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The Game Archaeologist: Reactions to a free Vanguard
Vanguard's just had its biggest month since its troubled release in 2007, I wager. Its turn to free-to-play makes it the second-to-last SOE title to make the jump, and it's getting a "do-over" of sorts. Personally, I'm glad to see it happen. Without going into depth on Vanguard's past problems, I'll say that this was a highly hyped game that fell about as hard as any MMO could without being outright canceled. For years, it has been subsiding on a meager population and extremely rare updates (I recall a tiny bug update for Vanguard being laughably big news last summer). Now? Now it's received a new lease on life and attention from players and the media. If you've been following the news, you'll know that Vanguard soft launched a week early, talked with Massively about the conversion, officially launched thereafter, and is now part of the PSS.1 deal. But the most important word is that of the player on the street, the ground-pounders in Telon who are checking out F2P (and perhaps the game) for the first time. I've gathered several of these perspectives together for your amusement and edification.
SOE promises small Vanguard content update soon
While the initial relaunch of Vanguard in its new free-to-play format seems to be going along swimmingly, players are understandably wondering what the next step for this fantasy title will be. Sony Online Entertainment came on its official forums and promised that, among other things, a small content release was on its way to the game. Due out within a week or so, this update includes a new overland raid and a mysterious new system that will tie into exploration somehow. The team is also preparing to introduce more items to the marketplace. In addition to this content update, SOE assures players that fixes for Vanguard's lag and bugs are a priority. The team's also hard at work on its 13-boss dungeon, City of Brass.
The Tattered Notebook: Celebrating the search for the perfect UI
EQInterface and EQ2Interface have been stalwart sidekicks for me through the years, and it's great to see them expand into other games. They now have a library of UIs for several MMOs and have really helped put player-made UIs on the map. EverQuest II's site had a news article announcing that the collective UI site, now called MMOUI.com, is celebrating its 10th birthday this week, so I thought I'd get in the celebratory spirit by highlighting a few iconic favorites and taking a brief look at the state of the user interface in MMOs. I've included picks from three SOE MMOs: EverQuest, Vanguard, and of course, EverQuest II. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll put down our macros, take a break from resizing windows, and look at the quest for the perfect UI.
SOE alters ProSiebenSat.1 deal to include EQ, Vanguard, and Wizardry Online
After months of insisting that the deal with ProSiebenSat.1 was locked in, SOE announced that it is expanding the library of titles that the European operator will take over and run for the region. In addition to the MMOs and other titles included with this past February's announcement, ProSiebenSat.1 looks to take over EverQuest, Vanguard, and Wizardry Online as well. All in all, it gives ProSiebenSat.1 the exclusive license to operate these titles in 40 European nations. SOE President John Smedley said that this is nothing but good news for European gamers: "ProSiebenSat.1 is the ideal partner for us to reach an even broader audience in Europe. We are confident that the combination of the media power provided by ProSiebenSat.1 and our expertise in developing high-quality online games will appeal to players in a new and captivating way, creating the perfect prerequisite for achieving great success with our games in Europe."
F2P Vanguard made official with trailer and more details
Vanguard soft-launched its free-to-play model last week, but now it's super extra real: Everyone's favorite Saga of Heroes is now officially F2P. All games now have access to the game itself, six character races, seven character classes, and four character slots. Players who join the game for free have certain other limitations, like a coin limit of two platinum, a quest count of 15, and no access to housing. Gold members paying the $14.99/month membership fee will receive 500 Station Cash per month along with full access to character races and levels, more character slots, guild-creation privileges, lower in-game fees, and a few other perks. Premium customers will also receive full customer support and no in-game pop-up advertising. Anyone with an ongoing Vanguard subscription will be converted to gold status until that subscription runs out. Anyone with a past or present Vanguard subscription will be able to access and play all of his or her characters, even if playing on a free account that normally would not have access to a specific race or class, as well as have 12 character slots available. Skip below the cut for a new trailer celebrating Vanguard's F2P conversion.
One Shots: Set yourself free
This week's One Shots honors Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, which quietly went free-to-play a few days early. Massively reader John sent in our featured image with this note: I'm sure that many of your pictures will be of Vanguard, but here's an awesome one overlooking the Qalian sunset. It captures the beauty of a massive, open world that's devoid of linear levelling or closed instances. Just looking at this picture reminds me of the possibilities. Do I gather a group for a trip to the Coterie, perched upon a distant mountain? Do I sail down endless rivers or fly above vast plains? The choice is mine. Vanguard's motto is "Set yourself free," and this picture proves it. Do you go beyond the break to drool over John's screenshot and a few others? That choice is also yours!
