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Went back to Rift and...
Siphaed
Member RarePosts: 1,114
...and I just couldn't make it work at all! What was I drinking when I decided to do that? Okay, so we need a bit more in-depth rundown of the situation.
They had the Free Weekend Play for those that bought the game to return and try it out before it does the F2P conversion in the middle of June. Being that I haven't played since the 3rd or so month of the game, none of my original characters were there and I was required to start from scratch (no big deal, honestly). So I went into character creation and that's where some of the frustration started.
TLDR version here: The biggest irk I'd had with Rift (compared to GW2) is that as a Mage I couldn't move while casting. I literally had to stand in place, target an enemy, and cast the long-cast spell just to engage the enemy. In comparison, GW2 has me being able to launch fireball after fireball at the enemy while running towards them without ever having to target the SOB I plan to hit. Now, the enemy can move out of the way and the fireballs won't land, or they're too far and they'll fall short....but the mechanics are there that they actually are ACTIVE instead of a semi-RTS style of inactive gameplay set up for reach interaction.
3 races of the one faction, and then split M/F just to give an delusional illusion that there's more than 3 choices to be had. Of course each faction had 3 races, so it's technically 6 in total...but, since it's faction-split based, it's still only three: 3 good guys and 3 bad guys. Aw, but the races are so interesting and unique: humans, humans with a different name, Elves, purple Elves, Dwarfs, and half-giants. So, realistically it's 4 races, two having different skin options. Oh, and then one of the 4 classes each
In GW2, there's 5 well flushed out races each with their distinctive background, home city, and racial traits. The none of races look like the other races at all. Charr are furry kitty cats, Sylvari are plant-like twigs (with the brains that match!), Asura are short geniuses that look like something out of the Gremlins movie, and Norn are half-giant (or full giant) viking like mountain beings.
After character creation (Defiant) was the launching of the game's cinematic story, a sort tutorial area, another cinematic, and then the actual game. For the cinematic alright for the time that it came out, and I really like how it's made with in-game engine and models. The tutorial play was quite a bit of kill zombies, ghosts, skeletons, and eventually fighting this one evil boss lady prior to it cutting to the tutorial-exiting cinematic and the loading of the game's real world (single starting zone for...both sides, each just on a different side of the same river.....)
Following the character creation in GW2 a picturesque painting style cinematic plays with show of the choices made within the story parts of the character creation, as well as the character created themselves. Each race loads into their own fitting tutorial zone, which is a bunch of killing things, and each of those finishes off with a semi-epic boss fight. Each will load another cinematic before going into their own respective starting zones (a zone adjacent to their own city).
Into the game's world beyond the tutorial is a "!" that leads to hub with quests chaining from one to another. All standard MMO quests if there are any. The only different one(s) is the take on public quests known as rifts (duh?!), where players FIGHT TO TAG a mob to get credit for the public quest. Mobs are first-tag-all-credit style as again another standard MMO mechanic. Though each time hitting a level does reward with new points to spend in one of the soul trees to give some mechanic increase or new ability (or both).
When entering into GW2's real game world, players are greeted by a plethora of things going on around them. There are hearts that you automatically get credit for without talking to an NPC, just by participating in the the things for the area; there are dynamic events that chain of micro-stories for the residents in the area; the player's own personal story has a new section to it every other level or so. Mobs are shared credit where credit's due thanks to mechanics that allow all helpers to be rewarded. The leveling up system here wasn't too rewarding until level 5, when unlocking the first utility ability, level 7 for weapon swapping (class limited), level 10 for the 2nd utility, and level 11 for the first trait tier tree unlock. So there are gaps between the rewarding process in the early levels that leave to be desired.
Now to bring up the mechanics side of the things, in Rift for an ability to properly go off it needs to have a well aimed -and directly facing- target. Many of the abilities require casting time in which the player has to be standing still in place (or they'll not go off). Movement is counter productive during combat and can many times get you killed. Line of site is always a MUST.
Boy does GW2 shine when it comes to it's mechanics. Move-and-cast abilities for those that aren't instant (very few channeled abilities require standing in place, like Meteor Shower, and even those are a split second). Dodging has become a key embedded feature to make-or-break a fight. One doesn't even need to target something or someone just to hit them so long as they are at the area being attacked (whether that be a sword swing, a fire ball, a lava pit, poison throw, arrow, etc.).
=>So, the conclusion: GW2 HAS SPOILED ME! Seriously, I cannot go back to any other of the older MMORPG's because of how sad they are in the wake of GW2. The first 15 minutes experience of one (GW2) is far more epic and engaging than the other (Rift). Many of the old mechanics are set there to punish, berate, and down right annoy the player for what reason I just cannot understand. New mechanics such as those that allow sharing (of reward, quest/event, target, and etc.), those that carve a personal experience into the player's experience, and action based combat that is no longer a static/dull experience.
P.S. I've had a similar experience with going back to WoW, but it's far too easy to bash that game anyways based on it just being itself. Rift is ..well hell, it was a clone of WoW with it's own unique flair (those damned rifts! duh, again!). Who recalls the "You're not in Azeroth anymore" advertisements on TV, the web, and in game mag ads?
Comments
You missed a lot. Both factions co-exist now...you know what? never mind, you are correct, GW-2 is the game for you, enjoy!
If you want a new idea, go read an old book.
In order to be insulted, I must first value your opinion.
So.. you typed all that just to say that you love GW2 above all other MMOs..
whether one MMO is better than the other is a matter of preference.
But thats good you found the one you like.
While i agree with most of your post about combat in GW2... RIFT stills a great game with a good combat,awesome classes and probably the Best "traits/soul" system EVER in a MMO!
