I have tried both games  a couple of times each and Vanguard wins hands down. EQII just didn't have the feel that either EQ or Vanguard has. It maybe prettier (I don't really agree) then Vanguard but I could never get past a month of play on EQII. Very dull without any hooks for me to strive for. Vanguard I resubbed to a couple of months ago, and while it still has some lag and bugs, is a superior game. I too have found myself jerking away from the monitor going...oh damn I have to get to sleep for work in the morning! It is more immersive then any other game out there including EQ. With all the changes to EQ I just don't even  find the original EQ as compelling as it was. I find myself when gathering in Vanguard panning around to look at the landscape. Some areas are average other areas are stunning. Character creation is better then many mmo's. Combat is standard but that is a plus to me. I don't want to have to think too much how do I win this fight. I just want the tools necessary to have a decent chance to win. If it were a PVP game that would be different, then I'd want as many tools as I could get to maximize the chance to win. Being PVE I really don't care as much, while fighting is important it's not the hook for me.

I think one of the major reasons Vanguard appeals to me over any other game right now  is the community. It's mature, speaks fully, (no trash talking) mostly without any antagonizm to new players, amazingly helpful to each other and strangers. I've grouped up easily, something difficult in most other games if you're not known to them. The community are very upset about SOE's part time developers with Vanguard and understandably so. This game could have been at the top of the lists with a little TLC.

I did try this game at launch and stuck with it for 4 months, even after friends moved on to other games. Finally I couldn't take the extreme lag and bugs and left. I was also a bit ticked off about the failure of the McQuaid/Butler team to hang tough with this game and SOE's failure to move this game to the forefront it where it should have been.

I am very happy I've tried it again.

All the complaining I've done to other gamers has finally found a home.  Thank you very much OP!

It was never so upsetting to read a mmorpg  newsletter. I did not know Laura but read her reviews and was happy having a woman gamer writing, shocking to see how young she was.

She will be missed greatly.

My heart and sympathy to her family and friends to lose such a treasure so soon.

I definitely saw an increase in my experience from questing. I also had the missing tool from crafting. So I do hope there has been a server reset.

I don't agree with players that VG is still in closed beta stages. I've tested approximately 8 games now and don't see the correlation. Took WoW how many months to get server stabilty after going live? DaoC had amazing server stabilty and very little content above level 20 when it went live. The original EQ was a nightmare the first week and had tons of downtime the first few months. Not even going to mention the games I didn't think were worth the 40-50 dollars to buy after testing them. VG released because they had to. There are bugs like all games going live. There are some client side issues with lag (least for me). On the plus side, the Telon world is the most amazing I've ever seen. The quest system is pretty good, the story for each race and area is excellent. The mobility I happen to enjoy as I like immersive games. It's slower paced then other games and you have a chance to see how truly amazing the world is that has been created. The dungeons are fun and large! The crafting is well thought out and again interesting to me. While I tried the Diplomacy, it's not something I like but I see people all around jabbering at NPC's so there are a lot of folks liking that aspect as well.

I don't expect to change anyone's mind on how they percieve Vangaurd, I just wanted to let people know I think it's worth the wait while Sigil works the kinks out. Meanwhile I'll be that much ahead when people who are waiting for that to happen come back....smiley has my great gear on his head!

Been a long time since I've wanted a game right now! After beta testing some major bombs...SB and Horizons the big winners of that catagory, I've soured on any new game. Everything that is fed to you is designed to hook you without any real bait. VSOH is changing my viewpoint that there are still quality developers and producers in the online gaming industry that wants to give you value for the money you're going to spend each month.

While I see some things, that can be improved on (combat is standard looking), I really don't care with the main course and desert being so spectacular. I like a huge world, which is why I didn't play DDO after beta. I want to explore, find odd out of the way locations. Housing anywhere? Wonderful! I don't want an insta location for my home. I want travlers to ride/fly/sail by it. The incentive for levels (which I"ve come to despise) is there. I want my house, my ship, my unusual mount. I am not a big loot hound, just enough to get me by so this gives me a reason to be in those dungeons. To put those really nice candlesticks on the table a friend made. I've never had a ship ..well I did in DaoC but I hated operating it, so if it's similar interface someone else is going to have to be captain.

I also feel it was very cool that Sigil wasn't afraid to show the public what they are producing before it's out of beta. That shows the pride they are taking in designing this game.

Thanks for putting it together .  It's perfect for someone (like me) that doesn't have a lot of time to look all over for info. Liking the way Fury is progressing and looking forward to seeing how it matures.