Interested in Rift but still on the fence...

[N B K]

So I've been looking for a game to check out that's now WoW... sooo burnt out. Might check out MoP but only time will tell.

I've read over the forums as much as I can and I guess I'm just looking to be sold on the game.

I'm looking for the right class to play but I don't want to be pigeonholed into one roll. I love tanking in WoW and I've always have a fascination since my EQ days with DPSing with a sword/shield ie; Shadowknights and Paladins in EQ1. Is that possible in Rift? Or better yet, viable? What IS viable in the game? Everything? Most of the stuff I've read here on MMO-C only refers to Warriors, Clerics and Rogues.

I don't know exactly what I want to play yet but I figured until then and maybe getting responses here I'll check out the Rift Lite version and play as much stuff up to 20 although I'm not sure if that will give me a good enough idea of things to come.

My other problem is that I THINK I may have bought the game when it first came out and never played it. The email I used to register is active in the system and I'm currently in the process of trying to get it back (forgot the password ). But that will fix itself soon enough I hope.. if not I'll just buy the game again.. $15 bucks isn't too bad.

Thanks in advance for any help!

EDIT: Went back and realized that the only reason Clerics, Warriors and Rogues are mentioned is b/c they are 3 of the 4 classes. (I get the idea of souls, etc) So my next question would be what is viable within each class. Why aren't mages talked about very much?

[Tarien]

EDIT: Went back and realized that the only reason Clerics, Warriors and Rogues are mentioned is b/c they are 3 of the 4 classes. (I get the idea of souls, etc) So my next question would be what is viable within each class. Why aren't mages talked about very much?

Mages are a secret society of illuminati, and the first rule of Mage Club is...

Heh, I don't know why you can't find any comments about mages in RIFT, they're great fun to play. My main is a mage, so is Primalthirst's and Slipmat's and Atreayu's (all posters in this forum).

Anyway, sounds like you want a warrior. AFAIK there are no PvE specs that use a sword and shield, though there are some PvP specs that do. I think. Within warrior there are various specs, including at least three tanking specs, dual wield specs and two handed specs.

The alternative is Cleric, they can tank and carry a sword and shield. Clerics make superb healers too (duh) and their DPS ain't too shabby either, though of the four classes I believe it is lowest atm.

Honestly from what you have said go warrior. Just be warned, you won't see a great deal that separates RIFT from WoW at the lowbie levels, other than the soul system. All the good stuff is at 50

[Edge-]

EDIT: Went back and realized that the only reason Clerics, Warriors and Rogues are mentioned is b/c they are 3 of the 4 classes. (I get the idea of souls, etc) So my next question would be what is viable within each class. Why aren't mages talked about very much?

Depending on what you're doing, each class can perform any of their roles and be viable within normal gameplay.

Clerics: Tank, healer, dps (melee/caster), support (kinda, functions more as a support healer than true support)
Warrior: Tank (different tank styles), dps (multiple different viable builds)
Rogues: Tank, dps (melee/ranged), support (bard)
Mages: Healer, dps (different styles again), support

I don't know about mages not being talked about though, all the classes can be good. The great part about Rift is that if you're doing casual play (5 mans, pickup raids or casual raiding), there are plenty of different viable builds for what you want to do. Sure there will always be the cookie cutter builds with a few points to mess with if you want to maximize performance, but the ability to still function properly with multiple different builds is a lot of fun.

[Fencers]

I'm looking for the right class to play but I don't want to be pigeonholed into one roll.

Rift has 4 roles: Damage, Tank, Heal and Support.

Clerics can do all 4 viably.
Mages can heal, dps and support viably.
Rogues can tank, dps and support vaibly.
Warriors can tank and dps viably.

Warrior is the most restrictive. But there is no difference in the ability of a Rogue tank v. Cleric or Warrior tank.

PVE is perhaps the most balanced of any MMO on the market right now.

I love tanking in WoW and I've always have a fascination since my EQ days with DPSing with a sword/shield ie; Shadowknights and Paladins in EQ1. Is that possible in Rift? Or better yet, viable?

No and no.

A Warrior can solo / grind with a 1h/shield. But for raiding, it's not going to work.

What IS viable in the game? Everything? Most of the stuff I've read here on MMO-C only refers to Warriors, Clerics and Rogues.

Almost everything.

