Playing Rift = experiencing Vanilla WoW

[Deleted]

Hi guys,

I beg to be excused if I'm not posting in the right place, I just couldn't find the Rift subforum.
If so, please move or merge my topic as appropriate, but don't delete it, because I feel it can give answers to many players, that I was searching for but couldn't find anywhere.

The aim of this topic is not to compare Rift and WoW directly, say which one is better, or express hate against one game or the other.

I think it will be useful and interesting for many people who hesitate whether to try Rift or not, to read the honest and as much as possible unbiased impressions of a long time WoW player who just tried Rift.

I love WoW, it was (and hopefully will once again be) a great adventure for me. However I decided it was time for me to take a break from the game for a while because of a lot of reasons:
- not much to do at level 85 for a casual player, the expansion didn't change anything for me
- having many alts at max level already
- dislike for daily quests grinding
- flying mounts and LFG tool making all players gather at hubs and nowhere else in the world.
- the new talent trees offering no customization since you spend points in all but 2-3 talents in the main tree, and 5 talents in another one, making all characters basically with absolutely identical builds.

I was very nostalgic for vanilla and TBC, I visited the old zones often...

So I thought: I want to experience vanilla again, let's play from level 1.

But when i tried, I was shocked - leveling was so easy and fast that it offered no challenge at all. I could kill many mobs without downtime, I had almost no risk of dying even if I overpulled, low level dungeons were farmed by players with heirlooms, my spells were so good even at low level, i could 2 shot every quest mob. Then I realized this game had changed too much and I could never have the Vanilla feeling again. Plus, I knew almost every class too well so I had nothing to experiment with and discover.

That's why after much contemplation I decided to try Rift, almost sure I would be disappointed, but I felt I had nothing better to do.

Well, I couldn't have been more wrong, and for one very good reason. Rift seems to offer what Vanilla WoW made me so excited about a couple of years ago:
- A whole new and completely unknown world to discover
- No flying mounts and there are players everywhere
- I risk death when I pull more than 2 mobs, rifts spawn often and make the area dangerous, which makes leveling very fun and rewarding, for me at least.
- The talent trees (souls) have so many choices and combinations that it's very hard to find someone else with a similar build. When you progress up a tree usually you've filled half of it and the other half is blank, meaning you had to make choices.
- There is no LFG (but unfortunately they will make one in the next major patch) so poeple can't afford to be so rude in groups and try to communicate more.
- PVP philosophy is radically different: Trion say they will never try to balance all classes for 3v3 / 5v5 as other games have done, but rather have the classes (souls) work on a rock/paper/scissors system, which means that if a player counters you completely, you should be able to find a soul combination to beat him, unless he does the same and counter your counter spec, etc... It's balanced for large scale PVP overall.
- The class abilities are very creative and some of them are things I dreamt to have in WoW for years
Examples for some "hunter" skills:
1)a shot that pushes back the enemy like typhoon and thunderstorm
2)ability to use ranged attacks in melee for 15 sec
3)a shot which increases movement speed by 5% per application stacking 5 times
4)a shot which makes the enemy bleed when he moves
5)a "blink" ability for hunters if you spec into the tanking rogue subtree
6)interesting synergy between you and your pet in the ranger tree

I'm waiting forward to experiencing Rift endgame, which I know almost nothing about yet. I might love it, or be disappointed and go back to WoW - time will tell.

But one thing is for sure - I'm experiencing Vanilla again in all its glory. For a casual like me it will take months if not a year to explore all classes and all possible talent combinations in depth. I just hope the game goes well as it started and everything should be great. And I still have WoW, and I can continue my subscription any time.

For the moment, the Rift experience is too powerful and I have the feeling that for the first time the fuss and excitement about a MMO other than WoW comes from the players themselves and not from ads and marketing. I hope it stays this way!

[Fierae]

I'm glad you're having a good time enjoying a different game.

So many WoW players act like an overprotective bitch when it comes to WoW, they hate anyone playing different games as if it's a sin.

It's like the console vs. PC argument taken to a whole new, bitching and whining level.

The biggest comparison I can make with regard to the levelling is that pretty much up to level 20 on my Warrior 'Fierav' in WoW, I was quite literally one shotting every mob I came across. However, in Rift, you actually have to not be crap to kill things properly without drinking afterwards or dying. And if you pull more than you expected, you've really got to play tactically.

Unless you're a saboteur or warrior, they kills things much easier ^^

[PhailPally]

I'm glad you're having a good time enjoying a different game.

So many WoW players act like an overprotective bitch when it comes to WoW, they hate anyone playing different games as if it's a sin.

It's like the console vs. PC argument taken to a whole new, bitching and whining level.

