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Help me decide between WoW and Vanguard.
LotosSlayer
Member Posts: 247
I need help deciding between these 2 MMos. I've always hated WoW because of it being percieved as a easy/simple MMo, the bad community, and the solo leveling. I'm used to more hardcore/oldschool MMos like FFXI/AO. I tried WoW for a few months, my highest level was 34. I just got bored of it, all you do is keep doing quests over and over again alone. The only time people talk to eachother is to call people noobs or something. I never felt like I accomplished anything, you get money, exp, equipment, all handed to you on a silver plater from quests. However, I'm starting to think I'm just being close minded. There has to be a good reason 11 mil people play WoW. I've been told WoW is all about the addicting end-game, so maybe I can get used to that. Although, I've also been told the end-game is also boring, simple, and lacking any sense of accomplishment. I don't know what to believe. I know a few EQ players that play WoW so there must be something appealing to them..
As for Vanguard, I'm currently playing the free trial. I was told it was more like the oldschool/hardcore MMos. So far it just seems like a WoW clone, all I'm doing is repetetive quests over and over again instead of the oldschool grind way with groups. However, the combat is actually more difficult than WoW, I've died over 6 times so far and I'm only level 10, I only died twice or so in WoW and I got to level 34. The quests also seem more difficult and interesting, I still don't like quest leveling though. However, the community is great and I really like the crafting.
Anyway, please give me some info on both games and help me decide please. Thanks in advance.
Comments
if your level 10 then for memory your not past the fairly linear section of Vanguard (the tutorial). After that its questing all over the world (no linking quests to the other continent, just pick the one you like most and go for it) and of course (Vanguards best feature) its dungeons.
The way you vented you dislike for WoW shows you have no doubt already made your mind up. Anyway i highly recomend Vanguard and i suggest keeping your LFG option on every time you log in because the dungeons are just superb and a blast to play with others.
MMO wish list:
-Changeable worlds
-Solid non level based game
-Sharks with lasers attached to their heads
WoW is the much better game with a better world, lore, combat, graphics, classes etc etc. It's more polished and alot more fun to play and has lots of people to play with where in Vanguard you'll be forced soloing cause theres noone about. WoW is much better in both PVE and PVP but if you're into PVP at all then Vanguard is a no go.
Vanguard failed for a reason and thats cause it's no fun to play and WoW has 11 million subs or whatever cause it's the most fun mmorpg out there.
I am not sure you will be happy with either. Both games offer super fast leveling. In Vanguard you can get to level 50 in less than 5 days played solo as you can get to 60 in that time in WoW. Vanguard is a great game. It has great core mechanics of crafting, combat and classes. I would argue the best of any MMO. WoW has a ton more content and polish. Vanguard has a raiding endgame that is terrible. 1 raid dungeon plus some overland raid mobs. No new raid dungeons in over 2 years and work on any new raid content has been stopped until at least March. The Vanguard raid content has also been watered down to almost make it pointless with the new level cap raise to 55. Where any non skilled guild now can simply walkthru raid content. Most veteran players have quit in disgust. WoW has a lot more endgame raid content but it also has been watered down by the 2nd expansion. Like Vanguard's raid content it has become easy mode. But unlike Vanguard it has a lot more polish and content is actually tested and of a much higher quality.
I would recommend Vanguard hands down if it was being funded. But it has a skeleton dev crew that simply is not big enough to do anything more than maintain the game. Since SOE took over in May 2007 they have done virtually nothing except finish a few projects left over by Sigil. It is obvious their intention is to let Vanguard wither and die on the station pass and never develop it. Which is a shame as arguably Vanguard is the best PvE game on the market in terms of game mechanics.
Although WoW has a much better future than Vanguard and much more content given your post I think you would enjoy Vanguard more. Leveling is fast (if you know where to go so ask around) so your not really risking much by putting in the time to level up a character. The community is solid and the game is certainly worth playing. But at least IMO you have to enjoy a game for what it is and not what it should be. If you get over the fact that Vanguard will never be developed into anything close to what it could and should be then its a very enjoyable game.
Spoken like someone who is obviously hooked on WoW and there for nothing else matters. And PLEASE stop bringing up the sub count liek EVERYONE else does...IMO, it only means that WoW brought in 11 million people, at some point, most of whom I bet knew NOTHING of MMO's prior to WoW, so know no better. WoW is fun, but it isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Have you even tried Vanguard? ................NM, I think I already know the answer to that question based on your initial response.
Spoken like someone who is obviously hooked on WoW and there for nothing else matters. And PLEASE stop bringing up the sub count liek EVERYONE else does...IMO, it only means that WoW brought in 11 million people, at some point, most of whom I bet knew NOTHING of MMO's prior to WoW, so know no better. WoW is fun, but it isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Have you even tried Vanguard? ................NM, I think I already know the answer to that question based on your initial response.
