Vanguard: Saga of Heroes

Originally posted by ethion

For what its worth I'd agree that as things are currently eq2 is a better game all around. 

That said I think VG has soo much more potential I'd ship all the devs on eq2 to the vg team and really focus on putting the effort into VG to make it the game it could be.

EQ2 is a better game.

I play Vg because i want to discover areas, try to create something "interesting" (boat ?) with the crafting... And i'll stop my sub. Will be on VG next month then I think another one but won't be in VG next year for sure ! 

Worst of all , VG is a farming game. Can't bear killing same mob 30X times. It's a nightmare.

 Solo content is boring (except for diplomacy) but only play solo ( played 1 time with another player)

because ... we are few players... 

Areas are impressive, music is great, lot of classes of races etc but too much grind/farm for me.

1H of VG /1 week of EQ2. Can't play more VG, but I "need" to see and discover before cancelling. I''m an "explorer" t'hats why i need to see ...

Like I said Swede, you are the rare example in both cases no matter how detailed you get about your experiences it just isn't representative of the experiences of the majority of people in each game.  For you to then label everyone posting issues about vanguard as a SWG hater, that is just being dismissive just like the ardent supporters of this game when it first came out.

Thats all.

We have the same probs in Europe: VG players aren't players. They fight for a "noble cause", it's not a game ' subs anymore but a Crusade.  
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Tried VG many times, also bought a CE, took 1 month for each GU since release.
SOE has improved the product , we can actually "play" VG. BUT... i have always the same problems with this game. Since the release.

1° lagspikes, unbereable when you play in dungeon
2° chunks are terrible sometimes your char stays without moving 3/4 + seconds and you must wait and pray. Sometimes it works sometimes you' ll have a CTD (had 3 on 1 week)
3° My necro's weapons disappear all the time. Must clic on the char, select the weapon, put it in the bag + select for a 2nd time etc and then weapon appears (have many problems also with the GUI, must relaunch the game 2/3 times...) and i don't want to talk about NPC talking after you've killed them, and many bugs noticed, reported and not beeing fixed many times after MY report, etc
4° Past lvl 30 quests are grinding quests, and VG begins to be a pure farming game: you must kill and kill and kill again for some items,... same for craft and diplo (you must repeat and repeat and repeat again the same parley)

5° You can't buy something at brokers: prices are TOO high...

6° you'll have to play solo most of time. You won't discover dungeons and solo content is boring

So... Payed CE, going to discover areas + cities, reach lvl 50, play diplo.. and stop VG. Forever i think.

VG is huge impressive looks great classes are great, music is great, diplo seems to be interesting craft is impressive... but I can say now, it's an illusion. VG is a pure grinding/farming game. If you're looking for a story, a storyline, if you want to have fun, don't take VG.It's not fun at all. IMO it's not a game... because a game needs to be FUN.

If you come to VG to discover large areas, if you're a pure explorer, take VG.

VG is impressive, beautiful, has huge and impressive dungeons, some cities are really nice and beautiful (Khal), you can enter in all cities/dungeons/castles/houses but it's not FUN.

I payed
So be it. I 'll discover Telon but I won't play VG until SOE changes the gameplay. EQ2 is a success, VG could become a success, in 2/3 years. Not in 2008 for sure.

The product has been improved, but it's not a game yet.

Have EQ2 + Legends of Norrath, it's cool, works perfectly, can play 15 mn or 3H, its a game. A game = fun, never forget this. If you need a "crusade" go and help people in the world, SOE is a Cy, we don't have to save the soldat Vanguard.

 I'm not a SOE hater, played SWG, and had more fun than in VG, actually play EQ2 and I'm thinkin about Planetside or POTBS.

Believed in VG until discovered GU4.

Imo nothing has changed since GU3/2, but only faces of our char.

Well

  As of today, I made my final decision (before my 30 days also)...that this game just does not work.

What is it specifically...the word used by my friends is "magic"

The world seems lifeless and dull. The mobs can actually be seen frozen in place at times. They look 2 dimensional

There are no people running around, just mobs mainly. No matter where you are (but, I did note the Wood Elf area seemed more populous...)

Some things are great. the music is spot on, and I loved the various tunes associated with the zones

The landscapes are lovely...but so were the visuals in LOTRO, and that is truly a borefest

Performance is spotty, and some days is great, and other days a mess. From low frame rates, massive lag spikes. Visual oddities (which I know all games have, but detracts from this world even more when it has so much against it). The character models seems to have degraded due to GU4 where the skeletal revamp took place...and their animations are stiff and wooden...

I gave it my best shot. But, really the game leaves a lot to be desired...and as people keep saying...it has potential...but, the potential still has not been reached.

Good luck to those who like the game, and take care with the hopes that something special happens to make the game shine in the future (took EQ2 almost 3 years...so who knows)

Originally posted by openedge1

Well

  As of today, I made my final decision (before my 30 days also)...that this game just does not work.

What is it specifically...the word used by my friends is "magic"

The world seems lifeless and dull. The mobs can actually be seen frozen in place at times. They look 2 dimensional

There are no people running around, just mobs mainly. No matter where you are (but, I did note the Wood Elf area seemed more populous...)

