Trion have broken from the mould of other free-to-play MMOs by choosing to avoid paygates and pay-to-win items. Instead, all the content is available to free players, with only elements like extra character slots and cosmetic items coming with a price tag attached.
It's a progressive approach, one outlined in a new free-to-play features trailer.
In a press release sent out by Trion, Rift's creative director, Bill Fisher, says "The aim is to keep free and paid players on the same level — this is not pay-to-win. Players will see key differences between RIFT and other MMOs that have adopted free-to-play: we don't restrict content, and we don't offer pay-to-win items."
We've put together a little post to show how Rift stacks up against the other MMOs out there.
Trion have also built a virtual stock exchange to provide a means for players to access paid-for content without, well, paying for it.