It's rather ugly (most of the time) and maybe the jerkiness in some places has to do with this..But it's taking away from the experience overall..I think the graphics are pale in some odd way, and the characther/NPC's are horrible..But sure..at times it also rather good looking..Yes i run with very high settings...But its no where close to EQ2..its more like Ac2 or Horizons in graphics..
Well, I left EQ2 4 months ago, played for 2 month till lvl 37. I have purchased EQ2 + Kos + DoF expansions. I have never played these expansions as I was so bored of the game. The magic feeling was missing for me; the game had no soul. (I ported to some of the expansions areas to see how it was... I just saw some added purple and yellow colored grinding grounds that felt completely unconnected to the world).
To me, even if EQ2 is a huge game, it feels like a small world with only 2 cities + to that small world you add many out of the world hunting grounds. I hated the zoning. Vanguard is a completely different game, a huge world, you can discover new cities and travel between cities. I missed the open seamless world so much in EQ2 that I finally left it to go back to L2; to be in 1 huge open world with cities, etc....
As for the graphics, it looks like you are on a lower end system, because on mine it looks like EQ2 + grass + swinging trees +... ; it's the same gfx generation than EQ2 but better.
And the seamless world that is suppose to be the one thing "vanbois" is claiming to be so good etc is just annoying, they have to scale the graphics due to this and all you see now is almost empty huts with brainless NPC's staring at a wall, and even at it's empty state almost everytime you open a door the game engine lags or when you enter a city/village area. I am playing the game with all the settings maxed out, shaders 3 + more enalbed in vgclient.ini + anisotropic 16x. I don't get a single hitch with 2gb ram and an ati x1900xt-512. So I guess you are running a lower end system, and as you say it is probably better for you to play a game that was made for your PC. Voice overs Oh forget about it, it's not voice overs its some really really cheap version of NPC voice..Basically they say Hi and farewell in 1000 diffrent ways, and most of the time its so poor..Well they could have left these voices out of the game since they only destroy the game feeling more..Again..compared to EQ2 this is as bad as it gets..Havent heard voices this bad since germans trying to speak english in their games..And pls..The Vulmane voices really makes me laugh, with some sort of echo effect placed over the already poor voices plus they used the same voice on each and every NPC the only diffrence is male/female...But again voices makes no game, it adds to the overall experience and this is really bad.. Well the game is already 17Gb.. so yes they can add voice overs to bring it to close to 20Gb. I am also looking forward for more voice overs, I agree with you even if voice overs are not so important for me.
Of course the game lacks in some areas, and it is improving. Just give it some time. Do you even have an idea how EQ2 was when it came out ? I tried it and left as it was so bad at that time, EQ2 is a completely different game today.
So what you are actually pointing out as bad points is that VG is an MMO, and has some issues like any other MMO had when it came out...
... so yes, we all have different opinions. What is important to you in a MMORPG is the voice overs. For me it is more important to be in a huge, open, seamless, connected world with so much more possibilities.
Vanguard is OK. That's about as excited as I can get about it.
It has a very simalar overall feel to it as EQ2 but with some idea's borrowed from WOW. That, among other things, makes it in my opinion second generation with a few nice additions, like diplomacy.
The landscapes are nice but the towns and characters aren't so great. The majority of it has been done before, certainly the elves and dwarves theme is a really safe choice. There's a huge amount of world to explore, if there was any reason to explore it. The spells and fighting animation is very average. The quests are standard stuff. And it's slower, and harder work to level than most games, which maybe a good thing for some, but not me.
I'm gonna keep playing for now, mostly because I have friends playing it, but if I make it past level 20 I'll be supprised.
Well based of atleast 5 characthers to lvl around lvl 10(Beta) and one retail characther to lvl 12...These were all played in diffrent areas The BAD It's rather ugly (most of the time) and maybe the jerkiness in some places has to do with this..But it's taking away from the experience overall..I think the graphics are pale in some odd way, and the characther/NPC's are horrible..But sure..at times it also rather good looking..Yes i run with very high settings...But its no where close to EQ2..its more like Ac2 or Horizons in graphics.. And the seamless world that is suppose to be the one thing "vanbois" is claiming to be so good etc is just annoying, they have to scale the graphics due to this and all you see now is almost empty huts with brainless NPC's staring at a wall, and even at it's empty state almost everytime you open a door the game engine lags or when you enter a city/village area. Voice overs Oh forget about it, it's not voice overs its some really really cheap version of NPC voice..Basically they say Hi and farewell in 1000 diffrent ways, and most of the time its so poor..Well they could have left these voices out of the game since they only destroy the game feeling more..Again..compared to EQ2 this is as bad as it gets..Havent heard voices this bad since germans trying to speak english in their games..And pls..The Vulmane voices really makes me laugh, with some sort of echo effect placed over the already poor voices plus they used the same voice on each and every NPC the only diffrence is male/female...But again voices makes no game, it adds to the overall experience and this is really bad.. The Good.. Its rather fun and addictive game so far...plenty of quests playing as a Vulmane and some are rather fun..a good improvement since beta,,I think.. The combat is rather fun so far, better than beta.. /Thark
Well your point about the voiceovers is correct. I thought they detracted from the overall quality of the experience. But, as I get used to them they no longer bother
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon. In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
As for the graphics, it looks like you are on a lower end system, because on mine it looks like EQ2 + grass + swinging trees +... ; it's the same gfx generation than EQ2 but better.
