Massively

The Daily Grind: Does Vanguard's diplomacy system deserve another shot?

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 12 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, Vanguard, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

While I've never played Vanguard, I'll admit that I've always been fascinated by the game's diplomacy system. It was rather ambitious at the time it was first announced, as the devs boasted about how they were creating a whole new "sphere" of play by turning dialogues between you and NPCs into a deep, involved minigame.

Some people loved it -- and still do -- while others ignored it entirely. In any case, Vanguard's well-known struggles to stay afloat have kept the larger MMO community from experiencing the diplomacy system, which I feel is a shame. I've always hoped that other MMO devs would take this idea and run with it, creating a "next generation" version that would work well in contemporary games, sort of how Warhammer Online's public questing was picked up and revised for games that would follow (just as WAR picked it up from Ultima Online).

So my question to you today is, does Vanguard's diplomacy system deserve another shot? Should MMO devs take a closer look at the typically skimpy interactions between characters and NPCs to see if they can be improved? Or should this system best be left alone?

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!

The Daily Grind: Does Vanguard's diplomacy system deserve another shot? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 May 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Choose My Adventure: Second verse, same as the first

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, Vanguard, Hands-on, Choose My Adventure

It's been another interesting week in Vanguard, to say the least. Remember that thing I said last week about crafting and diplomacy being deep? I can now say with absolute certainty that they are so double-rainbow intensely deep that I've spent the last several days primarily working on those two skills as opposed to moving on to the next village. Indeed, attempting to finish all the quests in Sun Village has sent me back to Tentrees Farmstead (the first starter town) to pick up even more crafting and diplomacy work! Will I ever escape, or will I be sucked into an ever-swirling loop of crafting, diplomacy, harvesting, or whatever odd side-skill lurks just ahead, ready to whomp me over the head and make off with my magical cookies? Well, this week you'll get to decide, as I put the future of my fuzzy little Raki to a vote!

But first, join me after the break as I recap the last week's adventure in Telon.

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Second verse, same as the first

Choose My Adventure: Second verse, same as the first originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Choose My Adventure: Off to Telon!

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Vanguard, Massively Meta, Choose My Adventure

Join me as I brave my way through lands unknown in an adventure dictated entirely by you, the Massively readers! Vote for everything from game played to character creation to ultimate goal and watch it unfold in a series of posts and galleries here on the site. Then, after our two months are up, we'll do it all over again in a new game!

Well, the masses have once again spoken, and this time I'm headed off to spend the next six weeks running around in Vanguard: Saga of Heroes! I'll admit that this is one title that I've never played. At the time it was released, my computer's stats were nowhere near the level required to play it (surprise), so I gave it a pass. Since then, I've been intrigued by the world (largely due to many of the lovely One Shots I've seen on it), but I simply haven't taken the first step to check the game out. Thanks to the vote being rocked by the Vanguard community, it looks like I'm going to get that chance to see Telon after all!

Unfamiliar with Vanguard? Know all about it and would rather skip straight to this week's polls? Join me behind the break for both!

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Off to Telon!

Choose My Adventure: Off to Telon! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Vanguard, Saga of Confusion: a look back

Beau Hindman — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, Vanguard

Perhaps it is all my experience with independent music that grew my patience for Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. It might sound like a stretch, but for years I witnessed firsthand the lack of power that a large publisher can bring to the table. My rickety band would show up in our scratched up tour bus, only to open for a label-backed band that also showed up in a scratched up tour bus. Such is the guarantee of the major label: a guarantee of only publishing and/or perhaps distribution. While those promises are no small thing, the fans must come to grips with what that means.

In the end, Vanguard players are just like those fans who cannot fathom why there is not a new album released every year, or why their favorite band pulls up in a Dodge van instead of a tour bus. It's a simple lack of understanding of how these things often work, and can often lead to players who feel left out in the cold, ignored by a publisher that seemingly has bottomless pockets.

I am going to illustrate why I think Vanguard is where it is now, and who might be responsible for the current position it is in.

Continue reading Vanguard, Saga of Confusion: a look back

Vanguard, Saga of Confusion: a look back originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Part one of Brad McQuaid's Vanguard post-mortem

William Dobson — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Vanguard

When most people think of Vanguard, they usually remember that the game had an extremely rocky launch period. A lot of things were changed and fixed after the game was sold to Sony Online Entertainment. The original developer Sigil Games Online (headed by former SOE superstar Brad McQuaid) was also sold in this deal. McQuaid's blog welcome-page mentions that he's been on a break from the games industry since the above events in 2007, but "as of late, he's starting to get that itch again...". It was probably this itch that prompted him to start a multi-part post-mortem of his time with Vanguard at his blog.

McQuaid said that he will be addressing topics in chronological order, and part one deals with what he calls the first big mistake that Sigil made: get everything in writing.

"The first mistake that would have a serious impact later in development was the verbal agreement with Microsoft that Vanguard was to be a first rate, AAA title."

