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Rift: Ember Isle Impressions
MikeB
Community ManagerAdministrator RarePosts: 6,555
MMORPG.com Managing Editor Bill Murphy spent some time with the recently released update 1.6 'Ember Isle' content and offers his take on the experience so far.
This past week marked the launch of Rift’s largest free update so far: 1.6 – From the Embers. Trion Worlds have been extremely quick to give Rift more and more content post launch earlier this year, but by and large the majority of the updates have been new instances for the players to mine for gear (and one hell of a cool alternate advancement system). But From the Embers brings something altogether needed and exciting to Telara: Ember Isle. Formerly the home of the Kelari, it’s one massive zone filled to the brim with quests, dungeons, and daily content galore aimed squarely at the level 50 players who want something more to do than just queue for dungeons or Warfronts. In terms of broadening the spectrum of options for veterans once more, Ember Isle really ups the ante on what most games would call a content update. It’s more of a mini-expansion, and from what we’ve seen exemplifies the team’s best work to date.
Read more of Bill Murphy's RIFT: Ember Isles Impressions.
Comments
It's ok. I still felt myself getting bored and I was even able to solo just fine on my rogue, had to change my build around a bit, but I got it to work for me. After about 2 days of playing on the Island I just didn't see any reason to work on the reputation. The rewards from the notoriety vendor just aren't good enough to replace my current tier 2 gear and a few small pieces of raid gear I was lucky to pick up on some pugs a few months ago.
The island itself is nice and big, the creatures diverse, the invasions...while longwinded are fun, but again, that's not what is missing from Rift. It needs "something" else. Not sure what. I know it needs more professions like cooking, fishing, first aid, woodworking(as this would be great for when they add housing). But aside from giving us things that make the game deeper, perhaps it just needs to grow in the low to mid levels like the author above stated.
I'm not one for running dungeons, raids or reputation grinding after about 2 weeks at level cap in these themeparks so I usually roll an alt and do the whole thing all over again. Unfortunately, in Rift, this isn't as diverse an experience as say EQ2 or WoW where I could roll a different class and race and see a completely different set of zones/quests to get to cap. Sadly, SWTOR is going to suffer from this as well, but that's for next month's discussion.
One thing I've noticed here of late in Rift. Where are the Artifacts?! I came across 2 in my travels across Ember Isle. I remember back before patch 1.3 artifacts were everywhere. I LOVE the artifact game, but making them more rare just gives me another reason not to log in.
I did love the new puzzle and getting a pet reward from it, that was a nice touch. Just wish pets weren't locked 3 levels deep in notoriety vendors. I hated it in WoW and I hate it in Rift, reputation grinding when it isn't part of my leveling process just bites.
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You know, I've resubbed and been playing Rift for 4 days now and I've yet to set foot in Ember Isle. Just haven't felt the need to. Just been checking out the new dungeons, will check out the new 10-man tomorrow and mostly been messing with my characters, to see how much has changed (loving the mage buff right now).
I guess I'll visit Ember Isle eventually, but I doubt it would be much fun, since it's just another PvE zone for 50s.
I've really enjoyed what Ember Isle has brought to the game so far. I don't run dungeons at all or raid yet I play often and don't find myself bored. That's a lot to do with the fact I really enjoy open world PvP in groups or solo and Rift has this all over the place. I'll stop myself there before I get more off topic.
Ember Isle is an extremely vibrant and beautiful zone. The new water effects in 1.6 are fantastic! The Onslaught mode has been fun every time I've been involved. I think its very clever and it pulls people in to participate. Even solo you can get something out of it but in a group/raid its much more fun. The events are huge, they take a fair while and I would like to say more about them but usually i'm in stealth watching 3+raids of Defiants dominating the end bosses as they severely outnumber us Guardians on my server.
Overall i'm quite impressed with Ember Isle. There is a lot to do for the solo player (If decently geared, not for a fresh 50!) or groups. I've found myself playing till the late hours in the morning just doing non stop Onslaughts of Invasions and upgrading Healing/Damage turrets which turn into World PvP battles and big events are running at the same time... I'm happy!
