I should be levelling but...
I can never resist a solo run at a five-player dungeon. It was the thing that I used to do in World of Warcraft, and may have been why I never reached max level in that game. So much of the time I could have spent levelling was taken up by running - and rerunning - the dungeons, as close to on-level as I could do them.
It's something I've also done in other games since - in Neverwinter, in Secret World Legends, in Lord of the Rings Online, and now in RIFT.
It's a very inefficient way to level. By the time I completed Realm of the Fae I was 7 levels above the 15-22 range for that dungeon and was earning 0 xp for my kills. I'm currently only 1 level about the 21-28 range of Darkening Deeps so I did earn some xp during my first attempt at that one, but I'd have earned more, and faster, if I'd spent that time questing in the open world.
It's also unrewarding as far as gear is concerned. Some of the drops in RotF might have been good ten levels ago but now... not so much. I did get a 10-slot bag from one of the bosses so that was something, but that's been literally the only piece of gear I've gained from these excursions that's been worth equipping.
So why do it?
"It's fun" is an accurate but uninformative answer, so I'll expand on that and say it makes for an interesting diversion- a game within the game to see how far I can get with a non-twinked character. Running dungeons also throws up some unique challenges, like the boss in Realm of the Fae who spammed Charm and who I had to kill by applying DoTs in the short intervals when I wasn't being CC'd. It worked, though the second time around I also did some experimentation with my Soul Trees and brought along a pet to help out. In that respect RIFT is a good game for this playstyle, since it allows for the creation of highly specialised builds that I can switch between depending on what I'm facing.
Beyond this it's also an opportunity to explore content I might otherwise not see, and at my own pace. Since I'm not running with a group there's no pressure and I don't have to worry about not knowing the mechanics of every boss fight in advance because if I die the only person I'm holding up is myself. That's how I prefer to experience any content the first time around.
I can take my time, explore my surroundings and admire the scenery. RIFT hasn't disappointed in this respect. Both of the dungeons I've delved into so far have had distinctive layouts, particularly Darkening Deeps, where a huge spiral ramp forms the centre of the goblin city. It's a rare time when I've been really impressed by the visuals in this game, and that in itself would be enough to make this a detour worth taking.
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