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Dress for success in RIFT's Halloween costume contest
The old adage "dress for success" is getting a holiday makeover with RIFT's wardrobe contest, where your best Halloween-themed outfit can successfully net you one of a number of prizes. Together with Riftscene, Trion is hosting this in-game costume contest now through November 4th. To enter, players need to submit screenshots (preferably one from the back and one from the front ) of one of their characters dressed its best for the holiday -- the more unique, the better! The top 10 finalists will be highlighted on Trion's livestream November 15th where first, second, and third place will be decided. Prizes for first place include 15,000 RIFT store credits, all the Halloween masks, and a reaper mount. Additionally, the winning outfit will go on sale in the RIFT store with the entrant's name attached. Second place will take home store credits, the masks, and a mount while third also wins store credits. All 10 finalists will receive a special title.
RIFT frees up inactive character names
No one likes changing a character's name because of a server merge, but there are definitely ways to add insult to injury. If you wind up losing your original name to an active high-level character, it feels fair. If you lose your name to a naked bank alt someone made years ago and has almost forgotten, it feels like cheating. That's why RIFT is freeing up the names of inactive characters prior to the next major server merge. Any players with characters flagged as inactive will be sent a letter stating that the characters in question are in danger of losing their names. If it's a mistake, you can just log in on that character and you'll be fine. If you legitimately don't play the character, then someone who does use the name will be able to use it. Everyone wins -- assuming that there aren't two active characters with the exact same name, in which case we're back to the default situation where someone wins and someone loses.
Trion answers questions about RIFT's server merges
Next week's RIFT server merge is far from the first time that the game has compressed its servers, but it's still producing no shortage of anxiety and apprehension. The game's community managers took to the forums to answer some of the more pressing questions, starting with the (unwelcome) news that the merged EU servers will wind up without a server flagged for roleplaying. Name changes will be necessary; surnames are possible for the future, but they will not be in place for the merges. Players with more than the maximum number of characters after the merge will only have access to the first 12; players will need to delete existing characters to see the characters in overflow, but they will not be lost. Guild banks do not need to be emptied. Players are also reminded that characters can be transferred before the merger. The one bright point is the fact that the EU servers will have an auction house supporting French, English, and German clients at the same time, allowing all players in the region to interact successfully on the merged worlds.
RIFT servers to merge next week
Trion Worlds has announced a server merge -- er, sorry... shard unification -- for its fantasy MMO RIFT next week. The merge will see three North American and four European shards merge to help eliminate sparse populations, but also to introduce a plan for new language architecture that the team has been working on. What does that mean? It means that this merge will see a move towards "truly international worlds" for the game where multiple languages will be seamlessly supported on the same shard. A brief FAQ also addresses dupe character and guild names, with Trion offering free name changes for those moved characters and guilds. The merges begin during the normal scheduled downtime for North America on Wednesday, October 23 and for Europe on Thursday, October 24. [Thanks to everyone who sent this one in!]
RIFT's Autumn Harvest begins October 17th
October is a special time in the world of MMORPGs when ghosts, goblins, and headless horsemen take over our favorite haunts and pumpkins litter the lands. RIFT is no different, and this year's Autumn Harvest brings new items, new rewards, and new Halloween-themed monsters to slay -- and, of course, new items to buy. Look for Halloween masks, grab bags, and supply crates in the RIFT store and collect spectral reward tokens by completing Autumn Harvest events. Spectral reward tokens can be spent to purchase rare loot and spectral mounts. It would also be wise to keep an eye out for Atrophinius, RIFT's harvest master, as he has a number of special tasks related to the harvest including the slaying of vampires and werewolves and the reclaiming of loot back from nefarious thieves. Autumn Harvest goes live on October 17th.
Trion teases RIFT Mayhem in Mathosia details, hosts bonus XP weekend
Trion has posted a bit more info about RIFT's upcoming Mayhem in Mathosia events. "Instead of an event that remains the same for several days, Mayhem in Mathosia will now travel through zones -- each phase will last two days and carry unique objectives, achievements, and loot including Lavender Hellbug and Sapphire Ki Rin mounts, Hellbug companion pets, and more," the company says. Phase one starts Friday, October 4th in Silverwood/Freemarch. In other Telaran news, there's currently a patron appreciation weekend happening, so be sure to log in and help celebrate the 2.4: Beyond Infinity release and soak up the 50 percent XP bonus!
RIFT 2.4 brings challenging instances to bear
Ah, smell that? That's the smell of a big new content update in the air. And also many bugs that have been fried on the metaphorical bug zapper. But mostly an update. RIFT has upgraded to 2.4: Beyond Infinity, and that means a ton of additional content to be conquered and plundered. At the core of Update 2.4 are three new instances: the Infinity Gate raid, the Realm of Twisted Dreams dungeon, and the Infernal Dawn chronicle. An additional raid, Planebreaker Bastion, will be coming in weeks ahead. Update 2.4 also raises the PvP prestige cap to 90 with new gear and weapons, adds more hairstyle options, plugs in cross-shard instant adventures, and improves the new user experience. As you patch up, you can read the official notes and our preview of the update.
