I played Vanguard for the first couple of months and was pretty disappointed in the product. I was curious how things have improved since SOE took full control? I saw some screen shots and it really looks like they've added some polish to the game. I would love to return at some point... it was just a little too unstable for me when I played it. Thanks for the future comments :)

Jeremy

I just joined last night and let me tell you, I love it.

First off: It may be my new 2048 MB RAM, dual core computer and its GeForce 8500GT, but I simply am not experiencing any of the performance issues that I have read about.  I played for five hours straight with no crashing (and for the first time in over a year, a game kept me up until 5 AM on a work night). 

I did experience a few graphical glitches; Namely, doors that weren't their until I got close enough, and a a dwarf merchant who was simply a floating head (Literally, his body wasn't there). 

Overall, though, the graphics were gorgeous.  I though LoTR was a great looking game (and it is), but it doesn't hold a candle to Vanguard.   I know it's a matter of opinion - but that's mine.

Top it all off with a quest system and mechanics that are reminiscent of EQ 1 on steroids, and which borrows heavily from WoW (in my opinion) ...

... and you've got one happy halfling rogue.  

Lets trade computers...

Thanks for the opinion. I really wanted to like the game when I bought it. Heck, I spend 89.99 on the collector's edition. It was just a case of the game being released when it wasn't ready. So, I'm hoping the updates are slowly improving some of the aspects of the game. I never thought it was a bad game. It was just a very buggy, incomplete game. I actually have renewed faith in the project since SOE took over. I really think they have the resources to turn something positive from a negative. I appreciate your comments and please keep me updated and happy gaming.

Jeremy

Originally posted by Alcuin

Top it all off with a quest system and mechanics that are reminiscent of EQ 1 on steroids, and which borrows heavily from WoW (in my opinion) ...

 

I just fix your statement, it doesnt borrows heavily from WoW, but from AC2 that was the first one with this particular quest system.

game is in a great state and with gu3 part 1 this week even more crashes will be in the past.

i personally never had any bother with the crashes the game just kind of felt sparse and rushed a lot of outposts have had a dramatic increase in the number of quests available and done with imagination not just kill xx bring xx

Currently the engine is about 8 to 10 months from completion. Things do not fade in and out properly, lighting is all messed up, and textures are not optimized. I would wait.

Originally posted by Wow4Lifer

Currently the engine is about 8 to 10 months from completion. Things do not fade in and out properly, lighting is all messed up, and textures are not optimized. I would wait.

Quite accurate - /agreed

Originally posted by Wow4Lifer

Currently the engine is about 8 to 10 months from completion. Things do not fade in and out properly, lighting is all messed up, and textures are not optimized. I would wait.

Game is intact, just needs a performance increase, less CTD for certain cards and a little more bug fixing.

Update 3 out this week (or next) is suppose to address all this, I would ask this question again once its out.

I like the game.  I play it casually.

I think GAME UPDATE 3 is the big one.  It will either be 3 strikes and you're out or 3rd time is a charm.

thought i read in a post that they changed to crafting system and dumbed it down.

Is this true?

I am loving this game- I hit lvl 18 and cannot wait for my personal  flying drake when it is fixed!

When you craft you get xp and faction significantly faster than you used to, so the grind to 50 doesn't take as long. The actual process of crafting has not been changed however, and imo along with EvE is still the best crafting system in an MMO.

What you might be thinking of is the removal of Equipment Expertise to make way for standard level requirements on gear (this was kind of a 'dumbing down' change), and the changing of the decon system (now everybody can decon, not just crafters - this was necessary because of the BOE/BOP changes).

Lvl 46 Dwarf Paladin here...I've been playing since Beta 3 and this game has change Dramatically since it was release.....The optimization has bee wonderful..and GU 3 has 2 different lines that pertain to new optimization specifically states that performance increase in FPS will be significant accross the board.

The quest lines are very detailed and are holding my attention!  I'm working on one in Razad now where a new cave was discovered by a band of travelers.  They called it Tricksters Haven.  The quest line starts with you helping them to explore this new place full of ruins and strang inhibitants.  After you locate the 4 rooms inside you report back with your findings.  They then take that info and discover a story line of a monster that was sealed in a room in there.  They then send you to find a scroll on the guards of a locked door that is said to hold the riddle to how to open it.  The scroll contains a riddle that involves 3 of the rooms in the location....They give you a quest to solve the riddle (and it was pretty difficult to solve)

Once solved a ghost whill appear and give you the secrets to making the key to the locked door....Once you have explored inside the locked room you will find another innder chamber that has been locked.....it is protected by 6 named guardians.  Each who holds a piece of the key to unlock the inner chamber.

You must kill the 6 guardians and return each key piece to the travelers so they can assemble a Key to the inner room.  Once assemble you can then unlock the inner room and face the Moster that has been locked down there for many years

I might consider coming back if they give me a few free months of play time.  I feel it's the least they could do for all the time I spent in beta playing different characters and submitting bug reports etc etc.  I'm also a tad bitter that it was such a twisted at mess at launch and it seemed to only get worse (even though the promises were it was going to get better) 

On a side note, they seriously haven't added something simple as helms?  (as I read on another thread)  I guess I'll pop in and view threads occasionally as I have been and hope for the best.  However, I must say, I have a feeling by the time they apply the last of the bandaids and make vanguard a shadow of what it was promised to be I'll be knee-deep in WAR or AoC.  I wonder if this game will be able to compete with either of those juggernauts when they release......