Weekly Newsletter 07_07_08: State of the Union

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Updated Fri, Jan 02, 2009 by Dalmarus

State of the Union

July 7th, 2008 - By Dalmarus

The number of both new and returning players to Vanguard: Saga of Heroes continues to grow day by day. I was amazed to have a full group for the Hunter's League final quest for the weapon at 3 o'clock in the morning this past Tuesday. The population on the servers has been steadily on the rise in recent weeks and with the reactivation of cancelled accounts, it's only gotten better. Finding a group has rarely been as easy.

This week, the Vanguard Team released a new Producer's Letter to give the community a State of the Game address. There are a number of items high on the list of excitement. It'll be hard to pick a favorite, but there are a few that I can't wait for.

The number one item at the top for me is the upcoming Isle of Dawn, or Trial Island as the community refers to it in general. Now while I certainly don't need to wait for a free trial to be available to play, I know there are quite a few gamers out there that are waiting for just such an item. The community has done a great job convincing them to take a chance and hop on board, but a free demo will bring even more players into the fold.

Along with the Isle of Dawn acting as a free trial for new players, it will also highlight the level of performance and polish all new content will meet before being released. Along with this, old players as well will be able to start new characters on the Isle. Despite popular opinion, it has also been clearly stated that all current starting areas will still be available to choose as well.

Second on the list of items for excitement is the next phase of the character model revamps. There have been a couple of pictures floating around the official forums of the new male models and they're looking great. So far, we've seen the Thestran and Orc males. Personally, I'm hoping the rest of the models are revealed by Fan Faire.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned I had the chance to play with Silius and some of the rest of the development team. During that time, I mentioned how I couldn't wait to see what Silius was doing with Pantheon of the Ancients and how it related to the gods. Previously, it was mentioned that the gods would have a direct input on the player’s character. Of course, at that point, Silius was quick to point out that I might not be so happy about it once I saw what was being done. Rather than being off putting though, it actually got me more excited. I miss the old EQ days of gods interacting with the characters of the world.

In any case, there are plenty of things to look forward to in the game. More players, more content, model upgrades, and a free trial are all on the way. It's a hard wait, but one that should be worth it.

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