The EU region shards will be coming down for an update and additional maintenance at 1:00am GMT/2:00am BST, 17/5/12. The estimated downtime is ** 2 hours / 120 minutes **.

Patch notes will be updated and have already been posted in English on the forums.

Status updates during the downtime available at the forum thread here.

Welcome to Conquest – choose your side and square off in a no-holds-barred, interdimensional battle royal on Thursday, 5/17 @ 4:00PM PDT (11:00PM GMT). This is the first massive test of this brand new feature!

Conquest at a Glance

• Engage in massive, cross-shard battles capturing the excitement of Open World PvP at its best!
• Align with one of three new factions, the biggest difference is their philosophy. (You will be able to change factions.)
• Earn rewards and bonuses for your team – or supercharge yourself with bonuses that can be used outside of Conquest!
• Everyone can contribute – crafters play a vital role in every Conquest battle.
• This is a brand new feature, details and specifics will likely change based on your feedback and play tests. For the latest info keep an eye on the PTS Forums!

Three Factions From Beyond the Ward

As the Bloodstorm’s onslaught continues to weaken the Ward an ageless feud has breached the divide between worlds and now embattles our own!

Beyond the Ward stretch infinite versions of Telara – each with their own fate and heroes and from the void between them three factions have formed. Their conflict is concerned not with the Vigil or technology, it is to answer one basic question:

What is the role of the Ascended in the cosmos?

To rule, to protect, or continue to ascend.

You must choose your path, Ascended: Are you a Ram, guarding the flock under your iron grip? Do you protect your pride, your virtue gold as the Lion’s mane, keeping the helpless from harm? Or do you soar like a Raven into the twilight – cleansing all corruption in your wake across the universe, whatever the cost?

Conquest – Capturing the Essence of Open World PvP

Not all Telaras were created equal – and some slivers of our world may control the fate of all.

This is a game about domination. Set in the windworn foothills of Stillmoor, the familiar landscape has been transformed with control points and sourcestone powered fortifications as Ascended banners billow under the blood-red sun.

• Pitted against two additional competing teams you must wrest control of as many Sourcestone Extractors as possible while preventing your opponents from doing the same.
• These control points open access to buffs and resources to your team which provide a wide variety of benefits in addition to unlocking additional buffs and abilities you earn by contributing to your factions cause.
• You won’t find gated doors in Conquest – your battle is on the field, not in a cozy castle! However, Caer Mathos (cleansed of its Endless occupants) now holds strategic importance for all three forces.
• The match ends when a single team has claimed 40% of the control points or 5,000 players are killed – once this happens a 10 minute timer will start, this is your chance to make a last grab for control – after which you’ll earn your rewards!
• Conquest offers yet another way to augment your gameplay and characters and there’s something for everyone. Even crafters play a vital role by refining the battlefield resources into upgrades and even more perks – you’ll find new recipes available at your crafting trainer!

Choose your Destiny: To Rule, to Protect, or Ascend Onwards

Dominion – The Ram

The Blood Storm has won victories because Telara is weak. Fractious, bickering towns without proper defenses make easy prey for the Dragons and their cults. Without strong leadership, Telara fell to the planes in every sliver of reality they invaded. Only the Ascended have the strength to unite the world, to unite the cosmos!

Members of the Dominion envision an empire ruled by the Ascended to protect mortals from the elemental horrors. A united Ascended empire can stand together to broker peace… and if peace is refused, the Dominion would be better able to wage war than the rag-tag adventuring bands of the past.

The Dominion views Nightfall as a deluded cult of sorcerers and cowards, and would be more than happy to send them on to the Soul Stream. The Oathsworn are meddlers and anarchists, who give lip service to freedom and protection, but would lose the war to win inconsequential battles. The Dominion welcome all Ascended to share the burden of rule, but those who refuse their burden must be eliminated.

The sigil of the Dominion is the regal Ram, who leads and defends his flock, guarding them from a savage world.

Oathsworn – The Lion

Since the Age of Dragons, Telara has relied upon her protectors. First, mortal heroes rose to imprison the dragons and construct the Ward that safeguarded the world for centuries. Today, the Ascended quest tirelessly to slay the Blood Storm themselves. This is the legacy of service that the Oathsworn adhere to. They are the protectors of creation, and the discovery of the many slivers of Telara only strengthens their resolve.

