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Enter at Your Own Rift: Handy tips for fishing and survival in Telara
In my last column about RIFT, I looked at a few highlights that were coming with Update 1.8, but because of the buzz surrounding the two new skills of fishing and survival, I wanted to delve into both a little more closely and perhaps even give a few tips I picked up so far that might be helpful if you're thinking of giving it a try. Whether you're an old salt or a greenhorn, and if you're curious about what exactly it takes to fish in Telara or what you need to build yourself a nice camp and a warm meal, this week's Enter at Your Own Rift might help!
Enter at Your Own Rift: Fishin' and survivin'
One of the parts of the recent RIFT producer's letter that caught my eye was the hint that there will soon be more to do in game besides "stab" stuff. Maybe I'm mellowing in my old age, or perhaps it's because of my inner Bartle explorer player-type, but I'm enjoying activities in MMOs that don't involve mass slaughter all the time. Usually, that means crafting, but the inventory management that's required often leaves me cross-eyed by the time I'm done. With Update 1.8, RIFT will add two new skills to the game: fishing and survival. Non-combat activities have already been introduced in past updates, like the wedding instance, but these two new skills look to be fun games within the game, so I was eager to check things out. Join me as I don some hip-waders, pack up some flint, and head to PTS for a peek at fishing, survival, and a quick peek at the looking-for-guild tool.
Enter at Your Own Rift: A carnival recap and a war on the horizon
Over the past few weeks, RIFT has been celebrating its first birthday with the Carnival of the Ascended. It started off pleasantly enough, with games, prizes, turducken, and fireworks. But recently, some of the revelers got a little too rowdy, and players had to help subdue drunk and disorderly guests. Now, the event has entered its fourth phase, and the two sides have begun to attack rival outposts that have been set up along parade routes. If you haven't had a chance to check out the Carnival of the Ascended, now is a perfect time. In this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, I'll highlight the carnival as it prepares to pack up and leave and peek at what's in store for Telara as this world event wraps up.
Trion launches RIFT's Carnival of the Ascended anniversary events
It's hard to believe that RIFT is a year old, but it is, and Trion has taken the wraps off a substantial world event to celebrate. The Carnival of the Ascended kicked off yesterday, with festivities that include four weeks of bonus XP, various minigames and rare reward opportunities, and "hours of new solo, group, raid, PvP, crafting gameplay, and more event quests than ever before," according to Trion. RIFT is a high fantasy MMORPG that features two opposing factions, dynamic quest content, and a customizable class system. More info on the one-year anniversary event, including images of many of the reward items, can be found at the official RIFT website.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Looking back at RIFT's first year
As I ran around smacking loot piñatas (finally, someone acknowledges these things for what they are), I wondered how on earth RIFT's first year went by so fast. The Carnival of the Ascended is just around the corner, and on March 1st, the game officially celebrates its first birthday. In just one year, RIFT has seen seven game updates, a handful of world events, and all sorts of new additions and improvements to the world of Telara. Rather than being a straight-up retrospective, this week's Enter at Your Own Rift is looking back on the first year with a Justin-style list of highlights and even a glimpse of what's coming in 1.8.
Trion signs another RIFT publishing deal, brings game to southeast Asia
Trion has announced the latest step in its plans for global domination, and it takes the form of a publishing agreement for the southeast Asian market. It was only a couple of weeks ago that RIFT landed the biggest MMO deal ever for a western title in the Chinese market, and now Trion's online fantasy brand will be available in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand as well. The company is partnering with Asiasoft to make it happen, and CEO Lars Buttler says it's another example of what sets his firm apart from the competition. "Trion has a global view when it comes to delivering premium games, and our initiatives to bring RIFT to Asia through some of the industry's biggest collaborations sets Trion apart from other Western game developers." [Source: Trion press release]
Enter at Your Own Rift: A RIFT wedding primer
Right now in RIFT, couples are donning their best attire, polishing up their rings, and practicing their vows as they participate in a Valentine's Day wedding challenge. From yesterday until today at noon, players will attempt to set the Guinness World Record for most in-game weddings in a single day. I decided to participate, so I bought the elegant wedding dress and veil from the marriage coordinator and said to my husband, "Will you marry me in-game?" His answer was, "Why?" I can't say I'm surprised because we've been married for the better part of 17 years, and he's never really been into the social part of gaming as much as I have. But he's also a good sport, so he agreed to buy a tux and do the ceremony anyway. In this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, we'll walk you through the process of tying the knot in game, from the pre-wedding prep to the lively celebrations afterwards.
