I've seen all I need or want to see before release. I’m sure I’ll pop on the test server when class changes appear in the patch notes to assess the impact. Otherwise, it’s play time over until March.
My problem is that chasing rifts I can see from a distance in the sky, inadvertently causes me to stumble into quest areas I haven’t seen before. I really call shenanigans on complaints that the quests are too linear. I’ve leveled past several areas on multiple characters without ever knowing they existed. And I certainly never struggled for content to help me gain levels. For players who complain in game that they've run out of quests at level 15 I'd suggest that you, wake the hell up and explore!
My biggest disappointment was running into an area and finding a whole village of action that seemed like the GW2 dynamic events – this wasn't dynamic of course, but it was bustling with NPCs and players running around completing quests. I won’t spoil it by going into detail and I’m not sure the area is open in beta yet but I was really bummed that I’d inadvertently run inside. Once I was there, I looked around a little bit. How could I resist? I logged after that, haven’t logged back in and have no plans to participate in this week’s beta event.
I had a great time playing Rift but here are a few things I hope get changed before release:
I’m not a fan of the mount animation. It's a minor complaint but bugs me every time I'm on my mount. First is that my character's body movement is too cowboy-ish for the game's theme. Why am I riding with my left arm flung out like I'm on a bucking horse??? Plus there’s something about the ride itself that feels slow-motion capture.
Collections should provide more meaningful rewards, let me pick a reward or give more coin. Heck, I'd prefer a silly title that I can optionally display. Anything better than giving me more vendor trash. The potions and essencse you’re given can be found anywhere and everywhere. I find myself less interested in stopping to gather collection items I see, when it's just more stuff to carry and vendor after claiming the reward.
Less trash from mobs please. We need more meaningful items and some gear wouldn't be amiss. I'm not expecting to be rolling in gear from mob drops but I would like more options in forming gear sets - different stats for different roles. We have the abundantly flexible class system but a huge gap in gear needed to build sets to match different roles. I'm not a fan of being forced to build very specific gear sets but I want more options so that I can tweak gear for the soul combination and style I've created. Right now it feels very early AOC where there was a definite deficiency in gear options.
More distinguishable gear models would go a long way. Similar to early AOC again, I'm not sure I looked very different from level 10 to 25 even though I wasn't in the same gear. *shrug* We're in a wonderfully realized fantasy setting with such attention to detail but the players blend into the grass. We need more variety in the standard gear or provide appearance tabs with accompanying appearance items.
Free bind to faction capital. I’m fine without the fast travel options available in other MMOs but I don’t like having to decide between binding myself to where I’m questing or to Meridian for the complete compliment of services offered there. I think we need both and the one to Meridian should be a default freebee given by a quest.
More consistent rift reward acquisition. This is my biggest pet peeve. If rifting is going to be a valid alternative progression path, a player’s ability to purchase the rewards has to be more consistent. Right now it’s annoying like the old WOW PVP system where you had to do BGs you hated just to get the right marks. Except this is worse, because players have no control over what rifts spawn - level or type, which is what determines the kind of shards given as reward for closing the rift.
I would suggest that there only be one type of shard and similar to WOW motes and essences, you can combine lesser ones to make greater ones. The fact that I have 500 of the blue ones but can’t come up with even TWO of the enchanted-whatevers to purchase a blue reward, started to feel preposterous. Perhaps leave in the purple shard for purple rewards. But really, I shouldn’t have 600 of the thing I only need 250 of but can’t do anything other than cross my fingers, to get two of the other kind.
My first character had two purple planar rewards by level 15 from running rifts. My current character has NOTHING and it’s not from a lack of trying. I’m here to tell ya that as it stands, it’s not a viable/reliable progression path when you’re level 22 and walking around in level 12 armor because you haven’t been able to purchase a single reward. Eventually I gave up and upgraded my gear from the Auction House. There's a limit to how under geared you can be when you're in melee range or trying to heal people.
None of these things will stop me from playing but I’m hoping that the latter two are addressed before release.
Regarding collection rewards, I'd like to offer the following anecdote. After turning in countless collections on my Warrior main and getting nothing noteworthy in return, I turn in my first collection on my Cleric alt.
There was an epic level 16 2H sword in the random goodie bag.
I've decided to roll with The Older Gamers for Rift. Absolutely loving the community and I should've done this way earlier for previous games.
Posted by: Winged Nazgul | February 04, 2011 at 01:51 PM
Why does that guild sound familiar? I think Sister Julie from No Prisoners No Mercy is with that guild in general. Are many of them out of Australia? What faction?
I'm feeling very eh, about the collection quests. It's a bit too random on the quality of rewards. I don't need anything epic but SOMETHING useful would be nice or give me something frivolous and cosmetic. I love interesting cosmetic gear - capes, hats, goggles, etc. So many fun things they could do versus giving me the same essences and potions from mobs that I'm already selling as trash.
Posted by: Saylah | February 04, 2011 at 03:40 PM
Yep, Sister Julie and Fran are members of TOG, as am I. Like you Saylah, I am taking it slow in BETA and enjoying just playing with combat mechanic and builds.
Posted by: R.W. Harper | February 04, 2011 at 08:49 PM
Messing with the abundance of options in the soul mechanic is heaps of fun. It's really easy to get side tracked there for a while which is why I stayed broke most of the time. I'm glad I've gotten the initial itch out of the way so I don't burn the first couple weeks of the live gaming just deciding on my base. I'm ready tobrun around freely and see everything I can!
Posted by: Alysianah aka Saylah | February 05, 2011 at 12:46 AM