honestly i dont know how anyone can play this game. Ive jumped in and out of it every few months or so and everytime i log in it the same thing. My system is great but for some reason vangaurd is impossible to play at any decent setting. Random Fps drops, improperly displayed graphics, and a myriad of bugs still plauge the game. Its has great concepts but they are done so piss poorly that there arnt worth anything. You can build your own house sure... but it looks like crap, the bricks have little lines between them you can see through when you are running. Doors sometimes dont open when you run into them you have to back up and try again and sometimes again to get them to open. Its just... not smooth at all

Originally posted by parrotpholk

 First off SOE loves VG so much they took their lead dev and producer and put him on another project while not replacing him while he was gone. Silius may be back at this point but it shows how much love VG gets. Content is very slow to come and the population is low. Its good you are trying to do something about the pop though but seriously VG is the MMO that time forgot. It could have been great but so could WAR, AOC and countless other MMOs. Its just not worth it to have a massive world and so few in it.

If i am honest this is one of my only gripes with SOE,if you don't want the game SOE then sell it to a dev team who can move this beautiful game forward.SOE know that selling VG to another dev team and perhaps renaming it would seriously get in the way of their EQ1-2 subs.

Originally posted by nate1980

Of course, there's also the population problem. I'd like to see people everywhere I go, because it lets me know others are playing the game and are possibly available for group content around my level in that area.

I suppose that's one of the reasons I love Vanguard in that you don't see peopel everwhere you go. It actually makes it feel like a real world as opposed to an actual themepark world. Regardless of whether a game is "sandbox" or "theme park", everytime I log into these games it seems like one big theme park where everyone is running around doing their "rides".

Vanguard feels more like a world. And there are people on the general chats who will group with you. Heck, I turn down group invites all the time as I play Vanguard mostly late at night and can't stay up for several more hours to take down some named mob halfway across the world.

But the people I have grouped wtih were very nice. A good community.

I really wish the game luck. It is better compared to most of the games published recently. I am too burned out of these MMOs myself, but I am sure it would be something for much more. So if you have not tried it or haven't tried it a long time I too think you should give it a shot.

Originally posted by illorion

honestly i dont know how anyone can play this game. Ive jumped in and out of it every few months or so and everytime i log in it the same thing. My system is great but for some reason vangaurd is impossible to play at any decent setting. Random Fps drops, improperly displayed graphics, and a myriad of bugs still plauge the game. Its has great concepts but they are done so piss poorly that there arnt worth anything. You can build your own house sure... but it looks like crap, the bricks have little lines between them you can see through when you are running. Doors sometimes dont open when you run into them you have to back up and try again and sometimes again to get them to open. Its just... not smooth at all

Well, i run two clients on one PC with me two boxing on max settings without any of the things you talk about. Are their still a few bugs in VG,yes their is,like the rain not showing up if you are running vista.

Shadows, and full weather system on, with everything on ultra ,perhaps your pc is not that great after all.

One theory is that SOE bought Vanguard so another company wouldn't get it. They knew that if in the right hands the game could be absolutely amazing, and probably steal many of their subs. I don't know how true this is, but it makes sense. If another company got it and turned it around way back then, there is no telling how powerful this game could have been.

Originally posted by gtwhalley

One theory is that SOE bought Vanguard so another company wouldn't get it. They knew that if in the right hands the game could be absolutely amazing, and probably steal many of their subs. I don't know how true this is, but it makes sense. If another company got it and turned it around way back then, there is no telling how powerful this game could have been.

I have heard the same- AND it doesnt seem too far fetched considering the fact that SOE did nothing for this game other than release it in Alpha form and fail to fix anything.

I dont know what the truth actually is- But SOE had the money to keep working on new games but not bother with the ones that were broken- As long as there were enough Subs to make a little profit- Thats it.

