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RIFT featured on CNN

QazzQazz Member Posts: 577
in Rift

Noticed an interesing article about RIFT that showed up at CNN.com

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/04/08/rift.trion.online/index.html

The most interesting thing to me is the game is past it's first month and seems to still be gaining steam.

 

Edit: This is not indended to be a RIFT vs. WoW thread.  It's simply here to highlight the fact that RIFT is starting to gain the attention of the mainstream media.

Comments

  • HerodesHerodes Member UncommonPosts: 1,494

    Very interesting.

    Trion servers are broken down by function, unlike other games in which servers are devoted to particular locations in the game. For example, they use a set of servers to handle non-player character functions in the world, a different set of servers to handle encounters with "bosses," and another set that handles functions directly involving the players' characters.

    Hartsman said by dividing the servers by functions, processes can be started and stopped more quickly and easily, causing less lag and other glitches in gameplay. Getting them to all work together seamlessly was hard.

    "Yeah, it was hard, but it was well worth it. We're really just now at the point we're about 25% into all of the things we can do with our technology and we're looking to add more," he said.

    I guess I am too stupid to understand, why the different server architecture causes less lag, but apparently it does work very well - I have no lags in big battles ingame. This also seems to be the reason, why they are able to put so many players into one map in "End of Nations".
  • DnomsedDnomsed Member UncommonPosts: 261

    Interesting read about the server architecture.  Makes sense if the minutae of the game is on seperate servers and the home shards only have to contend with characters and mobs and combat interactions that lag between clients and home shard servers would be minimized.

    Warhammer fanatic since '85.
    image

  • ArkainArkain Member UncommonPosts: 491

    Thanks, that was a good read.

    image
  • mmogawdmmogawd Member Posts: 732

    Read more like an advertisement than anything else...

  • Unknown

     

    Almost reminds me of Turbine with technology advances driving game design, which I think is generally good.

     

    The most intriguing thing was that they are at only 25% of what is possible with their technology. Sounds promising for Rift! Anyone have any clue as to what else is possible??

     

    I think Rift needs more of almost everything - more races, more land mass, more types of events, more endgame that is not gear grind - but boy it is looking solid, especially compared to other recent and dismal failures.

  • marquisk2marquisk2 Member Posts: 141

    Looks like Rift is going strong. Nice link!

  • DredphyreDredphyre Member Posts: 601

    Interesting read. That explains why, or at least one reason why, the game ran so well on my suboptimal laptop. 

  • TurdinatorTurdinator Member Posts: 210

    Thanks for the link!

  • BlackndBlacknd Member Posts: 600

    Innovative technology, stale gameplay. I guess the industry can't win them all, but I'll take what I can get.

    .. But in a good way.

  • syntax42syntax42 Member UncommonPosts: 1,385

    Originally posted by Dredphyre

    Interesting read. That explains why, or at least one reason why, the game ran so well on my suboptimal laptop. 

    The article was about server-side hardware and software, which has very little to do with the performance on your laptop.  The game runs well on your laptop because the client graphics were made to scale down to your hardware.  Some games don't scale down enough for your hardware to handle at an acceptable framerate.  That's the simplest way I can put it.

     

    Many people do not seem to understand the difference between server lag, internet connection lag, and client lag.  Server lag and internet lag are almost indistinguishable from a single users' point of view.  If many people see the critters and other players in the game stop moving but the idle animations still play smooth and you can turn the camera around, then it is server lag.  If you see critters and other players stop moving and you can turn the camera around, but your friends don't, then it is your internet connection.  If you can't turn the camera or the framerate is very poor or stuttering, then it is your client that is lagging due to your hardware.

  • Unknown

    Originally posted by Blacknd

    Innovative technology, stale gameplay. I guess the industry can't win them all, but I'll take what I can get.

     

    But... "stale gameplay" is only from YOUR perspective. It isn't stale to someone who has never played an MMO before, or someone who hasn't got 12 hours a day to play MMOs, or to someone who finds Rifts and Invasions refreshingly different.

     

    Also, I smile when people pretend "innovative gameplay" isn't part of the industry. It is coming out all the time, its just that people rarely like it. The Chronicles of Spellborn is a classic example. Extremely neat idea with the rotating skill bar during combat, as well as "out there" lore and art work. How did that game end up?

