Vanguard (Screenshots & Impressions from CB Tester)

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Eihli

Gawd
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Sigil has officially lifted the NDA for Vanguard due to the recent transformation into beta 5.
Here are my impressions, and screenshots, from my time in beta. As you guys get into beta, you can post your screenshots in this thread.

Most of the beta testers are extremely disappointed in the release date, as this game will not be ready for release. It looks great, but animations and character models are lacking (I've got the only decent looking character models in beta). Some of you will like it, some of you may not, however the game is more similar to EQ2 and WoW, than EQ1. If you guys want to ask any questions, I'll try and answer them.

These screenshots are from the game on extreme max settings, which you will need at least an 8800gtx to run. I still get frequent crashes on my rig, and don't expect to get anywhere near these graphics without an extremely high end rig.









 
If a 9800pro has trouble with that, you need to recode the thing. Mediocre graphics are excusable, but only they run like they should.

I imagine though, that it's mainly due to the awful use of normal mapping. That's really pathetic.
 
it looks like poo cuz its a MMO, at least thats what makes sense....a question, how is the community aspect of the game i.e friends, raids, PvP etc. etc.
 
Does it really look that bad? The graphics look much better than Dark Messiah.

Groups are six, with raids being comprised of six groups. PvP was just put in, but on release it will be something like the EQ1 PvP servers.
The community in closed beta was good, however with the new influx of people from FP there have been a lack of community, especially at lower levels due to lack of maturity.
 
The interface reminds me of WoW. Graphics suck. Better graphics then dark messia? I dont think so. MMo or not this is 2007. I expect good graphics that scale.

/edit
These new forums are bad, my back ground is all white lol.
 
I was going to say it looks like EQ2, which is to say it looks like total lack of art direction or style. Anyway, first question:

After the beta has ended, will you buy it and continue playing or drop it and move on to something else?
 
Well I'll probably play it, but that's not saying much because I have a soft spot for MMORPG's. I even played Asheron's Call 2... :eek:

I think for the most part I'll enjoy the PvP servers.
 
SCSI-Terminator said:
I was going to say it looks like EQ2, which is to say it looks like total lack of art direction or style. Anyway, first question:

After the beta has ended, will you buy it and continue playing or drop it and move on to something else?
Click to expand...

my thoughts as well. you may say wow looks cartoonish, but the world looks correct, as if it should be as it is.
 
No offense to the OP, but I have seen better screenshots. I have seen a butt load of media today since the NDA was lifted. Thanks for posting your thoughts. I was hoping some of the [H] were in the beta.
 
Martyr said:
my thoughts as well. you may say wow looks cartoonish, but the world looks correct, as if it should be as it is.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. There is something about the graphics that just doesn't work. Every MMO has that gritty medieval look to it, high polygon models, high resolution textures but it just doesn't look polished or right. It looks like Oblivion, only it doesn't have that flow to it; it doesn't work for some difficult to describe reason. The world is lifeless and artificial, so contrived that everything in it looks like it simply doesn't belong. WoW may not look realistic, but at least everything fits into the world and flows and doesn't look completely forced.
 
WoW definitely has the best art and style of any MMO. All the other "realistic" MMOs just focus on slapping the latest graphics card features together and call it a game.
 
I can't believe how hideous that game looks. It has no style to call it's own, completely uninspired art direction, and to top it all off it doesn't even look good technically.

And you say it takes an 8800GTX to make it look like THAT? Ugh.
 
What's the level grind like? Can ya play solo like ya can in WoW or does it force ya to group?
 
What's going on with the world of gaming? Through the past 5 years in my humble opinion everything has gone straight down. Hardwares cost an arm and a leg now yet the graphics don't even inspire the same warm feeling that games like Diablo2, original UT or Quake used to bring. This is exactly the reason why I didn't rush out the door when the 8800GTX was released, it just doesn't seem like it's worth it anymore. Games are buggier than ever and content is shallower than ever. I'm not bashing the PC here either, same thing on the consoles too.

/end rant
 
the game has nothing going for it, i've been able to play since beta 2/3 its not fun at all, its ugly as hell there are no new aspects in the game- except ships...
 
I'm in the beta as well and can help answer some questions. I'm at work without access to my screenshots, but with my 7800GTX the game looks very similar (if not identical) to the OP's screenshots.

If you listen to Sigil, the games client has not yet been optimized. How this could be when we are now in Beta 5 is a mystery to me. It's a mystery to me that we are actually in Beta 5. There are tons of broken quests, quests with wrong directions and quests you simply can't find a way to finish.

