Yet Another MMO To Enter the Fray

Once upon a time, there was an insanely popular MMORPG called Everquest. Taking place in the world of elves, orcs, and strange looking frog people, Everquest was one of the first and most popular MMO’s to ever hit the market. And, for a few years it was one of the most popular online games around, garnering almost a half a million subscribers at it’s peak in the early 00s. But like any other game, after awhile EQ’s popularity started to wane, and the original developers left to form their own company, Sigil Games.

So, what have these developers over at Sigil been up to over the past 4 years? Well, putting a new MMO together, of course! While most casual or non-gamers may think World of Warcraft is the unbeatable champion of the MMO realm, many RPGers know that WoW’s popularity has been slowly declining over the past 6 months. Many are looking for something new, something more challenging than the world of Azeroth can offer them. And who would know this better than the team that helped define the genre?

Enter Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Developed by Brad McQuaid and Jeff Butler, Vanguard, while still set in a fantasy world of full of elves, goblins and trolls, looks like it could have everything that Everquest lacked, and more. To start with, the graphics are more detailed and livlier than in Everquest. (See screenshots below.) The engine is scalable, so that a player can customize the level of their graphics in the game. This means that even those with an older computer and graphics card can still play and enjoy the game! This will also allow the game graphics to advance over time. Unlike some games that are limited in their evolution, a scalable engine will allow the devs to upgrade the level of graphics as the technology grows. But besides the graphics, the gameplay is also revolutionary.

Click To Continue

• Need a place to hang a prized possession, aquired while out on a hunt? Want to sell items you’ve crafted in game to other players? No problem! Player housing will allow you to buy a plot of land, build and furnish your own, private home or business.
• Don’t want to constantly quest in dungeons or out in the wild? Become a diplomat, and use the art of verbal jousting to gain experience and affect your social status in the “world”. Those who excel at diplomacy might have NPCs (non-player characters) saluting them as they walk past, while those who fail could find themself in a heap of trouble, wandering into the wrong side of town.
• Tired of walking to every destination? Well, besides the usual horse mount seen in other MMOs, in Vangaurd, players will be able to own flying mounts, control a ship, or join a caravan, which will allow you to log off while traveling. When you log back on, you’ll be returned to whatever location the caravan currently is.

Sounds fun, doesn’t it? There seems to be neverending possibilities with Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. With new game mechanics, amazing graphics, and a seriously topnotch dev team, could Vangaurd be the MMO that finally kills WoW?

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes will be released in early 2007. In the meantime, check out these other MMOs, to tide you over: City of Villains, Guild Wars, Star Wars Galaxies, Final Fantasy XI, or Dungeons & Dragons Online.

Technorati Tags:
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes mmorpg sigil games everquest

Tweet This Post