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Enter at Your Own Rift: Tackling the question of which is better
From the first day that RIFT launched, an endless debate has erupted around one central issue. Players have chosen their sides and dug in deep defending them. It's led to countless arguments and a six-month battle that gets worse with each passing day. For this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, I've decided to tackle this debate head on and really look at what divides the two sides. That's right -- the time has come to finally decide which is better: Guardian or Defiant.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Hal Hanlin and Scott Hartsman on Update 1.5
Chronicles, Planar Attunement, Veteran Rewards, a World Event, and a hint about a brand-new area coming soon are just the tip of the iceberg in RIFT's 1.5 update. Ashes of History is due to launch next week, and Design Producer Hal Hanlin and Executive Producer Scott Hartsman offered up lots of details during a conference call yesterday. Whether you're an experienced veteran or a brand-new player, there's something for everyone in update 1.5. Read on for the full rundown of what's on the way, then take a look at our gallery for the newest Ashes of History screenshots.%Gallery-101448%
RIFT veteran rewards coming with 1.5 update
It's somewhat wonky to think about veteran rewards for an MMORPG that's barely six months old, but nonetheless Trion is trotting out various incentives to keep players subscribing to RIFT and adventuring through the wilds of Telara with in-game shinies in tow. Beginning with the game's 1.5 update, "being a veteran Ascended means honor, respect, and awesome rewards," according to the informational blurb on RIFT's website. We'll leave the honor and respect bit to your fertile imaginations, but the awesome rewards are quite tangible. They include full Guardian and Defiant uniforms, personal vendors, and on-the-go mailboxes. You can also buy your way to full veteran status (and unlock the high tier rewards immediately) by purchasing a multi-month subscription. Look for more details in our upcoming interview with Trion. [Thanks to Ren54 for the tip!]
Enter at Your Own Rift: RIFT's battle plan
A month or so ago my colleague Karen looked at RIFT's own future forecast for the game, and it's apparent from Trion Worlds' state of the game reports that the company is confident and clear in the direction it wants to go. The problem is that nobody consulted me, personally, on what I think the game needs as it heads forward. Not that I'm any great gaming guru, mind you, but it would be nice to be asked. In a very real sense, RIFT is at a crossroads. It will shortly cease to be the newest big kid on the block, a position it has enjoyed for a majority of 2011. I won't invoke the names of the power hitters on deck, but trust me, many RIFT players are well aware of the competition. Players and guilds are evaluating the game as it is right now and whether or not they'll want to stay when the new hotness is released. My prediction? Some will, some won't. You can quote me on that. Personally, I think RIFT is in a remarkably good position. It continues to grow in subscribers, according to the company, and it's proven to have staying power a half-year after launch. I'm encouraged when I see friends and fellow players randomly praise the game even though its honeymoon veneer has long since worn off. There's something worth fighting for, here -- but a fight it will have. Hit the break as I lay out what I think should be RIFT's battle plan for the next 12 months.
RIFT Extra Life charity event coming in October
If you're feeling charitable this year but don't want to take time to log out of your favorite MMO to make a donation, Trion Worlds is offering you the next best thing. October 15th marks the date of RIFT's Extra Life event, which will feature a 24-hour gaming marathon designed to put a little coin in the pocket of the Children's Miracle Network. How does it all work? First you'll need to register with Extra Life and decide whether you want to play as part of a team or as an individual. Then you'll need to spread the word to family, friends, and anyone else who might be willing to sponsor your 24-hour Telara marathon. Finally, you can join up with Trion staffers in-game on the 15th and do your part for charity. There are a couple of pretty cool rewards on tap too, namely in-game titles like "the Charitable" (for all participants), and "the Insomniac" (for those who manage to last the entire 24 hours). You can find more details on the RIFT forums and at the Extra Life website.
Massively Exclusive: RIFT - Drowning in Snow, Chapter IV
Since April, Massively and Trion Worlds have been revealing installments of Drowning in Snow, a story intended to flesh out the lore of the ever-popular RIFT. Today, we publish the fourth chapter in this ongoing saga as it follows Kira Thanos and Uriel Chuluun, a pair of Defiant who traverse the treacherous, frozen heights of Abyssal Precipice to rescue the Eth woman Shiyesa Wohab from a band of insane cultists. Sit back and enjoy the drama after the break!
