Enter at Your Own Rift: Which Nightmare Tide edition is right for you?

I was fully expecting RIFT: Nightmare Tide to be out by the time I sat down to write this, but then the delay happened and I had a little unasked-for breathing room to figure out what I was going to discuss while we waited for the expansion to come out. The good news is that it should be releasing tomorrow, and we'll all be well on our way to enjoying both new high- and low-level content.

However, there's one big question that each RIFT player needs to answer for her or himself, which is, "Which edition of the expansion is right for me?" Unlike some other MMOs, RIFT is not charging for its expansion at all. Trion Worlds did announce a trio of collector's editions as optional purchases, and since each of these editions has an impact on how we experience the new content, I thought it well worth examining the qualities of each as well as the benefit of not paying for it at all.

Option 1: Basic free edition

I've been a huge proponent of RIFT's free-to-play model since it launched, as I consider it one of the more generous arrangements in the industry. You certainly get a lot for absolutely zero dollars down, including all of the story content and zones in the game. Being a cheapskate actually does pay off for the frugal player, especially in light of how Nightmare Tide will be given away for nothing.

Let's be clear: What you are getting here for free is so much more than what you're being denied. You'll get the new zones, all of the quests, the nightmare rifts, the minion system, the additional and reworked dungeons, the aquatic mounts, and the increase to level 65 with the associated masteries. You will have three significant restrictions, however: the lack of access to the new earring slots, lack of access to any gear with "Planewalker: Water" affixed to it (around 15% to 20% of the expansion's gear rewards), and lack of access to the Manguo League.

However, two of those restrictions can be lifted in-game with some work. Players can earn currency to buy the earring slots and purchase Planewalker: Water attunement with level 65 expert dungeon marks. Until those restrictions are lifted, your character will not be as powerful as those who have access to them. It remains to be seen how large of a power difference this will be, however.

If you're planning to play Nightmare Tide but are short on cash, then going free wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. You'll still be able to go through the expansion, experience everything, and not be overly hobbled. Plus, you can always decide to buy an edition later on if working to remove the restrictions is taking too long.

Option 2: Typhoon edition ($25)

While it doesn't have all of the pretties that the other two editions do, the Typhoon CE contains those precious earring slots and Planewalker: Water attunement that you'll be wanting. In addition, it comes with a new bag slot, Manguo League membership, and a title. I'm curious what the League is, as all Trion has said about it is that "you will earn various equipment rewards and crafting recipes as you gain ranks in the Manugo League." A nicety rather than a necessity? Sounds like it to me.

The way I see it, this is a good deal. Twenty-five bucks is less than the cost of most expansions, and here all it's doing is fully unlocking a couple of features early. The price point is easy enough for a lot of people to swallow even if they're only casual players. I'm glad that there is a budget-priced edition instead of, say, a single super-expensive one.

I'll be purchasing a CE for sure, so this one is the fallback in case I can't convince myself to spend more money. I don't want to have to worry about the hassle of unlocking earring slots or being annoyed that I can't equip earrings. It is kind of funny to come up with an in-universe explanation as to why my character couldn't figure out how to use earrings. "Do they go in the toe?" "No, Tony, try again."

Option 3: Infusion edition ($50)

To me, this edition is the truly interesting option. It contains all of the expansion unlock essentials of Typhoon, but then it adds several lovely features. One of the biggest of these is the trendy "we'll take your character and boost him or her to the max!" options, as you can choose a single toon to make into an instant level 60. Whether you want or need this is up to you, but it does provide a quick option to jump right to Nightmare Tide content without going through the rest of the game. Of course, it's not as if RIFT's leveling is that slow anyway, especially with instant adventures.

I'd be a lot more interested in the second minion slot and the exclusive Bloop minion, as this system is the biggest draw of the expansion for me. However, minion slots will be purchasable a la carte in the store, so it's not as if paying an extra $25 is the only way to expand them. I'm also drawn to the inclusion of an infinite-use dream orb, which would definitely save some in-game currency.

The rest of the edition has a lot of neat toys, but nothing I'd say is "must have." There are aquatic-themed dimension decorations, a cosmetic helmet, a new portrait frame, an additional bank slot, and some accelerators. Altogether, it's a nice bundle of goodies for a total price of a standard retail game or expansion.

Instead of just removing restrictions, this edition is all about enhancing the experience. It would be an excellent choice for a latecomer or returner who wants to be with friends in the water plane right away, and it would also be attractive to those who are placing a premium on the minion system, as I am.

Option 4: Ultimate Nightmare edition ($150)

The first thing we notice here is that the price has jumped into the "giant collector's edition box with pewter statue" range, except that it's fully digital. It's not priced for the masses to snap up; it's priced for a few whales who have to have the Cadillac of experiences. Even if you have $150 to blow on a game, you must weigh whether it's better to spend $150 on a preset bundle as we have here or to buy a lesser edition and then use the leftover wad of cash to buy specific items that you want from the in-game store. $100 goes a long, long way. $125 goes even further.

If you can get over the sticker shock there, the Ultimate Nightmare edition has a lot to behold. It contains all of the other edition's goodies and benefits, as well as a special shark mount, a 36-slot bag, a new dimension, a crab combat pet skin, an infinite-use black dye, themed cosmetic weapons, and the ability to summon others to you.

Honestly, it's just not enough to even begin to seduce me into that price range. There are no "must haves" here, merely a lot of extra stuff that will probably be forgotten within a month of launch. I would have liked to see another minion slot thrown in or -- for $150, don't forget -- four instant-60s so that you could have one of each calling. I won't think less of you if you bought this, but I would ask "why?" and then expect an answer that doesn't contain the words "walking shark, dude!"

So what's best for you?

Your interest level in RIFT and your disposable income are two major factors into which choice you make. As I said, you won't go wrong by going free, although I would recommend ponying up for the Typhoon edition if you can just to avoid any potential restriction annoyances. Actually, why don't we ask RIFT players right now what they're planning to buy! I'd be interested in seeing the results.
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Whether he's keeping the vigil or defying the gods, Justin Olivetti saves Telara on a biweekly basis. Covering all aspects of life in RIFT from solo play to guild raids, this column is dedicated to backhanding multidimensional tears so hard that they go crying to their mommas. Email Justin for questions, comments, and adulation.