The Oathsworn have been given a gift. Either by divine will or advanced technology, they were brought back to the world with incredible power to fulfill a great purpose. The Ascended have saved the world time and time again from the danger of the planes. As the Ascended conquer the cults and the dragons, they must unite and prepare for the next great threat.

The Oathsworn believe that the Ascended should guard Telara from all threats from the planes and beyond, and now from the powerful Ascended of the slivers. Those who would squander this gift for selfish ends and no better than the cults, will share the cultists’ fate. Those who follow the path of Nightfall would abandon the world and are thus no better than the demons they emulate. The Oathsworn see the Dominion as nothing but petty tyrants, subjugating those very mortals they were created to serve.

Oathsworn identify with the Lion: the steadfast soldier and selfless protector.

Nightfall – The Raven

What is the purpose of Ascension? Are these mighty immortals merely the glorified city guard for one tiny world? Should such beings retire to a simple life after]]> http://community.riftgame.com/en/2012/05/14/introducing-conquest-test-the-latest-in-rift-pvp-on-thursday-517/feed/ 0 http://community.riftgame.com/en/2012/05/11/new-pvp-feature-hitting-pts-next-week-we-want-you-ascended-help-choose-a-title/ http://community.riftgame.com/en/2012/05/11/new-pvp-feature-hitting-pts-next-week-we-want-you-ascended-help-choose-a-title/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 21:57:10 +0000 Walsingham http://community.riftgame.com/?p=1264 It’s time to rally, denizens of Telara! Whet your steel and ready your arrows. Light the fires, sound the drums, and cry havoc. Let slip the dogs of war!

An exciting new PvP feature will be hitting PTS next week, and we will need warm bodies. LOTS of warm bodies. And of course, cold bodies that lay twisted and contorted, gripping their weapons in one last attempt to redeem their very… sorry I digress.

We need you, and we need lots of you. Go big or go home. Your rallying cries should part the skies and sunder the very earth beneath the enemy’s feet. Under the might of your legions the world shall tremble!

And in return?

The obliteration of your foes as you battle for control and honor, resulting in glory in its ultimate form. #Winning

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, this sounds exciting, but is that all? No, there is yet more exciting news. YOU, the battle hardened, shall a title choose.

All of you will be able to post your suggestions for a new title that will be awarded for testing this new PvP feature! The devs will then choose the sickest one of them all.

Follow this link to give us your suggestions.

Gnaw your bacon, grip that mouse, chug your MEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDD!, and stay glued to the screen for more information forthcoming. Because it is coming…

Onward Ascended!

Character Copy to PTS!

You can now copy your character to the Public Test Shard! Simply click the Transfer button when you’re at Character select on the Live client and select “Copy to PTS” – it’s as easy as that! (though there may be a few bugs/limitations we’re working out). We will no longer be offering Gear/Leveling vendors with the introduction of this feature (except when testing requires it.)

You will need to download the PTS client if you have not done so already, this is approximately the same size as installing the full game and may take some time. For more information about PTS and how to access it please see:

Welcome to the Public Test Shard! – Getting Started

We look forward to seeing you there – have fun!

As mentioned in the April RIFT Watch Newsletter we’re planning a week-long Community Campout!

The dates announced in the newsletter, however, will be changing – and while the campout won’t begin next week as planned we’ll be announcing the new dates so you can update your calendar.

We look forward to fishing and fun under the sun – stay tuned for the new details and dates!

Over the next week, some of you will be receiving an email from Trion Worlds asking you to participate in a short survey that will help us get to know you better, and help us understand how we can serve you better as RIFT continues to evolve.

To ensure that we get the best sample possible, we’re going to be sending the survey to a randomly selected group of accounts, so not everyone will receive one, but we did want to give you the heads-up that we are sending out some surveys, and they are legit. The surveys will direct you to QuestionPro (www.questionpro.com) and will not be collecting any information about your account, or any information that could personally identify you. We appreciate your participation.

Cheers!

The NA region shards will be coming down for a quick update today, 4/27/12, at 10:15am PDT. The estimated downtime is ** 30 minutes. **

Patch notes will be updated!

Status updates during the downtime available at the forum thread here.

Greetings, Ascended!

