Ten Ton Hammer -
Vanguard Weekly News

Love Stinks

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When you like a game
in development you risk a major heartbreaker that
proves yet again the truth behind the title to the J. Giles Band's 80's
pop tune: "Love Stinks." Something painful and tragic can
happen
when you like a game, something that will rend your heart into little
pieces (and perhaps even put a dent in your wallet). When you
care
about a game, you risk the stinging cold slap of reality, because
there's always a chance that...your chosen game could suck.



Perhaps I sound bitter, but my brothers and sisters...I've been burned.
I remember my fervent excitement over a much-hyped game called
EverQuest II. So excited was I about seeing this new game, which
promised to be the latest and greatest, that I haunted the EQ2 forums
day and night. I devoured every crumb of information that fell from the
developers' tables. I pre-ordered from GameStop the day the pre-order
package was made available. I jumped out of bed early the day EQ2
arrived at retail stores and was the first person at the check-out
counter claiming my box. Once I'd finished downloading the game, I
anxiously logged in and created my characters. I hurried into Norrath
eager to rediscover the world I fell in love with back in my glory days
in EverQuest Live. And...and...



Well, I played for months. I played for months longer than I should
have, actually. I wanted so much to love the game, I really did. After
all, hadn't I followed its development from its early days? It was
supposed to love me back! But alas, EQ2 eventually sucked (at least for
me), and I unsubscribed with my heart in tatters.



"It's not you, it's me," I told SOE during the exit survey. But I
didn't believe that. Eventually I copped to the truth: "You're not the
game that I thought you were." I skulked off to do something more
productive with my time, like reading a book while listening to an
endless succession of breakup songs.



Now here I am liking a game again. After many breakups with games that,
once upon a time, had such potential, you'd think I'd learn my lesson.
But even so, what is life without gaming? What is gaming without love?
I began to miss being attached to a game. 



And yet, being burned has taught me to proceed with caution. I
recognize the danger in believing that I'm nothing without a MMOG to
love. I keep my expectations in check these days. I've learned to
become attached to a game without putting it on a pedestal. With the
guidance of some brilliant self-help books (with titles like "You're
Just Not that Into It" and "Don't Sweat the Small Nerfs (And They're
All Small Nerfs") I've discovered that I can now enter into a MMOG
relationship with eyes wide open.



Am I predicting that Vanguard: Saga of Heroes will suck? Not at all. I
still have a wonderful relationship with this game in development. I've
just immunized myself against the heady intoxication of infatuation.
I'm a realist, now. I'll never let myself overlook the flaws in an
MMOG, because that's codependent, and codependency hurts not just the
codependent, but everyone.



Have you been burned? Have you learned valuable lessons through your
MMOG relationships? Tell your tale of heartbreak in our href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=380">forum,
and while you're at it... href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=380">vote
in our poll about MMOGs That Hate Gamers and the Gamers Who
Love Them. Or, if you're bashful, you can href="mailto:[email protected]">email me.



- Shayalyn

New This Week

href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=421">Exlusive
Interview with Brad McQuaid



Do you want to know what the man behind Sigil and SOE's upcoming MMORPG
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes has to say about end game content and
expansions, the beta test, and marketing the game to non-fans? On
October 6th and 7th, Shayalyn went to a Vanguard press even in San
Diego. We've brought you a behind-the-scenes glimpse in href="http://shayalyn.blogs.tentonhammer.com/?p=15">Shayalyn's
blog, and a complete href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=414">tour
of Vanguard's world of Telon as shown  class="718245802-23102006">led class="718245802-23102006"> by
executive producers Brad McQuaid and Jeff Butler. Now we're concluding
our October coverage with Shayalyn's interview of Brad McQuaid.

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href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=422">Ask
the Devs: Will there be a Pre-Order Character Creator?



EverQuest II offered it's advanced character creation system in its
pre-order package so that anxious gamers could tweak their toons before
launch. Will Vanguard: Saga of Heroes offer something similar? Read
what Vanguard community manager Nick Parkinson has to say in this
week's Ask the Devs.

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href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=423">Official
Forum Roundup



Another week, another official forum roundup. Aunraye has gathered a
bunch of topics from the official Vanguard forums that are interesting,
informative, or just plain fun. This week we're talking about the Raki
(fox people), team crafting, gnome punting and the Great Pumpkin. Check
it out! And if you'd rather not venture into the official forums, come
post on our kinder, gentler forums instead.

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href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=424">Unicorn
Mount Video



Sonly Online Entertainment and Sigil Games Online released another
tidbit of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes video goodness today. Download the
new unicorn mount video and get another taste of one of the ways your
high level character might one day travel around Vanguard's world of
Telon.

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Questions? Comments?
Thoughts and ideas? href="mailto:[email protected]">Send them to me style="font-style: italic;">!