It sounds like a change at Microsoft led to a completely different level of support for Vanguard; less funding, less time, and overall a different outlook on what Vanguard was to become.

"So the moral of the story is one that should have occurred to us: get everything in writing, get it into the contract, because even a company like Microsoft can suddenly undergo significant changes to its management and teams. And when those changes do happen, you might as well be dealing with a new company - anything and everything can change, and change quickly."

Part two of the post-mortem will be dealing with the good and bad aspects of creating an all-star team, and we'll bring it to your attention when it surfaces.

Part one of Brad McQuaid's Vanguard post-mortem originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Brad McQuaid returns to pimp Vanguard

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, MMO industry, Vanguard

Remember Brad McQuaid? As one of EverQuest's original creators and eventually the man behind Vanguard, Brad is a legend in the gaming industry. Sure, his reputation spiraled downward after his time with Sigil and Vanguard, but he has now come out of hiding to tell us all that we should play Vanguard!

Wait, what? Is he now working for SOE again? Well, no one knows if that's the case or not, but the fact is, Brad seems quite keen on getting back into the industry. After taking a few years off to "ride street bikes and dirt bikes, as well as drive sports cars, as often as possible", Brad wants to start creating games again. So if you're a fan of Brad's work with EverQuest, Vanguard (or even WarWizard), head on over to his newly-revamped blog and show him some support.

[EDIT: Some are speculating that this is an impostor. You be the judge.]

[Via Common Sense Gamer]

Brad McQuaid returns to pimp Vanguard originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

With friends like these: What sci-fi has, and doesn't have, going for it

Joe Blancato — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, News items, Opinion

Let's face it: The sci-fi MMOG space is pretty bleak. I want Star Wars: The Old Republic to set the world on fire as much as the next guy, but long and nefarious is the path to massively-multiplayer righteousness, and so far, no one's really gotten the futuristic thing right.

Over the 12 or so years that graphical MMOGs have been around, two could be considered a success: Anarchy Online, which recovered from a catastrophic launch; and EVE Online, whose launch was nearly as bad as AO's, but luckily no one was around to notice at the time. That's two games over more than a decade. Conversely, three of the original four fantasy MMOGs were successful: Ultima Online, which is still around; EverQuest, which engendered a sequel and is emulated today by World of Warcraft; and Asheron's Call, which also inspired a sequel. And nowadays, you can barely walk without stepping in some fantastic goop, be it WoW, EverQuest II, or Warhammer Online, to name just a few.

Continue reading With friends like these: What sci-fi has, and doesn't have, going for it

With friends like these: What sci-fi has, and doesn't have, going for it originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

A Vanguard Retrospective

Brenda Holloway — Sun, 18 May 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Opinion, Vanguard

Genda of The Grouchy Gamer was a gamer with a dream; to hitch himself to Sigil's rising star. He created a one-stop shop for all news and information about Vanguard's crafting sphere, joined the Vanguard affiliate program, and gained a unique outsider's perspective to what would become one of the MMO world's most legendary disasters. It's a story of how lack of leadership and vision could turn EverQuest's spiritual successor and the hard work of dozens of talented designers, artists and programmers into tears in a parking lot in Carlsbad, California.

The retrospective is in three parts. In the first, Genda tells about Brad McQuaid's departure from SOE and the first news about the game that would become Vanguard, his lunch with the late fantasy artist Keith Parkinson, and Brad's increasing absence from the Sigil offices. The second part tells how many of the best innovations in Vanguard died on the vine because the programmers were busy rewriting all the scripts from the Unreal 3 engine and the increasing trouble within Sigil. The last part brings Vanguard from its troubled beta, through its disastrous launch and acquisition by SOE.

A Vanguard Retrospective originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 May 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Vanguard may be against the death penalty

Amanda Rivera — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Vanguard

Ten Ton Hammer is reporting on a recent uproar on the Vanguard: Saga of Heroes forums surrounding many MMO players' least favorite subject: death. Few like to contemplate their own demise, and even those who do would agree that penalties for dying in an online game are annoying. The current controversy surrounds a certain Producer's Letter written by game producer Thom Terrazas wherein he mentioned the possibility of reducing the severity of the death penalties in Vanguard.

Now Dalmarus makes a valid point about all of this. Removing the loss of experience mechanic from death means removing the excitement. Essentially, the developers would be eliminating that extra thrill you get from tackling dangers and taking on challenges that might be a bit much for you; the thrill you get knowing you survived and saved your precious experience points. I would agree that a death penalty gives players a consequence, albeit a small one, for reckless actions in-game, and removing that penalty means changing the game experience for better or worse. My feeling is that the Vanguard team might be looking at their competition, titles like WoW, and noticing that the loss of experience might deter the casual player from sticking with the game. But then again, it doesn't deter Dalmarus, so should they really be worried?

Vanguard may be against the death penalty originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Nov 2007 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments