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Trion unveils new RIFT Rogue trailer
It's been a while since we've seen a class video from Trion, but today the drought is over thanks to the spiffy new RIFT Rogue trailer. The two-minute clip mixes in-game footage with title screens showing the various permutations of the Rogue's soul system, giving would-be rascals a cursory glance at RIFT's take on one of the fantasy genre's most beloved archetypes. Because of RIFT's build-your-own-class mechanics, Rogues in the world of Telara stand out from their contemporaries due to a good bit of versatility. The trailer shows us three incarnations of the class: a death-dealer, a sniper, and a support specialist. In addition to those roles, you may even see a RIFT Rogue playing a lute, teleporting, or possibly tanking a mob. Check out the clip after the cut for more details.
CNN looks at RIFT's server technology
MMORPGs don't get much virtual ink on the world's top news sites, and when they do, it's usually because someone's died during a grind session. RIFT recently bucked that trend with a lengthy spread on CNN.com, and somewhat predictably, the initial focus is on the "battle" between Trion's upstart and Blizzard's World of Warcraft behemoth. While the first half of the article is devoted to describing RIFT in layman's terms, there are a few interesting snippets focusing on Trion's technology (specifically the fact that RIFT's servers are organized by function rather than by location as per usual with other games in the genre). Producer Scott Hartsman tells CNN that developing the new tech was a challenge that will prove worthwhile in the long run. "Yeah, it was hard, but it was well worth it. We're really just now at the point [where] we're about 25% into all of the things we can do with our technology and we're looking to add more," he explained.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Evaluating events
If there's one color that sums up my RIFT experience lately, it's purple. Purple loot, purple dye for my armor, and of course, the purple glow of a death rift on the horizon. One month after launch, players are faced with the decision of whether to subscribe and continue the pursuit of purple or leave Telara's struggles to another Ascended. Of course, Trion was all-too-ready to help influence that decision. With a one-two punch, the devs unveiled two big events this past weekend: The River of Souls world event and The Allies of the Ascended weekend. The world event highlights RIFT's first major game update, and it unfolds in a series of phases over the next couple of weeks. Allies of the Ascended was essentially a "recruit-a-friend" trial weekend, and players were given codes to pass along to their friends and guildmates. It's probably not a coincidence that these two events were launched together at a time when MMOs normally start to face a dip in population. So did these events deliver? Read on for a closer look!
Bring your friends to RIFT for free this weekend
You have to hand it to Trion. It's pulling out all the stops to mitigate the dreaded one-month population churn that often accompanies a newly released MMORPG. First it was a series of live events and a smattering of new content for the title's 4-week anniversary, and now comes word of the Allies of the Ascended promotion. From April 1st through April 4th, current RIFT subscribers can bring a friend, loved one, or any other type of acquaintance to the world of Telara for free. An ally code "will grant new players (excludes existing RIFT subscribers) a digital download of RIFT and access to certain features of this game during the Allies of the Ascended event." Check the email associated with your RIFT account for further details, or head to the official website to get started.
Massively Exclusive: Simon Ffinch on RIFT's game update
Just one month after launch, Trion is set to unveil its first major game update for RIFT. One of the biggest parts of the update is the launch of the new 20-man raid zone, The River of Souls, and there is a week-long in-game event that highlights the storyline and kicks things off. Also included in the update are several adjustments to the souls and even some changes to the way rift loot is awarded. To chat about these goodies and more, Massively sat down with Simon Ffinch, Design Director for RIFT. Read on to hear him discuss some details about the in-game event as well as the new raid zone, an update on security, and a hint at what's planned down the road.
Skinny-dipping in RIFT's River of Souls
"All will fall! All will serve!" With these chilling words, RIFT will launch its first major post-release event: the River of Souls. With cultists stomping all across Telara, bad things were bound to happen sooner or later. Alsbeth the Discordant, Queen of the Endless Court, is making a play for world domination. Starting March 30th and going for about a week, Alsbeth will launch massive Death invasions across every zone in RIFT. If players decide to push back, they may be rewarded with unique goodies such as a Spectral Horse mount and a disguise that turns you into an undead. The event also includes a new 20-man raid called (appropriately) the River of Souls. The soulstream is the final resting place of all of Telara's deceased -- however, Alsbeth and her cronies are plucking souls out of it and forcing them back into service. This raid becomes accessible if the players are victorious enough in their efforts to fight Alsbeth, and it's only here that she can be fought face-to-face. There are plenty of new details on this event today. The RIFT Podcast team sat down with RIFT team member Adam Hetenyi to talk about River of Souls. We have several new pictures of the event in the gallery below and a trailer with Alsbeth's pep talk after the jump, so check it out! %Gallery-119939%
Trion signs deal with Belver to localize RIFT for Russia
Hey look, it's another RIFT tidbit! We know it's been several hours since the last one, and honestly, the void was making us all a bit weepy. Seriously, though, we do have some good news for our Russian comrades who're itching to take a peek at the Telara the rest of the MMO world has been fawning over for the past month. Trion has just announced a publishing deal with Belver to bring a localized version of the game to Russia as well as 14 Commonwealth of Independent States. Currently, there's no firm release date, though Trion's press blurb mentions a late 2011 window. "The work going into launching on Russian servers is significant, but with skilled specialists on either side of [the] Atlantic, RIFT's release in Russia is sure to be a solid product," said Belver CEO Slava Plotnikov.
