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Lets look at Rift objectively
I hear a lot of Rift either being awesome on one side and the other side it is the same old, same old. But instead of using these statements, that does not really say much, why not actually list why this game will be so awesome, or not.
From what I have gathered the pros are:
Soul system which allows for great customization and replay value
Rifts which introduces a, somewhat, fresh and dynamic element to the game
PvP with both open world and instanced elements
Nice gfx/sound
Cons:
Small and very linear "world", remiscent of WAR.
Only two factions and only starting zones
Generic quests
Pointless PvP (?) as you really cant conquer much of anything, just temporarily disturb quest hubs (I dont consider gear rewards as meaningful PvP)
Same auto-target, click 1,2,3 combat system that have been seen before. No dodging or using the environment to your advantage (?).
So I really only see two elements that seems to make the game stand out, rifts and the soul system. Everything else seems kinda generic.
PS. I dont consider polish/bug free etc. to be a pro, I take that for granted for any game that wants me to pay for it.
Comments
You can take something for granted if it is standard practice for the industry to offer it. Is polish at launch a standard practice for the past ... many years?
I'm gonna give a shot to Rift.
Mostly because I want some nostalgia.
I don't have high expectations.
SexuaLobster's Grease Portal
It is not, but I am not going to accept that as a bonus just because the industry dont want to provide something that has been provided for other type of games. That kind of attitude is why the industry thinks it is ok to release unstable, bug ridden mess and then charge full price for it. (yes I am looking at you Mortal Online)
So for me, if a game is not polished then I simply wont buy it until it becomes polished, as I take that for granted.
My gaming blog
The way i see it is Rift has everything your MMO has (in most cases better) and more, plus Rift has Rift raids, Puzzle Rifts, Elite Rift Bosses etc etc etc. And has the Soul System (better then most mmo's).
And we have only seen up to level 27...
"It would be awesome if you could duel your companion. Then you could solo pvp".--Thanes
You do know that Rift raids, puzzle rifts and elite rift bosses are all still only part of rifts?
You shouldn't pick apart and expand something to make it seem better.
Let's see Rift Raids are End Game Raids for 10-20 man.. You have not seen them yet.
Puzzle Rifts are opened up by players and have a puzzle to figure out to kill the boss.
Regular Rifts spawn mobs that roam in groups and take over npc quest hubs and set up Footholds.
Elite Rift Bosses are single random bosses that spawn from rifts that have different mechanics.
There all different Rifts and thats all we have seen so far in beta.
You can call them all the same thing if you want... But im here to tell you that the Rifts are just a tool to create a lot of different content in the game...
Almost forgot about GM ran Rift Events.....
"It would be awesome if you could duel your companion. Then you could solo pvp".--Thanes
The only way of looking at Rift objectively is by having played it.
It appears to have a committed and responsive development team, plus a company focussed on just this one game, as opposed to some publishers whose main objectives seem to be churning out a minimum of three games per year.
I would add that to the positives.
While not really contradicting you, the one CONSEQUENCE of the Rifts that has me poised to pre-order, is that Rifts *may* be able to replace the dreary solo quest grind. That is, replace it with spur of the moment group play that brings the community together in a natural way. Maybe not all the time, but some of the time at least. This seemed to be the case for beta 4 and it is the same reason I'm enthusiastic about the PHILOSOPHY of GW2's DE system.
I may regret pre-ordering but that's ok. I'm so fed up with the solo nature of normal fetch or kill wildlife MMO gameplay that I'm itching to take the risk. Rifts put you in a situation where it is natural and mutually beneficial to work together with those around you, or at least I hope that is the case.
By listing pros and cons you've made a subjective post, not everyone will see your cons as such, there are those quite happy with everything and those who aren't, get rid of the pros and cons and it will be an objective post.
Thread name is funny.. "Objectively", if you have your opinion and put cons/pros on things it isnt objective anymore. To post anything objectively about game, you can only gather all things game have and post them, but that wont make a nice thread, will it?
Rifts are boring after a few (at least for me) and soulsystem is nothing good IMO, as there isnt too much choices from how I see it.
All your cons can be negated depending on people liking, like if it is done well I can enjoy linear world, but for that quests must interesting, good storyline etc...(I dont wanna argue about my opinion on cons/pros (I just made random examples), it just my opinion and I show how pros/cons isnt valid for everyone so people shouldnt use them in "objective" thread.
Let's break down your cons.
Small and linear world: I can concede this point for the low level content I have explored in beta. The game drives you from quest hub to quest hub. The difference is that your quest hub may or may not be there depending on if one of the planes has a foothold in the area or not. While it's not a huge jump, it does bring a certain level of diversity when leveling one character to the next on the same faction.
Two Factions: Pretty standard faire in mmos these days. The three sided war thing is rather interesting, but then again, you're also looking at more races, more leveling zones, more of everything. No small undertaking. I am fine with two factions, even though three makes for a more diverse pvp experience, but the game is PvE centric.
PvP: The game is heavily PvE centric, with PvP as an option. If you're looking for meaningful PvP, obviously Rifts isn't going to be it.
Combat System: Honestly, what do you really expect from a mmo? Since the inception of mmorpgs, almost every single one of them has had a hotbar with skills you place on it. The correct combination of button mashes wins the fight. The issue you're going to run into with mmos and their combat, is that it needs to be somewhat non-gimmicky. Developers needs to account for a wide degree of player types and other things such as latency. If the game requires a lot of twitch, then you place players with higher latency at a disadvantage. Twitch mechanics can also be exploited and used in ways that can become gamebreaking. Moreover, if you add in a lot of twitch mechanics to your combat system, you're also going to alienate a good portion of the market, in a sub based game, you want to try to attract as many people as you can.