Melee rogue DPS works, ranged rogue dps, rogue support-- all work out. Mage healers, support and DPS with & without pets work also. Warriors DPSing with 2h handed weapons or dual wielding are viable. Warriors may have a pet or not all the same and all warrior tanking souls are equally good.

Clerics work as well, everything; tanks, ranged DPS, melee DPS, typical healer, battle healer, tank support or heal support, with and without pets as well... Clerics can do anything.

PVE is superb for the most part.

So my next question would be what is viable within each class. Why aren't mages talked about very much?

Just asking the same question over and over. They are all viable. The game is very well balanced. Major class discrepancies only occur at the very bleeding edge of content.

Post raid numbers consistent prove by parse & meter that are generally within 3-5% of each other in performance; accounting for encounter or individual player skill.

I think you are misusing the term "viable build": here w/r/t Rift. Simply now how classes/souls work.

[N B K]

Mages are a secret society of illuminati, and the first rule of Mage Club is...

Heh, I don't know why you can't find any comments about mages in RIFT, they're great fun to play. My main is a mage, so is Primalthirst's and Slipmat's and Atreayu's (all posters in this forum).

Anyway, sounds like you want a warrior. AFAIK there are no PvE specs that use a sword and shield, though there are some PvP specs that do. I think. Within warrior there are various specs, including at least three tanking specs, dual wield specs and two handed specs.

The alternative is Cleric, they can tank and carry a sword and shield. Clerics make superb healers too (duh) and their DPS ain't too shabby either, though of the four classes I believe it is lowest atm.

Honestly from what you have said go warrior. Just be warned, you won't see a great deal that separates RIFT from WoW at the lowbie levels, other than the soul system. All the good stuff is at 50

So Warriors that tank in this game do not use shields?

[Fencers]

Warriors use shields to tank. They actually can't tank well without shields.

[Tarien]

So Warriors that tank in this game do not use shields?

I meant no PvE DPS specs that use a sword and shield. All the tank specs use sword and shield for warriors and clerics. Rogues use dual weilded weapons to tank.

[N B K]

I meant no PvE DPS specs that use a sword and shield. All the tank specs use sword and shield for warriors and clerics. Rogues use dual weilded weapons to tank.

Ahh thank you! Sorry for the misunderstanding!

I'm having a hard time narrowing it down now that everything can pretty much do everything it seems!

[Tarien]

Ahh thank you! Sorry for the misunderstanding!

I'm having a hard time narrowing it down now that everything can pretty much do everything it seems!

It sounds complex and overwhelming, but once you get to grips with things it actually means a great deal of freedom and choice, experimentation and discovery. I've been playing over a year and I still find new useful builds.

[willowe]

Ahh thank you! Sorry for the misunderstanding!

I'm having a hard time narrowing it down now that everything can pretty much do everything it seems!

Yeah, best way to figure out what you like is to download the trial and mess around on a few toons.

The best part of Rift is there is almost no restrictions to your class. Minus Mage Tanking. I'd love if that were the the soul in SL!

[N B K]

Can you guys recommend any Cleric builds to level up with?

Are Clerics overplayed or is there pretty much good balance between all classes?

I dunno what to do with the subspecs haha.

[Tarien]

Try this guide to the Duracell cleric build, it's good for leveling I hear: http://dulfycleric.wordpress.com/201...eveling-guide/

[Alixie]

Rift is $5 bucks with month free on Amazon, so there's even less to loose. Its free til level 20, no credit card needed, basically a demo. So try it! Here, Ill even give you a link to start. *wink wink nudge nudge*

Clerics are awesome, mine is level 40, and they can be tank, melee, ranged, and healer. Its like a Pally, Priest and Warlock smashed into one class. For a spec, I suggest creating your own, but I leveled primarily bgs and dungeons as the caster specs like Cabalist. They have sick aoe.

[N B K]

Rift is $5 bucks with month free on Amazon, so there's even less to loose. Its free til level 20, no credit card needed, basically a demo. So try it! Here, Ill even give you a link to start. *wink wink nudge nudge*

Clerics are awesome, mine is level 40, and they can be tank, melee, ranged, and healer. Its like a Pally, Priest and Warlock smashed into one class. For a spec, I suggest creating your own, but I leveled primarily bgs and dungeons as the caster specs like Cabalist. They have sick aoe.

Didn't see a link in your post. Any recommended servers?

Also, I LOVE PvP.. as a cleric am I going to get absolutely smashed by other classes or does it actually develop into a skill based system and not gear + ridiculous amounts of slows, CC, etc ala WoW?

