“Vanguard Hands-On” Environments, Character Creation, Teamplay

Posted by Draedus in Vanguard News, Vanguard GameSpot

GameSpot recently had the opportunity to get a first-hand, in-depth, hands-on look at the yet-to-be-publically-released Sigil/SOE MMORPG “Vanguard”. They share their experience and add some excition incisht to what we can expect when the game is finally released (currently slated for Early/First Quarter 2007). The GameSpot editors share a bit about the environment of the game, including everything from locations to character creation and then share some about the all important game-play.

“The world of Vanguard is going to be very huge, but perhaps the most interesting thing about it is that the game is able to render its landmasses seamlessly, so they’re not separated in different sections. You could easily walk from one end of a continent to the other without encountering a level load… we found ourselves standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down upon the huge city in the valley below… We could actually walk down and into that city.. if you can see it in the game, odds are there’s a way to get there, either by walking, flying, or sailing…”

So not only HUGE, but accessible! Mapping the entire environment will be quite the feat for those explorer/adventurers out there. GameSpot goes on to explain the fact that Vanguard has some unique transportation elements to it as well. In addition to walking, and riding mounts, Vanguard also allows you to take to the seas aboard boats, and not only for the purpose of transportation, but adventure awaits you on the water as well since characters on boats can engage in battle and such. Good news for pirating-types.

“..You’ll be able to buy or construct (if you have the know-how and the resources) any number of ships to go sailing on the huge ocean…You’ll also be able to battle other ships, though at launch this will be limited to fighting atop the decks….”

“…you’ll be able to quickly gain a basic mount, such as a horse, at level 10…cooler mounts, such as unicorns, will have to be earned by advancing to higher levels. Flying mounts will come at around level 40 (the top level cap is 50), and the cool thing about these is that you can control the mount directly and fly wherever you want, unlike the flying mounts in World of Warcraft, which fly along predetermined flight paths…”

GameSpot writers go on to describe the character creation interface and the massively customizable features you are free to set for your Vanguard characters.

“…The number of different races and classes to choose from is impressive, as are the customization features that let you tweak your character’s appearance right down to the eye spacing. We chose to play as a human paladin, but we could have chosen from up to 15 different classes. The classes are roughly divided into categories, so “protective fighters” include the warrior, paladin, dread knight, and the inquisitor; while “offensive fighters” include the ranger, rogue, and monk. Then there are “healer” and “caster” class categories…”

Then they delve into the actual game-play starting with general questing information & moving on to discuss how your character interacts with creatures & characters in battle.

“…plenty of quests to pursue …many of these involved going out into the wilderness and killing X number of a certain beast, or going out and recovering Y number of a certain material …While some of the low-level foes are easy prey for a beginning character, the danger is getting caught up against multiple foes at the same time, or taking on a monster that’s a couple of levels higher than your character’s experience level …if you die and you can resurrect for free with all your stuff, at least until you get to level 7. After that, you’ll have to start being a lot more careful about dying, because there will be a price to be paid.”

“…there should plenty of stuff to do whether you like to play solo or with a group. …One neat feature that aids team play is the ability to easily rescue fellow teammates in trouble… It’s like taking a sword blow for the team. Other features allow the easy chaining of attacks to create special “combos” as well as making it easier for teammates to work together. For instance, a rogue may knock down an opponent, giving your warrior an opening to stomp on them.”

True team-work, plenty of interesting solo & team quests, fantastic character creation/customization, unique modes of travel, and so much more. I’m not sure about you, but I can’t wait!!

Read the entire article about their Vanguard experience at GameSpot.com >>

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