VG, Is the best game out there hands down it had a rough release but what game dosnt. They have been adding new content all the time for thoughs that think it not getting funded. I alway hope there will be a better game becasue of the pop is low but after Darkfall Online big crash and burn and VG pop rising there just not a better mmorpg out there. It has almost everything u would like in an mmorpg. The community is great and very helpful. Iam not trying to sell VG i just really like the game play and the community. I hope u guy give it a try u wont be dissapointed  its only like 12-14 a month that cheap for entertainment.

Vanguard is the same game it was at release for the most part.  It was always a game with great potential and soe spent 2 years fixing the performance.

Anyone who thinks soe is going to suddenly realize this game has potential and put extra resources into the development is flat out crazy.  Soe never had plans to make a serious attempt at making this what it could be. 

The first thing they did when they aquired sigil was to not rehire over half of the team.  The first thing they did with the half they did rehire is to move the best talent of that bunch to other projects.  Their first actions were to slash the staff and strip it of its best talents.

They were handed a game with a better foundation that anything on their list and they simply let it rot and I think it is fairly obvious that was the plan. 

If soe doesn't have the faith in the game to support it or advertise it I doubt players can fix the situation.

I like Vanguard

I hate the devs

I hate SOE

Business wise, VG is a complete failure. Player-wise, it works with basics and adds a lil in.

For those who say VG will get funding if it gets noticed, wake up guys. 2 years later, if VG hasnt' gotten noticed when will it? When Aion launches, SWTOR, more and more MMOs hit the market, makes it harder and harder to "get noticed". VG had its best opportunity last summer before WAR launched. But with SOE continually pumping expansions for EQ/EQ2. It says it all. Going on 3 years, no expansion packs, and how many has gone to WoW, EQ, EQ2, LOTRO? Its been said once and I'll say it again. SOE will not do anymore for VG than milk it down. Its disrespectful to us as players and our money. They should do us a favor and sell VG to a company that will make it its main product. (IE City of Heroes and its doing strong)

There is one thing I'd like to say. People complain about the population, and that they don't feel that there are many people playing the game. The thing is, the 2 most populated servers each have a population roughly the same as WoW's medium-high populated servers (and I mean individually, not both combined).

People get the idea stuck in their had that because the game doesn't have 11 million players it is empty. All that matters in the end is the server you play on. If the server you play on is loaded with people, then who cares about the rest of the servers. Not only that, but once you start playing, and people realize that it is an amazing game, others will join, and so on. I can understand, how one of the posters above said, if the game is just simply not for you. However, if you are looking for a truly amazing pve experience with an absolutely impossible to describe vast world (I really can't even put it in to words how insignificant the world makes you feel), with an awesome community, then play VG.

If you want to play on one of the populated servers, then join Seradon (the one I play on) since I can't speak for the others, but that server is extremely active. I believe Xeth is the second most populated, I may be wrong.

Originally posted by Daffid011

Vanguard is the same game it was at release for the most part.  It was always a game with great potential and soe spent 2 years fixing the performance.

Anyone who thinks soe is going to suddenly realize this game has potential and put extra resources into the development is flat out crazy.  Soe never had plans to make a serious attempt at making this what it could be. 

The first thing they did when they aquired sigil was to not rehire over half of the team.  The first thing they did with the half they did rehire is to move the best talent of that bunch to other projects.  Their first actions were to slash the staff and strip it of its best talents.

They were handed a game with a better foundation that anything on their list and they simply let it rot and I think it is fairly obvious that was the plan. 

 

If soe doesn't have the faith in the game to support it or advertise it I doubt players can fix the situation.

 

 

You forgot to add SOE went back on its promise to the players. They promised better dev tools, more dev team (move them in the offices with EQ2 so they could help with development), and faster pipeline when pushing patches.

