Nemo surdior est quam is qui non audiet

[Maeloda]

The third faction is mentioned with the inclusion of PvP (or RvR). This is my take on things:

We are all very aware of the "broken" state of PvP in Rift. Several of my guild mates have left simply because of the mercenary system (dead horse). Do you all recall the PvP system in LOTRO? They have a completely different "faction" solely for PvP. Now, it is true there is only one faction to begin with and two with the Monster Players.

My idea here is that a third faction is introduced as a PvP only faction that exists only in the PvP world. I would assume that this third faction would be accessible after a certain level in the regular game. When a player chooses to PvP, they either queue as an "Iron Ram" which is the third faction (i.e. Monsters in LOTRO), or as a Guardian or Defiant. I'm not sure if it will be a FFA or a 2v1 in that Defiants and Guardians team up against the third faction. I'm hoping for a FFA death match type scenario.


~ Red

Yeah that would suck for me as an almost purely PvE player. Like, really suck. Almost turn me away from Rift for a while.

I'd love 3 faction PvP, sure, but I personally need a PvE attachment to that.

[Maeloda]

So far this is just a riddle or puzzle. This is not by definition an ARG. It bugs me that whenever someone posts a puzzle everybody shouts arg. They are two different things. Now if they start asking us to leave our house and search for something real that ties to the game you can say ARG. Until then solve the riddle.

It's semi-ARG.

It's a game that acts as though (in some way) that it is a message from the game itself, but it isn't. We have to solve it outside of the game, using real-world references.

So its not 'full' ARG like I Love Bees and such, but it is enough that it doesn't take place in Rift, but we have it relate to Rift regardless.

[Khelendross]

What if they are talking about 3 sub-factions? Defiants stay defiant, guardian stay guardian, but you can pick either faction: lion, ram or raven. Just an idea. I guess we'll see sooner or later.

I think this is most likely. And I think it will tie into the zone itself.

[Weisse]

OMG! Cant wait!

[Maeloda]

I think this is most likely. And I think it will tie into the zone itself.

That sounds more typical Trion. Reaching for the skies yet... bringing things down to a more manageable level :P

"Let's make open world wvwvw with 3 factions! ....but lets not tamper much with the existing factions. We need to get this out in 2012."

[pwnguin]

I want details! Why tease us!? I suppose its working, I've been checking the forum all day.

[Izraels queso]

The shadowlands was originally planned to be the beginner zone of the Defiants, but it was scrapper for the one we have now.

The armor is in the game and can be made by any blacksmith
It is in fact the Titanium set, though the set when you make it is more yellow, but obviously can be died.

While I think that zone is cool, I don't think it has any relevance to this third faction.

I believe if anything, this third faction will either come from the planes, or the not mentioned a lot continent of Shi-Ming.

I think Shi-Ming would make more sense, as it can be any size the devs desire, and being the only other mass mentioned other then Telera and Ei, it would make sense if this faction is building some sort of tunnel transport to attack the mainland.

How the levelling will go is beyond me, as Telera is very much set up for two factions, not three. So unless this continent has levelling from 1-50, or Cliffside Vale (east of Droughtlands) I'm beginning to think that this third faction may be 50 only.
That you roll the third faction, only to pick defiant or guardian, and once you hit 50 can pick the third faction again. OR you can only roll Defiant or Guardian and choose when you hit 50.

Unless Trion plans to redo all of the levelling process, as well as all PvP considering all BGs would be rendered moot if 3 factions are involved.

No they would not be rendered "moot" as the current mercenary system would allow all 3 factions to be combined into two teams, the games basically going from Guardian Vs. Defiant to Red vs. Blue, which is essentially what they are now anyways.

[Sargonnas_KoA]

I want details! Why tease us!? I suppose its working, I've been checking the forum all day.

The problem with the vast majority of the hints is they don't seem to tie into anything lore related which makes it near impossible to really figure out anything beyond a couple of very basic ideas. I've read more lore about Rift today than I have the previous 14 months I've played the game and nothing really connects so far.

