[VG] Producer's Letter - Page 47

Perramas · 01-02-2008, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arrr

I don't see SoE pulling the plug, and why would they? They know how to resurrect MMOs

Yeah they sure turned things around for Matrix online, Planetside and SWG.

Draegan · 01-02-2008, 08:47 AM

I think he gave the game a fair shake. Almost half way through leveling (20/50) as opposed to 7/20 in your example. If you can't make an impression in the first 20 levels (12 hours? 20 hours?) of game play then you need work.

Twobit Whore · 01-02-2008, 08:53 AM

Sigh not to perpetuate the WoW vs. VG, but in WoW you do everything solo at that level. It's designed that way. VG was designed with grouping in mind. If you can't group in VG, you miss out on the 'good' stuff. In WoW you get to do the 'good' stuff solo.

Of course personal preference will play a part, but if you want to perma-group from level 1-X then maybe WoW isn't the game for you.

Drajakur · 01-02-2008, 09:00 AM

Grumpy - thanks for your review. I found it very useful. You aren't going to get to 50 without going through 20, and your review gave me the feeling that the effort just isn't worth it. I had been thinking about subbing to get a break from WoW, but I just won't bother.

Personally, I doubt VG is going to survive the launch of The Next Big Thing (tm) (be it AoC or WAR) so I'm not gonna waste my time if things aren't fun right from the get-go.

P.S. It's funny to see people get so pissy about your review, especially considering that you say upfront that you only obtained mid-level on your main.

tad10 · 01-02-2008, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Draegan

VG lover getting their panties in a twist. For fuck sake, I thought it was a decent review. If he says the population is low, it is, with his perspective.

Did you even read my comment? He had no experience with either the high-level pop or APW. Did I comment on anything else he said? No.

ajiatus · 01-02-2008, 09:49 AM

Grumpy,

Good review, and unfortunately it confirms the greatest design problem of Vanguard -- a large, empty world that feels like an empty, lonely RPG for the low levels. When you get to the early cities and find them deserted, it's just... sad...

I'm Rich Bitch · 01-02-2008, 10:09 AM

Grumpy Old Fart is a Grumpy Old Fart. Nice review though man.

I always wondered if the VG population was really low or was it my perception due to the freakishly large world. Of all the problems, the chunking thing is one of it's top problems for me. Also that slow XP rate. That is just too "old school" for my blood. Been there and done that.

tad10 · 01-02-2008, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I'm Rich Bitch

Also that slow XP rate. That is just too "old school" for my blood. Been there and done that.

XP is hardly slow in VG. And the population is fine. But way to keep spreading myths.

Grizzlebeard · 01-02-2008, 11:27 AM

Worst case they have 20k subscribers among 4 existing servers. That's 5k people per server roughly, of course the mix may be different. Last I checked 5k people per server was classed as a healthy server. It's a fuck load more than most MMOs have currently excluding WoW.

Snugglebear · 01-02-2008, 11:32 AM

If you go back right now it may be easier. There's a magic flying reindeer mount and a 150% XP bonus. I'm not sure when it ends, but it makes the levels go by faster.

Lack of optimization kills this game. I crash to desktop so much, I haven't even gotten my UI settings saved.

Twobit Whore · 01-02-2008, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grizzlebeard

Worst case they have 20k subscribers among 4 existing servers. That's 5k people per server roughly, of course the mix may be different. Last I checked 5k people per server was classed as a healthy server. It's a fuck load more than most MMOs have currently excluding WoW.

If all 5k are online at once, yeah. If peak concurrency is 20-30%, you are looking at 1k-1500 max at prime time, and maybe 300-600 during slow times. That's NOT healthy by any stretch, especially with a world as large as Vanguard's.

Draegan · 01-02-2008, 12:24 PM

Just for reference on my Geforce 7950 and 2gigs of memory I played up to level 19 and never crashed to the desktop.

XP Rate is pretty good actually. But when the holiday bonus goes off it'll be awful once again.

The one bug I really hate in this game that keeps me from playing it are combat bugs. More often than not if I'm in a building or around one (5 Brother Quest on Kojan for the last reference) and I'm attacking a mob I won't be able to hit it because it's "Not Infront of You" or "You can't see it" and I have to rotate around and start hitting air. There is also a bug that if I pull of a string of crits and the mob dies, I have to wait a few seconds for the server to catch up with the damage and produce a corpse. Really annoying.

There's definately some shoddy work in the game if it was fixed up the game would be an average DIKU MMO.

Shinrai · 01-02-2008, 04:38 PM

Being Australian I play at "low" peaks and I reckon the servers to have an online population of about 300-400. And this is while APW is still thrillingly new. For a world the size of vanguard that's certainly not enough to make the game feel anything other than empty.

Arrr · 01-02-2008, 07:09 PM

Quote:

If you can't make an impression in the first 20 levels (12 hours? 20 hours?) of game play then you need work.