VG could have been fantastic (might be fantastic now) but SOE did nothing for VG but hire Nazi's to moderate their Forums and lock threads. Most people outside gaming circles still havnt even heard of VG (then again alot of gamers still dont know theres an EQ2 lol). There was so much potential for the best sandbox game ever- Ruined.

As far as conventional MMOs go... this is the best bar none.

The real killer for me is the low population. I'm from Europe so if I go on the Euro server I get low population. If I go on Seradon, I get low population because I don't play at US peak times.

It's a catch 22 situation really. I (and I'm sure many others) don't play the game any more because not enough people play for me to enjoy it. I got in a few groups while I played and it really is a great team game. But when there aren't enough players to do dungeons with each session I play (at peak times), I don't think I can stand to play. So people who actually enjoy the game are put off by the low population... And don't play... Which doesn't help the low population problem.

Right now I'm playing WoW (a vastly inferior game to Vanguard...). But while WoW's gameplay is no where near as good, the population is great which means more overall fun. For myself at least.

Originally posted by gtwhalley 

After being on these forums for a while, I've realized that a LOT of people are sick of their current MMO and are looking for a new one. The only problem is, nothing good is coming out for a while. Now, I'm sure I'm going to get responses like, "LOL Vanguard is terrible!" These people either have NOT played it in a long time, or are still disgruntled about release.

Just because people might have a differening opinion than yours doesn't mean they are misguided or unexperienced with the game.

Vanguard has always had the potential to be a really great game.  It even has some really great features.  However it is a game that is never going to achieve that potential.  All of the great potential existed in 2007 and has not really developed since then.  Honestly, when the vanguard lead producer is reassigned to a non-vanguard project and all new development for the game halts, that says something.

I will just say this about the gameplay.  If the game was as great as people make it out to be, then more people would play it.  It really is that simple.  

Originally posted by Daffid011

Originally posted by gtwhalley 

After being on these forums for a while, I've realized that a LOT of people are sick of their current MMO and are looking for a new one. The only problem is, nothing good is coming out for a while. Now, I'm sure I'm going to get responses like, "LOL Vanguard is terrible!" These people either have NOT played it in a long time, or are still disgruntled about release.

 

Just because people might have a differening opinion than yours doesn't mean they are misguided or unexperienced with the game.

 

Vanguard has always had the potential to be a really great game.  It even has some really great features.  However it is a game that is never going to achieve that potential.  All of the great potential existed in 2007 and has not really developed since then.  Honestly, when the vanguard lead producer is reassigned to a non-vanguard project and all new development for the game halts, that says something.

 

I will just say this about the gameplay.  If the game was as great as people make it out to be, then more people would play it.  It really is that simple.  

 

 

The one thing I will say for VG is a couple of the classes had very interesting gameply. Blood mage and Disciple were both quiet interesting and could be fun. Its a shame what happened to VG as I followed it for a long while and other than Darkfall qualifies as my biggest MMO disappointment. The team at VG should have copyrighted the term potential because it was the most used word on the forums there for about a year.

Originally posted by Daffid011

Originally posted by gtwhalley 

After being on these forums for a while, I've realized that a LOT of people are sick of their current MMO and are looking for a new one. The only problem is, nothing good is coming out for a while. Now, I'm sure I'm going to get responses like, "LOL Vanguard is terrible!" These people either have NOT played it in a long time, or are still disgruntled about release.

 

Just because people might have a differening opinion than yours doesn't mean they are misguided or unexperienced with the game.

 

Vanguard has always had the potential to be a really great game.  It even has some really great features.  However it is a game that is never going to achieve that potential.  All of the great potential existed in 2007 and has not really developed since then.  Honestly, when the vanguard lead producer is reassigned to a non-vanguard project and all new development for the game halts, that says something.

 

I will just say this about the gameplay.  If the game was as great as people make it out to be, then more people would play it.  It really is that simple.  

 

 

While I agree with you on the first part, I must let my oppinion come on the second and third...

