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

I didn't think much of it back then, but this game has fantastic animations.

Especially for what is really a 2006 title. The launch crept into Jan 2007 but this is truly a 2005-2006 game.

The world, the textures, however brown or not, and animations all hold up today. Also a persistent world of this size without instancing hasn't been done since.

man, we found the Skawarl Rock or whatever. Going to have to group up and do that place. Tons of great loot from the quests.

Skwalra was fun. Was where I learned how to cheese content as a Blood Mage. Levitate up the outside of the mountain, then invis, could get to a certain spot on the bridge long enough to summon the group to skip most of the dungeon and do the mask bird boss things. Later dungeons would add in charm and invuln and be able to skip to bosses or good camps a good half of the time. Never died so much on any class as that trying dumb shit all the time, but was always fun.

Solod a DK up to 11 so far and I honestly think if someone made a well polished Vanguard clone they would absolutely crush. Polish a lot of the clunky stuff but keep the core combat loop + class design and you've got a winner

LachiusTZ said:

You forgot enable PvP

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The infamy system in this was good, right? If people can ever get past every class not being exactly even in 1v1, might be some hope.

There was none. You could just fight anybody. It was a lot of fun, even with all the bugs and hacks. No instances aswell, so everything was contested.

Started a paladin named Pogi. Still level one though because I was exhausted and falling asleep at the comp.

Hekotat said:

man, we found the Skawarl Rock or whatever. Going to have to group up and do that place. Tons of great loot from the quests.

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I think those were the HL questlines added to the game when it went ftp. They gave you good items but also made a ton of leveling dungeons obsolete because you couldn't get anything nearly as good in that amount of time.

LachiusTZ said:

You forgot enable PvP

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Yup. IMO you need pve/pvp servers though. Game like this you've gotta focus 95% of your effort on PVE content and let pvp be there for those that want it. Focusing on PVP seems to make shittier games and good PVE content gives players a reason to pvp without having to design shitty point systems or whatever as incentive.

Flobee said:

Yup. IMO you need pve/pvp servers though. Game like this you've gotta focus 95% of your effort on PVE content and let pvp be there for those that want it. Focusing on PVP seems to make shittier games and good PVE content gives players a reason to pvp without having to design shitty point systems or whatever as incentive.

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Nirgon said:

The infamy system in this was good, right? If people can ever get past every class not being exactly even in 1v1, might be some hope.

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To be honest the PvP in Vanguard was "balanced" pretty good considering 0 effort went into separation of PVP and PVE.

Every class on average could melt face. Druid had their innate starfire charges that re-charged every day or however many hours, they could snap a few charges off and burst you down. Sorc's had devastating buildup nukes. Clerics had serious judgement instant deathblow-like abilities if they selected the right calling. Bloodmage could pop off against any class if played to the limit and using invuln and damage CD's properly. You didn't want a fully geared out rogue backstabbing you. DK slapped faces. Paladins were fucking savage with survivability and their Virtue Points system.

I'd consider it an EQ-like balance. A hasted monk in EQ with a big boy staff in Kunark/Vel can melt you just as fast with a staff as a wizard could reliably ice comet you to death in 2-3 snaps.

Every class pretty much has a full arsenal of dangerous shit due to how fleshed out and kick ass the classes were. You didn't want to tangle with a Necromancer in Vanguard either.

Shaman was another "avoid this fucking class if you see them" because of their Phoenix pet if they selected the right calling. The bird would smack for thousands of fire damage. But it wasn't just 1 specific calling, each calling had a different problem you had to deal with. Especially with regard to Shaman or Cleric. Knowing the spec of the class you were going to fight mattered. The PvP was very breakneck pace. You had to know exactly what you are going to do before engage because of the DPS.