h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What really got me frustrated when lightning zapped my modem was that I was just in the process of enjoying a new (well, fairly new, and certainly to me) MMORP named Rift.

For those familiar with my gaming preferences, purty graphics really appeal to me. Here are some samples (click on the pictures to enlarge them):

http://tillf.blogspot.com/

Yes, yes, I'm still trying to figure out how to get my old blogger blog back, but this'll have to do meanwhile...

What's the scenery like?

Well, I'm not playing with the graphics maxed out because that would slow the game down - after all, my 'new' gaming computer is now 3 years old (when did that happen?) but I'll check what it looks like if I do that momentarily.

The scenery (so far, I've only discovered a fraction of the world) isn't as breathtakingly beautiful as in Oblivion (where I'd often stop and just enjoy the view for the beauty of it) but it's OK.

Misty morning in the woods, but what's that smoke in the background?
http://tillf.blogspot.com/2011/06/rift-morning-in-woods.html

Sanctum, capital of the Guardians:
http://tillf.blogspot.com/2011/06/rift-sanctum.html

Port Scion in ruins - but wait, is that a tentacle in the lake? Can't remember seeing it before:
http://tillf.blogspot.com/2011/06/rift-port-scion.html

I haven't figured out yet if it's a seasonal Midsummer event or always ongoing, but there are rifts opening up all over the place

If you have a rift-related quest or are the right level to get one automtically, you'll get a button 'join public group' if any other player is close to the rift too. Very handy, no fishing for group invitations needed.

Ah, just noticed in the game loader that the ongoing Midsummer event is called Waves of Madness, which is probably why there are so terribly many rifts and creatures from rifts around.

But, considering the name of the game, I assume there will always be a few rifts around.

It's a pity though that the servers are, as with most MMOs, divided into European and American. For once it'd be cool to be able to play together with someone from any part of the world. Imagine a Salonista guild

Found a nice presentation of the music in Rift:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg6mCOtd1oE

*sighs as her previous post gets temporarily modded*

OK, the previous post was a link to a youtube video on the thoughts of some composers of gaming music, and some orchestra parts, and so on. Yes, they were referring to a specific game, but I thought it gave an interesting insight into the general 'making music for games' strategy.

Meanwhile, my level 16 dwarven warrior has learnt (the hard way) to stay away from Life rifts:
http://tillf.blogspot.com/2011/06/rift-life-rift.html

There appears to be some healing powers involved, which makes it practically impossible to solo one of these rifts.

So far, I've come across Fire, Water and Life rifts. I do hope there aren't any Death rifts!

So the music link is bad, good

Come to think of it, I do enjoy listening to the ingame music in all of my favourite MMORPGs (and Oblivion - oh my goodness, if they ever bring it online, I'll be lost for eternal times).

Hmmm....

OK, my no. 1 is still:

1. Good graphics - pretty even
2. Interaction not made too complicated - and finding s server with some level-headed and nice people on it - not all that easy always
3. Good ingame music to keep me invigorated and entertained while my character is soloing (there will always be solo quests)

....

4. Encouraging/rewarding NPCs - I think I haven't realised until now how good it feels to have someone tell you how well you've done and that you're super - even if it is a computer generated character. As long as it matches the efforts I've made to get to that point...

*pats self on the back, heartily*

Ti, you've done well!

Oh pu-lease

Gold sellers already? Bother, bother, bother...

RP?

Yes, on a *few* occasions I've come across RPing characters at one of the next-step-after-noob-locations, but that's about it. And this seems to be the *only* European RP-PvE server.

No 'thanks all' after defeating all rifts and the rift itself in a public group, even though it has a party chat.

Only one guild invitation so far (without asking, so declined it, repeatedly).

Not exactly sure just how social this so called RP shard is... at least in WoW, players tended to be *very* social (overly so, at times).

Just did my first dungeon (a random one) and phew, that was intense. Only one player posted anything during the whoie run (an experienced player I think, since he posted advice on what to expect next).

Everyone was super-focused and I haven't had anyone yelling 'noob, what the are you doing?' at me in any group formation so far. Quite a difference from WoW...

I'm beginning to think that most Rift players are adults, and behave like adults as well. Only once have I seen someone posting in leetspeak in the general chat channel. Most postings seem to be questions about quests, or requests to form a group for a rift or some other taxing effort.

There are currently death rifts opening up in several places, and there appears to be something dodgy about the damage the rift creatures do. A level 8 mob wiping out a level 20 character with 2 hits? Sheesh... Several players are commenting on this, so it's not just me.

Something I do appreciate though, is how often the most common problems are corrected. New patches are downloaded at the speed of around twice a week and, as far as I've seen, it's been corrections. I haven't had to remap my abiliteies - yet *crosses fingers, knocks on wood* That is someting that drives me absolutely crazy in WoW.

There's a small Guardian village that has quite some RP going on most RL evenings. A bit 'suggestive' at times but done with style. Yet another difference versus WoW, where 'suggestive' is replaced by 'unshamed, head-on and rude'.

Spent around 2 hours (could have been more) in a dungeon last night. My level 23 warrior, a level 21 rogue and level 20 cleric foolishly tried to manage on our own when we couldn't get any more members.

I've lost count of how many times we all died (our combined resources were so thin that if one died, often the remaining two would be wiped out as well), but the other players were just as stubborn as I was.

And we did it! And thoroughly enjoyed it, even though it was frustrating at times. And nobody lost their temper or called anyone names. In fact, I've added both to my friends' list and we will likely team up again.

Later, when I told my guildies (found a nice, mature and helpful guild) they admired how crazy we were to go through with it

And I'm tanking! I gave that up long ago in WoW because I got tired at being yelled at the whole time. Too much aggro, too little aggro, too little dps.

Here, I find I actually do pretty well - and when my little warrior wants to, she can pull aggro off any party member *proud and fond of her dwarf*

Ah well, it *did* seem to be good to be true - was just told in a random dungeon group that I can't possibly tank specced with beastmaster.

And the character had as all stand still while she, in detail, described what to expect next - and then demanding confirmation from everyone that we had understood. A real schoolmarm of a character.

I'll consult with Red later - he's a level 50 (current maximum) warrior, and he's already offered to tutor me. I think he'll be much nicer aobut it, even if I *have* made the wrong choice in soul-bilding.

*us

*building

*sighs*

One of the bosses got bugged (standing still, doing no damage, taking no damage) so I left the dungeon (like everybody else) but also the group.

Can't but help feeling a bit of Schadenfreude seeing how hard it is for the schoolmarm to find a new tank (she repeats herself over and over again in general chat).

http://riftpics.blogspot.com

One of my best pvp moments - with a mage... and that's the Matriarch in the guild chat. Her husband is the actual guild leader, but she rules the guild quite sternly - for a 20-year-old woman. She has forbidden my warrior to kill any more cats (they drop an artifact; these are items you can collect to get rewards when you have completed a set).

All classes seem to have some healing capacities, which means you can have several different roles; sometimes tanking, sometimes dps and sometimes healing. It takes a lot of trial-and-error to figure out how to play them. Each rolse has 3 souls, and at maximum level (currently 50) I think you can choose between 12 diffferent souls.

*removes an errant 's'*

The game takes so much of my focus that I end up mistyping quite a lot in guild chat - I might even become the guild queen of typos