Expect a lot more posts about Vanguard over the next little while. With the layoffs at Sony, and three of them confirmed for working on the Vanguard team, I’m not going to pretend that things are all sunshine and glory. However. I have always loved this game, and I have not given it the proper reception it deserves. I’ve played since release, and things are a billion times better then they ever have been. Sadly, without much of a team working on it some things (bugs) have been neglected. With the recent server merge reducing the player base from four servers to two (one US and one EU) population is probably the highest anyone has seen in quite some time. Channels are bustling, and there are people in the quest hubs around the world of Telon. My blood mage hit level 46 – and started obtaining swamp armor. With the bonus xp weekend last week that was two more levels then I thought I’d get. There are a LOT of things I’ve missed in game, and a lot of areas to quest in. Finding information on all of this is a little more difficult then I’d like, but I’ll get there.
Then there’s the crafting. Vanguard crafting is by far the most complex and rewarding I have ever experienced. Since they allow players to do work orders that use none of the players materials aside from fuel, it’s viable to level as a crafter and not an adventurer. There are long complex quest chains, and it can probably be said that crafters in Vanguard make a lot more money then you’ll see from just adventuring alone.
My crafting is level 47, and I’m an artificer. I make homes and jewelery as well as stone weapons and foci. I’ve done a lot (if not all) of the older craft chains in game – I even printed out a PDF of all that were available at the time. However. A few new chains and new items have made their way into game that I was not aware of. One of which I know only as the ‘banished’ series. It’s a complex series with more quests then I know what to do with. I’ve only done the first few so far. For those who start out on the Isle of Dawn, you’ll be given instructions on where to go once you leave the island. For those who did not start on the island, or who are perhaps older characters created before the newbie experience was brought to the game – you’re in luck.
The basic quests begins from: Ashlyn Blackshield at -28945, 28055, 36542 in Citizen’s Forum, New Targonor, New Targonor (Region) (-27,24), Thestra. (taken from Vanguardcrafters.com).
Several quests can lead you to this quest, but none are required in order to obtain the quest.
Players from the Isle of Dawn will likely find one of these quests in the landing regions:
- Artisan’s Saga: Qalian Problems from Qa Riverbank
- Artisan’s Saga: Shadow over Thestra from Veskal’s Exchange
- Artisan’s Saga: The Kojani Threat from The Tomb of Lord Tsang
Players who began in their home city are more likely to find this quest from the Crafting Advisor in their home town:
Either way, those quests will eventually lead here, to Artisan’s Saga: World of the Arcane.
I’m now on the 4th quest in the chain which is called: Artisan’s Saga: Mythos Pressure. The rewards are fantastic, I’ll admit right now. Even more so are the recipes I’ve purchased from doing these quests, including a recipe to create blessed harvesting tools that are just amazing. I wish I had of checked where they came from before I purchased them off of the broker for 3g each. The current quest I’m on rewards a toolbelt that is far better then any of the ones I currently am wearing, as well as saddlebags. Not a big deal since they’re a little smaller then the ones I got from completing my mount quest, but since the crafting quest is level 13 (or there abouts) chances are most players don’t own saddlebags that size yet.
I want to keep working on this quest chain and figure out where it leads me as well as what rewards I’ll gain from it – but it’s 2am and my eyeballs are closing. I did also obtain a really neat diplomacy wrist piece from doing the crafter quests, as well as a necklace. Diplomacy is another sphere to Vanguard that I absolutely adore, and I hope to get into more details about it in the future.
Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself.
Seriously, just reading this… This is what the world has been missing out on. Vanguard is, by far, one of the coolest MMOs on the market. The world, the crafting, the housing, the adventuring, diplomacy. Yet so neglected, and its future is looking dark. It could be so cool as a one-shard game. C’mon SOE! Give Vanguard one final push.
Yay to more Vanguard posts!
I’m always happy to read about VG :) I have a bit of a soft spot for the game even though it unfortunately seems like it’s future is hopeless now. And is it just me or does the UI look really good now?