You're just another one of them people who blame all the new crap mmorpgs being released on WoW instead of the developers who made them.
I've played mmorpgs since the 90s and I can safely say WoW is the best made mmorpg and that's why it is the most popular. I don't even play it anymore because I don't like the direction they went with the game after TBC. However a new player wont care about the game becoming easier and all of all stuff and will just love the fact that it is so polished with great fun gameplay. there isn't an mmorpg out there that nails all the things WoW does...
- Great PVE
- Great PVP
- Seamless world design (not even EQ did that)
- Every class is fun to play
- THE BEST combat system
- Great art
- Amazing expansions that arn't just rushed out
- Massive community so you'll never be lonely like Vanguard.
WoW is the best game out there if you aren't a hardcore mmorpg player already and you'll only be disappointed by everything else.
Spoken like someone who is obviously hooked on WoW and there for nothing else matters. And PLEASE stop bringing up the sub count liek EVERYONE else does...IMO, it only means that WoW brought in 11 million people, at some point, most of whom I bet knew NOTHING of MMO's prior to WoW, so know no better. WoW is fun, but it isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Have you even tried Vanguard? ................NM, I think I already know the answer to that question based on your initial response.
Still the OP never experienced these things from WoW:
AV, New BG(Forgot the name), Raiding (even Puging at lvl 80 still fun in Kara), EXP from PvP, Lake Wintergrasp, Great Lore Quest(Ashbringer Event, Tirion Event, Wrathgate, Onyxia event , ext), Outland's Daily quest, WoTLK's Quest, Phased Quest
And its only getting better. 3.3 is going to rock! Dont forget CAT is right around the corner
If you think WoW has better graphics than Vanguard then, LOL.
WoW combat animation? Don't like.
WoW better classes? Not in my opinion.
WoW more lore? Agree.
WoW more subs? Agree
To me WoW lacks the depth Vanguard has. It doesn't even have player housing, but it does have RAIDs (which I don't care for).
well, WOW does play better, mostly because its the more populated option, though i have to say, im currently playing Vanguard and not WOW - i've played WOW, and also didnt like the Raid mentality, same isntance over and over again to get the odd piece of armour or weapon or something in order to do yet another instance... but Vanguard does seem to suffer from a lack of players.... its a shame as i think it has a lot to offer.. but maybe it might be that the boat has already sailed on this one.
Well most people don't care about player housing and the way Vanguard does it, I'd rather not have it in the game. Star Wars Galaxies is how I like my housing... otherwise I wouldn't bother with it and even then I spent very little time in my housing in SWG.
Also WoW is the only MMO I played where I could have fun with every class and in Vanguard. EQ2 or Lotro I tried each class and didn't find any fun and ended up quiting. WoW has amazingly fun ablities and class diversity where each class is drastically different from eachother. Not only that but you can play 3 different roles with your class via the talent trees. In like an EQ2 you have two sides of the same coin and every class feels watered down and boring.
WoW combat animation is perfect because it looks great and doesn't try to do animation over function. I've played Vanguard and can safely say it's animations are one of the weakest points of the game. Every time I got hit my character did that same old gay little leaning back thing and it looked so 90s.
Also WoWs graphics and art just really appeal to me because it makes the world look like a place I want to explore. Where as Vanguard looks plastic and very fake and has this weird generic look to it that puts me off. I mean the Trees look very odd like they arn't wood and they sway like the wind is constantly 100mph.
if you can get past the odd animations and find a healthy guild that doesnt neglect its lowbies, you'll really enjoy Vanguard. Especially if you like crafting. Also dont forget about diplomacy, since you mentioned you dont like quest grinding.
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a robot foot stomping on a human face -- forever."
Holy moly, do you like cake or pie? Two vastly different games, try both trials and see which one feels right and which one plays more fun to you.
EQ1-AC1-DAOC-FFXI-L2-EQ2-WoW-DDO-GW-LoTR-VG-WAR-GW2-ESO
My suggestion.... Drop back and punt.
Say hello, To the things you've left behind. They are more a part of your life now that you can't touch them.
The gameplay in VG is heavily influenced by WoW: one quest after another and breadcrumb trail to the next quest hub.
For me its all about combat and finding a class/build combination you really enjoy. WoW has a good feel and its just a matter of leveling up and experimenting with different builds until you get the right one.
My youtube MMO gaming channel
Don't hesitate : stick to WoW
- Vanguard could have been a great game but SOE + Silius have been busy on destroying & dumbing down the game for a while.
Typical SOE policy : Create/buy a great game, then change the dev team and turn it into a bland mess :
EQ post Luclin = R.I.P., SWG post NGE = R.I.P., VG = R.I.P.
