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The Soapbox: The curious case of Vanguard
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. "Yaaay!" "FU-- yeah!" "Finally." "WOW! This is the best MMO news I have heard in a long time!" These are just a few of the comments that greeted our recent announcement of Vanguard's upcoming free-to-play conversion. The reactions were overwhelmingly positive, and Sony Online Entertainment's open-world fantasy themepark was lavished with praise by a wide cross-section of Massively readers. This makes me wonder where all these folks have been since the game's launch in early 2007. It's not like Vanguard shut down and is being resurrected, you know? More importantly, I wonder whether free-to-play can actually save the game from the scrap heap of shuttered SOE MMOs.
Previously on MV TV: The week of April 7th
Oh hey, guys and gals, did you know that it was just Friday the 13th? Yes, it was. Don't worry; you'll have nothing but good luck on this week's recap of livestream goodness. If you missed a stream that you really wanted to see, or if you've never tuned in to check out what we do, head on over to our Twitch.tv page and keep an eye out. Be sure to bookmark the livestream guide as well so you can keep up with the current schedule. We have a lot of variety in our line-up, so it's always good to check back! This week we had some great stuff! MJ has been streaming like her life depends on it lately, first jumping into EverQuest II, then spending some time in Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. She had to pay some attention Aion, of course, and there, she showed off some player housing and took a trip on an airlink. Mike was back in EVE Online avoiding death-rays and spacemen and later found himself dead in RIFT... again. The Mists of Pandaria have tempted Richie once again, and thankfully our cameras were there to capture it. Meanwhile, I spent some time boating in Second Life and gave a first look at Stronghold Kingdoms. Just look at that lineup, will you? We're proud! Now click past the cut and get to viewing!
The Game Archaeologist: Bio break!
Man oh man, why couldn't I just take a month or so off of this column without getting sucked back into it? Why must classic MMOs be so compelling and newsworthy these days? I planned to take some time off of TGA while I went through Dark Age of Camelot in Choose My Adventure (which you're all reading, yes?), but there was so much to talk about regarding older MMOs that I couldn't sit back and stay mum. Ergo, I've dashed off this special "break" column devoted to commenting on recent news about classic games. Hopefully this will help tide you over until I get back into the full swing of things in April. On the docket for today's discussion is Vanguard's forthcoming F2P change, EverQuest's recent conversion, Anarchy Online's stunning graphic engine video, and more!
The Daily Grind: Which MMO doesn't get the respect it deserves?
So 2012 is shaping up to be a great year for MMO fans. There are a ton of new and interesting titles coming out in the next little while, and even forgotten games like Vanguard are getting some love. Now that Sony Online Entertainment is devoting dev resources to Brad McQuaid's beloved (yet strangely abandoned) 2007 themepark, it's probably time to find another MMO to take over that Rodney Dangerfield slot in our collective consciousness. You know, the MMO that gets no respect. It's a fantastic game, yet no one plays it. And if its devs would just pay it a little bit of attention, it would knock the socks right off the rest of the genre. So how about it, Massively morning crew? Which MMO doesn't get the respect it deserves? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
SOE showers Vanguard loyalists with gifts
While many newcomers to Telon might be checking out Vanguard for the first time when it goes free-to-play this summer, loyal subscribers wondered, "What do we get, apart from an influx of newbie chat questions?" To that, SOE replied: "GIFTS. And lots of them." The studio announced a series of loyalty rewards for current subscribers that can be grabbed in-game by going to a Herald of Telon in a major city. The first rewards are a "Loyal" title, a Banshee pet, and a Bracelet of Lucky Charms. Currently only players on Halgar can obtain these rewards, with Telon's inhabitants gaining access tomorrow. Each set of rewards will only be available for a limited time, with more sets to come between now and the F2P relaunch.
SOE answers Vanguard free-to-play questions
With the recent announcement from Sony Online Entertainment that Vanguard: Saga of Heroes will be going free-to-play sometime this summer, questions immediately began to surface. How will it effect current players? Will it be anything like the other free-to-play titles that SOE runs? Well, we were as curious as anyone else, so we fired off a few questions to SOE in the hopes of snagging some more insight into the transformation. We received our answers from Andy Sites, Director of Development, and the ever-familiar Salim Grant, Creative Director. It's an exciting time to be a Vanguard player, but will putting a free title on a game that has struggled in the past make any difference? Time will tell. In the meanwhile, click past the cut to check out what SOE had to say!
Vanguard going free-to-play this summer, beefs up dev team
With Sony Online Entertainment's heavy free-to-play push these past couple of years, Vanguard players hoped that they would not be overlooked by their digital overlord. Breathe easier, heroes, for this summer will bring thee and thine a F2P Vanguard -- and a big push for further game development! While specifics about the F2P conversion are hazy at the moment, SOE says that players should look to its work with previous MMO F2P adaptations (such as the recently relaunched EverQuest) for an idea how things will go down in Vanguard town. It's not just going to be a token change for this mostly forgotten title; SOE says that it has assembled a new team of Vanguard-loving devs to generate more frequent updates, including "general improvements and new content." The game's previous update was this past December. Coming on board to shape the future of the game are Director of Development Andy Sites, Creative Director Salim Grant, and Technical Director Todd Schmidt. The announcement concludes with a promise for team spotlights, more information on F2P, and development discussion to come in the near future.
