RIFT builds can be broken down in many different ways Possibly the best way to start is to first determine which class of character you are looking at building. There are four classes to select from; Cleric, Mage, Rogue, and Warrior.
At first, 4 classes seems like too few to choose from for this type of robust game. Once it becomes clear that all these classes assumes several possible playing styles based on their skill sets, it might be clearer that 4 classes in plenty.
Each class breaks down to 8 sub-classes each. And if that's insufficient, each sub-class could be configured in a number of ways because you will soon learn. There are plenty of different styles and abilities that
RIFT builds can assume.
Some of the classes abilities may surprise you. Warriors are usually assumed to become offensive or defensive. Mages must be for dealing damage... right? Rogues... surely hack and slash damage dealers. Cleric builds should be in which the healing is at.
You shouldn't be so sure til you have were built with a chance to review all that each one of the classes can do:
RIFT Cleric builds have 3 different healer builds (roles), but they also have 4 different offensive builds and 1 defensive (tank) build. The Cleric
RIFT builds could be a lot of fun and may be a extremely important part of any group. While they are able to handle a couple of the important thing roles of a party (tank or healer), they are able to also be devastating damage dealers.
It's really no surprise that RIFT Mage builds can be comprised of offensive abilities. In RIFT, there are 5 offensive builds (roles). It's also not too surprising to locate the Mage can take on support responsibilities. They have 2 RIFT support builds. The thing that took me off guard was there would be a healing build for mages. It makes more sense if you think of mages to be magic users and typically healing is applied using magic of some sort. So, the shock wears off quickly. I still think it is both odd and enjoyable when playing a healing mage though.
If you were guessing that RIFT Rogue builds were hack and slash, you had been... mostly correct. The most of the available rogue RIFT builds are offensive anyway. There are 6 in most. Two from the coolest rogue builds really are a support role referred to as “Bard” along with a tanking role! The bard build is pretty amusing and fun to experience in addition to a very vital piece of an organization. They don't cast spells, but instead they will use their instruments (yes, the kind you play musically) to effect their friends and foes. The defensive build really sent my head spinning. A tanking rogue?!? I never might have thought it, but it is quite a fun and useful role to play.
RIFT Warrior builds are typically, just what you would expect. There are 4 offensive roles and three defensive roles. So, obviously this class is meant for laying the smack down or protecting the audience from harm and using the brunt from the enemy assault. They are doing, however; have 1 support build that can be very useful towards the group. If you like just as being a beast of a fighter and being the savior from the meek and mild, here's your class. Don't let the simplicity from the warrior build mislead you. This class and all sorts of it's builds are simply as complex and rich with a variety of skills every of the other classes. If you were thinking the warrior is simply too boring... think again.
The RIFT responsibilities comprise Offensive, Defensive (Tanks), Healing, and Support. If you have been playing MMORPG or adventure type games for a while, you are probably very familiar with tanking, healing, and offensive responsibilities. The support responsibility might be new to many people. I know it was a new comer to me. The following is a brief explanation of each:
RIFT Tank Builds - The defensive responsibilities fall around the shoulders from the tanks from the game. Tanks are supposed to take the brunt of the battle which means they have to contain the attention from the enemy targets. This is called taking aggro (taking aggression). Each player may have a threat level which rises and falls depending on exactly what the player is doing. Tanks have abilities that raise their threat level so that the enemies pay more attention and focus their attacks on them. They also provide abilities that “taunt” the enemy to refocus the enemy's attention from another party member to themselves.
RIFT Healing Builds - The healers from the game play a very important part of any group. While the tank and damage dealers are focusing outwardly for the enemies, the healer is focusing mostly on the party members. It is their task to keep everyone alive and heal the wounded. The most significant member of the group that MUST stay alive no matter what is the tank. If the tank falls, in nearly every case, all of those other group will fall. When the battle is over, the audience usually relies on the healer to resurrect (restore to life) their fallen friends.
RIFT Offensive Builds - Fundamental essentials guys that do the dirty work; the damage dealers. Bringing down the enemy is the main task for the offensive builds. It isn't necessarily as simple as just attacking an opponent. An offensive character should be conscious of getting in harms way as well as doing enough damage in a almost no time as you possibly can. The tank are only able to take on so many foes and last such a long time and also the healer does not have a never-ending pool of magical energy to spend on keeping the audience alive. Taking the enemy targets down fast and difficult is a must to ensure that the audience to outlive.
RIFT Support Builds - The support responsibility is extremely special and in some cases very vital to the group. Their abilities are mostly made up of either those that enhance the group or allies and those that diminish the skills from the enemy. They are helpful in allowing the audience to do more damage and remain more protected while making it so the enemy takes more damage and deals less damage. I have seen this role make the distinction between a field of players living and dying against battled hardened creatures from rifts and the demons lurking in ominous dungeons.