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Should Vanguard relaunch like Darkfall is doing?
MMOExposed
Member RarePosts: 7,400
Should this game simply relaunch like Darkfall is doing?
I know rumors is that Sony don't want Vanguard to compete with EQ2, but logically that makes little sense, because Sony owns both. The better each does, the more money they make.
So why not relaunch Vanguard as Vanguard 2. Add more gameplay elements that people like now days along with more sandbox elements that is a growing trend now days.
also I wouldn't overlook PvP this time around. That was a bad mistake in my opinion. PvP should be important, but not something that will own the game like in most Sandbox MMO.
also dynamic events, at least on a large scale like Rift's Zone Invasions, or the boss fights in GW2 would be a welcome feature.
and honestly, I feel the game should move away from Levels and the Level grind. Yeah that's old school and all, but it's not really that important in the long run. Look at Darkfall. It has a huge world, and no player levels. Gamepla, fun, skills, and rewards should be enough progression
levels only bring forth the rush mentality since people feel restricted from playing a certain element that they feel they would like.
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
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What you are suggesting would change the game into something completely different. A game I would not play at all. I am not a fan of Rift or GW2 and would not want any of the features from those games put into Vanguard at all. I am pretty sure most current Vanguard players would agree with me.
Vanguard should be wiped off the face of the planet and a new developer should work on something Vanguard-like. An open world themepark, with a diplomacy-like card game, open world dungeons, a solid amount of difficulty that isn't purely focused on end game raiding, interesting crafting, a more user friendly gameplay experience, and the removal of the insane amount of bugs (like falling through the world, extreme ping and extreme hitching) might make for a fun and interesting MMORPG.
But Vanguard? It should have been cremated years ago in my opinion.
Who cares if you will play it or not? if you want Vanguard to survive they need to revamp the game. Vanguard has half-dead for 5 years now, it will take 1-2 years before it will be dead if they continue like this.
You are talking about making a new game, and SoE is already making VG2, it's called EQNext
PS: I don't think that the lack of PvP was a mistake................the game was a mess for about a year after launch.
PvE MMOs are perfectly viable.
This ^^
Vangaurd isnt half as bad as it was back in the day. And lack of pvp for this is actually " OK " imo.
Vanguard is a fantastic game right now.. I dont agree with the big dog at all. I'm enjoying it for what it is until it fades away. It will never be huge and I'm ok with that. It has such an amazing community. I don't need millions of people to hang out with. And when it comes to content, you can play it for a couple of years and not see everything. I saw all of TSW in about a month and all of GW2 in about a month..
"You are all going to poop yourselves." BillMurphy
"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone."
SOE cares if I play or not. The majority of players likely feel the same way as I do. The reason people like playing a game like Vanguard is because all those console kiddy games hold no interest for them, so why turn it into one?
I really don't believe they need to add any of the solutions suggested by the OP that give the current ADD generation their quick fix. They just need to fix the current lag and bugs. I admit SOE has been really horrible at doing it (5 years to fix this crap, come on!), but they have recently put more investment into development of the game than they have in years.
So, time will tell if it finally dies or attracts and retains enough of a playerbase to be profitable. SOE is obviously confident enough that the latter is within reach.
I would agree with you and I would love Vanguard with all my heart and play it everyday....but I can't! After weeks of support via tickets, with over 20+ answears SOE still can't solve the problem, that the game crash when you click "Play". There are so many out there having the same problem, and still they can't fix it. I have done everything they have said, but to be honest, the launch-pad/client is broken! I am so angry and mad because there is NO SOLUTION! Everything was fine until they imported the F2P update. I know alot of people who are as angry as I am and SOE don't take time to fix the problem. They have lost many players because of this, I can tell ya.....grrr!
On topic: I would be more happier if they could fix the currently issues. Because after months of problem, ignoring the playerbase (never thought I would say this about SOE), it proves that they can't handle it. Sure, it is kinda stable right now, but a relaunch...no way! That be a very bad idea, from a company that can't handle easy issues!