I am playing the game with all the settings maxed out, shaders 3 + more enalbed in vgclient.ini + anisotropic 16x. I don't get a single hitch with 2gb ram and an ati x1900xt-512. So I guess you are running a lower end system, and as you say it is probably better for you to play a game that was made for your PC.
Well..Normally i dont brag with my computer details in a public forum..But I do have a good enough comp to run VG in 20-40 FPS depending on location with the highest settings, part from some things like Anifiltering etc like you mention..But its good for you that you don't get a single hitch with your settings maxed , you must be proud of yourself
And I dont think its the same gfx generation, It think EQ2 is better over all, the water, the animations, the voice, the characther graphics is all far superior "over all" campared to VG . Just one thing that isnt better in EQ2 and that is "a real open ended world" and in this I would agree if there was as much details in the gameworld as EQ2 has in their buildings and dungeons, or if the NPC's was even close to as life like as they are in EQ2 or etc etc..And this is also the sole reason why EQ2 is built like this, because they can make the smaller zones more interessting with a more fluid gameplay aswell..Sure Vanguard has swaying grass and trees drawn with the rather uninspiring Speedtree engine I'd say,but this doesnt cut it in 2007 or seems like a short cut in design for getting trees and grass..
Even thou it's many times a matter of taste, when it comes to gfx, I dont think this is relevant in this case "VAnguard is "overall" more ugly than EQ2 but has a few "hotspots" that are very nice..
But as you say..I dont have a good enough comp for VG...So can you please tell Sigil that they need to alter the recommended specks for the game so they match your PC..:) Ohh they can even add you name to it..Why not call it The BigMango setting for fluid gameplay..
Only 250 votes? Are we at the end of this posts usefullness?
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon. In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
As for the graphics, it looks like you are on a lower end system, because on mine it looks like EQ2 + grass + swinging trees +... ; it's the same gfx generation than EQ2 but better.
And I dont think its the same gfx generation, It think EQ2 is better over all, the water, the animations, the voice, the characther graphics is all far superior "over all" campared to VG .
Do you even have an idea what a gfx generation is ? This is about engine technology. You are not talking about gfx generation, you are talking about design. These are 2 different things.
You can make VG look exactly the same as EQ2 with the same design. Design is a matter of taste.
Regarding the water, I have enabled shaders 3 in VG and the EQ2 water looks in no way better. But I do agree that the characters animations and voices are better in EQ2, but imho this does not mean that VG's character animations are bad, I find them to be very nice. Again, this is design, not gfx generation.
Just one thing that isnt better in EQ2 and that is "a real open ended world" and in this I would agree if there was as much details in the gameworld as EQ2 has in their buildings and dungeons, or if the NPC's was even close to as life like as they are in EQ2 or etc etc..And this is also the sole reason why EQ2 is built like this, because they can make the smaller zones more interessting with a more fluid gameplay aswell..Sure Vanguard has swaying grass and trees drawn with the rather uninspiring Speedtree engine I'd say,but this doesnt cut it in 2007 or seems like a short cut in design for getting trees and grass..
Well as I said VG is the same gfx generation as EQ2, so there is a limited amount of things you can do with an engine. They have added speedtree for grass and trees in VG and this is imho a very nice evolution.
You can fairly say that the vanguard engine is about EQ2+speed tree, so yes, the VG technology is better even though they are about the same. What you are talking about is design and this is a matter of taste. Many people have even pointed out that the Wow gfx is better than VG; they said the same for EQ2 and other games.
For me a beautiful country side with swaying grass is more important than voiceovers (I don't say good voice overs are not nice to have) so if this is not enough you need to wait for an MMORPG of the next generation. But there is currently no MMORPG on the market with a better engine and a more complete world, if you can point me to one, please tell me What I see is that VG took the best of the currant and past MMORPGs and put it into one seamless world.
Yes the world is huge and as you say some details are still missing, like furnitures and activity is some place like inside of some houses. But do you realize that EQ2 is now 3 years old, they have been working on polish and details for 3 years now (as well as fixing the whole game as EQ2 was so bad when it started out).
