Get Ready for Vanguard!

Advanced Newbie Guide

Compiled by Ralsu


style="font-style: italic;">Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
is set for official launch on January 30, 2007. Many style="font-style: italic;">Vanguard players
were in beta or are seasoned veterans of massively-multiplayer games
(MMOs). But what about the people new to style="font-style: italic;">Vanguard or MMOs?
It is my goal to help you out here by compiling and describing a
selection of our many guides on the Ten Ton Hammer network. At the same
time, some of our guides will help even the most experienced gamer.



I'll cover the basics of the game's setting and systems and point to
our guides on each of those things so that you can learn more. Keep in
mind that we are constantly updating our guides as Sigil makes changes
in-game. If you spot an error, please gather some good evidence (screen
shots are awesome) and tell
us
.



Below is a table of contents that should help you bounce around to the
section(s) that interest(s) you most. Just click on the link to go to
that section. Look for a [back to top] link below each section to
return to the table and pick a new section.


cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">

Advanced Newbie
Guide

  1. href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=545#I">The
    Basic Basics
    1. What is Vanguard?
    2. Terms
    3. Spheres
      1. Adventuring
      2. Crafting
      3. Diplomacy
  2. href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=545#II">Continents
    1. Kojan
      1. People
      2. Places
      3. Maps
    2. Qalia
      1. People
      2. Places
      3. Maps
    3. Thestra
      1. People
      2. Places
      3. Maps
  3. href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=545#III">Classes
    & Races
    1. Class Guides
    2. Class Roles
    3. Class/Race Chart
    4. Guide to Attributes
  4. href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=545#IV">Starter
    Guides
    1. ini Tweaks
    2. Hotkeys
    3. Be a Good Grouper
    4. Finding a Raiding Guild
    5. Role-playing
    6. Martok Starter Guide
    7. Kurashasa Starter Guide
  5. href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=545#V">Conclusion


I. The Basic Basics

This section will give you the hook up if you just found out about style="font-style: italic;">Vanguard yesterday
(what planet are you from?). I'll also drop in some links that could be
of great help to understanding the different Spheres in style="font-style: italic;">Vanguard.



What is style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Vanguard style="font-weight: bold;">?

Vanguard is
a massively-multiplayer online game (MMO) developed by Sigil Games
Online set in the world of Telon. That means you will play the game
entirely online and be on the company of thousands of others playing,
too. If you have never experienced an MMO before, you're in for a wild
ride. I'd suggest you spend some time over at the href="http://wiki.tentonhammer.com/index.php?title=Main_Page">Ten
Ton Hammer Wiki to see what you're in for when you log into style="font-style: italic;">Vanguard's world of
Telon.



Terms

A great source for learning the lingo for MMOs is Lady Sirse's href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=135&meid=109">Game
Terms 101. This is not optional folks. You must learn these
terms and abbreviations to effectively communicate in any MMO. When
your healer is AFK and someone shouts "Train! Evac!" you need to know
what is going on and how to respond.



Spheres

The action in Vanguard
takes place in one of 3 Spheres: Adventuring, Crafting, and Diplomacy.



Adventuring

This Sphere is the typical world of an MMO. You run around in an open
area and encounter monsters, dungeons, and the like. Kills give you
experience, which in turn raises your level and makes you more
powerful. Our best resource for the Adventuring Sphere come below in
section III.



Crafting

If you want to make items for selling and to earn your fame as a
craftsman, This is the Sphere for you. Crafting allows you to mold
components into finished products that can be sold to or shared with
fellow gamers. Cities throughout Telon also have NPCs who have work
orders for you to complete so that the city can be stocked with the
goods it needs. For a great resource on the life of a crafter, check
out Zinn's href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=436">Crafting
Preview.



Diplomacy

This Sphere is all about the art of parley and changing the world
through words instead of force. Diplomacy starts players humbly,
learning to convince people to do what they want and progressing to
harder tasks. The ultimate goal for a diplomat is to be able to attend
world summit and help prevent (or start) wars. To learn the basics of
this Sphere, check out my guide called href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=490">Waggling
a Silver Tongue.

[ href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=545#top">back
to top]

II Continents

The world of Telon has three known continents: Kojan, Qalia, Thestra.



Kojan

Kojan is an Asian-themed chain of islands in the "middle" of the world
map. Its citizens follow the path of the Jin, which is a spiritual
energy much like a deity to them.



People

Kojan is home to the following playable races: kojani, goblin, half
elf. orc, raki, wood elf. To learn more, visit our href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=468">Races
of Kojan page with the official information released by Sigil.



Places

With the continent made mostly of islands, Kojan features a multitude
of shores and rugged mountains that suggest explosive volcanic action
created the islands. Find out about the starting player areas in our href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=469">Cities
of Kojan page, which was an official release from Sigil.



Maps

Even though the islands of Kojan are smaller than the other lands in
Telon, navigation can still be a chore without a handy map. To that
end, I have created a chunk (zone) href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album22&id=Kojan_Zoned&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">map
of Kojan.




Qalia

Qalia is Middle Eastern-themed continent of harsh deserts
and rugged people located in the "southeastern corner" of the world
map. Its citizens have an eye toward surviving the cruel realities of
their climate.