From the fires of Mount Carcera Maelforge and Laethys’ minions work tirelessly to hatch their plan, through their union they will raise a mighty brood  and their young shall consume all the world in flame. Our situation, however, is much less dire – instead of burning and pillaging Telara we’re challenging you to use your “dragon” eggs in a more constructive way – decorate them!

With the imminent arrival of Infernal Dawn and spring-time  upon us (in the Northern Hemisphere anyhow) we thought what better way to celebrate than with some seasonal egg decoration!

Now what’s this all about?

Show us your egg-cellent skills when it comes to egg decoration! Post a picture of an egg-straordinary egg, lovingly decorated in the only way a true RIFT player knows – egg-streme! Ok, we’ll leave the egg puns aside now, promise.

What’s in it for you?

Finalists will all be rewarded with Cookie, the bogling chef – a rare pet only obtainable through community events! But in addition to that, the top three world-wide will receive a signed and matted print of concept art from Infernal Dawn – how cool is that?!

So what do you have to do?

It’s easy:

• Paint an egg of your choice with anything RIFT related
• Snap a photo of it and post it in the official contest thread on our official forums (linked below).

Of course, there’s a hitch – it has to be a real egg, which means that at some point an animal must have laid it. This could have been a chicken, duck, ostrich or even a dinosaur if you so fancy it, but it must be a real egg. And this egg also has to be painted for real – no laser etching, no printed adhesives, no photoshopping or other digital means. Only good old dye baths, paint and/or ink. Are you up to the challenge?

Submit Your Egg-cellent Creation Here By April 23rd, 2012!

Is fairness guaranteed?

Of course it is! Right after the entry period ended, a committee of able art critics will get together in a conference call to critically acclaim your works in terms of creativity, passion/energy, presentation and RIFT look and feel. This committee will consist of:

• James “Elrar” Nichols, English CM
• Michael “Yakkah” Servotte, French CM
• Hergen “Kahuna” Thaens, German CM
• Amanda “Amary” Fry, Corgy Afficionado
• Various members of the development team

So, what are you waiting for? You only have one week to get crackin! And lastly, below you’ll the boring but necessary legal brouhahaha.

Grand Prize – Signed & Matted Prints of Art from Infernal Dawn

Images used for example only, actual prints will be based on their original file. The third print (not shown) includes Laethys in her transformed stage.

RIFT™ Egg Decoration

Official Rules and Conditions

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.  A PURCHASE OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

The RIFT Egg Decoration Contest (the “Contest”) is organized by Trion Worlds, Inc., who is identified in more detail in Provision 11 herein (the “Sponsor” or “Trion”).

1. DURATION. The Contest begins at 8:00am PDT April 17, 2012 (the “Start Date”) and ends at 5:00pm local time PDT April 23, 2012 (the “Deadline”).

2. ENTRY.  Participants in the Contest will decorate an egg and submit a photograph of the egg to Sponsor for judging.  To participate in the Contest, entrants must:

• Decorate a real egg (i.e. chicken, duck, ostrich) by hand using food coloring/water bath, paint, or ink. Use of digital means to decorate the egg, i.e. printable adhesives and Photoshop® is prohibited.
• Take a photo of the egg.  ONLY PHOTOGRAPH THE EGG.  DO NOT PHOTOGRAPH ANYONE OR ANYTHING ELSE.
• Post the image on the official RIFT Polls & Contests Forum (http://forums.riftgame.com/official-rift-news/polls-contests/). A new thread will be created for this Contest.
• No more than one (1) entry per person, e-mail address, or physical address.

All submitted photographs must adhere to the following guidelines:

Technical: 

• The photograph must be consistent with the ESRB’s “T” rating issued to Trion for RIFT.
• The photograph be submitted in a digital format (JPG, JPEG, PNG, or GIF) and may not exceed 5MB in size.
• The photograph cannot have been altered in any way, including, without limitation, through Photoshop®.
• The photograph cannot have been submitted previously in a promotion of any kind or exhibited or displayed publicly through any means.

Content:

• The photograph must not contain material that violates or infringes another’s rights, including but not limited to privacy, publicity or intellectual property rights, or that constitutes copyright infringement;
• The photograph must not disparage Sponsor, or any other person or party affiliated with the promotion and administration of this Contest;
• The photograph must not contain brand names or trademarks other than those of the RIFT universe;
• The photograph must not contain material that is inappropriate, indecent, obscene hateful, tortious, defamatory, slanderous or libelous;
• The photograph must not contain material that promotes bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age;
• The photograph must not make any political statements or any statement in opposition to any government or regime; and
• The photograph must not contain material that is unlawful, in violation of or contrary to the laws or regulations in any jurisdiction where photograph is created.

