Vanguard- The Adventure Continues

Lately I read a lot of blogs and forum comments about how people are sick this and that, how they crave for a more adventurous yet challenging game. I'm not going to get into what they do complain about, however they all seem to crave a game that offers: challenge, putting your mark on a game (housing/guild halls), depth, crafting, adventuring, community, group and solo content at all levels. After trying Vanguard, to me, this really seems a game that offers a lot of what gamers seem to be craving.

Things are starting to pick up for me in Vanguard. At first I was skeptical of the game but I find myself drawn to it more and more. The people, the world, my character, all of it. My Cleric is starting to kill faster, I have not played a dps class at this level so I can imagine it would be quite fun. There are different levels of difficulties on mobs but the solo quest mobs are quite enjoyable for me. I enjoy questing, I have yet to run out of quests, there are so many places to quest that I won't be able to do them all.

Choppin' things together!

Tuesdays our guild holds a gathering night. One of my guild members took time to show me the ropes with gathering, he bought me all the tools I needed and also showed me how to gain a larger pack to stow them all in, that way I could use them automatically when clicking on a harvesting item. It was nice, we ran around gathering materials together. Literally, we both chopped down the trees together, nothing quite so satisfying as seeing a tree fall at your feet [in pixels!]! We harvested minerals together, all in all it was relaxing and fun. You net more rewards harvesting with someone else, I thought it was such a neat aspect of the game. Social harvesting!

THAT is how a cleric should look!

Last night I bought a new cloak, it is just for appearance but I love it. There are really nice cloaks in this game (with stats) and it adds a nice touch with the hood over my character's face. She feels like a real cleric. I'd have to say that the Vanguard cleric is one of my favorite versions of the class. The soloing is very enjoyable and I gained a damage shield which helps a lot too. I don't feel weak or puny and I just love smashing things with my mace. *Bam! Smash!* Take that!

I also decided to take on a faction, players are able to do this at level 10. My guild advised I choose a mount I like and go with the faction associated with it. At level 30 you gain access to a special racial mount. I thought the fox mount looked very snazzy so I went with it. This game has a lot of interesting faction based mounts. Basically you align with a city and fight in their name, wearing a necklace which grants random [faction] coin drops which you turn in to gain faction. Some coins are used as currency also. I found a couple of links with some great pictures to help me pick- here and here.

I've been questing my little heart out and really loving it. I hope, over the weekend, to get a chance at some groups, we'll see how busy I get. Most of the time I log in late in the evenings, carting a teenager around in the summer is almost a full time job ;) I've gotten some very nice quest rewards and while the coin has been sort of slow, it is starting to get a little better. I don't lack anything as of now. Combat is fast enough paced to keep me interested and between fights, well, I have zero down time currently. I didn't know questing would be this enjoyable. I think my impressions of Vanguard were way off base, until I actually spent some time playing past the isle.

So, just an update on my travels in Tealon. I am a smidgen away from level 15! I look forward to the adventures ahead of me.
-kaozz