Even with my new rig, E6600, eVGA 680, 2GB PC-800 Dominator and the 7800GTX the graphics really chug along at times. I'll get 35-40 fps on Balanced settings in the wilderness. In the cities like Leth Nurae, it can chug down to the teens. Unless things are optimized very soon, alot of people will be left out because there computers simply wont run the game.

Now it may sound like I'm not going to play, but in fact I am. I love the class system and the skill system. I love to play Paladin's and I never could connect with the WoW Pally. I love the implementation in Vanguard, that alone will compel me to play. Even with its current flaws, the game has HUGE potential. That won't be enough for most people though.

I think the OP's assertion that the game is closer to EQ2 than EQ1 is correct. I would even say there are definite elements of DAoC tossed in as well.

It's a shame they are rushing this. Six to 8 months from now it may well end up being a GOTY candidate. However, first impressions will be brutal for this game.
 
I'm sorry to hear it takes so much processing power to make a game that looks like that, run. However, I'm willing to excuse it if optimizations are on the way. Perhaps a few could answer these questions

1. I am a veteran MMORPG player. Everything I've heard about Vanguard is that it specifically caters to the "Top 1% Asshole" demographic found in other MMORPGs. That is, the players who feel every game out there is too easy, and that it should be pretty much a second job. No soloing, Forced grouping. You can't kill a bloody equal level monster on your own. Corpse runs. Long time to level. Raid content is premiere, and if you can't sit for 8 hours in front of the PC with 50-100 of your closest friends, you're not a real player. QQ Noob, Basement dwelling, cheetos stained, overweight stereotype jerk. How close is this to the truth? The reason WoW is so popular (despite its hardcore gamers 1%s) is that its much more forgiving and fun than other MMOs. I've played EQ1 (Velious days) and Lineage. I'm not willing to put that level of intensity into a game right now. Its just not fun anymore, its work.

2. Could you go into the class and skill system? What makes a Vanguard Paladin different from the Paladin you dislike in WoW? Are there any unusual, cool classes? For instance, I liked being a Swashbuckler in EQ2

Thanks.
 
so basicly this game will be another SOE victim,rushed out the door ,most ppl leaving after the first 1-2 months,dont understand why they never learn.
 
When they say it's not optimized they really mean that they have no idea why it runs like crap and probably won't be able to fix it.
 
Xaeos said:
1. I am a veteran MMORPG player. Everything I've heard about Vanguard is that it specifically caters to the "Top 1% Asshole" demographic found in other MMORPGs. That is, the players who feel every game out there is too easy, and that it should be pretty much a second job. No soloing, Forced grouping. You can't kill a bloody equal level monster on your own. Corpse runs. Long time to level. Raid content is premiere, and if you can't sit for 8 hours in front of the PC with 50-100 of your closest friends, you're not a real player. QQ Noob, Basement dwelling, cheetos stained, overweight stereotype jerk. How close is this to the truth? The reason WoW is so popular (despite its hardcore gamers 1%s) is that its much more forgiving and fun than other MMOs. I've played EQ1 (Velious days) and Lineage. I'm not willing to put that level of intensity into a game right now. Its just not fun anymore, its work.

2. Could you go into the class and skill system? What makes a Vanguard Paladin different from the Paladin you dislike in WoW? Are there any unusual, cool classes? For instance, I liked being a Swashbuckler in EQ2.
Click to expand...

Answer to 1: There are jackasses in everygame that I have played. There are some really hard core Vanboi's who think that death should be ridiculously painful. I think they are losing out in the end. You can in fact solo and I have solo'ed with one Pally up to 13 with little effort. I stopped there to try out another starting area and solo'ed to 13 there as well. At this point I think you could make it to 20 soloing at a reasonable rate...since it is beta..who knows if thats how it will be on release. Certainly I do not think that if you were in a hardcore WoW raiding guild that Vangaurd would be that much more of a time demand.

Answer to 2: What I like about it is that its attribute based, STR, CON, DEX etc..as well as you get abilities ever other level 2-4-6-8, etc.. Now some of these are just refreshes of old abilities but some are brand new. Paladin's also get at least 3 different aura's....STR...Defense...Mana Regen. Paladin's also have the best rescue's in the game. In other words, I was in a spider cave at level 10 adventuring with a 13 Shaman....the shaman was getting his ass handed to him. One hit of my rescue and I get instant get aggro...get out of jail save your parties life ability. It refreshes damn quick too. You don't have to dick with talent tree's at all. It's ALOT like DAoC. You could choose to run around with a 2-hander or sword and board and be equally viable as a healer and a tank. Sword and board is obviously better. The class just feels right.
 