Massively Exclusive: SOE elaborates on Vanguard's F2P conversion
Vanguard news is ramping up in preparation for the August 14th free-to-play conversion date. In fact, Sony Online Entertainment quietly kicked off a soft launch of the revamped game yesterday, giving players a first glimpse of the new website, pricing matrix, and in-game station store. Massively sat down with Andy Sites, the game's director of development at SOE, to ask him what players can expect during and after Vanguard's F2P transition. We've got the official scoop on transition content, housing and boats, server types, and more beyond the break!
Vanguard soft launches free-to-play a week early
If you've had your calendars marked for Vanguard's F2P launch on August 14th, you might want to get out your eraser. As of today, SOE has soft launched the title's free-to-play version for any and all to enjoy. Along with the soft launch comes a shiny new website to mark the occasion. The good news is in today's update notes: "The free-to-play matrix is now in effect. Anyone should be able to download the game for free from our new site." Vanguard's latest update also marks the beginning of the in-game marketplace, freedom from race and class restrictions, and a massive sweep of re-itemization. [Thanks to MikeyMoo for the tip!]
Vanguard going free-to-play on August 14th
Ever since the announcement last March that Vanguard: Saga of Heroes would be going free-to-play this summer, players have been eagerly waiting to find out when the magical day would be. That wait is finally over: Vanguard will launch in free-to-play form on Tuesday, August 14th. Sony Online Entertainment notes that the game has undergone many changes over the last few months in preparation of this monumental event. Some changes include a revamp of the starting areas, removal of class/race restrictions, and the addition of the Vanguard Marketplace. The official website has also seen some upgrades and has a new address to match the new look; be sure to bookmark the new site at http://www.vanguardthegame.com. Players can also expect to see even more changes as the days count down to the launch.
One Shots: The Hutt in the hat
Massively reader Leandra sent us a delicious batch of screenshots from new shiny The Secret World, but her "throwaway" entry from Star Wars: The Old Republic is the one I couldn't resist highlighting. She wrote in, I recently resubscribed to The Old Republic to check out the changes made in the last few patches. The devs have made a lot of much-needed improvements, and I'm having a lot of fun. This is my Jedi Consular character on Nar Shaddaa, one of my favorite areas in the game. The statue of the Hutt in the hat always cracks me up. Why is he wearing that hat?? He's wearing that hat because it provided me an awesome post title and a giggle, that's why! The color shot and a few more from around the MMOverse await your clickery!
Vanguard welcomes the return of Brad McQuaid
If you're a fan of Vanguard, you know full well who Brad McQuaid is. If you're a fan of EverQuest, you're probably also familiar with the name. And now, the man behind both games has returned to Vanguard after a lengthy hiatus to rejoin the development team. Considering the game is heading toward a free-to-play conversion in the not-too-distant future, it can certainly be seen as an auspicious event. McQuaid is the focus of the game's newest Developer Spotlight, where he discusses his role in starting the game and in its early development. He confesses that he took a long break from playing the game, but he seems quite happy with how it's developed in his absence. Looking to the future, McQuaid also talks about making loot drops and quest rewards more viable throughout the game, encouraging players to explore a variety of zones instead of just a few old standards. The interview is remarkably low-key considering that the man in question was one of the driving forces behind the game's original launch. Players can draw their own conclusions about what McQuaid's return will mean for the game in the long run. [Thanks to Ryan for the tip!]
Free-to-play details for Vanguard released
Vanguard is drawing steadily nearer to its free-to-play conversion, which means it's time for some facts and some FAQs. To that end, a set of answers to common questions has been posted, along with a handy chart outlining the differences that will exist between free and premium accounts once the switch to F2P is complete. Premium membership will cost $14.99 a month, which will buy you such perks as access to all of the races and classes (as opposed to only six and seven, respectively), extra character and bag slots, unlimited gold, full item access, and more. Along with the ability to create guilds (instead of only joining them) and full access to unlimited banking slots, fishing, and in-game mail, premium customers will also receive full customer support and no in-game pop-up advertising. Players with ongoing Vanguard subscriptions will find those accounts automatically converted to premium status; these accounts will become free once that subscription runs out. As a special thank-you to loyal players, anyone with a past or present Vanguard subscription will be able to play all of his or her characters (even if that character would normally be blocked from a free account) and will have 12 available character slots (even though free accounts normally have only four).
MMO Blender: Jeremy's unholy MMO concoction
Have you ever wished MMO developers could put away their checkbooks, pluck out the best bits of their respective MMOs, and weld them together to construct the megalopolis of MMOs? We do too! So today, we're launching a brand-new opinion column, MMO Blender, in which the Massively writers will mix and match their favorite features from existing MMOs for your amusement. But do our choices create a perfectly honed machine or a lumbering, speechless frankenstein of an MMO that deserves to be put out of its misery? First up: Livestreamer extraordinaire and Contributing Editor Jeremy Stratton with a potent, sandboxy blend of Fallen Earth, EVE Online, Lord of the Rings Online, and more. Wet your whistle after the break and look for more MMO Blenders from the rest of our staff in the coming weeks!