(Very brief thoughts on SWTOR/Rift below)
I've been testing SWTOR and I already pre ordered the game (collectors imported to Aus for $200) and it seems like a good solid game. It doesn't compare graphically imo or with the combat feel of Rift but that's just me. Its funny that I honestly think that SWTOR, if it doesn't really do enough for me, after a while I'll just be back in Rift. I never thought I'd say that after beta, but it's come a long way. I'll probably just play both anyway!
...I don't feel the need to log into Rift anymore. Like with what Elock said (above), I'm not 'feeling' that there's much that's different left to do and that something is missing. I cancelled my sub and even with it running out, I haven't found much will to log in (though I have and had a peek around). Another Defiant thing. Why'd I roll four guardians again and only one defiant, on my main server? And why do the invasions all feel pretty much the same now, and the pvp isn't what it used to be, and that many class nerfs at least once a month is just too much at once. Meh. They don't even adjust with a scapel, but Trion tends to use a chainsaw for class adjustments (as well as listen to a lot of pvp whiners who don't know to play their class and STFU rather than stand there and whine about how bad pvp is and why'd they get their butt kicked by ____ class, hax0rz, QQ, zomgz!!1!).
I ended up going back to my f2p games (DAOC, DDO, LotRO), threw a little money at WoW (instantly got bored, but lesson learned), and (having tested TOR), am psyched for SWTOR and already pre-ordered, as well as found a good guild. It's actually a really good game, and I'm hoping it does succeed. The story aspect of it with the voice overs is really interesting, as is the light vs dark side choices you can make, bwahahaha! I was a very happy girl bunny, that I could teeter my toons one way or another with their alignment (despite faction). I could happily watch planets spin from the space hangers for a while. Hutta looks awesome from there.
As for Rift? All I can wish is the best of luck toTrion. I might be back if there's housing next year, but not much else is compelling me to log in there or continue, anymore. Sad, but true.
The main problem I had with rift and this is about 2 months after release .. is that there is nothing to do beyond T2 except raid.
You talk about faction grinds and how they give you nothing. I dont think I completed 1 faction grind in the game because you can easily get better gear in T1.
The new skills sound interesting (from a patch or two ago) .. but not interesting enough to last more than another week or two for me.
As you say, this game .. and most other mmos imo need "something" else .. we've been stuck in this paradigm for a long time. Apparently for enough people, this is all enough .. it's not for me.
I hate to say it, but I miss the time sinks. I miss key quests for raids. I know that sounds elitist .. but its not meant to be. On one hand it sucks that people that dont have time maybe cant see anything, but the alternative that has been given us just bores me to tears.
I got 2 characters to endgame in rift and just realized all there was to do was raid at that point .. and if I was going to do that again .. I might as well go back to wow.
anyway .. sorry if this is derailing at all .. I think it's OT .. enough >.>
LFD tools are great for cramming people into content, but quality > quantity.
I am, usually on the sandbox .. more "hardcore" side of things, but I also do just want to have fun. So lighten up already
I really enjoy the defensive structures and how we need to build them. Would be great in a future update if they could allow us to build entire fortresses in the same fashion to defend from massive invasion forces.
Oh now that would be awesome if they did that
I found that the factions provided the best enchant stones ?
It reminds me of the Isle of Quel`Danas, not ascetically speaking but what it brings to the game, new instances, more daily rep grinds and a place for high level characters to go play. Seems like they took that idea and turned it Rifty (if that is a word lol), I could be wrong but that is what it does for me.
My biggest complaint was the mass nerfing again of classes and huge buffing of one, it seems like every patch they change the damn classes around and I am sick of respecing all the time. I had to tear apart my warrior tank builds again and did not even get a free respec, and my rogue is just laughable now. Maybe if they would just tweak the classes each patch instead of redoing them I would resub, but after my beta testing of TOR I don't see that happening. Just my 2 cents take it or leave it.
I do like their implementation of repairable / upgradeable turrets, lifewells, and Defense Arcs at several points on the islands. A bit of variety, and fairly well done imo.