Ok they gave the devs better tools because the software was in-house. They did NOT give the team new devs and that alone was one thing that excited people the most. The only "devs" they gave VG were nazi-like board mods. And yes the team was stripped down fast to save money. Subs continued fall so they had to merge servers...server bill was too much? But if the population was steadily rising. It will be literraly 2012 before they take notice or add new servers. I still play the game but I accept the fact that the game is a dead-end. EQ/EQ2/WoW, from a business standpoint, have more potential than VG. And coming from EQ/EQ2, and now playing VG, it is quite clear on that distinction.

Originally posted by gtwhalley

There is one thing I'd like to say. People complain about the population, and that they don't feel that there are many people playing the game. The thing is, the 2 most populated servers each have a population roughly the same as WoW's medium-high populated servers (and I mean individually, not both combined).

 

People get the idea stuck in their had that because the game doesn't have 11 million players it is empty. All that matters in the end is the server you play on. If the server you play on is loaded with people, then who cares about the rest of the servers. Not only that, but once you start playing, and people realize that it is an amazing game, others will join, and so on. I can understand, how one of the posters above said, if the game is just simply not for you. However, if you are looking for a truly amazing pve experience with an absolutely impossible to describe vast world (I really can't even put it in to words how insignificant the world makes you feel), with an awesome community, then play VG.

If you want to play on one of the populated servers, then join Seradon (the one I play on) since I can't speak for the others, but that server is extremely active. I believe Xeth is the second most populated, I may be wrong.

It doesn't matter if its the same as WoW's medium-high populated server. WoW is a smaller world and the population matches the content.

VG is larger, therefore it needs a larger population. I'm sorry but when I cross numerous chunks that are completely empty  and the populated areas have maybe 1 group. That's not a good population. If you added half of Xeth to Seradon then the population would be spot on.

But regardless or not, the game's overall population is far too low for it to move on. When you pay attention to the dev firings, changings of community managers every other month, sharing all our people with EQ2 and what not. Its a sign the game can't support itself and it will sit on the station pass as a filler game.

As for the vastness of the world *shrugs*, I feel the same as I did in EQ/EQ2 as I do here. However PVE experience, I'd have to give that torch to EQ2 for modernization. Instances or not, EQ2 has the better content for PVE...and hell PVP. But people have different tastes.

OK, here's my take.  I love playing Vanguard.  It is by far one of the better MMO's available.  I was a player at launch who left because of its problems.  I went back to VG after a while and have been hooked ever since.  My only real complaint about the game in its current form is the lack of population.  I dont play WOW, nor will I ever, but glancing over my wife's shoulder as she plays I see the game is always bustling with players.  Areas are crowded with toons at any given time.  To me, that is what makes a game fun.  Currently I have a 47 Bard that I struggle to find groups to play with sometime.  My solution for SOE; cut costs and merge down to 2 servers, PVE and PVP.  More people playing=more enjoyable experience.

I've already given Vanguard few chances in the past, it's just time to move on now...

Originally posted by gtwhalley

After reading through these forums for a bit, I noticed that a majority of the threads and posts are negative. I think right now would be the best time to start playing Vanguard, honestly. The population is rising quite quickly. You could get in on the ground floor, and be one of the top tier players before many others start playing.

SOE doesn't have a re-release planned any time soon, and for those of you who are currently playing Vanguard, it is up to the players and fansites to get the word out there. Yes, SOE is quite terrible, but this game is not. If the game was released in the current condition it is in now, it would have been as big as everyone thought it was going to be.

 

Go download the Isle of Dawn trial http://vanguard.station.sony.com/isleofdawn/ and try it out if you haven't. I don't want to see anyone post here saying the game is terrible if you haven't tried it within the last month or so. Bandwagon flames will just be outright ignored (those of you who have never played it and think you're pretty cool posting trash about it.

And for those of you who ARE playing, I'm just wondering what you have done to help promote the game? Its too bad it got such a bad rap, because people are missing out on a lot of fun.

No thank you, they just added virtual items for cash in this subscription based game. If I am paying a subscription for a game I best have access to all items in game. 

