Vanguard: Saga of Heroes: Wyrm Footage

Stradden

The folks over at Sigil's Vanguard: Saga of Heroes have released two new videos for our viewing pleasure. The first is the Wyrm

The second of the videos capture the beauty of the mythical Pegasus in flight.

For more on Vanguard: Saga of Heroes click here.

Mrbloodworth

The flapping of that Wyrm doesn't look right.

And the reverse of that Pegasus is just...bla.

Anofalye

The wyrm look great IMO.  Of course, his flight isn't realist, he should plummel down and crash, but who care?  He prolly have magical powers to enhance his flight so, work fine with me. 

 

I don't like the Pegasus, his wings are too modest IMO.  They may be practical, but they aren't nice.  Wings should be a LOT biggers IMO.  I mean, it is a Pegasus, it is majestuous and you want to underline it.  Anyway, just my opinion.  Wrapping may be realist, but it isn't giving the feeling of a pegasus; I always picture the Pegasus as unable to wrap his wings, might not be realist or practical, but it certainly would be kick ass!    Think of mammals with wings, not birds, it will be a start...then amplify it since a mammal of this size would need an exageration compared to the small mammals with wings.  Then give these wings an "eagle look" (as now) when stretched, but not the eagle folding.  He should look better than the pegasus we keep seeing before watching a movie, now he look smaller and tinier, not cool at all.  Every player saw the pegasus before the movies (can't recall the company atm), it is strongly into every player mind.  You have to make it more majestuous, not less.

 

However, I still think that raiding is not acceptable.  Raiding can't replace unlimited levels.  You can just remove unlimited levels and I would play, but trying to get the benefit of unlimited levels with raiding?  Nah, won't be there; I was burned enought in EQ to avoid EQ2 and WoW, to quit CoH over the HOs and now, to avoid Vanguard...unless they make a raid-free experience, either on a specific raid-free server, or by making raiding really free, setting me free.  By giving exclusive grouping-rewards to raiding, the only way I can set myself free, is by never playing the game.

schmootzig

I think they both look great actually.  It's definitely a cool feature that you'll be able to have flying mounts, and that they're not restricted to only end game areas like they will be in a certain expansion being released around the same time 

schmootzig

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Originally posted by Anofalye

However, I still think that raiding is not acceptable.  Raiding can't replace unlimited levels.  You can just remove unlimited levels and I would play, but trying to get the benefit of unlimited levels with raiding?  Nah, won't be there; I was burned enought in EQ to avoid EQ2 and WoW, to quit CoH over the HOs and now, to avoid Vanguard...unless they make a raid-free experience, either on a specific raid-free server, or by making raiding really free, setting me free.  By giving exclusive grouping-rewards to raiding, the only way I can set myself free, is by never playing the game.

---

I'm not sure where raiding fits into the two videos posted...

But for what it's worth I'm not really into raiding either, though many players are.  Oddly enough people consider it some massive achievement to play through a hyper-scripted encounter countless times and feel they should be rewarded with the best of the best items in a given game.  I do agree that raid drops should give raid-specific benefits only, otherwise you do have a situation where PvP is utterly ruined due to the imbalances raid gear creates... a player is more or less forced to raid just to stand a chance, and to go a step further classes are rebalanced across the board based on raid gear so you're completely gimped as a casual / non raiding player as is the current situaion in WoW on both points.

Raids should be a 'rare' situation rather than the norm at high levels.  Raid bosses should appear randomly in the world, on a non-specific timer, with variables thrown into the scripting so that the encounter can actually test players in more ways than just who's the best at printing out walk-thrus from outside sources.  I know it would be asking too much of players though, to rely on actual skill and reacting to a situation rather than - run the raid once to see the script > run it a second / third time to get the fine details >run the same raid 100+ times to farm it for gear until everyone in your guild hates eachother.

beaverboy123

Although the wyrm and pegasus flapping looks a bit unrealistic, nevertheless it still look cool Makes me wanna get Vanguard now...

Mysk

They make it appear as though these are mounts which players can run around on and jump into the air with at any point that they wish.  Is this actually the case, or are they playing sneaky with their video footage?



What can I say, I've learned not to trust footage released from the game companies. This is not specific to Vanguard.



