RiFT: Best Expansion 2012 Massively

[Jyces]

This expansion is simply mind blowing. I played original Rift, but quit soon after. I recently purchased Storm Legion after hearing so many positive things about the expansion, and all the reviews were spot on. Give it a try - you won't regret it.

[smartazjb0y]

Don't really know why there's like MASSIVE hate for Cata. Maybe it's because I was leveling a new character from 1-85 on-and-off the entire expansion and didn't really get to do endgame, but from the podcasts I listened to and all the WoW sites I followed....it wasn't THAT bad. Lackluster? For sure. Small, boring raids and the massive lull between 4.3 and MoP? Sure. But the questing was good (besides disconnected zones and lolVashjir), don't see complaints about 2 new races, 1-60 revamp was good (besides the fact that the time to do the revamp took away from endgame development), etc. Maybe it was PVP?

I'd say it's a tossup between MoP and SL (seeing as I play both), but I have to give the edge to SL. MoP feels like a return to true form for WoW while SL pushes the envelope.

[shadowmatrix]

Why is Torchlight 2 in the running for a MMO award? It's a great game but it is not even close to being an MMO. If it is then I'm selling subscriptions to Mario Party beginning in March.

OT: Gratz to Trion.

[Kelimbror]

If it is then I'm selling subscriptions to Mario Party beginning in March.

Umm...if they provided a steady stream of new mini games, updated cosmetic items in game for your characters, and/or new characters that would be a viable thing for the Wii U to do.

I know plenty of adults, myself included, that will rock out Mario Party while having a refreshing beverage. As long as the price was negligible, like 2.50-5.00, I can see people doing it.

[willowe]

Sorry, i see these as opinions. Rift was a great game, and it needed to release a TBC or a Wrath or a Mists. You know, a good expansion. IMO, what they gave was a Cata. This is my opinion. Only difference between my opinion and Massively, is I'm not posting it on the front page of a website and giving it an 'award' for being a letdown, because it's my opinion, and not fact.

IMO, people need to stop looking at reviews and 'awards' as facts on how good a game is/will be. It's some dude's , or a few dudes' (or dudettes!) opinion on the game. Not yours. Not fact. "Best Expansion" to me reads somewhere between "Trion Paid Us The Most To Advertise For Them" and "We're Currently Addicted To This Game More Than MoP, But Just Wait 'Till We Herald Defiance or ESO As The Next WoWkiller!"

I can't even give Trion kudos for Storm Legion. Kudos for making Defiler a fun soul to get bored of while I whittled away massive amounts of time leveling in a set of continents that felt like another planet.

[Antipathy]

Sorry, i see these as opinions. Rift was a great game, and it needed to release a TBC or a Wrath or a Mists. You know, a good expansion. IMO, what they gave was a Cata. This is my opinion. Only difference between my opinion and Massively, is I'm not posting it on the front page of a website and giving it an 'award' for being a letdown, because it's my opinion, and not fact.

IMO, people need to stop looking at reviews and 'awards' as facts on how good a game is/will be. It's some dude's , or a few dudes' (or dudettes!) opinion on the game. Not yours. Not fact. "Best Expansion" to me reads somewhere between "Trion Paid Us The Most To Advertise For Them" and "We're Currently Addicted To This Game More Than MoP, But Just Wait 'Till We Herald Defiance or ESO As The Next WoWkiller!"

I can't even give Trion kudos for Storm Legion. Kudos for making Defiler a fun soul to get bored of while I whittled away massive amounts of time leveling in a set of continents that felt like another planet.

Bla Bla bla


more of the same from someone who never got past 52 and changed their signature from WoW to Rift to WoW again.

Stop wasting our time. you gave the expansion 0 chance, and we all know it. go back to wow general and discuss the merits of doing dailies.

[theWocky]

I was one of the guys who complained the game was too grindy.

Then, I stopped playing with a mission to get to 60 and started playing to just enjoy myself.

If you do the onslaught quests in each zone, a few warfronts, each normal dungeon, the first tier of hunt quests, then follow the story in each zone... wow... just the most amazing leveling experience.

[willowe]

I was one of the guys who complained the game was too grindy.

Then, I stopped playing with a mission to get to 60 and started playing to just enjoy myself.

If you do the onslaught quests in each zone, a few warfronts, each normal dungeon, the first tier of hunt quests, then follow the story in each zone... wow... just the most amazing leveling experience.