Enter at Your Own Rift: The curious case of planar attunement
Over the weekend, players finished off those last crumbs of the RIFT birthday cake and celebrated six months of fending off planar invasions. But already on the horizon is update 1.5, Ashes of History, and with it comes new ways for level-capped players to keep busy. One of the major features to arrive is the new Planar Attunement system. Players who are level 50 will be able to use any earned experience toward attunement points, which will grant new abilities and stat bonuses. In many ways, it resembles the AA systems used in EverQuest and EverQuest II, although there are some noticeable differences. The testing continues, and there are still tweaks to come with this system, but there are several questions surrounding the addition of the Planar Attunement system. In this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, we'll look at some potentially tricky issues when it comes to RIFT and AAs.
PAX 2011: RIFT sifts through the Ashes of History
PAX has come and gone, but the good news keeps pouring out. Over the weekend, RIFT fan site Rift Junkies got the opportunity to grill Trion's Simon Ffinch and Hal Hanlin about the show itself and the upcoming 1.5 patch. Generally, the devs were pleased to see the crowds pack around Trion's booth, especially since playable stations were always full. They noted that many current RIFT players came to log into their accounts and show off the game to newcomers. Patch 1.5 was a major focus of the interview, and Ffinch and Hanlin said that casual players should rejoice at its approach. Tentatively scheduled for September, 1.5 will include the new Chronicles system that has solo or duoing players exploring hand-crafted instances. These instances are designed to be "snapshots" of the larger raids they're associated with, and will give both casuals and raiders a better glimpse into the lore behind the setting. For example, the Hammerknell Chronicle will tell the story of how the king and prince become corrupted. The patch, which is called Ashes of History, will also include the new planar attunement trees ("It's the players beginning to start taking controls of the powers of the planes," Ffinch explained) and the super-tough "master mode" for dungeons. It's interesting to note that this patch is setting the groundwork for the exploration of a larger Telara, as players will begin to find and renovate items that will eventually allow them to head to new zones. Hit the jump to watch the full interview!
Trion details RIFT, End of Nations, and Defiance plans for Gamescom
Trion is one of many MMO companies gearing up for a big showing at this month's Gamescom, and a new interview with Adam Gershowitz, David Luehmann, and Rob Hill lets fans in on what they can expect regarding the world of Telara. For starters, there will be a lot of lip service given to RIFT's "Endgame for All" initiative, specifically the new Chronicle instances coming with the 1.5 patch. Gershowitz also mentions the Hammerknell weekend warfront and says its a way for Trion to "spice up the normal warfront grind" via new gameplay and additional rewards. Said new gameplay takes the form of a new mode called escalation, which is essentially the Telaran equivalent of capture-the-flag. The interview also touches on Trion's End of Nations and Defiance titles, both of which will also be featured at Gamescom (though it's worth noting that Defiance will be restricted to industry previewers as Trion says the title "isn't quite ready for its player debut").
RIFT founders receive free game client for friends
RIFT founders, check your emails. Trion Worlds has sent out a new offer tied to its Ascend-a-Friend promotion. The program is geared toward early (and multi-month) adopters and their RIFT-less buddies, and aims to bring people together in the world of Telara for hours of adventure and progression. The founder email features a code that grants your friend a free copy of the game client, and as long as your pal signs up under the Ascend-a-Friend program, he'll count towards your reward total. If you manage to convert three friends, you'll receive an Ember Steed which matches the speed of your fastest mount, and probably looks a lot nicer to boot. Your friend isn't left out in the cold, of course. In addition to a free copy of RIFT, Ascend-a-Friend participants will get a unique in-game title ("The Chosen") as well as the ability to summon (or be summoned) to their referring buddy once every half hour.
Enter at Your Own Rift: A guild-tool wishlist
As we fended off dripping, soggy, Abyssal infiltrators all over the cities, many rejoiced at seeing the arrival of guild banks with the latest update. Finally, guild members could unload their stacks of tradeskill resources, extra shinies, and other random loot that ends up cluttering the bank and making guild leaders cringe in frustration. Now that our patience has paid off, and the non-stop calls for guild banks has been answered, I'd like to show my appreciation by doing what any true MMOer would do -- rattle off a wish list of new guild tools that I want to see in RIFT! Read on for a look at what I'd like to see added, and also what I hope isn't put in game.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Are rifts in danger of collapsing?