The biggest comparison I can make with regard to the levelling is that pretty much up to level 20 on my Warrior 'Fierav' in WoW, I was quite literally one shotting every mob I came across. However, in Rift, you actually have to not be crap to kill things properly without drinking afterwards or dying. And if you pull more than you expected, you've really got to play tactically.

Unless you're a saboteur or warrior, they kills things much easier ^^

Not many players enjoy grinding (this excludes Koreans), that's why WoW's leveling is most popular...

[Stockli]

I am currently playing wow during raid times, and rift the other times.

And imo I am currently enjoying rift.

[Raztalin]

Not many players enjoy grinding (this excludes Koreans), that's why WoW's leveling is most popular...

I'm not a fan of grinding; but I do like to feel like I've had to work to kill something and not just be 1 or 2 shotting mobs on my way towards max level

[Lily Crowley]

I bought Rift a week ago and I must say, it gave me back the old nostalgic feeling I once had with Vanilla WoW too.
I mean, you have to WALK (or ride a mount) to get to the dungeon in question!
That alone is cool because you feel like an adventurer who is going to explore a forgotten tomb and such things.

I love the dynamic world. Rifts spawning and npcs and mobs taking over quest hubs is amazing. You really feel like you're truly at war! (Some might think npcs and mobs taking over quest hubs is horrible, but really it isn't bad at all!)

When the biggest invasions come, people form a raid and travel around killing the rifts, enemy wardstones and at the end a boss!
WoW has become way too static and you rarely see anyone around anymore and you don't really need to put that much effort into stuff.
A few world events would do WoW good I say.

Speccing is a whole chapter in itself. It gives you so many different possibilities to explore and so many different roles to fill!
And then of course we have the customization, while not as good as Aion, still rocks and is way better than in WoW. And oh, dying your gear in different colours! ;D

This is only a small bit of the things I have experienced yet as I am not at high level yet
Rift is definitely worth a try if you are a bit tired of WoW.

[Deleted]

I am currently playing wow during raid times, and rift the other times.

And imo I am currently enjoying rift.

I would have to quit WoW completely for a while if I were to try Rift - just not enough spare time for both :/ I'm certainly interested to do that though, but only if I can convince some guildies to do the same.

[Deleted]

Who ever likes the game, have fun Blaming someone for liking another game beside WoW is too religious... "you should only have one god" ... bla ^^

I can only agree, I't sperfectly natural to like both games (as I do).

I also feel there are many similarities with WoW, but for the first time I feel that a MMO that copied WoW, improved and expanded a lot of the borrowed features, and didn't just reiterate on the same stuff. It's very similar, but very different at the same time - at least I feel it this way... it's strange and difficult to explain

[Eruptor]

I mean, you have to WALK (or ride a mount) to get to the dungeon in question!
That alone is cool because you feel like an adventurer who is going to explore a forgotten tomb and such things.

Wow i'm not the only one who thinks that is awesome! this is one of the reasons i stopped WOW. But still like it with the Lore etc. Im gonna play RIFT next month !

[aeir]

Glad you're enjoying it, but I had the same experience when I started playing in TBC. So the Vanilla WoW argument isn't really valid.

But starting on another MMO is too much for me.

[PhilCosby]

How graphically intense is it? My pc is starting to get old.

[Deleted]

Unless you're a saboteur or warrior, they kills things much easier ^^

So in 1-4 weeks everyone will play a warrior oder sabouteur, because it's easier. Even rift will have it's fotm-classes and balancing problems.

maybe at this time of the day the grass is greener on the rift-side, but the same sun shines on all the mmo-universes.

[Deleted]

How graphically intense is it? My pc is starting to get old.

Unfortunately very intense, my PC is about 3-4 years old and it forces me to play in Medium settings without shadows (on my display's native 1920x1080 resolution) while WoW runs on max settings.

However, it is still amazingly beautiful even on medium.

If your PC is really very old, there is a setting to use a "Simple graphics engine" or whatever its called, which reloads the game and uses a WoW-like video engine.

---------- Post added 2011-03-10 at 10:24 AM ----------

So in 1-4 weeks everyone will play a warrior oder sabouteur, because it's easier. Even rift will have it's fotm-classes and balancing problems.

There are indeed balance problems in PVP as it is in WoW and as it always will be with both games. What I believe is that if you want to beat a saboteur f.e. you can spec into a combo of 3 talent trees that will ultimately defeat him. I still have to see how it will be at max level with good gear though. It's just a new ideology, not like in WoW, it will take time to get accustomed to.

[Deleted]

Hi guys,

I beg to be excused if I'm not posting in the right place, I just couldn't find the Rift subforum.

There is none, because this is a dedicated WoW site.

It's funny how you have 3 posts... I don't want to bring up the conspiracy idea but it's just... a bit too coincidental some times to not be true. And the way this whole post is written is... Well I'm just saying...
And just comparing RIFT to vanilla WoW... Sheesh can you try harder to take subscribers?

