Comments on: [Rift] The wonders of cosmetic clothing

By: ZombiePirate

ZombiePirate — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:30:13 +0000

I love the dye options, I’ve got a wardrobe set and some of my current gear dyed for RP and once I replace that gear it’ll be going right to the wardrobe set until I find other stuff I like. I’m really enjoying how I can tailor my look to my character rather than just gearing myself and looking the way I do. Also means I’m not carrying bags full of clothing.

By: It happened this week – Release Edition

It happened this week – Release Edition — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 16:47:17 +0000

[...] decides it is time for a Rift fashion show (not really) and shows off some screen shots. There is also a great discussion about having to [...]

By: Dril

Dril — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 11:01:19 +0000

Eugh, DoTs, really?

I agree that it is great to be able to build whatever you want…I just wish that whatever you want was actually something special, something unique, not just “dot specialist” composed of stuff from a plethora of souls.

By: kiantremayne

kiantremayne — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 16:18:48 +0000

I do think PvP works better for your playstyle (and mine) than hardcore end-game content. Not just in Rift specifically, but in most current MMOs.
For PvE content, which is predictable and you’re working as part of a team following a script, it makes sense to be specialised on one function – and players will quickly identify how to maximise that one function and shun anything else.
PvP is more chaotic and unpredictability is a virtue there. Having the cookie-cutter glass cannon DPS spec just makes you easy for an experienced PvPer to counter. Having a screwball build that suddenly switches damage type, or pulls out a crowd control ability they weren’t expecting, nore than makes up for not maxing out performance against a target dummy.

By: jalindrine

jalindrine — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 14:31:45 +0000

One thing you will also notice is how big a difference it makes to have access to dye because (da-da-DAH) you can make things match.

Hello, Ultima Online. /fond memories, mostly.

By: spinks

spinks — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 13:38:16 +0000

I am kind of against adapting too much. I don’t want to bother with a pet and I like how my warlock main build plays. So although most war/necro/something builds will go with the necro as main I don’t want to do that. I do have a healing build as a backup and a different PvP spec with dominator/ archmage/ warlock.

I know GW is all about adapting your build, and I wonder whether I’ll feel the same if I find a class I really like but it just isn’t as good for soloing/ PvP/ whatever else I’m doing as a different one. There’s adapting and then there’s feeling forced into a specific optimal build.

By: Ratshag

Ratshag — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 11:58:19 +0000

“My main reservation on raids and T2 instances is that I have no intention of switching my souls around, now that I have found a combination that I like. I actually don’t care if it’s way off the max dps, I don’t even know if it is anyway, and I don’t intend to run any content where that would ever be an issue.”

That’s a damn good way fer ta play, is me thinking. Rock on.

By: Simon Jones who is blogless

Simon Jones who is blogless — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 11:45:52 +0000

One of my big issues with Rift, though not the one that made me give up on it, was the illusion of choice in regards to builds.

I can mix and max whatever I want, but I discovered that generally what I wanted to mix, like my pyromancer/necromancer/dominator evil mage style guy, was kinda awful because the synergies between certain souls are so strong (You want to be a pyromancer DPS? Well, why not pick Archon and Elementalist even though they are boring and have no access to dead people or curses because they have all these talents that boost fire DPS!) that what you functionally have are the WoW 3 tree options pretending to be a wide variety of choices.

And the thing being, they’re spelt out so blatantly that you have to go against the grain to actually choose non-standard combinations.

By: Longasc

Longasc — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 11:01:28 +0000

P.S. like both outfits. But recommend earth colours for pvp. ))

By: Longasc

Longasc — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 10:59:21 +0000

Ah! I’m relieved that it was a conscious choice and not someone bashing your build in the most uncourteous way.

I don’t know how much old school Rift is and if DPS checks are really THAT harsh and unforgiving that people are looking to save the raid by squeezing out 0.5% more DPS from mages. It has become so much more about memorizing the pattern and – still usually – just don’t do anything terribly wrong. Rather punishing mistakes than rewarding someone for doing his/her part very well or giving others an option to compensate would be nice.

I assume you are not *that* strictly against adapting your “build”/”souls”. Because you sounded so bitter that I was concerned! It’s also part of the core gameplay of Guild Wars to adapt, though people found shrewd builds that work more or less in all areas by now. Rift might face a similar issue with that, as people are usually not happy to change their build at all. It often paid off to let people do it their way than giving them a build they did not have the skills (GW term! One of the 8 on the bar, not skill as a player) for and how should they have practice with said build if they just went to the trainer to unlock and buy said skills anyways.

Rift allows you to have many different roles (? I think they were called this way, the different soul builds) and while I preferred the Inquisitor spec with some Sentinel healing, I also had a Sentinel/Warden/Purifier dungeon healer specialist spec and was experimenting with Shaman/Justicar/druids melee builds when the beta ended.