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My noob thoughts on Rift. Thanks to those who helped me decide.
MindTrigger
Member Posts: 2,596
I rolled a Cleric on Deepstrike, one of the more busy PvP servers in Rift. I'm currently only level 17, but that was far enough to get a good solid taste of the PvE gameplay. I won't comment on PvP because other than a few duels, I haven't seen any yet.
Last week I posted a couple questions about Rift here before pulling the trigger on the purchase. I have been looking for something to entertain me from now until Guild Wars 2 (or maybe The Secret World) comes out. GW2 and few other games being exceptions, I am really not a themepark MMO fan. My main reason for that line of thinking is that current themeparks tend to be a bit too static/lifeless for my liking, and I also don't like that continued play time for casual players like me seems to be centered on re-rolling new toons simply because we do not have time for (or care about) hardcore raiding. In short, I wouldn't mind themeparks much if they were a bit more sandbox. Something hybrid would be nice to allow some of us to enjoy more paths of free-play and adventuring.
I played WoW through Burning Crusade on a single toon, and I had a great time. It didn't blow my mind, and I clearly wasn't into it like most people were, but I did have fun. It just lacked any feeling of a living world, and limited my freedom too much, so once I hit cap and experieced the non-raid content, I was done with the game.
While Rift does not have any of the hybrid elements I would prefer, I feel the same way about it that I did WoW when I played through it. Rift is good clean fun, particularly for me since I haven't been playing WoW to death for years like so many people have. I'm having a great time questing, and I do find the enemy footholds and rifts to be a nice distraction from my quests. I had hoped Rift might feel a bit more alive and dynamic than previous themeparks, but it's not that much different. The Rifts can be thought of as large spawns, combat mini-games, really. While fun, the are still just spawns and once you get used to them, they seem like any other spawn. I do like that the Rift mobs can attack and overrun NPC areas though. This adds an interesting twist and seems to rally the players every time.
If you have a good computer and video card, the world is beautiful. I am having a good time exploring it and I do see some things that make me stop and stare. In my opinion as an old gamer with a serious gaming machine, it has plenty of eye-candy. Let's face it, any modern MMO company has to take the many crappy computers of their potential clients into account when they build the engine. To do otherwise is suicide for your game. I have always argued that one of the largest factors, if not THE largest factor of WoW's success, was that the game could be played on just about anything north of a calculator in computing power. All these things considered, Rift is a sexy game in my opinion. Some will argue that older games like LOTRO are better looking, but having played LOTRO for a while, I can tell you that the 'realism' they went for there can get old to look at. I have come to prefer a more stylized approach to MMO game art for the time being.
Rift crafting is weak, just like almost every other themepark out there. It's basically a clone of WoW crafting today. I, like a lot of other people, would like to see crafting start becoming more of a mini-game. More people enjoy crafting than these game companies seem to think, especially if the crafting isn't just a tedious click-fest, and requires some effort/skill. Maybe someone can make a crafting system that seems like more than a half-hearted last minute addition to the game.
Rift's auction house is almost an exact copy of LOTRO's, which is fine by me. I really do not like Auction Houses, because I believe they are a major contributer to making themepark MMOs much less social, but that is what the market demands. So be it. If I must have one, LOTRO's was the best one I have seen, so Rift's works great as well.
As others have mentioned, the collections system is pretty cool. It's always fun to come across an artifact and add it to your sets. I'm still hoping this will evolve into a more important part of the game in the future, but it looks like you will be able to turn in collections for some decent loot as you go.
In summary, I am enjoying the game, and I have found it somewhat addicting at times. It looks great on a good gaming machine, and offers standard gameplay with a few small twists. I have many other things going on in my life, so I am a casual gamer. I haven't burned through the content like some people have, and as a rule I tend to stop and smell the roses along the way. As has been noted, Rift isn't all that innovative, but it is still a good game. Will you dig it if you have been power-gaming WoW for years? Maybe, maybe not, but it IS what you seemingly have been asking for your with your dollars. I see it as a pleasant distraction while I wait for something truly innovative to come along. Who knows, maybe the devs will surprise us and keep adding more interesting things to the game during it's evolution. WoW was pretty plain at launch by comparison.
