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My Impressions of Vanguard

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 11
Date: February 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is my MMORPG history, Ultima Online, EQ1 (63 enchanter, 54 epic rogue), Ascheron Call 2 (forgettable), Guild Wars (different), EQ2 (32 Illusionist) and World of Warcraft (55 Shaman). Does this make me an expert, not even close but I do know what I like and don't like. This is my perspective of Vanguard and it might help you decide if this game is for you. I do a lot of comparisons to Wow due to it is a game many people have played.

Graphics: For information I like EQ2 graphics better than Wow but like Wow art direction over EQ2. I love the graphics and art direction of Vanguard better than any other MMORPG I have played. The animations are average but since this isn't very important to me it doesn't bother me. I also have the computer to run this game at "high quality". If don't have an upper end computer you will probably be disappointed as Vanguard is a resource hog and needs to be further optimized at this time.

Character Classes: I love the character classes in Vanguard. They are well designed and when in a group you have a role to fill. This was one of the things I personally didn't like about Wow. The classes in Wow had too much cross-over so your role wasn't as defined (some people like this feature).

Quests: The quests in Vanguard vary from the typical kill 8 rats to some very cool ones. With some races you get dungeon crawl quests in the level 5 - 8 range. Overall I rate the quests very good with room to improve.

Ease of Play: Vanguard is not as forgiving as other MMORPG. This is a huge positive for me. Wow was fun at first but after awhile I wanted more of a challenge (PVP doesn't interest me). Leveling is also slower than most games which is also something I like because I am in no rush to get to the maximum level.

Solo Play: Even though most classes can solo to get the better gear and see the best dungeons group play is a must.

Bugs: There are bugs in the game. They are being fixed and some major issues have already been repaired. They still have a ways to go, here is an example. I died 3 times in rapid succession after just reaching level 10. Two were bugs and one was me being stupid. I couldn't retrieve my tombstones so I had a bunch of negative experience. I put in a petition for help. By the time I got a response 3 days later I already worked off the experience and was moving forward. Some people would find this unacceptable and yell and scream about it. I have the attitude that stuff happens and it's just a game and move on. Depending on your point of view Vanguard might not be your game at this time, revisit it in a few months and I believe the bugs will have been worked out.

Diplomacy: I like diplomacy and find it adds lore to the world. It is also a great change of pace. Some people don't like it so again your mileage could vary.

Crafting: Just getting into crafting and it looks positive but I am not far enough along to decide if it something I will do lots of. It definitely not a simple system like Wow.

Vanguard has some problems but is very fun in its present state and is getting better on every patch. Ignore the trolls and Sony haters, find different reviews, read them and decide if this game is for you

Probably fun on a brand new top of the line computer

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: February 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I've managed to get three characters through the first few levels, and I want to like this game. It has a lot of interesting race and class choices, the world really is massive, and the crafting and diplomacy spheres seem like they could be fun.

But I can juuust barely run this thing. I have a pretty decent computer, not exactly cutting edge, but for example I can run Oblivion without much problem. I've dialed down the graphic settings but I still get tons of lag, and it's gotten bad enough on several occasions that I just give up and play WoW instead (which runs perfectly.)

It's early yet, maybe these problems can be ironed out. If you don't have the game yet and you don't have a REALLY good computer with a top of the line graphics card, I'd say hold off on this for now.

Leaves the current crop in the dust

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 26
Date: January 31, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Simply a much deeper, more satisfying gaming experience than the current crop of MMO's. Unlike World of Warcraft, Vanguard is truly an MMO. You can't escape other players by having the game offer you your own pocket universe with dungeons all to yourself. There are no magic universe splitting events cause by you opening a door and another player opening the same door. Their decision to eliminate the infantilism of instancing was one of their better decisions. Places are ALIVE with activity and communities are much stronger.

