"The Return of Togarth" - In The Knerd

Yesterday I talked about my journey into trying out other MMO's with my experiences into EVE Online.  Afterwards, I went back to World of Warcraft thinking that I was content with what I have.  However, I still felt this small desire to try something else.  So last week when my WoW guild Alea Iacta Est (http://www.aie-guild.org) decided that they are starting up an official version of the guild in Rift, my ears perked up.  The announcement turned into this really big dramatic event due to a number of reasons--I won't go into it because its in the past and its not worth bringing up again.  The plus side out of all the attention was that Ashley and I both decided that we would give Rift a try.  This was a big plus compared to EVE, as I enjoy playing MMO's with her. The only problem is that both of us have Macs, and Rift is a PC only game.  The good news is that there is a piece of software called "Crossover Games" that allows Mac users to install PC games, and they recently updated their software to work with Rift.  Given this, Ashley and I decided to go halfsies on one copy of the game to try it out and see what we think.  Ashley has only really had time to make a character and wander around for a few minutes, but I've had a bit more time to play the game.

First of all, I must say--I really like this game.  When I say that I mean I really REALLY like this game.  Its core mechanics are so close to WoW that it was really easy to start playing, yet the graphics and the storyline are AMAZING.  There are two factions in Rift: the Guardians, who are a more religion focused group worshipping the gods of "Telara" (the planet Rift takes place in), and the Defiant, who are a more technological based society.  Since our guild formed on the Defiant side, I made my character there.

The uniqueness of the story hits you as soon as you start playing.  For the defiant, you actually start the game and the END of the game, when the "big baddie" of Rift is ripping up the planet and all hope is lost.  It turns out, however, that somebody built a failsafe device--a time machine that can send people back to the moment that it was created.  It so happens that this time period corresponds to when the bad guy first starts appearing in Telara.  So you spend your first couple of levels going around powering up equipment and bolstering the defenses long enough for the remaining Defiant to get the time machine working.  Its one of the most interesting opening stories that I've seen in awhile (probably because I love time-travel stories), and I love the steampunk elements that are included into the game.

My main character, a warrior I named Togarth (yes, those of you I played WoW with in my early days, I brought back one of my first character names), is only level 10, so there still is much of the game I haven't yet experienced.  I've dabbled a bit in the "Soul" character system and the various "rifts" that spawn while you play, but thats about it.  So far, I'm enjoying each of these aspects and can't wait to experience them more as I level.

In conclusion, I'm having a lot of fun playing Rift, and if you want to join me come create a character on Shadefallen and send me a message, I'd love to hang out with some friends and experience the more social aspects of the game.  We'll have to see if the game has the staying power that WoW does, or if after I while I get tired of the mechanics and decide to move on.