I don't like WoW much anymore myself, but as much as I don't feel much for that anymore, I feel a disdain towards RIFT for their underhanded marketing and extreme, ridiculous hyping of a game that really is so much less then they make it out to be.

RIFT should stop trying to be WoW, because they can't even begin to compete with the other coming MMO's such as SW:TOR and Guild Wars 2, both of which sweep the carpet away from under RIFTs' feet.

Both of the latter aren't trying to challenge WoW, they aren't jabbing at WoW going "We're better then you haha", they aren't trying to replace WoW: They are going to be their own games and claim subscribers simply for not trying to dethrone WoW.

[aeir]

There is none, because this is a dedicated WoW site.

It's funny how you have 3 posts... I don't want to bring up the conspiracy idea but it's just... a bit too coincidental some times to not be true. And the way this whole post is written is... Well I'm just saying...

I don't like WoW much anymore myself, but as much as I don't feel much for that anymore, I feel a disdain towards RIFT for their underhanded marketing and extreme, ridiculous hyping of a game that really is so much less then they make it out to be.

RIFT should stop trying to be WoW, because they can't even begin to compete with the other coming MMO's such as SW:TOR and Guild Wars 2, both of which sweep the carpet away from under RIFTs' feet.

Both of the latter aren't trying to challenge WoW, they aren't jabbing at WoW going "We're better then you haha", they aren't trying to replace WoW: They are going to be their own games and claim subscribers simply for not trying to dethrone WoW.

Hahahaha.

Reading through this thread and his messages, this is probably a RIFT employee.

It's like: RIFT is so much better than WoW, and its everything you want WoW to be. AND YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK. HEHE TRY IT.

Conspiracy at its finest.

[Deleted]

I'm glad you're having a good time enjoying a different game.

So many WoW players act like an overprotective bitch when it comes to WoW, they hate anyone playing different games as if it's a sin.

And all those that play the other games hate in just the same way, unreasonable and ignorant.

Getting really really tired of all this "but lol this game is so much better"-talk. It's all very subjective, and I sincerely wish the "alternative MMO" gamers would stop babbling about it.

[Deleted]

There is none, because this is a dedicated WoW site.

It's funny how you have 3 posts... I don't want to bring up the conspiracy idea but it's just... a bit too coincidental some times to not be true. And the way this whole post is written is... Well I'm just saying...
And just comparing RIFT to vanilla WoW... Sheesh can you try harder to take subscribers?

If you're implying that I'm a RIFT employee this is just hilarious I don't like the "You're not in Azeroth anymore" marketing either

[Deleted]

Hahahaha.

Reading through this thread and his messages, this is probably a RIFT employee.

It's like: RIFT is so much better than WoW, and its everything you want WoW to be. AND YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK. HEHE TRY IT.

Conspiracy at its finest.

Yes, it's painfull to even read it. Yet the mods here don't appriciate people bringing it up, so I tried being nice about it. It's such extremely obvious salesman talk.
But it's just... so hard to not point out that the sky is blue, if you know what I mean...

[aeir]

Yes, it's painfull to even read it. Yet the mods here don't appriciate people bringing it up, so I tried being nice about it. It's such extremely obvious salesman talk.
But it's just... so hard to not point out that the sky is blue, if you know what I mean...

Yeah, it's not a bad idea though. Where a game copies WoW so much as RIFT does, this is a perfect place to promote it. A lot of members, where I'd guess most people here are casual WoW players, and casual players are easier to get due their lesser dedication to WoW. I'm just guessing here.

Why would anyone make a profile only to talk about how RIFT is better than the current state of WoW, and going for that 'romantic' feeling people have for vanilla WoW.

[Deleted]

If you're implying that I'm a RIFT employee this is just hilarious I don't like the "You're not in Azeroth anymore" marketing either

Well we're sorry we make assumptions but when this happens so much that newly registered accounts first thing is to write a thread about RIFT in a manner such as this, and nothing else, it's impossible to not try to draw such assumptions.
It's happened so many times by now it's getting ridiculous to some of us, like me. But I try to not make that the main argument here, it's just our suspicions we're not entirely allowed to accuse people of since we can't prove it.

Regardless, there's already an "official" RIFT thread on the games forum, I sincerely wish all things regarding that game could be kept in there. There is little to no point in making this thread.
Here's a 77 pages long RIFT thread, I don't know how you missed it.
http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...al-Discussions

I'm sure the people appriciating RIFT are the ones posting there. You're not the first to make posts like this, and it ended with mods having to limit it.
I'm not trying to play mod here, I'm just trying to be helpful part of the community. There are many more collection threads regarding certain topics such as anime, for a reason.