While the masses might have left Rift behind, the game is still going strong - and it has a couple of very valuable lessons it can teach other MMOs. These are vital lessons for other MMO developers to take on board; else Rift's brilliant innovations and design might never be as influential as it should.
Trion have announced that the 1.9 update for Rift is now live. This introduces the new Conquest mode, as well as mentoring, character re-customisation, a new sliver, new instant adventures and new world events.Article submitted by: Tess
"It's about more players being able to do more things with each other."
The next major Rift content patch, Conquest, is going to land in the patcher next week, bringing with it a slew of new features, enhancing, PvP, end game content, and letting you mince about with your lower level friends, showing off your fancy armour without ruining their game thanks to the new mentoring mode. There’s also a few more minor additions, detailed below the jump. 
Those lovable chaps over at Rift Junkies have had a chat with Rift’s design developer Hal Hanlin about the MMO’s upcoming expansion Conquest. As you may already know, it contains epic battles between three factions at once, something which excites us as much as it makes us glad we’re not game designers.Our Spotlight units plug content our journalists have made, that our advertisers want to promote. Sometimes the promotion is paid for, but the content they go to is always independent with no client oversight or approval.
Article submitted by: Nick Wilson
A preview of the new "Mentoring System" In 1.9
Rift is getting a big update in the form of triple faction battleground combat, with three sides duking it out across an new version of the Stillmoor area, reclassified as a PvP warzone and letting players fight over the new ‘Sourcestone Extractors’. Or as you and me might know them, control points. It’s a big shift for Rift, which has previously been a very PvE focused game, but if you’re going to do PvP, a three way is always the best way. Ahem.
It’s been a bit over a year since Rift launched, a year during which Trion have been tirelessly working to improve on it. With patch 1.8 recently released and with 1.9 moving ever closer, it’s a good time as any to take a closer look and see where the game currently stands.
