Yes ex2 extended has one server.  It is not the largest.  AB is the largest server.   Now if you added all the live servers up the free to play = 1/9th of whats on live. Alo what happened with the plans to add additional free to play servers, lol see what I mean.

Also SOE new better to mix free to play with live,  Since there is only one vangaurd server,  I am sure the ones would quit if they got the same sort of play to win that exist in eq2 extended. Most of then now wanting to buy armor weapons and the iwin button thats available.  I think most of the folks in vangaurd liek to earn their way not have the magic button.

Originally posted by Kost

It's dead Jim.

VG had potential at one time, that time has long passed.

I played VG in beta and at release and it was a mess of a game from day one.  Any potential that game had was lost to poor project management long before the game was released.  The only thing that would have saved that game would have been to shut down the servers and spend a year plus rebuilding it.

Originally posted by udon

Originally posted by Kost

It's dead Jim.

VG had potential at one time, that time has long passed.

I played VG in beta and at release and it was a mess of a game from day one.  Any potential that game had was lost to poor project management long before the game was released.  The only thing that would have saved that game would have been to shut down the servers and spend a year plus rebuilding it.

They spent two years rebuilding it.   Personally, I think it took about a year and a half before it really started to shape up.  After that we got a little more than a year of sustained development, improvement, and new content including a level cap increase, two huge raid dungeons, a ton of overland raid targets, a couple new lower-level dungeons, a new starter area, all-new character models, class revamps and bug fixes too numerous to count and an AA system.

Nobody disputes that Vanguard was a total disaster at launch.  The game today is not that game.

I agree with what many here are saying - there is no point in making Vanguard free to play now.

Main issue is simply that SOE wants people to play EQ2, and then EQ Next.

Originally posted by Ardwulf

Originally posted by udon

Originally posted by Kost

It's dead Jim.

VG had potential at one time, that time has long passed.

I played VG in beta and at release and it was a mess of a game from day one.  Any potential that game had was lost to poor project management long before the game was released.  The only thing that would have saved that game would have been to shut down the servers and spend a year plus rebuilding it.

They spent two years rebuilding it.   Personally, I think it took about a year and a half before it really started to shape up.  After that we got a little more than a year of sustained development, improvement, and new content including a level cap increase, two huge raid dungeons, a ton of overland raid targets, a couple new lower-level dungeons, a new starter area, all-new character models, class revamps and bug fixes too numerous to count and an AA system.

Nobody disputes that Vanguard was a total disaster at launch.  The game today is not that game.

 You have not had any dev staff in over 2 years so how do you calim this.  Yes they added a couple of dungions but sustained development,  not in the past 1.5 years for sure.

The payment method isn't the big problem with Vanguard. For it to succeed SOE would have to revamp the game, add more content and rename it. New character models and some more dungeons would be enough of a revamp.

The 2 reasons VG is so small is the stigma of it's name due to a really crappy release and the fact that no one updated it at all for a long time.

But I fear our best hope right now is that they will steal the good things for EQ Next. Things would have been different if they released the game after they had fixed it up instead of releasing it first and fix it later.

Originally posted by erictlewis

Originally posted by Ardwulf

Originally posted by udon

Originally posted by Kost

It's dead Jim.

VG had potential at one time, that time has long passed.

I played VG in beta and at release and it was a mess of a game from day one.  Any potential that game had was lost to poor project management long before the game was released.  The only thing that would have saved that game would have been to shut down the servers and spend a year plus rebuilding it.

They spent two years rebuilding it.   Personally, I think it took about a year and a half before it really started to shape up.  After that we got a little more than a year of sustained development, improvement, and new content including a level cap increase, two huge raid dungeons, a ton of overland raid targets, a couple new lower-level dungeons, a new starter area, all-new character models, class revamps and bug fixes too numerous to count and an AA system.

Nobody disputes that Vanguard was a total disaster at launch.  The game today is not that game.

 You have not had any dev staff in over 2 years so how do you calim this.  Yes they added a couple of dungions but sustained development,  not in the past 1.5 years for sure.

4th Quarter 07 - Ancient Port Warehouse (18-Man Raiding Dungeon)

1st Quarter 08 - Griffin Questline/3 Overland Raid Mobs
3rd Quarter 08 - Shores of Darkness Questline/4 Overland Raid Mobs (24-Man Raiding)
4th Quarter 08 - Bridge of Destiny/Isle of Garuz/4 Overland Raid Mobs (24-Man Raiding)

2nd Quarter 09 - Pantheon of the Ancients revamp/Level Cap Increase (55)
4th Quarter 09 - Magi Hold Questline Revamp/5 Overland Raid Mobs (24-Man Raiding)

2010 - Nothing
2011 - So far Nothing

So VG has only gotten about 4 major content releases (APW, BoA, PoTA, and MH) since launch (I could be missing something as I quit 3rd Quarter 09). With the past 2 years being dormant. When people see this kind of timeline, what is one to think? What's sad is everyoune touts the same line of "Oh VG has enough content to last a player 2-3 years"....which we all know this is only true for a player who logs in once every 3 weeks and tries to solo everything.

