The king is dead - long live the king! Really? 
"We're not in Azeroth anymore!" With this challenge to World of Warcraft (WoW) advertises in March seemingly brand-new massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) from " Trion Worlds "for attention. It bears the significant title Rift and the American developer promises a lot, finally there is the Development team of many experienced minds who have already worked with other great titles. In addition, even the "ridiculously low" budget was $ 50,000,000 of allegedly available. So what can go wrong? To put it straight to the point, actually not much, but that "fail" even big names like Lord of the Rings Online or Dungeon & Dragons can proved the past. The probability of long-term to keep up with the better-known titles is still great. Compete with WoW, but to do - to say the least - an illusion.
was after a completely unspectacular year in 2010, also last time again at the time that dared to be a major new online role-playing into the open. Aion already appeared in September 2009 and Warhammer Online even a year earlier, in September 2008. Since then, absolute calm prevails in the (Fantasy) MMO area ( atrocities such as Star Trek Online times excepted). I now had the opportunity to stay in the open beta, a few hours in the game, and first impressions collected. These are so much should be warned, purely subjective, and come from the first ten to twelve hours of play, not enough for an MMO to assess the full extent but also long enough to concluding an experienced player has a Conclusion to come. I have in the past few years, after all, almost all the major MMORPGs at least alluded to once, and some have many, many months and years always gambled extensively and besides additionally many, the principle first free "Free 2 Play" (F2) may contain wrest much good , train my one, then, to assess such a game completely without bias, and compare. But tastes are different, so this is where my personal and completely biased first impression, because Rift has powerful competitors and the expectations are accordingly high. The
regardless what it is in Rift at all? Reins of leadership of the destroyers and destroyer of worlds, was banished from the so-called guard from Telara . Protection against him over time but a bit "full of holes" become so there are always cracks, the eponymous Rift penetrate the monsters in the world. As a player, one can choose between two factions, the guardians who believe and be born again by the will of the gods skeptics who want to shape their own destiny magic and technology. Of course, both factions are fiercely hostile, so enough room for a full player versus player (PvP) should be offered (according to statement other beta players the PvP part is still not really Dolls). The back story the way you can check off again, it plays at least in the first hours of playing effectively just does not matter.
It starts as usual in the genre with character creation. This offers the usual fantasy standards, namely, humans, elves and dwarves, that's it. In this way, the skeptics-elves some alien race called Na'vi from the movie Avatar look strikingly similar. Evil to him who thinks evil of it. The settings in the character editor appear one by one from was Age of Conan (AoC) taken to be achieved, but not quite its size. Where noted, is that in AoC only one race, the people are. A comparison with the incredibly diverse possibilities of a Aion need Rift do not even try it. After all, is more possible than in this Spartan discipline, unfortunately, very top of the class WoW .
After the "resurrection" as an adult, the player will immediately thrown into the action. The task is to be specifically chosen one warrior, rogue, priest or magician to save the world and to help them after the cut of their own Group to redesign. Remember to be from the story as any event mentioned unfortunately, first anything, as in any other MMO, the motto is: first: kill x monster and bring me number Y of item Z. As a reward you get in addition to the obligatory experience points, money and clothing first two subclasses, each of which there are eight different class and you have to choose three. Thus, the magician, for example, Elementalist, Necromancer and Warlock at the same time. A mutated villain as for Ranger Assassin Bard. The combination possibilities are endless, whether they make sense together, that you have to try it himself. The player should also consider here exactly which and how many of the precious attribute points he wants to invest in the skills tree, which can be quite tricky. While, therefore, slowly working through the Startmap, hard-working monsters and beat up this boy celebrating his first quest level rises will moderate foolishly offered nothing to offer not even F2P title for years. There is absolute uniformity. And did I mention that is felt after five minutes, even from the actual story any more? Logic One looks in vain for any event. As the chosen, in a kind of extra factory (Cleric) or die (Guardian) created fighter for my group and last hope for survival the world I'm not dressed up by my people full in order to survive in the struggle against evil, but should help some farmers about to beat up annoying pig? No, the story was real, no matter how complex they will ultimately be knitted together in a hurry.