Some Assembly Required: Desert homes of Vanguard's Qalia
Player housing. Now there's a topic you don't hear from me much. Oh, come now, I talk about other topics, too... sometimes... once in a while! You have to admit, it's hard not to talk about housing. It's by far one of the best canvasses for showcasing player creativity available in MMOs. And Vanguard has top-notch player housing. Back at the inception of Some Assembly Required, I took you on a tour of housing on Vanguard's island of Kojan. Of the three continents, Kojan was an easy first choice; from the very beginning I wanted a house there to soak up the unique flavor of the area. However, Kojan is by far the smallest continent with the fewest housing plots; contrast its six housing isles to the 22 chunks with housing available on Qalia and you can see that more opportunities abound to find the perfect home-sweet-home in the land of Arabian nights. By the sheer volume of plots involved, you can see that touring Qalia is quite the undertaking! Not one to shirk my duties of bringing demonstrations of player creativity to you, I forged ahead to highlight the advantages of Qalian living and compile this gallery of amazing ingenuity -- including a Foosball table!%Gallery-158807%
E3 2012: SOE teases Vanguard F2P trailer
Sony Online Entertainment hasn't revealed the release day for its free-to-play version of Vanguard yet, but the firm did slip a new trailer past us at last week's E3 shindig in Los Angeles. The spiritual successor to EverQuest has been playable since early 2007, of course, but it looks like SOE is gearing up for a relaunch of sorts (or at least a reboot of the game's long-dormant PR machine). The trailer runs a hair under two minutes and bills Vanguard as both "the ultimate experience for true gamers" and an "action-packed seamless world." The clip also gives us a good look at many of the game's classes, races, and various locations throughout its sprawling three-continent world. Check out the embed after the break. [Thanks to John for the tip!]
The Perfect Ten: Worst MMO launches of all time
First things first: Whatever MMO release is currently ticking you off is the worst launch of all time. It would be folly of me to try to convince you otherwise. You've been roundly slapped in the face and you don't want me to convince you that the pain was in vain. I understand. Getting past that, however, would it be possible to examine the subsequent 10 worst launches in the MMO industry? If your trauma isn't too great, that is. It would be? Terrific! What constitutes a horrible game launch is varied, although each and every one of the following games made an unfortunate blunder that caused the title to stumble instead of sprint out of the gate. It's not the end of the story, of course, but it does make for a good tale to tell to youngsters camping in the open woods or a particularly seedy LAN center.
Why I Play: Vanguard, Saga of Heroes
"How is Vanguard?" If there's one question that comes up time and time again, it's that one. It experienced a launch disaster, lack of content post 35+, bugs, duping, exploits, performance issues, and the sad "parking lot layoffs," yet Vanguard: Saga of Heroes always seems to generate buzz any time it comes up in conversation. There's a certain aura surrounding this game, and even though it languished with low subscription numbers for years, it always seems to attract attention when it's covered at Massively. There's something about Vanguard that kept me playing solidly well past launch and still pulls me back from time to time. With a free-to-play launch just around the corner, it seems like the perfect time to explain why I play Vanguard.
Vanguard update brings new loyalty rewards for subscribers
As Vanguard straddles the line between its old subscriber-only business model and this summer's free-to-play transition, the team is still plugging away at minor updates to the game. Today's patch brings a smattering of updates and fixes as well as the May loyalty rewards for current subscribers. Active players will get to haul away five goodies from SOE, including a brown sloop ship, unique tack and barding, and a "Kamelott Overland Onslaught Life-Sustaining Exo-Skeleton" mount. Players can also pick up free supply crates and veteran's caches (the latter are available only for level 50+ characters) every 44 hours. The update also fixed a few small issues with quests, retweaked some skills for Rogues and Bards, and changed a couple of items to make them work properly. SOE will continue to dish out loyalty rewards until Vanguard goes F2P.
One Shots: Warped
Massively reader Johanis delivered today's One Shots image, which features one of TERA's pegasi in flight. He tells us, Here is a shot of Honeynut, my TERA Archer, who was exploring during last weekend's open beta. While flying from one destination to another, she suddenly warped through one of many travel gates, and it was gorgeous. She emerged into a beautiful land just waiting to be explored. Enjoy Johanis' entry alongside a few others past the break!
SOE games down Monday for 24-hour maintenance
We imagine that the word downtime makes Sony Online Entertainment employees cringe, convulse, and eye-twitch for hours on end after last summer's disastrous hacker-induced service outage. Happily, though, the next service interruption is planned, and we've got plenty of notice. SOE will be performing maintenance this Monday, April 23rd, and the firm says that all of its game services will be unavailable for approximately 24 hours. The downtime starts at 3:01 a.m. EDT. Commerce transactions and account management functionality will also be affected, so you might as well cross all of your SOE-related plans off Monday's calendar.
