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RIFT reveals a new dungeon with The Fall of Lantern Hook
The ooohs and ahhhs continue courtesy of Trion's RIFT, and the fantasy MMO is ramping up for its fifth beta event this week. Along with the recently announced public grouping feature, Trion is also spilling the beans regarding a new dungeon called Lantern Hook. In a new lore piece released today, we get a taste of how dire the situation on Telara truly is and how the fate of the realm hinges on the actions of the few Ascended brave enough to challenge the fiery depths of the dungeon. Lantern Hook is located in the Droughtlands, and swimming to the bottom of an enchanted well there will transport players to "a nightmare world of endless flame," complete with kobolds and yes, a dragon. This particular dragon is known as Maelforge, and you can read more about his dark designs for Telara's future after the cut.
Plan your perfect character with the RIFT soul calculator
One of the greatest strengths of any MMORPG is its community. Regardless of the size of a title's playerbase, it's practically a given that the demographics will include folks with the skills (and the goodwill) to make the experience better for everyone. Usually this happens free of charge in the form of web-based tools and analysis, and the latest case in point comes to us courtesy of ZAM and its new RIFT soul calculator. The tool allows rifters to experiment with builds all the way up to the game's level 50 cap (even though RIFT's current beta phase doesn't allow for endgame play). ZAM's announcement post carries a beta qualifier of its own, as the soul calculator is still under development and may feature a lingering bug or two. RIFT is a subscription-based fantasy MMO developed by Trion Worlds which launches on March 1st. You can learn more about the game and sign up for beta via the official website.
RIFT reveals Warrior build-your-class video
The video hits keep on coming for Trion Worlds' RIFT, though this time the video in question is aimed at stat geeks and mechanics aficionados intrigued by the game's build-a-class-for-any-situation marketing angle. The two-minute clip breaks down the game's four base archetypes (Warrior, Cleric, Mage, and Rogue) and lays out the dozens of possible souls and skill trees for the Warrior via some flashy animation. There's a bit of gameplay footage thrown in for good measure, and you'll glimpse what looks to be some open world combat as well as a good old-fashioned dungeon crawl. The clip also boasts a few of the graphical ooohs and ahhhs we've come to expect from Trion's forthcoming fantasy MMO. Check it out after the break, and hit up the official RIFT website for more info.
Next RIFT beta event begins January 25th
The dust is still settling from last week's "Warfronts" beta event, but Trion Worlds is already gearing up for the next RIFT-related shindig. The latest round of testing will commence on Tuesday, January 25th at 10:00 a.m. PST, with a wrap date of Friday, January 28th (also at 10:00 a.m. PST). For those keeping score, this marks the fifth RIFT beta preview to date, and the new event (titled "Battle of the Ascended") brings several additional features to the world of Telara. Among them will be a raised level cap (30), the Scarlet Gorge zone, and a new dungeon called Foul Cascade. Trion is also trumpeting the fact that beta players logged over a million hours of playtime during last week's "Warfronts" event, and today's press release also mentions that the Codex PvP warfronts will continue to be available in the next round.
RIFT looks at Scarwood Reach
Whether or not you're looking forward to RIFT, it's hard to deny that the game makes great use of setting. The latest region revealed, Scarwood Reach, is haunting and evocative in both backstory and current events. Once an enchanted forest covered in the majestic granitewood trees, the woods have been logged to their demise, with only scattered pockets of trees remaining as a testament to what once was. But the servants of Greenscale seek to undo the damage in the only way possible -- by opening a portal to the Plane of Life that might swallow Telara whole. Aside from the abandoned shrines and local creatures harmed by the mad rush for wood and the abandonment of old traditions, the explosion of unfiltered Life at the heart of what was once forest is equally toxic. Even apart from the rifts that occasionally blossom, the forest is beset by creatures unseen in this land, coupled with crawling roots that bring searing and unwelcome new life to the barren landscape. Take a look at the gallery for a quartet of preview images, a fine preparation for the maddening environment that RIFT's damaged forest remnants are poised to deliver. %Gallery-101448%
Them's fightin' words: RIFT commercial takes on WoW
"We're not in Azeroth anymore," Trion Worlds' new TV commercial proclaims before a rift gobbles up the words. This 30-second spot for RIFT features a hero opening a rift with a jewel, a dragon roaring, an ogre on the warpath, and adventurers gearing up for the fight. The commercial ends with an invitation to pre-order the game. This comes hot on the heels of RIFT's launch date announcement and signifies the next step up for Trion Worlds' marketing department. You can watch the new TV spot after the jump!
