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Aradune
Sigil Games CEOMember RarePosts: 294
Heard that the game is only hard core? False.
Heard that you need to play tons of hours or be part of an uber guild? False
Heard that you can't solo or play casually? False
Heard that the best items are only available via raids? False.
Heard that SOE has the ability to change the game? False (they co-publish, market with approval and host -- that's about it).
Heard that the game only looks like EQ2 +? False
Check out the screenshots AND the videos. With a game that uses tech like Vanguard, it's vast seamless world where you can see for 6km and go just about where you want, it's incredible character customization, the ability to own a horse by level 10, to own a ship and travel the seas NOT on rails, to eventually fly around virtually unrestricted... the own your own house and customize it with objects from *anywhere* in the world... Check out these links, read the FAQs, view the screenshots and movies, and find out why we use the slogan "Set Yourself Free" -- this is *the* next generation MMOG, and there *is* something to do beyond WoW:
http://www.vanguardsoh.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71778
Check it out. Check out www.joinvanguard.com -- check out the FAQ at www.vanguardsoh.com -- check out our affiliate web sites with lots of interviews about the game -- check out the FAQ and Wiki at www.silkyvenom.com -- read about the game and view the screenshots and movies yourself -- don't only rely on others -- the information IS there.
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Videos available now:
Also, while the many videos released lately have been mirrored and on bit torrent, some are still directly available:
www.bradmcquaid.com/MoveIV.mov
This is a HUGE uncompressed movie. You need a lot of RAM to view it smoothly and a lot of patience waiting for it to download, but I think it's worth it.
www.bradmcquaid.com/Movie2resize.avi
www.bradmcquaid.com/MovieV.mov
This one is pretty big too, but a compressed divx version is also available:
www.bradmcquaid.com/MovieV.avi
The rest, like I said, have been mirrored, etc. and the links are here:
http://www.vanguardsoh.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70905
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Lastly, a letter I wrote recently to people who know both a lot about Vanguard and also a little:
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Hi all,
I invite you to find out about the next big Massively Multiplayer Game Vanguard: Saga of Heroes (check out both www.vanguardsoh.com and www.joinvanguard.com for more information, more varied screenshots, active message boards, and a detailed FAQ, plus www.sigil.com to find out more about our company and pedigree making these games) here and elsewhere the other day generated a lot of talk and interest and questions. To many MMOG players, you already know about Vanguard and are either looking forward to it, or at least looking forward to getting into beta or checking out the game being played by someone else in beta, or perhaps even waiting to see how launch goes. To many other MMOG gamers, especially long time gamers, you're already active on our boards and looking forward to the game. But then to many other MMOG gamers, there's a lot of about Vanguard you don't know about -- you might have heard that it's an old style game, or only for hard core players, or that it's too challenging and tedious. Or, on the other hand, you may be playing in one of the current MMOGs and are looking for something new on the horizon. Or both. Our message and our efforts, whether releasing a series of screenshots or doing interviews in major magazines is one and the same: this game was likely made for someone just like you and it's our job to get this message out, let you know about this game, and to dispel any inaccurate rumors you may have heard (for example, no, Vanguard is NOT a hard core raiding only game by any stretch of the means).
No matter who you are, we want to reach out to you and pique your interest in the game because we are confident it's going to change the face of massively multiplayer online gaming next year. A huge marketing and PR campaign has just begun with our co-publishers, Sony Online Entertainment. But the unique thing about Vanguard is that Sigil, a company founded by many of the original makers of EverQuest and other older MMOGs is that we are working together with SOE and have retained creative control over the project. Our aim, quite simply, is to offer an alternative to an online gaming genre that is dominated by a few very large and quite excellent games right now (Final Fantasy XI and World of Warcraft come to mind). Why? Because life, especially entertainment, is about choices. And this game being an alternative to the MMOGs you may be currently enjoying is also by no means is an indication that Vanguard is for a niche crowd -- it contains content and quests and adventures for all sorts of people -- casual players, 'core' players, and even those who spend a lot of time at these games raiding in large groups -- we're all about making a world that is inclusive, *not* exclusive. Vanguard offers a freedom that players have never before experienced -- you have a wide variety of races and classes to choose from, unparalleled capability to customize your character, multiple ways of advancing your character, be it traditional adventuring, to an exciting system of harvesting and crafting, to a brand new spin on gameplay called Diplomacy where you use your wits and not your sword to decide the outcome of events and make your mark on the world.
