Vanguard - I don't give a fuck if it's dead, It's still brown as fuck (Download link in 1st post)

Didn't know the emu was dead, that's a shame as it looked real promising for while.

I’m not sure how correct it actually was but to me all the classes felt overpowered. I can’t think of another game who got the classes as right as VG.

I enjoyed the handful of classes I tried, but man the Bloodmage was the most fun I've ever had with a class and made Vanguard my favorite mmorpg ever.

Bloodmage was a bit bloated on abilities, and it was at times exhausting because if you wanted to be good there was a lot of stuff to juggle. And maybe a BMG played well was overpowered, but it was all about risk management. Other healers were safer, and there were still random times I'd get whacked (or arcane reflect mobs killing people lol), but it was always a thrill because of it. It took a while convincing my guild I could main heal on raids and was hilarious using damage splitting pacts and having people freak out as hp bars are yoyoing like mad.

It was the ultimate troll class, because you'd do things like offtank or charm/root cc and people would get confused or mad and then you'd save the day. Pretty often if the "real" healer went down people would start shouting wipe and then be confused because the BMG they let join the group or raid for backup heals kept everyone alive no prob.

Even years into the game and a lot of people had no clue how BMG even worked. People very confused and pissed when I would roll on offensive caster gear. Or lecturing me that I was overhealing and then when I explained it was also how I dpsed get mad and say I shouldn't be dpsing and should save mana and then I'd have to explain I could cannibalize for mana, and they'd lecture me on not taking damage as the healer and then I'd have to explain I could heal through damage. Lots of people always confused or mad, which is the sign of an engaging class design.

Good times, some of the best.

I wish someone could just make a basic fight simulator to mess around with Vanguard classes again. And nah Rift Chloro wasn't close, though props for them having some flexibility and non-standard designs.

Hateyou said:

Bloodmage was pretty fun. Main was a bard but BM was second char. I found a damage shield exploit with shaman mobs with mine. Charm it, it casts the damage shield on you and it would hit for millions. So you’d just run around agroing everything and healing yourself and they’d one shot themselves. Was able to level to 50 in two days once I figured it out in my teens. Was so much fun clearing that lizard dungeon solo, top to bottom before the shield wore off. Head back up wait for respawn and start over.

Once a started a disciple though I ended up parking the bloodmage as a CotH bot for the dragon in the port warehouse. The interactiveness and the combos of the disciple were just so much fun. Really enjoyed playing it for raiding and solo/duo stuff. The bard was great for groups cause the damage it gave was just immense, groups went so slow without one.

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Disciple was great. I enjoyed all the combos you could pop off. Great duo character and you could solo decent.

Deeone said:

I’m not sure how correct it actually was but to me all the classes felt overpowered. I can’t think of another game who got the classes as right as VG.

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I loved the leveling experience. Certain classes you had a better power progression that rivaled WoW 2004.

The level 1 to 20 experience was remarkable, as far as grinding and sense of accomplishment. The grind got a bit more fierce later but you had options, you had choices.

The time investment vs reward vs progression was just right. No other MMO has really been able to replicate Vanguard combat but more importantly the progression being "tedious" but having multiple ways to cut that tedium down (certain classes could solo 3 dot and 4 dot mobs for example). Some classes benefitted from duo, some preferred full groups. You felt like you could cheat the system. Like there was depth to decisions you could make with regard to the macro elements of combat + leveling. Certain classes had different schemes they could run. I remember certain classes grouping in the swamp to aoe-kite-kill stuff.

The options available to combating your way towards progression were one of the things Vanguard got right. And that's why it's a real shame the DB hasn't been leaked to the project by now.

Having an offensive + defensive target is something every mmo should have. It was such a great idea.

Did anyone ask the best way to go about borrowing the VG DB and which of these subdivisions of the company would still have retained access to that data?

Daybreak Games will now be split into Dimensional Ink Games, Darkpaw Games and Rogue Planet Games, with each studio splitting off and recruiting new talent. The hope is that each studio will take control over one of Daybreak’s franchises. Each studio also aims create its own unique identity and build up new communities.

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Dimensional Ink Games will be based in Texas, with Jack Emmert continuing to lead. Up to this point, Daybreak’s Austin, Texas based offices have been in charge of DC Universe Online but will begin developing a new MMO project this year.

Darkpaw Games is based in San Diego and will take charge of EverQuest, continuing to support the older games while developing the “next innovation” for the series. Finally, Rogue Planet Games

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The topic of a revived Vanguard did come up in jest for just a few moments, in terms of bringing the game back. The general sentiment is there.

Everyone got a little chuckle.

PCs have come a long way in 13 years, and now we have SSDs

Game just couldnt recover from the bad press it started with. I never gave it a second thought for years because it was so universally derided. I started playing it not long before it was shut down. I'd rate it in that state above anything else available at the time or now. It hit a pretty sweet spot between WoW and EQ.

Mainly the combat system has never been replicated in any other MMO.

Which is why we need the VG DB. The combat shouldn't never see the light of day again.

Because of the fact the offering isn't there in any other MMO in the space-- for that reason alone, we are in need of an angel to transfer it to a stick and give it to emu lead design. Hell, if you need some plausible deniability, dropbox it and I'm sure it'll make its way there.

This is a game that deserves emulation. Get the word out at the water cooler.

The strength of this game was its combat or at least so I thought.