Trion profiles RIFT's Freemarch zone
Throughout this month, Trion Worlds has been regularly releasing new information on its upcoming fantasy MMO RIFT. With the NDA having been lifted on the first two rounds of closed beta events, excitement has really started to build for what could potentially be a fun and polished MMO. The game's third closed beta event is already underway, allowing selected testers to play through the first 20 levels and explore the new Silverwood and Freemarch zones. For anyone who didn't make it into the third RIFT beta event, Trion has now released several screenshots and pieces of concept art on the Freemarch zone to give us an idea of what we can expect from it. Freemarch is a zone with a chilling storyline. Home of the Defiant faction, its coasts are ravaged by the slimy monsters that clamber out from dangerous water rifts. Its fertile rolling fields are now ravaged by death rifts, and the once-grand Port Scion is completely overrun with the Deathtouched. "Freemarch is the heart of the Defiant faction," Trion tells us. "Their wondrous city of Meridian stands by the coast, its back to the mountains, sending out waves of Defiant to keep Freemarch free. Yet every day new rifts open, new monsters emerge, and the laughter of cultists grows ever more confident and shrill. Undead claw their way from their graves to feast on the living and raze farmsteads, turning the heartland black." Stay tuned to Massively's coverage of RIFT for more updates, reveals and impressions from the beta tests. %Gallery-99479%
RIFT beta 3 patch notes show major soul changes and more
RIFT's third beta event kicks off today, and Trion Worlds has the novel-sized patch notes to prove that the team's been busy. Many fan sites rushed to repost the beta forum notes, which is allowed now that the NDA has dropped. The biggest change that previous players will see concerns the much-ballyhooed soul system, RIFT's flexible character builder. Previously, players would get only one of three souls at the start, with another at level five, and gain soul points at the rate of one per level. With Beta 3, this has been changed so that you can pick from all of your archetype's souls at the start and will leave the beginner area with three souls instead of two. In addition, Trion is handing out an extra soul point every third level, bringing the total number of soul points for a level 50 character up to 66. Of course, souls aren't the only focus of this patch. Among the many changes are the inclusion of the rest system, the ability to rename your pets, a preview of the soul trees before you purchase them, and a number of new invader boss encounters for both sides. Read up on the patch notes here, and we'll see you on the battlefield!
The Daily Grind: Does RIFT give you MMO deja vu?
The RIFT hype-o-meter is exploding, and of course Massively's got you covered with first impressions, level guides, news, and everything else Trion-centric. As we look around the MMOsphere, one thing we've noticed is that a lot of the press reviews and forum posts share a feeling of deja vu. For good or ill, RIFT seems to remind many of us of earlier games, or at the very least, pieces of them. We've heard sentiments ranging from "WoW and WAR had a baby," to "EQ2.5," to "it's like Vanguard." Vanguard? Really? In any event, we're curious to know your take, Massively readers. With the recent NDA drop, we're even more curious since we won't get scolded for soliciting your opinions. So let's have them. What game does RIFT remind you of? Is that a good or a bad thing? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
RIFT beta powow with Scott Hartsman
This is, by any measure, a busy week for RIFT. Fresh off the second beta event, Trion Worlds has dropped the NDA for the game and announced a third beta to take place over the holidays. As the process speeds exponentially faster toward launch, Scott Hartsman and his team have a white-knuckled grip on RIFT for all the bumps, shimmies, dips and hills that such a high-profile title offers. Even with a heaping amount of work on its plate, the team has been willing to share its passion for RIFT with the press and community. During this slight lull between betas two and three, Hartsman sat down with us over the phone to jaw about lessons learned from the beta, why Trion has dropped the NDA, how RIFT's already made history, and when we might be seeing this game on the shelves. Hit the jump and let's do this thing. As Hartsman is fond of saying about the game, "S**t just got real."
