As a former Vanguard player, i think it was a reasonably fair review. There are aspects ofthe game that are fun -- such as the classes. In particular, the way the did the healing classes was pretty satisfying.

On the other hand, the reveiw doesn't properly emphasize that the content starts to markedly decreasing both in terms of volume and quality after level 30.

Also, why include screeshots of things that are not actually in the game (like flying mounts). Isn't that a bit deceptive?

A fair review in my opinion.

I think I got my character to level 26 or 27.  I saw a lot of promise in the game, a lot of potential unrealized.

I have a nice gaming rig, but performance seemed very poor and inconsistent.  There were times out in the wilderness away from everyone else that the game performed adequately, albeit with annoying and often frustrating periods of lag while crossing chunk lines or as the reviewer noted, opening doors.  Also, whenever I joined a group of more than a few people, the game would lag horribly, the sound would loop, and abilities would delay sometimes entire seconds after I had activated them.  Now for a game that wants to be group centric, this is just unacceptable.

Graphics were a mixed bag.  In some instances the game is really beautiful and inspiring just to behold; in other instances it is very lacking.  For example, the water in a few areas looked great, but in most places I saw there was something wrong with it: it just didn't look right.  Viewing distance was very good though, and helped create the illusion of being in a large world.

With regards to character generation, my avatar is beautiful.  I love her appearance.  However, there were not enough hairstyles to choose from and the sliders didn't seem to give the range of possibilites that I was expecting based on the pregame hype.

The community in game seemed really nice and helpful.  I don't think I had a single bad experience in game.  Outside the game though, some people defend the game's  shortcomings a bit too vigorously.  If you say the game has poor performance, they say it's because your rig's hardware is subpar, and if you don't like aspects of gameplay, then you're a wow fanboi and go back to where you came.  It's become a tired refrain.

The truth hurt...

Lag, bad optimization, I don't like the gameplay either, I have the impression the environnement is very poor, trees looks like the same...

That's my opinion, I didn't play the game too and I don't plan too after reading bad comments

This review conclude what I was thinking of this game before.

Just a question.  Why would you want to play an MMO that has these CONS? 

I agree with the review.

The author was fair and accurate.  The game is fun but does have some problems.  I am confident that SOE will address those issues.  Moreover, the author is right about the serious lack of end-game content.  All we know is that SOE is developing some raid content. 

Personally I would have waited to review the game until SoE has at least been given a chance to show the direction they're taking the game. I mean, it's a couple weeks away right?

Originally posted by defafnyr

He said he was able to solo well...did he play any of his characters past 20-25?  That's where it stopped dead for me.  Has something changed or did he not try to solo anything beyond level 25. 

Says went to lvl 30.  I got stuck in the 20s too, but what I ended up doing was going to a different continent and picking up quests there that fit my level better.  I'm a Cleric at 32 now.

Also the Adrid, Mace of Sorrows quest is very fun.  I'm working on the CiS quest now, it has an even better mace, and has been fairly challenging.

I think the aspect is specifically depending on what kind of game your looking for.  Despite the bugs (mostly stability issues) and incomplete quests it has been fun for me.  The recent patch introduced a new crash that has been ticking me off, but the prior patch was smooth, it had been a long time since I had an issue.  They have optimization issues still, but there is so much content already.  I mean I've played to 32 and can still find things to do that are interesting.   I'm not a big PVP guy so I have no idea how that even works or goes, so someone else will have to speak to that.  But for me, the PVE has been enjoyable. 

i disagree with this review. Doesn't really sound like the reviewer played the game a lot. the reviewer only soloed, she didn't try the fun part of this game; the many dungeons. Those can only be done by grouping with other players and that is really what i like most about the game. I think it's a bad idea to make a review of a game without even have played all parts of the game.

I played this since beta, and yeah it was very buggy an laggy back then. But it really has improved a lot. it doesn't lag like it did back then. there is very few bugs now, and none of them are big bugs.

Some of the review is right, though.

Originally posted by Gerec

Personally I would have waited to review the game until SoE has at least been given a chance to show the direction they're taking the game. I mean, it's a couple weeks away right?

I agree.  The review should have been delayed until Update 2 or the next patch.

YES.  You can SOLO with EVERY class to the MAX level.  It is more solo friendly than EQ 2.

Edit:  To address what the person said above me, the game is so enormous that it is impossible to experience all of it.  TONS of group, small group, and solo content. It is an explorer's paradise.  The group dungeons are awesome.  It is sort of like a small raid at times with a group of 6 people.  You can take out named targets, high level dots, etc.  It is great stuff....