And on top of all of this, the world itself is simply incredible and awaiting all sorts of people who want to be part of a living, breathing, virtual environment, in which you can own your own house, ride or sail a ship anywhere you can see, and even one day perhaps fly through the clouds on the back of a dragon to the destination of *your* choice. There are virtually no limitations in Vanguard -- you get what you put into it and so much more. The world of Telon, which is where Vanguard takes place, is literally massive -- but it's not just big for the sake of being big, rather it's full of variety and laid out in a seamless environment where if you can see an intriguing location miles into the distance, or simply just a mountaintop off in some direction, you can most likely always get there -- travel in Vanguard has meaning.
And not only that, we've expanded upon the traditional High Fantasy we all love and included not just one continent with familiar Western European, Tokieneque and Arthurian settings, but also another continent that draws from the tales of Arabian Nights, full of pyramids, hanging gardens, hidden jungles filled with exotic intrigue -- virtually the entirety of Persian, Egyptian, and other middle eastern mythology. But then we didn't stop there either -- a third continent, this time with an Oriental twist, forms a vast archipelago of islands. Picture yourself as a thief or a ninja, or even merchant or pirate, sailing from one isle to the next, discovering new lands and even lost empires swallowed whole long ago by the sea.
And I promise you, I've given you but a taste of what is in store for you this Winter -- there's simply *so* much more -- far, far too much to cover here. I do hope you check out our web sites and other resources, with more and more information being revealed virtually every day. Head to www.joinvanguard.com to find out more about the game as well as www.vanguardsoh.com where again there are movies, screenshots, a detailed FAQ to answer your many questions about the game, as well as a very active message board already with well over 100,000 members.
But enough of an introduction filled with only words. Check out these web sites, visit our host of affiliate web sites dedicated to this highly anticipated game. And in the meantime, please accept this first tiny piece -- a small and focused taste of the game. While we've been releasing screenshots, movies, and information about Vanguard for quite some time now, we're finally at the point where we've just entered our third and first truly major phase of beta testing, where hundreds of testers are helping us tune and tweak this massive endeavor. What almost 100 people have poured their hearts and souls into for over four years is about ready to release! So please take a moment to check out the following screenshots taken from this beta, involving actual beta testers, and then if anything catches your eye whatsoever, do some more digging -- information on the game is not hard to find and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised both with the information out there already as well as with our plans to whet your appetite over the next several months!
You may have already read articles about Vanguard, or seen our ads in the major game publications that are already out. You may have already picked up a copy of the Computer Games magazine with Vanguard as its cover story a few months back. Know that this is just the start of a huge outreach by Sigil and SOE that is now beginning to come into full swing. You'll see more articles, ads, and online coverage. You'll hear more about the exciting freedoms, opportunities, and exciting adventures Vanguard brings to massively multiplayer games, many for the first time ever and many of which have been kept under wraps until now.
But at Sigil we know that it's just as important, if not more so, to reach out to the community ourselves and support you all directly. This is why, in addition to this more formal massive marketing campaign that is just now beginning, that is it just as important to also reach out to various MMOG oriented fan sites, to support them and provide them with information, to answer *your* questions and to receive answers by people actually working on the game.
Check out the various screenshots and especially the more recent videos talked about in this thread http://www.vanguardsoh.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72571. You'll see a few different NPCs, a vast area, lots of spells and abilities going off, several different races and classes, all working together (and to see the entire set you’ll need to visit the various sites to whom we’ve sent these various screens). None of this was choreographed, however. Rather, from my and others at Sigil's standpoint, we're going to spend some time periodically throughout beta 3 and beta 4, until we release the NDA covering the game, and release actual beta footage of real beta players, both in the form of screenshots and movies.
This will not preclude our regular release of screenshots to affiliate sites, other sites, major sites, or any other PR or Marketing plan. I bring these to you (and the other sites who receive shots from this series) because I know the audience here and elsewhere often wants to see the real game and what it's all really about. You want a view of the real game play, and you've got it. And this is only the first of several series, many of which will also include video!
Yes, we are still working on movies which will show a lot more of the game. We are still in beta, so you will find flaws here and there because while the game is close to finish, it still has several months ahead of it for us to wrap things up and polish the game for general release. And then, even after release, we'll be updating the game, keeping it fresh, growing the world, much of which you will download automatically before logging on. But from what I see here, you get a pretty cool glimpse into what people are experiencing in Vanguard beta right now, with well over 1000 people online at any given time. And that number is growing daily -- we're going to need thousands of people to test what is more than a game but actually a living virtual world.
Movies are still coming, shots from other areas still on their way, more about gameplay, the interface, etc. Most of it is coming through the more conventional PR and Marketing (e.g. released to major online sites and publications) plan I referred to above. So consider this series and those shots found on other sites to be only a part of Sigil's solemn commitment to keep in mind the fan site, the MMOG discussion site, the guilds' sites, etc. and to never forget that community is what makes these games tick, and communities are filled with individuals -- we are creating a service here – not just a ‘game’ -- and we take that service very seriously. While we're just starting to 'go big' with marketing for this game and have some incredible plans we never want to forget the smaller sites or the more focused sites either. You all are our lifeblood.