Trion Worlds reveals RIFT's Plane of Earth
Trion Worlds is busily prepping its RIFT beta client for another onslaught of tire-kick... er, testers in a few days. Luckily for us, the development studio is still finding the time to release juicy bits of info related to the game's titular rift mechanics. We've already seen reveals covering the Planes of Air and Water, and today we're treated to a look at the Plane of earth. The Plane of Earth, as the name suggests, is all about the ground. Whether that ground is desert sand, crystalline stone, or gravity-defying rock formations, there's plenty to look at in our gallery below, as well as plenty to read about in the lore-centric text after the cut. %Gallery-99479%
Trion Worlds v. Palladium lawsuit draws to a close
The long-running legal skirmish between MMORPG maker Trion Worlds and pen-and-paper RPG publisher Palladium Books is apparently drawing to a close. Trask over at LivingDice.com brings us word that the two parties have submitted a "Joint Stipulation of Dismissal," which in a nutshell, closes all claims and counterclaims and stipulates that both parties will cover their own legal costs. Trask goes on to speculate that the final settlement may never be known, as the joint filing effectively ends the lawsuit behind closed doors and casts doubt on whether either party would gain much by making the details public. The lawsuit was originally filed last May and centered on trademark infringement regarding the Rifts name as used by Trion in their forthcoming Rift: Planes of Telara MMORPG.
Trion Worlds reveals the Plane of Water
What are the rifts? It's one of those burning questions, maybe not quite on the level of what is the Matrix or who is John Galt, but it's up there nonetheless. In an attempt to answer it -- or if you prefer, get people talking -- Trion Worlds has just released a bit of information on the Plane of Water in its upcoming Rift: Planes of Telara MMORPG. Telara is a world being ripped asunder by various and sundry dimensional corridors called rifts, each of them bringing new challenges, trials, and tribulations to adventurers throughout the realm. "A water rift can take hold even in the driest desert. Salt water rushes from nowhere and spreads into a reeking lake, from which tentacles rise and quiver in frantic rhythm. Toothed tendrils writhe from a rent in the sky, living creatures drown on land, and monsters spill from the rift like rotten fish from a net," Trion says. Check out the full description as well as a video of a water rift in action after the jump.
NCsoft to probe Aion players' thoughts on rifting
Aion's recent expansion, Assault on Balaurea, ushered in a host of welcome changes, ranging from new zones to frightfully cute pets. Rifting, on the other hand, suffered tremendously. But the folks at NCsoft want Aion players to know their cries have not fallen on deaf ears. In a nutshell, rifts are portals that randomly open between the homelands of the Asmodians and the Elyos, allowing members of each faction to venture into the other's territory for some PvP action. The original system allowed higher level players to pop into lower level enemy zones and gank the heck out of people. Patch 1.9 introduced some restrictions to prevent ganking, but Balaurea just about broke the system by debuffing rifters into oblivion. The developers know players are upset -- and they have a plan.
Wings Over Atreia: To rift, or not to rift, that is the question
While discussing first impressions of the expansion and exploring the year in review in previous weeks, we touched on different changes brought about in Aion's Assault on Balaurea. From new lands, to solo instances, to increased kinah and XP rewards from quests, many changes have been heralded as positive and are enjoyed by the majority of Daevas. After all, who doesn't love more money? However, one specific change stands out as an exception to this happy consensus: rifting. To say players have been expressive about the significant impact of one of the more unique and (dare I say) integral mechanics in Aion is putting it mildly. In game, on legion forums, and on the official boards (where the request for feedback thread stands at 96 pages and counting), Daevas are conveying their delight and their anguish, as well as playing a few rounds of the ever-popular blame game. Has rifting gone the way of the dodo, or can it be brought back from the brink of extinction? Rift past the cut to see some thoughts and ideas on the matter and chime in with your own.