But as I said, what you are complaining about is that VG in an MMORPG. And has the same flaws all of the MMORPGs had at launch. I agree that all the mmo game developers should completely polish and finish their games at release. VG is not different that the other mmos is this aspect.
It really looks like you have not seen EQ2 at launch. It was a very bad game during its first year. It released in 2004; people were frustrated all over because of the performance; no one was able to play at max setting before summer 2006. And so many people left the game in frustration because of the many flaws the game had.
I have played the new EQ2 4 months ago, for 2 months, before I left because the game had imho no soul and even tho it is a huge game, it feels like a small world with only 2 cities and many hunting grounds that feel to be out of that world.
I can assure you, EQ2 is a completely different game compared to the fiasco it was a launch. So yes, VG has the same flaws other mmos had, and this is what you are complaining about.
But as you say..I dont have a good enough comp for VG...So can you please tell Sigil that they need to alter the recommended specks for the game so they match your PC..:) Ohh they can even add you name to it..Why not call it The BigMango setting for fluid gameplay..
I agree that the recommended specs are a nonsense. This game also needs a dual core CPU, at least at max settings (I get the same hitching as may when I run the game on a single core, this is a non issue when using both cores), so I understand why so many people can be frustrated. I have seen the same frustration at EQ2's launch, all over; this will be fixed after some time as it was in EQ2.
I understand your frustration, but there is no need to be sarcastic here. Also, try to understand that if you are having problems it does not mean that every one else is in the same situation.
There is a lot to do and some freedom and fresh air. The size of the world is not just eyecandy, but has impact on the gameplay. Very immersive. I like that. If it wouldnt be class and level based it would be 4th generation for me. But thats my very own dream of a mmorpg. Will try to hit 50 and try to visit every bit of the map.
Every time I bump this topic, I get another 25 votes and some great insightful posts Please continue !
In all honesty, I moved up my PC upgrade timings due to Vanguard. Also, I bought better components than I would normally buy. I bought a top of the line video card (8800 gtx) and expensive, high speed dominator RAM. Perhaps if I bought VG and played it on my older (but certainly not OLD) system, I wouldn't be loving life as much as I am in VG. However, my buddy plays VG as often as I and he has an amd 2.0 ghz with a video card that cost him $400 two years ago. After a week of vanguard, he did upgrade from 1MB to 2MB or ram and he said it made a noticeable difference in VG.
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon. In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
Some people may enjoy paying to beta test a game, having your characters xp, money, items disappear, having the nerf bats out in full force during the first week, etc. but as for me personally, I like that when I earn something I get to keep it, and if a class functions a certain way and has a certain role it shouldn't be changed so much as to completely alter or remove their purpose.
Gaming? That's not gaming! That's just people sat 'round in costumes drinking...
/gasping for air. Keep...topic...on...first...page...
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon. In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
It is 3rd generation, and I'm saying that because it seems most folks dont understand what generation means. It does NOT mean that it's better than previous generations, it means that it's essentially the children of previous generations. UO and EQ were first gen, and the makers of games like EQ2 and WoW had a chance to see what worked, learn from it, and use that to their advantage. With a 2-3 year span in between 'em, Vanguard started out as 2nd gen, but it's had a chance to learn from EQ2 and WoW, and see what worked there. It's 3rd generation by the simple standard that if you look up the work generation, it meets the qualifications. Generation has NOTHING to do with improvement. Are children better than their parents just because they came after?
While I dont think Vanguard has introduced too much that was earth shaking and incredible, what it has done, is take some of the best elements from previous games, and put them all together. Granted that's my point of view, but to me, having those things under one roof makes Vanguard potentially a good game.
It's been a typical release so far, about what anyone would expect, and I enjoy Vanguard, and think that it's been plenty of fun for me so far. However, if Vanguard is going to reach it's long term potential, Sigil is going to have to iron out bugs, fix balancing, and keep adding content ( you know, stuff ANY developing company has to do ) if Sigil can do that in a reasonable amount of time, I'm sure I'll stick around because it's got some good stuff that I enjoy, and if Sigil supports it, and continues to work for it's playerbase, its all good.
Having said all that, it's not a game for everyone.
Excellent point Baikal. You summed up what I was thinking. If you look only at VG's gameplay, it is vastly improved from previous MMOs. From everything to grouping to dying, VG offers rich features and options. I never played WoW based on what I heard from friends (not forums); but I assume WoW does not have these enhancements? I think the big enhancement WoW offered was no death penalty and instancing...
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon. In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
It is 3rd generation, and I'm saying that because it seems most folks dont understand what generation means. It does NOT mean that it's better than previous generations, it means that it's essentially the children of previous generations.
Absolutely.
Here is an extract of what was posted by one of the devs on the beta forums:
THIRD GENERATION
We have said time and again that Third Generation has to do with time period. Do a search on these very forums or our FAQ.
