Iconoclast game bloggers say “What”

Lock down your PC and hide your Cheetos, because World of Warcraft’s new expansion, Mists of Pandaria, finally released on Tuesday. Following not-at-all-hot on the heels of its previous expansion, Cataclysm, Mists of Pandaria enters a slightly more crowded MMO market of free-to-play games and viable alternatives like Guild Wars 2 and The Secret World, though I would be shocked if it moved less than seven figures during launch week. The ads and excitement have reached even me, console gamer extraordinaire, and I’m finally going to take the plunge into the exciting world of MMOs.

That’s right, I’m rolling a character in Rift.

Okay, I’m not totally trolling the Mists of Pandaria launch date—that’s only part of the equation. In truth, I’ve wanted to try Rift since I first heard about it last year. I like the idea of a competing franchise trying to beat WoW at its own Everquest-influenced game, and I’m pleased that Trion Worlds still has a successful following even a year later; not an easy feat with a subscription fee—just look at Star Wars: The Old Republic! Beyond Rift’s apparent level of polish, I think my inner rebellious ten-year-old likes playing games that are popular, but not necessarily the most popular; this is the same side that loves games-that-reviewed-well-but-still-are-still-obscure games you find at pawn shops. Rift reviewed well, but hasn’t hit the tipping point, and I’m attracted to that.

Here’s where you come in, dear readers. I’m profoundly inexperienced with MMOs; I’ve spent maybe an hour and a half raising a night elf back in 2008, but that’s about it. MMOs are vaunted for their deep worlds and open gameplay, and for the stories they inspire between friends around the watercooler. It’s this third one that I’m going to leverage during my time with Rift: I want to try to keep a diary of my experiences in Rift, following my learning about MMO conventions and providing me with a platform to look like a complete ass (we’ll see how long it takes me to learn my macros. Also, learn what “macro” means).

My desktop absolutely runs Rift, and I think my netbook might with some coaxing. Hopefully I won’t spend as much time on Rift per day as I did Kingdoms of Amalur, because that would be intensely counter-productive to my writing, chores, and basically everything that didn’t involve Rift. Time will tell, but I’m excited. See you in Telara!