Like many of you, I've been exploring RIFT's Waves of Madness event over the past couple of weeks -- and enjoying it, too. You can really see how Trion Worlds has taken some of the lessons learned from River of Souls and improved its second world event. There just seems like more to do, much more in terms of atmosphere (I love the dripping ceilings in Sanctum), I'm not feeling as rushed, and the event story is coming through loud and clear. One of the interesting things I've noticed is that the event's daily quests have subtly shifted our focus from single-player activities to group ones. In phase one, it was all about boring solo quests: find hidden invaders, collect eggs, defeat a few underwater baddies. But just when we started to get used to (and bored from) the routine, the successive phases have moved us toward the game's dynamic content. Namely, rifts, rifts and more rifts. I think this is brilliant, because we're now given a solid reason why we should participate in rifts above the mere rewards. I've been worried that Trion's letting its focus on dynamic content slip as it's been rushing to get other game features and endgame raids out the door, and RIFT without people playing rifts would be sadly ironic. Today we're going to look at just how much RIFT depends on its titular feature, and what Trion should be doing to ensure that it doesn't become another nice yet abandoned idea.
Massively Exclusive: RIFT - Drowning in Snow, Chapter II
Last April, Massively brought you the first part of an exclusive RIFT lore reveal called Drowning in Snow. The story introduced Kira Thanos and Uriel Chuluun, a pair of Defiant agents about to embark on an important mission given to them by the Faceless Man. Today we bring you the story's second installment which finds our heroes riding deep into the snowbound wilderness near Iron Pine Peak. Chapter two boasts quite a bit more action than its predecessor, and our protagonists must contend with a water rift and the havoc it inevitably brings (including a monstrous crab-like creature intent on making a meal out of Uriel). Turn the page for the very latest in RIFT lore.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Creature comforts
I've got a problem that nine interventions and three bouts of electroshock therapy have yet to cure: I'm hopelessly addicted to collecting non-combat pets (aka vanity pets) in MMOs. I don't know why that is, exactly, although I've always had a fondness for "fluffy" elements on online games. In my opinion, a lot of what we work for in MMOs is cosmetic anyway -- a really good-looking set of armor, a top-of-the-line mount -- with some piddly stats occasionally making a cameo. (Comment bait? Oh yes, I'm evil that way!) While adding nothing to my combat power nor helping me advance in the game, pets still hold purpose. They are fun to display, particularly if you have rare critters that others haven't seen, and they can give you a feeling of virtual companionship during your journeys. Unlike many collection items, pets have a use -- you can actually do something with them instead of tucking them away where they'll sit collecting pixelated dust. I was pretty pleased to discover that RIFT wasn't going to leave us high and dry when it came to non-combat pets, although it's interesting that they're somewhat harder to come by than in, say, World of Warcraft. If you're like I am, you're scouring the game looking to expand your menagerie, so it might be frustrating to be well on your way to 50 with only a paltry pair of pets to your name. Where is everyone getting all of these? How can I snag a few more? Join me after the jump as we examine six ways to collect crazy critters!
Get RIFT for $9.99 this weekend
Trion's got a couple of weekend deals in store for all you last-minute Father's Day shopping slackers, provided of course that the gaming dad in your family plays RIFT. First up is a $9.99 special that gives you the full game client. Gameplay time will cost you extra, though, so assuming you go with the standard monthly fee, you're looking at around 25 bucks for full access to Telara. Next up is the trial upgrade collector's edition special, which will set you back $16.99. You get the full client per above as well as a tartagon mount, a collector's satchel, and a bogling wastrel pet. Both deals are digital only, so if your dad, husband, or baby's daddy wants a box, you'll need to check out the brick and mortar or online retailers listed on Trion's website.