Vanguard content update to feature new dungeon, golden path, and more
Holy smokes, it's a Vanguard content update! No, really. Sony Online Entertainment has just delighted fans of its long-neglected fantasy themepark with a post on the official boards that outlines some nifty changes coming in the near future. In addition to a new thirteen-boss dungeon called the City of Brass, the devs are also cranking out overland raid bosses, removing the game's corpse recovery mechanics, and easing the leveling experience. There's also a blurb about increased drop rates and a "golden path" via the game's riftways that will guide players to the ideal adventuring areas for their level. There's no date on all the goodies as of yet, but the post says that SOE is "getting close" to migrating the patch to Vanguard's test server. Head to the official forums to see for yourself.
'Tis the season for gifts and goodies in Vanguard
Tell us the truth, gentle reader: Have you been a good little boy or girl this year? And have you dutifully paid your monthly subscription to SOE? If you said "Yes!" on both counts, then Vanguard invites you to party it up with the Festival of Gloriann. The major cities have been dressed up in their wintry finest, and gifts have been sprinkled around for all to find. If you really want to get into the festival, you can learn more about Atnas Claws, meet Randolf the flying reindeer (and perhaps get a lift), and beat up on freaky-looking snowmen. Any similarities to real-world copyrights is just a coincidence. There are also special housing decorations and fun costumes to enjoy. The Festival of Gloriann is currently lighting up Vanguard, so check it out and give Atnas a high-five for us!
Choose My Adventure: Off to the mainland
It's time for Vanguard maniacs, and we're zany to the max... (ahem). OK, so it's week four of the Vanguard edition of Choose My Adventure, but this week I did get a chance to see more of the game's veteran community than I'd previously experienced in the noob Isle. Indeed, it seemed like no matter what time of day I logged in, someone was in chat looking for people to group up and take on a dungeon. From what I've learned through talking to Orin, a great majority of the dungeons in Vanguard are open-world, offering challenges for both groups and solo adventurers. Indeed, teamed up in a pair, we seemed to be able to level anything in the 10-14 level range in pretty short order, which was good fun. However, before I get too far ahead of myself, I'm going to take you back to the beginning of this week's adventures in Telon. Join me after the break for all the juicy details -- as well as for this week's vote! %Gallery-104309%
Vanguard celebrates with the Telon Faire
Are you new to Vanguard: Saga of Heroes? Are you a veteran of the game who just wants to get out of the cave for a while? Why not join your fellow players for an evening of jousting, dueling, parleying (diplomacy), hall-decorating contests, boat races, or a crafting bazaar? Thanks to the members of the Impact guild -- who are taking over where the Shadowfire guild left off -- you can meet fellow members of the community while possibly earning some cool prizes! The event is better every time they host it, this being the seventh. It's also a good sign that, despite server mergers, tiny development teams, and three years of forum drama, there are always community members willing to step up to do the work required for such an event. The Impact guild also hosts Newbie Nights every other week. As for the Telon Faire, it starts this Saturday, September 18th, at 4 p.m. EDT and runs until the griffins come home. Head to Aghram to join in the activities! Support them -- stop by, say hello, or give a donation. After all, prizes will be handed out mostly in cold, hard cash that players can really use. So, if you're new, or want to help out some new players, watch for the announcement and head for Aghram!
Massively's Community Detective, Issue #5: Vanguard - Saga of Heroes
Much has been written around the MMO blogosphere regarding SOE's Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. From its troubled beginnings as a not-quite-ready-for-launch title, to fledgling Sigil Games Online's financial difficulties, to lead designer Brad McQuaid's well-publicized struggles with management and personal issues, the spiritual successor to EverQuest has always had a bit of a dark cloud hovering over its head. Happily, a fun game remains despite all the problems, and the title's snake-bit tendencies don't seem to have affected either its community or its customer service. Fly past the cut (on your rented pegasus) for more.
The Festival of Gloriann coming soon to Vanguard
Have you been naughty or nice? Don't lie now, Atnas Claws can tell! The Festival of Gloriann is almost -- but not quite -- ready to begin in Vanguard, so you have a short period of time to turn things around if you want to be on the "good" list and cash in. There's a preview on the game's official website featuring pictures of snowmen (which may or may not be friendly), piles of presents, and even a red-nosed reindeer named Randolph -- when the festival kicks off, you'll be able to go for a flying tour of Telon on his back.We are promised more surprises when the festival is underway, but to keep you busy in the meantime, there's a Festival of Gloriann-themed game of "Spot the Differences" going on at the forums. It's probably a good idea to click the pictures for their larger versions, as it looks like there's a lot more to it than the obvious snow-fall.