Trion releases RIFT wedding trailer
A couple of weeks ago Trion announced its plan to get RIFT in the Guinness Book of World Records for hosting the most virtual marriages in a 24-hour period. Today the company has released a new video designed to show off the matrimony mechanics and give fans a sneak peek of what's in store for the Valentine's Day record attempt. The festivities begin at 12:00 p.m. EST on February 14th, and Trion says that "any two RIFT players who get hitched in-game will be counted in the Guinness World Records title attempt and will receive 'The Avowed' in-game title." Don't forget to check out the video after the break. [Source: Trion press release]
'RIFT Lite' announced, makes first 20 levels free to all [Updated]
Trion Worlds has just announced that its fantasy MMO RIFT, which released to wide acclaim just 11 months ago, will today launch an introductory version of the game known as RIFT Lite. Similar to Warhammer Online's Endless Trial and World of Warcraft's Starter Edition, RIFT Lite will allow "anyone with a Trion account to experience the game's first 20 levels at no cost and with no playtime restrictions." Players will be able to access the capital cities as well as Terminus, Mathosia, Freemarch, and Silverwood, all the way up to level 20 and on any server, for the low, low cost of zero dollars. In the press release, RIFT Executive Producer Scott Hartsman, who told fans last November that Trion had "absolutely no plans whatsoever" to turn RIFT F2P, stated that his company believes "a Lite edition with no time limit is the best way for players to see what an amazing experience RIFT continues to be." Diet RIFT launches today in conjunction with the latest patch, Carnival of the Ascended, which brings player weddings, dungeon overhauls, and PvP tweaks to Telara. [Update: The official RIFT Lite website has now gone live.]
RIFT available on EA's Origin today
If you haven't purchased RIFT yet, or you're looking for an additional copy, it might interest you to know that Trion's fantasy MMORPG is now available on Electronic Arts' Origin digital delivery platform. The game comes bundled with an assortment of limited-edition items including a screechling vanity pet and the Ascended gift pack. The latter contains stat-boosting items that increase dexterity, strength, intelligence, and wisdom, as well as small health and mana boosters. Trion is also throwing in a 10-slot bag in case you need somewhere to put all those newly acquired potions. RIFT launched to critical acclaim in March of 2011, and Trion is currently working on the title's seventh major content patch. [Source: Trion press release]
Trion plans RIFT's 2012 attack strategy
With 2011 locked in as a highly profitable year for Trion Worlds, the studio is eager to prove that it didn't pull off a one-trick-pony with RIFT by leaping into 2012 with guns blazing. Scott Hartsman emphasized that the studio's emphasis on having a responsive live team that quickly and decisively acts on player feedback is a key element in what makes RIFT special. "We want to make greater strides for 2012," he said. Hartsman also opened up about Trion's plans for 2012, starting with the Return to Telara free play weekend that's currently active. The team is preparing to unveil plans about major improvements to the PvP system, including ways to lower PvP wait time, improve the PvP soul system, increase rewards, and perhaps have a form of open-world PvP that isn't limited to factional combat. Other areas of improvement for the year he mentioned include giving players tools for social gatherings and tweaking the crafting system.
RIFT's 1.7 patch filled with content, coming soon
What's next for RIFT? Well, the 1.7 patch, for starters. The update is called Carnival of the Ascended, and if it sounds a bit festive, it is. Telaran weddings are in the offing, as Trion is introducing a marriage mechanic to its fantasy MMO. There's also the new River of Souls Chronicle, which the official forums bill as an "undead adventure for two." A new master mode dungeon is coming too, as is an expert dungeon overhaul with more options and better loot for endgame avatars. Finally, there's a free weekend coming your way on January 19th, and you can return to Telara (or check it out for the first time) for no charge through January 22nd.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Of apps and patches
On the surface, things have been relatively quiet in RIFT. The Fae Yule Event moved along merrily, but there hasn't been much revealed about update 1.7 yet. Fans are so used to the rapid pace of updates that they've made a minigame out of guessing what's coming and when it will arrive. But if you're wondering whether the team took the holidays off and left behind its work, fear not! Just a few days ago, Trion Worlds revealed a new iPhone app called RIFT Mobile and held its first developer Q&A with the community, during which it provided lots of new tidbits of information for RIFT fans to look forward to. In this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, we'll look at the highlights.
Enter at your own Rift: A holiday wish-list for Telara
The holidays are upon us, and one of the most important parts of the season is making wish lists. Mine came in at a rather modest four pages, with another two pages of in-game items for my characters. Trion certainly has had a busy year, and while the game looks a lot different now than it did at launch, there's always room for more changes and improvements. Since I'm on a roll with making wish-lists this year, this week's Enter at Your Own Rift will give a rundown of what should be added to the game in 2012. Read on for the list, and then add your own below!