Yeah or I could play every other game in the genre that doesn't require you do do all that to be able to 'enjoy' ten levels.

And Antipathy, I'm level 57 on my Cleric, and 52 on my Rogue. You're half-right. I gave it more than half of the levels to grow on me, and it felt worse as it went on.

Oh and btw, my sig hasn't been WoW for 1.5 years. Since Rift's launch. Heck I don't even think I had a sig then. It's been Rift, GW2 and now WoW. That's it.

[RoninaThorstone]

Am I the only one who is finding the 50-60 experience amazing?
Almost no back tracking. Compelling quest lines. Beautiful landscapes. Fun events.
Also, this 50+ experience is causing me to learn more about my class.
I don't know. Loving it.

[merrier]

Am I the only one who is finding the 50-60 experience amazing?
Almost no back tracking. Compelling quest lines. Beautiful landscapes. Fun events.
Also, this 50+ experience is causing me to learn more about my class.
I don't know. Loving it.

You're absolutely not alone in this. I'm savoring every moment of my time in the new zones.

[Calliso]

I was one of the guys who complained the game was too grindy.

Then, I stopped playing with a mission to get to 60 and started playing to just enjoy myself.

If you do the onslaught quests in each zone, a few warfronts, each normal dungeon, the first tier of hunt quests, then follow the story in each zone... wow... just the most amazing leveling experience.

This right here. I think the mistake a lot of people have made is obsessing over speed of leveling and whether or not something is the fastest way to gain exp. I know I did this when I was first leveling in SL. I thought wow this is going sooo slow and they really need to speed this up and so on. Then I said to myself you know what? I am going to stop obsessing over how fast or slow my exp bar moves. It has made my leveling experience soo much better for me! I am only level 56 right now but that is because I am taking my time and choosing to enjoy the journey. Also I did stop playing my main for a bit to level my alt some which set me back a week or two or I would probably be max level by now but thats fine with me. Really though I am level 56 and have 6 zones still completely untouched. I am still only maybe a little less then half way through completing Morban right now. It took me 3 zones to get 6 levels and all I did was do all the quests including the carnage ones some of the onslaught dailies *only once each* a handful of regular rifts some hunt rifts I ran across, a few zone events oh and a little bit of IA just enough for the zone quest usually though in Seratos I did do the 10 for the achievement. I have not even touched dungeons or pvp and I think the most grindy thing I have done here is maybe the carnage quests. So I think the experience is only a grindy one if you make it one.

[Antipathy]

And Antipathy, I'm level 57 on my Cleric, and 52 on my Rogue. You're half-right. I gave it more than half of the levels to grow on me, and it felt worse as it went on.

Oh and btw, my sig hasn't been WoW for 1.5 years. Since Rift's launch. Heck I don't even think I had a sig then. It's been Rift, GW2 and now WoW. That's it.

How cute. this coming from the same person who felt that an Easter egg expansion storyline felt more connected than a completely revamped story that debuted in another game.

Ok. so you're 57 on your defiler, which is arguably the most compelling and differentiated spec you'll find in any MMO - yet you found it boring.

why exactly are you here trying to argue that "Bribes" could be the only result for the thread topic? also, clearly, someone like you never understood the expansion storyline (there are many posts you can refer to in this regard) when a significant majority of the people in this thread have successfully (in many instances) argued to counter your claims and have easily proven your PoV n the expansion as being uninformed and downright silly (questions like "why do they even need our help in the first place" and "why did they suddenly appear out of nowhere" come to mind.... and this from someone lauding MOP - where the Pandaren Easter egg continent was NEVER explored during the entirety of the WoW chronology, despite the fact that pandaren assisted us more than 10 years ago- whoa man!!!)

Its a waste of everyone's time, really, start seeing it for your self and move on. Its gotten quite boring.

[RoninaThorstone]

You're absolutely not alone in this. I'm savoring every moment of my time in the new zones.

One of my favorite things is finding all the carnage quests.
I hated those "kill 10 boars because... my wife left me for a boars and I need revenge! HERP!"

[willowe]

How cute. this coming from the same person who felt that a non Easter egg expansion storyline didn't feel quite as connected as a completely revamped story that debuted in another game.