As far as using the environment to your advantage, Rifts does have that ability to a degree. The denizens of the different planes will fight each other. Opening a tear that is occuring near your enemy may result in a different element type pouring out. You can let them duke it out and strike when they are weak. I saw this happen a couple of times in beta 4. Granted, the tears were opening extremely fast, so I didn't get to force open the rift, but I saw Life pour out of a Rift and beging fighting nearby Fire, it was neat.
Rift has a lot to offer, moreso than many of the other mmorpgs that have released the past few years. Yes, it has its flaws, but that's the same for any mmo. The degree of polish that Trion is adding should be considered a pro, considering the utter crap we have been presented with recently. How shiney and new Rift remains is unknown, but it has enough going for it to give it a fair shake.
Well I've seen gameplay videos and it looks promising. I'm gonna try it out for sure.
Both of these things are true. If someone is looking for a game that really breaks the mold, Rift is not what they're looking for. If someone is looking for a highly polished traditional MMO then Rift is what they're looking for. Trion has said this from the beginning and beta testers have confirmed it. I'm not sure what all the confusion is about.
What nostalgia ? We've been playing the same crap for 6 years already.
That was not objective. You are using : I dont consider this and that, I only see this and that. That is your opinion. To some it will be a pro and some a con. I don't mind opinion posts but don't disguise it as an objective one.
That's all i've seen of it too, but they had the opposite affect on me.
I guess this game will either be a hit or miss depending on individual opinion, and because of that will not be a massively recognized success but should stay up on it's own two feet just fine.
The "Rift debate" has been fascinating to watch and has basically proven that generally speaking the MMO community at large will never and i mean NEVER overwhelmingly embrace a title.
So far it appears as though Rift is:
a.) polished and relatively bug free
b .) graphically very solid
c.) pretty filled with content
d.) has solid PVE
e.) good character development
f.) knows who and what it is
g.) has some PVP
h.) has some dynamic content with RIFTS
I.) has an active and responsive DEV team.
j.) is NEW!
So in many respects (at least in beta) it is overcoming THE BIG complaints about Aion, AoC, WAR, STO, FFXIV. So what is the response from the crowd? "But its not groundbreaking!" "Its not revolutionary" "It's too traditional". I mean for real? If these are the harshest things that can be said about the game it is already legions above the last 4 major titles to release.
Not sure why there are so many folks that are almost urging/begging/praying for new games to fail. I find it peculiar. Each success helps the entire genre. I will play RIFT for the very reasons so many list as negatives . I will also play it because its not what I have been playing for YEARS (eq2, wow, lotro, vanguard). IT is something new! It takes the standard MMO model and re-polishes it, upgrades it, changes it a bit and makes it "new". That works for me!
When I upgrade my car every four or so years I tend to stick with the same models that I like. I look forward to the new features, the new gadgets and safety improvements-solid improvements and modernizations! IF RIFT nudges the genre a few steps ahead, if it releases in good condition on stable servers and becomes the new "EQ2, LOTRO," and a good alternative for those still toiling in the Vanguards, the Eq1s, the DAOCs and yes even some WoW players-well then-i think it will be a resonding success!
I cannot agree more
Yamota's detail is the exact reason why I will not drop 50$ on this title. Nor would I pay 15$ a month as a sub fee if I did end up buying it. A graphics engine and a few neat ideas do not warrant a full game and subscription plan. F2P MMO's with cash shops are what are taking over and is making money these days. That model needs to be adapted by this game because if you look at D&D, WAR and LOTR. You can see how their tune has changed.
Momo sucks, I have proof.
This
I don't agree that the only PvP worth playing is the "conquer something" policy.
I even think that disturbing quest hubs temporarely is great. It is a great feature: you deny the playing of an opponent in that area.
The same for gear rewards: it is the reason why 99% for the players play: to better their character and advance.
PvP is just that: ---- >people playing against people without depending (too much) on NPC's.
Any PvP is meaningful as long as it is based on a human competition, not too unbalanced, gets the adrenaline going and is based on a fluid and responsive control system (something most MMO's suffer from).
Auto- target (optional) is not bad at all, because it keeps the action going. MMO's are played for zillions of hours in very long playing sessions as opposed to FPS. Hitting the same activation requirement should be an option not a standard feature.
In fact often the worst PvP is the so called open PvP where there is an uncontrollable huge mass zerg fest over small pieces of land to "conquer" for a few hours/days. It gets played over the heads of the PvP-er. Something a "real" PvP player who enjoys comparing his/her skills with others will not enjoy.
True True, It all depends on the users their opinion.
except for responsive DEV team and rifts I could of listed all those things about AOC and WAR. While they may not have had the so called unique soul tree, they did have more classes you could play instead of 5 Rift has, War Hammer had a ton of classes as well as different skill trees with in those classes same as AOC. Which gave rise to replaybilty.
So as far as I am concerend the soul system is not unique they just turned the word class into soul
Of course AOC failed becuase of failing to give any real content as well as think people got tired of instnaces and war is a one trick poney with running the same RVR over and over just to get to the next one to do over and over.
I will give you this it is very very polished and stable at the moment. And I like the art direction of it. But for me its just too tiny and linear. And I love alts
I thought objective didn't involve your personal feelings on these things?