Xaeos said:
I'm sorry to hear it takes so much processing power to make a game that looks like that, run. However, I'm willing to excuse it if optimizations are on the way. Perhaps a few could answer these questions

1. I am a veteran MMORPG player. Everything I've heard about Vanguard is that it specifically caters to the "Top 1% Asshole" demographic found in other MMORPGs. That is, the players who feel every game out there is too easy, and that it should be pretty much a second job. No soloing, Forced grouping. You can't kill a bloody equal level monster on your own. Corpse runs. Long time to level. Raid content is premiere, and if you can't sit for 8 hours in front of the PC with 50-100 of your closest friends, you're not a real player. QQ Noob, Basement dwelling, cheetos stained, overweight stereotype jerk. How close is this to the truth? The reason WoW is so popular (despite its hardcore gamers 1%s) is that its much more forgiving and fun than other MMOs. I've played EQ1 (Velious days) and Lineage. I'm not willing to put that level of intensity into a game right now. Its just not fun anymore, its work.

2. Could you go into the class and skill system? What makes a Vanguard Paladin different from the Paladin you dislike in WoW? Are there any unusual, cool classes? For instance, I liked being a Swashbuckler in EQ2

Thanks.
Click to expand...

1. I have heard this as well. However, my assumption has always been that this claim was based on the fact that Brad McQuaid is in charge of this game and he was an important part of the early years of EQ when that game had all these same attributes. So basically these statements were speculation based on his involvement, and a few statements he made hinting that the game wasn't going to be quite so easy as WoW. That hardly means it will be hard though since WoW is incredibly easy if you know what you are doing (I know a guy who played beta1 in WoW and at launch he was able to level his first character to 60 in 2 weeks with no twinking or outside help, and while working a normal 40 hour week).

BTW,
I should be logging into the beta for the first time tonight. Woot.
 
For those of you saying the graphics suck - those graphics are clearly incomplete. shadows? normal mapping? shaders???
 
I'm just curious about a couple of things in the game:

Is the leveling slow and tedious or fast and enjoyable?

How's the PvP (if there is any)?

Anything interesting about the gameplay that would take people away from WoW?
 
When in the hell are we gonna get a good ninja type MMO? This wizard and elf shit is getting old.
 
I always felt they were trying to be overly-ambitious from the start and now when it's so close to release, it shows. Their resources have clearly been spread so thinly across that vast game that it just looks dire.

I wouldn't put too much hope in the old, "It's not optimised yet" excuse. That's the same thing that SOE were screaming about EQ2 right up to release and we weren't fooled then because we had the same thing with Anarchy Online years before. Funcom still insisted that removing the debug code would vastly improve things and for everyone to stop panicking. "It's just the debug code" became a !!!!!! mantra and come release it was absolutely no different.
 
That game looks horrible. I would not want to grind for gold/level if I have to look at that every single hour.

If there is a game with Guild Wars graphic engine and WoW gameplay, I will be a customer for life.
 
ToddMcF2002 said:
For those of you saying the graphics suck - those graphics are clearly incomplete. shadows? normal mapping? shaders???
Click to expand...

Well, if the game runs like ass and looks like that I would hate to think what it would run like with more advanced graphics features.
 
JustinSane said:
When in the hell are we gonna get a good ninja type MMO? This wizard and elf shit is getting old.
Click to expand...
Age of Conan might have what you are looking for. The stealth system for rogues isn't as easy as hitting a hotkey.

Not sure on the release date, though.
 
The draw distance in Vanguard is amazing. Get on top of a cliff and you can literally see 10 miles...

These screenshots don't look that bad, I don't know what the fuck you guys are talking about. These are far better graphics than Neverwinter Nights 2, and Dark Messiah.

Maybe something is fucked up with resolutions, or what not...
 
Eihli said:
The draw distance in Vanguard is amazing. Get on top of a cliff and you can literally see 10 miles...

These screenshots don't look that bad, I don't know what the fuck you guys are talking about. These are far better graphics than Neverwinter Nights 2, and Dark Messiah.

Maybe something is fucked up with resolutions, or what not...
Click to expand...

Im not sure how you can say its better then Dark Messiah...
I see no shadows(or they are just crappy shadows where I dont see them).
Low res terrain(not much detail, etc)
Low res characters(once again low detail,very plain looking).
The trees look weird.
Draw distance is not a substitute for low quality art. Its not like your going to see anything 10 miles out but terrain.

If this game has better graphics those screenshots do not show it.

/edit
Looked at some other screenshots and some are ok looking, overall its nothing big deal. This type of graphics I would expect in 2005 or 2006. Maybe my standards are to high for a MMO, but with other MMO with better graphics coming out, this one just doenst cut it.
 
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