Wherever you go, there you are.
I have a similar issue. The problem is simply exacerbated in Rift because of the sheer amount of options one has in building a character.
I've got to say that Rift is a much better game than I thought at launch... seriously the work the team does is top notch and really the game just works..(funtionality, design, art) in some ways better than any other mmo.. while in others.(lore, immersion, sense of a living breathing world) It falls just short of the mark. Still.. I suspect that a year from now most my issues will have been wiped away.. I'm watching you Rift. Don't dissapoint me.
EI is ok, but as said, it has zero appeal. Do the quest chain once & the rest is grind & boring events full of idiots with their PvP turned on trying to upset the rest lol.
I found Rift great at 1st, but once I found how fast I leveled & how small it was it totally destroyed it for me, next came class breaking nerfs and boring event dailys, and now xmas crap like that other game has... That was Rift 3rd strike for me, time for SWTOR.
Rift could have been great if they took the time to finish it? It came out with far to fast character progression, the world was way to small to get a feel for the place, storyline was ok, but it didn't grab you!
IMO the events & dynamic (NOT!) content is only coming out so fast to keep players watching this space and a worm on the hook kind of thing, only problem is that there is no big fish, take Chronicals.. all the hype and excitement about them, it comes out.... and theres 3.. 3!!! And there far to easy and the drops are a bad joke. I was looking foreard to a DAoC style mini insta (You go in, the game checks the player(s), and sets the level of mobs & loot. Sadly it was nothing like it.
TL;DR - New EI is ok, it's STV with high mobs and grind!
Strange.
They released Christmas fluff content before the Instant Adventures questing content (even before Thanksgiving), something they've been pushing for months now. Weird way to run a company.
I guess they figure the base needs fluffies first and foremost? Well, here's hoping they can put in Instant Adventures with 1.7 anyways.
"TO MICHAEL!"
I am loving the new content, but I am a solo player. At least I have a reason to grind now with planar attunment and a bright new place to do it.
I agree with most of what has been said already. I just want to add a couple thoughts. I ran three characters up to level 50 and couldn't stand playing Rift anymore. Running the same content over and over just killed the tiny amount of fun left for me. The game feels like it is mounted on rails. You ALWAYS do the same sequence of zones and quests to get to level 50. Zero variety while running a character up makes a game feel SO constraining. But that's only one of the problems.
Another problem is that Rift (like too many others) is trying to cater to both PvP and PvE crowds. Those two play styles are polar opposites. When you give to one side, you taketh away from the other. Fixes for PvP balance always nerf PvE. Boosting PvE play messes with PvP. Trying to cater to both has created balance nightmares for most of the current online games. PvE is cooperative in nature. You want each class to have a strength other classes can't match. If that strength is DPS, then that character ends up overpowered in PvP and becomes a primary target for constant nerfs when PvPers whine. I got sick of being nerfed all the time when I never played PvP. It's the old question of how do you make a passive play style like healing equal to a dps class like rogues or wizards in PvP? A powerful healer is critical to PvE success, but how do you heal yourself to a win in PvP? Companies need to stop trying to do both in the same game. Either do PvP or do PvE in your games. Stop trying to mix them because everyone suffers.
Yet another reason I left Rift is that gear in Rift just can't be customized enough to be fulfilling. I figured this out when I returned to Runes of Magic after playing Rift for months and finally quitting. One of the things I liked most about Runes of Magic was the ability to take a set of gear I like and customize it in virtually every way. In Runes of Magic, you make gear more powerful by adding stats, boosting the tier level, adding runes, and plussing the native stats to higher levels. You can even change the way it looks, too. In Runes of Magic, you can have a truly custom set of gear, unique to your own character. I missed this a lot when I was playing Rift. In Rift, you were forced to try to get a better piece of gear, rather than upgrading your existing gear in a ton of different ways. There is far less control over what you get and there is far less variation among chars with that same gear.
Adding yet another level 50 zone doesn't really address the things I found disappointing in Rift, so I won't be coming back any time soon.