The time period means that we have the ability to look at all competing products since MUDs, UO, EQ, WoW, EQ2, and a myriad of other games in order to refine Vanguard.
Some features that are not available in other games are available in Vanguard, such as diplomacy. Not every feature will be completely new and different. We will not be different for the sake of being different.
We are evolutionary not revolutionary at our core and have stated that for years.
We have and are trying some additional revolutionary things on top of a very core solid base. We will continue to add additional features up until launch and well beyond (such as RTS style city building/upgrading, which we hope to implement post launch in an expansion.).
3rd generation would mean it had something the current generation of MMORPG's did not have. Unless I missed some MASSIVE feature that has never been done before before VG:soh ...
As for 3rd generation or not.... Nope. 3rd generation would mean it had something the current generation of MMORPG's did not have. Unless I missed some MASSIVE feature that has never been done before before VG:soh ... ....So no, most certainly not 3rd Generation.
Well, just check my above post regarding Sigil's definition of 3rd gen.
According to you, it's not 3rd gen, because even 2nd gen does not exists yet ? Because, according to your definition I don't see how what everyone is calling 2nd gen is different from what everyone is calling 1st gen.
An MMORPG is still an MMORPG. So we are still in 1st gen today.
As for the graphics, it looks like you are on a lower end system, because on mine it looks like EQ2 + grass + swinging trees +... ; it's the same gfx generation than EQ2 but better.
And I dont think its the same gfx generation, It think EQ2 is better over all, the water, the animations, the voice, the characther graphics is all far superior "over all" campared to VG .
Do you even have an idea what a gfx generation is ? This is about engine technology. You are not talking about gfx generation, you are talking about design. These are 2 different things.
You can make VG look exactly the same as EQ2 with the same design. Design is a matter of taste.
Regarding the water, I have enabled shaders 3 in VG and the EQ2 water looks in no way better. But I do agree that the characters animations and voices are better in EQ2, but imho this does not mean that VG's character animations are bad, I find them to be very nice. Again, this is design, not gfx generation.
Just one thing that isnt better in EQ2 and that is "a real open ended world" and in this I would agree if there was as much details in the gameworld as EQ2 has in their buildings and dungeons, or if the NPC's was even close to as life like as they are in EQ2 or etc etc..And this is also the sole reason why EQ2 is built like this, because they can make the smaller zones more interessting with a more fluid gameplay aswell..Sure Vanguard has swaying grass and trees drawn with the rather uninspiring Speedtree engine I'd say,but this doesnt cut it in 2007 or seems like a short cut in design for getting trees and grass..
Well as I said VG is the same gfx generation as EQ2, so there is a limited amount of things you can do with an engine. They have added speedtree for grass and trees in VG and this is imho a very nice evolution.
You can fairly say that the vanguard engine is about EQ2+speed tree, so yes, the VG technology is better even though they are about the same. What you are talking about is design and this is a matter of taste. Many people have even pointed out that the Wow gfx is better than VG; they said the same for EQ2 and other games.
For me a beautiful country side with swaying grass is more important than voiceovers (I don't say good voice overs are not nice to have) so if this is not enough you need to wait for an MMORPG of the next generation. But there is currently no MMORPG on the market with a better engine and a more complete world, if you can point me to one, please tell me What I see is that VG took the best of the currant and past MMORPGs and put it into one seamless world.
Yes the world is huge and as you say some details are still missing, like furnitures and activity is some place like inside of some houses. But do you realize that EQ2 is now 3 years old, they have been working on polish and details for 3 years now (as well as fixing the whole game as EQ2 was so bad when it started out).
But as I said, what you are complaining about is that VG in an MMORPG. And has the same flaws all of the MMORPGs had at launch. I agree that all the mmo game developers should completely polish and finish their games at release. VG is not different that the other mmos is this aspect.
It really looks like you have not seen EQ2 at launch. It was a very bad game during its first year. It released in 2004; people were frustrated all over because of the performance; no one was able to play at max setting before summer 2006. And so many people left the game in frustration because of the many flaws the game had.
I have played the new EQ2 4 months ago, for 2 months, before I left because the game had imho no soul and even tho it is a huge game, it feels like a small world with only 2 cities and many hunting grounds that feel to be out of that world.
I can assure you, EQ2 is a completely different game compared to the fiasco it was a launch. So yes, VG has the same flaws other mmos had, and this is what you are complaining about.
But as you say..I dont have a good enough comp for VG...So can you please tell Sigil that they need to alter the recommended specks for the game so they match your PC..:) Ohh they can even add you name to it..Why not call it The BigMango setting for fluid gameplay..
