If you’re brand new to RIFT or know someone who is, there’s a lot to keep in mind when it comes to knowing how to best proceed while leveling and making RIFT store purchases. There are a ton of options in the game right now, and while that’s awesome, it also can be a little daunting. We’re here to help you out.
These tips will be intended for players completely new to RIFT and experiencing the game for the first time. We’ll aim most of our tips toward players who are taking advantage of the new free-to-play system and haven’t yet subscribed as a Patron or put out a lot of money towards Credits. We’ll also make a few suggestions when it comes to first-time Credit purchases. Let’s get started, shall we?
Tip 1 – Explore, explore, explore!
There are a lot of MMOs on the market right now where it’s perfectly viable and even encouraged to skip certain zones, dungeons, features, and parts of the main storyline while leveling. Leveling is a lot faster in RIFT than it used to be, but it’s a little different from most MMORPGs in one regard in our opinion. It’s actually more fun (and beneficial) to explore and take part in the game’s features at an early level due to how well the leveling process prepares you for endgame.
This is also partially due to the soul system. If you love a certain spec, area, or way to level– that’s awesome, but don’t be afraid to experiment a bit and explore that PvP warfront, tanking spec, or dangerous-looking zone event. Knowledge is power! More on this later.
Exploring, of course, also lets you see all the pretty areas of the game that make for some dang fine screenshots. Don’t ever feel like you have to finish every single quest in a zone (unless you want to, of course!), but don’t forget to run around and at least check out what each zone has to offer. You might just find some hidden gems (and puzzles, artifacts, and all sorts of nifty things).
Tip 2 – Plan out RIFT Store purchases ahead of time if possible.
While the RIFT Store has some pretty tempting cosmetic items, if you’re on a gaming budget and want to take part in raids at level 60 as soon as possible, it’s probably best to keep those corgi and dimension item purchases down to a minimum. The leveling gear in the store is entirely optional. You’ll gain plenty of gear that’s perfectly suited for leveling just through questing, dungeons, crafting, currency vendors, and Instant Adventures. Some of the RIFT Store gear at level 60 isn’t bad, however, since it will essentially help you reach the +hit and +toughness requirements to get into your first raids. Again, it isn’t necessary, but comparatively there are more reasons to wait until level 60 and pick up a few pieces of store gear then.
Items of interest to new, leveling players on a budget might include wardrobe outfits, boosts, mounts, and character unlocks. Wardrobe outfits and mounts aren’t necessary, obviously, but they do age better than temporary leveling gear. Some of the wardrobe pieces are also quite affordable.
Mounts, interestingly enough, serve a dual purpose– they let you save your platinum! If you’re strapped for cash while reaching the higher levels, by all means– pick up a store mount and save that cash for level 60 BoE crafted epics. Some of the crafted epics are fantastic. Platinum isn’t overly difficult to come by, but sometimes every bit helps. Purchasing extra role slots in this manner also isn’t a bad idea, but make sure to buy at least the first few with gold/plat, since they’re quite cheap.
Boosts while leveling are extremely optional, but in a pinch they can help you out of rough spots. Notoriety boosts while grinding out daily quests once you hit level 60 aren’t a bad option, but again– optional. Character unlocks that hold the most value while leveling probably include the Trade Skill Extension and the Storm Legion soul unlock. If you really enjoy the sound of some of the Storm Legion souls, you may want to consider picking this one up as some of them are quite helpful at level 60 and even while leveling. They’re never necessary in our opinion– even for most raid groups– but they do often help quite a bit.
The Trade Skill Extensions are pretty self-explanatory. Love crafting, but hate alts? They’re definitely an option, and will ensure your leveling days are spent with bags that are quite, quite full. Speaking of which, those extra bag slots might be tempting.
Last but not least, don’t forget that becoming a Patron is always one possibility if you’re really enjoying RIFT and want to take advantage of the Patron perks while leveling. Is it worth it? That’s all a matter of opinion, but there’s a good chance that if you’re simply loving the game and spend a lot of time in Telara, it might be worthwhile to take that extra plunge. As a bonus, the extra chunks of Loyalty are pretty neat thanks to the Loyalty reward tiers (that work on every character).
Tip 3 – Making a few purchases early on isn’t a bad idea.
There’s one other really important thing to note about the RIFT Store. If you’re the type of person who enjoys playing the Auction House (AH) mini-game, you’re going to need to earn around $5 worth of Loyalty in order to sell items on the AH in RIFT and increase your maximum platinum cap. Trion went this route to help keep gold sellers away from our AH. This means that you’ll either need to spend that much in Credits or purchase REX from other players (which is currently still selling for quite high on most shards). The easiest route is to simply spend that $5 and pick up something that will aid you well during your travels. You can always purchase the Credits and save them for when you really need them.
Alternatively, you can browse your local retail stores for a box copy of RIFT. This will give you a chunk of Loyalty.
Tip 4 – Don’t be afraid to try out multiple specs and souls.
Remember how we mentioned knowledge is power? Yep, that definitely applies here. RIFT‘s soul system can be pretty complex if you’re new to MMORPGs, especially when you’re trying to figure out completely new specs, souls, and macros at level 60. There are simply a ton of abilities in this game. Our suggestion? Experiment while you’re leveling! Purchase a few extra role slots early on and take the time to try out a few different souls and roles. See what you enjoy most. Experiment with both melee and ranged styles. Don’t be afraid to charge into an invasion headfirst to thoroughly test out that survivability spec. Telara is full of danger, and sometimes a few trips back from the graveyard are exactly how we best learn to master our specs.
If you’re leveling with friends, make sure they do the same. Trade off performing roles while in dungeons, etc., and test out the waters in a safe environment. If you’ve always wanted to try healing, but have been afraid to make the plunge, leveling a new character is the perfect time to do so. Remember– in 3.0, all classes will be able to do every role, so don’t be afraid of being versatile. RIFT thrives with players who aren’t afraid to be versatile.
Also be sure to do a little research on the game’s macro system if you’re unfamiliar with macros in similar games. Macros aren’t required in most cases, but they come in extremely handy for most of the popular specs players use. Also, leveling is the perfect time to get used to using new keybinds, so keep that in mind when your ability bars start to look a little, well, full.
Tip 5 – Don’t feel constricted to one area of gameplay.
While leveling, you aren’t required to only stick to quests. Instant Adventures are an extremely quick way to gain experience while in an awesome group where everyone participates, so make sure to give them a try. Dungeons are also nice experience, but if you’re a DPS-only type of player, the queues may feel a tad sluggish. Warfronts are another option. Leveling through dynamic content such as rifts and zone events is also an interesting option that I personally employ quite a bit just because I find popping open new rifts fun.
Also, don’t forget that you can mentor down and level with friends and guildmates if your levels don’t quite match. All-in-all, there are a ton of options in RIFT right now. Do what you feel like doing, don’t sweat the rest, and you’ll enjoy the leveling process much, much more.
Tip 6 – Make friends as early as possible!
We can’t stress this last one enough. Leveling solo isn’t a chore in RIFT thanks to all of the choices we have available to us, but grouping with friends is a whole lot more fun. Guilds are great for socializing, learning teamwork, and also for the little perks you gain upon joining. Oh, and guild dimensions are cool, too! If you plan on taking part in any of the raids once you reach level 60, it will be much easier to do so if you’re already in a guild that raids or plans on doing so. Chances are, you’ll also gain some help dungeoning and collecting gear along the way.
When choosing a guild, make sure to choose one where the players have similar playtimes as you and also similar playstyles. It pays to do a bit of researching while searching out a new guild. Once you find that perfect group of like-minded people, it’ll be awesome– trust us.