RIFT offers cheap client, lots of bonus XP for Christmas
What does Christmas look like in Telara? There's probably snow, and elves, and according to the latest Trion news blurb, there are lots of presents too. First of all, the RIFT client is available for a paltry $4.99 starting tomorrow. And of course there's plenty of "cheer, joy, charity, and battling a never-ending stream of extra-dimensional monsters bent on undoing reality." To help you in your quest to save the world from demons and bad Christmas music, Trion is running a pretty spiffy promotion from December 22nd through January 2nd. RIFT subscribers will enjoy 15% bonuses on kill XP, favor, prestige, plaques of achievement, marks of ascension, and planarite throughout the holidays, and you can learn more about the game at its official website. [Source: Trion press release]
Enter at Your Own Rift: The casual revolution in RIFT
The Fae Yule world event has arrived in Telara, and there's one part of the event in particular that really captures the holiday feeling. It's not the daily quests but the festive "shinies" that players can harvest around town, like mistletoe and the holiday candle. At first I enjoyed the fun of clicking and getting nice little rewards, but by the third shiny, I was cursing other players who were racing me to the spot and grabbing the goods before I could! Talk about a Black Friday flashback! Twenty minutes later I was in the middle of the most intense, knock-down brawl for shinies that could rival a top-tier PvP Warfront. You wouldn't think that harvesting little festive oddities could be turned into a hardcore game, but that is exactly what I and a few other players ended up doing. And that got me thinking about Jesper Juul's book A Casual Revolution. In it, he looks at how video games have gone back to their roots and reinvented themselves, leading, for example, to the rise of the Wii. His book focused more on console gaming and didn't address MMOs that much, but in this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, I'd like to look at how his ideas apply to RIFT, particularly with recent changes to the game.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Into the flames of the official forums
Over the summer at a game convention, I was having a conversation with a friend who asked me about RIFT. But curiously, he didn't ask me the usual questions about gameplay, souls, or invasions. He wanted to know whether the rumor was true that the official forums were just full of sound and fury rather than productive discussions. In the initial weeks after launch, I had to admit, the forums were a lot like the wild west. On one hand, you had post after post from people arguing about whether the game was good or bad, whether it was too much like World of Warcraft, and even whether the game would survive more than a year. On the other, you had grizzled veterans showing disdain for newer fans by posting curt replies to their questions about the game. There were some good discussions on the forum, but they often got lost in a sea of emotion, and as a result, I ended up avoiding the forum in the months that followed. For this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, I've decided that it's time to don my flame-retardant suit and wade back into the forums to see if things have settled down at all. I've always been a believer that forums are an important part of that community feel in MMOs, and I'm channeling a bit of Jef's Community Detective to see how things fare today. Read on for my findings and for some helpful threads that I encountered in the process!
Enter At Your Own Rift: The big takeaways from GDC
After dining on enough beef brisket to feed an army of hungry cowboys, I returned from Austin's GDC Online to chip away at the Ashes of History world event quests. RIFT had a nice showing at the GDC Online Awards ceremony, walking away with awards for Best Online Technology and Best New Online Game. In addition, Trion CCO and RIFT Executive Producer Scott Hartsman gave a talk about RIFT's pre-launch preparations and post-launch plans. GDC was dominated by a handful of common topics, like free-to-play, metrics, monetization, and technology. In this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, we'll take a look at a few of these to see how they apply to RIFT, and then we'll look at the big takeaways from GDC overall.
RIFT's Ashes of History world event begins tomorrow
Since RIFT's release, the developers at Trion Worlds have staged frequent world events and mini-events to add some variety to the game. A brand-new Ashes of History world event kicks off tomorrow, putting players against the elemental forces of earth and fire. The event begins as disease-spreading Golden Maw cultists discover artifacts in the sea of Telara and begin plotting to use them for their own ends. The world event opens up new daily quests for players to try out, and participants will be able to collect a rare Magma Opal currency from frequent rift events and invasions. The opals can be spent on rare equipment, companion pets and an exclusive Ash Strider mount. %Gallery-136281%
Enter at Your Own Rift: Tidbits from 1.5
RIFT's Update 1.5 has been live for about a week now, and with it comes lots of changes. What always strikes me about the updates is the number of quiet changes that leave you saying, "Wait, what was that?" It's not a ninja nerf; it's more like the fine print of the patch notes -- things that you tend to skip over or not read closely because there's so much other stuff to chew on. This week in Enter at Your Own Rift, we'll take a look at a few of those "little" changes. And yes, we'll look at some of the larger ones too!