A sure sign that you are in an old, dying paradigm/mindset, is when you are scared of new ideas and new technology. Don't feel bad. The world is moving on without you, and you are welcome to yell "Get Off My Lawn!" all you want while it happens. You cannot, however, stop an idea whose time has come.
Comments
Nice, thoughtful review. Thanks for posting!
I was pleasantly surprised when I went from Apprentice to full 5 star Elite in under 2 months. I was pleasantly surprised again when I went from Elite to just barely Hardcore in 2 weeks. Apprentice, here I come!
I appreciate the fans and the trolls on this site and think I remember reading your questions.
I was not following Rift at all. Basically due to the videos looking awful to me. However, I heard it was a smooth launch and said, what the hell.
It looks a lot better to me once you turn particle effects way down; its a subjective thing really, I don't like high fantasy with the glitz and excessive bloom.
I'm not a huge fan yet, but I'm having fun fiddling with different soul combos. Maybe it will grow on me, maybe not. Maybe end game will bore me, but til then, its fun and have had great PUGs even in PvP.
"Never met a pack of humans that were any different. Look at the idiots that get elected every couple of years. You really consider those guys more mature than us? The only difference between us and them is, when they gank some noobs and take their stuff, the noobs actually die." - Madimorga
Good review. One of the side distractions I like are the achievements and puzzles, there's some great gear to be had by solving them. Got a blue head item from bottom of lake by switching the glowing rocks about lol. Like finding the highest mountains and jumping off bridges... all adds to the game. Nice one Trion.
Just on a side note... I hated the Beta (not a beta person... no patience) but thought I would try the full game. Only way to find out.
There ya go mods...... have been nice now no more warnings... for awhile.
You dont have to fiddle with the souls. They are basically written in stone @50
The game shines while leveling. All those options and possibilities to build hybrids look great. But once you got the 66 points you ll see that they lack. Some callings more, others less. And with patch 1.1 Trion made it clear that they dont care.
The main reason why people left and still leave (look at the rift forum) is that Trion failed completely in offering an interessting end game (PvP, PvE and Crafting) and failed in creating souls/callings that are equally valuable.
(mod edit)
Still the best MMO release since Lotro and the big names coming up will have to prove they really can walk not just talk. Will I be playing at the end of the year? Not sure, but no MMO is desgined to entertain you for more than a few months these days.
Well, I beleive RIFT is mediocre, & that is why it's so popular....
"No they are not charity. That is where the whales come in. (I play for free. Whales pays.) Devs get a business. That is how it works."
-Nariusseldon
I felt the same as the OP when I was level 17 but now being level 50 it seems that there is a lot of grinding. Im sure as the game progresses there will be a lot more end game content and it will take a long time to get through it all. Possibly not even notice the gear grinding! I still play and have fun, though as a lot of people im waiting for something better to come along...
Safehouse Gaming up and running at: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnKd0Hk85CQ_N04Ae7v5zZg
Lol, true. And vice versa too.
Care to elaborate on this {mod edit}?
Wait, at level 17 you are still in the starting zone and haven't ran the first dungeon! How do you consider this to be a good example of the games PvE?
If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1000 MPG - Bill Gates
not sure if that's the reason why but I see the connection. WoW is mediocre at best yet it's easily the gold standard to beat in terms of subscription numbers
I wasn't selling you on the game's PvE. I happen to be enjoying it, and I'm not in a hurry to cap, reach dungeons or anything else. I am simply playing through the game and having a good time.
Look, it doesn't matter what anyone says on this website. In fact, had I listened to most of the people around here, I never would have bought it. Now at least I have something interesting to play for a while. Sadly, I may not feel this way about it in 4-6 months, but considering the alternatives like going back to one of the other older games I'm sick of, I don't really care what will happen 4-6 months from now.
Some of you are going to be in for constant disappointment after disappointment in your games, because you are forever expecting some miracle game that never happens. I cannot wait to hear people pick apart SWTOR two weeks after release. It's going to be hilarious. Truth is, none of us really know what the next hit game will be. It's becoming aparent that they are very, very few and far between. Even more rare than great epic movies.