     

    And what about GW2 *having* to put in familiar gameplay elements (NPCs with floating things above there heads) so that their innovative gameplay was palatable?

     

    And yeah I'm sure you'll "take what you can get", it is the selfish, only-I-really-count perspective that dominates our society now. Congratulations for being stoic?

     

  • BlackndBlacknd Member Posts: 600

    Originally posted by Strap

     

    But... "stale gameplay" is only from YOUR perspective. It isn't stale to someone who has never played an MMO before, or someone who hasn't got 12 hours a day to play MMOs, or to someone who finds Rifts and Invasions refreshingly different.

    I'm not sure how the "12 hours a day to play an MMO" fits into the comparison, but I sense a lot of bitterness in that statement. Yes, Rift is very casual friendly, that's how to mass-market an MMO these days. I'll also take your admission that Rift is pretty stale for someone who has played quite a few MMOs, and lump the "refreshingly different" Invasions and Rifts in that same line of thought, as the idea has been done before but never had an entire game based around it. I still am amused every time I hear rifts referred to as dynamic content.

     

    Also, I smile when people pretend "innovative gameplay" isn't part of the industry. It is coming out all the time, its just that people rarely like it. The Chronicles of Spellborn is a classic example. Extremely neat idea with the rotating skill bar during combat, as well as "out there" lore and art work. How did that game end up?

    I never said it wasn't part of the industry, it just typically isn't a huge part of the mainstream industry and is left for those nice indie folks who are willing to take a risk. It also certainly wasn't a part of Rift. Also, I smile when people act like one failed innovative game implies that innovation isn't worth fighting for. Typically it isn't the innovation's fault that the game failed (Tabula Rasa), but it is typically blamed for it.

     

    And what about GW2 *having* to put in familiar gameplay elements (NPCs with floating things above there heads) so that their innovative gameplay was palatable?

    So when a game takes a single familiar element, it suddenly lacks any other innovations? Not sure what type of argument you were attempting to make here. Even Eve gives you some indication that an npc wants to give you a mission.

    And yeah I'm sure you'll "take what you can get", it is the selfish, only-I-really-count perspective that dominates our society now. Congratulations for being stoic?

     

    Oh noes, I'm selfish with mah dollars and don't want to spend them on things I have already done. Burn me at a stake. Regardless of my individual opinion, you'll keep receiving your dearly wanted stale-gameplay "dynamic" MMORPGs, as long as someone thinks there is a buck to make in the casual MMORPG market.

    .. But in a good way.

  • SoludeSolude Member UncommonPosts: 691

    If Rift isn't dynamic I'm not sure what devs would have to do for you to see it as such?  Let's at least agree that until GW2 actually launches, its dynamic content is on paper.

  • ThebesitaThebesita Member Posts: 10

    Wow,, nice... so this game really popular now?

  • ezduzitezduzit Member Posts: 112

    WoW. Asia and Russia will flood this game even more.

  • Unknown

    Originally posted by Blacknd

    Originally posted by Strap

     

    But... "stale gameplay" is only from YOUR perspective. It isn't stale to someone who has never played an MMO before, or someone who hasn't got 12 hours a day to play MMOs, or to someone who finds Rifts and Invasions refreshingly different.

    I'm not sure how the "12 hours a day to play an MMO" fits into the comparison, but I sense a lot of bitterness in that statement. Yes, Rift is very casual friendly, that's how to mass-market an MMO these days. I'll also take your admission that Rift is pretty stale for someone who has played quite a few MMOs, and lump the "refreshingly different" Invasions and Rifts in that same line of thought, as the idea has been done before but never had an entire game based around it. I still am amused every time I hear rifts referred to as dynamic content.

     

    Also, I smile when people pretend "innovative gameplay" isn't part of the industry. It is coming out all the time, its just that people rarely like it. The Chronicles of Spellborn is a classic example. Extremely neat idea with the rotating skill bar during combat, as well as "out there" lore and art work. How did that game end up?

    I never said it wasn't part of the industry, it just typically isn't a huge part of the mainstream industry and is left for those nice indie folks who are willing to take a risk. It also certainly wasn't a part of Rift. Also, I smile when people act like one failed innovative game implies that innovation isn't worth fighting for. Typically it isn't the innovation's fault that the game failed (Tabula Rasa), but it is typically blamed for it.