- WoW, although being snobbed by some mmorpg.com readers, is still the best theme park mmorpg around, by miles.
The content is staggering, everything is polished, everything works, and everything makes sense.
You can play it casually, you got great pvp, you got all kind of pve ( very easy up to very challenging )
Thats why so many gamers play it, and so many devs try to copy it.
PS : Thats a non biased opinion, as i stopped playing both and now enjoy Darkfall, which is in a league of its own
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Playing : Uncharted Waters Online
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Can anyone confirm this? When I play an MMo I hope to play it for years, not get to max level then have nothing to do. Anymore information on both games would help, I'm still undecided. Also, I played WoW on a PvP server. Would PvE servers have better communities?
Can anyone confirm this? When I play an MMo I hope to play it for years, not get to max level then have nothing to do. Anymore information on both games would help, I'm still undecided. Also, I played WoW on a PvP server. Would PvE servers have better communities?
RP-PVE/PVP servers tend to have slightly better communities, but like everywhere else there's always a douche to ruins one experience
Wow hands down. Best end game PVE content there is out there. Quite "hardcore" too, meaning you will need plenty of time to do everything and get the best loots. Not that Vanguard is bad, it is not, but compared to WoW it is just lacking in content/polish.
Now if you can't stomach quest progression (in which you should become accustomed to, next gen MMORGS are mostly based on quests rather than grind) and can't bring yourself to max level in WoW, try Aion. I hear its a grinder's paradise there.
1 + 1 = 2... Unless it CRITS!
vanguard and wow is quite alike, so I believe you should try both of them. The games are not quite alike, they are like twins to be honest. If you dont see that I will eat my hat. And please dont give the crap about Vanguard having a open world. There is 3 diffrent zones which each holds diffrent squares (you can even see the lines in the game world) that is awfull to go between becuse of its small loadings
I would say wow even if Im holding vanguard as one of the better mmo´s ´. Mostly becuse wow has it all. Good pvp (yeah- there is world pvp) , pve and exploring. Wows graphic is dated but it really shows what good artic work can do for the game and the soundtrack is awsome. The lore is quite good as well and if you want to mod the game you can do that as well.
If you pick Vanguard you will play a game and feel that its the game that could have been one of the greater games, but it failed quite bad. The world is great and while you play you have the feeling that you want to explorer what lies behind the hills. There are some great quests that gives you a feeling of epic propotion (unicorn, griffin quests). But the one let down for me was the game performance. Even modern comptures (i7@4 ghz,4870x3, intel ssd @1920x1200) wont let you play the game at max settings without getting alot of drops in the fps. When I can play throu modern ones, crysis warhead dx10 with ease. That is becuse the games engine is built around the EQ2 engine that was built with super fast cpu;s and not so powerful gfx in mind (the opposit what we have now days).
I7@4ghz, 5970@ 1 ghz/5ghz, water cooled||Former setups Byggblogg||Byggblogg 2|| Msi Wind u100
Just to correct you, Vanguard actually uses Unreal Engine, it has nothing to do with EQ2 Engine.
In my opinion, you can find what you're looking for in either game. WoW has more players, which could be viewed as both a good thing or a bad thing. You will get out of the game what you put in. If all you want to do is quest and get gear, then both games offer that. If you want to meet people and engage the community, both games offer that as well. WoW's community isn't all bad. There are more players, so it cam be harder to find players who have the same values as you do, unless all you care about is loot, but they are out there.
Vault-Tec analysts have concluded that the odds of worldwide nuclear armaggeddon this decade are 17,143,762... to 1.
Just to correct you, Vanguard actually uses Unreal Engine, it has nothing to do with EQ2 Engine.
Oh. Thanks for correcting me
. Ive to beat my information source with a stick for making me do this strange rant of miss information on a forum.
I7@4ghz, 5970@ 1 ghz/5ghz, water cooled||Former setups Byggblogg||Byggblogg 2|| Msi Wind u100
LOL!!!
It's Sigil, not Silius.
And WoW isn't dumbed down itself?!?!! Any foam-helmet wearing drool bib recipient can pick it up and get to 80 in under a month...not even being hardcore. And WoW has been out for years, so of course it is polished.
It does NOT have great PvP. PvP consists of Purple gear = you win. No skill involved nor challenge.
And dev's only try to copy it because Blizzard made the game so retarded easy anymore that ANYONE can play it, hence tons of subscriber's of a wide age range, hence tons of cash, which IMO, in turn cloud's other dev's/companies vision for innovation of their own and simply attempt to copy the formula...but do it poorly and rushed to start making that kind of cash....and failing.
LOL!!!
It's Sigil, not Silius.