Photographs that comply with the above guidelines will be referred to as “Entries.”  You may only submit one (1) Entry.   Entries that do not conform to these Official Rules and Conditions will not be accepted.

Entries generated by any means that violate Trion’s Terms of Use, Privacy Policy or RIFT End User License Agreement are void.  Uploading an Entry constitutes entrant’s consent to give Sponsor a royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, create derivative works from, and display such Submission in whole or in part, on a worldwide basis, and to incorporate it into other works, in any form, media or technology now known or later developed, including for promotional or marketing purposes, except where prohibited by law.  Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, stolen, damaged, incomplete, invalid, un-intelligible, garbled, delayed or misdirected Entries; all of which]]> http://community.riftgame.com/en/2012/04/17/en-hard-boiled-brood-dragon-egg-decoration-contest-fr-rift-eier-wettbewerb/feed/ 0 http://community.riftgame.com/en/2012/04/16/rift-1-8-roundtable-preview/ http://community.riftgame.com/en/2012/04/16/rift-1-8-roundtable-preview/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:17:14 +0000 Zann http://community.riftgame.com/?p=1200 RIFT Update 1.8 Infernal Dawn Preview!

Exclusive 1.8 RIFT Livestream

Tuesday 4/17/2012 at 11:30 PDT/ 6:30 pm GMT we will be Livestreaming an exclusive preview of our new 20 man raid — Infernal Dawn. Be sure to check into our Facebook Livestream channel to get the latest and greatest preview of update 1.8!

Last week we invited several press outlets and fan sites to participate in a roundtable call with Scott Hartsman, Hal Hanlin, and Adam Gershowitz. For a comprehensive look at the coverage from this event, check out the links below!

Rift General Article: 1.8 – Infernal Dawn & Survival Skills on MMORPG.com

Here’s what they had to say about Fishing

“Thinking, ‘why not?’, the team went ahead and brought a terrific and interesting mechanic into the game with some unique ideas.”

“From E3 onward, things are gonna get hot in Telara! Keep your eyes peeled!”

Fishing, Survival, and Dragons: The Trion Team Talks about RIFT’s 1.8 Update and Beyond on Massively.com

“As the Carnival of the Ascended draws to a close and the last of the piñatas and balloons are put away from RIFT’s first birthday, Update 1.8 is just around the corner. It’s full of new content, including the new raid zone Infernal Dawn, fishing and survival skills, and lots of game improvements. Massively took part in a roundtable discussion with Trion CCO and RIFT Executive Producer Scott Hartsman, Design Producer Hal Hanlin, and Producer Adam Gershowitz to get all the details on Update 1.8 and more. Read on for highlights!”

A Discussion of Infernal Dawn with three of Trion’s Best! On ZAM.com

“A group of Rift reviewers from all sorts of MMO sites gathered together on Wednesday to discuss the game’s newest update, Infernal Dawn. Hal Hanlin and Adam Gershowitz started the show, and Scott Hartsman showed up to answer all our questions about patch 1.8, which comes with big changes: a new raid, new auxiliary skills, Leaderboards, the Guild Finder, and more!”

Check out the article here

Trion Worlds Hosts Q&A Session For Rift Update 1.8 on Gamebreaker.tv

“Trion Worlds recently played host to a conference call roundtable Q&A session with various media outlets.  Hal Hanlin, Scott Hartsman, and Adam Gershowitz talked about Rift‘s first year, Update 1.8, and their future plans.” You can find out more here!

Infernal Dawn Brings Lessons Learned and Expanding Content in 1.8 on Rift Junkies

“So, expect to see some interesting IA’s in the near future, and hopefully you are constantly amazed.” “All in all, Instant Adventures is something Trion is very excited about and, in our opinion, has hit a home run on.” “Overall, update 1.8 lends itself to be a gigantic step forward in the game’s evolution.”