Rift character creation detailed, with HD videos
We here at Massively are becoming ever more excited for Rift: Planes of Telara. The more information that Trion Worlds reveals about the upcoming fantasy MMORPG, the more we crave. Ciovala, webmaster of Riftnexus.com, sends word of a new hands-on review of the title from the recent Gamescom 2010 in Cologne, Germany. The initial segment of the multi-part article touches on aspects of character creation and the title's user interface, with more to follow on the game world and gameplay in future installments. Much like we did with our own recent Rift hands-on, the reviewer came away impressed. The piece also features two high-definition video segments, both dealing with character customization and both viewable after the cut or on YouTube.
Massively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content
Just a few weeks ago, I was invited to attend Trion Worlds' Gamer's Day in San Francisco to get some hands-on time with a couple of the company's upcoming titles, including Rift: Planes of Telara. If Rift seems to have come out of nowhere, that might be due both to the acquisition of EverQuest II veteran Scott Hartsman to head the project as executive producer, and to a clever name change meant to reflect the team's shift in development focus. In fact, that shift in development focus is precisely what I was at Trion's studio to test -- I got to check out the Rifts themselves in all their glory, in the context of the greater dynamic content system that the developers are so excited about. Massively's writers have been able to play and report on character creation and the starting areas of Rift several times over the last year or so, including earlier this summer at E3. But until today's embargo lift (coinciding with the reveal at Gamescom), no one had quite seen the fabled planar invasions and takeovers in action. Now we have.
Newest Rift trailer highlights Telara's Defiant faction
Opposing factions are a familiar story in the world of MMOs, and the creators of Rift: Planes of Telara are bringing their own world conflict to the forefront with their latest trailer. The Defiant faction of Telara have grown tired of what they view as sitting around waiting on the gods and their representatives to defend them. "The gods have failed us too many times." The Defiant are taking matters into their own hands, using forbidden technology to take the fight to whatever lies beyond the rifts. Follow along after the jump for a look at the trailer, and check out the full story of the Defiant (and the opposing Guardian faction) on the official Rift: Planes of Telara page.
Breaking: Palladium Books sues Trion Worlds over "Rifts" title
Back at the end of April, we heard a fair amount of news from Trion Worlds, including the name change of Heroes of Telara. The name change came about during testing and development as the game's portals or "rifts" emerged as a central feature of the game, inspiring the new name Rift: Planes of Telara. Evidently MMO fans weren't the only ones that heard this news. Palladium Books has filed a lawsuit citing trademark infringement of the name of Palladium's popular long-standing RPG, similarly titled "Rifts." If you're unfamiliar with the title, Palladium's version of Rifts is a PnP game centered around rifts that open on earth, exposing the players to monsters and elements from many other lands -- a very familiar concept. Rifts is Palladium's primary and most familiar IP, so they are understandably anxious to protect it. Not much is known about the lawsuit at this point other than "it was filed." Basic details such as the parties involved and Palladium's sources are available, and we'll keep our eye out for more information over the next few weeks.
Massively's hands-on look at Rift: Planes of Telara
While Trion was happy to announce the name change for Heroes of Telara to Rift: Planes of Telara, we were stoked to be able to get our hands on the game for the first time and really see it in motion. We've heard all this talk about delivering dynamic content, high quality "HD content," a deep back story, and an evolving world. But, could Trion deliver all of the hype they were promising? Well, if the titular rifts are any indication of how the rest of the game will progress, then this game seems to be in good hands. Join us as we pilot a cleric through the dangers of Telara, take on a rift from the Plane of Life, and learn just what makes Telara tick. %Gallery-101448%