Some things are great. the music is spot on, and I loved the various tunes associated with the zones

The landscapes are lovely...but so were the visuals in LOTRO, and that is truly a borefest

Performance is spotty, and some days is great, and other days a mess. From low frame rates, massive lag spikes. Visual oddities (which I know all games have, but detracts from this world even more when it has so much against it). The character models seems to have degraded due to GU4 where the skeletal revamp took place...and their animations are stiff and wooden...

I gave it my best shot. But, really the game leaves a lot to be desired...and as people keep saying...it has potential...but, the potential still has not been reached.

Good luck to those who like the game, and take care with the hopes that something special happens to make the game shine in the future (took EQ2 almost 3 years...so who knows)

It's interesting how tastes can be different.

I for instance, do not like the music in Vanguard and have it always turned off.  Also, I wouldnt agree that the world seems lifeless especially in the nature, love how the trees sway in the wind, the dynamic weather and also, npcs do walk around (though I agree they are not nicely as animated as in LOTRO, which really adds to the atmosphere however it has the polygoneous stiff trees, the square blocky boulders etc.). 

One thing where you are not right is the point "Character models seems to have degraded..." This holds only for the face, other body parts stayed untouched, however the whole character models will be revamped and improved (but we will see).  Refering to LOTRO (which I enjoy as well), I do not like the animation there, running looks like some wooden-like hopping.

But I agree, some spots Vanguard is still lacking, in spite me really enjoying it.  But doesnt every game have it?  I tried for instance EQ2 again as I heard it has been improved so much, but what was really a gripe was the boring superficial combat system and the feeling beeing in a small tiny zone. 

It's interesting how tastes can be different.

 I agree. I think Guild Wars was an excellent game, but so many poo-poo it, saying it is too short, etc. Yet, visually speaking, the game looked great, music again was awesome, and the combat was spot on...especially seeing that everyone could have the same level of power, and for PvP it proved to be based on skill, and not gear...

I for instance, do not like the music in Vanguard and have it always turned off. 

Not to say the music was spectacular, but it had it's moments...combat music was oh so...but, definitely the city based music was quite cool..

Also, I wouldnt agree that the world seems lifeless especially in the nature, love how the trees sway in the wind, the dynamic weather and also, npcs do walk around

Yes, the visual of the landscapes were incredible, as I stated...and so was LOTRO...which then opened up the fact that the rest of the game was a bore (both games actually were quite boring...isnt that interesting)..I guess it does really finally show...graphics is not everything..

(though I agree they are not nicely as animated as in LOTRO, which really adds to the atmosphere however it has the polygoneous stiff trees, the square blocky boulders etc.). 

One thing where you are not right is the point "Character models seems to have degraded..." This holds only for the face, other body parts stayed untouched, however the whole character models will be revamped and improved (but we will see).  Refering to LOTRO (which I enjoy as well), I do not like the animation there, running looks like some wooden-like hopping.

I have an example video on my website, where the player is doing "kung-fu"...yet those animations seem more fluid...and I often wondered if a setting maybe controlled this, as my characters were more wooden doing this. But, even after cranking up all the sliders...I still had no luck with animation...and it leads me to believe the video is older, and that some skeletal structure besides the face was removed since then..Hard to say.

But, if the revamp happens (which I have heard is happening in EQ2, but we know how fast THEY move on changes...i.e: Disappearing shadows still in effect after 3 years...but, supposedly they had a fix)..then I will relook at the game...but right now...it did not have that "magic"

But I agree, some spots Vanguard is still lacking, in spite me really enjoying it.  But doesnt every game have it?  I tried for instance EQ2 again as I heard it has been improved so much, but what was really a gripe was the boring superficial combat system and the feeling beeing in a small tiny zone. 

 I kept trying EQ2 for 3 years...i.e: since the beginning, and luckily this last time (after almost quitting MMO's completely thanks to the major let down of LOTRO...)..I am glad I did, as that game has had mass improvements. But, people feel different about things like you said. I just wanted to share my feeling on how Vanguard had progressed...and it had definitely changed for the better...but, it is no EQ1, where the REAL magic of this style of game began..but, like I stated also...maybe in 3 years it will be the game to play when the other games get boring..

Later

Originally posted by cichy1012

once again.. no validity in your complaint..

What do you base a beta test off of? Name your complaints or bugs that made you feel like that. And what system where you running when you started playing.

I initially left because I had been rolled back 2 levels TWICE, once on main once on alt. Coupled with craptastic plastic look to the world, lack of independent world busy life (ie ghost cities), falling through the world 80% of the time on any sort of a hill jump, gettting teleported to diff continent upon logout/login, my character's enormous thighs and butt (really bothers me still), lackluster abilities and constant nerfs to my chosen class, and seemingly neverending CTD's. Mind you - performance was NEVER an issue for why I left.

I came back to see most of these things resolved, to my chagrin my Kurasha still has his Sir Mixalot style rear

I initially installed the game on a OC'ed AMD 3500 with 7800GT SLI, now running on OC'ed e6600 and 8800GTS SLI

"(took EQ2 almost 3 years...so who knows)"

Took 3 years to SOE to give us a perfect game. And EQ2 is a living world ! (+ lots of GU and Events)  I'll (maybe) come back to VG in 1/2 years. Interesting and impressive but not finished yet (imo) that's all.