Rift introducing PvP 'Conquest' mode

Trion Worlds must figure you need another way to let out your aggression, because it's adding a new large-scale PvP mode for Rift, complete with three new factions to duke it out. The "Conquest" mode is getting its first test this Thursday at 4 PM PDT, if you'd like to jump in and give it a go.

The Rift blog details the mode, which will grant rewards for your team or individual bonuses that you can use outside Conquest mode. Trion notes that since this is a new feature, it will be tweaking the mode as they get feedback and data from the play tests.

Essentially, your team (faction) will be tasked with getting control points (Sourcestone Extractors), while fighting against other factions to prevent them from gaining them. Those control points open buffs and resources for your team, and the match ends when one team gains 40% of the control points, or when 5,000 players are killed. If the latter happens, a 10 minute trigger begins to grab as many of the points as you can. The blog promises that everyone can play a role in the victory, using crafters providing battlefield resources and upgrades as an example.

The three factions are Dominion (The Ram), Oathswarn (The Lion), and Nightfall (The Raven). Their differences are story-based around their respective philosophies, so they should be evenly matched. You'll be able to swap factions, though presumably not in the middle of a match.