Read more at Riftjunkies.com

Trion Developers Talk about Patch 1.8: Infernal Dawn on Magelo.com

The eighth major content patch in the Rift saga is on the horizon! This patch brings a new 20-man raid, new professions and a new streaming client. We had the opportunity to test some of the new content and pore through the patch notes for the key features up and coming.

We were also lucky to be able to sit down with Hal Hanlin, Adam Gershowitz and Scott Hartsman to discuss the content. With the patch up and coming, we have brought you their comments with our rundown

Hail ascended!

With the release of RIFT 1.8 next week our newest 20-man raid, Infernal Dawn, will make its world-wide debut. At last the rage of Maelforge and Laethys will be unleashed upon Telara – all hope will burn if you fail to contain their fury!

Infernal Dawn’s roll-out will work a bit differently than when we released Hammerknell – for one thing, you don’t have to wait until the end of the World Event, the first round of bosses will be unlocked the minute shards come up after the update. After which, we’ll continue to unlock new encounters within the zone as players progress and are ready for new challenges!

As raiders ourselves, many of us know that it’s easy to get wrapped up in the rush and excitement of new content – but it’s important to us that raiding doesn’t become a burden to you or your friends. Staggering the release of the encounters helps make your experience fresh and fun while keeping it competitive for everyone.

No doubt you want specifics about which bosses & when – Not to worry! We’ll give as much warning as possible when announcing each new release to give you plenty of time to prepare, for now rest up and get ready!

You can read more about what’s coming in 1.8 & Infernal Dawn at Riftgame.com

Join the discussion @ the forums!

RIFT is a massive game, much of which is enjoyed best with friends!

We also know that between new players joining or returning all the time and free character transfers it can be a game in itself to find others to adventure with. Fortunately in RIFT 1.8: Infernal Dawn we’ve made it easier than ever to find a guild and get back to the action! Whether you’re looking for a guild or your guild is looking for more you can connect with other kindred players instantly via the new Guild Finder.

Looking for a guild?

Whether you’re just looking to chat, run dungeons, raid, PvP, roleplay or all of the above there are thousands of guilds out there to choose from! With the new Guild Finder you’ll be able to narrow down your search in a few quick clicks:

Step-by-Step

1. Press Shift+G to open up the guild window (or find it under the Social tab in the menu bar), this will bring up the Guild Finder.
2. Select any options that matter to you under categories, roles needed, availability, and size.
3. When you find a guild you’re interested in just click “Message” to shoot a message to the recruitment officers, it’s up to them to contact you further.
4. If they’re online they’ll have the option to send you a tell, otherwise it will be sent to their mailbox.
5. You don’t need to be online to accept the invite either – officers can invite you via mail!

Keep in mind you can select as many or as few of the options as you want. In fact we recommend trying different combinations to get the best idea of what your options are! The first question you should ask yourself is: how do I want to spend my time playing RIFT?

Guilds have a wide range of their own rules and expectations – some are there to make it easier to find a group and socialize while others expect you to be available for raids at certain times and days. With this in mind make sure you read the guilds description carefully and when contacting a recruiter be sure to ask any questions!

Size matters too – be sure to consider whether or not you prefer large social organizations or smaller, more intimate camaraderie.

And of course – if you see a specific guild and are wondering what they’re all about you can find them by name (if they’re listed). This lets you quickly pull up their recruitment posting and check any requirements or details out for yourself!

Guild Looking for More?

By default all Senior Officers have access to the recruitment tab – of course this can be changed via your guild’s settings (along with who wants to receive recruitment inquiries). The options you can set mirror those that an individual can choose from above.

In addition to choosing your guild’s recruitment preferences you can also add a brief description to personalize your posting – this is where your guild can stand out and say what makes you unique as well as what you’re looking for in potential members!

Step-by-step:

1. Press G to open your guild window (also found under the Social tab on the menu bar), you’ll notice a new tab at the bottom called “Recruitment”
2. Provide a brief description of your guild.
3. Select any options that matter to you under categories, roles needed, availability, and size.
4. You can also set a minimum level, players who don’t meet this requirement cannot see your listing.
5. Be sure to check the “List guild in Guild Finder” option – no one can find you until you do!

That’s all there is to it – 1.8 is just around the corner and Guild Finder is just one of the new features you have to look forward to! Read about Fishing, Infernal Dawn, Ember Isle Instant Adventure, Leaderboards and more on the Update 1.8 page!