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Tags : rift free server transfers, rift transition, rift character transfers, rift news
One of the more interesting features introduced with Patch 1.3 was that of Character Transfers. Obviously this isn’t a groundbreaking feature in MMOGs, but its cost factor and expedient implementation certainly are. In case you hadn’t heard, Rift is allowing players to move their toons from their current shard to any available shard once a week – for free. In our recent interview with Hal Hanlin, Rift’s Design Producer, he stated that the reason the service didn’t have an associated cost was an issue of simplicity;
“It’s easy for us to do this, I don’t know about those other companies who seem to make a production about it, but for us it’s a simple process.”
Hal went on to further illuminate the idea behind not charging for the service;
“Our main focus is for players to have fun playing the game, and if that means moving to play with their friends, or simply moving to a more lively shard – then we’re all for that.”
I pressed Hal about the availability of shards, if there were any restrictions in place or if any shards were off-limits;
“Initially the system will allow you to move to any shard that isn’t already at full capacity, and we obviously don’t want to allow players to exacerbate any existing faction balance issues. Short of that we want people to go where they want to be, we will have the ability to alter this on the fly and the system should be fairly dynamic based on populations.”
Even though some naysayers may consider realm transfers a death knell, Rift’s future prospects have never looked brighter. Allowing players the ability to migrate to the server of their choice can only help increase player satisfaction and keep one of the best communities in MMOGs on the upswing. Now we just need free faction swaps to really sweeten the deal.
Source: tentonhammer.com
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At a time when many WoW players are feeling disenfranchised with their game's continued expense of server transfers, this is a great move for Rift. In WoW, moving a single character can cost between $20-50, depending on options selected along the way (Like race/gender change - options which Rift is looking into providing as well in the near future). By this point in the game, many players who would have a reason to move their WoW characters to other servers, likely have more than one high-level character they would like to take to their new home. I've not seen it uncommon for a player to spend $300 to totally "pick up and go" with their level 70+ characters.
Though the community understands there is some expense in setting up hardware to enable transfers as such, the excessive cost is a sticking point and another notch in the belt of those that make the argument that Activision is attempting excessive monitization policies with respect to Blizzard's long-standing virtual world. Though most of the MMO community is fast to write off a newcomer as a "flavor of the month" due to prior failings, Rift has proven resilient. By taking WoW's own formula of "Take what came before and polish until it glows", Trion has created a MMO that's perhaps not revolutionary, but evolutionary - just the thing for those who cut their MMO teeth on WoW and are looking for something new.
While Rift is thriving and growing their subscriber base, Trion must be relatively confident in their staying power. Between the Summer sale on Rift game keys, the "Ascend a Friend" system, and these free transfers this is certainly a shot across Blizzard's bow, enticing their players to something new. Blizz seems aware and/or concerned enough, as they've enabled a new "Level to 20, Free Trial Forever" setup. Hopefully for the playerbase, Activision will loosen their death grip on the finances enough to provide an answer to Trion's free weekly transfers in the form of cheaper or free transfers in World of Warcraft as well.
Only time will tell, but I think it is safe to say that the naysayers who believed Trion and Rift would simply evaporate like water spilled onto desert sand have proven wrong. Especially since the Activision takeover, I feel it has been detrimental to WoW to have been the only quality MMO in its archetype. Though nobody suggests that Rift is going to keep the same subscriber base as WoW, having a competent competitor is good for both games to keep anyone's management from getting too greedy or complacent. During the EverQuest days before the MMO Boom, watching rising titles like Dark Age of Camelot and Shadowbane (A game truly ahead of its time. With today's technology, an "enhanced" remake could be bloody amazing) spark innovation in their competitors was beneficial. Nomatter what game you play at the moment, its good for the market to see Rift thrive!
If you enjoy quality Fantasy MMORPG and would like to give Rift a try, please don't hesitate to send me a PM! I'd be happy to get you set up!