Originally posted by qombi

No thank you, they just added virtual items for cash in this subscription based game. If I am paying a subscription for a game I best have access to all items in game. 

ahh.. what??  What items?

The best items in the game come from quests, mobs, raiding etc.  Besides, LiveGamer was still-born with almost nobody using it.  It's had 0 impact on the game.

Originally posted by boojiboy

Originally posted by qombi

No thank you, they just added virtual items for cash in this subscription based game. If I am paying a subscription for a game I best have access to all items in game. 

You misread what they did.  They are not selling virtual items, maybe you are thinking of eq2.  What they did was add vanguard to live gamer.  this is a system like ebay where players can trade items in game for money.  So if you want to sell stuff or buy stuff instead of going to one of the main asian farming sites you can go to live gamer and trade items.

exchange.livegamer.com/vanguard/

This is not the same as cash houses in free to play games.  There are no special items you can only buy for cash.  In fact many of the items in game are no trade so you can't actually even sell them through live gamer.

As has been said this has had no impact on the game.

i would only play again if they paid my 50 bucks back from when i bought it day 1, I am a big eq fan , i wasnt expecting another eq game but just a realy good game with all the hype. i played a shaman to around level 18 or so , did some jewlcrafting. i have to say imo trade skills was the worst most pain in butt system to date.  the only thing the game got good is the graphics were nice. but realy they sohulda shut this game down after 2 mounths and save the engine fix the dang thing up make it a new game. And maby poeple would play.  Like i say i wont play til i get 50+ $ back i was so cheated as everyone who was.  i dont go store by a broken microwave  but yet i couldn't return a broken game

Hey up...

Lot are agreed that Vanguard could have been one of the greats with investment and a bit of TLC from SOE,  but it was never going to happen. As has been said, they purchased it to strangle a possible rival, then dumped it.... just playable on the all in Station package just to update the stale pile of crap that they had. I will never touch it again, particularly with that obnoxious dickhead Silius as Lead Dev.

Originally posted by eolse

i would only play again if they paid my 50 bucks back from when i bought it day 1, I am a big eq fan , i wasnt expecting another eq game but just a realy good game with all the hype. i played a shaman to around level 18 or so , did some jewlcrafting. i have to say imo trade skills was the worst most pain in butt system to date.  the only thing the game got good is the graphics were nice. but realy they sohulda shut this game down after 2 mounths and save the engine fix the dang thing up make it a new game. And maby poeple would play.  Like i say i wont play til i get 50+ $ back i was so cheated as everyone who was.  i dont go store by a broken microwave  but yet i couldn't return a broken game

Broken means u couldnt play it in fact u could play it. They gave everyone that bought the game at launch free months a bunch of them did WoW ever do that for u ? WoW had a rough launch for thoughs who remember. Anyone, VG will only get bigger if the fan base get bigger there not going to spend money if there servers dont need more room when i click to get into VG and it make me wait till there room on the server before i can play and VG dosnt do anything then i will give the game up but until then iam not going to look for huge thing to happen but the fact is alot of thing have happen new overland bosses updated quests so on. Soe wont  advertise but the fans that have played all the other junk out there will. I have played everything in the same lines as VG from F2p to P2p and there nothing out there even close to the game. My favorite type of mmorpg is a pvp game but sence there nothing out there even close to good i will settle for Pve VG style until something good comes out or VG pvp pop ever comes back but i think VG is a pve game more or less.

Originally posted by eolse

i would only play again if they paid my 50 bucks back from when i bought it day 1, I am a big eq fan , i wasnt expecting another eq game but just a realy good game with all the hype. i played a shaman to around level 18 or so , did some jewlcrafting. i have to say imo trade skills was the worst most pain in butt system to date.  the only thing the game got good is the graphics were nice. but realy they sohulda shut this game down after 2 mounths and save the engine fix the dang thing up make it a new game. And maby poeple would play.  Like i say i wont play til i get 50+ $ back i was so cheated as everyone who was.  i dont go store by a broken microwave  but yet i couldn't return a broken game

You won't get your $50 bucks back, but if you liked EQ1 like I did, then this game is undoubtably it's successor.  Money-wise, you could wait for a free-month promotional and give it awhirl.  Not sure when the next free month "come back to back to Vanguard" might be... they haven't done one for quite awhile.  Perhaps after Pantheon of the Ancients is released.