Ask questions, criticize, note that we're not done, remind us we need to get movies out more frequently, take issue with it being a series of shots all from the same location -- we value your opinions and feedback, here, on our official message boards, anywhere, positive or negative. By listening and reacting, the game improves all the more.
Overall, though, please enjoy them, which I think most of you will -- it's a pleasure to share this information, these FAQs, screenshots, and videos with you.
Thank you!
-Brad McQuaid
Chairman & CEO, Sigil Games Online
Executive Producer, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
Original Producer & Co-Designer, EverQuest
thanks,
--
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Brad McQuaid
CCO, Visionary Realms, Inc.
www.pantheonmmo.com
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Comments
Just put me in Beta that will let me know the truth! Your post got me really excited though. But that was kinda like making out with some chick, and then she says, "I can't" Now I'm all excited and no where to unload.
I'll watch for my beta key this week...
Not so nice guy!
lol, go Brad! Nice Post!
Brad mate, you need to meet a guy called Jonaku who posts here, you and him would have SO much to discuss
Been looking forward to Vanguard from the day it was first mentioned on the net, also greatly looking forward to a chance to Beta test.
Huzzah!
Tam
Showing a screenshot and referring people to a fansite (at least one of which is run by Sigil's counsel) is proof of what?
You say "Ask questions, criticize ....", and then just post that any opinions people hold that you don't like are false?
Why don't you get into some particulars about the solo/casual gameplay. We've seen the generalities. We're seen the fourth quarter PR and the spin. We're seen the fansite press releases. What else have you got?
How do you define "content'? Is killing a wandering mob with little to no loot for little to no xp "content"? Is this the solo/casual content to which you refer?
Tell us more about how a solo and casual player can prosper in what you call an ultra item centric game?
Explain how risk should be proportionate to reward. Then define risk. Risk is what? It's time! No matter how you spin it, it's time. So if reward is proportionate to time, this is casual friendly how?
Talk about the importance of things besides your gear to an adventurer?
Explain why one of your employees did an interview in which they said casual players may want to stick to crafting and dipolmacy, and tell me again how this is a casual friendly game?
Elaborate on how we are all inspired by "the bleeding edge", yet downplay the raid element of the game and its rewards?
Tell us how the best part of being partnered with Microsoft was the artistic control you had over the game, and how you parted ways with Microsoft and got SOE as your publisher to gain the artistic freedom you told people you already had?
Since yours is a "challenging game", talk about how there will be no twinks and PLs ...
You requested questions and criticism. You have it.
EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests
> Elite Undead Wall Of Text crits you for 100,000 damage
> You die. Cloning....
How bizarre and sadly unprofessional that the CEO of a gaming company would post in a community forum this long rambling apologia propaganda piece with everything in it but the kitchen sink. Is this REALLY the CEO of Vanguard?
Brad: "Hi, you know every criticism of my game that keeps swirling around the Interwebs from a thousand different independent sources? They're not true, cause I say so. Here's some marketing collateral. Q.E.D."
Me: "Okey dokey....."
I think that a CEO of a MMO company takes the time to address some concerns of the player shows a great deal of respect towards the players.
Would you rather game developers completely ignore online communities?
BTW, isn't Aradune's post a violation of the MMORPG.com Rules of Conduct since it essentially constitutes an advertisment? His post is a de facto marketing campaign... messaging for commercial purposes on behalf of a product in which he has a fiduciary interest.
I quote:
Medium Infractions
At the discretion of the moderator and/or the Community Manager, the following infractions will be classed as either minor or major infractions and appropriate penalties will be applied.
Advertisements - MMORPG.com does not allow users to advertise products or companies in our forums. If you want to advertise, contact support@mmorpg.com.
Next we'll have the presidents of all the MMOs regularly posting marketing messages into their respective forums on MMORPG.com. That won't be helpful....
I think that a CEO of a MMO company takes the time to address some concerns of the player shows a great deal of respect towards the players.
Would you rather game developers completely ignore online communities?
But he really didn't address the concerns of the players, he just rejected them.
The concerns of the players are X, Y, Z. His answer to each one is "False" and then he cut and paste marketing material that had previously been written into this post. My concerns do not feel addressed, they just feel dismissed.
If he was posting something to the effect of, "we have listened to the community, recognized flaws in our design and have new plans for how we will respond to those criticisms, which are, specifically, ___", I would agree with you Lennonventur. But sweeping things under the rug and saying night is day and black is white is not being responsive to the community and it is not addressing anyone's concerns. It's just spin.