Ok. so you're 57 on your defiler, which is arguably the most compelling and differentiated spec you'll find in any MMO - yet you found it boring.

why exactly are you here trying to argue that "Bribes" could be the only result for the thread topic? also, clearly, someone like you never understood the expansion storyline (there are many posts you can refer to in this regard) when a significant majority of the people in this thread have successfully (in many instances) argued to counter your claims and have easily proven your PoV n the expansion as being uninformed and downright silly (questions like "why do they even need our help in the first place" and "why did they suddenly appear out of nowhere" come to mind.... and this from someone lauding MOP - where the Pandaren Easter egg continent was NEVER explored during the entirety of the WoW chronology, despite the fact that pandaren assisted us more than 10 years ago- whoa man!!!)

Its a waste of everyone's time, really, start seeing it for your self and move on. Its gotten quite boring.

Yeah. And Dusken/Brevane were part of Rift lore ever. Nope. Not even an easter egg. Infinity Gate? Nope. Heck even some locations, like Cliffside Vale, are re-conned from Mathosia.

http://forums.riftgame.com/attachmen...es-riftmap.jpg

And now it's in Cape Jule. Let's just re-con where the homeland of the Elves is.

[Deleted]

Congratulations to Rift, played until Greenscale was dead and then I decided the game wasn't for me.

The thing that has impressed me the most is the way they put out content almost as fast as the players can clear it.
Can't imagine their new expansion being anything but amazing.

But most improved mmorpg since launch? Must be Everquest or World of Warcraft.

[Antipathy]

Yeah. And Dusken/Brevane were part of Rift lore ever. Nope. Not even an easter egg. Infinity Gate? Nope. Heck even some locations, like Cliffside Vale, are re-conned from Mathosia.

http://forums.riftgame.com/attachmen...es-riftmap.jpg

And now it's in Cape Jule. Let's just re-con where the homeland of the Elves is.

your point being what? that they invented new lore to progress threats from existing villains like Crucia and Regulos in unexplored world content? ZOMG! how could those bastards do this!!!!!

why don't we hope instead that they create an entire expansion based on the sea sirens which were part of Ember Isle, one of which sang a song that captivated something or another, and then make the player base pay 60 USD to buy it. Or better yet, why not create an expansion around Scotty's misadventures with a few boglings here and there to make the storyline progress more smoothly, and then charge everyone 70USD to buy that EPIC content.

You are still, over the top, kidding, right?

[Lathais]

Congratulations to Rift, played until Greenscale was dead and then I decided the game wasn't for me.

The thing that has impressed me the most is the way they put out content almost as fast as the players can clear it.
Can't imagine their new expansion being anything but amazing.

But most improved mmorpg since launch? Must be Everquest or World of Warcraft.

But it is not most improved since launch, it is most improved of 2012. Also, it is not taking into account expansions. It is comparing Chocolate Rift to Cata WoW to SWTOR to TSW. With those choices, Chocolate Rift is the clear winner, without refute. Now, if you are comparing how much the expansions changed the game, that's a tougher call and some will say MoP some will say SL, some will say SWTORs F2P conversion. However, from the begining of the year to the release of the X-Pac, Rift grew leaps and bounds while Cata sat stale, TSW released and went F2P and SWTOR just fumbled around trying to figure itself out.

[willowe]

Congratulations to Rift, played until Greenscale was dead and then I decided the game wasn't for me.

The thing that has impressed me the most is the way they put out content almost as fast as the players can clear it.
Can't imagine their new expansion being anything but amazing.

But most improved mmorpg since launch? Must be Everquest or World of Warcraft.

Improved means it was bad, or not great, but improved over time.

WoW doesn't quite fit there. Most improved since Cataclysm, yes. But no other game would be able to compare, then.

I'd say Aion is most improved. It still has problems, it still has issues, and it still can be a bit grindy, but it's a much, much better game than it was 2009/10.

Rift, 1.5->1.11 was an improvement on a game that was already great. So, like going from 8-9.5. Aion was like going from a 3 to a 7.5. Much bigger improvement. Sadly, pretty much everyone has tuned it out, and though 4.0 looks brilliant, prolly won't be noticed by the MMO World. It's too little too late.

---------- Post added 2012-12-22 at 01:27 AM ----------

But it is not most improved since launch, it is most improved of 2012. Also, it is not taking into account expansions. It is comparing Chocolate Rift to Cata WoW to SWTOR to TSW. With those choices, Chocolate Rift is the clear winner, without refute. Now, if you are comparing how much the expansions changed the game, that's a tougher call and some will say MoP some will say SL, some will say SWTORs F2P conversion. However, from the begining of the year to the release of the X-Pac, Rift grew leaps and bounds while Cata sat stale, TSW released and went F2P and SWTOR just fumbled around trying to figure itself out.

