Rift Open RVR Idea

I wanted to post this here first... since you guys know RVR best. I know that this is something that Trion couldn't do immediately, but I think it might be a potential solution to a lot of the frustration they will face if they try to implement oRVR given the current server situations. So...

Rift is putting in PvP Rifts soon. They sound good in theory, but they are still limited in scope for a variety of reasons. The largest problem I see is that with only 2 factions, one faction will almost always be outnumbered, and it'll almost always be the faction that is attacking instead of opening the rift, since you probably wouldn't open a rift without some amount of numbers and organization. With a third faction, you'd have two groups of folks waylaying the group who opened the rift... this was essential to the balance of DAoC and has been missing from most western MMOs ever since, even though with an RvR focus. While PvP Rifts will still be fun, I don't think they will really be the kind of "realm versus realm" combat that so many desire.

So I have a new idea to add to Rift's PvP.

Allow the factions on a given server - if they choose - to set aside their differences in order to assault two dragon cults! Well, sort of...

Three servers would fight over a large open world area (they would likely have to queue for it, but I would not put a cap on the number in it, or if I did, it would be quite high). "This sounds a lot like a game I heard about that is coming out soon," you might say. Well, yes, it is. It's actually an innovative way to handle it. However, it doesn't make sense for Ascended from one server to fight Ascended from another.

So let's give it a Rift twist. To members of your server, you appear as an Ascended, as you typically look in game to yourself. But to members of opposing servers, you are a Dragon Cultist. Each server would be randomly given a particular dragon cult each week when paired with a new set of 3 servers (preferably keeping PvE with PvE and PvP with PvP where possible). So let's say in a given week, Sunrest, Seastone, and Freeholme get paired together. Sunrest players might look like members of the Cult of Maelforge to Seastone and Freeholme players, while Freeholme might look like Abyssal Cultists to Seastone and Sunrest, and Seastone players might look like Storm Legionaries.

The three 'factions' would fight over a massive open area filled with massive Sourcestone deposits, ancient Eth machinery, and sources of power that all three 'factions' would wish to control. They would have structures built here to protect their holdings, where they could fight one another in order to maintain control. Each faction would begin controlling a part of this area, while the majority would lay unclaimed between each faction. However, your faction could easily lose it's resource centers if it doesn't protect them, which would give benefits to your enemies.

The game already pushes the two factions together to fight for this same purpose. Why not keep doing it? Of course, another option would be to apply a different dragon cult to each faction of each server and have a massive free for all, but that might be a little crazy. ;)

» Edited on: 2011-07-17 13:16:27

» Edited on: 2011-07-17 13:49:41

» Edited on: 2011-07-17 15:13:06

I think at the end of the week, a winner could be awarded based on various factors, including objective ownership, resources gained from owning objectives (carriers or passive gain, not sure), things like that. Also, in order to encourage people to play around here, there would be a good deal of dailies here that would award people for coming to participate.

I like the idea :)

» Edited on: 2011-07-17 21:19:19

Anyone else have comments? Should I bother posting it? Doubt they'd do it, but it'd certainly be one way to try to get things going, RVR wise.

It sounds good to me.