A sure sign that you are in an old, dying paradigm/mindset, is when you are scared of new ideas and new technology. Don't feel bad. The world is moving on without you, and you are welcome to yell "Get Off My Lawn!" all you want while it happens. You cannot, however, stop an idea whose time has come.
Rift, is fun to me. Simply put, RIFT is WoW done right.
RIFT is a balanced combo of what every good MMO out there has to offer, put into one. It's great. The game's class system really sells. It caters to a users playstyle, which is good. I'm enjoying this game as a filler to until TOR decides to ship. The devs really love this game, when a problem occurs it's solved in a few days. My account got stolen and my char's armor and weapons were sold, in less then a day I had all my stuff back. They have great customer service. Try it, you'll love it.
Here's a link to a trial, http://www.mmorpg.com/giveaways.cfm/offer/270/Rift-Allies-of-the-Ascended-Weekend-Free-Trial-Code.html
Played - M59, EQOA, EQ, EQ2, PS, SWG[Favorite], DAoC, UO, RS, MXO, CoH/CoV, TR, FFXI, FoM, WoW, Eve, Rift, SWTOR, TSW.
Playing - PS2, AoW, GW2
Like someone else said, yeah it was kinda fun while leveling. Or that is to say that leveling kinda sucks in most games anyway, and rift was at least fast. Where the game failed for me, and many others was the end game.
They give you a city type warfront at 50, yep just one, and its full of mobs. I hate fighting mobs when im trying to PVP, thats one of the biggest problems with FFA pvp, is that its typically stealthers attacking people while they are in the middle of a pvp fight with mobs. The other 3 warfronts are the level 10 20 and 30 warfronts, there isnt a new one at 40 for some reason.
Not a whole lot of world pvp because most people are doing the other "end-game" content, expert dungeons, which are the same dungeons you did leveling up, with the difficulty turned up.
Basically there is nothing fun about the end game, no difference between being max level and being level 30 really.
Doing daily quests and grinding the same warfronts, and usually its only one warfront cause a lot of people dont queue for the others, and doing the same dungeons over and over is not fun for a lot of people.
If that is what you are looking for this game is definately worth buying.
I think the whole idea of "end game" is fundamentally flawed anyway. It allows the game developers to make a static, Disneyland game world, and it encourages players to blow through the content as fast as they can. If these games were truly more alive, intelligent and dynamic from the beginning, end game wouldn't be nearly the issue. Players could go out and have their own adventures in a more unpredictable and treacherous world.
A sure sign that you are in an old, dying paradigm/mindset, is when you are scared of new ideas and new technology. Don't feel bad. The world is moving on without you, and you are welcome to yell "Get Off My Lawn!" all you want while it happens. You cannot, however, stop an idea whose time has come.
I think a lot of people try to re-capture that feeling they had when the first played a mmo and fell in love with mmo style gaming. That first year or so of being hopelessly and wonderfully addicted.
That only happens once. For those folks looking for another moment of " magic", stop looking. You will never again be able to capture that " first time" feeling.
What one has to do is change their expectations and way of appreciating mmo's. They have become more of a way of life for me than just entertainment. I'm in no hurry to level or chasing excitement because I know I'll be playing for years and there is no rush. There will be lots of games, lots of friends, lots of good times, but I know I will never have that " first time" feeling again...and that's ok.
Yes...
Mediocre means suites everyone just enough. Just like World of Warcraft, which is also a mediocre game. Nothing special, nothing new (in terms of mechanics/engine), just the same... with more polish to excite those who don't care, don't understand, or simply want something different.
Anyone can make a better hamburger than McDonald's... (ie: mediocre @ best), so why do millions of people buy them?
Convenience & marketing..!
That is why MC D's is the LARGEST and SELLS MORE , etc.. not because of quality
"No they are not charity. That is where the whales come in. (I play for free. Whales pays.) Devs get a business. That is how it works."
-Nariusseldon