Vanguard: Saga of Heroes - an MMORPG

Any MMORPG gamers out there? I've been playing MMORPGs since about 1999 when I first discovered the game, Ultima Online (UO). I played this massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG) for about three years before moving on to Dark Age of Camelot (DAoC). I played DAoC for about two years and then moved on to Star Wars Galaxies (SWG). SWG held my interest for a couple of months and then I moved on to World of Warcraft (WoW). After WoW, I moved on to City of Heroes (CoH) and then Everquest II (EQII). I also bought City of Villians (CoV), a companion game to City of Heroes. I like to think that I am a pretty good judge of games after playing them for so long.

I love MMORPGs because I get to play with people from all over the world in a beautiful three dimensional world. I can log into the game and play 24/7 for a low fee, usually no more than $15 a month, with friends, co-workers and strangers. I have made some of my very best friends online in MMORPGs. I even met my husband online, in DAoC. The communities that grow from these games can be fantastic and amazing. As a disabled veteran, I find it much easier to meet, and get to know people online, especially in these MMORPGs. Being a member of AC or Gather.com, I'm sure you can relate; at least a little.

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is a new MMORPG being developed by Sigil Games Online (http://www.sigilgames.com). It is currently in what is called the Beta process. The Beta process is the testing process of the game where people are invited to download the game client, play the game, test all aspects of the game and report bugs. Once the game is considered good to go and polished up, it will be released for public consumption. I recently started reading about Vanguard on one of my favorite sites, MMORPG.com. After looking at all the screenshots, introduction movies and reading the write-ups on the game, I decided to go ahead and purchase a pre-order box.

My husband put down $10, each, on two boxes (you can find them at Gamestop, Fry's and Best Buy Stores), sealing our promise to pay the rest of the price when the game goes live. He brought the boxes home and we eagerly installed the game onto our computers. Vanguard is currently in Closed Beta; meaning you can only play by invitation and if you meet certain criteria the gaming company is looking for to test their game. I have everything installed and am eagerly awaiting the Open Beta where I, and everyone else who pre-orders V:SOH, will finally get to test the game. I will also get to enter the game at least three days before it goes live to the public. I have to tell you, I am very excited.

Some of the things I am looking forward to in Vanguard: Saga of Heroes are:

• Player-owned mounts, such as horses, unicorns, camels and eventually flying mounts! I love that they state you can, most likely, get a horse as early as level 10! Many MMORPGs use mounts as high-level rewards. I've always disliked that implementation, because I think it takes away from enjoyment of lower levels. If I were a game developer, I would want all my players to enjoy every level of my game. I wouldn't want them to rush through just to get an object. So, I truly love the way V:SOH is implementing mounts in their game.
  
• Player-created and player-owned ships; I haven't seen any form of these since playing UO. Being able to craft a ship is fantastic. Being able to own a ship that really works as a means of travel and adventuring is just amazing! I have read that there will be pirates and sea monsters that attack player's ships as they travel. Fun! I also like that you can use your ship to store items and that you can, if skilled enough, repair a ship that has been destroyed in battle.
  
• Player-owned houses; I haven't seen a satisfactory implementation of this since UO and Star Wars Galaxies. I loved my tower in UO and my huge house in SWG. I've seen other games create houses as instances so nobody in the outside world could really see your house; they just saw a representation of your house. You clicked on the door and was magically transported into your home. I am really looking forward to seeing how V:SOH implements player-owned houses in their seemless world. I believe they will do it intelligently, because they seem to have worked out other important issues in a pleasing and intelligent manner.
  
• Barding for player-owned mounts; most MMORPGs do not have this. This is armor and decorations that you can put on your horses, ships, etc. A simple idea perhaps, however, it has never been done before. I truly don't know why it hasn't been done. I've seen hundreds of forum posts in many MMORPGs begging the powers that be to add them. It seems so simple, but since I'm not a game artist or programmer, I can't really comment on that knowledgeably. However, I can, and will, state that I am really looking forward to this aspect of V:SOH! I am also looking forward to the implementation of combat on horseback, which will eventually be implemented.
  
• The Diplomacy Sphere; which has never been implemented in any MMORPG that I've played. This is a very neat aspect of V:SOH. Most games depend solely on combat or thieving skills to accomplish most challenges. Being able to bribe someone, use clout to influence someone or bargain with non player characters (npcs) will add an entirely new and wonderful dimension to the MMORPG experience. It doesn't rule out combat, but, in my opinion, enhances it. I am looking forward to experiencing this when the game goes live.
  
• Caravans that allow members to join and then allows one player to transport the entire group to a new location... even if the other group members are logged out. Innovative! This is another aspect of the game that I look forward to experiencing. I have never seen this implemented in any other MMORPGs and I think it really adds a great deal of yummy goodness to group travel. The V:SOH world of Telon is supposed to be huge and will, most likely, continue to grow with new releases after it's initial release. Being able to move groups around in a caravan, while some of the members are logged off, will certainly assist game play and travelling to far away lands for exploration and adventuring.

These are just a few of the things I have read about Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, that I love. I have just touched the tip of the iceburg and am relishing digging through the official site, fansites and MMORPG news sites to find out even more information about the game. I hope I have at least whetted your appetite and I hope that you, too, will check out Vanguard: Saga of Heroes to see if it might be a perfect fit for you as well.