I noticed VG on Steam near the end of last week. It's advertised as free, so I thought "why not?". I gave it a shot not expecting to be all that interestd, and instead I am completely hooked. I've tried many, many MMOs and since DAoC havent found anything that truly kept my interest. VG, however, is an amazing game and is what I feel is truly missing from modern MMOs. The world is huge. There's a true sense of adventure - starting out with nothing and very slowly establishing your character. Everything isnt handed to you, but it isnt simply an excersize in frustration, either. One thing I've noticed and truly enjoyed is that mobs drop random gear. Grinding on some random mobs for a while seems to usually result in at least one or 2 equipment drops. A big part of the MMO experience for me is finding what there is to be found, and this really adds a sense of enjoyment just wondering if that next mob might drop something good. Makes grinding not nearly as bad. Along these same lines - I've noticed random, named mobs as I level up. They arent EVERYWHERE, but enough to add some variety. And they drop what seem to be unique items. They arent uber items, but they do give a sense of having done something a bit special and add a little souvenier. The world itself is absolutely VAST and I actually think it looks really good, too. The environment is fantastic. I wasnt too impressed with Thestra, but once I leveled up enough to venture out a bit, I find the rest of the world to be stunning. How cool is Themnwar's Shield?? I've only explored a little tiny bit and already feel like I've been able to discover a LOT, with the sense that there's till a GINORMOUS amount left to be found. THAT is one of the true keys to making a great MMO...make a player want to find out what's around that next corner. I also need to mention the community. So far everyone I've encountered has been awesome and it seems this is really the norm. The classes are also great. My disciple feels like I'm playing a ninja, it's still fun to whirlwind kick a mob in the face!! I love the weapon models as well....a few times as I've just ben running along, I've noticed my weapon on my back and thought "wow...that'sa sweet looking sword.". Tons of little things and a few huge things, IMO, have really come together for this game to make it fantastic. I know the devs are workingon the bugs, and I feel like once that lag bug is fixed the population should really soar. I've mentione dit to a few people already, and I hope to see this game finally realize its potential.
I also need to add possibly the most important aspect that really draws me in - there isnt a feeling of being tied to a certain area. The more I look around, the more it looks like there are multiple areas that are level-appropriate. Many of the MMOs Ive tried just usher a player through all of the same areas till endgame, so that each player has almost the same experience. With VG, just looking around on a few sites, it looks like I have at least 3 areas I had no idea existed that I want to go check out tonight with my toon. If that keeps up all the way to 55 like it seems to, it really does a lot to add to the virtual-world feeling that I think all MMOs need to be interesting, not just a multiplayer version of what feels like a single-player game. And I need to add a shout-out to the dwarf at the dam. "If it isnt drwarvish, it's crap!" hahahah
First off i want to say its nice to see a new player posting on the good aspects of VG /props And just wanted to somewhat add to what your saying in that there is more content and area to cover than you can cover with one toon, you will out level many awsome areas while exploring other great areas. My tipical playstyle is 2box 1 toon each account and no other alts. No such luck with VG i have multiple toons so i could go places i missed without relying on mentoring, or just killing for no exp. Good Stuff =)
Personally, I love the dungeon crawl experiences. Some really fun dungeons in the game. The fact that you can move around as you level up is definitely a must for me. I've tried many games on rails and I just didn't enjoy it. With Vanguard, I've been able to just wipe my quest list clean, move to a new chunk and start anew. Great fun.
Welcome aboard, Krullmadden! What you describe in your post many of us can relate to. To Moorgard, Devs and SOE higher ups out there. This type of new player post should be tacked up in every office/cubicle as a reminder of how many players react to playing Vanguard for the first time. This post should provide inspiration for further developement of Vanguard. I know you guys are already on the job and are chipping away. Keep up the good work. Thank you for your post Krullmadden.
This makes me happy. Frankly, I don't care if you turn out to be the worst MMO player in the history of MMO's, your attitude alone makes me want to group with you. If yer ever needin' a sword, look me up on any name below (Though nowadays, its usually Tralyan). *salute*
Dayon wrote: I would like to echo Dayon's post and those above. As I posted moments ago in another thread, seeing folks who are excited about, and even more so who are vocal about their excitement with Vanguard is a wonderful thing to see. As a player who has been with Vanguard since open beta, it is always a wonderful thing to see when new eyes see what our old eyes fell in love with ages back. For all those new players, and old for that matter, should there ever be anything with which I can offer assistance, please know that I will be there to do all that I can to help. All the best,
Appreciate the sentiments, all. And this is precisely what I meant about the community. Really fantastic people in VG and I enjoy being around you all I didnt get to play yesterday (Sunday) but I did spend a LOT of Saturday in VG and my feelings are no different. I've found out-of-the-way places that felt like my own sort of secret, Ive learned my toon a bit more and am still enjoying playing him, and I've dumped bodies in the river for some crazy wizard.. Honestly, I havent enjoyed a game this much on a very long time, and the only thing I can compare it to is when I first logged into my first MMO back in 2002 and marveled at the virtual world around me. I've wanted to recapture that feeling since I quit DAoC and just havent been able to until now.
Welcome to Vanguard! We're glad that you decided to try it out and hope to see you stay around! Don't forget to join us on Facebook and Twitter too!
I have to completely agree with you. It took a bit to get past the stigma WoW had me in for playing for over 4 years. You know, pick up a quest, stick to the quest, continue. But I was asking myself last night as I was outside Tursh just kind of thinking "Why am I still playing this game?" Then off in the distance I saw a giant. He looked like he was taking damage but I couldn't see who was over there as they were blocked by a hill. I quickly made my way on over thinking that maybe there was something to gain from it. When I got there I watched as it died and standing there was two shaman. We didn't talk but we worked our way through the beginning of Rift Seeker to we got to the portal. They spoke some words, and I repeated. I was wisked away to a place that stole the breath from my lungs. At that point I realized that the game wasn't about getting to the max level asap it was about being in a new world, something I had been looking for since leaving Runescape so long ago. Glad to see I'm not the only new player feeling this way
