Massive Attack: RIFT: Planes of Telara Impressions

[Auld]

So if an invasion force comes out of a rift its generally a pack of elites and they generally head for the nearest outpost etc. if they manage to take over the outpost the next invasionary force to come out of the rift will go elsewhere sometimes establishing footholds randomly. Other times they go fight other rift footholds or head for the capital city.

Clearly they come from the nearby rift (see rifts on the map). You need to prioritise whether to take the footholds first or the rift.

GW2 sounds a little more complicated, but not much.


The zone wide events are pretty awesome too, if you are in beta 4 you should see some.


edit: ah sorry re-read your post. Rifts continue to generate invasions, more often as time goes by. Footholds generate more mobs, but they arent elite.

[Bronze_D]

ah ok, that makes more sense... i am still downloading the client for the beta so it will be some time before i run through it, but now i think i get a better picture of what's going on.

the main difference i think are the response from your own factions, and the point of origin of the forces. In GW2 case it's a chain of outposts with invasion force flowing through successive posts (so they start from their point of origin, sends an invasion force and establish foothold, builds up the force in the new foothold, then launch the next one from that foothold, etc) whereas Rift ones originate from the rift that originally spawns them.

[Marcus Dunn]

I'm actually curious to know how anyone actually expects a MMO to have actions that lead to lasting effects.

In Rift, when a fire Rift opens, the surrounding area and even mobs, catch on fire. The ground is scorched, the once nice grass is blackened and glowing red with lava. Sharp, blackened rocks have thrust through the ground.

Would you like that then to be a permanent change? Or would you like it to say last a month before regrowth starts to slowly appear?

Likewise, the towns and outposts that have been lovingly created, would you like them permanently in ruins? Because the reality of 'permanent changes' is precisely that.

I know Guild Wars 2 is making bold claims in this department, but I for one will be very surprised if they actually pull off anything of the sort. Morelike, they will have their own version of Rift's 'dynamic' Rifts, and things such as Warhammer's Public Quests(tm).

The only game around that's made advancements in this area - and they are impressive, is Blizzard. They first started to using their phasing in Lich King, and it's really increased in Cataclysm to the point where you're seeing almost real-time permanent outcomes from your questing. If Blizzard build upon this further in their next title, it will be definitely interesting to see the outcome.

For now though, I have to say I was converted to the Rift concept. I have seen enough ingame to realise that yes, it is a generic fantasy MMO, but the way the Rifts work really does change things. I suspect they'll get old pretty quickly, and as a result become old novelty, but I have had more than enough times where my little quest hub has been completely taken over, or i've had to dodge random NPC attack groups (which have come out of a Rift which has been left to grow) to know that they definitely do have a good thing on their hands.

It's not revolutionary, but Rift definitely offers another viable MMO choice for those over WoW, who have looked for salvation in things such as WAR, LOTRO, AoC, Aion and the like and found themselves still wanting.

2c

[Bronze_D]

quite simple really, by having the system swings either way.

ie: if an area can be destroyed, it can also be rebuilt...

how fast that can happen depends entirely on the player case...

lasting in your interpretation it seems means 'permanent',

but that's not quite what they are aiming at in GW2 or Rift for that case it seems, lasting here means long enough that players can see that they've done SOMETHING and so does others and that their action has an actual effect at least on the immediate matter.

but unlike phasing (which only ppl in the same phase can see), this one and GW2 cascade events will be seen and felt by everyone on the same server that are able to observe them.

and unlike 'phased area' of WoW, this one can be restored back to it's former state via effort by the player in a logical and gradual process, though Rift seems a bit abrupt here but i can't comment more on that till i finish beta4.

So effectively what state the world eventually will balance itself on depends entirely on how the players responded.

[PieSeXual]

Its funny this article should be posted now, I've been looking for an MMO to play that isn't WoW. I was thinking about giving WAR another shot, but I've decided against it. Just reading what you've written here intrigues me, I'd question just how possible making a game world that truly shifts with player actions would be, for example losing towns people are too lazy to defend, actions leading to broken quest chains or how you could make a flexible quest system that changes with actions. It'd all be a hell of a lot of work and would be extremely difficult to maintain. But I'm not terribly concerned with all that, because RIFT looks interesting, even if its only slightly different, or just pretends to be different when it really isn't that much.

