Rift News: SFP Renamed, free weekend, and Rift store updates.

Starting today, Rift’s Starfall Prophecy expansion has been renamed to Prophecy of Ahnket.  A new Producer’s Letter (found here) details this change, and some upcoming content set to arrive by 4.2 later this summer.  In addition to this, the Prophecy of Ahnket expansion is available for free to anyone who logs in between May 10th and May 14th.  You will also receive a special Prophecy of Ahnket cache if you log in during this free weekend.

The Prophecy of Ahnket Cache contains the following:

  • 2 Tenebrean Engines (for upgrading Tartaric Depths and Intrepid: Rise of the Phoenix gear)
  • 100 Phenomenal Sparkles
  • 10 Individual Reward Charges
  • 1 White Deer Companion Pet
  • 1 Random Puzzle Box Dimension Item

Newly announced 4.2 content:

  • “Normal Mode” version of Tartaric Depths, presumably bringing it to the same difficulty and loot level as Intrepid: Rise of the Phoenix.
  • Massive changes and revisions to the Planar Fragments system

In addition to all of this, the Rift Store both in-game and in Glyph has seen some more updates.  Specifically, the expansion’s cost has been cut in half, but no longer offers the Level 65 boost of the Starlord/Starlady title.  The Deluxe edition goodies have been separated into their own pack.

Hepatitis has provided a detailed writeup about the store options below.

Rift Store Updates

With all the new packs being flung around it’s time for an explanation of what’s currently available on the store (and elsewhere).

These are the current for sale offerings from the Trion Worlds website and Steam:

From the Glyph store:

https://rift.trionworlds.com/account/profile/manage-game!input.action?dd=1

  • RIFT 4.0: Prophecy of Ahnket Expansion Pack – Just the 65-70 Expansion – $19.99
  • Celestial Adventurer’s Pack – Just the Expansion cosmetics – $29.99
  • Ascended Essentials Pack – All of the souls for all classes and some bags/character slots – $39.99
  • RIFT Intermediate Pack – A bunch of toys including a giant bag and patron time – $19.99

On Steam only:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/602450/RIFT_Starter_Pack/

  • RIFT – Starter Pack – Some really nice beginner toys and 7 days patron – $4.99

New to the in-game Rift Store:

It is important to note that the Expansion and Adventurer’s pack on the Rift Store are cheaper than on the Glyph Store.  This is intentional. According to Brasse and Archonix, Buying these for credits is meant to be a discount.  You can purchase 3250 Credits for $20, and you get a 10% discount if you are a patron.

  • RIFT 4.0: Prophecy of Ahnket Expansion Pack – Just the 65-70 Expansion – 2700 Credits (2430 Credits Patron)
  • Celestial Adventurer’s Pack – Just the Expansion cosmetics – 2700 Credits (2430 Credits Patron)

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN!?

Alright, let me break it all down.

NEWBIES
You’re just starting out. You’ve dabbled a bit and like the game. The only thing you should really care about is the RIFT – Starter Pack on Steam ($4.99):

  • 7 Days of Patron Time (Lots of bonuses that are important for a leveling character)
  • Ascended Onyx Hoop (15% XP boost)
  • Ascended Pearl Hoop (15% XP boost)
  • Steam-Powered Satchel (32 slot bag)
  • White Ursin Mount (Slowish mount)
  • Additionally, your $4.99 purchase will give you enough loyalty to be able to sell on the auction house, your first “big thing” as a newbie.

PATRON TIME IS UP
Well, the little white shield with wings showed up on my game again and I’m taking durability loss. Guess I’ll re-up for another month….
STOP RIGHT THERE! (queue Meatloaf singing Paradise by the Dashboard Light)
This month, you’ll want to pick up the RIFT Intermediate Pack instead. Why? Well, you’ll get your 30 days patron AND all this stuff:

  • 30 Days of Patron Time
  • Drakcoon’s Rad Rider (Formerly the Rainbow Arclight Rider)
  • Ascended Weapon (A scalable weapon or weapons that works great for leveling)
  • Packmaster’s Perfect Planar Pouch of Plentiful Packets (FOURTY slot bag)
  • Packmaster’s Reward Cache (Individual Reward charge packs!)

INTERMEDIATE/RETURNING

Okay, you’ve played the game. You have a level 60 or 65 and you’re ready for all the things and stuff! So, realistically, it’s time to buy the full game. How much do most “full games” cost? $60. Guess what? So does Rift. You’ll want to pick up two things here:

  1. RIFT 4.0: Prophecy of Ahnket Expansion Pack – $19.99, 2700 Credits, or FREE if you log in from May 10th through May 14th!
  2. Ascended Essentials Pack – $39.99

Arguably, you could wait until you’re level 70 to buy the Ascended Essentials Pack, but it will help you out a lot more by picking this up prior to hitting max level. You don’t even get access to Primalist until you get this pack.

So here’s what you get with these two packs

RIFT 4.0: Prophecy of Ahnket Expansion Pack ($19.99)(2700 credits from the in-game store)(FREE if you log in from May 10th through May 14th!):

  • Access to all the 65-70 content.

Ascended Essentials Pack ($39.99) :

  • All souls for all callings
  • 6 Character Slots per Server
  • Bag Slots 4 and 5

END GAME
Nothing. You’re done.
You’re still here? The show’s over. Go home.
Okay, so if you really love the very few cosmetics that come in the Celestial pack you can get it, but remember that you’re looking at a steep $30 price tag for them. (REMINDER: You can get this same pack for 2700 credits from the in-game Rift store.  $20 gets you 3250 credits).

For the purely cosmetic Celestial Adventurer’s Pack ($29.99) (2700 credits from the in-game store) you only get the following:

  • Ethereal Drake Mount
  • Asha Catari’s Raiment
  • Ring of Ahnket Portrait Frame