Trion details RIFT's Silverwood lore
It's mid-week, and if you've been following our RIFT coverage for some time, you know that that's generally when Trion graces us with another lore-centric news item. Last week it was a profile of Alsbeth the Discordant; this time around we've got a look at the primordial elven sanctuary known as Silverwood. RIFT's high elves are described by Trion as the wardens of all life, and so it follows that the race be given stewardship over the untamed wilds, forests, and vibrant greenery of their ancestral home. Join us after the cut to explore how Tavril, Telara's nature goddess, bade the high elves defend Silverwood through the ages and how the forests are faring under the onslaught of the destructive planar rifts. %Gallery-101448%
Enter at Your Own Rift: One month in, how's the game?
Snakes -- they're the one thing in RIFT that I absolutely detest, not because they're dangerous or scary, but because they refuse to drop the last snake tear that I need for my critter tears collection. I've killed dozens, perhaps even hundreds, but every time, I walk away empty-handed. Oh sure, every now and then, one will give off that sparkle effect when it has loot, but it's always just the morale-crushing snake skin. I have killed so many snakes that I could probably string them together and encircle the world of Telara three times. Instead, I'll step away from my snake-slaughter to report on the news from Telara. It's been a month since the head-start launch, and already we've seen several major changes. Read on for a my mini-progress-report on public grouping, security, training dummies, and my incredible shrinking armor.
Trion profiles RIFT's Alsbeth the Discordant
It's always a pleasure to learn more of the lore behind Trion Worlds' newly launched RIFT. The fantasy MMO is often lauded for mechanical polish, but its backstory is also well thought out (and generally presented via prose that's a cut above MMO PR norms). Today's reveal is no exception, and Trion has given us the skinny on a notable Telarian villainess known as Alsbeth the Discordant. It seems the former Alsbeth Rothmann has been a bit naughty -- so naughty, in fact, that she's risen to the rank of Regulos' right hand (no word on whether it's red or not, Nick Cave fans). Trion describes Alsbeth as "traitorous, malevolent, calculating, and brilliant," and if that's not enough to wet your whistle, how about the fact that she single-handedly doomed the city of Port Scion and "continues to rain terror down upon Telara, spreading pestilence across Freemarch, defiling the Iron Tomb, and heralding invasions from the Death Plane." Clearly she's the kind of girl you take home to meet the family, and we know you can't wait to read more about her after the cut. Don't forget the gallery below that features concept art and screen caps. %Gallery-101448%
Trion extends RIFT's Founder Pricing options
Trion Worlds has great news for RIFT fans who plan on playing the game for months at a time. The company is extending the availability window of its Founder's Pricing options for a further two weeks. The deal was originally slated to expire on March 15th, but subscribers can still select $9.99 six-month and $11.99 three-month plans if the purchase is made by March 31st. The discount pricing is valid as long as you maintain an active subscription, and your payment method will be charged on a recurring basis as per MMO industry norms. RIFT is a high-fantasy MMORPG featuring an ever-changing landscape, a unique Ascended Soul class system, and the ability to fight as a Guardian protector or a technomagical Defiant.
Trion profiles RIFT's Endless Court
Launch day has come and gone for the juggernaut that is RIFT, but thankfully, that hasn't stopped Trion Worlds from pumping out nifty lore-centric PR pieces. The latest installment covers the sordid history of the Endless Court, a cabal of cultists that "trade flesh and breath for the hollow promise of power over the dead." The Endless Court was born of the dark designs of a fallen mage (Alekor Devishnille) and a corrupt warlord (Mahr Rilthain), the former of whom slaughtered whole villages to obtain ritualistic components and the latter of whom sacrificed his own children to prove his loyalty to Regulos. There's more darkness, despair, and danger in the lore excerpt after the cut, so don't say we didn't warn you.
Enter at Your Own Rift: A closer look at wardstones and public groups
What a busy first week it's been in Telara! The first evening of RIFT's head-start was a bit stressful, as players fretted over hours-long server queues and lost playtime. But after that, things settled down, and the forums went relatively quiet as players chased down rifts and fought off invasions. With all of the excitement, though, there are a few things that players might overlook. This week, we're going to investigate a couple of handy tips that you might have missed but that will definitely make your adventures in Telara more enjoyable. Read on to see why public groups are not just for rift invasions and how a little love to your nearby wardstone can make your life (and those around you) much happier.
RIFT's head-start is standing room only
To almost no one's surprise, Trion's RIFT head-start was an exercise in multitasking for many would-be players. MMO launch-day veterans are probably familiar with the one-eye-on-the-queue and one-eye-on-something-more-productive routine by now, but for everyone else, the fact that a good portion of the day was spent not playing RIFT was a bit frustrating. In some cases, estimated wait times approached 15 hours (though in fairness to the folks at Trion, the counters did fluctuate quite a bit). Demand was so great that a whopping 13 additional servers were added around noon, with 10 more going up as the day wore on. Tell us about your head-start horror stories in the comments (if you're not too busy playing, that is).