I´m still playing GW2 myself since Beta...and i also own RIFT and was an active player so i know what i´m talking about :P
I trully enjoy both game for what they are....they are similar games,yes....(Fantasy themed MMORPGs) but each one has it´s own mechanics/combat style.
If you are comparing GW2 to RIFT based on action combat....obviously GW2 is years ahead.
To be honest, casting and moving doesn't make very much sense for a mage, since magic requires a lot of focus, sure the quick instant cast spells you are able to do, but channeling a huge spell while full on sprinting and rolling around in robes always struck me as silly. At least in context of story and the channeling/charging sort.
Story wise at least, I wouldn't want sprinting mages, it would kill the feel of Rift as an RPG for me.
Casting and moving I'm comfortable with in an action game, but it just doesn't fit Rift, and I enjoy the RPG feel it provides.
Yeah I agree, I don't like the idea of a mage running around casting, it feels bizarre. Perhaps I'm just old school in that sense. The combat in GW2 is not my cup of tea in general, I don't care for the floating head turret feel that it has. Each to their own though
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I was the exact opposite. I absolutely hated GW 2. Luckily GW2 customer service was nice enough to give me my money back on it. Very cool of them.
I think GW2 is one of those games you either love or hate, no real in between.
I do enjoy Rift and am glad it is going F2P so i can play it for 30 minutes per night after the kids go to bed and not have to pay for it.
Thats the thing about these games, different crowds like different things.
still channeling spells req you to stand still in gw2 there are only few of these spells tho anything else is almost instant cast
and that old crap that magic req a lot of focus its getting old i could say that you also need to stant still to swing a sword to keep the balance but you see how melees work in rift
21 year MMO veteran
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Not necessarily, since you can actualy swing a sword while moving. However gw2's weapons are so stupidly big and the characters are able to swing greatswords like they are twigs that I don't think it really matters if mages run and roll and cast.
In fantasy settings, mages aren't usually athletic, they are more of scholars, that's why magic is usually something that requires focus and thought, and that's something that's hard to do while jumping around and doing acrobatics like flips and rolls, it can be done but it just wouldn't be as effective. However this all depends on the story of the game, GW mages don't really seem to be big "scholar" types, at least not the player characters.
So lets leave the sprinting and casting to gw2, and not talk down about other games because they prefer the more traditional fantasy approach. Nothing wrong with how gw2 does it, and nothing wrong with how Rift and other fantasy titles do it. Believe it or not, not everyone is a fan of the "action" mages the game has, just like how not everyone is a fan of the less mobile ones.
Wise words there, It gets as simple as that.
Usually everyone has different tastes,regardless of how good a product is..
I went back to rift and its fun as long as you realise not to expect a sandbox . The game is what it is and they do it pretty well for what it is .
Havent played GW2 so I can't judge the game but watched enough videos to know what it is .
Only 2 games Im really looking forward to EQNext and Black Desert .
"If I offended you, you needed it" -Corey Taylor
"going into arguments with idiots is a lost cause, it requires you to stoop down to their level and you can't win"
You realize that the only reason mages running around casting feels weird is because someone else trained you to the concept of mages running around casting as being weird, yes?
Oderint, dum metuant.
I also have it the other way around. I left Rift to play GW2, and to be honest I had a great time leveling up, but the endgame just wasn't my cup of tea. The WvW wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. I enjoy Rift's conquest more even though it has a few issues. Anyway I left GW2 about a month after hitting level 80 and never really looked back.
I always hated the art style of WoW (maybe I could appreciate it if I was 20 years younger) so I haven't played it much, but I strongly disagree that WoW is far superior to Rift in every aspect. But yes, different strokes for different folks. There is no right or wrong, it's all a matter of taste.
Killing dragons is my shit
My Mesmer in GW2 dual wields swords and would very much disagree that he is not athletic. A battle mage, which lets face it any mage going into battle would be considered one. Should be properly conditioned for such a fight. Yes, they are scholars but to think they completely ignore battle training is silly.
If you really want to go back, my Sorcerer in pen and paper DND always busted in skulls with his staff. A true battle hardened mage would be prepared to move, his arsenal would consist of quicker spells he is very familiar with.
Just like a Warrior would not want to bring a weapon he has no experience with. A mage would not choose to cast a spell he has to prepare lest their be a chance of failure. Surely some more powerful spells that require time can be used at the right moments. But when a second could mean your death, why would any magic user choose spells that require a lot of time and focus?
I only played this game the first two weeks. If they deleted my character, I wouldn't play it ever again. I only played two weeks, but I completed a few collections very hard of doing, like several days only looking for the shiny stuff. That was when I realized the game was frustrating to me because I need to complete everything and if I can't, I get frustrated and consequently, pissed off.
Please, Trion, do not delete characters! That's so disrespectful! I bought the game, so I own my characters till the game shuts down. You cannot delete them! They are my property!
I actively play both games and I think that GW2 is a better leveling experience but Rift is way better at max level with things to do. in GW2 I do the same things at 80 that I did from 1-79. In Rift I feel that the game begins at the level cap. I do think that the combat for some classes in GW2 is better but for some classes Rift is better.
I won't discuss WoW as I feel both GW2 and Rift provide a better game for a better price than WoW currently does. I have 1 friend that still plays WoW and he said he still plays because he has so much time already invested. I assume its like that for most of those left playing WoW as even he can't explain any other reason as to why he still plays and all he ever does is complain about it.
Playing- Guild Wars 2, SWTOR
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And yet he does not cast very many spells. Most of the time he is just fighting. When he does cast a spell he is standing still when he does it, then starts moving. Funny how that works.