People

Qalia is home to the following playable races: qalitathari, dark elves,
gnomes, kurashasa, mordebi, and varanthari. To learn more, visit our href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=466">Races
of Qalia page with the official information released by Sigil.



Places

With
the continent comprised of vast deserts, Qalia features many open
plains and steep plateaus. Find out about the starting player areas in
our href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=465">Cities
of Qalia page, which was an official release from Sigil.



Maps

It's easy to get lost in the desert without a map, so I
have created a chunk (zone) href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album22&id=Qalia_zoned&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">map
of Qalia. To help you find the best places to go for
adventure, Sypher Bloodthorn made this href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album31&id=QaliaSpawnMap&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">spawn
map for Qalia.



Thestra

Thestra is a European-themed continent of forests and mountains located
in the "northwestern corner" of the world
map. Its citizens include many high fantasy staples.



People

Thesttra is home to the following playable races: thestran, dwarf,
halfling, high elf, lesser giant, varanjar, and vulmane. To learn more,
visit our href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=402">Races
of Thestra page with the official information released by
Sigil.



Places

With
the continent filled with forests, Thestra features woodlands and marsh
along with some impressive shoreline slopes. Find out about the
starting player areas in our href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=467">Cities
of Thestra page, which was an official release from Sigil.



Maps

It's easy to get lost in the forest without a map, so I
have created a chunk (zone) href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album22&id=Thestra_zoned&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">map
of Thestra. To help you find the best places to go for
adventure, Sypher Bloodthorn made this href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album31&id=ThestraSpawnMap&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">spawn
map for Thestra.


[ href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=545#top">back
to top]

III. Classes and Races

Class Guides

The classes of Telon are divided into four familiar archetypes of MMOs:
casters, defensive fighters, healers, and offensive fighters. Casters
contribute damage through the use of arcane magic and the control of
various pets. Defensive fighters don heavy armor and attempt to keep
monsters from hitting anyone else. Healers restore life to their
companions and keep people alive. Offensive fighters use martial arts
and weapons to deal as much damage as possible.



Casters include the Druid, Necromancer, Psionicist, and Sorcerer.



Defensive fighters are the Dread Knight, Paladin, and Warrior.



Healers are the Blood Mage, Cleric, Disciple, and Shaman.



Offensive fighters include the Bard, Monk, Ranger, and Rogue.



To learn more about a specific class, visit to our href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/#Class%20Guides">Class
Guides portion of the Vanguard Ten Ton Hammer site map and
click on the class you want to discover.



Class Roles
style="font-weight: bold;">
As explained above, each class belongs to one of four archetypes. The
archetype determines the role of the class in the Adventuring Sphere,
The links below will offer some advice from Martuk on how to fulfill
your role in Vanguard:

  • href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=190">Casters
  • href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=181">Defensive
    Fighters
  • href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=198">Healers
  • href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=186">Offensive
    Fighters

Class/Race Chart

Not every race can be every class. To find out which races can be which
class, view out href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=256">Class/Race
Chart.



Guide to Attributes

Race has a profound impact on the way your character develops. To learn
about all of the various statistics in Vanguard, please take a look at
my href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=472">Guide
to Attributes.


[ href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=545#top">back
to top]

IV. Starter Guides

Now that you have a feel for the way Vanguard works, I want to point
you in the direction of some other fabulous guides that will get you
going on more specific topics.



ini Tweaks

Vanguard is
an system-intensive game, occupying a good bit of your computers memory
and processing power while you are playing. To get the most out of style="font-style: italic;">Vanguard for you
machine, you just about have to tweak the ini file. For detailed
information on that subject, see my href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=499">Guide
to ini Tweaks.



Hotkeys

To be the most efficient player possible, you'll want to make some
custom hotkeys. Check out Xeldar's helpful href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=496">Guide
to Hotkeys.



Be a Good Grouper

At its core, Telon is a world like our own in that you must be able to
get along with others to get anywhere in life. If you learn nothing
else from href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=367">Shayalyn's
guide on this subject, follow her advice about being patient.



Finding a Raiding Guild

Some people relish the opportunities to confront and conquer epic and
legendary beats in MMOs. These people love to raid and Medeor has some
sage advice for them in his guide for href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=331">How
to Find a Raiding Guild.



Role-playing

If  acting out the personality of your virtual avatar is your
cup of tea, the readeth thou href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=275">Who
Are You? and href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=285">The
Dos and Don'ts of Role-Playing by Anomalous Silence.



Martok Starter Guide

If you know you will be playing an orc or goblin, then you'll
definitely want to check out  Zinn's href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=480">New
Player's Guide to Martok.



Kurashasa Starter Guide

If you envision your character being one of this devious feline race,
then spend some time with the href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=507">Guide
to the Kurashasa Newbie Experience by Charabis.


V. Conclusion

If all else fails, and the information you seek is not in this
compendium of guides, then don't forget the most potent resource of
all: your fellow players. Hop on over to our forums and ask a question
in the href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/forumdisplay.php?f=340">Newb
Haven or visit our server and class forums for questions
related to those areas. We even have forums for Crafting and Diplomacy.
When you want help, you'll find it!


href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/forumdisplay.php?f=38">Have
more questions? Post them in our forums!



To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Vanguard: Saga of Heroes Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

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