Rift levels up with an updated launcher

In what is now becoming the new standard for MMO launchers/patch updaters, Rift has upgraded its client to include seamless patch integration. What that means is that when there’s a large patch that usually precludes you from playing the game, you can almost immediately log in and stream the patch while questing. Even though World of Warcraft (among other games) has been doing this for a while now, it’s nice to see Trion Worlds making an effort.

A Trion Worlds community manager explains how it works on the official post, “In-game, a download indicator at the top of the screen will show the current status of your download, time remaining, and whether objects around you may be loading slowly. This indicator will disappear when the client is fully updated.”

I played Rift for a bit, and I have to say, it’s a pretty solid MMO. In fact, it’s one of the only remaining MMOs that hasn’t gone free to play (not that there’s anything wrong with that!), so I’m really happy for Trion Worlds’ success. It also goes without saying that I’m interested in seeing what’s in store for them in the future.

RIFT Streaming Client [Rift Forums]