Some friends and I are back playing Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. The idea was pitched to me by a member of our gaming community. I’ve been looking for a reason to get back in Telon, especially after the new F2P model which essentially lifted all of the limitations until end-game.
The appeal of Vanguard comes from the traditional MMO feel. Plentiful open-world dungeons and group content give players a reason to traverse the huge world. There are dozens of different places to take a group of players and go on a challenging adventure. If you don’t have a group of friends to play with then you’ll likely get to know a great deal of players, and form friendships quickly. I already met someone while on the newbie island, and for the first time I added a player to my friends list with the hope I’ll get to meet up with them again.
A lot of great changes have been made to Vanguard to improve the gameplay. Lower level dungeons have been modified for higher levels, and additional content has been added to make the entire experience more polished and fluid — compare that to a month after launch. Really makes me wish the game launched in this state.
SOE is winning me over these days. Every MMO I’ve considered going back to is one of theirs. SOE has the monopoly on tradition. If they manage to keep up the nonrestrictive F2P model, and don’t manipulate players, I’ll continue to keep their games on my go-to list.
I’m also beginning to appreciate how my account works across all of their games. I can log in to Vanguard, then go play Planetside 2. Their Station Cash carries over from one game to another, and since I didn’t find anything in PS2 worth buying, I’m able to save that money for Vanguard or another game. All of this is starting to get me hyped for EverQuest Next. If EQ Next uses Station Cash, and I’m positive it will, then I’ll be able to use my same account. I’m hoping for a B2P hybrid with the same nonrestrictive F2P model.
If you’re looking for a fun game to last you until Final Fantasy XIV, WildStar, or to simply be a go-to game like it is for me then give Vanguard a try (It’s on Steam). I’ve had a lot of fun so far. Keep it up SOE!
I wasn’t going to, but all the talk on the forums has me willing to give it a try. I don’t think I’ll be getting a WildStar invite, sadly, and FF14 is still a month away. Been downloading it through Steam today, looking forward to giving it a whirl.
SOE nearly messed up big time with those temporary buffs in PS2 they tried to pawn off on us, after an outrage they where pulled, they were definitely p2w
Any suggestions on what class to play in Vanguard?
Are there servers, etc…? Wouldn’t mind hooking up with some folks for some fun until ff14:arr and/or wildstar are out.
I hope EQN is a home run…August 6 for our 1st look?
I love Sony’s network…if they could just give me my primary mmorpg I’d jump all over ease-of-access for my diversions.
@Tristan: There are so many options. If you want to solo, don’t be a heavy or light fighter. Play Vanguard knowing you’ll have to group, and know it’ll be more fun if you do. What type of things do you enjoy in MMOs?
@KennyG: At least they pulled the idea.
@theotherthomas: There’s only one server, so hop on and enjoy!
@Jim: You and me both. I’ll be honest, I’m only playing Vanguard because I don’t have anything better right now. I love how they are there for me, though, and I just need them to meet me the rest of the way to convert me full-time.
I keep meaning to properly play vanguard to reach max level, I have a number of good memories of the time I’ve spent in the game due to the open world dungeons and the fact that it felt like there was a lot of exploration, and the (comparatively) tough nature of the game made working with friends exploring, crafting, and killing stuff exciting.
Long story short I’m now reinstalling it through steam, especially since I’ve got an upgraded rig that should handle it much better than my ancient machine could.
I also feel it’s unfortunate to mention vanguard without taking into account the crafting and diplomacy, which while they can grow stale are among the more unique alternate advancement systems I’ve seen in MMOs.
I tried Vanguard twice but never made it off of newbie island. I always wanted to give this one a fair shot by getting deeper into the game but it just never ended up happening. I just recently thought about jumping back in but I have other games eating up my time at the moment. I know I am missing out by not getting off that newbie island though, one of these days I want to jump in and push past it even if it requires skipping diplomacy and crafting stuff.
Keen will remember I was there at Vanguard’s start, but after 6 months of defending a game that had serious problems, I stopped playing. I’ve gone back a few times, always enjoying the bittersweet ‘what could have been’ vibe in Vanguard for brief amounts of time. The game’s long-distance scenery still blows me away.
I’m almost to level cap in GW2 (yes, I’m taking it very slow) and who knows, maybe I’ll try Vanguard again!
If Vanguard launched with what it has today, things would have been very different. I was right there with you Morreion… it broke my heart.