I agree that the recommended specs are a nonsense. This game also needs a dual core CPU, at least at max settings (I get the same hitching as may when I run the game on a single core, this is a non issue when using both cores), so I understand why so many people can be frustrated. I have seen the same frustration at EQ2's launch, all over; this will be fixed after some time as it was in EQ2.
I understand your frustration, but there is no need to be sarcastic here. Also, try to understand that if you are having problems it does not mean that every one else is in the same situation.
Well..I know the diffrence between design and gfx engine, and I think VG runs with an old outdated engine to say the least..(Unreal 2 engine if im not mistaken, when there is currently a Unreal 3 engine..) Vanguard is not running the next gen gfx..not by a long shot
And yes I have been in EQ2 since the start, and ofcourse EQ2 had lots of performance problems for alot of people (Including me) but that doesnt stop me from saying that i think VG looks worse, atleast on my system it does..
PS..I will try Shader 3..and see if it makes any diffrence with the water
I think VG runs with an old outdated engine to say the least..(Unreal 2 engine if im not mistaken, when there is currently a Unreal 3 engine..) Vanguard is not running the next gen gfx..not by a long shot
As per Sigil's comments VG is running an "in house" engine. The basis is the latest build of the unreal engine 2,5 heavily patched with parts of the unreal engine 3 as well as many in house improvements. Add speedtree for the viewing distance + grass & trees animations.
Technology wise, even if this is not the holly grail yet, it is the most cutting edge of any MMORPG to date. If you want a good example, try one of the flying mounts and you will see what this means.
As for what I myself see as some more examples of huge improvements, I have never seen another MMORPG with a viewing distance, swaying grass and trees as good as in VG.
PS: as for the water with shaders 3 enabled, I have not seen any more beautiful wave effects, even in single player games. It is only missing some foam effects with the waves hitting the sand on the beach. Even the water in the latest games, like Gothic 3 for example, does not look better. (I agree that the EQ2 water was also nice).
played it today and i got that "logging into your first ever MMO" feeling which i ahve been trying to achieve ever since my first MMO. Great job sigil
Hehe, you will get that feeling again once you get your first flying mount. When I was hearing about it (in beta) I didn't think much of it, but I can assure you that experiencing the real thing is nothing like talking about it
I think VG runs with an old outdated engine to say the least..(Unreal 2 engine if im not mistaken, when there is currently a Unreal 3 engine..) Vanguard is not running the next gen gfx..not by a long shot
As per Sigil's comments VG is running an "in house" engine. The basis is the latest build of the unreal engine 2,5 heavily patched with parts of the unreal engine 3 as well as many in house improvements. Add speedtree for the viewing distance + grass & trees animations.
Technology wise, even if this is not the holly grail yet, it is the most cutting edge of any MMORPG to date. If you want a good example, try one of the flying mounts and you will see what this means.
As for what I myself see as some more examples of huge improvements, I have never seen another MMORPG with a viewing distance, swaying grass and trees as good as in VG.
PS: as for the water with shaders 3 enabled, I have not seen any more beautiful wave effects, even in single player games. It is only missing some foam effects with the waves hitting the sand on the beach. Even the water in the latest games, like Gothic 3 for example, does not look better. (I agree that the EQ2 water was also nice).
You sure seem persistent, I'll give you that..:) But I still believe Vanguard's engine is sub par compared to the EQ2 engine, you may try to convince me as much as you like..And I will not try to argue with you any more..For me Vanguard has sub par graphics campared to many games out there, but it has it's nice spots.
Also, you seem very impressed with the grass and the trees for some reason...Atleast EQ2 tries to make their own grass and trees, hey the grass and vegitation is even animated as you pass through it and so is the water, havent seen that in VG, maybe if I buy a new computer ?
Comments
It is not 3rd gen, but it takes the best of most of the current and past MMORPGs and puts it all together into 1 huge, rich, open, seamless world.
Vanguard is OK. That's about as excited as I can get about it.
It has a very simalar overall feel to it as EQ2 but with some idea's borrowed from WOW. That, among other things, makes it in my opinion second generation with a few nice additions, like diplomacy.
The landscapes are nice but the towns and characters aren't so great. The majority of it has been done before, certainly the elves and dwarves theme is a really safe choice. There's a huge amount of world to explore, if there was any reason to explore it. The spells and fighting animation is very average. The quests are standard stuff. And it's slower, and harder work to level than most games, which maybe a good thing for some, but not me.
I'm gonna keep playing for now, mostly because I have friends playing it, but if I make it past level 20 I'll be supprised.
Well your point about the voiceovers is correct. I thought they detracted from the overall quality of the experience. But, as I get used to them they no longer bother
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon.