RIFT's 1.3 update bringing new raid, free transfers, and more
With less than a week remaining until the biggest game update in RIFT's short history, Trion Worlds is upping the excitement ante with a new press release detailing the extensive features coming with Waves of Madness. The official unveiling will happen courtesy of a world event on June 22nd, and RIFT's 1.3 version update will subsequently include guild bank functionality, new item sets, new character accessories, new artifacts, free character transfers, and Hammerknell. This last is a 20-player raid that Trion says "will challenge even the most practiced players." The encounter boasts three wings, 10 bosses, and a gaggle of gross-out monsters designed to make life more fun for Telara's endgame players. If we've piqued your curiosity, have a look at the official website for all the details.
E3 2011: Hands on with RIFT's 1.3 update
With patch 1.2 fading in the rearview mirror, RIFT players have turned their attention to the incoming patch 1.3 due on June 22nd. Titled Waves of Madness, the update will kick off a new world event and add an additional tier of endgame content in the form of an additional raid. We got the opportunity to dive into 1.3 early at E3, all while a petite seven-foot-tall dev perched on our shoulder and gave us running commentary. Patch 1.3's crown jewel is a 20-person raid in the ancient fortress of Hammerknell, which was built by folks who thought it'd be a smashing idea to cram evil spirits into runes and then use that as the foundation. Sounds to us a lot like building a summer camp on top of a desecrated native burial ground, but we're sure these architects had good intentions. Surprise, surprise, the spirits started to ooze out into Hammerknell and tore up the place. To make matters worse, Hammerknell is the prison of a water dragon -- and the water plane started to come to its rescue. So the Dwarves decided to treat it like an illegal toxic dump by sealing up the fortress, whistling innocently, and conveniently forgetting it until another raid area was needed. But it's not as simple as just unlocking the front door and marching in to claim some loot! Hit the jump as we walk you through the process of down-and-dirty archaeology!
RIFT 'Spoils of War' mini-event kicks off today
To help tide players over until RIFT's 1.2 patch is released, Trion Worlds has set into motion a mini-event from May 4th through the 9th. Titled "Spoils of War," the event serves as an epilogue for last month's River of Souls. After thwarting Alsbeth and her motley crew, players find that tainted treasure is literally raining from the skies in Telara and earth and fire rifts are appearing everywhere with disturbing frequency. Players will be asked to go on four daily quests -- available in their respective capital cities -- to investigate the "too good to be true" free loot. The quests task players to gather up golden coins in the capitals and special dragon eggshells around the world. RIFT players who participate can turn these coins and eggshells in for for containers that can hold a variety of goodies. These rewards include rare artifacts, achievements and a new "Gritty Kitty" companion pet. Currently, RIFT's 1.2 update is tentatively scheduled for May 10th.
RIFT dev diary talks River of Souls, raiding
Ever wondered about the design process behind a fantasy MMO raid instance? If so, you'll want to check out a new RIFT dev blog from senior game designer Berenger Fish. We profiled Alsbeth the Discordant a few weeks ago, and today Fish takes us through the iterative process that led to the sorceress' unveiling at the culmination of the River of Souls raid event. Trion's first RIFT raid, Greenscale's Blight, was expanded to include more bosses than originally planned, and the full plate left Alsbeth homeless prior to the decision to give the character her own raid. "The final result is something that we're very proud of," Fish explains. "Not because 'we did the best we could given the circumstances' but because the River of Souls stands on its own as being a kick-ass raid." Head to ZAM for the full dev blog.
Enter at Your Own Rift: The little things
For me, it's all about the little things in life: the smell of a good cup of coffee, the enthusiastic hug of my two-year-old, an illicit pack of Lemonheads candy, or throwing punny tags into Massively articles. While big things are essential to have and get right, it's the little things I find that give life its unique flavor. So when I enter MMORPGs, I'm always on the lookout for little things. Oh, sure, PvP and raiding and overarching epic stories are all well and good, but it's from the little things that the soul and flavor of a game emerges. I'm often far more delighted when I stumble upon a funny little Easter egg in a game than if I win that roll for a purple piece of armor. Today I want to look at 10 little things in RIFT that I've come to appreciate and savor over the past month or so. Maybe these elements don't get all of the glory, and maybe they're even seen as superfluous to some, but without them the game would be far less to me. So while we rush between rifts and struggle with expert dungeons, I'd encourage all of us to take some time to reflect on all of the supporting cast of features that are just as important to the overall effort.
