View Full Version : So... What else is new?
Kolthas
06-04-06, 04:32 PM
I'm still checking this page regularly for any more tidbits. I'm thinking to myself "what can we discuss?". So I figure maybe if anybody has an opinion on something we have already seen from the game, or an idea that they think is cool or even... revolutionary... Why not just throw it out there here?
If I'm outa place with this just shun me...
*just a thought*
Kolthas
06-08-06, 08:47 AM
I'll consider myself shunned...
Chromite
06-08-06, 12:26 PM
Well, not much activity goes on in this forum other than the endless guild postings (ugh.. please make it stop make it stop!)
The fanboy discussions go on mostly on the Vanguard Forums themselves and the NDA breaking and more detailed discussions go on at the Fires of Heaven forums. Of course on those forums you get a bunch of idiots too :-P
There's just not much information to post about, really.
Vanguard is definitely looking EQ2ish though if you look at the latest screenshots Sigil has posted on the website.
No shunning Kolthas :)
Chromite is partly right, though we've had some leaked info on here too *cough*
Cool is the movement, really smooth... definitely NOT EQ2 ish (at least present incarnation EQ2). I guess that's hard to tell from screenshots or even in the movies out. Maybe because part of it is the responsiveness which won't show in movies either.
Gameplay is to be seen, even those testing now can't say they really know the game (and not just because they're under NDA, hehe).
Kolthas
06-10-06, 12:09 AM
I played EQ2 for a few months (just before WoW) and I rather enjoyed it. It was an easy game to play alone and with me buds. If there were some elements taken from that game I wouldn't be at all disappointed, but Vanguard MUST have a unique feel to it. Vanguards managed to keep my attention for months without even being released. If it can do as much when I'm actually playing it I'll be satisfied!!
Vanguard..looking EQ2ish? elaborate please
Kolthas
06-13-06, 04:06 PM
I think what most people mean by that is in a combination of graphics and gameplay. From what I've seen character generation is going remove some of the similarities. Most characters in videos are of moderate size and stature, but of course during gameplay some people are going to do what they can to be different. The range in character development should be much greater than that in EQ2.
phantomstar
06-14-06, 07:09 AM
No shunning Kolthas :)
Chromite is partly right, though we've had some leaked info on here too *cough*
Cool is the movement, really smooth... definitely NOT EQ2 ish (at least present incarnation EQ2). I guess that's hard to tell from screenshots or even in the movies out. Maybe because part of it is the responsiveness which won't show in movies either.
Gameplay is to be seen, even those testing now can't say they really know the game (and not just because they're under NDA, hehe).
From the rumors I have heard, the game play is going to be a lot more like EQ; but the graphics even from the screenshots you can see this that its going to be much more intense then anything out there now. I hear the world is "huge" but I don't exactly know what that means.
The newest rumor that I heard is that beta 3 is coming in the next couple weeks, and it seems to be confirmed a bit with the release of guild application. I could be way off though, but I hope I am not.
http://www.vanguardsoh.com/guildapp.php
Lenilya
06-14-06, 09:28 AM
EDIT: Now, now, Len, be a good host!
Kolthas
06-20-06, 06:35 PM
One thing I've noticed is that the game interface seems identical to WoW.
Does this bother anyone else?
Chromite
06-20-06, 07:05 PM
Personally I love the very simple black boxes of the old style Everquest GUI. No GUI trimming, no bloated crap. Just stuff to get the job done and take up as little screen real estate as possible.
The WoW interface is pretty functional though. Unfortunately it was a bit bloated with all the GUI trimmings.
JookaWoo
06-20-06, 08:46 PM
One thing I've noticed is that the game interface seems identical to WoW.
Does this bother anyone else?
Its not entirely WoW's Ui, they also ripped off the flex bar mod. It not so much bugs me as much as it makes me laugh.
How many different ways can you really display the info though... Pie charts and triangle hot buttons? Its tried and true.... long before Blizzard jumped on the bandwagon... and someone would make a WoW skin anyway. :pulid
I like minimalist too Chromite. My EQ mods were predominantly text with the smallest icons available.
JookaWoo
06-20-06, 09:23 PM
How many different ways can you really display the info though... Pie charts and triangle hot buttons? Its tried and true.... long before Blizzard jumped on the bandwagon... and someone would make a WoW skin anyway. :pulid
I like minimalist too Chromite. My EQ mods were predominantly text with the smallest icons available.
the info given is for sure a tried and true method, the art assests to make such info available are not. T.King made great art assests for UI's for EQ throughout the years, was hired at Sigil do such a thing and isnt there now. WoW's UI is unique to itself. They have blatantly made the ui look like WoW's. Even the new artist admits it.
http://www.vanguardsoh.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1197651#post1197651
When a game like WoW comes along and has millions of adopters, it makes an impression on the gaming community. Whether you like or dislike it, based on your personal tastes, the fact that it sets a new standard cannot be denied. To that end, when creating a product to appeal to gamers that have become accustomed to and familiar with elements as presented in WoW, it is in your best interest (as a developer) to echo certain aspects and create as an inviting interface as possible. Am I saying you rip off WoW and copy them down to the pixel? No. But you certainly want new players to immediately feel comfortable with your interface.