If you haven't played in awhile, I think you'll be amazed at the bug fixes and performance improvements.

Originally posted by boojiboy

Originally posted by eolse

i would only play again if they paid my 50 bucks back from when i bought it day 1, I am a big eq fan , i wasnt expecting another eq game but just a realy good game with all the hype. i played a shaman to around level 18 or so , did some jewlcrafting. i have to say imo trade skills was the worst most pain in butt system to date.  the only thing the game got good is the graphics were nice. but realy they sohulda shut this game down after 2 mounths and save the engine fix the dang thing up make it a new game. And maby poeple would play.  Like i say i wont play til i get 50+ $ back i was so cheated as everyone who was.  i dont go store by a broken microwave  but yet i couldn't return a broken game

 

You won't get your $50 bucks back, but if you liked EQ1 like I did, then this game is undoubtably it's successor.  Money-wise, you could wait for a free-month promotional and give it awhirl.  Not sure when the next free month "come back to back to Vanguard" might be... they haven't done one for quite awhile.  Perhaps after Pantheon of the Ancients is released.

If you haven't played in awhile, I think you'll be amazed at the bug fixes and performance improvements.

They can't afford another free month promotion...and how many "Come back to Vanguard" newsletters can we send out? Lets not spread the message that we are desperate.

Originally posted by gtwhalley

There is one thing I'd like to say. People complain about the population, and that they don't feel that there are many people playing the game. The thing is, the 2 most populated servers each have a population roughly the same as WoW's medium-high populated servers (and I mean individually, not both combined).

 

People get the idea stuck in their had that because the game doesn't have 11 million players it is empty. All that matters in the end is the server you play on. If the server you play on is loaded with people, then who cares about the rest of the servers. Not only that, but once you start playing, and people realize that it is an amazing game, others will join, and so on. I can understand, how one of the posters above said, if the game is just simply not for you. However, if you are looking for a truly amazing pve experience with an absolutely impossible to describe vast world (I really can't even put it in to words how insignificant the world makes you feel), with an awesome community, then play VG.

If you want to play on one of the populated servers, then join Seradon (the one I play on) since I can't speak for the others, but that server is extremely active. I believe Xeth is the second most populated, I may be wrong.

I'm fairly certain that most wow servers have more than 1,000 people online during prime times.   1,000 per faction side yes, but not the entire server.  

It isn't that vanguard lacking 11 million players makes it empty, but having the small subscriber base makes the game a dead end.  It will never have the resources to make a real effort at breathing life into the game.  Almost everything good about the game already existed at launch or is just recycled/revamped content that was already worked on by the much larger team post SOE.

The end result is that if soe is unwilling to put the effort into making this game go then players are not going to change that.  Soes history shows they don't go down this path and as others have said, they bought this game to strangle out competition. 

Originally posted by shassell

Hey up...

Lot are agreed that Vanguard could have been one of the greats with investment and a bit of TLC from SOE,  but it was never going to happen. As has been said, they purchased it to strangle a possible rival, then dumped it.... just playable on the all in Station package just to update the stale pile of crap that they had. I will never touch it again, particularly with that obnoxious dickhead Silius as Lead Dev.

Could've, Should've, Would've.

And your last line is quite possibly the reason why a good few hundreds of players are gone. Sad, just sad really.

But buying VG could have been the smartest move in MMO history because you know why? Just think, and I mean think of a company like Bioware, Turbine, or hell even Blizzard woul'dve done if they got their hands on VG? Now sure the vision may have changed (not like it already has) but think of the much better support it would have gotten...and think of a much greater possibility we could've had 2 years later. SOE saved their asses in doing so because they know the force the game could have brought.

