It all makes sense finally!

[Johnhost]

I first heard about Vanguard from a thread I started in the offical EQ1 forums. I was coming to terms with how bad the game had become and advocating for some solutions to the problems. Also I was a voice for the "classic server" idea. Which I still think would rock!

It was at this time someone mentioned Vanguard. My curosity was piqued and I did a google. That is when my mind was blown! Understand I am a fly speck in the world of MMORPG's. I did start playing EQ1 back in 2000. And having spent that time on Fennin Ro an older server, I felt I was fairly in the know about EQ. But I was bored and would play alts, and as result my main never hit top level. This never USED to be a problem until the last couple of years. I always wanted to explore all the content slowly and savor it. This is simply not possible anymore in EQ. But I digress...

Today I was poking around the various fansites knowing the offical forums were ending at some point, and while doing so I read the story behind Silky Venom. And I must say it was an "ah, ha" moment. I knew that Brad didn't stick with SOE when Verant was sucked in, and that Smedley stayed. I always wondered what vision or phillosphy had divided them. And after reading that post from ratboy, and the positions I have seen Brad lay out, and the either love or hate it inspires, I now see clearly that Sigil is the spiritual successor of Everquest. And perhaps it's for that reason that many of us long time Everquest players have migrated over to Sigil and vision(tm)! It now seems extremely clear that in fact Smedley's vision has come to fruition and we see it in how EQ and EQ2 have been transformed.

From an outsider's perspective I finally see how both camps have been circling the wagons. I see how Vanguard is going to make or break SOE as a company (or smash their core products). And I see that anyone working for either company will feel extreme loyality to their brand, because this is war! Brad might put a smiley face on it, but Sigil is a huge threat to SOE and when Vanguard releases, heads will probably roll.

[Ominous]

Welcome brother, we have been expecting you.

[Havelock]

Welcome, Johnhost! :) I don't see the market in such Manichean terms, but I share your excitement about the coming of Vanguard.

[nubbins]

RAZE SOE TO THE GROUND !

plunder, rape, pillage !

;)

[Orlun]

Thats pretty neat, welcome to the asylum. :p

[SirOddball]

Nice post, you bring up a lot of good points. It seems EQ started to cater more and more to the raid crowd and made it easier and easier for one to advance to top level. When I played EQ (started in 2000 right before Velious) there was only one raid guild on my server, by the time I left (2004) you could not turn the corner in POK without seeing a raid force gathering. Leveling up in EQ was an adventure, I met so many people, went on so many different adventures it was great. Now with the current MMO's it seems it's either raid or just stop playing.

I'm not totally against raiding. I like it in fact, but I also like to roleplay, form a group for an adventure, or just go off on my own and find some trouble. So I, like you, am hoping that there's a lot of emphasis on the middle game in VG, it's the part I liked most in EQ and WoW. That being said, I still want to see an end game in Vanguard, but I don't want it to be just raiding.

[Ieranii]

Welcome Johnhost! :)

[Thunderlipz]

Hey John, I was in your classic guild Rebirth of Legends for a while before people stopped logging on after a couple weeks. Glad to see you here, I'm just as excited as you are, being an old school EQ'er.

[Skarlath]

Greetings to both of you. :)

[Ollesk]

Greetings you started EQ around same time i did. Yea im a raider, cuz there is no way for me have a good time in EQ without raiding....my guild is getting skeptical about me raiding and winning items when i talk about Vanguard Constantly, but im not sure if VG can overcome EQ, or when it will be out.

[Elrar (of Silky Venom)]

I was wondering were my trolling side account went...

Rofl, welcome brotha :)

As Ominous said...we have been expecting you ;)

[Dojo]

Welcome brother, we have been expecting you.

Oh man. Did I join a cult?

[Skarlath]

Oh man. Did I join a cult?

Did you not read the pamphlets or ritual-schedules at all?!

[Atoyota]

From an outsider's perspective I finally see how both camps have been circling the wagons. I see how Vanguard is going to make or break SOE as a company (or smash their core products). And I see that anyone working for either company will feel extreme loyality to their brand, because this is war! Brad might put a smiley face on it, but Sigil is a huge threat to SOE and when Vanguard releases, heads will probably roll.
Personaly I feel Sigil has bigger fish to fry.
Meaning not just sony's gaming division, but possibly blizzard.
I posted a few opinions on this a while back over at Vsoh forums.

Oh and HI... I'm new here (as attracted by the nice work silky has done with Sigil).

Anyways first post, maybe last as I may just lurk here :)
dunno yet.

[Finneon]

Like it or not, one day, Everquest will end.

Most of us who look forward to the beginning of Vanguard will have wistful memories of a time long past when Everquest was the best game out there. Whether EQ goes down due to Vanguard or other market considerations, SOE will eventually have to close the doors to the original Norrath. EQ2 will likely last longer, simply because it is newer and has powerful money behind it.

I understand the concept that Sigil and SOE are going to "duke it out", but there are a lot of games in development out there and more people play MMORPG's all the time so I don't believe any one game will cause the downfall of another. If EQ goes away and EQ2 isn't keeping up, SOE will come up with yet another version of Norrath (in fact, I bet there is an SOE development team thinking about that right now.)

I just can't wait to see how Sigil changes the current face of gaming with Vanguard.

[moonglum]

Vanguard seems like it will be the game for me. Im all Wowed out and really do not care for EQ2. Vanguard seems to have everything Im looking for but we shall see.

[Alderith]

Seems that most of us are really looking to Vanguard as if it's the last surviving bastion. Sadly, I think this is true. Admittedly, I didn't play much EQ2, but after experiencing WoW, and the path EQ has moved along in recent years it seems that if Vanguard doesn't live up to our expectations, and make money, a new standard will be set in stone and we may never get back that feeling we had with the birth of EQ. I have absolute faith in Sigil as they seem to really be interested in putting IMPORTANT things like transportation back into the game.

One of my fondest memories of EQ was when I was riding the boat to Freeport. I was a mid level wizard hailing from Felwithe and there was an Ogre on the boat. An ogre riding a boat between two cities he must be KoS in, I was impressed. (this was pre-kunark, I rarely saw ogres because they were KoS everywhere I went) We grouped up, and from that day forth my High Elf spoke Ogre, and there was now an ogre who spoke elvaan. This was possibly one of the best experiences I had. We both talked a little bit, and we really had a great time. It's moments like these that I miss the most. Now, if I recall correctly from the last time I played, the boats are gone. The temporary teleporters are now permanent.. bleh...

Heck, I remember spending a week just riding the boat back and forth from Kaladim (well.. the docks) to Freeport and spending every other trip standing on the dock fishing and roleplaying with passerby's. This was fun for me(Though I was called crazy..). Maybe it's because noone had any of the teleports yet (good call again Sigil) so everyone HAD to take the boats, but I remember meeting so many people in that week. It was just a blast.

It seems my rant about traveling is already to much, and it's traveling off topic too. On topic.. If Vanguard does succeed we may finally see MMO's heading back to how things were in the original days of EQ. I can only hope :-)

edit: words found where they didnt belong?