Vanguard: Saga of Heroes

Ok I come from a four year background of EQ2 and some on and off WOW.

WOW, as much as I tried time and time again the game just did not do it for me with a meager 8 races, 9 classes and NO slider based character creation everone just looks like everyone else but with different wigs on, simple but very limited scope.

I did however love the free roaming, almost totally non-zoning world that really added to the exploration factor, but  toontown graphics kept me from entering the emersion factor.

EQ2  took me by storm with its astounding 19 races(currently) and 26 classes, one of the first mmo with slider based character gen, add to that  a graphically gorgeous  world that was second to none at the time and you had the perfect game until....you start to spend some serious time in the game and all the faults start to peer there ugly heads:

: Zone, Zone, Zone, everytime you need to go somewhere other than where you currently are, you need to Zone to where your going, whether it be a different region or just a cave within that same region, or whether it be a city or just a different community within that same city. It really degrades the overall emersion factor of the game. The feeling that you really are in a massive world all your own to freely explore and discover in absent in EQ2

: An unnessesary 4 different grades of spells, a single top tier Adept III and Fabled costing many hundreds of gold, and   think....you must do this every lvl to be on top of the game, and if your not going to be on top of your game then what really is the point?

: And my biggest gripe.....The whole Rare Component  crafting, equipment/gear based system that the entire game hinges on, Harvesting in any game is no fun, but a nessesary part of a living, breathing economic game world with real professions. But EQ2 makes it a far more loathing, time consuming (Read TIME WASTING) experience requiring all players who want to have the Good not Epic gear to spend mindless hours and sometimes countless days harvesting these rare components just to get there MasterCraft armor, weapons and jewelry for every lvl tier.

These three reasons are in my imho the very reasons why WOW  took off like a bat otta hell and EQ2 first waned, consolodated servers, and now loathes.

So anyhow i returned to vanguard last week after quiting long ago for the same reasons as everone else and would return every so often to check on its progress as it always held a place in my heart, and lo and behold its just about all fixed !!. They returned all the character gen sliders (all save 3) and added a new EQ2 like training/trial island and everything as far as i can tell works with no crashes.

Now this is a very significant addition to the MMO gaming world as far as Im concerned because Vanguard always did have it all: 

: The game truly is on a GRAND scale all its own, enormous continental land masses (3 of them, not one) that would take literal RL days to traverse through if not using alternate means of travel, theres nothing like it !

: Total non-zoning free-roam world, no invisible walls to hit, if you can see it, you can get to it.

: Unparalleled character creation with slider based Face and Body customization and 19 diverse races and 15 classes to choose from.

The variety of options of EQ2 to create a truly unique character and class with the free roam,go anywhere adventurous mood of Warcraft is what ive gotten from it.

If you haven't tried Vanguard in some time, you owe it to yourself to give it another look, and if you've never tried it, you simply owe it to yourself as a gamer, there truly is nothing like it ! There is a free 14 day island trial download.

The aforementioned commentary of each game is just my opinion and I by no means am trying to change the minds of anyone concerning there beloved games. Just speaking my experience with each game and many a player are sure to differ, I acknowledge my views and opinions are no more valid than anyone elses, to each there own, peace=)

I think I may get it tomorrow. I was checking out some gameplay videos and looking at the website and it looks very good. From what I read on your post, it seems worth trying.

Then here's some appetizers

Character model: http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj272/marcelmichael/ScreenShot_00002JPG.jpg

World: http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj272/marcelmichael/ScreenShot_00007JPG.jpg

World Shot from an unknown player: http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj272/marcelmichael/ScreenShot_A.jpg

Its more graphically advanced than any brand new mmo out there

EQ2 had not the first slider based creation, Meridian 59 had a crude verion of it already...

But maybe Ill try Vanguard when I get some time, it does sound a bit intresting, I like EQ2 but got kinda burnout on Kuunark, never liked the expansion.

Originally posted by Teradyne

Then here's some appetizers

Character model: http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj272/marcelmichael/ScreenShot_00002JPG.jpg

World: http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj272/marcelmichael/ScreenShot_00007JPG.jpg

World Shot from an unknown player: http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj272/marcelmichael/ScreenShot_A.jpg

Its more graphically advanced than any brand new mmo out there

 

i dont know how ppl can say the graphics are more advanced then any mmo out there. 

i just played the trial version and id say they were on par with DAOC graphics now. dosnt that character model u put up look a lot like those hib guys in daoc i think they were called a furbolg or something been awile.

Originally posted by c0nan999

Originally posted by Teradyne

Then here's some appetizers

Character model: http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj272/marcelmichael/ScreenShot_00002JPG.jpg

World: http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj272/marcelmichael/ScreenShot_00007JPG.jpg

World Shot from an unknown player: http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj272/marcelmichael/ScreenShot_A.jpg

Its more graphically advanced than any brand new mmo out there

 

 

i dont know how ppl can say the graphics are more advanced then any mmo out there. 

i just played the trial version and id say they were on par with DAOC graphics now. dosnt that character model u put up look a lot like those hib guys in daoc i think they were called a furbolg or something been awile.

DAoC? Come on, I am no VG lover, but its graphics is way above DAoC and much better than almost any MMO, maybe outside LOTRO landscapes and AoC. VG is not for everyone, but surely shaping to be a good game.

Teradyne that was a great post. I agree 100%

Originally posted by Loke666

EQ2 had not the first slider based creation, Meridian 59 had a crude verion of it already...

But maybe Ill try Vanguard when I get some time, it does sound a bit intresting, I like EQ2 but got kinda burnout on Kuunark, never liked the expansion.

I stand corrected, learn something everyday =)

Originally posted by blueturtle13

Teradyne that was a great post. I agree 100%

Thank you blueturtle13 =)
 

It was not my intent to bash other games, there is no One size fits all game out there, but for me after 4 years of EQ2 and trying to like WOW, Vanguard is quickly becoming the Game I would have designed myself if I was smart and talented LOL.