Through a Game Junkie’s Eyes: The Discovery of RIFT

We want to share this blog by Eiahn of the Gaiscioch Family – it’s great to read about RIFT through the experience of a new player!



“I had never played an MMO before and barely even paid attention to them. To be honest, I was convinced they were not for me and that I would not enjoy playing them.

Oh, how I was wrong… I was so wrong…”

Welcome to Telara, Eiahn – we hope you stay with us for many years to come!

Check out the blog here on the Gaiscioch site!

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What We’d Like to See From Rift’s Next Expansion

"Silverwoods" (CC BY-ND 2.0) by HiP 1

More than five years since it was originally launched, Rift continues to be popular with a huge number of gamers. Indeed, according to recent research by analytics firm SuperData, it remains within the top 15 highest grossing pay-to-play MMO games in the world.

Last year’s well-received expansion Starfall Prophecy breathed some new life into the world created by developers Trion Worlds, giving gamers five new zones to explore and a host of other challenges to get stuck into. However, the release of the next chapter in Starfall Prophecy, Forged in Flame, has made us think about whether there are new ways for Trion to develop the world of Rift and perhaps even attract more players to it.

With gaming technology evolving at a rapid rate, there could be a few matters for the developers to consider as they continue to create new content for Rift.

"Renau at level 25" (CC BY-ND 2.0) by Mellicious

New ways to pay
Subscription fee requirements for Rift ended in 2013 and the game took on the now widely recognised free-to-play format, which means players can purchase items and unlock new content through in-game purchases.

However, rather than just offering these options in traditional currency, should the game now start allowing people to use alternative means to pay such as bitcoin? While it originally launched in 2009, bitcoin is currently big news and recently reached record values. There are more and more instances of people being paid in the currency, and sites like VegasCasino.io are even offering gamers the chance to gamble with it in casino and sports betting games.

If Trion Worlds wants Rift to be ahead of the curve, it could do a lot worse than introduce bitcoin and other alternative payment options to the game.

An augmented experience
Pokémon Go was undoubtedly the biggest gaming success story of last year, with research suggesting it was downloaded more than 75 million times globally within days of its launch.

The game was, of course, a showcase for the huge potential offered to gaming by augmented reality technology, a concept which allows digital content and imagery to be added to real-world settings. With Pokémon Go leading the way, more games and apps are expected to embrace the huge potential of AR to create new, innovative and exciting experiences for the general public.
It would be fascinating to see what Trion Worlds could do with the technology to create exciting new features on Rift.

A whole new reality

"G4C14 Awards Showcase: SoundSelf" (CC BY-ND 2.0) by Games for Change

Of course, the flipside to AR would be Trion Worlds using virtual reality to create a fully immersive experience which transports players deep into the world of Telara.

Improvements in the technology mean that VR is back with a real bang, with sales of headsets expected to grow 800 percent by 2021. Furthermore, a host of games based on major properties are being released, including content based on Ghostbusters and the upcoming Alien Covenant film.
Wouldn’t it be fascinating to see how Rift could be adapted into virtual reality – whether by developing exciting and immersive landscapes or even allowing you to see the action from your character’s point of view?

Host of options
The ideas above are just a few of the range of options that we think could be considered for Rift and fans will be able to come up with many more, too.


While the popularity of Rift shows no signs of abating just yet, there remains a huge opportunity for Trion Worlds to take advantage of recent innovations and push this much-loved MMO gaming experience to a whole new level.

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Rift: Planes of Telara – How Different Are We Talking?

So, there is another MMO fresh on the market and that means there are a few dozen opinions already comparing it to Star Wars: The old republic, both favourably and unfavourably. I personally am reserving judgment until the game hits the end cap when we can really see how good it is. Without seeing the end of the game, it’s nearly impossible to know if we’re talking about a good game or a polished game – two very different things.

But, so far so good. I’ve seen some epic Rift battles, great PvP and surprisingly well balanced souls considering there are so many of them. For players new to Rift, you’ll be playing as a character from one of six races making up two factions. While the two factions very much don’t like each other, they are fighting a common enemy and that means a lot of very interesting quests and storylines that will play out throughout the game.

The game itself is not necessarily easy. Making Platinum is hard, levelling is slow going (though fun with the quests provided) and the game has a good chunk of end-game content to play through. So, if you’re used to new MMOs that let you down on day one, this is not one of those games. In fact, it very well might be the first game in a while for which I want a strategy guide right out of the gate. Most games I can find my way through pretty well, but this one is looking more and more to be a help first kind of game.

And thus far, the best guide I’ve seen is called Rift Secrets from Tony Sanders. It’s over at his website and it’s loaded with good tips on how to beat your opponents in Warfronts and Dungeons alike. If you’re into this game as much as I am, definitely check this guide out.


Full Disclosure: I am an affiliate for this product and receive a commission for sales made.

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