When VG first launched, I don't know about most, but I had the most fun then. It connected the world perfectly, high pops with the game's content was where the game shined the most. Going into different cities or areas, you saw different people, different demographics, the whole nine. To me, around the time I quit, it was still before the final server merge, the game didn't feel like a world anymore. The population had diminished so much that I couldn't get "engulfed" anymore. That's when I came to the realization that the game just wasn't "it" for me anymore. Now I'm not someone who needs a HUGE community, I need a community just big enough so it doesn't seem like an over-glorified chat room.

Originally posted by Xeonsoldier

So VG has only gotten about 4 major content releases (APW, BoA, PoTA, and MH) since launch (I could be missing something as I quit 3rd Quarter 09). With the past 2 years being dormant. When people see this kind of timeline, what is one to think? What's sad is everyoune touts the same line of "Oh VG has enough content to last a player 2-3 years"....which we all know this is only true for a player who logs in once every 3 weeks and tries to solo everything.

Sorry no, we don't "all know that". There's plenty of content to last  a player 2-3 years if they work a bit to make it last. With the race/class options, diplomacy and crafting a player could have PLENTY to do for 2-3 years... well let's say 2 years anyway.  If you want to point out the failings of the game go ahead but lack of content is not one of them.

Originally posted by klokwurk

Originally posted by Xeonsoldier

So VG has only gotten about 4 major content releases (APW, BoA, PoTA, and MH) since launch (I could be missing something as I quit 3rd Quarter 09). With the past 2 years being dormant. When people see this kind of timeline, what is one to think? What's sad is everyoune touts the same line of "Oh VG has enough content to last a player 2-3 years"....which we all know this is only true for a player who logs in once every 3 weeks and tries to solo everything.

Sorry no, we don't "all know that". There's plenty of content to last  a player 2-3 years if they work a bit to make it last. With the race/class options, diplomacy and crafting a player could have PLENTY to do for 2-3 years... well let's say 2 years anyway.  If you want to point out the failings of the game go ahead but lack of content is not one of them.

You just said it right there. "If they work a bit to make it last". People who love a game will play the game. But realistically 2-3 years of content? If you reroll over and over, recycling the content then sure. Yeah if you're claiming content as in every race/class combo with 55/55/50 then yeah that's a good bit of time, if the game was meant to appeal to that specific player type then I must have missed that on the box. I never once said the game lack content, but for as long as I played the game, I will never over-extend what it really has. Yes there is tons of content in the game, you cut out the ToT/PoTa/SoD faction grinds (with a lil bit of Rahz Inkur), then the content will definately wear itself.

Again this is not to bust on VG's content, but saying it has 2-3 years of content is over-exaggerating just a bit too much for my taste.

I don't doubt that VG has a ton of content but with out regular updates and development can you blame people for having zero confidence in how long this game will be around? That is what kills VG for me. Since it appears that SOE has no desire to make a long term plan regarding VG's future neither can I.

Originally posted by Xeonsoldier

You just said it right there. "If they work a bit to make it last". People who love a game will play the game. But realistically 2-3 years of content? If you reroll over and over, recycling the content then sure. Yeah if you're claiming content as in every race/class combo with 55/55/50 then yeah that's a good bit of time, if the game was meant to appeal to that specific player type then I must have missed that on the box. I never once said the game lack content, but for as long as I played the game, I will never over-extend what it really has. Yes there is tons of content in the game, you cut out the ToT/PoTa/SoD faction grinds (with a lil bit of Rahz Inkur), then the content will definately wear itself.

Again this is not to bust on VG's content, but saying it has 2-3 years of content is over-exaggerating just a bit too much for my taste.

I wonder if there is any stat going on how long it would take to level to 55/55/50 in every race/class combo? I think that would be insane however. But really I think the point isn't how many years of content it has but rather that isn't not a content light game. You aren't going to buy it only to find you've run out of things to try or do in 1-2 months. If you like trying out different classes then I think you've got plenty to keep you busy.  I would probably say more like 1-2 years depending on play style, though for someone quite casual and alt-friendly like myself probably a bit longer.

If Vanguard went F2P/Freemium I'd give it another go.

If Vanguard were F2P or had a F2P unlimited trial kind of thing, I might play it. I think a lot of other people would play it. It would put pressure on Sony to actually do something with the game though...right now they literally just pay for the electricity to run the game and one or two people and they still earn income from the game.

I bet you there is a pool going among the people involved with the game on how long customers will continue paying for the game.

I'd definitely play it if it were F2P and I'm positive a few of my friends that loved it would do so as well.

However, considering they are killing SWG instead of going F2P... it just doesn't seem likely. You really have to wonder what sort of jackalope is in charge over there.

Been there, did that.

Originally posted by sschrupp

I'd definitely play it if it were F2P and I'm positive a few of my friends that loved it would do so as well.

However, considering they are killing SWG instead of going F2P... it just doesn't seem likely. You really have to wonder what sort of jackalope is in charge over there.

They didn't have a choice with SWG Lucas Arts was pulling the license so they had to shut down. I doubt they would risk shutting down VG any time soon and take another game off the Station pass list. At worst we'll see a few more years of VG with no support but I'm hoping SOE will do something for VG as part of their efforts to regain customer trust.