So much going on and so little time to write.

Rift expansion is incoming in less than a month, and there has been much preparation so not much here.

1.11 came out yesterday, and my head exploded.  Not really but just about.  There is a lot of changes to take in, a lot of things I have un-think and un-habitize myself to.

I play a main tank in a small raid guild, so looking at the tanking changes, I can understand why they did alot of things.

I am glad that Trion seems to be taking the initiative now to curb inflation of stats/gear instead of waiting 5 years (yes I’m looking at you eq2) when players are really set in their ways, and so to compensate bosses have to be made ridiculous just to challenge players.

There is a flip side to gear inflation too.  It widens the gap between newbie and veteran.  One of the things I am most looking forward to in this expansion is the reset button.

Reset button you say? Yes. It’s what others call a level increase.  Right now, it is difficult to get new players into my raid because of gear requirements, 350 hit, 250 toughness, high dps numbers.  To get a new player ready to raid with my crew I have to take my crew through old stale content that gives them nothing and sets our own progress back.

With this new expansion everyones gear will again be on the same level. So I say good on Trion for seeing the inflation problem before we all level up and get crazy up graded gear.

I have spoke to both veteran and new player, i have friends in both camps.  I have a friend who refused to play Rift because he felt it was not balanced, that his class had no identity….he’s now currently playing his 30day free trial a year late, and he likes the changes that they made.  He feels Trion is going in the right direction, and honestly so do I.

It will be harder, yes without the 2 button macro mash, but if the rest of the world is balanced around these changes, if raids can be tuned around souls having more of a identity then I think things will be better.

I know, in a month there will be a cookie cutter spec like 38 reaver.  It happens, but I now have more choices.  My souls feel new, feel like they have an identity and a purpose instead of “4 tank and 4 dps” with one or two being better than the other 6.

I am excited for the changes…I want to write about more about the expansion but my lips are sealed for the moment.