Commenter ValeriaHeart is looking for suggestions for a massively-multiplayer online role-playing game to play with her partner that isn't World of Warcraft in today's episode of Speak-Up on Kotaku. Won't you help her?

Are there any MMORPG players out there that are playing something that isn't WoW? How is that game? Would you recommend it?

My partner and I love the idea of an MMO but getting a bit fed up with WoW, mostly due to the absolutely awful community, so we're hoping to find something a little more welcoming.

In Trion Worlds' massively-multiplayer online role-playing game Rift, eight different souls come together three-at-a-time to create many different flavors of rogue. Here are just a few.

Due to various obligations and complications I've not had nearly the time to talk about Rift as I planned when the game first came out, and with its deep and somewhat convoluted soul system I might never have had enough time to cover it completely.

Character creation is simple enough. You select your faction, race, gender, and then one of four main archetypes: Warrior, Wizard, Rogue, and Cleric.

Where things get complicated is the game's Soul system. Each of the four classes has eight different Souls, or sub-classes, that can be combined in groups of three. Once you've selected the three you wish to run with (you can earn more later in the game), you start adding points to the three Soul trees as you level. Adding points to the tree unlocks certain powers, the more points added the more powers unlocked. Even without adding any points you still gain access to the Soul's initial powers.

It makes for an incredibly varied group of characters within the same class. A rogue, for instance, can be a long range sniper, a stealthy stabber, a musical support specialist, or even a tank.

The versatility also makes it tougher for less experienced characters to figure out what to choose and what points to put where, when. The official forums are filled with people giving their opinions on what the best builds are for each class. I've created many characters myself, playing them for a time only to drop them in favor of giving another combination a go.

With each class having hundreds of potential combinations, it's a hard system to balance as well, Certain combinations excel while others falter.

I am enjoying experimenting, at least. I'd enjoy it even more if the game's progression weren't so linear, but I suppose you can't have it all.

Anyway, rogues. They're nice.

Trion Worlds' fantast MMO Rift has gathered quite an audience since its launch last month, and those loyal fans are now being rewarded with a full-scale invasion from the plane of death. Just their way of saying thanks, now die.

The world of Telara is no stranger to invasions from different planes through extra-dimensional rifts. The River of Souls patch for the PC MMO takes the idea to a whole new level. Alsbeth the Discordant, the most powerful sorceress in the land and right hand of the dragon god Regulos, has gained control of the River of Souls, the energy stream where all life goes when it dies.

This is a very bad thing.

Throughout the month-long event, players will be battling for their lives against hordes of undead creatures, with Alsbeth herself walking the world, causing having and strife with every step she takes. Only the most powerful players will be able to journey to the River of Souls and put her down once and for all.

Check out the full event page for more details on this terrific twist in the tale of Rift.

New MMO game Rift has had a few problems since launch, one of them being a percentage of user accounts having been compromised. Luckily, an ex-hacker has been able to help plug the leak.

A user with the handle ManWitDaPlan was able to identify the issue with the game - which the developers describe as "a very subtle bug in error checking of our login validations" - and have the issue resolved.

"All totalled up, under 1% of accounts with characters have had characters impacted. However, 1% of a surprisingly large number is still very noticeable" said Rift developers Trion. "We'd definitely like to thank Mr. ManWitDaPlan for the well-timed assist," the studio added. "Sir, we salute you and offer our most heartfelt thanks."

Turns out ManWitDaPlan is a career programmer, who currently runs "a small security-software company specializing in secure data destruction". In a previous life, though, he was involved in cracking PC games, which gave him skills he uses today to help fix games instead of steal and/or break them.

What the world needs now isn't more love, sweet love. It's people like ManWitDaPlan, who use their powers for good, instead of jackassery.

Ex-Hacker Finds RIFT Account Flaw, Talks to ZAM [ZAM]

There isn't much of a crossover audience between a first-person like Team Fortress 2 and the online role-playing game Rift, but that could change now that a Steam preorder of the MMO scores players exclusive content for both games.

Here we see one of the benefits of being a company that develops games as well as a company that sells them. Trion Worlds' Rift might be getting a little boost from Team Fortress 2 fans thanks to a deal that gives TF2 players two exclusive in-game items for preordering the upcoming MMO.

By laying down their dough for Rift, Team Fortress 2 players will gain immediate access to the Pyro's Sharpened Volcano Fragment and the Scout's Sun-on-a-stick. They'll also receive an in-game exclusive for Rift in the form of the Well-Spun Hat, a cosmetic item that places a nasty spider on their character's head.

I've fiddled about in the Rift beta a little bit, and it's not a bad little Western-developed MMO. I can't see it pulling in many Team Fortress 2 players, but the promise of shiny new weapons certainly helps.

Rift can be preordered via Steam today for $49.99.

Trion World's fantasy-flavored massively multiplayer online role-playing game Rift now has a release date of March 1, which sounds like a lovely day for PC gamers to get their Rift on or whatever the kids are calling it these days.