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Rift: Scott Hartsman Talks v1.1

2

Comments

  • OkhamsRazorOkhamsRazor Member Posts: 1,047

    Originally posted by vampiyan

    The guy is an excellent BSer... this game is WoW without arena and a diverse race selection. Level grind, crafting grind, dungeon grind, heroic grind, battleground grind, raid grind. Rinse and repeat with the occasional new content.

    Gameplay is slow paced. Makes the redundant grind become very boring very quickly.

    If you were like me and quit WoW to play... WoW lite... don't bother.

    Not my cup of tea. It's 2011 and the MMO community is still doing the samething we were doing a decade ago but with upgraded graphics.

     While I would say in no way is RIFT a hardcore game I certainly would'nt call it WoW lite . I doubt there is anything lighter than WoW . Questing in RIFT is certainly more difficult and the character customisation offers what wow lost when they changed how players could spend points in skill trees . Theres less world pvp than I would have liked but that compares to virtually no world pvp in WoW since the cross server looking for a group system (at least you see people questing in RIFT ) . I do however agree this is nothing new . It is however a more appealing than WoW . I've quit WoW for this game but to be honest my jury is still out on it because I'm a little bored of this type of mmo after 6 years (am thinking of trying EvE instead) but I would say RIFT is a far better game than WoW is since Cataclysm ( which in my opinion is by far the wost expansion thus far ) also Trion so far seam to have the kind of credibility that Blizzard lost years ago . Community wise again RIFT is far more mature and friendly than WoW thats also a big plus in my books . I've heard that theres around 1.5 million people playing it so it obviously appeals to many people . I would however love to see the kind of game WoW Vanilla was with no quest helpers etc .Sadly I doubt we'll see a game like that again for a while and certainly not in a main stream title .The one thing I would say RIFT has over WoW is potential . WoW has lost its potential all we can be certain of is more of the same and ever more easy gameplay. Which is ok because it appeal the thier target demographic of school age children .

  • HyperbeamHyperbeam Member Posts: 124

    Originally posted by SteamRanger

    I like Scott, but in all fairness, he was pretty passionate when he was the Lead on Everquest 2 too and that title still languishes as a bloated mess with problems that will never be addressed. Scott changes his mind in response to whatever criticism might threaten Rift's bottom line. This would help explain why Rift's developers have lacked a sense of where the game is going. Rift suffers from identity crisis and Scott's letting the winds of player favor blow the game wherever they will is a big downfall.

    Trion doesn't listen to its customers, it just reacts to them. There's a difference.

    I honestly couldn't agree more.  For all it's good points I can safely say I've never played a Triple-AAA MMO that lacked a sense of, 'identity', more then Rift.

  • DurrayDurray Member UncommonPosts: 182

    "we begin to move into 2012? Scoot talked about" you have a little typo there in the article

  • OkhamsRazorOkhamsRazor Member Posts: 1,047

    Originally posted by Elidien

    Originally posted by Hyperbeam

    Originally posted by SteamRanger

    I like Scott, but in all fairness, he was pretty passionate when he was the Lead on Everquest 2 too and that title still languishes as a bloated mess with problems that will never be addressed. Scott changes his mind in response to whatever criticism might threaten Rift's bottom line. This would help explain why Rift's developers have lacked a sense of where the game is going. Rift suffers from identity crisis and Scott's letting the winds of player favor blow the game wherever they will is a big downfall.

    Trion doesn't listen to its customers, it just reacts to them. There's a difference.

    I honestly couldn't agree more.  For all it's good points I can safely say I've never played a Triple-AAA MMO that lacked a sense of, 'identity', more then Rift.

    Yeah, I was a major Rift fan for a while. However, after getting a character on both sides to the mid 20s, I started to remove my rose colored glasses and see some long term issues.

    First and foremost, there are only two leveling paths, one per side. So if you ever level an alt, it will be the same stuff again and again.

    "Oh, you can play all classes (souls) and do not need alts"...so you say and that brings in issues number 2.