Originally posted by Xeonsoldier

Originally posted by boojiboy

Originally posted by eolse

i would only play again if they paid my 50 bucks back from when i bought it day 1, I am a big eq fan , i wasnt expecting another eq game but just a realy good game with all the hype. i played a shaman to around level 18 or so , did some jewlcrafting. i have to say imo trade skills was the worst most pain in butt system to date.  the only thing the game got good is the graphics were nice. but realy they sohulda shut this game down after 2 mounths and save the engine fix the dang thing up make it a new game. And maby poeple would play.  Like i say i wont play til i get 50+ $ back i was so cheated as everyone who was.  i dont go store by a broken microwave  but yet i couldn't return a broken game

 

You won't get your $50 bucks back, but if you liked EQ1 like I did, then this game is undoubtably it's successor.  Money-wise, you could wait for a free-month promotional and give it awhirl.  Not sure when the next free month "come back to back to Vanguard" might be... they haven't done one for quite awhile.  Perhaps after Pantheon of the Ancients is released.

If you haven't played in awhile, I think you'll be amazed at the bug fixes and performance improvements.

 

They can't afford another free month promotion...and how many "Come back to Vanguard" newsletters can we send out? Lets not spread the message that we are desperate.

Wow, you get some pretty warped perceptions.  The double xp weekends, the free months, the free in-game items were all happening when the pops were low and they were trying to draw folks back in.  With IoD and word of mouth, the marketing is taking care of itself.

With regard to the population.  I don't think anyone cares if VG has 11 million subscribers or 11 thousand.  It's the fact that 3 PvE servers have good and increasing populations that is the point.  A player can log in, have plenty of folks to group and adventure with and have a good time.  Vanguard can stay at 3 servers forever as far as I am concerned as long as the new content keeps coming out, I've got plenty to do.

Originally posted by Daffid011

Originally posted by gtwhalley

There is one thing I'd like to say. People complain about the population, and that they don't feel that there are many people playing the game. The thing is, the 2 most populated servers each have a population roughly the same as WoW's medium-high populated servers (and I mean individually, not both combined).

 

People get the idea stuck in their had that because the game doesn't have 11 million players it is empty. All that matters in the end is the server you play on. If the server you play on is loaded with people, then who cares about the rest of the servers. Not only that, but once you start playing, and people realize that it is an amazing game, others will join, and so on. I can understand, how one of the posters above said, if the game is just simply not for you. However, if you are looking for a truly amazing pve experience with an absolutely impossible to describe vast world (I really can't even put it in to words how insignificant the world makes you feel), with an awesome community, then play VG.

If you want to play on one of the populated servers, then join Seradon (the one I play on) since I can't speak for the others, but that server is extremely active. I believe Xeth is the second most populated, I may be wrong.

I'm fairly certain that most wow servers have more than 1,000 people online during prime times.   1,000 per faction side yes, but not the entire server.  

 

It isn't that vanguard lacking 11 million players makes it empty, but having the small subscriber base makes the game a dead end.  It will never have the resources to make a real effort at breathing life into the game.  Almost everything good about the game already existed at launch or is just recycled/revamped content that was already worked on by the much larger team post SOE.

 

The end result is that if soe is unwilling to put the effort into making this game go then players are not going to change that.  Soes history shows they don't go down this path and as others have said, they bought this game to strangle out competition. 

 

 

Exactly. The point is this. Like it or not. The amount of content they are pushing out with the amount of time they are taking are NOT efficient by any means. We know the dev crew is doing all they can but for this kind of project, most companies would've trashed it months ago. If SOE were to skip the next EQ/EQ2 expansion and make just 1 huge push on VG, maybe but we know that's never going to happen.

Some people are satisfied with the way VG is going but sadly enough 300,000+ players are/were not. VG's population atm of sub 10,000 subscribers is not enough revenue to make any revival attempt.

I still currently play, I used to have 4 accounts, each with 1 year subs, they are now on month to month basis.