It probably needs work, but most VG classes don't really bloom until 30 or so. and even then, you get some of your more key stuff even later on.

Draegan · 01-02-2008, 08:50 PM

Not classes, but the game itself.

01-02-2008, 08:53 AM	#693 (permalink)
Twobit Whore Insert Quarter Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 11,158 -14 Internets	Sigh not to perpetuate the WoW vs. VG, but in WoW you do everything solo at that level. It's designed that way. VG was designed with grouping in mind. If you can't group in VG, you miss out on the 'good' stuff. In WoW you get to do the 'good' stuff solo. Of course personal preference will play a part, but if you want to perma-group from level 1-X then maybe WoW isn't the game for you. __________________ I got a list of demands written on the palm of my hand. I ball my fists and you gonna know where I stand.

01-02-2008, 09:49 AM	#696 (permalink)
ajiatus Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 333 -3 Internets	Grumpy, Good review, and unfortunately it confirms the greatest design problem of Vanguard -- a large, empty world that feels like an empty, lonely RPG for the low levels. When you get to the early cities and find them deserted, it's just... sad... __________________ There is also the fact that in my opinion...

01-02-2008, 12:24 PM	#702 (permalink)
Draegan ҉̵̞̟̠̖̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠͇̊̋̌̍̎ ̏ Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 6,631 -20 Internets	Just for reference on my Geforce 7950 and 2gigs of memory I played up to level 19 and never crashed to the desktop. XP Rate is pretty good actually. But when the holiday bonus goes off it'll be awful once again. The one bug I really hate in this game that keeps me from playing it are combat bugs. More often than not if I'm in a building or around one (5 Brother Quest on Kojan for the last reference) and I'm attacking a mob I won't be able to hit it because it's "Not Infront of You" or "You can't see it" and I have to rotate around and start hitting air. There is also a bug that if I pull of a string of crits and the mob dies, I have to wait a few seconds for the server to catch up with the damage and produce a corpse. Really annoying. There's definately some shoddy work in the game if it was fixed up the game would be an average DIKU MMO. Last edited by Draegan; 01-02-2008 at 12:27 PM..

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01-02-2008, 08:47 AM	#692 (permalink)
Draegan ҉̵̞̟̠̖̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠͇̊̋̌̍̎ ̏ Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 6,631 -20 Internets	I think he gave the game a fair shake. Almost half way through leveling (20/50) as opposed to 7/20 in your example. If you can't make an impression in the first 20 levels (12 hours? 20 hours?) of game play then you need work.

01-02-2008, 09:00 AM	#694 (permalink)
Drajakur I have a competition in me. Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: In the clinch. Posts: 825 +20 Internets	Grumpy - thanks for your review. I found it very useful. You aren't going to get to 50 without going through 20, and your review gave me the feeling that the effort just isn't worth it. I had been thinking about subbing to get a break from WoW, but I just won't bother. Personally, I doubt VG is going to survive the launch of The Next Big Thing (tm) (be it AoC or WAR) so I'm not gonna waste my time if things aren't fun right from the get-go. P.S. It's funny to see people get so pissy about your review, especially considering that you say upfront that you only obtained mid-level on your main.

01-02-2008, 10:09 AM	#697 (permalink)
I'm Rich Bitch Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 5,064 -111 Internets	Grumpy Old Fart is a Grumpy Old Fart. Nice review though man. I always wondered if the VG population was really low or was it my perception due to the freakishly large world. Of all the problems, the chunking thing is one of it's top problems for me. Also that slow XP rate. That is just too "old school" for my blood. Been there and done that.

01-02-2008, 11:27 AM	#699 (permalink)
Grizzlebeard The Littlest Hobo of MMOs Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Blighty! Posts: 844	Worst case they have 20k subscribers among 4 existing servers. That's 5k people per server roughly, of course the mix may be different. Last I checked 5k people per server was classed as a healthy server. It's a fuck load more than most MMOs have currently excluding WoW.

01-02-2008, 11:32 AM	#700 (permalink)
Snugglebear Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,947 -21 Internets	If you go back right now it may be easier. There's a magic flying reindeer mount and a 150% XP bonus. I'm not sure when it ends, but it makes the levels go by faster. Lack of optimization kills this game. I crash to desktop so much, I haven't even gotten my UI settings saved.

01-02-2008, 04:38 PM	#703 (permalink)
Shinrai Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Melbourne Posts: 679 +1 Internets	Being Australian I play at "low" peaks and I reckon the servers to have an online population of about 300-400. And this is while APW is still thrillingly new. For a world the size of vanguard that's certainly not enough to make the game feel anything other than empty.

01-02-2008, 08:50 PM	#705 (permalink)
Draegan ҉̵̞̟̠̖̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠͇̊̋̌̍̎ ̏ Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 6,631 -20 Internets	Not classes, but the game itself.