RIFT China closing in November
According to a translation at MMO Culture, Shanda Games will be shutting down RIFT China on November 15, 2013. After an unsuccessful push to keep the pay-to-play model alive in China, Shanda cryptically cites "several reasons" as the purpose behind the closure. RIFT's Korean version has fared no better, closing on April 25th of this year, and recent studio closures in San Diego and Europe worry fans of the fantasy MMO.
To Infinity Gate and beyond: Previewing RIFT 2.4's instances
RIFT's 2.4 update is expected to land next week with a big, meaty thud that tells you it's packing some serious content. While 2.4 is peppered with many nice bullet points, including cross-shard instant adventuring and new PvP ranks, the bulk of it is devoted to instances, more instances, and even more instances. Namely, a 20-person raid (with a second one to follow), a new five-person expert dungeon, and a two-person chronicle. Trion Worlds took us on a whirlwind tour of RIFT's four new instances, giving us an oh-so-brief taste of the terror and exhilaration that is to come. Care to join our raid group to see?
RIFT gives Beyond Infinity update overview
Get ready to blast off beyond infinity and just you shush if you're already starting to argue with that logical fallacy. Trion Worlds has put up an overview page for RIFT's Update 2.4: Beyond Infinity, and the list is pretty impressive for this upcoming content patch. Beyond Infinity includes two 20-person raids, a new five-person expert dungeon, the Infernal Dawn: Laethys chronicle, additional barbershop options, cross-shard instant adventures, and PvP prestige rank 90. Massively has a preview of Update 2.4 coming tomorrow, so stay tuned! [Update: Reader Chris tipped us off to a post on RiftScene, which quotes a German community manager claiming the release date will be September 18th.]
Trion offers up unique RIFT/Defiance crossover loot for new buyers
Trion Worlds has announced a curious new promo deal for folks who haven't yet picked up a copy of MMO-television hybrid Defiance. Purchasing a physical copy of Defiance now rewards gamers with unique loot in both it and Trion's other big online property, RIFT. Transmedia synergy, anyone? For a limited time (how limited is not mentioned in the announcement), players who buy a standard or collector's edition boxed copy of Defiance for PC, Xbox 360, or PS3 will receive a Votan Fragger weapon transmog (in Defiance) and a Ghost Hellbug mount (in RIFT). Buyers will also get $5 in RIFT store credits. It's an interesting strategy designed to pique the curiosity of current RIFT players, and it's not the first time Trion has sent Defiance's creatures into RIFT's fantasy world.
One Shots: Sunset over Eorzea
Reader Gordy feels that a new era is dawning on Final Fantasy XIV these days, and as I survey the general excitement over this title, I'd have to agree. Who would have thought it considering how messy this title was two years ago? "Even with the many, many server issues during the re-launch, it's still a wonder of a game in my opinion," Gordy testifies. "I was mining out in Thanalan, and when I turned around, I realized the sun was setting, and there was a warm comfortable glow over the entire world. I had to grab a screen and add it to the (probably piles) of shots you're getting for the launch of this gorgeous game." Get the full color version and more for the low, low price of $9.99 if you just call... what? We're not allowed to charge readers for this column? Man, I'm never going to buy myself out of indentured service to Bree now! Oh well, go see it for yourself after the jump.
RIFT's Ffinch hopes Trion gives the game 'as a gift to the community'
RIFT likely has a long life ahead of it, but if senior design director Simon Ffinch has his way, Trion's fantasy themepark will never die. "So this is probably going to get me into all sorts of trouble, but I would hope that when that day comes, as we've talked about -- many years in the future -- I would hope that Trion shows that it's the company that I truly believe it to be and gives RIFT as a gift to the community," Ffinch recently told GamerZines.com. "That would be the way I'd like to see RIFT go. It's like, 'guys thank you for playing for the past 20 years, here's the server code. Run it if you wish.'" [Thanks Andy!]
Trion teases new RIFT five-player dungeon
Trion has posted a blurb about a new five-player RIFT dungeon on the game's official website. If you're not up on the fantasy title's lore, good luck grokking what the heck is being said in the article's text. From what I could gather, the new content is called the Realm of Twisted Dreams, and I'm assuming that Maelow, Atrophinius, and Twyl are stage bosses. There's no release date mentioned, but there are some slick-looking screenshots. Hit the links below to see for yourself.