   No thx , to the RMT game with Neo Pet mounts........

Originally posted by shassell

I will never touch it again, particularly with that obnoxious dickhead Silius as Lead Dev.

Word!

Originally posted by boojiboy

Originally posted by Xeonsoldier

Originally posted by boojiboy

Originally posted by eolse

i would only play again if they paid my 50 bucks back from when i bought it day 1, I am a big eq fan , i wasnt expecting another eq game but just a realy good game with all the hype. i played a shaman to around level 18 or so , did some jewlcrafting. i have to say imo trade skills was the worst most pain in butt system to date.  the only thing the game got good is the graphics were nice. but realy they sohulda shut this game down after 2 mounths and save the engine fix the dang thing up make it a new game. And maby poeple would play.  Like i say i wont play til i get 50+ $ back i was so cheated as everyone who was.  i dont go store by a broken microwave  but yet i couldn't return a broken game

 

You won't get your $50 bucks back, but if you liked EQ1 like I did, then this game is undoubtably it's successor.  Money-wise, you could wait for a free-month promotional and give it awhirl.  Not sure when the next free month "come back to back to Vanguard" might be... they haven't done one for quite awhile.  Perhaps after Pantheon of the Ancients is released.

If you haven't played in awhile, I think you'll be amazed at the bug fixes and performance improvements.

 

They can't afford another free month promotion...and how many "Come back to Vanguard" newsletters can we send out? Lets not spread the message that we are desperate.

 

Wow, you get some pretty warped perceptions.  The double xp weekends, the free months, the free in-game items were all happening when the pops were low and they were trying to draw folks back in.  With IoD and word of mouth, the marketing is taking care of itself.

With regard to the population.  I don't think anyone cares if VG has 11 million subscribers or 11 thousand.  It's the fact that 3 PvE servers have good and increasing populations that is the point.  A player can log in, have plenty of folks to group and adventure with and have a good time.  Vanguard can stay at 3 servers forever as far as I am concerned as long as the new content keeps coming out, I've got plenty to do.

Well let me rephrase, if they throw another VG come back month, they can slap another EQ/EQ2 free expansion pack purchase with 3 months free play time, I will take it with open arms.

And new content every 6 months? You may be fine with that, but when Aion/SWTOR come rollin out. Yeah I'm not sure VG can take another blow.

No one cares what the solid population number is in VG. Its that the population STILL is not healthy my friend. I play on Seradon also. Its funny that all you seem to talk about is the new players coming in. What about the older players who are still leaving? What is being done to keep them? Veterans help stabalize the numbers, not newer players.

Anyone who says there are empty chunk after empty chunk is just simply lying.  My wife and I re-subbed two weeks ago and started new characters.  Have gotten into KE and Ant hill groups nightly and there is usually 2-3 other groups running in those areas.  Mind you, this is lvl 15-20 stuff.  Wherever I go there is people running around.  I mean there isn't TONS but the world is so damn big there is plenty of things to do.  The game isn't an end all but its a damn nice game and I will agree if you haven't played before or haven't played in more than a year you do need to try it again. 

Originally posted by Letsinod

Anyone who says there are empty chunk after empty chunk is just simply lying.  My wife and I re-subbed two weeks ago and started new characters.  Have gotten into KE and Ant hill groups nightly and there is usually 2-3 other groups running in those areas.  Mind you, this is lvl 15-20 stuff.  Wherever I go there is people running around.  I mean there isn't TONS but the world is so damn big there is plenty of things to do.  The game isn't an end all but its a damn nice game and I will agree if you haven't played before or haven't played in more than a year you do need to try it again. 

Ah yes, where the majority of the population is at as I said. It will thin out, and thin out fast sir. I play the game too much and just fly around through chunk after chunk (not housing chunks) and only see myself and maybe 2 others there. ToT, TH,Thelessean, RK, Swamps at times, DT, I can list more. And of course Kojan should've been an expansion pack.