Is Rift going to be a stepping stone game?

[SKYeXile]

nah I was thinking on passing on playing PlanetSide Next and keep playing Rift ....

not.

[heyjacleu]

RIFT is where I'm sticking for a while... GW2 has no interest for me, and SWtOR is, I feel, doomed to failure due to how Bioware is making the game.

Bioware crafts AMAZING stories. But they craft amazing stories for SINGLE PLAYER GAMES.

When you make a single player game, the narrative of the story takes precedence over the setting of a story, because you are trying to hook the player into the mood of the story and make them FEEL for the characters involved.

When you make a MMOG, the setting must take precedence over the narrative because you cannot craft a proper linear narrative for thousands of players all at once. There is no personal involvement with any one character on the same level as you would for a character in a linear narrative, because EVERYONE is involved all at once. You can have a narrative, but it cannot be anywhere near as gripping or in-depth as that of a single player game.

Now, I'll be the first to say that Bioware is the KING of crafting both narratives and settings. But I fear that they are focusing too heavily on the narrative and not on the setting of SWtOR. It means that you run around with a companion NPC, that every player gets their own starship, rather than say, being able to team up with other players and all party out on the same starship like in the Escape from the Death Star scene in Star Wars IV: A New Hope. Which, let's face it, would be awesome. One character being the engineer repairing damage, another piloting, two others on the guns. Yeah, we're probably not going to get that in SWtOR.

RIFT, to me, has latched onto something that actually fills out the POTENTIAL of MMO's. Most mmo's, let's face it, are single player games with gimmicks that force players to OCCASIONALLY work together and options that SUPPORT players working together, but by no means make it NECESSARY for them to do so.

You can effectively get to the end game of any other MMO by yourself, soloing the entire way. In RIFT, that option is pretty much cut away. You HAVE to work together to keep a zone functioning against planar invasion events, you aren't necessarily FORCED to do so (as you would be if you went into a dungeon), but it is NECESSARY to work together on a MASSIVE scale to beat invasion events. No other MMO does that really.

Eh, I think you give Bioware way too much credit. Over the years they have been hit or miss. Decent stories from KOTOR and really godawful ones like Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age.

[Zrek]

Sticking with Rift, leary of SWToR. I've heard some crazy things from insiders, but will still check it out when it comes out.

[abisha]

I just want to ask as I love the game but am concerned as I have read quite a few posts where peeps mention that they are going to leave Rift when "X" game comes out. So if I'm reading into that right that means to no matter how good the game is or becomes a lot of people are going to leave for a more anticipated title and this game for them is at best a "stopgap" measure to kill the time.

I'd be curious to know how many out there are going to leave Rift when, lets say, SWTOR or GW2 comes out? Or will some of those play both games?

Again the game is not perfect but its a really good game off to a great start but I'm afraid no matter what Trion does Rift is going to be relegated to a lower rung on the MMO totem pole.

I play rift to kill time, already very disappointed at trion.
when the MMO i waiting for comes out i gone, instantly without a second thought.

[Zarquon]

RIFT is where I'm sticking for a while... GW2 has no interest for me, and SWtOR is, I feel, doomed to failure due to how Bioware is making the game.

Bioware crafts AMAZING stories. But they craft amazing stories for SINGLE PLAYER GAMES.

When you make a single player game, the narrative of the story takes precedence over the setting of a story, because you are trying to hook the player into the mood of the story and make them FEEL for the characters involved.

When you make a MMOG, the setting must take precedence over the narrative because you cannot craft a proper linear narrative for thousands of players all at once. There is no personal involvement with any one character on the same level as you would for a character in a linear narrative, because EVERYONE is involved all at once. You can have a narrative, but it cannot be anywhere near as gripping or in-depth as that of a single player game.

Now, I'll be the first to say that Bioware is the KING of crafting both narratives and settings. But I fear that they are focusing too heavily on the narrative and not on the setting of SWtOR. It means that you run around with a companion NPC, that every player gets their own starship, rather than say, being able to team up with other players and all party out on the same starship like in the Escape from the Death Star scene in Star Wars IV: A New Hope. Which, let's face it, would be awesome. One character being the engineer repairing damage, another piloting, two others on the guns. Yeah, we're probably not going to get that in SWtOR.

RIFT, to me, has latched onto something that actually fills out the POTENTIAL of MMO's. Most mmo's, let's face it, are single player games with gimmicks that force players to OCCASIONALLY work together and options that SUPPORT players working together, but by no means make it NECESSARY for them to do so.

You can effectively get to the end game of any other MMO by yourself, soloing the entire way. In RIFT, that option is pretty much cut away. You HAVE to work together to keep a zone functioning against planar invasion events, you aren't necessarily FORCED to do so (as you would be if you went into a dungeon), but it is NECESSARY to work together on a MASSIVE scale to beat invasion events. No other MMO does that really.

A couple things.

First, many companies have only made single player games before their first MMO. Why that is considered a realistic criteria is odd.
Second, there are several posts and thousands of people clamoring that MMOs need something new. SWTOR is trying something new. Maybe it was suck, but again, as its new you won't know till after.
Finally, you don't have to group with anyone to get to end game in Rift.

[Rich Aemry]

I personally find Bioware increasingly disappointing and it gets worse as time goes on. EA flat out ruined them for me just like Bethesda is doing with id. So no I will not be leaving for that game.

GW was fun for a couple months and maybe I will try GW2, but I doubt it. If FFXIV ever gets fixed I'll try that, and i will definitely play the 40k mmo when it launches if only since my brother used to work for Games Workshop.

I see myself playing Rift during all of that. I play 2-3 MMOs at a time since once you level cap and get to PVP and raids its more practice and maintaining your skills preparing for the next content release. Between those i have time to either pick up another or to play a different game in a different genre. Its been 3 years since I last found and FPS or RTS to really kill time with so I'm all MMO for the time being.

[Meegie]

Rift is a cool game and good enough to play for now, but I do plan on leaving for Star Wars.

With that said, this is an off-topic forum so why is there so many on-topic threads?

[Tarkus]

Rift is a cool game and good enough to play for now, but I do plan on leaving for Star Wars.

With that said, this is an off-topic forum so why is there so many on-topic threads?

SWToR was ruined by the class system. Healer Jedi? Tank Jedi? Screw that. Where's my TK/Pistoleer/Smuggler? DNW.

Guild Wars 2 on the other hand...