I have no remarks about the look of the critters, however, a new approach to the music is needed.  Not that the music was bad but this is a style that we always hear in fantasy themed footage, and it's just plain getting old.



Or maybe that's just me.



~Mysk

Andir

Anyone think the area in theWyrm video look a little familiar...  Think Bonemire.

When is the official renaming to Everquest 2.5 going to happen?

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mehhem

I think both look good.  The only thing I don't like is the Pegasus' legs keep looking like its trying to run in flight.  That just looks gay IMO.

CapnHulk

In nearly every Vanguard video I've seen there's been some really spotty animation. This is especially evident when the Pegasus treads backward.

Animation quality is so severely overlooked these days it seems.

Lanmoragon

The pegasus actually looks perfect IMO.  The Wyrm looks ok, but sorta just eh.

theCandle

 I like them both. 

 

The pegasus running animation while flying is a sort of traditional depiction of the Pegasus in flight, and as well it's a very magical creature so it's own weight isn't an issue.

I like the wyrm though it could use some touches here and there, like it's lower half dipping dramatically with the wing movement, and the rider's body likewise rebalancing it'self as the creature moves up and down mid air.

As far as the raid content thing goes, well i did my time end game WoW with all that and it literally became a job, not to mention the 200 or so guild members needed in order to have enough people for the 40 man instances.

It's just too much having to spend 5+ hours a night raiding to get gear that's used in pvp that you won't have time to do cause you're raiding like a farmer, but with 7 million subcriptions that Blizzard has had you do the math, not to mention unless they reconfigure the journey up to that max level then end game raiding is here to stay... til some how the mold gets broken.

 

Anyhow i'm reluctant to play Vanguard for some reasons and tempted to play for others, like the very nice looking large and seamless world, but if it's anything like end game EQ2 i just don't really think i'll be happy for real long.

Mardy

Both videos look great.  Great music in the first one to set the mood.  The lil details I can live with, because if I think back about riding my mount & flying in WoW, I never really cared about the details of my mount.  I mostly looked around at the environment & surroundings.  I'm sure as long as they look pretty and they are great eye candy, lil small details of stupid lil stuff won't matter too much later on.

The legs kicking on pegasus while flying is kinda cool, that's how I imagined a pegasus would do when flying.  They aren't exactly dragon-like creatures, so the legs are always gonna be there.

Celestian

You know that's all nice and all but when are they going to re-work the combat animations. I mean it's not like thats gunna be what you're looking at the majority of the time and ALL players will see it.



Don't get me wrong, properly animated wings are good thing, just spend time on combat, like a lot of it, purdy please!

paade

first of all, im not even going to play VG, i think its game mechanics suck. Now thats out of the way, i just wanted to come in and ridicule all of you. "Flapping of wings doesnt look real"...? WTF, who gives a shit?! Its no wonder MMORPGs are going downhill if people whine and cry something as trivial as wing flapping! Its not supposed to be a fucking documentary ffs.

/rant off

EliasThorne

Well, having seen some of the earlier flight models I'm very encouraged, personally I think those look very good and easily good enough to keep me happy.

Good work guys

scriscuoli

What can I say, other than I've seen this before? Has anyone noticed how suspiciously similar this in-game video looks in style and machanics to EQ2? I'm betting there's some shared code in there ... leave it to Sony to squeeze a few more dollars out of us by selling us the same game again. At least Cryptic Studios was up front about it - "City of Villains uses the same engine as City of Heroes". MMO developers are getting like Hollywood, other than very rarely, there's nothing new, just retreads of stuff that works. I see a future of WoW, CoH, and EQ2 clones ... 

EliasThorne

Will you people ever listen - Sigil are the developers, not Sony.

*Sigh* why do I bother?

DrSmaSh

Wow. Now that's what I'm talking about. Still far from perfect tho... But way better then those early vidios.

But I have yet too see a smooth ingame video of Vanguard. Did any one else noticed that every ingame video is running at like... 8fps?

That is what I don't like.

metalcore

Looks great, as for whether they will be in the game, Sigil have promised a variety of mounts and flying mounts upon release so I have no doubt they will be, plus unrestricted access to the world (small print, some areas restricted due to quests, faction).

As for animation, seems fine with me, Drakes or Pegasus can't be realistic as they wouldn't be able to fly.

As for Raiding, you watching the right video here?