Raptr revives RIFT rewards, Defiance discount
Back in March, Trion partnered with Raptr to introduce a four-tiered reward system to help revitalize RIFT. Three months later, another reward incentive gave folks in-game armor, an exclusive mount, and a special Raptr pet. And now, it's time for another bout of rewards! Raptr has revived those very June rewards for RIFT, offering once again the armor, mount, and pet to those who join the community. The rewards, however, don't end with RIFT. Raptr has also revived the Defiance rewards (30% off the game) and added exclusive limited access to the alpha version of End of Nations. [Source: Raptr press release] [Update: Trion has let us know that part or all of this morning's press release may have been in error. Stand by for clarification from the source!]
One Shots: That warm pink glow
Dragons are many things in MMOs: fierce, ultimate, overplayed, gold-loving, air travel, and full of hot air. But reader Kim saw something else, something almost tender when she went up against this big fella in Guild Wars 2. "This is my favorite game because I can battle dragons," Kim writes. "Of all the dragons, the Shatterer is my favorite. Who could resist that warm pink glow? Besides, it looks like he only has eyes for me!" Imminent death is A-OK as long as it has a comforting, flirtacious glow about it. I learn something new every week from One Shots. What other lessons will I add to my brain-unit from the rest of these pictures? There's only one way to find out!
Scott Hartsman on leading Trion Worlds out of the woods
It's been a rocky return for Scott Hartsman, who has rejoined the Trion Worlds fold as CEO. With End of Nations going through development hell in its final stretch, studios being shuttered left and right, employees being laid off, and a mess of unknown questions, Trion's been put through the ringer this past year and come out looking bruised. But that's the moment in the movie when the crafty manager inspires his boxer to get back in there and fight for the win -- and there are few devs more inspirational and passionate than Hartsman. The way he sees it, Trion is due for a rally. We spoke to Hartsman as he was in the second week of a two-month period of evaluation, meetings, and decision-making. Instead of sounding tired or stressed, Hartsman came across as upbeat, enthusiastic, and brimming with good things to say about his team and the studio's future. So why did Hartsman return to the Trion fold now, and what does it portend for the studio and its many titles? The full story is more interesting than you might think.
Trion's senior vice president of marketing talks RIFT, Defiance, and business
There's been a bunch of bad news swirling around Trion Worlds recently, but a new interview with the company's senior vice president of marketing, Noah Maffitt, is far more positive. Maffitt isn't talking about game mechanics or design principles but results, and by those metrics RIFT did quite well with its free-to-play conversion. Sales went up, player figures went up, and his forecast for the game's future seems quite rosy. One of the major elements Maffitt discusses is the company's willingness to try different marketing techniques compared to those traditionally used in the industry. He stresses the need for businesses to change with the times, noting that free-to-play models are something to embrace as a new direction of the marketplace. The result is a need to be more analytical and flexible in strategies and have quicker turnarounds for what does or does not work, a strategy being used with vigor with Defiance. If the business side interests you, check out the full interview with Maffitt.
Highlights assembled from Friday's RIFT livestream
Fans of RIFT are probably feeling a little jumpy right now. The community was surprised when community manager James "Elrar" Nichols abruptly left the game, especially in wake of the other shakeups moving through Trion Worlds. The game's community team did run a livestream event on Friday, and fansite RIFT Junkies took the time to comb through the whole thing and separate out the highlights. Trion in general is focusing right now on ArcheAge, RIFT, and Defiance, with End of Nations on hold for the moment. The company is still committed to the game's European playerbase and has not changed the RIFT development team; improvements are still in the works for the game's next two patches, including engine optimization. New CEO Scott Hartsman also stressed his love of RIFT and the fact that he has no intention of allowing the game to creep into "pay-to-win" territory. You can watch the whole stream on the company's official Twitch channel.
CM James Nichols leaves Trion as part of studio shakeup [Updated]
RIFT CM James "Elrar" Nichols is no longer with Trion Worlds, according to Director of Community Elizabeth Tobey. "As we mentioned last week, we are undergoing some changes here at Trion and that also includes changes among your community team," she wrote. "In addition to all the names you already know on the dev tracker, you'll want to keep an eye out for me, OverloadUT, and Morgana –- we'll be around a lot more from here on out. I'll also be your main point of contact for all things community as Elrar is no longer with the company." The former community manager's departure is part of the recent shake-up of Trion's organization. Tobey said that this is according to the new plan that CEO Scott Hartsman has put into place: "I'm not going to be able to give you the exact details, but I want to let you guys know that this is part of a plan helmed by Scott, and one I believe in. That doesn't mean it's always easy, or fun, but it will result in something better and greater than ever before." "We all love RIFT," Tobey assured players, "everyone on this team, Scott -- everyone. It's not going anywhere or getting worse if we have anything to say about it." She concluded by promising the community more communication and details of the future of the game in the coming weeks. [Update: Elrar has posted his goodbye on the forums. Thanks to Dengar for that tip!]