My goal, when I was brought on board here at Sigil, was to work with design to create an interface that was not an obstacle to gameplay. It should compliment it and efficiently convey as much information as possible and as elegantly as can be done within the constraints of the technology available.
Our current stance will be that the interface components will be locked in their position as a default. This way we can insure that all the pieces work well together and new players can't accidentally remove something and ruin their gameplay experience. For those who prefer rearranging the interface to their liking, it will be a simple matter of unlocking them from the options menu.
Ultimately, no matter how or what is done...someone out there will love it and someone hate it. haha - that is the bane of a developer's existance. Human nature is what it is. But what we set out to do is create as enjoyable an experience as possible, from every aspect, and present it to the community and await the response.
Kolthas
06-20-06, 10:36 PM
Point well made, Mike. My view has changed.
Lenilya
06-22-06, 09:13 PM
Meh, give me a UI like FFXI. I hate screen 'clutter'. If I need a menu open, I'll open it. I don't need to see all my stats, items, quests, NPC's, family history, large buff icons with the the name of the spell on it, chat logs, guild chat, private chat, porn window, pizza hut window, chat channel, damage log, pet window, timer window, internet window, ect on my main screen.
Bandena
06-23-06, 06:01 PM
Not even the porn window? Now, that's minimalist!
Teratism
06-27-06, 01:39 PM
For the porn window you can always pick up a second monitor so you can maximize the porn there and play without the pet and pizza hut window in the main game. For something to talk about, how do you think Vanguard will change if/when they upgrade to the Unreal 3 engine (if I am correct on which engine)? Examples... like graphics, new editing for movements etc.
ragweed
06-27-06, 02:01 PM
They're in Beta 2 already, I highly doubt they will change engines at this point in time. New engines means all new code, all new terrain art and all new models. That puts them back to Alpha internal testing again.
Teratism
06-28-06, 11:37 AM
Very good points, I must have misread the FAQ on Vangaurd's site thinking they definitely would switch to unreal 3.0. A lot of other sites are also mentioning them switching over to 3.0 on their second release or expansion so maybe I confused that part also, I hear unreal 4 is being worked on for the future systems already wouldn't that be a nice jump?
My question still stands on how do you think the code will affect the game that has been made so far in a transition to a newer engine. (I am not asking for specifics or details of the game, I am just talking do you think the graphics may improve and become prettier or since it isn't as mature and used as the 2.0/2.5 engine will the graphics look sloppier, would the new engine break former code etc.)
ragweed
06-28-06, 01:52 PM
- 1.10 What sort of technology are you using for your primary graphics engine for Vanguard?
We're using a heavily modified version of Unreal 2.x, and it continues to be heavily modified in just about every area -- we'll re-do the network code, we've already just about totally re-written the rending side of things to get bump mapping, etc. in there, we've made it seamless world, we've completely replaced the player character technology (skinned FPS models don't cut it in an MMOG), plus a lot more.
We feel very confident this modified engine will be perfect for Vanguard at release (just as, like you mentioned, the L2 guys successfully morphed the engine for their MMOG).
Will we switch to 3.0? Well, we look at 3.0 and learn from it all the time, but as to officially switching over to that code base, it would be huge endeavor... it would both slow us down right now, plus 3.0 just isn't as mature as the 2.x code base so we'd be taking some risks. That said, at some point after Vanguard's release, I could certainly see us making the transition.
So it might be in the future, but not now.
Rico VanZant
07-11-06, 08:07 AM
If they beef up the graphics too much we'll all need new comps to play this beast :)
As far as the UI goes... its ok to copy a little from other games here and there. It shows that the devs are keeping an eye on the gaming community and learning what works :)
Kolthas
07-15-06, 02:19 PM
One thing I've been waiting for in a game is the ability to explore as if you are the first to do so. I know finding the right direction to a new place is difficult without a provided map, but why not have No maps? Use memory of familiar people, places and terrain to find your way. If you haven't been there, ask a fellow player. Pay a guide. Indirectly influence more player/player interaction. Make notes in a journal. A journal that is not only recommended to be used but needed. And when it comes to needing a map, why not make them incredibly detailed but also costly in game?