Could RIFT be the elusive Holy Grail of free-to-play?

Let's Talk Currency

There is a plethora of currency types in RIFT, but the two main ones we're concerned with are Platinum and Credits. Platinum is the highest denomination of in-game currency, earned through a variety of methods such as completing quests, selling items to vendors or other players (via the in game Auction House). Meanwhile Credits are the real money currency purchased using a major credit card or PayPal account.

So what can these two currencies get us? To find out all you need to do is open up the RIFT Store, available in-game with the click of a button. As an aside, the always available RIFT Store makes finding vendors in game far less important as you can do most of your shopping anywhere in Telara with the RIFT Store, including vendoring all your grey trash items, something I didn't realize until after running out of bag space on multiple occasions (more on that shortly).

After flipping though the impressive selection of goods in the RIFT store you will discover that the majority of equipment, consumables, boosts, costumes, mounts, etc... can be purchased with either one or both of these two main currencies.

Because platinum is earned just by playing the game, most of the RIFT store is accessible to players who choose to not invest any of their own real money into RIFT.

But what about those items which are exclusively available only by spending Credits? In other words, what can't I do as a dedicated free-to-play user?

Well the first (and most annoying) thing I noticed was that I couldn't equip additional bag slots (beyond the three I started with). These are not actually purchased through the store but rather just by clicking on the empty slot, where they then taunt you by saying you must spend Credits (aka real money) to unlock this.

At the most cost effective ratio of USD to Credits, gaining an extra bag slot is going to cost you $4.65 and I can only assume that cost will go up as you unlock more slots (though I can't confirm this because of course I refuse to pay that for a bag slot).

Other than this, and getting back to what exclusive or premium purchases can be found in the RIFT Store, just to name a few there are premium mounts, the typical barrage of boosts (XP, currency, rep, etc...), a 22-slot bag, some premium vanity pets, costumes (fun but ultimately useless) and the ever important (though also largely useless) selection of Fireworks.

You may have noticed an absence of weapons or armor on that list. Trion stressed when they announced that RIFT was going free-to-play that "RIFT is not 'Pay-to-Win'. The best items in the game will always have to be earned in Telara!" 

After having spent some time looking through their store and playing their game I would have to say I'm inclined to agree with that statement. It's very refreshing to see a developer actually make good on that claim for once.

RIFTasaurus Rex

While RIFT scores huge points for being dedicated to avoiding a pay-to-win scheme, that still doesn't set it much apart for other free-to-play games. You could argue that the content and/or perks you are missing out on as a free-to-play user are fairly trivial. But right or wrong you're still missing out on them, just like every other free-to-play game right? Wrong.

Enter REX, the game changer. REX stands for RIFT Exchange, and honestly it took me a while to figure out how it works. But once I did, it changed everything for me. In a nut shell, REX acts as a go between for pay-to-play and free-to-play users and can be purchased from the RIFT Store for $10 for one unit.

Okay so what does that have to do with free-to-play? Well after purchasing 1 unit of REX, that sinister Mr. Spendypants can then put that REX up on the auction house, charging however much platinum he sees fit (probably a lot because he’s sinister after all).

Now here comes the Free Agent, desperate to get his hands on some Credits but unable to do so without compromising the core ideals that make him who he is. By using only platinum gained in game I can purchase that REX and then consume it to gain 1,250 Credits. Just like that I can now purchase / access anything that Mr. Spendypants can.

This is true free-to-play people. Angelic choirs sing as the Holy Grail of free-to-play is revealed before my very eyes. But before you reach out to snatch it up, be warned, there's a catch...

It's inescapable, inevitable, and utterly undeniable. Time is money. And the time investment to make enough Platinum in order to afford one single unit of REX is significant. It's a fluctuating market, as it is sold on the Auction House, so I can't give you an exact conversion.

Suffice it to say, at the time I was writing this article, it would have cost be more than 1000 times the platinum I earned during my two weeks in Telara. That's a hefty time cost for a single unit of REX, or in other terms for $10 worth of Credits.

So can gaming REALLY be free?

At my current age and wage earning potential, coupled with a wife and child that I enjoy spending time with, there is no way I could justify spending that much time for a measly $10 worth of credits.

But none-the-less, in answering our fundamental question, the Free Agent feels compelled to answer with a resounding YES! With RIFT gaming REALLY can be free!

It is with great sadness that I must move on from RIFT and my adventure in Telara. It was both a very enjoyable and cost effective experience; made so by the fact that apparently the Free Agent has friends in Telara.

I'd like to take the time to thank Dame Lasjere, a friendly benefactor that I met on the Seastone Shard, who graciously gifted me 100 platinum in order for me to purchase a mount to speed up my travels through Telara. I suppose that's another way for gaming to be free, make friends, lots of them. Thanks again Lasjere.

I'd also like to thank all our readers for sticking with me through what has no doubt been the longest episode of the Free Agent yet. Given the circumstances I make no apology though, RIFT was perhaps the most deserving of an in-depth analysis of any game we have covered so far.

Go check it out for yourself and, while you're at it, head on over to our sister site Rifthead.com for all your RIFT database needs. And just because we've found this one true free-to-play gem don't be fooled into thinking that our mission is over.

Oh no, never fear, the Free Agent will continue to scour the free-to-play gaming world in an attempt to answer the never-ending question, "Can gaming REALLY be free?"

So stay tuned to ZAM.com and we'll see you next time on the Free Agent.

Robert "Caergan" Gray

Follow me on Twitter @Caergan