    Since one character can have multiple souls and roles, there is little need for alts. This is true. However, the downside is that for new or returning players, this empties out the low level zones and then negates (for the most part) Rifts and makes invasions almost pointless or worthless to participate in unless you want to die repeatedly and never get anything accomplished. it is almost as bad as what the /level 20 command did to DAOC.

    Once I foresaw these issues I quit playing. Rift is still a good game and a well done game but these issues  (TO ME) will become long term problems and detract from my enjoyment of the game. So for now, I am MMO-less and playing some single player RPG and RTS. I miss Rfit but there was no future there for me.

     I certainly know how you feel there . None of the mmos appeal to me long term these days . Its nice to play and odd month in this one or that one but so hard to find one which makes you want to keep comeing back month in month out  . Which is why I like the DDO/LOTRO or Guild Wars models . The two leveling paths isn't a deal breaker for me really but it would have been nice to have six . Its a shame WoW has gone the way it has .3 or 4 years ago it was just what I wanted in a game now the only thing in it that appeals in anyway to me are the bgs . I'd like an expansive world with no being able to log into a bgs apart from a centralised battle master . Certainly no looking for a group system that teleports you to an instance and kills world pvp or an inbuilt quest tracker. Its all these little things thats made WoW unplayable for me . Sadly although RIFT isn't anywhere near as bad its fallen into some of the same pitfulls . It is however the best mmo in 6 years and yes it does have its faults but certainly not as many as AoC , Warhammer or even WoW . Like I said in an earlier post I'm going to give EVE a try as well but I can see myself playing this intermitently . I think I've become an mmo nomad lol .  

  • Duster505Duster505 Member Posts: 66

    Originally posted by Howry



    Always seems like all the servers are at medium to high capacity.  I havent seen any underpopulated ones.


     

    When medium means that 400 ppl are playing and less than 80 are lvl 50... - and more are quitting than continuing ... then things are not right.

  • Duster505Duster505 Member Posts: 66

    Originally posted by dreamer05



    1) They are not looking to do cross server dungeons, just single server dungeons.  Research please.


     


    2) The servers even during week day off prime time still all maintain a medium population health.


     


    3) If you seriously use the world grind when referring to Rift OR Wow then you must be delusional.  Neither of those games are grinds.  WoW has the fastest leveling progression I have ever heard of and Rift isn't far behind.  You people using the word grind to describe either of these games need to go back in time and play old school EQ or DAoC, you don't know what grind is.


     

    2)  Yes... what do you think medium stands for 100 ppl online ?  1000 ppl ?

    Get a clue that medium is a fixed number that TRION desides upon to make it look like servers are active.

  • LighttipLighttip Member UncommonPosts: 24

    Duster505,  So what is medium population?  in a previous post you said 400.  Did TRION tell you that?  Doesn't matter if it's a fixed number or not.  Medium is medium for that server.  I'm sure it's more then 400.  Prove your value right.

  • rojoArcueidrojoArcueid Member EpicPosts: 10,722

    Originally posted by Yamota





    Originally posted by vampiyan





    The guy is an excellent BSer... this game is WoW without arena and a diverse race selection. Level grind, crafting grind, dungeon grind, heroic grind, battleground grind, raid grind. Rinse and repeat with the occasional new content.







    Gameplay is slow paced. Makes the redundant grind become very boring very quickly.







    If you were like me and quit WoW to play... WoW lite... don't bother.







    Not my cup of tea. It's 2011 and the MMO community is still doing the samething we were doing a decade ago but with upgraded graphics.






     



    So true. Quite remarkable that the genre has not evolved for the past 5 years. Exept as you say, better GFX and effects. Other than that its WoW clone after WoW clone and it is left to under-funded indy companies to try and innovate.


     

     the genre hasnt evolved because of  the players.... when they see or hear about upcoming things that would change the genre they start QQing and devs sadly listem to QQers first because for the devs those(QQers) are the main subscribers....

    taht being said, devs keep upcoming games with the same thing over and over, just improve the graphics and some other tweaks that end up as boring and unoriginal as always have been...

