Do the Plot/Quests Get Better?

[Redwyrm]

Finally made it past the 40's and to level 50 this past weekend. My question is, do the plots and quests get more involved or interesting? I don't get any sense of a major threat to the world (besides the rifts) or even any real personality from my own leaders. I would be hard pressed to even name my faction leaders. And the only reason I know some of the big bads is because of the major zone events where they shout their dialogue.

I'm not sure if this is the fault of the quest design or something else. Who am I fighting (ultimately) and why am I fighting? In WoW I knew where the main bad guys are and I see them sometimes get personally involved in the quests. In Rift I feel like I am fighting minorsoldier#2346 from one of five revolving and near identical enemy factions.

Does it get better in the expansion areas?

[Saladbar]

The 1-50 stories and lore are certainly the weakest. In my opinion, in terms of enjoyment and memorability, the order is:

Nightmare Tide (61-65) > Storm Legion (51-60) > Base (1-50).

For Storm Legion there is essentially 1 large story line, but you can choose subplots to this depending which continent you choose. I prefer the Pelladane arc.

[Lathais]

There was a story?

Kidding aside, I don't remember much of the story from 1-60 either, though it's been a while since I've done it. Story has not traditionally been one of Rift's stronger points, it's the class design, game play and raid that kept me around.

[Edge-]

There was a story?

Kidding aside, I don't remember much of the story from 1-60 either, though it's been a while since I've done it. Story has not traditionally been one of Rift's stronger points, it's the class design, game play and raid that kept me around.

This.

I feel like what snippets I caught were improved in SL and further improved in NT. They definitely do a lot more in terms of scripting lore events into the story quests (which I desperately wish could be skipped through) to help deliver some more "visual" story to go along with all the text.

[Xychosis]

I find that if you don't do the epic quests, more specifically the sagas, while leveling then you miss out on some of the bigger plot development from level 1 to 50.

[Lathais]

I find that if you don't do the epic quests, more specifically the sagas, while leveling then you miss out on some of the bigger plot development from level 1 to 50.

Yeah, I will admit that. The saga quests were great. IIRC they were added in major content patches and were very relevant at the time so they were easier to get done as well. Don't parts of them require doing zone events in lower level zones and lower level dungeons though? May be harder to find a group for that stuff at this point in the game.

[Fencers]

Don't parts of them require doing zone events in lower level zones and lower level dungeons though?

Yes, they do. Some are easy to solo nowadays though.

[Khelendros]

Yes, they do. Some are easy to solo nowadays though.

The first one actually required doing some raid content IIRC, They abandoned that path as things went on. Water Saga just needed 5 man groups (probably easily solable at higher levels, so if you pull in a few high levels peeps to help I am sure its easy). And then subsequent saga's were even easier.

The story is week in Rift Vanilla especially outside of the first two zones in each faction. It got slightly better when the Kain storyline picked up. If I recall that went from IPP to Stillmoor. Ember Isle was mostly self contained but fairly interesting. When you get to Storm Legion the quests can be more scripted and more visual and even more so in Nightmare Tide which takes a more WoW like approach to story questing with phasing and what not.

The story for Rift is actually quite good but early on it was much to hard to find unless you did raids. Make sure you do all the chronicles at 50 if you like story. Those are great.

Rifts biggest weakness has been that for the most part until SL you didn't really get to know any of the heroes that fight alongside you. You know the villians as the OP said, and you deal with General Batua quite a bit in SL but thats it. However then in Nightmare Tide you really start to see this hero story with Finric (who I think universally everyone loves).

If you really like story I'd recommend doing the Ember Isle questline at 60 (the zone is 50 but they added a "prequel" to Nightmare Tide that was for max levels) as it sets up alot of the deep lore for Plane of water and is fairly solid questing in its own right. The best questing in Storm Legion is in Eastern Holdings so make sure you hit that.

[Fencers]

I think you have to kill Greenscale to end the Death Saga or something. You get the tanking one-handed sword or ugly staff thing.

[Khelendros]

I think you have to kill Greenscale to end the Death Saga or something. You get the tanking one-handed sword or ugly staff thing.

That was my memory as well. And I think before you kill Greenscale you have to kill this open world raid boss guy. Its been a longgggggg time since I did it.

[Xychosis]

Some of the prerequisite quests require you to kill large bosses, and finish a certain raid rift. I remember there being competition on the last part of the saga since only one person per raid could loot the drop off Greenscale.

I can't speak for Guardians as I never played them pre-Storm Legion. However, the majority of the Defiant character development in regards to the important characters like Kira and Uriel took place mainly during the saga quest itself. If you didn't do it in parallel with the zone chains then you ended up with huge holes in the plot. I made the mistake of ignoring huge chunks of it on my first character and I was left confused at the sudden changes that happened with Uriel's character.

[Lazuli]

I thought the story is pretty good. I absolutely looove Scotty lol

[Tankendog]

Generally the story can be summed up as Rift elements are bad, Defiants are science heavy, Guardians are religious.

Past that, Storm legion was a cool idea, Lots of vanilla flowed together once you got about level 40+.

I am not a fan of the first zone in plane of water, but The story is there. Just tied heavily into raids, instances and Chronicles, and the end of major quest lines.

[Warlord Booty]

Patching at home now, while I'm at work. I really only remember Asha Cateri and the Faceless Man. I really don't know anything outside of that very basic starter lore.

[Khelendros]

Generally the story can be summed up as Rift elements are bad, Defiants are science heavy, Guardians are religious.

Past that, Storm legion was a cool idea, Lots of vanilla flowed together once you got about level 40+.

I am not a fan of the first zone in plane of water, but The story is there. Just tied heavily into raids, instances and Chronicles, and the end of major quest lines.

Actually this is not true. Nightmare tide is more self contained than anything previous. Zone 1 is the story of Finric, already he has become a beloved character in Rift lore. Draumheim the second zone takes a break and delves into Telara history through the prism of dreams. By far the coolest story questing rift has done. Tarken Glacier the final zone resumes the Finric story and starts to bring in the origin of the Akvan and hint at what may lie beyond. This is where it begins to tie into the lore. The new area ties in to the Air Saga from Storm Legion but also one of the raid bosses in Mount Sharax, The Yrlwach, which is also the creature poking out of the water rifts we have seen for years.

Vanilla was odd, it was great early on but the mid area was horrible. And it picked up later when you get into the Kain story at around 42ish.

Storm Legion was so large the story felt very disjointed. But some zones were amazing. Eastern Holdings is a must if you want interesting story questing.

[Lazuli]

It was hard to like storm legion story when I was too busy raging at how horrible cape jule map was designed. Mountains, mountains everywhere!

It was pretty cool tho ... it made me like Crucia a lot.

I like how they write their lore, there seems to be a deep reason for everything that happens