Why Rift may be the game for you.

[Cephius]

To add my 2 cents to the discussion at hand, I think we've gotten to the point where you almost have to use the WoW mold when you're building a MMO. Given the failures of every other model except FFXI I don't see how you can secure funding for anything else. It's so expensive to develop and maintain a MMO that, if I were an executive, I just wouldn't be confident enough to invest in any other style. A lot of people are looking forward to the Star Wars MMO but you've already heard executives bitching that they don't think it'll be profitable. The only way to progress these days is to do what Rift is doing - use WoW as your baseline, add a dynamic layer to it, and market it. Is it perfect? Nah.

Anyway currently I think Rift's graphics (they're beautiful when the effects are turned up, but you need a beast computer) and it's soul customization are easily it's best features.

[Eaglestrike]

To add my 2 cents to the discussion at hand, I think we've gotten to the point where you almost have to use the WoW mold when you're building a MMO. Given the failures of every other model except FFXI I don't see how you can secure funding for anything else. It's so expensive to develop and maintain a MMO that, if I were an executive, I just wouldn't be confident enough to invest in any other style. A lot of people are looking forward to the Star Wars MMO but you've already heard executives bitching that they don't think it'll be profitable. The only way to progress these days is to do what Rift is doing - use WoW as your baseline, add a dynamic layer to it, and market it. Is it perfect? Nah.

Anyway currently I think Rift's graphics (they're beautiful when the effects are turned up, but you need a beast computer) and it's soul customization are easily it's best features.

When are you coming to join us?

[Cephius]

When are you coming to join us?

Never, I'm having too much fun not being told how bad I am

[Eaglestrike]

Never, I'm having too much fun not being told how bad I am

You're just in denial. You will soon accept who you are and submit to my greatness.

[Maaglin]

Why do people think this game has great graphics and character creation? Personally, I think the graphics, while not horrible, certainly aren't very good. Not nearly enough features with the character creator either. But I do like the ability animations. FF14 has killer graphics for my money, even if it's a horrible game.

Anyway, I'm with the group that it's going to be very hard to really be innovative with an MMO. I was all up for games like Vangaurd, Warhammer, Conan (which at least was awesome up to about lvl 20), and FF14. It's unfortunate and I hope companies keep trying, but the reality is there are only so many subs available, and the casual gamer has the power now, so not catering mostly for that playstyle will only at best land you a niche game that doesn't make much, if any, money.

[Man0warr]

Have you looked at the screenshot thread? Rift on max settings looks amazing.

[Lucavi]

I used to think XIV looked "amazing", but when I look at the screenshots, I still see a lifeless world. I see characters standing on top of a non-interactive portrait (with jaggies - the game needs much more AA), using stiff animations (outside of combat) to get around and attempt to interact with the portrait. Go do a water rift on max settings and tell me this game isn't flat out beautiful. The world is lush, colorful, interactive, and looks and feels alive.

[Hyan]

You trollin (of course - go back to XIV), but it would be impressive, and will be when it happens.

I am quite insulted at your needlessly hostile (yet not surprising in the least) comment.

Then again, I'm not sure how big Aion's playerbase is nowadays. The last I heard they were sporting something like few million Korean accounts but that may have been gross exaggeration too, and I admit it was quite some time ago.

[Cephius]

Why do people think this game has great graphics and character creation? Personally, I think the graphics, while not horrible, certainly aren't very good. Not nearly enough features with the character creator either. But I do like the ability animations. FF14 has killer graphics for my money, even if it's a horrible game.

Anyway, I'm with the group that it's going to be very hard to really be innovative with an MMO. I was all up for games like Vangaurd, Warhammer, Conan (which at least was awesome up to about lvl 20), and FF14. It's unfortunate and I hope companies keep trying, but the reality is there are only so many subs available, and the casual gamer has the power now, so not catering mostly for that playstyle will only at best land you a niche game that doesn't make much, if any, money.

If your computer can handle it, turn the effects all the way up and go walk around the world a bit. The game world is very well done.

[Meresgi]

Never said it wasn't successful, but those are pretty jaded reviews. If WoW was so similar why did none of the games before it explode like WoW did? Why didn't the games that came right after WoW do so poorly comparative?

The proof is in the pudding.