In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
Well..Normally i dont brag with my computer details in a public forum..But I do have a good enough comp to run VG in 20-40 FPS depending on location with the highest settings, part from some things like Anifiltering etc like you mention..But its good for you that you don't get a single hitch with your settings maxed , you must be proud of yourself
And I dont think its the same gfx generation, It think EQ2 is better over all, the water, the animations, the voice, the characther graphics is all far superior "over all" campared to VG . Just one thing that isnt better in EQ2 and that is "a real open ended world" and in this I would agree if there was as much details in the gameworld as EQ2 has in their buildings and dungeons, or if the NPC's was even close to as life like as they are in EQ2 or etc etc..And this is also the sole reason why EQ2 is built like this, because they can make the smaller zones more interessting with a more fluid gameplay aswell..Sure Vanguard has swaying grass and trees drawn with the rather uninspiring Speedtree engine I'd say,but this doesnt cut it in 2007 or seems like a short cut in design for getting trees and grass..
Even thou it's many times a matter of taste, when it comes to gfx, I dont think this is relevant in this case "VAnguard is "overall" more ugly than EQ2 but has a few "hotspots" that are very nice..
But as you say..I dont have a good enough comp for VG...So can you please tell Sigil that they need to alter the recommended specks for the game so they match your PC..:) Ohh they can even add you name to it..Why not call it The BigMango setting
for fluid gameplay..
/Thark
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon.
In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
And I dont think its the same gfx generation, It think EQ2 is better over all, the water, the animations, the voice, the characther graphics is all far superior "over all" campared to VG .
Do you even have an idea what a gfx generation is ? This is about engine technology. You are not talking about gfx generation, you are talking about design. These are 2 different things.
You can make VG look exactly the same as EQ2 with the same design. Design is a matter of taste.
Regarding the water, I have enabled shaders 3 in VG and the EQ2 water looks in no way better. But I do agree that the characters animations and voices are better in EQ2, but imho this does not mean that VG's character animations are bad, I find them to be very nice. Again, this is design, not gfx generation.
Just one thing that isnt better in EQ2 and that is "a real open ended world" and in this I would agree if there was as much details in the gameworld as EQ2 has in their buildings and dungeons, or if the NPC's was even close to as life like as they are in EQ2 or etc etc..And this is also the sole reason why EQ2 is built like this, because they can make the smaller zones more interessting with a more fluid gameplay aswell..Sure Vanguard has swaying grass and trees drawn with the rather uninspiring Speedtree engine I'd say,but this doesnt cut it in 2007 or seems like a short cut in design for getting trees and grass..
Well as I said VG is the same gfx generation as EQ2, so there is a limited amount of things you can do with an engine. They have added speedtree for grass and trees in VG and this is imho a very nice evolution.
You can fairly say that the vanguard engine is about EQ2+speed tree, so yes, the VG technology is better even though they are about the same. What you are talking about is design and this is a matter of taste. Many people have even pointed out that the Wow gfx is better than VG; they said the same for EQ2 and other games.
For me a beautiful country side with swaying grass is more important than voiceovers (I don't say good voice overs are not nice to have) so if this is not enough you need to wait for an MMORPG of the next generation. But there is currently no MMORPG on the market with a better engine and a more complete world, if you can point me to one, please tell me
Yes the world is huge and as you say some details are still missing, like furnitures and activity is some place like inside of some houses. But do you realize that EQ2 is now 3 years old, they have been working on polish and details for 3 years now (as well as fixing the whole game as EQ2 was so bad when it started out).
But as I said, what you are complaining about is that VG in an MMORPG. And has the same flaws all of the MMORPGs had at launch. I agree that all the mmo game developers should completely polish and finish their games at release. VG is not different that the other mmos is this aspect.
It really looks like you have not seen EQ2 at launch. It was a very bad game during its first year. It released in 2004; people were frustrated all over because of the performance; no one was able to play at max setting before summer 2006. And so many people left the game in frustration because of the many flaws the game had.I have played the new EQ2 4 months ago, for 2 months, before I left because the game had imho no soul and even tho it is a huge game, it feels like a small world with only 2 cities and many hunting grounds that feel to be out of that world.
I can assure you, EQ2 is a completely different game compared to the fiasco it was a launch. So yes, VG has the same flaws other mmos had, and this is what you are complaining about.
But as you say..I dont have a good enough comp for VG...So can you please tell Sigil that they need to alter the recommended specks for the game so they match your PC..:) Ohh they can even add you name to it..Why not call it The BigMango setting
for fluid gameplay..
I agree that the recommended specs are a nonsense. This game also needs a dual core CPU, at least at max settings (I get the same hitching as may when I run the game on a single core, this is a non issue when using both cores), so I understand why so many people can be frustrated. I have seen the same frustration at EQ2's launch, all over; this will be fixed after some time as it was in EQ2.
I understand your frustration, but there is no need to be sarcastic here. Also, try to understand that if you are having problems it does not mean that every one else is in the same situation."This is not a game to be tossed aside lightly.
