So I finally got into one of the Rift betas (beta 6). I didn't have a chance to start a character yesterday, so I booted the game up first thing this morning and dove in.
I picked the Defiant faction and a cleric. The majority of the time in a new game I create a healer. For one, there are usually a lot less of them in being played in a beta - making it easier to group up if you want. I also figure if your healer class is broken or useless, the game really wont be much fun to me once it launches. Plus, healers are typically my favorite PvP class.
The game is interesting enough, and it pulls a lot from other MMOs. There are rifts, which are essentially like WAR's public quests (complete with stages, leaderboard, and loot); instanced PvP which so far remind me more of WAR than World of Warcraft; achievements and titles for various in-game activities (which reminds me mostly of Guild Wars); and of course your typical MMO-type quests (gathering, slaying, delivery, etc).
Graphically the game is very similar to Guild Wars (and LOTRO, but not as cohesive or polished - but this is a beta). So it's a very pretty game, though nothing tops Final Fantasy XIV in my experience yet.
The biggest difference to me that Rift has over a lot of other MMOs I've played is the character class system. It has more customization than a lot of MMOs. You choose the areas you want to concentrate on up top and as you put points into each tree you open up additional skills and spells. Plus, if you decide you dont like one (or all) of a tree, you can remove it and choose another specialization.
Overall I like the game. I absolutely love the public quest system from WAR, so I'm glad to see it implemented in another game. I also like the instanced PvP so far. But the major problem for me is being compelled to invest in another MMO.

Rift has a lot of similarities to a lot of MMOs I've played and it mostly just made me miss WAR or Guild Wars instead of want to invest 49.99 in a new game and a monthly subscription. That's a hard sell when I already have Guild Wars, LOTRO, and Champions Online that I can play for free. Plus, I can activate a subscription on World of Warcraft or WAR since I've already purchased a license for the software.

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