Um, TSW is BUY to Play. Not F2P. You still need to buy the 'box,' like GW2.

SWTOR is F2P. If you can call it that. IF.

[smartazjb0y]

Sorry, i see these as opinions. Rift was a great game, and it needed to release a TBC or a Wrath or a Mists. You know, a good expansion. IMO, what they gave was a Cata. This is my opinion. Only difference between my opinion and Massively, is I'm not posting it on the front page of a website and giving it an 'award' for being a letdown, because it's my opinion, and not fact.

IMO, people need to stop looking at reviews and 'awards' as facts on how good a game is/will be. It's some dude's , or a few dudes' (or dudettes!) opinion on the game. Not yours. Not fact. "Best Expansion" to me reads somewhere between "Trion Paid Us The Most To Advertise For Them" and "We're Currently Addicted To This Game More Than MoP, But Just Wait 'Till We Herald Defiance or ESO As The Next WoWkiller!"

I can't even give Trion kudos for Storm Legion. Kudos for making Defiler a fun soul to get bored of while I whittled away massive amounts of time leveling in a set of continents that felt like another planet.

"Today, Massively's staff honors the best of the best for the year 2012. We asked each writer and streamer to vote in each category with an anything-goes nomination process. No MMO, company, or headline was off the table.

Enjoy our picks for the best MMOs, expansions, studios, stories, and innovations of 2012... and our most-anticipated for 2013."

OF COURSE THEY'RE OPINIONS. There was NO objective methodology used in that entire article. The awards were NOT based off of sub numbers, largest profit, highest Critic rating, highest Consumer rating, nothing. They were OPINIONS. What, are you going to complain about the Oscars and the Emmys that "they're just opinions?" OF COURSE THEY'RE OPINIONS.

And then HOW do you go from "these awards are just opinions" to "Trion just paid them off?" Those are two COMPLETELY different things yet you're saying the fact that SL won a Massively Award is both just Massively's opinion AND a result of a bribe? Which is it?

You don't give Trion kudos for implementing Dimensions? A player housing feature that has been asked of almost every MMO and one that many still don't have? Coming from a current WoW player, I don't think any feature in any WoW expac even compares to that. You recognize your perspective on SL is an opinion, why is it so hard for you to see MASSIVELY'S AWARDS ARE ALL OPINION?

[Edge-]

IMO, people need to stop looking at reviews and 'awards' as facts on how good a game is/will be. It's some dude's , or a few dudes' (or dudettes!) opinion on the game. Not yours. Not fact. "Best Expansion" to me reads somewhere between "Trion Paid Us The Most To Advertise For Them" and "We're Currently Addicted To This Game More Than MoP, But Just Wait 'Till We Herald Defiance or ESO As The Next WoWkiller!"

All "Best of" lists are opinions. But in cases like this, they're opinions by informed individuals. These are MMO bloggers, they deal with this stuff for their job, so they have a pretty good perspective on it. You're never going to find a review or award you can say is 100% objectively true, they all contain opinion.

As for your italicized parts...

1. The "X GAME/DEV PAID FOR THIS" bullshit is old and tired. Seriously, it rarely occurs (and by that I mean once in a blue moon), and especially not from a smaller dev house like Trion, and a smaller website like Massively. Winning Massively's award is great, but it's not going to really sell boxes. Winning Game Informer or Gamespot's award though, will. So these kind of comments that always crop up when a game someone doesn't like gets a good review/award come off more as comments from people who are butthurt for one reason or another.

2. They don't deal directly with WoW that much, that's what WoW Insider does (they're both under Joystiq). However they still report on the news. Has it ever occurred to you that they just didn't find WoW's expansion too impressive? That's entirely possible, it's been an expansion that has been hit or miss with many people (and the lowest scoring WoW title to date). I don't get the "WoWkiller" comment either. As I said, Massively generally covers non-WoW games for a reason, and they do a superb job of covering both big name and smaller indie titles. I don't think I've ever heard them use "WoW Killer" to describe anything, other than making mention that people might call a game that.

The only difference between your opinion and Massively, is that you have zero credibility to back you up. Massively is a well respected MMO blog that's been around for years and has a reputation as being a pretty solid site for news and opinions. Not always the best, but pretty solid. Not trying to insult you, but do you have any kind of established reputation that backs up your opinions as credible? Not saying that I do either, but just saying that Massively does have weight behind their opinions, where posters on internet forums generally don't.