The dungeons are truly massive and require real thinking and knowledge of your class to get through. Unlike WoW, where you can just spam hotkeys and expect to be rewarded, VG asks a bit more of you. Yes, there are many people who don't want to have more asked of them and they won't like VG.

Then there is Diplomacy. A whole new avenue of progression never before seen in MMO's. Through conversation via a MTG type of game, you can influence whole cities. Gossiping with the local merchants might lower prices for goods. Convincint the local clergy might reward all players entering the city to travel faster. No other game allows that kind of influence.

Flying mounts are also done like no other game. Yes, TBC has them but they are limited. Not in VG. You can take them anywhere and see the world of Telon. And its a HUGE and beautiful world. No other world make me feel this small.

If you're currently playing a more entry level type of MMO like WoW and wont' to grow up a bit, VG just might be for you.

Vanguard..give it a few months

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: February 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game had a lot of potential that wasn't realized at release.
bad bugs..terrible latency..and what I like to call BEWS (Big Empty World Syndrome)
Unless you have a pretty high end computer save yourself some grief and either pass or wait for the free trial.

Grow with the game.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 21
Date: February 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Yes this game was released too early because they ran out of development money. Yes it is buggy and there are performance issues.

But yes this is an incredible game that will age like fine wine. I played WoW since its release and decided to give Vanguard a whirl. At first I was really annoyed by all its problems and ready to give up and go back to WoW. After playing to level 10, there is no turning back. No way would I go back to WoW after seeing the depth and richness this game has to offer. This feels like a living breathing world and the lack of instancing really adds to the immersion.

The performance issues are the big hurdle for this game right now and let me tell you it has more to do with the coding than the hardware requirements. I have run this game on a p4 3ghz, 1g ram, X800 Radeon and saw similar performance on my Duo6600, 2g ram, 8800GTS. The game clearly needs to be optimized and this will come in time.

This game is a diamond in the rough and if you are on the fence about giving it a go, check out the many videos available on you tube. But understand you will have to suffer through the game's growing pains if you do so.

Not What I Had Hoped

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: March 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

With all the hype about Vanguard the product that arrived at my door was a far cry from the game beta testers talked about. I think it can be a good game when the devs actually finish it. I don't recommend it maybe in a year when its completed and patched. It was a definite let down.

A Real Sequel to EverQuest I

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: January 30, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have been playing this game since Beta 5 and it has been great fun. I played EverQuest I for about 2 years before and this is as much fun as, or even more fun than the original EverQuest. I invited two of my friends who I played EQ with and showed the game. They were hooked instantly.

I would have given the game 5 stars overall if it does not have demanding hardware requirements. When buying this game, be careful that its "recommended" requirements are practically minimum requirements.

See you in Telon.

Character counts for a lot

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 17
Date: March 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Having recently joined the game from LOTR online I find the vanguard concept to be both refreshing visually and rewarding in play style . The game is quest based and aims to develop your character slowly into the Lore and landscape of the world. Hence if you are a power leveler or gear display junkie you will be disappointed aka recent reviews. Yes it has bugs, yes it has death penalties and a lot of its theory has yet to be implemented, but they are trying to develop a unique type of game play i.e diplomacy as a non-violent means of advancement )alternatives to the boring grind and farming rut most other MORPG's have. You don't have to be level 60 or a raid queen to get horses or entry to special dungeons and zones. Vanguard has worked hard at the atmosphere of the game and has for example excellent music and interesting unique cites to explore.

The individual abilities and skills are fun and special, for example cloud walking, where you can wander/fly around the lands in a hover mode. The economy also is balanced and seems to be working well i.e. unlike other games where being gold greedy gets you nice gear.

Vanguard is trying to offer a unique alternative gaming experience , it doesn't want to be a WOW type. It wants develop a immersing atmospheric world, beyond the typical linear hack and slash, wheres my xp, type game. It should get praise for wanting to strike a real balance between experience and advancement. It has faults but faced with the alternative grind factories, I'd prefer to struggle through this gem in the making.