VGs development team has been gone for a couple of years now. Many of the bugs and issues with the game core were never fixed, and it's not polised enough that one could just use it as it is and add content. Without the original devs it's really hard and painful process for a dev team who doesn't know the game to try fix its existing bugs and content to the point where it might be financially profitable to add a lot of new features and content.
VG is dying, and it's not sensible to do anything to that. Better to leave it be and focus on new projects.
No. It doesn't need a relaunch. It's systems are fun as is. What it needs is developers and funding. An expansion with some advertising.
vanguard was actually fun if yourr computer could run it. Darkfall was just unbalanced.
Tell that to the development team they just put on the game that have had 5 patches in the last month fixing bugs and making changes. Ohh yes and the new high level content that is being put into the game this month. City of Brass
For those that don't seem aware, they have recently added several new devs to the team and have been restructuring so that they can hammer out the bugs as well as release new content. They are working up to a semi-schedule of fixes and releases.
After being on life support with virtually no development for so long, it's just taking a bit to get organized.
I'm just saying that VG is far from dead and SoE is finally giving it the attention it's needed for a long time.
Carry on, just wanted some accurate information in the thread regarding the game.
I admit I am ignorant to everything vanguard in the last few years. However, if they truly have picked this moment to pump money into vanguard, then that just shows how colossal their screwup on this has been. Had the game not been rushed out the door early....had the early bugs gotten stamped out sooner. It could have been a really epic game. So many ifs. If there is one common theme about this game, its mismanagement. I cannot understand why they are doing anything more than milking this thing dry.
I know that sounds pretty harsh to any Vanguard players. Just to be clear as deeply in love with EQ1 as I am(favorite of all time), I would say the same for it too.
Let me stop you right there.
SOE already did a NGE with SWG. They don't need to do one with Vanguard like how Aventurine is doing one with Darkfall.
Plus if they would relaunch, I would hope they'd do it in a quality manner.
Don't get your hopes up for a lot of investment by SOE, they're just making the game playable enough to make the Station Pass tastier. I highly doubt they think the game would ever be worth the sheer amount of investment required to make it a popular game, let alone competitive with EQ2 or EQ Next.
I've rejoined the game and I am enjoying it immensely. When I left, there were 3 servers and the populations were all pretty low. Now there is just one Telon PvE server and the population is spot on perfect. Any more, and there would be too much competition for raid bosses, quest mobs etc. But all in all, it's a very lively and energized community right now.
Whether or not this soft relaunch is ultimately successful depends on whether or not the new development team can deliver on their promises. They seem very ambitious and they are very involved. If they pull of the Panthor Zhi additions then I'll be a full on believer.
And it's not as if nothing has been happening in the past year or so. I returned to find Magi-Hold as an extremely fun revamped zone for high level questing, plus several new raid bosses and questlines. City of Brass is all new and I have even started on that yet.
They've also made some good progress on bug squashing and lag in some areas. I was delighted to find a number of things that had been broken with my Psionicist class for years are now working properly.
So I'm currently hooked again and REALLY looking forward to Panthor Zhi.
It took Darkfall 2 years of full time development to create Darkfall 2. It's not really a relaunch, its a sequel.
It would take much MUCH more money than any company is willing to drop on Vanguard to remake all that content in a new engine.
I dont think it fits into SOEs strategy to relaunch Vanguard.
A relaunch means you need to make a new game. You cant just make a new game box and give the players the old game. They would kind of spot that.
Thus a relaunch of Vanguard would imply a hefty fee of many million to create a lot of new content.
For SOE, that makes no sense. They have their EQ3 for that, already. Or EQ Next or whatever else its currently nicknamed.
There would be no point. Vanguard is a re-envisioned EQ1 clone.
SoE are already investing heavily in the next installment of the Everquest franchise, which will be a sandbox.
While Vanguard has it's charm, EQNext will be the true spiritual successor to EQ1 and Vanguard.
They might revisit the Vanguard IP later if they want a themepark to sit alongside EQNext in the next gen of MMOs, since they own it now.
Even if they would, it might not be an improvement.
VG NGE? Let's hope not.
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