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Jukebox Heroes: Vanguard's soundtrack, part 1
Remember what we talked about a while ago about divorcing any stigma a game carries from its music? Let's apply that to Vanguard, possibly one of the most stigmatized MMOs of all time. For all of its negative reputation, Vanguard's been slowly recognized as a gem in the rough, and its soundtrack is just second to none in the field. I'm serious: This is a whopper of a score. This is music that makes you weep that you don't hear it in the MMOs you play. It's definitely not as well known because it's attached to Vanguard, but I love this music so much that I'm going to do an entire series on it (spread out over time, of course). Unfortunately, the only place that I could find it was packaged in with the collector's edition -- and good luck finding that! The only composer I found credited for this score was Todd Masten, who writes on his website that he worked on the project over a period of two years. Masten took an interesting angle to the score: "The music for this game was designed and composed in a modular fashion for each distinct environment and was created to be interactive." So let's dive in and take a look at the first six Vanguard tracks to catch my ear!
Choose My Adventure: You decide the MMO and how I play it
It's finally time for my second round of Choose My Adventure. The last time I helmed CMA, Lineage II was top pick, and I had a lot of fun with it. I took tons of screenshots and video to keep you in the loop as to my progress, and you can expect the same, whichever game is chosen this time. MJ's turn with The Secret World was a lot of fun to read and follow. She even livestreamed some of her shenanigans... I mean, adventures. You can bet I'll be playing with one finger over the PrtScn button and livestreaming some of my adventures as well. I hope to make this a multimedia extravaganza of epic proportions. Take a look through your choices and vote, vote, vote. And make sure to get those votes in by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday the 21st!
Vanguard releases October producer's letter
Vanguard's new producer, Harvey "Rahtiz" Burgess, released a new producer's letter today to keep players informed on what's been going on since the F2P launch. Burgess mentions more team members coming aboard, more changes in the coming weeks, and what may be a big blow to the community involving Salim "Silius" Grant, but it's not exactly bad news for him. While it's not exactly a giant pumpkin full of news-candy, Burgess also makes mention that City of Brass will finally be out by late November, plus more information on top of last week's SOE Webcast about player studio. For the full story, hop on over to the official Vanguard website.
SOE community webcast focuses on Player Studio
User-generated content is an awesome way to breathe life into games (and cash into your wallet, if you don't mind stretching that metaphor to the breaking point). Sony Online Entertainment's Player Studio has been generating interest since its introduction as a way for EverQuest, EverQuest II, Free Realms, and (eventually) Vanguard players to create and sell their own in-game items. In response to that interest, SOE's most recent community webcast focuses the spotlight on the Player Studio, with input from Director of Artistic Development Joe Shoopack, Sr. Manager of E-Commerce Rick Reynolds, and Global Community Relations Director Linda Carlson. Together, they talk players through the idea of the Player Studio and its origins in the wealth of fanart and persistent excitement about the games involved, what sort of effort will go into making items, and the magical journey that a submission undertakes before it emerges as a full-fledged, purchasable asset. While some of the initial item possibilities are still being nailed down, players can expect to be able to submit housing items, weapons, and shields for EQ, cloaks and housing items for EQII, and similar items for the other games. Skip below the cut to let the pros speak for themselves.
Vanguard patch ushers in the Festival of the Grim Harvest
It's that time again -- the time when every game world finds a way to celebrate something like Halloween. Of course, in a world where the dead actually do wander the world on a regular basis, the festivities take on a slightly different tone. Vanguard, for example, has ushered in the Festival of the Grim Harvest, an event celebrating the time of year when the veil between the world of the living and dead grows thin and all manner of hauntings take place. Players looking to take part in the festival can offer their assistance to the mourning widower Jett Helond or investigate the mounting undead presence surrounding New Targonor. There are also returning enemies from previous festivals and new themed items in the Marketplace. Last but not least, the patch ushers in some performance and optimization improvements for the game client. Vanguard players can check the full notes for more details and a few welcome bugfixes.
Previously on MV TV: The week of September 15th
Ah, what a week in livestreaming for the Massively crew! Luckily, no one was discouraged by the fact that I was unable to stream my usual amount because I was waiting on a new PC to arrive. What brave soldiers, what fearless souls! I begged them to go on without me, and... well, they did. Pretty easily, actually. Be sure to bookmark our livestream schedule page so you won't miss another! Anyway, what did we do on to stream? Well, tons of stuff. I took some of the very best streams from last week and assembled them in one easy-to-swallow pill. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and watch the wackiness! Like what? Like Richie taking on some more Guild Wars 2 in beautiful HD; MJ leaping bravely into The Secret World, EverQuest II, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, City of Heroes and Aion; and Mike PvPing in EVE Online and World of Tanks. I rounded things off with my one stream of the week: a look at IMVU, a social MMO for those who really, really like to go goth.
The Tattered Notebook: Gearing up for SOE Live
In just a few weeks, SOE fans will gather in Las Vegas for Fan Faire SOE Live. The name change isn't the only thing that's different this year, though. As the convention details begin to take shape, we're finding a lot more questions than answers. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look at some of the changes this year and try to read the tea leaves of what they might mean for fans. We'll look at what's on the schedule, like money and a possible Mobhunter sighting, and also what's not included (but should be).