Regret My Purchase

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: April 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

As an ex-Everquest Player I purchased this game based on the fun that Brad McQuaid, one of the Everquest Developers, brought me. Vanguard is an unimaginative, throw-back to 1999. The graphics are nice but you get them at the cost of an unplayable game with anything other than a Cray Super computer.

The game has a ton of bugs, terrible performance, and a hostile Player base of the very few Players that actually play the game. Run run away from this game. I wish I had. I feel like I was robbed.

Big disappointment after waiting on this game for a while.

Realistic Fantasy with an immersion effect like no other!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 19
Date: February 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I started playing in the beta 3 phase of Vanguard back in September of 2006. My first character that I played with was a Dark Elf Necromancer, which I loved. Now I have been playing a Dark Elf Cleric that is level 28. I am a casual player and far from the hardcore mentality. I would love to play all of the time, but, I just don't have the time. Vanguard seems to fit in my time frame just fine.

My initial experience with Vanguard was absolutely pleasing. Coming into the game as a Dark Elf feels very dark. The sky above glows an evil looking red with a decent size underground portion of a city. With that said, I've tried almost every class that Vanguard has to offer up near level 10 (for testing purposes). Every race introduction feels really unique. The developers really took their time to make sure that the wood elf would have the feeling of being in a wood elf environment. Same goes with a High Elf, were you appear around a vast wooden region with a grand tree that flows magic all around. The Goblins and the Orcs have a very intriguing introduction quest line that will have you looking all over the place for cover. The gnomish city is massive and constructed very well by the gnomes. Sometimes I wonder if they were too smart for their own good. I could go on and on, though, the point that I am trying to reach, don't limit yourself to just one type of race in Vanguard. Branch out, try them all. You'll really have a pleasing experience with many of them that you do (introduction wise).

Some of the quest lines in the game are really, really intriguing. Sigil has put a lot of effort in the design of making an entire area fulfill a specific goal for a quest and you'll be running all over the place, dodging some incredible looking beasts, looking at some amazing detail, all while trying to maintain vigilance to your overall goal. The rewards, incredible. These are the type of rewards that will bring a smile to your face when you fully complete the quest or get a piece that leads you in the right direction. I'm not talking about something level 50ish, I'm talking about something right out of the gate, level 20ish. The initial quest does not take too long at all to complete. Though, to fully complete the quest, it will take a bit of devotion. I never completed the entire quest, but, I was more than happy with what I did accomplish. The rewards that I received helped me ten-fold to be a better Cleric. Read the quests, become involved in your character. Your destined to be immersed.

Dungeon crawling in Vanguard is pretty. That's right, pretty. Ok, some are utterly creepy too. Bottom line is that Sigil has put some amazing detail into the dungeons that will have you looking in awe. The quests bring you in, and your mind takes over from there, wanting more. What is great is that once you complete your introduction quests, if you choose to do them, you can start out in dungeons. Most of all of them have unique bosses and some great quests/rewards for the given level. Premier dungeons are something else too. Very unique looking all while giving you an overall goal, if you choose to do it. Again, the quests bring you into these dungeons, and your mind just wants to explore to see what is around that next corner. Some of these dungeons will really make you think. For instance, being shot at from some sort of enemy, that is armed with a bow, that is in your area... You're not sure where he is at, but you're taking damage. What do you do?

I hope you enjoyed the little read and if you have any questions, feel free to post a reply and I'll provide my insight on what I have experienced. While many people stress the negativity, I have no room for that. The game is in great shape, in my mind, and I'll be playing on Day 1. But, that is me. I'm here to provide my view points and that is that. You will inevitably make your own decision about playing Vanguard.

My systems: Laptop (2.13ghz, 2gb ram, nvidia 6800go), Desktop (1.8ghz, 2gb ram, nvidia 7800gt), normally running the game on Balanced, unless I'm just adventuring around the world, and then I max the graphics.

Thanks for reading!

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