Generally impressed.

MrBoots

You would expect something more impressive from a 30gb game client. It's no wonder that they got dumped by Microsoft. I have seen better looking korean games that only used 2gb of my HDD.

Ryun511

Sigil didn't get dumped by Microsoft, they left. Also the game is said to release at around 18gb. Just wanted to throw that out there.

Ngeldu5t

I like both videos and they look much better than the previous one released...can`t wait to ride one of these in game

Tymora

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Originally posted by Anofalye

The wyrm look great IMO.  Of course, his flight isn't realist, he should plummel down and crash, but who care?  He prolly have magical powers to enhance his flight so, work fine with me. 
 
I don't like the Pegasus, his wings are too modest IMO.  They may be practical, but they aren't nice.  Wings should be a LOT biggers IMO.  I mean, it is a Pegasus, it is majestuous and you want to underline it.  Anyway, just my opinion.  Wrapping may be realist, but it isn't giving the feeling of a pegasus; I always picture the Pegasus as unable to wrap his wings, might not be realist or practical, but it certainly would be kick ass!    Think of mammals with wings, not birds, it will be a start...then amplify it since a mammal of this size would need an exageration compared to the small mammals with wings.  Then give these wings an "eagle look" (as now) when stretched, but not the eagle folding.  He should look better than the pegasus we keep seeing before watching a movie, now he look smaller and tinier, not cool at all.  Every player saw the pegasus before the movies (can't recall the company atm), it is strongly into every player mind.  You have to make it more majestuous, not less.
 
However, I still think that raiding is not acceptable.  Raiding can't replace unlimited levels.  You can just remove unlimited levels and I would play, but trying to get the benefit of unlimited levels with raiding?  Nah, won't be there; I was burned enought in EQ to avoid EQ2 and WoW, to quit CoH over the HOs and now, to avoid Vanguard...unless they make a raid-free experience, either on a specific raid-free server, or by making raiding really free, setting me free.  By giving exclusive grouping-rewards to raiding, the only way I can set myself free, is by never playing the game.

---

Anofalye, I share your opinions about Raiding.  I rarely, if ever, go on raids in EQ2, and I never did in EQ, but I still enjoyed these two mmorpgs very much, and was able to advance relatively well.  Of course, I was no where near as uber as the players who raided all the time, but I don't play to be under, so I go on raids for the fun of it, with any items I get as a bonus.  If raids were removed from the game, well, that's jusst one less thing we have the option of doing, and it limits the fun we can have in my opinion.

The more things we can chose to do, the better, but I agree that nothing should be seem like it is required to to in order to advance in the game.  Raiding in some games has gotten to be like that, so that if you didn't like to raid, you would fall behind other players and not be as competitive.  Vanguard and EQ2 are primarily a PvE experience, though, so I don't care if I fall behind other players because I don't raid.  So I'd have to disagree with you about removing it from the game.

As far as the movies, I think they look fine.  Lots of detail, nice animations.

korvass

The problem I have with the animations are the lack of gravity.



To
be fair, flight in WoW is well animated. The griffons sag a little
between wing beats, as a heavy creature without a hollow skeleton
would. It looks really good. A sort of dip as gravity pulls the beast
before it's wing pushes it upwards again, creating a sort of realistic
bobbing. Vanguard doesn't have that yet from what I can see, and for
flying mounts it would add the right flare to the animations. But the
wings just sort of flap as it carries on in a straight line.



Oh, and pegasi look a tad ghey when walking backwards.



To be realistic, animations need to have a 'human' random element, otherwise it all looks like nicely textured robotics.

korvass

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Originally posted by paade
first of all,
im not even going to play VG, i think its game mechanics suck. Now
thats out of the way, i just wanted to come in and ridicule all of you.
"Flapping of wings doesnt look real"...? WTF, who gives a shit?!
Its no wonder MMORPGs are going downhill if people whine and cry
something as trivial as wing flapping! Its not supposed to be a fucking
documentary ffs.

/rant off

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Ridicule all
you want, but one of Vanguard's main advertising points is it's high
level of detail and fantasy 'realism'. Wing flapping and animation is
one of those details that will help turn this game into the rich gaming
experience it's being advertised as.



Personally I give a rather large shit about wing flapping. So take your rant and go play Guild Wars.