Stepping Back Into Telon (Vanguard)

With the news of Vanguard Saga of Heroes going free to play and the development team taking reign on the game, well, I couldn't help getting excited and ended up heading back to Tealon. I have never gotten very high in the game, though I have poured over sites and forums gathering what information I can on the game, I am still learning as I go. I do feel I have some good footing and really it isn't a confusing game, but sometimes I want to know something and I just have to know. Like... Can a Necromancer solo efficiently without always kiting?

I decided to find out for myself on this one. The necromancer class has always enticed me since it was my first class in any MMO. I'm now working on my Necro and I have to say it has been so much fun. For me to stick with a game I have to like the class I am playing, as well as the mechanics. I certainly can say I like both when it comes to the Vanguard necromancer. You can indeed have your pet tank mobs while you stand back to heal and dot. Fear kiting works well but it isn't always ideal, you can fear multiple mobs at once. Lifesaver there. Aggro kiting works, not a huge fan of this for a constant way to level... too many years of it in EverQuest, and drain tanking but this is a bit iffy in the lower levels; Tanking the mob while lifetapping it for health. So there are many different ways of play for different situations, it keeps things interesting.

I'm probably having more fun than I have had with anything else in months, to the point I don't really feel like playing anything else some days. Vanguard really is a great game if you can find your little niche. If my friends don't play, my spouse, I don't really care, I'm having fun, just me and my abomination wreaking havoc. This is one game I think I may stick with for awhile as it is still fresh to me and it has such a VAST world to explore. It has direction, it has a freaking quest tracker (I still hate the mid levels in EQ2 because it doesn't), it has soul. Ardwulf sums it up best in this post. I suppose in the past Vanguard seemed in limbo with no development or bug fixes and that always made me hesitate when it came to sticking with this game. Nobody wants to put their heart into something that doesn't seem to have a future. This time I'll throw caution to the wind.

I did manage to grab the veteran rewards for subscribing, they are nice as my necro skipped the isle. The trinket reward is the same as the isle, so it is nice to be able to have it. It grows in stats as you level giving a nice bonus (every ten levels). I absolutely hate the isle, simply because I have ran so many low level characters through it. So, it was nice to be able to gain it. You have to be level 10 or above to even see the quest.

Progress is a bit slower than a lot of games but it has a decent pace and plenty of cool abilities to look forward to as you level up. I do miss getting excited about leveling and getting a special ability I was looking forward to. I'll try to keep tabs here of my adventures in Tealon as I progress. The necro was absolutely brutal until level eight or so. At level eight it gets easier and after ten it is smooth sailing. Some classes in this game require a few levels to shine.

Also, it's been mentioned on the forums that we're getting a level 20 flying mount quest in a future patch. Oh, I can't wait! Hope it isn't too far away!

Speaking of levels, I hit 93 with my magician, pretty close to my next ding, in EverQuest. Then I haven't logged in much since then because I've been so tired the last few days. But I hope to see 95 before long. We'll see how it goes.

And I've been trying to spend time with my daughter in Free Realms. She seems to like it a lot thus far, if she really digs it I'll get her a lifetime sub, far cheaper in the long run. I don't know if she is in the phase where she can stick with a main game instead of bouncing around. Sounds like her mother, eh ;)

Will you be checking out vanguard when it goes F2P? Have a great week, peeps.