It should be thrown with great force"
There is a lot to do and some freedom and fresh air. The size of the world is not just eyecandy, but has impact on the gameplay. Very immersive. I like that. If it wouldnt be class and level based it would be 4th generation for me. But thats my very own dream of a mmorpg. Will try to hit 50 and try to visit every bit of the map.
Every time I bump this topic, I get another 25 votes and some great insightful posts
Please continue !
In all honesty, I moved up my PC upgrade timings due to Vanguard. Also, I bought better components than I would normally buy. I bought a top of the line video card (8800 gtx) and expensive, high speed dominator RAM. Perhaps if I bought VG and played it on my older (but certainly not OLD) system, I wouldn't be loving life as much as I am in VG. However, my buddy plays VG as often as I and he has an amd 2.0 ghz with a video card that cost him $400 two years ago. After a week of vanguard, he did upgrade from 1MB to 2MB or ram and he said it made a noticeable difference in VG.
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon.
In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
The game's concept and idea is great.
The execution of that concept is lacking.
Some people may enjoy paying to beta test a game, having your characters xp, money, items disappear, having the nerf bats out in full force during the first week, etc. but as for me personally, I like that when I earn something I get to keep it, and if a class functions a certain way and has a certain role it shouldn't be changed so much as to completely alter or remove their purpose.
Gaming? That's not gaming!
That's just people sat 'round in costumes drinking...
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon.
In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
It is 3rd generation, and I'm saying that because it seems most folks dont understand what generation means. It does NOT mean that it's better than previous generations, it means that it's essentially the children of previous generations. UO and EQ were first gen, and the makers of games like EQ2 and WoW had a chance to see what worked, learn from it, and use that to their advantage. With a 2-3 year span in between 'em, Vanguard started out as 2nd gen, but it's had a chance to learn from EQ2 and WoW, and see what worked there. It's 3rd generation by the simple standard that if you look up the work generation, it meets the qualifications. Generation has NOTHING to do with improvement. Are children better than their parents just because they came after?
While I dont think Vanguard has introduced too much that was earth shaking and incredible, what it has done, is take some of the best elements from previous games, and put them all together. Granted that's my point of view, but to me, having those things under one roof makes Vanguard potentially a good game.
It's been a typical release so far, about what anyone would expect, and I enjoy Vanguard, and think that it's been plenty of fun for me so far. However, if Vanguard is going to reach it's long term potential, Sigil is going to have to iron out bugs, fix balancing, and keep adding content ( you know, stuff ANY developing company has to do ) if Sigil can do that in a reasonable amount of time, I'm sure I'll stick around because it's got some good stuff that I enjoy, and if Sigil supports it, and continues to work for it's playerbase, its all good.
Having said all that, it's not a game for everyone.
Excellent point Baikal. You summed up what I was thinking. If you look only at VG's gameplay, it is vastly improved from previous MMOs. From everything to grouping to dying, VG offers rich features and options. I never played WoW based on what I heard from friends (not forums); but I assume WoW does not have these enhancements? I think the big enhancement WoW offered was no death penalty and instancing...
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon.
In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
Forum Poll
How do you like VG?
Just to recap the poll stats.
Here is an extract of what was posted by one of the devs on the beta forums:
THIRD GENERATION
As for 3rd generation or not....
Nope.
3rd generation would mean it had something the current generation of MMORPG's did not have. Unless I missed some MASSIVE feature that has never been done before before VG:soh ...
....So no, most certainly not 3rd Generation.
According to you, it's not 3rd gen, because even 2nd gen does not exists yet ? Because, according to your definition I don't see how what everyone is calling 2nd gen is different from what everyone is calling 1st gen.
An MMORPG is still an MMORPG. So we are still in 1st gen today.
And I dont think its the same gfx generation, It think EQ2 is better over all, the water, the animations, the voice, the characther graphics is all far superior "over all" campared to VG .
Do you even have an idea what a gfx generation is ? This is about engine technology. You are not talking about gfx generation, you are talking about design. These are 2 different things.
You can make VG look exactly the same as EQ2 with the same design. Design is a matter of taste.
Regarding the water, I have enabled shaders 3 in VG and the EQ2 water looks in no way better. But I do agree that the characters animations and voices are better in EQ2, but imho this does not mean that VG's character animations are bad, I find them to be very nice. Again, this is design, not gfx generation.
Just one thing that isnt better in EQ2 and that is "a real open ended world" and in this I would agree if there was as much details in the gameworld as EQ2 has in their buildings and dungeons, or if the NPC's was even close to as life like as they are in EQ2 or etc etc..And this is also the sole reason why EQ2 is built like this, because they can make the smaller zones more interessting with a more fluid gameplay aswell..Sure Vanguard has swaying grass and trees drawn with the rather uninspiring Speedtree engine I'd say,but this doesnt cut it in 2007 or seems like a short cut in design for getting trees and grass..