---------- Post added 2012-06-04 at 11:29 PM ----------

On character creation when it asks you to select a "purpose" is there a certain one I should pick? I'm following the duracell guide for now and it didn't mention it at all.

[willowe]

1v1 PvP is usually balanced.....if same (or near same) level.

At 50, there is a gear grind to rank 40 (soon 50), but I'm pretty sure in 1.9, when conquest goes live, you being 'fresh' won't be so noticable; as conquest is like Aion's Abyss, and not.....1v1 centric. So basically you could 'hide' easier in the group while grinding to r50.

[Primalthirst]

The 'Purpose' system is designed to show you a progression path for some reasonable levelling builds if you have no clue what to do.
If you want to make it up as you go along or have a specific player-written guide you wish to follow then you can ignore the Purpose system.
I think you still have to pick one at character creation but you can completely disregard it if you wish.

I REALLY want a Mage tanking soul in Storm Legion, hence the Avatar.
Tarien, you should start using it, it's slowly picking up steam on the official forums. It's going to be a thing.

[Slipmat]

Time to drag out the videos again, any excuse for a look

Cleric




Mage



Rogue



Warrior



These videos haven't been updated so some of the builds might be a bit out of a date, plus the Warrior and Cleric pets have gotten new models since, but it gives and idea of how flexible the soul trees can be

[Deleted]

I am an annual pass holder, so i continue wow but... i am also since last weekend an active Rift player as well, with 6 month subscription after trying Rift Lite.

Can't tell much since i am only a 21 level warrior about end game but...

Rift is a different game regarding leveling experience.

There are areas thickly populated with adds.

In those places, with patrols all over, you cant skip and go around mobs, if you re not outleveling them by more than one levels.

Besides the normal quest line there are the Rifts, and whenever you re close to one of them there is a "Public Group" option if other players are nearby to defeat them. You can solo Rifts if you are outleveling them, but as a new players i discovered that i should stay clear from rifts at my level or above if solo.

There are invasions as well, were you are asked to drive a evil force away, which is area wide (area as Elwyn Forest imagine).

There are dungeons to join with RDF option available.

Overall last night at iron fortress, when i dyed 3-4 times from being hasty and careless, i rediscovered the joy of entering a tower with side steps to see whats around the corner and range pulling a mob with ranged attacks with LoS to avoid patrols, that would for sure engage you if you were to charge at the mob's location.

The "talent trees", called souls are quite overwelming, since extra abilities are added as you pick talents on a specific soul (tree).
You have 8 souls to chose 3 from, and your class can be almost everything. By leveling 2 alts( or a single cleric :P), you can easily cover all roles in a future raid and enjoy all aspects of the game.

I am quite pleased at my experience so far and the only 2 things i don't like, is that i need upgrade to enjoy full details on graphics, and the enemy nameplates missing.
I am tanking for years in wow, and i don't know how i would do without them really. Trying to think tanking bloods on spine heroic without nameplates...no way!!!

Population in game is also quite thick. Trion's move to merge servers, smt that other companies are afraid to do, showed that they are focused in providing excellent service, and not into what "some might say that might spread and impact negatively the game".

Rift is a very good game! If you re looking for smt different but also familiar, with the Epic RPG more underlined, and you can handle 25 raids in wow with good settings, this is a game for you.

Edit:
Forgot to add that they 're fixing the issue with nameplates with next patch.
Also i forgot to add another thing i don't like. Many times, especially inside rifts, adds do not make a vivid contrast to the background and near environment, that combined with the fact that many are tiny, and there are no nameplates, makes them intistinguishable. I often found myself thinking that i killed all mobs, and a tiny little ...(you know what ) is still hitting me (when i play without headset)!
And what i can tell even from now that i will miss is the convenience offered, by an -armory like- API but that one only at end game.
With the pace these crazy Devs are adding stuff in the game, most likely there will be an armory before the time i hit 50 :P

[Tarien]

I am quite pleased at my experience so far and the only 2 things i don't like, is that i need upgrade to enjoy full details on graphics, and the enemy nameplates missing.
I am tanking for years in wow, and i don't know how i would do without them really.

While in game press Escape, go to Settings -> Interface -> Nameplates. Choose whether you want them to display all the time, only while in combat, or not at all, for friendly and enemy players/NPCs.

[Deleted]

I didn't know they are already available, i thought they are coming with 1.9 patch.

Cheers Tarien!