    Rift is a good game, but since it has the same of the same again and again, after a while of being repetitive it bores just like most themeparks out there





  • ThomasN7ThomasN7 87.18.7.148Member CommonPosts: 6,690

    I give them a big thumbs up for making sure they polished the game before release but unfortunately I think their whole game design does not equate into long term fun. Guarantee once TOR and GW2 release this game will die off pretty quick.

    30
  • ShastraShastra Member Posts: 1,061

    Originally posted by SaintViktor

    I give them a big thumbs up for making sure they polished the game before release but unfortunately I think their whole game design does not equate into long term fun. Guarantee once TOR and GW2 release this game will die off pretty quick.

    And you base your assumptions on what? GW2 is B2P so easily anyone can keep two MMOS going. As far as TOR is concerned its main draw is sci-fi lovers and SW fans. None of these games pose any direct threat to Rift. But i always read hilarious posts like this everytime some new MMO is close to release. nothing new.

  • rojoArcueidrojoArcueid Member EpicPosts: 10,722

    Originally posted by Shastra

    Originally posted by SaintViktor

    I give them a big thumbs up for making sure they polished the game before release but unfortunately I think their whole game design does not equate into long term fun. Guarantee once TOR and GW2 release this game will die off pretty quick.

    And you base your assumptions on what? GW2 is B2P so easily anyone can keep two MMOS going. As far as TOR is concerned its main draw is sci-fi lovers and SW fans. None of these games pose any direct threat to Rift. But i always read hilarious posts like this everytime some new MMO is close to release. nothing new.

     agreed,

    i for one, am not a fan of SW nor sci fi themes so i may keep playing rift until TSW launches (also playing GW2 when it comes out also)





  • SlyGamer79SlyGamer79 Member Posts: 278

    I've been playing for two months now and the game is alright depending on what you like however lack of people looking for groups,starting areas are the same no matter race choice per side, i just tried to lvl another toon got to 5 and now i feel like i need a nap.

    PSN-SlyFox5679
    Xfire-Slyfox5679
    raptr-slygamer1979

    image
  • GenreNinjaGenreNinja Member CommonPosts: 159

    I think it's disheartening that we're looking at "the beginning of 2012" and its not even halfway through 2011...

    It is apparent to me there is some sort of disconnect from Developers, Players, and Quality Experiences.

    We've lost track about the EXPERIENCE we want a PLAYER to have. Not their character, not the raid boss, Not the NPCs, the PLAYER needs an experience. When the player is playing the game they should be engaged... I havn't been engaged in years and it's not for lack of trying.

    ---

    Live a life less ordinary.

  • AshrealAshreal Member UncommonPosts: 42

    Originally posted by dreamer05


    1) They are not looking to do cross server dungeons, just single server dungeons.  Research please.


     


    2) The servers even during week day off prime time still all maintain a medium population health.


     


    3) If you seriously use the world grind when referring to Rift OR Wow then you must be delusional.  Neither of those games are grinds.  WoW has the fastest leveling progression I have ever heard of and Rift isn't far behind.  You people using the word grind to describe either of these games need to go back in time and play old school EQ or DAoC, you don't know what grind is.

    /agreed

    I love Rift!  And for those people who are WoW fanatics, leave Rift if you don't like it it's really that simple. :)

    Ashreal D'Synn - Shadowlover & Death's handmaiden

  • NitthNitth Member UncommonPosts: 3,904

    Originally posted by dreamer05


    1) They are not looking to do cross server dungeons, just single server dungeons.  Research please.


     


    2) The servers even during week day off prime time still all maintain a medium population health.


     


    3) If you seriously use the world grind when referring to Rift OR Wow then you must be delusional.  Neither of those games are grinds.  WoW has the fastest leveling progression I have ever heard of and Rift isn't far behind.  You people using the word grind to describe either of these games need to go back in time and play old school EQ or DAoC, you don't know what grind is.

     

    Internally they must be thinking about implimenting xrealm lfg.

