Comfirmed for Patch 1.10 – Faction as Fiction

Big things are headed our way. Elrar announced yesterday that RIFT Patch 1.10 will include some major changes to our two-faction system. Defiants and Guardians will be able to join groups and work together to defeat common enemies, whether that enemy is a raid boss, expert dungeon boss, team of warfront players, IA stage, or zone event invasion. Guilds will house players of both factions, some quests will be shareable between factions, and we will finally be able to communicate (and even marry!) cross-faction. Some of these changes are currently available on the PTS, with others on the way.

The lore for such a change is being explained through the risks of Telara becoming more and more severe as the denizens from the planes weigh heavily on both factions. As Storm Legion approaches, Guardians and Defiants must place aside their differences and seek out the more dangerous foe. Meridian and Sanctum will, for now, be separate to our own factions still, and the communication and grouping mechanics on PvP shards will be handled a little differently. Keep reading for Elrar’s announcement and the full details.

Originally posted by Elrar (Source)

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Hi all,

We’ve been hinting (subtly and not so subtly) that change was afoot. Well in 1.10 that change is happening in a big way.

With the death of four of the dragons much has changed in Telara. Old rivalries are questioned as new challenges arise, the greatest the Ascended have ever had to face. Destruction of the Blood Storm is now essential if this world is to ever find peace – Guardians & Defiants must unite if they are to ultimately travel to the planes and defeat them.

The powers that control Meridian and Sanctum still remain at odds and it will take time for those wounds to heal… but as Ascended the choice to work together is now yours to make outside the city walls.

In Update 1.10 players on PvE Shards will be able to team up and communicate with members of the opposite faction outside of the Tutorial. We’re always looking for ways to allow you to enjoy the many features RIFT has to offer together and this is a massive step in that direction.

So what all is becoming cross faction?

Already on PTS:
- Open world groups/public groups
- Cross Faction Trade
- Looking for Dungeon Tool
- Entering a Dungeon/Raid
- Instant Adventure
- Weddings!

Coming soon:
- Chat (channels & tells including cross shard)
- Quest sharing
- Guilds
- Mail
- Friends List & Ignore
- Chronicles
- Group Queuing for Conquest/Warfronts

PvP Restrictions

Players on PvP Shards will only be able to participate in random dungeon groups with members of the opposite faction (besides Warfronts/Conquest obviously). You will also only be able to send tells to players of the opposite faction on shards other than your own.

If you are flagged for PvP on any shard you will only be able to group with members of your own faction – flagging for PvP while in a cross faction group will warn you that doing so will result in your removal.

We realize this is a significant shift and offers a whole new set of challenges and opportunities – ultimately we feel it’s best that you get to enjoy RIFT with as few restrictions as possible so you can focus on having fun no matter what faction you or your friends choose.

Check it out on PTS right now and keep an eye open for scheduled tests as we prepare for Update 1.10!

Most players are pretty excited for this change. The two-faction system is a sound idea in theory, but it inevitably makes grouping difficult as an MMO ages and players drift between guilds, servers/shards, and factions. As RIFT’s lore has taken shape through the course of our world events and planar assaults, it’s also apparent that Guardians and Defiants– for many good reasons– have formed a shaky union on more than one occasion. Why not make it official?

In the original announcement thread, players speculated on the affects of this change. Elrar responded to a couple concerns:

Originally posted by Elrar (Source)

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But I also think that the factions still have their own stories to tell, and faction exclusive quests and hubs are need for that.

I wonder how the normal mode dungeons are going to be though – the Defiant DSM is different than the more bare (in quests) Guardian version 0_0

Indeed they do!

And I believe the group leader determines which faction’s dungeon you’ll run.

It’ll be fun being able to explore both sides of the faction-split world on the same character. Now all we need is an option to change our race…