In my view Vanguard still has this potential, no other game released since comes even close to what Vanguard has to offer, they are all themepark games, well maybe not Fallen Earth but... So yes it still very much exist!
And they may or may not have moved some staff arround, im not aware of this, but it wouldt be common sence to do so if a project is not going as planned. In the same breath im saying that I agree that SOE does not wdvertise this game enogh. If they gave it the marketing they give other titles like EQ or EQ2, then yes we wouldt see changes. We must remember that not all of us MMO players use sites like this, and takes the time to read about every game out there. Some of us stumple uppon an add and goes, hmm why not, ill try it. Either that or alot of studios is wasting an awefull lot of money.

And your last part. Well as the OP said, had the game been given the adds it wouldt be greater. It had a faulty launch yes, but its come a long way since. Noone besides players remember to tell this story. But tell you what... give it a go, theres a free trial, whats there to loose... Maybe your in for a treat, or maybe you wasted 2 hours of your game time, I say 2 hours because I think you shouldt at least take the time to complete the trial. If you dont like it after this, then fair enogh, but maybe you will get a possitive experience out of it.

great game, but it lacks in PvP departament...

  Thanks for the recommendation. I must say, it looks pretty interesting, but I'm not willing to pay to play.

OP tell us What Improved from the release

Originally posted by tro44_1

OP tell us What Improved from the release

As I said, I never played at release. However, going from what others have said it was like, it is nothing now like the way they describe. They have gotten rid of a lot of bugs for one.

Better question, what do you remember from release?

Originally posted by Deminiz

 player housing and guild housing got me sold kinda..but hows the PVP? are there factions? any endgame content ?

This.

Also since the world has no Instances, How well is the gameplay in the world. Seems like anybody could come by and still your dungon loot. Is that the case?

How does the Large Scale PvP work. Is it Guild vs Guild vs Guild? I dislike that type of grouping, because it floods players to join the most populated Guilds over new Guilds in order to be protected.

Also Since Dungons are not Instanced, how does the game regulate LvLs? If I walk in to a Dungon, how do I know iam the right lvl for it? Not to Low to get Pwned, not to high to do the over Pwning, but just right.

I'll never play another game made by Sony after they refused to cancel my account and kept drawing funds until I told my bank to force a stop payment.

Originally posted by GPrestige

Have you heard of Vanguard? To you, is Vanguard that game that had a terrible launch? It seems a majority of people in the MMO community either don't know what Vanguard is, or are still jaded by the terrible launch it had. While to some the game may not be their thing, to others it is the most amazing MMO on the market.

After being on these forums for a while, I've realized that a LOT of people are sick of their current MMO and are looking for a new one. The only problem is, nothing good is coming out for a while. Now, I'm sure I'm going to get responses like, "LOL Vanguard is terrible!" These people either have NOT played it in a long time, or are still disgruntled about release.

About Vanguard

Anyone who loves high-fantasy games, with massive worlds, amazing sceneries, an inordinate amount of races and classes, and an amazing community would love Vanguard. There are no instances, the world is massive. There are hidden dungeons around the world that are widely unknown. There are some dungeons that appear so small on the outside, like a little cave entrance, that turn into a massive cave underground the size of a city.

You can own your own house in Vanguard. There is no "housing instance". You can build boats and ships, and sail them around the world. You can discover islands that no one has been to before. The music is amazing. The views are breathtaking. The game is at the state it should be when it was released - simple as that.

 

I'm sure that someone is going to say something like, "oh you must work for Sony, who the hell would want to play Vanguard?" Let me assure you, I don't work for Sony lol. This is the downfall of the game; it is backed by a company that doesn't advertise - it is as simple as that. They have this gem of a game in their grip, that could become so popular if only they allowed it to. I don't think people are aware of the size of the game and the feeling you get while playing it.

I have never played EQ1, but from what I've heard from those who have, Vanguard is what EQ 2 should have been. People say they get the feeling they did playing Vanguard that they did the first time playing Everquest. I assume this is a good thing.