Sigil has been marketing this game to the hardcore since jump street, this fiction of the "core gamer" notwithstanding. But as they move closer to launch and get more realistic about sales figures, suddenly the casual player is their friend! All those thousands of posts they indulged on their boards by their inner circle trashing soloers, trashing casual players, telling everyone to go back to WoW, is all coming right out of Brad's wallet. So suddenly the game is for everyone! Hats and horns! Did they change the game? No, they just changed their tune.
One of my favorite hypocracies is that Brad used to be careful to explain that not everyone would like his game, which was fine because there was a target market and they had no intention of trying to compete with WoW. He even gave sales projections in the 500k and less range where he said he would be happy with those numbers because they were targeting a niche market of people who wanted a challenging game (as he views it anyway). Yet their recent PR push now refers to Vanguard as the "WoW killer" and the game is for everyone!. LMAO.
EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests
Vanguard is still tailored for the core gamer, as Mr. McQuaid has explained countless times. That does not mean there won't be a place for the casual or solo gamer. It just isn't the focus of the game.
I believe that Brad posting "False" to each of those line items is addressing those that may not know much about the game.
I've looked at all the videos now, and many screenshots, and the game continues to look better and better. Reading through the FAQ answered many questions I had and dispelled many of the things I'd heard through the grapevine that weren't true.
Khytai
hey jonaku, why don't you go to the heroes journey or war forums and flame their developers for posting there? if you think it is so unprofessional to post information about his game in the vanguard forum, where do you think it is appropriate to post it?
your shooting blanks jonaku, he was just posting information about his game. does he have to answer all your questions in order to be allowed to post here? no he doesn't.
why don't you go back to the FOH forums where it is cool to flame the developers? so what you feel your questions are dismissed, not like you would play anyways with your commitment to your stupid soe boycott.
Second, he declared the concerns to be false and pointed us to links that hold information that could correct misconceptions. To those who feel dismissed, I don't believe his point was to answer every question game may present. It was simply to point the uneducated who might have concerns to places that they could learn more. He wasn't simply quoting marketing material. As far as I can see, he was describing real things that are in place about the game that he thinks are exciting. I just went to read about Diplomacy which he mentioned and was really intrigued. As far as revolutionary ideas go, if the rest of the game's innovation is like this one. I'm sold. To any others that are honestly intrigued, I recommend Silky Venom's Faq. Its where I found the most helpful information.
For me, I've been waiting for PotBS for a while but i have to admit to being intrigued by some of the mechanics of this one. Oh, and the videos? Very sweet:)
care to provide a link where they have said that? i have never read where brad or anyone has claimed vanguard will be a "wow killer" nor have i read anywhere, where they have said vanguard will be for everyone.
The reason Brad came here is because of people like YOU who make offhand criticisms of a game they haven't even played and CLEARLY only want to cast a negative light on it for your own selfish reasons. He has disproved all your trollish arguments on countless sites and now he came here and did it.
Vanguard is not what you want people to believe it is, period.
ALL TROLLS PWNT BY BRAD
info on khytai:
-- # of posts: 1
-- registered: today september 19th
-- resides in: Carlsbad, CA (OMG, that's where Sigil is headquartered)
weird, huh?
--
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Brad McQuaid
CCO, Visionary Realms, Inc.
www.pantheonmmo.com
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Yeah, I'm a few blocks away from them. If you are making the assumption that I work at Sigil or have some sort of association with them, you are mistaken. I'm merely a fan that has been following the game for a few years that lives in Carlsbad, CA. Doesn't change anything about my post.
If you read the items he linked instead of dismissing them offhand, you would realized that ALL of those concerns are addressed and debunked quite handily, unless you're some conspiracy theorist. Those people still think the twin towers were taken down by demolition crews, even though Osama and his pals claimed responsibility for it. If Osama didn't do it and thought the american government did it, wouldn't he tell the american people so they would distrust their government?
Same goes for your logic. You think Brad and Sigil are just lying about the fact that there is solo content. You will find out when you are playing the game at release. See you in game jonaku, hopefully on the PVP server.
PC Gamer (pretty sure it was that mag) gave us a cover mention that said something like "Vanguard -- the WoW Killer?"
Great publicity -- I'll take it -- probably sells copies too -- but we didn't ask them to put it there -- they saw the game, and printed what they wanted to. We have no control over PC Gamer or any other publication.
--
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Brad McQuaid
CCO, Visionary Realms, Inc.
www.pantheonmmo.com
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Granted some of the specifics may have to wait until the game goes to open beta, but hopefully they can answer the bulk of them before then.
To be fair. I think he was just giving general answers (such as FALSE), because that's what's been bantered about the most. The general things that can be answered with TRUE or FALSE. Now that there is an honest to goodness, decent list of questions presented - I for one hope you get some specific answers.
LOL..okay i will give you this one jonaku, that is pretty funny.