Hurlshort

It isn't the only difference, although it is a very visible one, as rifts open up all over the place. But it really isn't about raiding, it's about ease of grouping. You run up to a rift and you are suddenly in a public group, working with people to shut it down. These type of automatic public groups are commonplace. They are really going after the idea of massively multiplayer in the MMO name. Grouping isn't just easy, it is automatic. These groups often turn into raid groups when they get big, but there is no management necessary like in an endgame raid. The second big change is the class system. It allows for a ton of variety. I was upset that Blizzard never added new classes with the expansions (I thought the Death Knight was a bit of a cheat.) Rift allows me to really try some different types of characters, for example a cleric that can tank, DPS, or heal. It's also just a completely different universe. The story and characters are refreshingly new for me, they've kept me engaged. It's definitely a standard MMO, I just think it has elevated the genre by refining a lot of the mechanics other games have had. It's worth a try for anyone who enjoys MMO's.

It really is like you aren't trying anymore. What happened to you?

They also start you out slowly with the GUI. The first couple levels have very little going on and it is all slowly explained to you.

There is a bit of crazy in this thread. I agree it is unseemly to celebrate the death of someone. I personally would never attend a parade over something like this. But you know what is a heck of a lot worse than an unseemly celebration? TERRORISM

There were quite a few invasions this Sunday, and I was pretty surprised how active the community was, particularly with being in the beginner zone. We took down some pretty big bosses. I've got my cleric up to level 16 and it is going smoothly, I hope we stick to this server because I do not want to play through these quests a fourth time.

I'm not going to be lighting off fireworks, but I probably will sleep a bit more soundly knowing there is one less monster in the world.

I'm not sure about that, I had some pretty good action last night stopping two invasions in the newbie zone. It was from about 5-8 PM PST. I also had a fantastic round of PvP in the Black Garden. Clerics really rock, I was only level 12 and my healing stood out. I even got to carry the fang for a full minute, I don't know how they record kills, but I got credit for 31, even though I was focused on healing. Do I get credit for every kill my healing targets make or something?

Someone better call Blizzard because they been hijacked! Seriously, the interface, chat window, map window, icon placement, inventory bags, experience bar, quest tracker, everything... is EXACTLY the same as WoW. You should see the crafting stuff, I think they even have the same recipes They do separate themselves with the fantastic rifts and public grouping. Plus the collections are downright addicting, I will go to great lengths to find shiny baubles buried in far off places. They took that one from Everquest 2.

You do not need Steam to play, I believe. But I could be wrong

Well, then that makes him even more amazing. To overcome mental retardation and achieve so much is phenomenal.

I kind of feel like two skill trees is plenty, at least for the start. I get pretty overwhelmed with the three different trees and abilities. If I am a cleric, are non-cleric professions available to me?

We'll just make a Cleric guild then. I'm actually focusing on the healing stuff, I think Warden is my favorite tree so far. Since you can be a DPS, Tank, or healer cleric, there is quite a bit of room in each class.

I played the heck out of a Goonies game on the NES too. It was pretty epic.

Yep, one of the first games I remember being able to edit stuff easily.

Excitebike was where it was at. That was my first game on the NES other than the Mario game that came with it.

So a few of us Obsidianites are enjoying Rift, and I think it would be good to create a thread about it. Calax and I have started new characters on the same server, and eventually we will create a guild. It is a PvE server and seems to be a pretty average population. Server: Greybriar Faction: Defiant My main is Hurlshot, a cleric. I'll let Calax post his name. If you are looking for folks to play with, come on by. Rift is a very solid MMO. It shares a fair amount in common with WoW, but it borrows heavily from a few other MMO's and does everything very well. If you don't like MMO's, it won't change your mind, but if you played one or two in the past and got tired of them, this is a pretty fresh experience.

I tried the demo and was similarly discouraged. It didn't help that there was no real tutorial that I could find.

My second round guesses: Vancouver over Nashville in 6 - I like the Preds, but the 'nucks overcame a big challenge and I think they will put it together for the next round. San Jose over Detroit in 7 - This is going to be a tough series. I'm rooting for my team. Caps over the Lightning in 6 - I think it will be a fast-paced series with a lot of offense, but the Caps seem a lot tougher this year. Boston over Philly in 6 - This will be a physical series. I have no idea who will advance here, but I love the Bruins so I'll go with them.

Ok, results from round one: Mkreku - 8/8 - 3 with exact games played. Get to a Casino! Hurlshot -5/8 - 3 exact Volo - 5/8 - 3 exact Krookie - 5/8 - 2 exact Kor Qel Droma - 5/8 - No exact Pretty good first round. Be sure to make your guesses for the next round soon!

China is the number two trade partner to the United States, so I would hardly label them the enemy. Saudi Arabia is number 13 on the list, so maybe we could afford to snub them. Which allies are complaining about being snubbed, exactly?

Bad examples. Notice that his back is still straight and he is 'bowing' to respected ALLIES. This is as silly as the birth certificate argument. There are plenty of serious issues to debate about the Obama administration, like health care, military actions, and the budget. Plus, are we at war with Japan? The only DEEP bow I've seen from him was to the Japanese Emperor.

Calax, are we calling Greybriar the official Obsidianite server? I think we can safely say Defiant is our faction, those guardians are too goody two-shoesy.

Do you use voice? I don't like voice, especially w/my allergies meaning I cough and sneeze into a mic all the time. It would definitely be fun to hang out with y'all. I keep hoping for a game I'd like where it would happen. I'll think about it, but at the moment I'm not sure I'd have the dedication for it. I have a mic, but my daughter broke it awhile back. I don't really see the need for voice chat in MMO's, the action is fairly slow. Granted I've never been big on raids, and I hear that is where it is more important. I think there is a free weekend or there was one recently, I'll try to remember to PM you the next time they have one.

Still wondering what the answer to this is. It seems like it would be more rational to say that they are both unique countries with interesting cultures and history, and these side by side comparisons are all tremendously flawed.

Welcome to the club. Your membership card will arrive whenever I get around to mailing it.