 

A Quick Word About the Population

It is true, Vanguard has a low population. The game holds around 50,000 players at most, according to http://www.mmodata.net/ If you want a populated server, play on Seradon. The server is like playing on a WoW's medium-high pop server if you play at prime time. What does the game's population matter if your server population is more than enough? Also, the worst thing that is happening to this game is people quitting because of a low population. That just worsens the problem, instead get the word out there like I am!

 

A Simple Warning

I am 100% aware that some people responding here will berate the game, or even me. As I said earlier, these people are probably either burned from launch, and have not played it in a long time, or just don't find this type of game to their liking. I am asking those who have never played it, or haven't played in a long time to ignore these naysayers, and give it a chance yourself. Don't be sheeple, people, make your own mind up. All I'm asking is if you like the game, get the word out.

I know someone will say something like, "this game must be in bad condition if the players are the ones trying to get people into the game". This is because its Sony behind the game. While Sony isn't the best company, the devs who are running VG have a HUGE passion towards the game. They choose to work on this game, and they love doing so. Think of it this way, the more people who start playing this game, the more updates it will get. While the game still has some bugs, thousands and thousands have been ironed out over time, and more are in the process of being worked out. With a game this HUGE it is common to have bugs stick around.

Get the trial http://vanguard.station.sony.com/isleofdawn/

Or buy the game for 5 dollars! http://www.gogamer.com/Vanguard--Saga-of-Heroes-for-PC-Front-Page_stcVVproductId8319544VVcatId444710VVviewprod.htm

If you want to get a custom UI go to http://www.vginterface.com/

 

Recommended Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p6TrEPSr50  **Set Yourself Free** Unofficial VG Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psTXCsC0Exc  Some views and scenes of friend who play together

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fquuus5sarA  More views of the game

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFxsTHQgBlk&feature=related  Someone flying on a dragon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ji-9y2iVYQ&feature=related Showing some blank-slate player housing, sailing, views, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x4au-ih5G4&feature=related Showing a dungeon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywnmt8SQKHg&feature=fvw Another scenery video

Excellent post!  I have myself attempted to persuade people to try this game with nothing but negative comments. People would rather bash something than appreciate. I agree Vanguard is prob the best MMO on the market and SOE are idiots for not advertising/marketing this goldmine of a game that has fallen in thier lap. I played on an older AMD 3800+ single core machine w/ Nvidia9500GT card and could run it on near max settings at like 40-50 FPS so the system requirements are not that high. I played it with my wife and  her comp puts mine to shame. We prob had more fun playing Vanguard than any MMO we played together. The community is anazing. We are currently checking out AION but we are starting to really miss Vanguard. It is the only 2 MMO's we have installed on both our computers right now. AION is new and wildly popular right now but it is in no way as compelling and complex as Vanguard was. Aion is quite shallow actually and I don't know how much longer I can take the mind numbing gameplay. Will prob be back in Vanguard pretty soon. Nothing else can compare as far as fantasy mmo's go! Vanguard is a winner hands down. To bad people can't give it a try for some reason. It boggles my mind to as you will soom see when you begin to read the idiotic responses you are gonna get from this post. So sad the mentality of today's gamers... makes me want to cry.
 

I played Vanguard for a couple of months but got fed up. Everything after about level 30 was group but there was nobody around to group with. And the engine still kind of sucks, it's annoying the way objects kind of pop up on your screen even when you have the graphics settings cranked up. Shame because it would've been the best PvE MMO on the market if it got the proper development/support from SOE. The content is great, so much depth and the classes are excellent too.

Originally posted by tro44_1

Originally posted by Deminiz

 player housing and guild housing got me sold kinda..but hows the PVP? are there factions? any endgame content ?

 

This.

 

Also since the world has no Instances, How well is the gameplay in the world. Seems like anybody could come by and still your dungon loot. Is that the case?

How does the Large Scale PvP work. Is it Guild vs Guild vs Guild? I dislike that type of grouping, because it floods players to join the most populated Guilds over new Guilds in order to be protected.

 

Also Since Dungons are not Instanced, how does the game regulate LvLs? If I walk in to a Dungon, how do I know iam the right lvl for it? Not to Low to get Pwned, not to high to do the over Pwning, but just right.

PVP : FFA server. Thats about it, nothing else to it. Unbalanced FFA server. They are not focusing on the PVP balancing right now they said.

Dungeons: The monsters have the level above their head near the dungeons. Also, they wont have a level 50 dungeon in a level 10 zone. The dungeons fit a level range, say 10-15 or 15-20 etc. There isn't really a "sweet spot" level, ans you will most likely get the same XP and gold from it as you would one level above or below.

Originally posted by Sovrath

Originally posted by nate1980

Of course, there's also the population problem. I'd like to see people everywhere I go, because it lets me know others are playing the game and are possibly available for group content around my level in that area.

 

I suppose that's one of the reasons I love Vanguard in that you don't see peopel everwhere you go. It actually makes it feel like a real world as opposed to an actual themepark world. Regardless of whether a game is "sandbox" or "theme park", everytime I log into these games it seems like one big theme park where everyone is running around doing their "rides".

Vanguard feels more like a world. And there are people on the general chats who will group with you. Heck, I turn down group invites all the time as I play Vanguard mostly late at night and can't stay up for several more hours to take down some named mob halfway across the world.

But the people I have grouped wtih were very nice. A good community.

It is prob the only game I have ever played where you can be out in a remote area, questing or whatnot and stumble on someone and strike up a conversation/rp like or not and the person actually seems glad to see/help you. When there are people running around everywhere it makes people cold and impersonal. If you were lost in a deep forest for days and didn't know what you were gonna do and ran into a stranger how are you gonna act? That's the feeling Vanguard can give! The community is one of the best things about this game for me. People who say the community sucks are

A) Clueless as to what a community even is

B) Played WOW and thinks smack talk and Chuck Norris are what makes a community awesomely LolZ l337 OMG wtf Cool..

C)Definetly playing on some unheardof fucked up server

Play on Seradon for the best pop and community!

I was in a very long beta for VG and then played well over a year upon release. With the strong belief that the great game mechanics and world would sustain for awhile while the bugs were fixed. The post level 40 game was very bare and many of the zones wre not functioning when i left. Most of our guild attempted to entertain themselves for quite awhile, raiding the big random mobs (Like the giant up in thestra) that had Placeholder loot until later.

A lot of us did not race to the top, knowing there was not much there yet. Most did a ton of diplomacy, crafting etc as well. After a year however the stability issues (which were huge), lack of content and other bugs just became too much to bare.

I have not been back but hear from other people thta play now and then.

While i think the game itself could still have potential, i have not heard much added from those who still play. Ancients was revamped, the warehouse became a raid zone etc. Galleons finally came in as some sort of guild house i think (?). I just have not seen enough to go back. If an expansioned was coming or anything along those lines, then yes many of us would try it in a heartbeat. But right now i just have not seen enough changes from over a year ago. What are the significant changes?

Sorry, VG is nice and I really liked it while I played, but VG allows their players to cheat, and this is unacceptable to me.  I fully understand their rationale, since I once used it to convince myself that their RMT was OK, but it's not.

Yes, 3rd party RMT is an issue, and by SoE offering it themselves they reduce scams and all that, nice story.  But it's not about the scams, it's about the CS issues they generate for SoE, who doesn't want to do anything other than collect their sub payments.  Besides, the sooner everyone starts getting comfortable with RMT, the sooner they can begin ripping everyone off, yea no thanks.

Don't bother with this game, the server population is dwindling and the dev team has been reduced to the size of a normal exp party in FFXI.

This is a recommendation for suicide...I would rather listen to Obama give a speech about how great he is....