Trion Worlds: RIFT has surpassed one million registered accounts
In case you couldn't tell by now, Trion has officially confirmed that a lot of people are interested in its RIFT fantasy MMORPG. The new title has surpassed one million registered accounts, according to a press release that coincides with today's headstart kickoff. RIFT officially launches on March 1st in the States (March 3rd in most of Europe and March 4th in the UK). The game will feature 33 opening-day servers to distribute the load of incoming players as well as several ruleset flavors including PvP, PvE, and RP. Check out our extensive RIFT coverage from the head-start period all the way up to launch day, and head to the game's official website for more info.
Unboxing the RIFT Collector's Edition
Like hyperactive kids on Christmas morning, we've been tearing into our copies of RIFT's Collector's Edition with unbridled excitement. Although Trion Worlds has offered a variety of versions of the game, from the standard to the Digital Collector's Edition, we're most interested in checking out the many physical goodies that come with the deluxe CE. Included with the RIFT Collector's Edition is the game, various digital in-game items, 30 days of gameplay, a poster, mousepad, 8 gigabyte flash drive, soundtrack, reference card, and a 128-page full-color comic set in the game world of Telara. If you like what you see, it's not too late to pick up a copy of the CE -- which runs you $76.99 from Amazon -- and get in with tomorrow's head start launch. You can view all of the CE's wonders and treasures by checking out the gallery below:%Gallery-117421%
Enter at Your Own Rift: Pre-launch checklist
I'll just come out and say it: The month or so right before the launch of a highly anticipated MMO is simultaneously ecstasy and agony, full of love and loathing. The waiting sucks, but the anticipation is delicious. The enthusiasm from the community is electric, but the heated emotions can be toxic. The discussion is fascinating, but the know-it-alls are annoying. Personally, I kind of wish we could be at launch-plus-one month right now, just so that the frenzy of insane opinions will have died down and we can just, y'know, play the game without feeling as though we were in the middle of a verbal rugby match. Like any MMO, RIFT's going to have its positives and negatives, but I feel that this launch is going to be something we haven't seen in a long time: a solid, stable MMO that offers up a complete package. That pleases the Justin. Since I can't whip out my magic remote control and fast-forward to April, I propose we do the next best thing. Let's open up our imaginary quest logs and run down a checklist of seven "To Dos" and a few "To Don'ts" to help us prepare for RIFT's release. Planning can be fun! Shut up, it can be!
The home stretch: Trion posts RIFT's beta 7 patch notes
Today marks the beginning of the end: the final beta event for RIFT, which also happens to be the first open beta as well. To kick off this six-day event, Trion Worlds posted another set of lengthy patch notes as the team feverishly works to refine the product before its February 24th head start. From new emotes to UI improvements, there's a little something for everyone here. Probably the largest change overall is with the souls; a good deal of the game's 32 PvE souls received tune-ups and adjustments. Guild features were given a few passes as the team added a few new perks and replaced a number of guild banners. Trion also implemented in-game Twitter functionality, allowing players to tweet their in-game statuses and screenshots to the world. And for the always-vain Dwarves, well, it looks as though RIFT finally got that latest shipment of Botox: "Male Dwarves no longer look so... weathered. Current male Dwarf characters will probably appear to have lost a few years off their face somewhere." You can read the full patch notes on the official forums.
Exclusive pet available with RIFT purchases at Walmart
Trion Worlds' upcoming fantasy MMO RIFT is gearing up for a huge launch, with ongoing beta events and regular lore reveals raising significant interest in the upcoming title. Last week, Trion's marketing campaign took an interesting turn when the company teamed up with Valve to bring exclusive RIFT items into Team Fortress 2. This unusual marketing strategy could potentially give RIFT pre-orders on Steam a big push. This week, Trion has announced a much more orthodox marketing promotion. On RIFT's March 1st launch date, boxed copies of the game will be sold at Walmart stores in the US and online at Walmart.com. Anyone buying the standard edition of RIFT at these locations will receive an exclusive Shambler Hatchling pet. Prices for the standard edition are expected to be $49.99, with the collector's edition selling for $79.99. Players who have pre-ordered the collector's edition and will be participating in the game's headstart period on February 24th will now also be able to get early access to their collector's items. If you're one of these players, head over to the Trion forums where Senior Community Manager Cindy Bowens has given some helpful instructions on getting your collectables on the 24th.
Trion releases new RIFT Orphiel Farwind lore
With all the attention paid to RIFT's classes, souls, and game mechanics in general, it's easy to forget that the world of Telara has a fairly deep backstory. Whether or not most players will digest or appreciate the title's lore while grinding towards the level cap is anyone's guess, but Trion has nonetheless injected some interesting flavor into its upcoming fantasy MMO. The latest example of Telarian lore is an account of Orphiel Farwind, a controversial and somewhat mysterious figure who plays a notable role in the Defiant mission to create an army of Ascended heroes. Join us after the cut for a bit of backstory and some art assets relating to the fabled character. %Gallery-101448%