Well as I said VG is the same gfx generation as EQ2, so there is a limited amount of things you can do with an engine. They have added speedtree for grass and trees in VG and this is imho a very nice evolution.
You can fairly say that the vanguard engine is about EQ2+speed tree, so yes, the VG technology is better even though they are about the same. What you are talking about is design and this is a matter of taste. Many people have even pointed out that the Wow gfx is better than VG; they said the same for EQ2 and other games.
For me a beautiful country side with swaying grass is more important than voiceovers (I don't say good voice overs are not nice to have) so if this is not enough you need to wait for an MMORPG of the next generation. But there is currently no MMORPG on the market with a better engine and a more complete world, if you can point me to one, please tell me
Yes the world is huge and as you say some details are still missing, like furnitures and activity is some place like inside of some houses. But do you realize that EQ2 is now 3 years old, they have been working on polish and details for 3 years now (as well as fixing the whole game as EQ2 was so bad when it started out).
But as I said, what you are complaining about is that VG in an MMORPG. And has the same flaws all of the MMORPGs had at launch. I agree that all the mmo game developers should completely polish and finish their games at release. VG is not different that the other mmos is this aspect.
It really looks like you have not seen EQ2 at launch. It was a very bad game during its first year. It released in 2004; people were frustrated all over because of the performance; no one was able to play at max setting before summer 2006. And so many people left the game in frustration because of the many flaws the game had.I have played the new EQ2 4 months ago, for 2 months, before I left because the game had imho no soul and even tho it is a huge game, it feels like a small world with only 2 cities and many hunting grounds that feel to be out of that world.
I can assure you, EQ2 is a completely different game compared to the fiasco it was a launch. So yes, VG has the same flaws other mmos had, and this is what you are complaining about.
But as you say..I dont have a good enough comp for VG...So can you please tell Sigil that they need to alter the recommended specks for the game so they match your PC..:) Ohh they can even add you name to it..Why not call it The BigMango setting
for fluid gameplay..
I agree that the recommended specs are a nonsense. This game also needs a dual core CPU, at least at max settings (I get the same hitching as may when I run the game on a single core, this is a non issue when using both cores), so I understand why so many people can be frustrated. I have seen the same frustration at EQ2's launch, all over; this will be fixed after some time as it was in EQ2.
I understand your frustration, but there is no need to be sarcastic here. Also, try to understand that if you are having problems it does not mean that every one else is in the same situation.Well..I know the diffrence between design and gfx engine, and I think VG runs with an old outdated engine to say the least..(Unreal 2 engine if im not mistaken, when there is currently a Unreal 3 engine..) Vanguard is not running the next gen gfx..not by a long shot
And yes I have been in EQ2 since the start, and ofcourse EQ2 had lots of performance problems for alot of people (Including me) but that doesnt stop me from saying that i think VG looks worse, atleast on my system it does..
PS..I will try Shader 3..and see if it makes any diffrence with the water
/Thark
Technology wise, even if this is not the holly grail yet, it is the most cutting edge of any MMORPG to date. If you want a good example, try one of the flying mounts and you will see what this means.
As for what I myself see as some more examples of huge improvements, I have never seen another MMORPG with a viewing distance, swaying grass and trees as good as in VG.
PS: as for the water with shaders 3 enabled, I have not seen any more beautiful wave effects, even in single player games. It is only missing some foam effects with the waves hitting the sand on the beach. Even the water in the latest games, like Gothic 3 for example, does not look better. (I agree that the EQ2 water was also nice).
played it today and i got that "logging into your first ever MMO" feeling which i ahve been trying to achieve ever since my first MMO.
Great job sigil
Technology wise, even if this is not the holly grail yet, it is the most cutting edge of any MMORPG to date. If you want a good example, try one of the flying mounts and you will see what this means.
As for what I myself see as some more examples of huge improvements, I have never seen another MMORPG with a viewing distance, swaying grass and trees as good as in VG.
PS: as for the water with shaders 3 enabled, I have not seen any more beautiful wave effects, even in single player games. It is only missing some foam effects with the waves hitting the sand on the beach. Even the water in the latest games, like Gothic 3 for example, does not look better. (I agree that the EQ2 water was also nice).
You sure seem persistent, I'll give you that..:) But I still believe Vanguard's engine is sub par compared to the EQ2 engine, you may try to convince me as much as you like..And I will not try to argue with you any more..For me Vanguard has sub par graphics campared to many games out there, but it has it's nice spots.
Also, you seem very impressed with the grass and the trees for some reason...Atleast EQ2 tries to make their own grass and trees, hey the grass and vegitation is even animated as you pass through it and so is the water, havent seen that in VG, maybe if I buy a new computer ?
/Thark