RIFT vs. SWTOR, Your Decide

Thanksgiving has come finally. Surely, most of players have claimed the coupon code on SwagVault yet. Yes, 10% coupon codes are giving away on http://www.swagvault.com/ to celebrate Thanksgiving, but only for one day. And membership rewards is still valid. Take the time and don’t miss out. Another great news for star wars fans, in just a few weeks, Star Wars: The Old Republic will launch, and on every gamer's mind is the subject of how many players it will lure away from other games. It's quite likely that every MMO will suffer a dip in numbers when SWTOR launches -- heck, even World of Warcraft is bracing for impact with a stock downgrade. But as gamers know, a launch is one thing, but how a game does in the months after is more important. So today we don’t discuss which one is better than the other; rather, we’ll discuss the differences that might appeal to one playstyle over another.

Sword and board vs. blasters and sabers

Apparently, the most obvious thing that sets RIFT apart from SWTOR is the genre. And I've heard other players look at this completely differently. Some won't play SWTOR mainly because it's not fantasy, while others are ordering it because they're burned out on elves and ogres and are looking for something different. I think for RIFT, the core population that is actively playing and engaged with the content will probably stick around.

Worlds

Not only me, but most players are like me that really enjoy the "worlds" of RIFT and SWTOR, but for different reasons. Both are stunning and really help convey the storylines that you play through. But I'm more of a Bartle explorer-type at times, and I've found more opportunity to do that in RIFT. It's not that I can't explore in SWTOR; it's that when I'm out and about in the world, I find that my travel is driven by the story, and I have little incentive to go off the beaten path. RIFT's shinies, zone puzzles, and discovery experience reward those who like to poke around in nooks and crannies, and I haven't found much of that yet in SWTOR (although I haven't played the higher-level content in beta).

Souls vs. classes, and the finality of it all

One of the stark differences between RIFT and SWTOR is the difference in the class system. RIFT sells itself as a game where you have the freedom to swap soul builds at will, while SWTOR has made it clear that your choice of class is important and that even your advanced class choice is not meant to be swapped over and over. For RIFT fans who are used to being able to adjust their roles based on the content and group make-up, that will be an adjustment if they choose to play SWTOR.

Solo vs. MMO

SWTOR is very solo-friendly, but I actually had to adjust to seeing "LFG" requests in open channels again. I really enjoy the break from needing to send tells in order to get an invite. There are plenty of players who will debate the merits of a LFG system, and I'm not necessarily advocating its presence or absence. But I do think it's a factor when you look at RIFT vs SWTOR because there's a certain chunk of the population that does enjoy the freedom of coming and going from groups without the obligatory requests for invites.

Peering down the third turn

There is one factor that should really help RIFT over the long run compared to other MMOs, and that's the depth and speed of its content updates. With the field becoming increasingly crowded, RIFT's approach is probably going to benefit it in the long run. The real question is whether Trion Worlds can continue this rapid pace for much longer.

Overall, I think there is enough difference between RIFT and SWTOR. There's no doubt that players will probably prefer one over the other, but that will probably be based on differences in gameplay rather than differences in quality. Yes, and still don’t forget to claim the 10% coupon code on SwagVault.com.