[Khelendross]

That sounds more typical Trion. Reaching for the skies yet... bringing things down to a more manageable level :P

"Let's make open world wvwvw with 3 factions! ....but lets not tamper much with the existing factions. We need to get this out in 2012."

In an objective based pvp system its the best way to make it work. Otherwise faction imbalances will still always be somewhat of an issue. It was often a minor problem even in DAOC.

Now this may all still be tied (and I think it will) to a much larger piece of lore dealing with the Estrian race and their city zone. Maybe the city zone is the new objective based zone.

But one of the aspects of good objective based pvp is a pve aspect as well. In WvsW you don't just kill players. You destroy castles, kill keep guards and lords, and the frontier areas (the space between objectives) have PVE as well. I really am thinking it may be something similar to the SvsS concept I recently proposed http://forums.riftgame.com/rift-gene...work-rift.html

[Maeloda]

The problem with the vast majority of the hints is they don't seem to tie into anything lore related which makes it near impossible to really figure out anything beyond a couple of very basic ideas. I've read more lore about Rift today than I have the previous 14 months I've played the game and nothing really connects so far.

Yeah.

It could be as simple as putting in an instanced 3 faction system, and that's it.

Or it could be as epic as a new faction in the open world, with new zone, etc etc etc.
Or more.

No idea. We'll see next week and beyond.

[impulse1819]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm totally going Scryer, screw those Aldor punks. They don't even have any good recipes

[Maeloda]

In an objective based pvp system its the best way to make it work. Otherwise faction imbalances will still always be somewhat of an issue. It was often a minor problem even in DAOC.

Now this may all still be tied (and I think it will) to a much larger piece of lore dealing with the Estrian race and their city zone. Maybe the city zone is the new objective based zone.

But one of the aspects of good objective based pvp is a pve aspect as well. In WvsW you don't just kill players. You destroy castles, kill keep guards and lords, and the frontier areas (the space between objectives) have PVE as well. I really am thinking it may be something similar to the SvsS concept I recently proposed http://forums.riftgame.com/rift-gene...work-rift.html

What we do know is that Planetouched Wilds, on the map, is likely to be larger than Droughtlands, and possibly nearing Ember Isle's size (but not quite).

We also know that this zone has been sitting with the devs...for at minimum a year, maybe 2-3 in some form (Cliffside Vale). Yeah. So it could be just PART of their more recent development, which could conceptually involve a 3rd faction etc. They could have been waiting to release the zone because it has to match up with their other upcoming 'systems' (like mentoring and IAs for all zones, etc), just as they likely sat on Ember Isle until they could have a better grasp on things like sourcewell defense, cult stories, Infernal Dawn, a nicer (imo) questline, and more involving zone events. Ember Isle was likely in development pre-launch of Rift, but, like Planetouched Wilds, it was in a much different form.

So we'll see. We could get anything as 'minor' as a 'temporary 3 faction instanced PvP area', or as major as a mini-expansion's worth of content. Making things as vague as they did, could be a boon for Trion, or lead to massive disappointment. Not. Sure. If. Like.

[Kelleton]

New zone u select a faction to aid like eq velious...AK. 3 points the blade 2 edges bleed

[Father Grimm]

If the tea leaves bear out, and this turns out to be an inspired first announcement of an expansion, the expansion model that EQ started would be great to see: new races, new continent with a full level range of zones, more endgame content, & other bells and whistles. WoW did some of this with its first expansion; don't know about the rest.

If Trion did all of this, AND implemented a 3-faction RvR system, Rift would transform from a solid beginning effort from an up-and-coming company to a heavy contender that has serious longevity.

[Maeloda]

New zone u select a faction to aid like eq velious...AK. 3 points the blade 2 edges bleed

Thing is, two of those factions sound like Guardians/Defiant. How will this work properly?