-
Addons have become an integral part of the modern MMOG experience. So why are Rift players so up in arms over them? The answer may surprise you.
Features, Opinions
Thu, Jun 16, 2011
Medawky
-
With a staggering amount of content already under its belt, Rift shows no signs of slowing down now. Update 1.3 is slated for a late June release and we sat down for a hands-on preview this year at E3
Features, Previews
Mon, Jun 13, 2011
Medawky
-
Rift is known for its unique and varied souls and while the Rogue calling may be best known for the Bard and Riftstalker, the prototypical rogue exists even here - in the form of the Assassin.
Features, Class Info, Guides
Fri, Jun 10, 2011
Medawky
-
Whether ripping off a powerful solo or strumming a rhythmic chord, the Bard is an unparalleled support soul in terms of depth and complexity.
Features, Class Info, Guides
Wed, Jun 08, 2011
Medawky
-
A powerful mix of power and finesse the Riftblade is one of the most unusual of the warrior souls. By using magic based attacks to deal their damage, Riftblades present a host of problems for their enemies.
Features, Class Info, Guides
Fri, Jun 03, 2011
Medawky
-
From from the sneakthief stereotype, the Riftstalker provides the OMG element to the Rogue calling with a viable, and powerful, tanking spec.
Features, Class Info, Guides
Thu, Jun 02, 2011
Medawky
-
Inspired by the return of Boomjack and the daily Reloading column, Jason "Medawky" Bolton dusts off his personal Rift soapbox - The Soulwalker and examines the possibility that MMOG gaming may be destined to fail.
Features, Opinions, Blogs
Mon, May 30, 2011
Medawky
-
Leaving little to the imagination, the Rift Elementalist is master of the four elements. Part of their prowess and power is derived from their summoned combat pets that serve a variety of roles. If any of the various souls in Rift is custom made for the old school EverQuest mage; this is it.
Features, Class Info, Guides
Tue, May 24, 2011
Medawky
-
One of the more daunting souls in the Rift universe is
that of the Stormcaller, a Mage DPS class that uses the powers of wind
and water to besiege their enemies. A perfect match with the Elementalist, this is not a
soul for novice players or those looking for a 3 button nuker to
mindlessly kill with but a powerful weapon that needs constant upkeep
and attention.
Features, Class Info, Guides
Tue, May 24, 2011
Medawky
-
The Dominator
Features, Class Info, Guides
Thu, May 19, 2011
Medawky
Welcome back sir, and I couldn't agree with your sentiment more.
While I like many aspects of the modern day MMOG, I feel they have devolved into massive single player games where you can periodically hook up with some strangers to knock out group content and then go back about your business. Characters are no longer an extension of your personality, they are virtual extensions of parts that should probably best be kept covered in public. In most first-gen iterations of persistent gaming worlds, your reputation was the single biggest factor in your overall gameplay experience - be a kill stealing douche and it took very little time for word to get around, be a consummate professional who performed their class role well and get flooded with whispers for group invites. Even as EverQuest has morphed into a much more solo-friendly game, buffing and player connectivity are still alive and well.
Hopefully as trend following players tire of the MMOG, the community aspect that we loved at their inception will come back to the forefront.
How are the two mutually exclusive. There are so many working parts to MMO development. The team that works on facial animations is different from the team that works on weapon animations and the team that works on questing ect.
It's very easy to throw vitriol around decrying things like this, but it in no means hampers the development of any other part of the game.
As G.I. Joe would say; Knowing is half the battle.
Well, for once I have to agree with Anonymous. Shut em' down boys (and girls)
you think a panda expansion will include challenging gameplay when they are further dumbing down the talent system? Wishful thinking at best. WoW has been engineered so that the least common denominator can feel like good players. It's a stellar formula that has kept their subscription numbers high and they certainly won't change that. Hard modes provide a good enough challenge for the hardcore folks and allow the masses to get their titles once it's all nerfed into the ground.
And yes, Hal has said as much about most of the systems they have deployed, they see what the usage and interest is and spend time enhancing it accordingly. I hope for the sake of MMOGs that they stick with this system and enhance the livin' bejesus out of it.