Vanguard scrapping old forums, starting fresh
Last month, Vanguard upgraded and changed its official website. However, the Vanguard team continued searching for a remedy for the issues that have been plaguing the official forums over the past couple of years. The solution has been found in the same forums that Sony Online Entertainment has been using and testing with the PlanetSide 2 beta community. Vanguard will be switching to these new forums in the next week or two. However, while the forums are moving, nothing from the current forums will be making the trip; the new forums will be starting off fresh. Folks who want to keep any must-have posts, guides, or other favorite items need to personally copy and save them. As a final heads-up, SOE will give a 24-hour notice before the switch.
Previously on MV TV: The week of September 8th
It's starting to cool down outside, at least here in Texas. Trust me, I know how strange that sounds, but the temperature during the middle of the day is moving up as usual and the mornings and evenings are pure bliss. If it's cold where you are now, settle down with a cup of coffee and take that newspaper and throw it in the trash! Who needs to read? Follow the magic links down below, and not only will you get the news, but it will be delivered in a completely non-newsy form: video game streams! Let's break down the top stories for this week. First, we'll be joined by the Pigster as he takes us on a tour of Spiral Knight's planet. Richie is still stuck in Guild Wars 2, but trooper that he is, he continues to file reports from the front lines. How brave! MJ returns this week with a recipe for Gnoll burritos from EverQuest II, a newbie tour through the character mines of Guild Wars 2, a quickie glimpse of the floating islands of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, and an avocado dip recipe given to her by the pirates of Aion. I finish off by travelling back in time to a game called There, a title that kept me up for ages when I was younger.
SOE announces Live tournaments, schedule
Sony Online Entertainment is gearing up for its annual Fan Faire SOE Live event in Las Vegas. The shindig starts on October 18th, and this year's edition features a load of tournament-style get-togethers as well as over $30,000 in prizes. Scavenger hunts, boot camps, PvP battles, live quests, and the renowned costume contest are all part of the fun. Most of SOE's game roster will be represented, so whether you're an EverQuest die-hard, a DC Universe Online or Free Realms fan, or you're curious about PlanetSide 2 or Vanguard, you'll want to keep your eyes on Massively for all the latest convention coverage as it happens.
Free for All: Getting lost in the labyrinth of Wurm Online
Wurm Online is a game of darkness. Really, the entire world is balanced on what will happen after the sun sets. If a player isn't careful, she can find herself lost and alone without a torch to light her path. I don't mean to make the daylight out to be a haven from danger; a player can die during the day as easily as at night. But at least during the day, a far-off shelter can be aimed for. Unless there's fog, of course. OK, look. Wurm Online is a game of super-scary death things, but the night is particularly scary. That's what I meant. When an old Vanguard: Saga of Heroes buddy of mine let me know that he and his friends had built a giant maze in Wurm, one that can actually keep players occupied for hours and can possibly lead to injury or death, I jumped into a tiny rowboat and paddled my way south toward the Deliverance server. I had to see this thing for myself.
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.
Previously on MV TV: The week of August 11th
Cheer up, grumpy! It's time for another Massively TV recap! Look, if you promise to smile, I'll throw in an extra stream or two... but only this once. Wait, you don't have any idea what I am talking about? This is the first time you have taken a moment to check out this wonderful series? Allow me to explain: Each week I take some of the best and brightest livestreams from our famed livestream channel, package them up after the cut below, and serve them to you hot and fresh. All you have to do is promise to bookmark our Massively TV guide so you won't miss another stream! Got it? OK, so let's check out what I have for you this week. Richie killed a bunch of people in SMITE, Blake killed a bunch of people in Star Wars: The Old Republic PvP, Mike killed himself in EVE Online and World of Tanks, MJ killed a bunch of NPCs in The Secret World, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and EverQuest II, and I blew through a series of dungeons while gathering massive amounts of loot in Darkblood Online. If killing and looting is your business, this week's recap could serve as your newsletter.
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!
Previously on MV TV: The week of August 4th
Hello again, Massively readers and viewers! Did you enjoy the Mars Rover landing? By the time you read this, were you able to get some time outside to check out the Perseid meteor shower? No? That's OK because you were inside watching Massively TV, right? No? All right, let's stay calm. Here's what I'll do for you, but just this once. I'm going to recap some of the best moments from the last week of livestreaming. I'll wrap them up in a nice package to save you some of the work. All you need to do is click past the cut, watch the streams and... hey! Stop looking at those meteors! Get back in here. This week we had Blake returning with his Lunchtime Livecast, this time discussing the new Star Wars: The Old Republic transition to free-to-play. Next up, I took the mic and played some of The Kingdom of Loathing for Choose My Adventure. I jumped head-first into Dark Blood after that (with Outspark's help, of course) and followed it up with a revisit to Allods Online. Mike shot a lot of stuff in EVE Online, and Jeremy took us through another starter zone in Vanguard: Saga of Heroes in celebration of SOE's early free-to-play transition. MJ joined up and streamed some EverQuest II, a bit of DC Universe Online, The Secret World, and Aion. Voila! Instant entertainment!
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!