    Puting down a framework for a shard lfg system is just a prelude for a server wide one. there not going to invest in something that cannot be expanded.

     

    Edit:

    In regards to world of warcraft, They implimented the lfg tool in 3 major stages over a peroid of time:

    1. was the basic gui that would advertise for parties

    2. lfg tool forms your party for you, from the pool on your realm.

    3.lfg tool assembles your party, from a xrealm pool, and your teleported right to your instance.

     

    imo rift is at the 1.5 stage

    image
    TSW - AoC - Aion - WOW - EVE - Fallen Earth - Co - Rift - || XNA C# Java Development

  • dreamer05dreamer05 Member UncommonPosts: 679

    Originally posted by Duster505



    Originally posted by dreamer05









    1) They are not looking to do cross server dungeons, just single server dungeons.  Research please.






     






    2) The servers even during week day off prime time still all maintain a medium population health.






     






    3) If you seriously use the world grind when referring to Rift OR Wow then you must be delusional.  Neither of those games are grinds.  WoW has the fastest leveling progression I have ever heard of and Rift isn't far behind.  You people using the word grind to describe either of these games need to go back in time and play old school EQ or DAoC, you don't know what grind is.






     

    2)  Yes... what do you think medium stands for 100 ppl online ?  1000 ppl ?

    Get a clue that medium is a fixed number that TRION desides upon to make it look like servers are active.

    Right... Because they really have already proven to be an uncaring, money hungry, manipulative, and tyrannical game company who only cares about selling copies.  Wrong.  Medium means exactly what it means.  And since neither of us can prove exactly how many medium is, I'm going to trust the company since their actions have been completely trust-worthy since day one.

    image

    "God, please help us sinful children of Ivalice.."

  • dreamer05dreamer05 Member UncommonPosts: 679

    Originally posted by Mellkor

    Originally posted by dreamer05



    1) They are not looking to do cross server dungeons, just single server dungeons.  Research please.


     


    2) The servers even during week day off prime time still all maintain a medium population health.


     


    3) If you seriously use the world grind when referring to Rift OR Wow then you must be delusional.  Neither of those games are grinds.  WoW has the fastest leveling progression I have ever heard of and Rift isn't far behind.  You people using the word grind to describe either of these games need to go back in time and play old school EQ or DAoC, you don't know what grind is.

     

    Internally they must be thinking about implimenting xrealm lfg.

    Puting down a framework for a shard lfg system is just a prelude for a server wide one. there not going to invest in something that cannot be expanded.

    And that is complete and utter speculation from someone who has absolutely no fact given by anyone on the development team.

    image

    "God, please help us sinful children of Ivalice.."

  • NitthNitth Member UncommonPosts: 3,904

    Originally posted by dreamer05

    Originally posted by Mellkor


    Originally posted by dreamer05



    1) They are not looking to do cross server dungeons, just single server dungeons.  Research please.


     


    2) The servers even during week day off prime time still all maintain a medium population health.


     


    3) If you seriously use the world grind when referring to Rift OR Wow then you must be delusional.  Neither of those games are grinds.  WoW has the fastest leveling progression I have ever heard of and Rift isn't far behind.  You people using the word grind to describe either of these games need to go back in time and play old school EQ or DAoC, you don't know what grind is.

     

    Internally they must be thinking about implimenting xrealm lfg.

    Puting down a framework for a shard lfg system is just a prelude for a server wide one. there not going to invest in something that cannot be expanded.

    And that is complete and utter speculation from someone who has absolutely no fact given by anyone on the development team.

    Yes, it is speculation, but so is the guy saying rift has no plans at all for a xrealm lfg? we just dont know what goes on behind those internal meetings.

     

    Read my edit, for past trends in lfg development

    image
    TSW - AoC - Aion - WOW - EVE - Fallen Earth - Co - Rift - || XNA C# Java Development

  • Cik_AsalinCik_Asalin Member Posts: 3,033

    Isn't Scott Hartsman the reason why EQ2 tanked?  Wait....I came here looking for a fashionable pair of shoes.