case holds a whim at first but the pretty graphics. The developers of the decrepit "Gamebryo engine (Oblivion , Warhammer Online ) got something tickled out. Technically can Rift "even" a Lord of the Rings Online (published in April 2007, ie nearly four years ago) well behind, a Age of Conan (Release was May 2008) but unfortunately it is far from being ran, even if it is technically at first glance in many textures and effects quite similar acts. Stylistically Rift kupfert but at World of Warcraft from . By traveling around the country I had more than once, the feeling just to traipse through Azeroth but if it also in a very nice version. But the towns or outposts act in Rift unfortunately quite small. Even the castle Meridian (quasi capital) of the clergy is tiny compared to other MMOs and I rather common in the form of F2P titles. Whether there with more to come, unfortunately I can not say in that regard I was certainly disappointed. Flops is actually a key word, I felt that my character steals as a lame duck the world and was sometimes not as smooth "the curve". This should be "Trion Worlds" maybe a little fine-tune the controller. After all, are very interesting early-designed mounts available, if you have enough cash in your pocket.
Now we come to the other little things. Many documents are still suffering under a wild mishmash language, which may change until the publication of yet. The interface offers familiar online role-playing standard, there's nothing to . Grumble The Rift particularly aimed at bored WoW gamer you notice the latest on the items, in addition to the design of clothing and armor, even the color coding is the same: gray, white, green, blue and purple. The craft I have not tried, but seemed in the standing around Non Player Characters (NPCs) also fly over the usual standard fare to meet in role-plays. Nice if you get into the territory of a rift, you'll automatically includes a "Public Group" and can help to repel the hordes of monsters and to close the crack. In fact, the rift is a cool idea, but when they calculated the current Questort arise, which often happens, not enough players on the ground, then you die faster than one can be dear. Next quest is then, of course. When I have about once more enemies for battle group placed directly at the resurrection shrine, so I had to wait in spirit form, until other players had arrived and had cleaned up a bit. Speaking of recovery, which is also borrowed exactly from the famous Blizzard game.
On the servers I used it was during beta testing right to load slowly, it was not nearly full, which was also the game play, given that the individual types of enemies respawn rate fluctuated by: "Help, too soon, but am still half dead" to "when the cattle appeared again at last?" Her game designers should finally begin to make the Mobquote dependent from those in the respective area resident players. For if you stand with a quarter of the empty energy bar or on the edge of a group, and the opponent just been killed almost instantly re-appears this is annoying. For flight can forget Unfortunately, the monsters follow you the cows come home and take a run after the Health and continuously from that death is inevitable, the player has no chance. These involuntary death have annoyed me more than once.
The beta still suffered occasionally some small bugs in the graphics display, even once, my mouse pointer changed permanently in the cross the Rumschieben so I could click on anything more. But that was fortunately already. The music and the sound effects I can say that they are not struck me, what is neither good nor bad.
Who is Rift and I will play it on? In fact, similar Rift the class leader WoW more than any other MMO. In particular WoW players will feel right at home so quickly. Who your new emphasis on good graphics and the choice between WoW and has Rift , should therefore look at the new title certainly times. Quantitatively, the newcomer is not, however, even for a while can use the huge top dog and his now three addons ( Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King and Cataclysm ) keep up. But the introduction for novice MMO is easier because there are many tips, where the "Classic" WoW time to find out more or even most of other gamers had to ask. Playful is my personally recommended in Rift too little innovation. Good graphics alone not enough for me as well because it only extends to second place. After more than six years MMORPG gamers I expect a new game, something Fresh, unique. Age of Conan this offered, among other things with his combat system, Aion with the PvP. As the unofficial predecessor Warhammer Online Rift fails here ( Warhammer had then as the Rift Graphic been good, the comic look was just too similar to WoW ). Also, I am basically in Rift just kinda too much like a "World of Warcraft Light" and not as a stand-alone game that have Age of Conan , Aion or Lord of the Rings Online far better attempt it, and retains a great deal of independence. I would hope something really new in 2011 is still so hot Tera , get this, an action-heavy gameplay of fresh air to the genre and break the monotony vermiefte. And should a Guild Wars 2 then appear at some point, this at least has the advantage that it saves the monthly subscription fees.
Please do not misunderstand, Rift is a great game that actually makes it right. However, it is unfortunately just one thing: unique!
My collected screenshots of Rift can be admired in the following web album: Rift Screenshots
to enlarge just click the top right of the magnifying glass. The screens are in the 1600x1050 resolution and were made at maximum graphics settings.