I actually just went and looked at both GW2 and RIFT and watched the latest video each had to offer. Both appear to be visually compelling to me and look to be shaping up nicely, like I've said above I'd question how possible a wholly shapeable world would be, but they both seem to make their best efforts to make the world come alive. As a "second best" I'd say this is pretty good going. For me though the GW2 video presentation was better than the one for RIFT, the latter still looked to be top notch though so I'll be sure to keep my eyes on both.

[tranquil]

Rift looks alright but i don't think i'll get it, Tera interestes me much more with its real time combat system. as for GW2 i will be getting that for sure, no subscription is a win.

[Bronze_D]

Its funny this article should be posted now, I've been looking for an MMO to play that isn't WoW. I was thinking about giving WAR another shot, but I've decided against it. Just reading what you've written here intrigues me, I'd question just how possible making a game world that truly shifts with player actions would be, for example losing towns people are too lazy to defend, actions leading to broken quest chains or how you could make a flexible quest system that changes with actions. It'd all be a hell of a lot of work and would be extremely difficult to maintain. But I'm not terribly concerned with all that, because RIFT looks interesting, even if its only slightly different, or just pretends to be different when it really isn't that much.

I actually just went and looked at both GW2 and RIFT and watched the latest video each had to offer. Both appear to be visually compelling to me and look to be shaping up nicely, like I've said above I'd question how possible a wholly shapeable world would be, but they both seem to make their best efforts to make the world come alive. As a "second best" I'd say this is pretty good going. For me though the GW2 video presentation was better than the one for RIFT, the latter still looked to be top notch though so I'll be sure to keep my eyes on both.

just be prepared when u enter Rift though, the familiarity of it's interface and many of it's mechanics will likely remind you of THAT other MMORPG, and to an extent it's more or less that. The parts of Rift that sort of separates it from THAT other MMORPG only starts to kick in a while later when you finally enter the game proper, even then though it will constantly reminds you of it every step of the way with every quest, every skills, and items.

[Bronze_D]

2 days in beta4 and i had to breathe out, i mean basing it on tried and true concept is fine and dandy...

but seriously, it's like someone took WoW and slapped a different skin and art and UI with a not as impressive animation, take the various tid bits from other previous MMORPGs as well like WAR's open quests, mix them up and then add a bit of their own seasonings.

i am gonna try to see what the other Rifts can offer but challenging WoW with these, is either really brave of TRION, or really suicidal...

there aren't enough room for two if you ask me considering the similarities, perhaps i still haven't experienced Rifts full effects, but so far with it being non scalable and performing more or less like what open quests does in WAR before it does anything else i am not sure if this is enough of a reason to make anyone play this instead.

[Sphinx2000]

Well RIFT is more like LOTRO (and WAR in parts), rather then WoW (although people think they copied WoW too..)

I've played many a year in to all of the above games, including betas of many, and I'm excited about RIFT, for the reasons people play LOTRO and WAR when they came out. I think tried and true design is just fine - it's a formula that works. Add some of your own style, and all new content to explore.

Some of us are tired of the gravy train that is WoW, especially once your doing the same thing over and over, the same places, etc - new stuff is where it's at. Cata content held interst for a few weeks, but the railroaded/dumbed down design had it all finished pretty quickly, and were back in the rut pretty quick.

Some seek new worlds to explore, new class dynamics and skills to develop, new enemies and adventures - away from the WoW universe. If a new game manages to do this, without falling over in a technical / un-balanced mess - then bring it.

IMO the Rift beta is extremely polished, and is way better performing than recent beta MMO releases. It's obviously designed by MMO players who have added many little things that lots of others should have, or only mods normally achieve. And I'm impressed with the product - it's certainly not slapped together in any way - they deserve their credit, and hopeful pay day.

The closed-beta plays like the full game, the graphics are superb, and many beta players are leveling up toons like it's fun times on launch day - rather than testing out parts, chars, zones.. or any of that Korean grind.

MMO Ground breaking? No.
Another Conan? Hell No (beta was really bad).
Is Rift going to be a good polished MMO to explore until GW2 comes out? (if even this year at all?), YES!

If you played plenty of LOTRO (or even WAR), than try Rift you will like it.
(also subs are cheaper than WoW if pre-ordered)

Sign me up

[Marius]

But why play Rift when DCU comes out in two days?

[Auld]

DCU?

What shard are people on? Would be good to jump on with people from GoN.