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Vanguard: Saga of Heroes: First Look Preview
Stradden
Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696
Jon Wood traveled to San Diego to take part in an event hosted by Sigil Online and SOE. There, he got some hands on time with the game and files this First Look Preview.
;) The quests in this game seem well designed and well put together. My only real complaints are in some of the little housekeeping issues. The first is the game's use of "leading quests", which take a player from one area to another in order to continue the story. Some of the leading quests that were in place at that stage of the beta (you have to assume that there will be changes before launch) were transparent. "Lead this camel down this hill," might teach some of the skills needed to work in the game's caravan system, but it really doesn't make sense as a full-blown quest. These quests are not the majority, but rather just something I noticed in my travels.
After each quest that a player completes within the game, a screen will come up asking beta testers to rate the quest and give in their feedback. This approach is, in my opinion, head and shoulders above the "hope they come to the beta boards" approach that I've seen from companies in the past. This method, right there and in your face, prompts you to take a few seconds and make a comment and indicates to me that Sigil is actually interested in what players have to say about the game and ways to improve it. |
You can read more here.
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
Comments
I would have enjoyd a little more depth into why you said some of this things you said in your article. Like mabye how many options you DID have, and what was missing, even if it is beta.. Mabye expanded alittle more on why you said you enjoyed the card game. ETC..
It feels and reads like you were holding somthing back.
Anyway, good read.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
Hm, no comments on the intricate combat system? No time to try to craft anything?
No longer visiting MMORPG.com.
Yeah, pretty hard for any game with visible equipement to compete with a game such as CoH for the character creation, if not outright impossible. Unless you leave the option to the player as to what is visible and what isn't, so if the breastplate is choosen as not visible then the player could have more options, regardless of what is equipped...which then open a new problem about consistancy, if someone is wearing a robe can he be displayed as wearing a plate mail? There is no easy way out of this for any game with equipement.
Anyway, I still hold to what I have been saying for years now. Raid-free server and I buy the game, the absence of such servers will results in my absence from the game althogether.
Overall the game could be made more intuitive, but that is easier said then done. "Easy to understand but hard to master", the game is still not that easy to understand...been intuitive is a challenge for any game, and CoH put the bar quite high for every competitor on the "Easy to understand, yet hard to master". Example, you are wandering around searching a NPC, while realist it isn't intuitive, choices have been made. Still, with raid-free servers this game could be the next jewel...without offering raid-free server it will lack the unique advantage EQ has in it time, EQ was offering a PvE ambiance to players...what is Vanguard offering that competitors doesn't, raid-free server could be that special edge.
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
I agree Bloodworth , it seems that this article was written with the strict instruction not to give anything away.
The reason I read articles like this is the simple fact that I'm seeking new information about the game & to be quite frank this article told me nothing I didnt already know.
The main issue I see with Vanguard is what are the plans for endgame and more specifically PvP ? as without an 'end game' there is no point to developing a character and everything else becomes somewhat pointless as eventually you hit the level cap & quit ( ala WoW) .
Vanguard looks a very promising game however the lack of information about key facts such as combat & PvP does worry me & I just hope we start seeing some updates which contain real information sooner rather than later .
Ummm... SWG? Ryzom? Matrix? Conan? Lord of the Rings?
I understand what you are getting at, but i think your slightly misinformed.
Layered clothing and armor is entirely possible.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
This article isn't and wasn't meant to be an in-depth analysis of the game, but rather just a quick article with my initial responses to playing it. It's a First Look Preview.
I haven't had enough time to really sit down with the game and do a full-on preview full of details. Once I've put enough hours into the game, we'll run a full preview.
I'm still learning a lot of the systems in the game, just like any new player would have to. I tried to give a breif overview of what I've done and experienced so far. I'm sorry if that's not enough.
Cheers
Jon Wood
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
My first MMO was WoW. I enjoyed it alot untill I really got bored about the static world. I tried the trial of EQ2 but when I saw the NPC's standing around I quickly quit the game.
Something I really hope that quests will make a difference and change the world a little and NPC do their thing rather than stand/sit at one place.
Lets see if Vanguard is really the next-gen MMO.
And don't forget that despite the fact that we all hate you, you must be polite, solicitous, and respectful at all times.
I don't want to write this, and you don't want to read it. But now it's too late for both of us.
In the land of Predators,the lion does not fear the jackals...
Looks good so far...good reading!
While I appreciate the compliment, I wouldn't discount Jon's article--as he said, he hasn't had the time to get into an in-depth look at the game yet, and attempting to write more than a first look article when you haven't really sunk your teeth into beta yet would be irresponsible.
It's also unfair to compare the two articles. Jon's running an entire MMOG community while I have the good fortune of being able to focus solely on ONE game. I think he did a fine job with what he had to offer. We sat next to each other while testing the game at the press event, and Jon knows his stuff. Cheers, Jon!
.: Shayalyn :.
PR & Community Relations
Ten Ton Hammer
I play WOW and quite frankly am getting sick to death of kill... loot... repeat type of quests with nothing else to do as a distraction. When I heard that SoH had not only a decent crafting system but also had a diplomat system, I got very excited about playing it. I really don't mind a game that is complicated to become good at and has a time sink as long as there is a reward for all the effort put forth. Even if the reward is a good feeling of accomplishment.
I'm not a PvP'er and never will be. That end really doesn't concern me. I suppose if I were, I'd probably be looking forward to Warhammer.
I for one can't wait till the realease of this game. Just my $.02
Nice review. I'm looking forward to this game.
One thing though...when are game developers going to appreciate how important it is to not be a look alike clone to everyone else in the game. Part of taking ownership of a character, sort of speak, is making him/her unique.
So far, SWG is the only game I have seen with a decent character creation system that allowed for some individuality.
Also, I am looking forward to the day that technological advances propel us into an age when hair and skin does not look plastic.
Thanks for those examples. Laughed when I read the initial posters comment.
People, at one time folks would have thought it would be impossible for a computer performing the simple funcion of calculater to be smaller than a wharehouse.
What is impossible one day is possible the next, thanks to huge strides forward in technology and software.
But there are ALREADY several games that allow you to customize with equipment and play around with avatar creation.
You sound like me and my entire guild
The sandbox feature is really the one that stands out. I would be happier if SoH was skill-based, and class based systems just annoy me to no end, but as an MMO refugee without a home, I'll take what I can get.
Oh, to the OP thanks for the review. Don't let the haters get to ya. I haven't been waiting for this game half as long as most, and even at that I'm getting frustrated waiting for information...just make sure to keep us updated
No longer visiting MMORPG.com.
Game is still under an NDA so its no surprise they are holding back. Know doubt it had to be approved by Sigil before being published.
Now playing: VG (after a long break from MMORPGS)
Played for more than a month: Darkfall online, Vanguard SOH, Everquest, Horizons, WoW, SWG, Everquest II, Eve
Initial reports suggest that you need one hell of a machine (2 gig of DDR2, nvidia 7950 - sli preferred, high end dual core CPU) to run it properly. anything but a full high end specced machine, will not currently be able to run the game in anything but medium to low settings with lots of additional stuff turned off.
So if you say it looks graphically good, then i'd be curious to find out what machine you were playing on.