiday event is scheduled to kick off on Dec. 14, which just goes to show that even players in the wasteland can still find reason to celebrate. You can read the event FAQ after the jump.

In addition, the team is offering a 20% discount on Fallen Earth to all members of the U.S. military. To obtain the discount, military personnel must buy the digital download through the Fallen Earth site using a .mil e-mail address. The company is even tossing in a free T-shirt with every purchase.

Until now, players could only purchase Fallen Earth through Steam, Direct2Drive, Best Buy or the game's official site. That all changes with today's announcement that the Fallen Earth team has partnered with RealGames to make the post-apocalyptic MMO available through sites such as GameStop, PC Gamer and GameRiot.

This new partnership will make Fallen Earth accessible to players across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. "As our global fan base continues to grow, we are making every effort to make Fallen Earth available to customers around the world," Marketing Manager Jessica Orr said. It looks like the wasteland is spreading!

If you want your characters to look stylish in the wasteland, it looks like you may want to purchase Fallen Earth via Steam by Dec. 3. During this special promotion, players who buy the game through Steam will earn a voucher for one of six in-game faction-related T-shirts. In addition to looking good, the shirts have specific stats that are customized to each faction's strengths.

Each shirt provides the equivalent of a level 10 shirt armor piece and adds +3 to two stats. For example, the CHOTA shirt gives +3 to melee and scavenging. The voucher can be redeemed at any time during gameplay to give you a chance to pick your favorite faction. You can also trade in your shirt for a different one whenever you want.

If you're looking for a post-apocalyptic gift for that special someone in your life this holiday season, you may be happy to know that Fallen Earth is now available at select Best Buy stores throughout the United States. If you can't find it in a nearby store, you can order it through the Best Buy Web site.

Of course, it's important to note that you can purchase a digital download of the game directly through the Fallen Earth site. Or Steam. Or Direct2Drive. Regardless, Best Buy is the place to go if you want a physical retail box to wrap up as a gift.