     

    And what about GW2 *having* to put in familiar gameplay elements (NPCs with floating things above there heads) so that their innovative gameplay was palatable?

    So when a game takes a single familiar element, it suddenly lacks any other innovations? Not sure what type of argument you were attempting to make here. Even Eve gives you some indication that an npc wants to give you a mission.

    And yeah I'm sure you'll "take what you can get", it is the selfish, only-I-really-count perspective that dominates our society now. Congratulations for being stoic?

     

    Oh noes, I'm selfish with mah dollars and don't want to spend them on things I have already done. Burn me at a stake. Regardless of my individual opinion, you'll keep receiving your dearly wanted stale-gameplay "dynamic" MMORPGs, as long as someone thinks there is a buck to make in the casual MMORPG market.



    First, are you trying to make our eyes bleed? Why red? It looks god awful and it's hard to read.

     

    Second, no bitterness at all. The "12 hours a day" was simply short hand for those who have a lot of time and energy for PC gaming and are PRONE to any gameplay becoming stale because they play intensely. Casual gamers will play less than that, far less, and you will rarely find them bored and at level cap in any MMO.

     

    I personally do find the RIfts and Invasions refreshingly different but NOT because they are truly dynamic, or because there is so much variation between Rifts and the way they play out, but because of the public group feature. The public group feature fits Rift's dynamic content like a glove. FOR ME, it has turned my typical few hours playing an MMO from a lonely experience to a social one. And hence, FOR ME, it has been quite an innovative game just because of the public group feature. Especially during the quiet hours it is a great way to meet people.

     

    I am all for innovation too, and I agree it is worth fighting for. For example, I often support the Indie devs purchasing games like Darkfall, TCoS, and Fallen Earth, trying to pick those who are trying to do things differently. But this doesn't stop me enjoying a well-made game like Rift.

     

    Basically, your short post with its dismissive throw away line ticked me off. Why is the ability to congratulate Rift on the things it has done well, and acknowledge that its FUN for many of us, so hard for people? (This is true for most of the community and I really shouldn't pick on you.)

     

     

  • BlackndBlacknd Member Posts: 600

    Originally posted by Strap

    Basically, your short post with its dismissive throw away line ticked me off. Why is the ability to congratulate Rift on the things it has done well, and acknowledge that its FUN for many of us, so hard for people? (This is true for most of the community and I really shouldn't pick on you.)

    Fair enough :)

    I personally don't feel that Rift's accomplishments are big enough to warrant the amount of attention it's receiving, the biggest of which seems to be the release of a game that was, mostly agreeably, ready for release. That is more of a flaw of the MMO releases of the past few years than a subject of joy for me. How bad is it that the main positive point of discussion seems to boil down to "It works on release!"

    The other positive points seem to praise the PQ system (Rifts), or the class system. I had my fun with the class system, being a huge fan of customization, but their direction just prior to release drove me away from liking the system. Namely the huge incentives to dump a max amount of points into a soul for a huge statistical benefit, as opposed to what the abilities you gain actually do.

    Regarding the joy of others, I don't need to go out of my way to acknowledge that, the posts here do a fine job of doing so on their own. It's obvious enough that some people currently enjoy the game without me going "Well, these people here seem to enjoy Rift."

    .. But in a good way.

  • HeretiqueHeretique Member RarePosts: 1,536

    Originally posted by Strap

     

    Why is the ability to congratulate Rift on the things it has done well, and acknowledge that its FUN for many of us, so hard for people?

     

    Had a laugh at this, oh the irony. Thanks!

  • HerodesHerodes Member UncommonPosts: 1,494

    Originally posted by Heretique

    Originally posted by Strap
      Why is the ability to congratulate Rift on the things it has done well, and acknowledge that its FUN for many of us, so hard for people?
     
    Had a laugh at this, oh the irony. Thanks!

    There is no irony. Trion indeed made some things good. Of course they made some things not to my likings - but I for sure won´t bash a game which well deserved some success because of a polished relese and good technical ideas.
    Plus the open grouping while below 50 makes guilds quite obsolete.

    Guilds... the curse of MMO-communities. Who needs guilds? But this is stuff for another discussion.

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