Yep, it's a good game. Fun to play, nice crafting system, player housing/decorating, very few FTP restrictions. Graphics are nice and even on my underwhelming computer it still runs decently.
I might check it out. I cancelled my subscription here for the first time since launch a couple of weeks ago so I'm a Silver Member now. I'm just not happy with the direction SOE is taking with their games lately. Been playing SWToR mostly but think I'll give RIFT a try.
As I posted above a few months ago I was going to give Rift a try. I did, and I am now a paying subscriber (Patron) with Rift and have been playing there since I posted. It's a great game with a lot of very nice features that EQ2 just doesn't have plus their FTP model is truly free to play. You get the entire complete game and if you subscribe you get "perks" on top of the base game. No locks, no restrictions. There's a ton of content and achievements to complete and there is a new expansion coming out this fall. I am very happy with Rift and glad that I gave it a try back in May. I encourage others to do the same if you are not happy with SOE/EQ2.
i <3 EQ2 and even SOE at times however, i will say that Rift has the single best f2p model currently in the business. i just found it a bit small and nowhere near as multilayered as EQ2. i'm glad you found someplace to call home for a while.
I've been thinking about Rift, but am unsure about the PvP aspect. I only ever play PVE because I hate PvP - absolutely detest it. Does Rift have open-slather, open-world, gank-fest PvP as part of its normal play (i.e. everyone has to do it while adventuring)?
Nope unless you chose a pvp server of course. Plenty of non pvp servers to pick, Faeblight is the only remaining RP server and generally has a overall good population of folks. I believe Ive been playing about 3 years there, though pretty casually for the last while. It has good content, crafting is alright and has some amazing housing if you like that kind of thing. Sub really only gives you perks, and is not needed for well anything really unless you want the perks. Its fun to play, though EQ2 remains my game of choice. Give it a shot, it is truly f2p with 0 restrictions on content, only thing you'd have to pay for is some of the souls (classes) if you want them but you have plenty to start with from the default ones.
xillean is correct, the pvp only occurs on the single open pvp server they have or if you join the instanced pvp battlefields which work just like the ones in WoW and EQ2.
Thanks heaps for your replies - I gave it a go last night, and it's quite a lot of fun!! A little limited with the character model selection and faction split, but it seems to work well. Has a definite feel of EQ1 about it (but without the terrible graphics). And as free to play without much in the way of restriction (definitely need more bag slots), it's pretty good. I have made 2 on the Oceania server, and another 2 on ummm another PvE server (can't remember which now) as I want to try all four archetypes.