  • SoludeSolude Member UncommonPosts: 691

    Scott's awesome.  He just gets it.  And no that doesn't mean he gets the whiny vocal minority.  WoW is Rift Lite, not the other way around.  X-Server LFG might be in the plans... who cares other than the 5 people who think I actually give a crap about you and my server "community".  Hasn't been server communities since guilds were introduced oh way back in long bloody time ago.  Reacting to your customers is how you survive.  When you play the whole EQ1 vision thing... well you get entire webcomics dedicated to your silliness.  Trion has said and delivered that they will try things and if they go off... great, if they fail... they get pulled.  They aren't going to force feed the paying community what Trion wants but what the investers err players want.  Who da thunk giving people what they ask for would make them happy, crazy.

    As to SW:TOR and GW2?  They have been on the hype train for a long long time.  TOR is pretty much guaranteed to not meet its numbers given dev comments lately... cough swimming cough... see FF XIV cough.  GW2 looks great, reads a little odd and demos like its just going to be a MOB grind.  It handles buffs in an interesting way but interesting can become annoying real fast.  Classes are more hybrids but the trinity is still present and accounted for, just more solo friendly for those typically support classes.

  • WSIMikeWSIMike Member Posts: 5,564

    Originally posted by Elidien

    Originally posted by Hyperbeam

     

    Yeah, I was a major Rift fan for a while. However, after getting a character on both sides to the mid 20s, I started to remove my rose colored glasses and see some long term issues.

    First and foremost, there are only two leveling paths, one per side. So if you ever level an alt, it will be the same stuff again and again.

    "Oh, you can play all classes (souls) and do not need alts"...so you say and that brings in issues number 2.

    Since one character can have multiple souls and roles, there is little need for alts. This is true. However, the downside is that for new or returning players, this empties out the low level zones and then negates (for the most part) Rifts and makes invasions almost pointless or worthless to participate in unless you want to die repeatedly and never get anything accomplished. it is almost as bad as what the /level 20 command did to DAOC.

    See that's the thing that separates those who will blindly praise anything a game (Rift or otherwise) does or has, from those who look at everything objectively: Perspective and Experience.

    I had the same concerns as you when I read about the systems that Rift uses, Elidien and it's part of what kept me away. The other part is it just feels too much like something I've already played before... several times. No, Rifts and Invasions are not enough to make it "a unique game experience". It's still the same game underneath.

    Time will ultimately tell how it plays out, but I'm with you when you say that it's going to have a negative affect on lower level players as the first group of established players move on through the ranks and new players come in to find fewer and fewer other players at the low end.

    Aside from the issues you mention, Rift's world design caters to that as well, and it goes back to the discussion of world-driven game design versus game-driven world design. Rift is definitely the latter. If the game world consists of a series of chronologically arranged quest hubs that players are funneled through, like a game of connect the dots, and none of those areas ever have any value or purpose beyond that... It almost guarantees that the game will become top heavy and newer players will find an emptier game world in the lower level areas. Every other MMO to follow that setup has turned out the same.

    And, in every one of those other MMOs, there has been a group of players who insist that same fate won't befall their game, because it's "different" for "x", "y" and "z" reasons. Invariably... somewhere down the line, exactly what they insisted wouldn't happen, happens anyway.

    When your game is designed like an assembly line with a one-way conveyor belt and very few side routes, there are very few other ways it can go.

     

     

    "If you just step away for a sec you will clearly see all the pot holes in the road,
    and the cash shop selling asphalt..."
    - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops

    image

  • vampiyanvampiyan Member Posts: 7

    Originally posted by wizlmtz



    Originally posted by vampiyan





    The guy is an excellent BSer... this game is WoW without arena and a diverse race selection. Level grind, crafting grind, dungeon grind, heroic grind, battleground grind, raid grind. Rinse and repeat with the occasional new content.







    Gameplay is slow paced. Makes the redundant grind become very boring very quickly.







    If you were like me and quit WoW to play... WoW lite... don't bother.







