Ok it's me again,

It's been awhile since I posted.  Because of RL situations, constant RL traveling, and have to admit I'm some what burnt on mmo's.  HOWEVER  I can't resist posting a major solution to Vanguard and it's low population. ( It's only been three months )

Facts :

Vanguard is a well built game, with some bugs, that can easily be overlooked.

Vanguard has an extremely nice player base, I've never met one jerk in the game. 

Vanguard is a very deep, and full complete game, Dungeons are hard core and long.

Vanguard trial Island is a good example of what the regular world is like just condensed to teach.  Crafting and Diplomacy is very complicated in this game, and the tutorial could have been done a little better.  I recommend don't leave the trial Island until you have a good understanding, and max out both before leaving if your really into each.

Now on to the population problem, and how to play Vanguard :

First...Don't rely on Guilds in Vanguard. I'm not picking on Guilds but it's just a fact that with a low population you will not find ANY GUILD with any substantial lower end population. Think of it like this.....With only 300 players between levels 10-54 and 20 guilds, how many lower end players could be in each ?........Newbie guilds don't really last long in Vanguard or any other mmo, the chat and grouping will be the same as in open chat.

Second...Spaming in Open chat never works in any mmo, You may find someone, but not to often.

This is what you do !!!!

Use the Social panel to it's fullest potential.  Search for classes and levels and click find. Chat with others.  Don't be rude by asking them to come and help, they already have there own agenda ( just like you ).  Ask if you can come to them and help them with there stuff, and play with them.  When the quest is over you now have A FRIEND. ADD THEM TO YOUR FRIENDS LIST,  and start a new quest with them.  I had 20 friends on my friends list that I constantly played with ( day and nite friends ).

Dungeons- Research dungeons on 3rd party web sites, find the entrances, even explore inside a little bit ( get a grasp of it ). Then find some quest, almost always in the town close to the dungeon. NOW USE THE SOCIAL PANEL. The same as you find friends above. Ask nice and you will have full groups in less than 10 min.

I played to level 40, had many friends ( new and vets ). And spent no time alone EVER !!!

OK i'm late for work.

no longer will i sponsor a firm who uses this money to dump into other games.

This game could have been the greatest game since Ultima Online and Everquest.

But they stopt developing it further and keeping it just as an extra source of cashflow.

shame on SOE.

i kinda miss Vanguard.

Great advice. Its nice to see a constructive post that deals with a diffcult reality of a great game. 

Originally posted by DelCabon

Great advice. Its nice to see a constructive post that deals with a diffcult reality of a great game. 

I second that great post for a great game. I wish SOE would give VG some attention. Who knows maybe this year will be different. I doubt it but it could happen.

Originally posted by sloeber

no longer will i sponsor a firm who uses this money to dump into other games.

This game could have been the greatest game since Ultima Online and Everquest.

But they stopt developing it further and keeping it just as an extra source of cashflow.

shame on SOE.

 

i kinda miss Vanguard.

Says who?

Maybe they're making just enough money to keep the servers running and to pay the skeleton crew.

And if you don't like a corporation using money from one thing to develop another, then perhaps you need to step outside or even look at the parts your computer is using.  

Do you honestly think that other companies don't do this?

Vanguard can get back on it's feet if there's a massive influx of resubscriptions.  But until then, I don't think we can really complain about SOE not giving it attention.  It's like at my work.  If one of our features isn't functioning properly, but only 10 people out of the housands of users we have actually use the function, we put it on the backburner.  There's money to be made elsewhere that people actually use.

Originally posted by Kvjavs

Originally posted by sloeber

no longer will i sponsor a firm who uses this money to dump into other games.

This game could have been the greatest game since Ultima Online and Everquest.

But they stopt developing it further and keeping it just as an extra source of cashflow.

shame on SOE.

 

i kinda miss Vanguard.

Says who?

Maybe they're making just enough money to keep the servers running and to pay the skeleton crew.

And if you don't like a corporation using money from one thing to develop another, then perhaps you need to step outside or even look at the parts your computer is using.  

Do you honestly think that other companies don't do this?

 

Vanguard can get back on it's feet if there's a massive influx of resubscriptions.  But until then, I don't think we can really complain about SOE not giving it attention.  It's like at my work.  If one of our features isn't functioning properly, but only 10 people out of the housands of users we have actually use the function, we put it on the backburner.  There's money to be made elsewhere that people actually use.

http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/09/the-daily-grind-shut-a-game-down-or-let-it-waste-away

I decided to make myself a no video game policy for the Spring Summer, and Fall. I would like to enjoy life more and get out of the house.  I'm on Vacation this week and it's only 630 am, and I'm most vulnerable in the morning's to play as no one is up yet.

But in reading my own post about Vanguard and the mass amount of friends I could make in this game makes me want to play real bad. The player base in Vanguard even low levels are so nice and friendly.  Everyone I met are mature and stick's to the plan's we make together.  Dungeon crawling sometimes last for hours with no one quiting.  

In sticking to my plan outlined in my original post, I just need to log in and I'll have two or three tells from others to group. I had morning noon and night friends that I could play with.  I NEVER SEE A LOW POPULATION PROBLEM !........I'm not here to brag, I'm here to help.  In Vanguard most EVERYONE is looking to group.  But like most mmo's people ignore the best tool used in finding groups.

What works ?

* The Social Panel - Use it to spam others, go to them and make a friend, do there quest. Use it to find groups for Dungeons. You could be shy, you could be new, you may not know what your doing. Just ask " hay can I come over and help please ".

Use it to find others of your level, narrow it down to classes if you would like, need a healer ? need a tank?  need a caster? it's all there.

Very few will turn you down, unless they are logging off, in a group already or are strictly solo players.

What does not work ?

* Area chat - This never worked in WoW, EQ2, D&D Online or Vanguard.  People just don't respond or even read this flowing chat system.  Area chat is not always world wide in mmo's, including Vanguard.

* Guilds - " You gota find your self a good guild "......I say hog wash.....At low levels in ANY mmo, Guilds never have a low level player base to justify finding others of your level. Think about it !!!....Your level 14, now how many guild players could you expect to find between levels 12-16 in any Guild, of any mmo ?

* LFG tool- Never works.  I guess most never think of using it for some reason.  You may find one person flagged to do what your looking for but that's about it.  And this goes for any mmo.

Vanguard is by far the best mmo. It has so much to offer if you use the Social Panel. I'm confident I would have at least six friends ready to play with at anytime with in 24 hours.

I'm taking a break from MMO's. I better hop in the shower get dressed and get out of the house before I find myself logging into Vanguard :)

Bump.....This may help new and returning players.

I made a new toon (level 9 ranger), once I get to Vaskels Exchange ( level 11-15 area ) I plan on using the social panel to find friends to play with.......The social panel works everytime. I just ask others with a tell if they need any help, then I have a friend to play with :)

Very easy to make friends in Vanguard......But ask with a tell, and go help them !.......Best game ever if you use this method, remember Vanguard is a duo or more game.

Haha, I met a lot of jerks in the beginning of the game. Its true they all vanished later, though.

About money making, well there is probably a small profit now from the game, thats why its OK to keep it running. Not enough to pay a dev team, though.

IIRC it was very hard on level 10-20 to find people to group with. You just level too fast lol.