RIFT Beta PvP Duels - Recorded in closed beta #1 & 2

Here is a video featuring a collection of duels that I participated in during the first two RIFT closed beta events. Take it for what you will, I was just getting a feel for the game and testing out the various classes/souls.

Watch it in HD at: www.youtube.com/playerversusplayer


My characters that appear in this video:
Ghost - Male Dwarf Blade Dancer / Assassin
Sprite - Female Eth Elementalist / Dominator
Jesus - Male Eth Sentinel / Warden
Smash - Male - Bahmi Champion / Void Knight
Anxient - Male - Kelari Nightblade / Assassin

Recorded using Fraps with the Nvidia GTX 260 video card, quad core cpu rated at 2.3 mhz, 1680x1050, ultra settings but with shadows turned off in most clips.

RIFT closed beta #1 & 2 - Exclusive screenshots

Now that the NDA (non-disclosure agreement) has been lifted in regards to the RIFT beta events I will be sharing some of my experiences from both the Defiant & Guardian perspectives. I will begin with an array of screenshots captured during my adventures while I take the time over the next few days to sort through the over 170 gb of video footage that I recorded. I expect to make a few different videos out of the footage but for the time being while I am working on that here are a few of my favorite screenshots from my experiences during the first two beta events:

To view all 43 screenshots go here: http://www.secretcloud.com/visual/thumbnails.php?album=12

Here are some of my personal favorites from beta #1 & 2:

RIFT beta #2 - "Guardians of the Vigil"

I had a lot of fun during the first RIFT beta event which occurred two weeks ago & I am looking forward to testing the Guardian faction this upcoming weekend. During the first beta I tested out four different classes/soul combinations all past level 10. I also tested out some crafting as well as a bit of PvP in the form of duels. This weekend I will be focusing on testing a few other soul combinations as well as possibly experiencing some raid content. Check out the amazing class/soul system at: www.riftgame.com

RIFT VIP Beta key

The MMO industry has been somewhat stagnant lately for me. Yes there are a lot of things going on with nearly every game (Warhammer RvR packs, World of Warcraft Cataclysm Expansion, etc.) but none of which really excites me....'TIL NOW!  Sure, I might still test out rolling a Worgen Warrior in Cataclysm (I have an unopened copy of the expansion sitting on my shelf awaiting my return) & I may even try out the Skaven in Warhammer Online...heck, I might even be tempted to check out what is new in Aion or Age of Conan but in the long run none of these games truly peak my interest compared with the thought of testing out an entirely new title by the name of RIFT, developed by a relatively unknown company named TRION. Get ready for that to change in the coming months though. I have been watching the game RIFT for quite some time now. In fact I have been watching it ever since it was called "Heroes of Telara". The reason is mainly due to the vast array of class selections that peak my interest (read: drooling) and the incredible looking "Souls" system. I enjoyed multi-classing in DDO where I made a Fighter/Barbarian which was quite fun but with RIFT you can go the extra mile and splash in a third "Soul" leaving the possibilities quite broad in terms of player customization. Needless to say I have watched this games development for quite some time and over the last few weeks when beta was announced I have been scouring the internet in hopes of finding a RIFT VIP beta key.  There were two keys available for the closed beta. One was the RIFT "chance" beta key and the other was the RIFT VIP beta key. When applied to your account the RIFT "chance" key gives you a chance that you will be invited to one or possibly a few of the events. The RIFT VIP beta key guarantees that you will be invited to participate in ALL of the beta events with the first to be held this upcoming Friday, December 3rd, 2010. This first beta test will allow beta testers to experience levels 1-20 and also includes some nice perks for completing some in-game requirements including the chance at winning a very nice NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 video card.

Acquiring a "chance" key took me a little bit of googling & was quickly applied to my account. Afterall, a chance at beta is a lot better then no chance at beta. So began my hunt for a VIP key to ensure that I would be included in all of the beta events. After becoming an active member of the RIFT forums to my surprise I was offered a VIP key sent to my private message box within a few days of posting & creating a few connections. Incredible! Somehow I have slyly made my way into ALL beta events and I couldn't be more excited.

So here I am currently downloading the client & I simply cannot wait to test out RIFT two days from this post. In my opinion & many others this game is currently the industries hidden gem RIFT is a hidden gem (Massively)  & I will be there from the beginning assisting in it's development to launch.

I will be sure to update my blog in the coming weeks with bits of information. As you know when beta testing you are required to sign a NDA (non-disclosure agreement) so I will obviously have to keep my tongue sealed on certain things so that I don't have my privileges revoked but I will do my best to share things that do not break my agreement.

PvP videos Old & New

I have been a fan of PvP for many years now & have created many videos outlining my trials & tribulations engaging in combat with other people across the world. To me it has become a new-age version of multiplayer chess where a collection of minds compete using the tool sets provided to them. Sure some would say that a chess game is completely fair from the start where each player has the exact artillery to offend & defend with versus as an MMO which would have advantages & disadvantages due to gear & class imbalances. I loosely defend my comparison by saying that on the launch day of any MMO everybody starts out of the gate with choices that can either cripple or advance them to success. To put it in perspective, if you joined a chess match halfway through the game I can assure you that a fair portion of your army would be defeated & that it would be your responsibility to outsmart your opponent against all odds. Also, a majority of your opponents are not constantly progressing either. Picture a million chess tables where players are constantly joining late or getting up & leaving the table while their opponents continue playing. So although PvP is typically an imbalanced game I offer that each player has the opportunity to compete if they are willing to figure out how & why others are successful. Though I can enjoy PvE experiences quite a bit I tend to spend most of my time in the MMO world participating in PvP due to the unpredictable nature of playing against real human beings & I thought I would drop off all of my past videos here. Though I have been involved with the PvP systems in many MMO games I have created most of my videos during my experiences in World of Warcraft as their PvP system has always provided countless hours of fun. I did however create one Warhammer Online video which you can see below. You can find the full collection of my gaming videos at my youtube channel: www.youtube.com/playerversusplayer

Be sure to watch in HD either from this page or as larger HD videos directly from the youtube channel. For this blog entry I will start with my newest video & progress down to my older videos:

"Knight of the Living Dead" lvl 70-79 World of Warcraft Battlegrounds (Wotlk)
featuring Nightkeeper - Blood Spec Death Knight


"Feral Shifter" lvl 30-39 World of Warcraft Battlegrounds (Wotlk)
featuring Anxient - Feral Spec Cat Druid


"Master Assassin" Tier 2 Warhammer Online Scenarios & World PvP
featuring Acid - Skirmish Spec Shadow Warrior


"Deadly Vending Machine" lvl 70 World of Warcraft Battlegrounds (Burning Crusade)
featuring Hologram - Arcane/Fire Spec Mage


"Soul of Fire" lvl 30-39 World of Warcraft Battlegrounds (Burning Crusade)
featuring Hologram - Fire Spec Mage