    Not my cup of tea. It's 2011 and the MMO community is still doing the samething we were doing a decade ago but with upgraded graphics.






     



    I couldnt agree more. I have to ask though, what have you quit rift to go play? 


     

     Sadly I am only playing console games. I love MMO's but there are none out that appeal to me. Even games on the horizon that look to have potential are korean made. So that is iffy. I guess I'll play GW2. I dno.

  • vampiyanvampiyan Member Posts: 7

    Originally posted by mackdawg19



    Originally posted by vampiyan





    The guy is an excellent BSer... this game is WoW without arena and a diverse race selection. Level grind, crafting grind, dungeon grind, heroic grind, battleground grind, raid grind. Rinse and repeat with the occasional new content.







    Gameplay is slow paced. Makes the redundant grind become very boring very quickly.







    If you were like me and quit WoW to play... WoW lite... don't bother.







    Not my cup of tea. It's 2011 and the MMO community is still doing the samething we were doing a decade ago but with upgraded graphics.






     



    This is exactly what has ruined it for me, no I'm not talking about RIFT, I'm talking about forums. Quit putting in your 2 cents telling people to not play a game, it's not needed. Just state your reasons and move on. Man oh man what I would give to go back to the days when forums were actually useful and debates were actually meaningful and something came out of it. Anyways, someone will quote me so I will end here. It's just sad, really sad .........


     

     Uhmm... read above the quote you highlighted? I listed several reasons why I did not enjoy my time in Rift. It was hardly a blanket statement.

    It's cool if people are enjoying the game. I still have friends who play and have fun. It just wasn't for me. I'm not hating.

  • ChannceChannce Member CommonPosts: 570

    Originally posted by vampiyan

    The guy is an excellent BSer... this game is WoW without arena and a diverse race selection. Level grind, crafting grind, dungeon grind, heroic grind, battleground grind, raid grind. Rinse and repeat with the occasional new content.

    Gameplay is slow paced. Makes the redundant grind become very boring very quickly.

    If you were like me and quit WoW to play... WoW lite... don't bother.

    Not my cup of tea. It's 2011 and the MMO community is still doing the samething we were doing a decade ago but with upgraded graphics.

     When you call anything after WoW a clone, lite version, whatever; it tells the rest of the MMO community that your first MMO was WoW and you are not to be taken seriously when discussing MMO's.

    When I said i had "time", i meant virtual time, i got no RL "time" for you.

  • mackdawg19mackdawg19 Member UncommonPosts: 842

    Originally posted by vampiyan



    Originally posted by mackdawg19










    Originally posted by vampiyan











    The guy is an excellent BSer... this game is WoW without arena and a diverse race selection. Level grind, crafting grind, dungeon grind, heroic grind, battleground grind, raid grind. Rinse and repeat with the occasional new content.













    Gameplay is slow paced. Makes the redundant grind become very boring very quickly.













    If you were like me and quit WoW to play... WoW lite... don't bother.













    Not my cup of tea. It's 2011 and the MMO community is still doing the samething we were doing a decade ago but with upgraded graphics.














     





    This is exactly what has ruined it for me, no I'm not talking about RIFT, I'm talking about forums. Quit putting in your 2 cents telling people to not play a game, it's not needed. Just state your reasons and move on. Man oh man what I would give to go back to the days when forums were actually useful and debates were actually meaningful and something came out of it. Anyways, someone will quote me so I will end here. It's just sad, really sad .........






     

     Uhmm... read above the quote you highlighted? I listed several reasons why I did not enjoy my time in Rift. It was hardly a blanket statement.

    It's cool if people are enjoying the game. I still have friends who play and have fun. It just wasn't for me. I'm not hating.

    You must of not read what I posted, so go ahead I will give you some time.

    "If you were like me and quit WoW to play... WoW lite... don't bother."

    It's the red highlight that had nothing to do about your time in RIFT. It had to do with you telling people NOT to play a game because you didn't like it. No offense, but you may want to read a post before you comment on it.

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