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RIFT kicks off Summerfest on July 25th
It's getting hot out there. Like, really hot. Hot enough to melt plastic, even. But as long as you've got air conditioning in your house, why not stay inside and get in the spirit of summer fun with RIFT's Summerfest? It's all the fun of relaxing in the sun without the heat, risk of sunstroke, or potential for melanoma! (Please note that without air conditioning your computer will heat up your room until you burst into flames, probably.) This year, Summerfest starts on Thursday, July 25th, and brings with it a whole host of new achievements. It's also probably going to contain other treats aside from the normal seasonal events; statements from community managers imply that this year will finally see the inclusion of swimsuits, quite possibly in the cash shop. Even if you're not the sort to enjoy summer fun, you can still enjoy the event when it goes to the live servers late next week.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Why Summerfest is the best
Over the past few weeks, I've been over on RIFT's test shard to preview some of the changes arriving with update 1.9, like Summerfest. So now that it's live, it was fun to spend some time on the live servers to see it launch. And since I didn't get the chance to spend a lot of time with the Summerfest event, I decided to roll up my sleeves, break out my fishing pole and cooking pan, and try a few of the events and scavenger hunts. I mentioned in a previous column that I thought 1.9 would be the biggest one yet and that it would bring some really important game changes, but my recent adventures in game this past week were even more eye-opening than I expected. Read on!
Trion reveals RIFT's 1.9 Conquest patch notes
It's patch day in Telara, which means it's patch note post day at Massively. RIFT's 1.9 update is live without a net, and we're sure plenty of you are as anxious to check out Trion's version of three-faction PvP as we are. Conquest isn't the only thing on today's menu, of course. There's also the new barbershop functionality, a new mentoring system, more instant adventure locations, and the Summerfest world event. Summerfest includes scavenger hunts and some interesting activities like pet wrangling and the chance to ride a barrel over a waterfall. The patch features a number of additional tweaks and updates, all of which are yours for the reading on the official RIFT forums.
Enter at Your Own Rift: A guide for new and returning RIFT players
We're on the eve of update 1.9 in RIFT, and I think it's full of great changes that will bring back returning players. But if you're one of the many who tried the game at launch and left a few months later, it might feel daunting to make a comeback because so much has changed. Fear not! In this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, we'll gently introduce you to some of the biggest changes to the new player experience and provide a condensed rundown of the updates since launch. If you're seeking out a tl;dr version of the game since launch, you've come to the right place!
The Daily Grind: Celebrating real holidays virtually
My American sources tell me this is a long weekend for you folks across the pond. Something about independence from Blighty a few hundred years ago. Essentially an excuse to let off fireworks, have BBQs, enjoy the fine weather and skive off work. Good on you. It seems like lots of MMOs are using it as an excuse to take the real celebrations in-game. For example, World of Warcraft has the Midsummer Fire Festival which concludes tomorrow with a bunch of snoozing goblin guards and a whopping fireworks display. Likewise, Lord of the Rings Online has one festival with four different names.Given the fact the games are created by humans, it's no surprise the in-game festivals of all our favourite MMOs share a little in common with actual celebrations in real life. However they can also be handy for people too far away to meet up this 4th of July, most often troops on active duty or family members and friends separated by thousands of miles or even continents. So are any of you out there planning to eschew real celebrations in favour of meeting up with your guildies in-game? Are you going to travel around to see the fireworks or, if you play, WoW raid an enemy city. Do you prefer celebrating such events in-game? Do you mark them on your calendar and anticipate them as much as their real world counterparts? Do you wish the developers would expand world festivals to take account of more important holidays?