It is clear the ONLY way Vanguard players would ever accept a review would be if it was written with 100% positives. And they dare to call people trying to be informative "biased"

As from the start, Vanguards biggest problem.. is the players playing it. Worst advertising for a game and its community I have ever seen.

This game was doomed to failure from the start, even if it did not have launch problems.

Shows that you better do your market survey's before you launch.  Making hardcore MMO's is strictly a niche business, the vast majority of MMO players want nothing to do with them.  Hence you better have something to attract the hardcore players.   This game just goes to show that hardcore pve is a very limited market.

Added Con:

• $15/mo for an unfinished title

I agree with this review and I have never played the game...

Its a REVIEW...one persons experience with the game.

For those that do not like this persons opinion, I await your view of the game instead of your view of his opinion.

Good review, but 9 for graphics is too generous.  They are good but not worth 9, more like 7, 8 top.

Originally posted by Vaedur

 

Originally posted by vingvega

From reading this the CONS outweigh the PROS.  I agree with this Review.  I will never play this game.

I'm a new player and i don't agree w/ this review.. so much is left out, like the fact that it has one of the deepest crafting systems in mmo's.. and honestly i've seen lots of people on multiple servers noob zones.. i think the article misrepresents the facts.. 

 

in reality, the last week of me playing, 'ive seen an influx of former wow players.. odd...

 

It ain't dead yet ma..

 

I started up several characters on several different servers.  As stated in the review, servers like the RP or PVP server had up to 50 people in the popular starting areas (IE Tursh, with up to 50 northern humans/halfling newbies at peak time).  The normal servers, from my general experience, had about 10 people in Tursh - 5 of which were afk or not chatting at all - and 1 or 2 people in less common starting areas.

As for crafting...the diplomacy and crafting systems are very subjective in VG, and I mainly focused my review on adventuring.  I enjoy diplomacy but the higher end diplomacy isn't in the game yet; crafting has never been my thing, and continues to not be my thing in VG.

I don't think VG is dead, I just think it sorely needs the upcoming server merges, and its a bad sign that those are happening so soon.

Originally posted by defafnyr

He said he was able to solo well...did he play any of his characters past 20-25?  That's where it stopped dead for me.  Has something changed or did he not try to solo anything beyond level 25. 

SHE played a cleric to level 30, and is still soloing her way to 31 ;) but then, clerics and paladins are some of the best solo classes in the game.

The review is pretty much the way it is in my opinion.  I followed this game from back when it was just an idea and a FAQ on Sigil's web site and I think its very sad the way this game went with all the pontial it had.

So the arguement for many is, "it's launch was awful, it must still be awful"...man be glad your mother didn't have that attitude, because all you did at YOUR launch was bitch, cry and crap yourself......hopefully you've stopped crapping yourself, even if you can't stop bitching.

Review seems on the level, though i think the problems with performance seem to be random, as far as whom they effect and to what extent. i've heard people with lwer systems run it fone, and people with really high-end rigs have nothing but problems. Granted, I've a high-end rig and no problems, and I expect ifI did, I would be bitching also.

The Server Merge will hopefully address the vast expanses of emptiness.

The RP server is ok, but I find it weird to roleplay a game where my faction is at war with the othe faction, but I cannot attack members of that faction due to arbitrary server rules that make no sense (another words, not even Team PvP). How can I roleplay a combatant at war if I cannot act my enemies like a combatant at war. Kills kills RP for me.

So why am I giving them my money with all though Cons, someone asked...simple. I see a vast amount of potential here, and I am willing to put my money were my mouth is, in the hopes that it will come to fruition. I'm having fun now, but playing on  casual basis until if gets filled out the way it should. Honestly, my hopes are more pins on Darkfall now, but its not out yet, and this is. So if this becomes they game I wanna play full time by then, I'll keep at it, and if by that time, they still haven't delivered, well then I will be jumping ship and heading over to Darkfall.

I think it was a pretty fair review, esp since the author played a class that can solo well.  I had a Druid and once I hit around 20 the soloing vanished.... I could not reliably take down near-level, 3 dot mobs solo (w/o a hella lot of kiting) ...which is what I seemed to find myself surrounded by.  I think it also frosted my chain that other classes were much better at soloing.....

I remember one time trying to kill a cleric..... I was like level 18...Cleric was 14...and despite my best efforts, I could not take her down before running out of mana....and had to run off.....

Maybe if I had rolled on a normal server (as PVP servers tend to limit your access to some content) and chosen a more solo friendly class my experience would have been more enjoyable. (despite all the crashes)