WoW was a fluke, pure and simple. It taking off was a pure random occurence and even the developers admitted that they had no idea it would be as popular as it became. Now we have all these other MMOs trying to emulate WoW in the hopes that lightning strikes twice, instead of trying something new and exciting.

I'm not bashing Rift, because honestly if I were to have had the choice between Rift and WoW, even WoW as it is now, I would have gone Rift. Just too much time spent in my character in WoW now to hop to a better, but albeit very similar game.

[Dantrag]

If your computer can handle it, turn the effects all the way up and go walk around the world a bit. The game world is very well done.

The game is by no means bad but it defiantly doesn't fall into the amazing category. Amazing compared to WoW? Sure.

Also, a big part of WoW's success is the low system requirements to play the game. People don't need the latest and greatest video card to play on even decent settings.

[Cephius]

The game is by no means bad but it defiantly doesn't fall into the amazing category. Amazing compared to WoW? Sure.

Also, a big part of WoW's success is the low system requirements to play the game. People don't need the latest and greatest video card to play on even decent settings.

Depends on your definition of amazing I guess. I think the character models are a bit lacking, jumping "feels" clunky and the shield models are paper thin for some reason and look stupid. But the game world itself, the atmosphere, the level of detail, etc are all very well done in my opinion.

Also FFXI looked better than WoW and it's system requirements weren't nearly as high

[arus2001]

I feel like people who want something revolutionary of the MMO genre won't really have it until we can project ourselves into VR avatars and literally feel the world we play in all Matrix-style. Even then, it'll still be a bunch of "Kill X, Fetch Y, and Go To Z" with varying combinations of the 3 along the way. Pity I'll probably die before the tech's possible, though. I'd likely never wanna leave (and pretend to be a hot chick).

[ringthree]

Agreed. It will not dethrone WoW ( it's too entrenched now ) but Rift will put a fucking dent in their subs, that much can be seen so far... If you choose not to believe it.. /shrug

Off to do some Fire invasions.

Yeah, like Aion... and Conan... and WAR... and everything else.

I am not saying it won't be more successful than the rest, and I believe it is a quite good game, at the end of the day it may have what it takes, but a lot of other people have made those same claims about a lot of other games.

Point being, people are already complaining about Trion and their handling of Rift, and when that happens people start wondering why they should leave WoW to begin with.

[ringthree]

Have you looked at the screenshot thread? Rift on max settings looks amazing.

1. FFXI looks pretty damn good on max settings.

2. Art style is more important than graphics capability. There isn't much theme or style to Rift's art. It's high quality work, no doubts, but it doesn't have the life that some other games have.

[Celeras]

I agree that Rift has had one of the smoothest launches out of all the mmos. Hell, even WoW launch was pretty bad because the servers were extremely laggy and FFXI had alot of downtime with patches. Launch may be good, only time will tell if the longevity of the game matches it.

People keep saying this like it means something, and it seems like its said for every MMO to come out over the past couple years. This isn't 2001 anymore, shit doesn't come out to lag/server problems anymore and you shouldn't expect it to.

[Eaglestrike]

People keep saying this like it means something, and it seems like its said for every MMO to come out over the past couple years. This isn't 2001 anymore, shit doesn't come out to lag/server problems anymore and you shouldn't expect it to.

...

FFXIV?

[ringthree]

...

FFXIV?

FFXIV doesn't count. It wasn't even in the same league. It wasn't even playing the same game. It's like kicking a baby.

[Saga]

FFXIV doesn't count. It wasn't even in the same league. It wasn't even playing the same game. It's like kicking a baby.

lol, it doesn't count because why? Because you arbitrarily say it doesn't count? Someone gave an example of a game that came out in the last couple years that was released with lag and server problems. You can't just dismiss it because you don't like the example. Aion was horrible at release, too and was plagued by massive queues, not enough servers constant disconnects. Is Aion in the same league or not really? Should people try and come up with another valid point you can unfairly pass judgement on?

[ringthree]

lol, it doesn't count because why? Because you arbitrarily say it doesn't count? Someone gave an example of a game that came out in the last couple years that was released with lag and server problems. You can't just dismiss it because you don't like the example. Aion was horrible at release, too and was plagued by massive queues, not enough servers constant disconnects. Is Aion in the same league or not really? Should people try and come up with another valid point you can unfairly pass judgement on?

Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooosh.