Originally posted by Knupps

Vanguard will officially adopt a f2p model similar to other SoE f2p titles, such as eq1/eq2.

In this aspect, you should know that SoEs so called "f2p" mmorpgs (eq1/eq2) are NOT f2p at all. I have absolutely no idea why every1 is referring to these games as f2p titles.

If it was f2p, then there wouldn't be such drastic restrictions in every aspect - 4/16 races, 4/16 classes, very low spell ranks, limitations on AA, guild limitations, strong limitation on chat functions, strong limitation on max gold/character, the list goes on...

basically, it's a DEMO of the game. similar to a trial - but unlike other MMOs, not restricted to time or a max level but instead to drastic limitations of game mechanics. every1 who knows eq1/eq2 is aware that you just won't get too far with a f2p account.

Guild Wars is a f2p title. But EQ1 and EQ2 are subscription based games with a monthly fee period.

You fail to grasp the point. For many people it's not the sub that's the problem with Vanguard (for me it isn't). The problem is the population. I would instantly start playing the game if the population was okay. Hopefully by going F2P the game's population will rise to a level that makes the game at least playable.

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Originally posted by Robsolf
This is the game's last best shot.  If this don't revive it, nothing will.
I just hope they do it right.

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Or the best last shot. Because this is the last shot, there's no doubt about that. Without this move, I'd have said Vanguard could eke out another couple of years, tops. I predicted not so long ago on this very board that it would get sunsetted some time around the EQNext launch.

Now, who knows what will happen? It's an example of how uncertainty is actually a good thing sometimes, because Vanguard has a shot again.

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Originally posted by fivoroth
You fail to grasp the point. For many people it's not the sub that's the problem with Vanguard (for me it isn't). The problem is the population. I would instantly start playing the game if the population was okay. Hopefully by going F2P the game's population will rise to a level that makes the game at least playable.

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Totally and exactly right. Just the additional influx of people will hugely improve a game whose biggest problem now is the lack of population. To a rough approximation subs tend to triple when a game makes this kind of change. Not revenue, subscriptions. And the total number of players tend to go up about tenfold.

This is why the people saying "this isn't really free to play, it's just a different kind of trial" are missing the point even while they may be right in all the essential facts and in criticizing the particulars of the model. Removing the barrier to entry gets people to try the game who otherwise would have balked at the limits of a conventional trial or at buying a box and potentially losing access after 30 days. Some of them, inevitably, come to the conclusion that "hey, this game is actually pretty cool." And they subscribe if they want to be serious players, or occasionally buy stuff from the store if they're more casual. More players equals a visibly healthier game and more people sticking with what suddenly seems like a viable title after all. This effect could be especially pronounced in a game like Vanguard, both becuase of its specific need for more people and becuase the current population of the game is so very low.

There are also, shall we say, many fans of Vanguard among the bloggers and people writing for MMO news sites. When this goes live it's going to get way more press that you'd expect given the current tiny player base.

I'll be back.  I like this game. Always hve. I look forward to my return.

I will probably visit to see if my characters are still there, but I dont have any hopes for this game. It was a big sham from the start and a moneypit for the developers. You could see their intentions in design but they fell far short. It was also the first game that openly lied on the retail box included content. The bugs were astronomical, the world lacked variety in tilesets, the armor was the ugliest ive ever seen and never matched. They just didnt have enough graphics behind this. When they had their crafting nerf a few months after release that allowed every doofus to level in a weekend, I quit. Ah hell, I just talked myself out of returning lol.

nice!!! iam back=) now i hoppfully have players to play whit. it was The only risen i quit the game

-Good luck Vangard- I wish you well. Truly I think Vangard could have been something pretty special.

I like the game and think the community is TOP NOTCH (or at least it was 4 years ago) but I cannot ever, in a sound state of mind- Have ANYTHING to do with SOE again. 

Well this had to happen SOE will either save it or break it,and with their track record well you never know,but this will indeed boost the population and bring in new blood,but the changes need to not alienate the guys and gals that kept the ship afloat,when SOE decided to jump ship for over a year and leave VG adrift and oarless for so long. 

Don't get your hopes up too much thinking there will be a large influx of gamers.  Vanguard is a pretty hardcore game, even more so than the original EQ.  Combat is pretty harsh and soloing is a pain in the ass.  So far, EQ's F2P launch has only been mildly successful as it too has only so much appeal to the casual market and there aren't nearly as many hardcores to go around and be pulled from games like EQ2, AoC, Darkfall, WoW raiding and the various asian grinders.

Originally posted by Vorthanion

Don't get your hopes up too much thinking there will be a large influx of gamers.  Vanguard is a pretty hardcore game, even more so than the original EQ.  Combat is pretty harsh and soloing is a pain in the ass.  So far, EQ's F2P launch has only been mildly successful as it too has only so much appeal to the casual market and there aren't nearly as many hardcores to go around and be pulled from games like EQ2, AoC, Darkfall, WoW raiding and the various asian grinders.

Somewhat true, but remember that EQ's graphics look like complete dogshit.  Most modern MMO gamers just can't deal with that kind of old school look.  I know I never gave EQ a second thought once it went F2P for the simple fact that the game LOOKS terrible.  Now Vanguard, on the other hand, is still a beautiful-looking game, so it can still appeal to the modern gamer, particularly one that is tired of the standard themepark treadmill.  And the thing is, Vanguard still has some of those themepark elements, so the game won't be completely alien to themeparkers wanting a litle more challenge.  

Beautiful environments

Massive, open world

Completely seamless with zero instancing

Complex and robust crafting that is levelled separately from adventuring

Challenging content that encourages grouping

Lots of classes, lots of races

Honestly, this is the  perfect move for Vanguard.   My only reservations about the game are that the combat is a bit dull and the character models look pretty bad.  But neither is enough to keep me from giving the game a very serious try when it goes F2P.  The only thing it's currently missing is population and content updates.

Has an ardent fan of Vanguard i really hope it works out for the better.but  you cant help feel sony have left it way to late..when lotro went f2p that should have been the right time to make it f2p.

problem is everyone is getting on board with f2p so communities are so spread out.the only saving grace for this game is the fact that in this game oyu dont get purple items handed to you on a plate every 2 seconds.only time will tell but i will be there as always.would'nt miss this for the world.

Do we have an estimated date ?

Originally posted by dogdersROC

I will probably visit to see if my characters are still there, but I dont have any hopes for this game. It was a big sham from the start and a moneypit for the developers. You could see their intentions in design but they fell far short. It was also the first game that openly lied on the retail box included content. The bugs were astronomical, the world lacked variety in tilesets, the armor was the ugliest ive ever seen and never matched. They just didnt have enough graphics behind this. When they had their crafting nerf a few months after release that allowed every doofus to level in a weekend, I quit. Ah hell, I just talked myself out of returning lol.

What did they lie about? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying its not true, just curious.

On another note I can for example mention certain mmorpgs(before vanguard) that have x and y mentioned in their manual, but that was not included in the game.  Even the big bad wolf did that.

Originally posted by Lord.Bachus

Do we have an estimated date ?

They say summer time, that could be mid summer or the ends of summer. My guess would be ends of summer but hopefully i am wrong.

I've always wanted to play vanguard, but never got around due to bad press about launch and population. Looking forward to finally playing it, and I can't be the only one.

Looking forward to coming back. I never did get to make a boat..

For all those who have been saying "if only VG had a population I would support it", well F2P this year is your chance to show & prove.

Let's be realistic:

• Yes the animations are clunky.
• I think the spell gfx are quite underwhelming.
• There are some animation glitches for some mobs still there.

But at the same time this is it. The days of REAL MMORPGs are coming to an end and people are paying for basically lobby games with single-player experiences guised under the ruse of a MMORPG. All these new games are about instant gratification. VG has epic dungeons, amazing PVE, crafting, flying mounts, boats, diplomacy mini-game, immense number of unique classes, lots of starting areas for alt-aholics and a wonderful community.

Give it a real chance, please. Instead of going into the game looking for something wrong, try to just enjoy yourself and help bring back the game that "should've been." IF enough support is shown the developers will take notice and only good things can come of this. Let's face it we all have been game hopping like madmen as of late, we are constantly looking for that game that makes us feel like if it was our first MMO. It's almost impossible.

But a great PVE game is out there, it is called VG, and it is worth a shot. It is not going to be a ridiculously easy game, but it will be fun, and together we can actually bring back that "first MMO" game feeling. VG has all the right tools for this, including immense open world exploration, variety of classes and races, large number of customization options, and enough quests to satisfy even the most hardened themepark player. And if quests aren't your thing, NO problem there is enough dungeon crawling content to appease your diablo-esque taste.

This is our chance to bring back a game that has REAL world exploration, a game that has actual gameplay that IS challenging and not catered to the whiners, and with enough support they WILL bring back the PVP server. It is in our hands not theirs. If enough people vote with their support AND/OR wallets we can steer the direction VG takes and FINALLY have an old school gameplay experience with some decent graphics. The world graphics till this day still look better than most f2p games out there, that's a fact.

So let's band together, forget all the recent nonsense of big AAA MMOs that failed to live up to their expectations. Let's take it back to VG and show everyone how a REAL MMO functions: great community, challenging experiences, huge open worlds (SAY NO TO INSTANCES), lots of variety in gameplay, unique class design, and a variety of races/starting areas. These are some of the little things these new developers seem to forget. They are too busy chasing the $$ and no longer care for the longevity and community in a game. Let's show them how its done.

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Originally posted by Nevulus
For all those who have been saying "if only VG had a population I would support it", well F2P this year is your chance to show & prove.
 Let's be realistic:

• Yes the animations are clunky.
• I think the spell gfx are quite underwhelming.
• There are some animation glitches for some mobs still there.

 But at the same time this is it. The days of REAL MMORPGs are coming to an end and people are paying for basically lobby games with single-player experiences guised under the ruse of a MMORPG. All these new games are about instant gratification. VG has epic dungeons, amazing PVE, crafting, flying mounts, boats, diplomacy mini-game, immense number of unique classes, lots of starting areas for alt-aholics and a wonderful community.
 

 Give it a real chance, please. Instead of going into the game looking for something wrong, try to just enjoy yourself and help bring back the game that "should've been." IF enough support is shown the developers will take notice and only good things can come of this. Let's face it we all have been game hopping like madmen as of late, we are constantly looking for that game that makes us feel like if it was our first MMO. It's almost impossible.
 

 But a great PVE game is out there, it is called VG, and it is worth a shot. It is not going to be a ridiculously easy game, but it will be fun, and together we can actually bring back that "first MMO" game feeling. VG has all the right tools for this, including immense open world exploration, variety of classes and races, large number of customization options, and enough quests to satisfy even the most hardened themepark player. And if quests aren't your thing, NO problem there is enough dungeon crawling content to appease your diablo-esque taste.
 

 This is our chance to bring back a game that has REAL world exploration, a game that has actual gameplay that IS challenging and not catered to the whiners, and with enough support they WILL bring back the PVP server. It is in our hands not theirs. If enough people vote with their support AND/OR wallets we can steer the direction VG takes and FINALLY have an old school gameplay experience with some decent graphics. The world graphics till this day still look better than most f2p games out there, that's a fact.

So let's band together, forget all the recent nonsense of big AAA MMOs that failed to live up to their expectations. Let's take it back to VG and show everyone how a REAL MMO functions: great community, challenging experiences, huge open worlds (SAY NO TO INSTANCES), lots of variety in gameplay, unique class design, and a variety of races/starting areas. These are some of the little things these new developers seem to forget. They are too busy chasing the $$ and no longer care for the longevity and community in a game. Let's show them how its done.

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+1. There's a lot of tricky moving parts to a Vanguard revival, but the right attitude out of the players is one of the important ones. By and large, the existing small player base is going to be pretty supportive, I think, and we're going to see the biggest surge of support out of SOE that Vanguard has seen in the last three years (at least.) So players approaching it in the right way is significant, and I think you hit all the important points here. Above all, what Vanguard cannot be is a game about the hope of it improving. Sure, we may see improvement and new content, but the right attitude is to enjoy Vanguard for what it is and be vocal in your support of it.

Originally posted by Ardwulf

  and be vocal in your support of it.

SOE doesn't want vocal supporters, they want ones that are prepared to spend money.

I went ahead and subbed.  been wanting to play vanguard but was hoping for some news that they weren't just letting it die off. with new dev support and f2p influx of players, I'm ready to go back and enjoy the epic openness that is Telon.  already have run into a bunch of new subscribers as well.  many of us have been waiting for this news to get back into the game.  

Hope they give it the love it deserves, finally