And WoW isn't dumbed down itself?!?!! Any foam-helmet wearing drool bib recipient can pick it up and get to 80 in under a month...not even being hardcore. And WoW has been out for years, so of course it is polished.
It does NOT have great PvP. PvP consists of Purple gear = you win. No skill involved nor challenge.
And dev's only try to copy it because Blizzard made the game so retarded easy anymore that ANYONE can play it, hence tons of subscriber's of a wide age range, hence tons of cash, which IMO, in turn cloud's other dev's/companies vision for innovation of their own and simply attempt to copy the formula...but do it poorly and rushed to start making that kind of cash....and failing.
Think you need to take a sec and realize how utterly bitter you sound.
Katsma is Lithuanian for 'he who drinks used douche fluid'.
LOL!!!
It's Sigil, not Silius.
And WoW isn't dumbed down itself?!?!! Any foam-helmet wearing drool bib recipient can pick it up and get to 80 in under a month...not even being hardcore. And WoW has been out for years, so of course it is polished.
It does NOT have great PvP. PvP consists of Purple gear = you win. No skill involved nor challenge.
And dev's only try to copy it because Blizzard made the game so retarded easy anymore that ANYONE can play it, hence tons of subscriber's of a wide age range, hence tons of cash, which IMO, in turn cloud's other dev's/companies vision for innovation of their own and simply attempt to copy the formula...but do it poorly and rushed to start making that kind of cash....and failing.
Think you need to take a sec and realize how utterly bitter you sound.
How am I bitter? I played the game for 2 years myself. I wouldn't of played i that long if I was bitter and just hated the company and/or game. I'm just telling it like it is and laugh at how blind or simply unwilling some are to see these things. if I was going to be bitter about any aspect of that game, it would be the community it produced. Other than that, yes, it's got unique artwork, great PvE, and some good background lore.
The poster I quoted it obviously pro-WoW. It's just funny that he says Vanguard is dumbed down, yet look at WoW. And the PvP IS simply gear based. Unless you have a zerg squad.
I played in Vanguard beta...and it was horribly jacked up. Then tried it again 6 months after release. It was better, but still not worth playing IMO, not sure about how it is now....just so you know I am not simply pro-Vanguard.
I do respect someone at least trying to be objective. However....and I really don't mean any offense....but I wouldn't take anything that anyone playing DF says all that seriously. Not that the above assessment is wrong, but I just feel that anyone who has stuck by AV through all their massive bull has a screw loose.
How in the hell can you continue to give money to a company that is ALMOST as bad as SOE? I would love a good sandbox game myself, but I'm not going to pay for one full of shit just because it's the only one around. I would rather buy Mortal Online right now if for no other reason than the dev studio behind it has proven to be FAR more professional. I wouldn't even care if MO turned out to be buggy because Starvault hasn't said that it isn't....whether directly or indirectly. I can, at any time I wish, go and check on the latest update to the beta servers. I can quite easily talk with someone on the dev team and get straight answers.
Anyway back on topic -
If you REALLY dislike WoW that much then go try out Vanguard. I'm going to warn you though that the game is fairly pop dependent and....the pop just isn't there. Soloing Vanguard is boring as hell by and large so unless you have a few friends you're going to start up with I really wouldn't bother. The game is probably on it's way out the door anyway so you may very well end up having a game that you can't play anymore in 3 months.
WoW isn't a bad game. Most of the content is dumbed down which is ironic since there are still quite a few people that are too stupid to handle it. The community isn't any better or worse than any other mmo; it's just larger. Larger means more of everything - more haters, more whiners, more morons, more fanbois (who are way more annoying than other fanbois), more of every type of gamer out there.
Oh and don't let that fake 11mil subscriber number fool you. More than half of that number is in Asia and I would hardly call the way subscriptions work over there even remotely close to the way they work in the west. Throughout Asia all MMO's work on a simple pay method - there is NEVER a retail price. Instead there is either a cash shop or you purchase time, but NEVER a retail price. The time you buy is exactly like buying time for a prepaid cell phone except your time never expires and it's cheaper. The difference is that the time you buy is per character rather than your account. However, as I said, the time never expires. Which means that Blizzard can count any character that has time on it as a 'subscriber'.
Only about 4 million are ACTUALLY subscribers. Which is still a huge number, but hardly the 11 million that fanboy's love to bandy about. And if they don't stop it then I'm going to start bandying around the 25 million 'subscribers' that f2p's like Maple Story are claiming as a reason why THOSE games are the greatest games in the world. It doesn't mean they are though, but if it's a valid excuse for WoW then it is for them as well. So you guys can either refer to 4-5million as the ACTUAL number of WoW subscribers or I'm going to start comparing WoW to Maple Story. Your call.