RIFT’s preset soul build addition, also known as Calling Purposes, is fresh out on the PTS and available for player testing. Information about this feature and other additions Trion has in store for new players and old players alike can be found here. This brief guide will cover the various Warrior builds and some of the Warrior-centric features upon starting a new character. For the Cleric version of this guide that features more general information about the feature, check here.

RIFT’s preset soul build addition, also known as Calling Purposes, is fresh out on the PTS and available for player testing. Information about this feature and other additions Trion has in store for new players and old players alike can be found here. The preset build feature promises to be a helpful aid for new players leveling in RIFT, and also a handy, optional way for veterans to experiment with new builds, classes, and class roles. Let’s dive into some of the specifics about this cool feature, focusing on the Cleric class.

New players will probably gain the most benefits from this system. The benefits are seen as early as the character creation screen. When creating a new character, players will be prompted to choose their faction, then gender and race. Added to the race selection screen is now a handy set of buttons that allows players to preview the character in various sets of obtainable gear.

Platinum. Planarite. Inscribed Sourcestones. Plaques. Marks. Greater Marks. Special Event Currency…

Rift has a boggling number of currencies — far more than I have ever seen in any game, MMO or otherwise — and up until this point, each has had a serious flaw. At a certain point, each becomes mostly obsolete, continuing to accumulate, but with little, if anything, left to buy with it.

With the Rift 1.7 patch on the horizon though, it looks like Trion is finally beginning to address this problem. In the most recent PTS Set (#2), Trion has added new sinks for almost every currency. Those thousands of expert dungeon plaques you had saved up, or the hundreds of raid marks that sat in your vault collecting virtual dust can now be traded in for planar attunement xp. This is a perfect sink. The gains from PA levels are extremely incremental, but desirable enough to be worth something, and it will remain something that players will continue to be able to benefit by purchasing for a long time to come. [If you are interested, current exchange rates on the PTS are included at the bottom of this article.]

Today we are proud to announce a new site in the Junkie Nation network: GUILD WARS 2 Junkies! We are extremely excited about Guild Wars 2 and are eagerly awaiting open beta and release later on this year. Last year at PAX Prime, we got the chance to interview Eric Flannum, Lead Game Designer for ArenaNet, and his passion for the game came through with each sentence. We got our hands on the demo at the show floor and spent as many hours as possible checking out the Charr and the Sylvari.

The PAX Prime experience solidified in our mind that we had to make Guild Wars 2 Junkies. GW2 is primed to be the best new MMORPG of 2012. So if you want to keep up-to-date with all the latest news, notes, and developments of ArenaNet’s Guild Wars 2, then make sure you visit us regularly at GUILDWARS2Junkies.com!

So if you think you might be a Guild Wars Junkie then let us feed your addiction.

Need your Rift fix while offline but you don’t have an IOS device? Well, time to do your happy dance because Trion has released an Android version! It’s the same as the IOS version so if you haven’t heard about this app yet you can look at my write up here. Keep in mind this is also a beta app, and it does not appear to be working on some Android phones, but Trion is busy working out all the kinks!

I fired this baby up on my Android phone on my way to lunch today and it looks basically the same as the IOS one. I was able to smack talk in guild chat, view the guild wall, get some artifacts from Shinies and see all the zone events I was missing out on by not being at home! I still love this app, as do my children who actually play the scratch off games for me, and with an Android OS version now even more players can stay connected when they aren’t .. you know.. connected!

1.7 In-Progress Set #3 – 1/25/12
GENERAL
* Mounting now cancels auto-attack, preventing you from accidentally dismounting due to an attack firing.

CLERICS
* Reduced the mana cost of Area-of-Effect Heals.

JUSTICAR
* Reparation: Now able to heal other party/raid members using Reparation. Healing from Reparation will not affect players with Mien of Honor currently active.

MAGES

STORMCALLER
* Lightning Burst: No longer has a damage penalty in PvP.

DOMINATOR
* Degeneration: Ability added to the Dominator soul, obtained at 10 points. Now has a 15 second cooldown and can affect NPCs.

PYROMANCER
* Burning Bright: No longer gives separate bonuses for PvE and PvP.
* Cinder Burst: Damage now reduced by 15% in PvP, instead of a 20% reduction.
* Fulminate: Damage now reduced by 15% in PvP, instead of 20%.
* Inferno: Now gives 10 Charge when cast.

The Fae Squirrel is not like other minipets. Each time you summon him, he comes out a little different! He has a collection of different flowers or plants that grow on the top of his head and sometimes he’ll have leaves attached to his tail as well! This squirrel can also be summoned without any adornments, but his fur remains slightly green.

To get your own flower wearing buddy all you need is Decorated status with the Students of the Vale and 5,000 planarite!  Both easily attainable by defeating Life invasions, Life Rifts and Life Footholds!

GENERAL
* Hammerknell: Jornaru: Reduced the damage and stun duration of the Mana Pincers’ Mana Pinch ability.
* Ember Isle: Fire of Rebirth event: Fixed a rare case where the Hellions could spawn too early during this event.
* Instant Adventure: The ‘Crushing Earth’ ability used by Hazeed’s Sorrow, Thargwar, and Milgrid the Terrible should be less punishing now.

Rift is rapidly closing it on the one year anniversary in March of this year.  With both the start of the new year and the upcoming one year anniversary of the game, let’s look at some of the most popular predictions for Rift in the coming year.

1) Rift Going Free To Play – There is a lot of talk about the game going free to play in the next year.  The reason this prediction is popular is because of the multiple other MMOs coming out this year, including Guild Wars 2 and Mists of Panderia.  This is not even including Star Wars, which just came out.  The problem with this prediction is that it has already been squashed by Trion on multiple occassions.  They have already stated that the game is doing well financially and they have no reason for it to go free 2 play at this time.  Chances of Happening in 2012:  0%

As you know, with 1.7 the PvP specific Souls and their associated achievement are going the way of the Dodo bird. If you are an achievement whore now is the time to pick up your “I’ve Got Soul and I Am a Soldier” before it’s gone! With the loss of PvP Souls we are being given a new PvP Planar Attunement, and I hopped onto PTS tonight to see what it has for us to play with!