My Review of Vanguard

[Rayth]

This goes a long way to explain the fiasco:

http://f13.net/index.php?itemid=561#more

Basically a case study in how not to do it.

They didn't learn from Horizons...

I might get bashed for saying this, but Vanguard feels so much like Horizions.. The unfinished state when it went live, the limited budget, the weird performance issues (remember lagzoon), the vision that got in the way of what the majority find as fun, the questionable coding with the gazillion bugs that went along with in, even down to the some of the visions actually aligning between the games.

Don't minsunderstand me, I actually like both games. The disappointment on lost promise bother me. The both could have been far greater then what they are. SOE has given a stay of exectution to Vanguard, but SOE still has pretty much the same people at the helm - even if SOE was somehow qualified to fix some of the glaring issues with it.

[AA0]

Limited budget? huh? They spent $30 million + on that sucker, more than any other MMO to my knowledge... not limited but WASTED.
The management side seemed very much the same, just larger

[Rayth]

Read somewhere WoW as 80 mil, but whatever...

I meant limited only in the fact that Microsoft left (through the fault of Sigil) and they didn't get a chance to finish the job with the same level of funding. And after launch their numbers plumited as the game wasn't ready for release. Horizons went through similiar restructuring to cover up a shrinking budget.

[AA0]

When you blow millions on millions investors will not give you more, because you'll just blow it again. Kinda simple. MS isn't to blame for this.

[Rayth]

When you blow millions on millions investors will not give you more, because you'll just blow it again. Kinda simple. MS isn't to blame for this.

Thank you for repeating what I said.... Read above "Through the fault of Sigil".

However, they faced the same issues as Horizons. A game that wasn't ready on release, a shrinking customers base, and a reduction in budget.

Thank you for not actually having a converstation and just trying to pick apart my post however...

[AA0]

You are saying they had limited funds though, which is not really accuracte.. 30 mil was their budget, an excessive one.. and they didn't even come remotely close to hitting it.

[Rayth]

You are saying they had limited funds though, which is not really accuracte.. 30 mil was their budget, an excessive one.. and they didn't even come remotely close to hitting it.

rofl, your killing me... I corrected it by stating, after the initial funding was cut.

You have a budget, you are programming and you are not done, funding get's cut - you are now trying to finish a product that is not done, with less money, and now has went live.

Anyway I can be more clear then that? Microsoft cut funding, when the game was no where close to being done. They get some additional funding from SOE, which then in turn bought them. Now they lost at least half of their devolopment staff. They are facing server consolidation, because of the lack of subscribers (sound familiar?).

No where in there did I EVER blame Microsoft or in any way support Sigil?

It was simply rehashing the time line and simulairties that I find ironic. When I play Vanguard, it's like reliving Horizions all over again.

[Frith-Rae]

even though its not exactly on topic anymore I just wanted to say ..

Now, why I need to use illustrations is due to my way of communicating.
I find it hard to get my point across in english without using illustrations.

As others said - you're english is more than fine . You're points came across and they always have. I too had no idea you were not a native english speaker really - I see native english speakers posting less clear, and worse-ly (Yea not a word) written than you do. So I wouldn't worry about that.

I appreciate you reading my rather long post and us coming to an understanding. The fact of how you are now aware how it *could* be seen is enough for me and we can agree to disagree in the end. The air is clear.

And for what its worth I hope that in the end SOE does right by the customers of VG and makes the game fun for the continuation of its life for those who enjoy it. Just because I don't doesn't mean it shouldn't be allowed to exist for those who do enjoy it. Good luck all of those who continue to find their home there!!

[Cobal]

I appreciate you reading my rather long post and us coming to an understanding. The fact of how you are now aware how it *could* be seen is enough for me and we can agree to disagree in the end. The air is clear.

Glad to hear that

(sorry I didnt get back sooner, I heard there was a virus roaming here on the boards and only just heared today that it is now safe to come here again.
I expected the viral attack to be the final nail in the coffin)

Also, thanks for the re-assurance on my english skills folks.

[Nakaru Nitepaw]

I've been playing Vanguard since beta as Wolfee Darkfang, on Florendyle. I love the game and think it's very wll made. Sometimes the community kinda turns me off though. I find it brings in a lot of the WoW kiddies, leetist PvPers, corpse campers, newb killers, carebears/pansie insults, gay jokes, chuck norris jokes, and gold spammers. It makes me happy to visit horizons once in a while where i know we have a mature community who help one another.

[Kala]

I find it brings in a lot of the WoW kiddies, leetist PvPers, corpse campers, newb killers, carebears/pansie insults, gay jokes, chuck norris jokes, and gold spammers.

You get a lot of those? On Florendyl?? But...Florendyl's an RP server...

[Nakaru Nitepaw]

You get a lot of those? On Florendyl?? But...Florendyl's an RP server...

We still had a share of them. Now that they merged all the servers there is no RP server. So if we wish to RP were in for a challenge. Lets hope that this doesn't happen to horizons although I'm sure most people on chaos RP anyway. Or at least could accept it.

[Takora Drakan]

Well i must say i love the dragons in Vanguard, especially the new "raid dragon" model

Gallery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10006779@N07/

[Frith-Rae]

cool dragon, I think - though I'm more reminded as to why I thought that game was so dang DARK!

(42...seconds...blah)

[Nakaru Nitepaw]

I don't think it's normally that dark. Wasn't like that for me.

[Takora Drakan]

Vg isnt dark at all, the pictures are dark because they where taken in a dungeon

[Frith-Rae]

when I played in open beta the game was that dark..at night .

Though even in a dungeon, that's too dark for *my* tastes, I'd crank that up - assuming you can in windowed mode without blowing your deskstop settings.