On the official Vanguard forums, Silius has confirmed another server merge in the works for Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. They are still working out the details but the future looks grim.
There are currently only four servers left, three PvE and one PvP. My guess is that the three will be combined, while the PvP server left as is. Since it's one big open world, I can only assume players will lose their homes and guild halls in the transfer. But I have to wonder how long will SOE continue to support an MMO with two servers?
As was mentioned in comments in a previous post, Vanguard could have been the real Everquest successor. It just needed a little TLC...okay maybe a lot of TLC. If SOE had piled on the love and care EQ2 has received, I think Vanguard could be a phenomenal game. But maybe that was intentional. Maybe they didn't want Vanguard to be good enough to compete with EQ2 which might have caused population issues there as well. They want to bring in new subscribers not spread out the ones they already have. Could they have let it flounder for that reason? I don't know, but whatever their reasons, the state of the game is a tremendous shame.
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SOE has a couple of games in their stable that would benefit from the F2P treatment that DDO got. Vanguard is one. And, with SWTOR warming up in the bullpen, SWG is the other.
Miserable news, although we all knew it was coming.
My house is in Abella Cove and I've only just rebuilt it after I foolishly let it fall down while I was away. Very unlikely it will clash with anyone else but last time there was a server merge, if I recall, all houses were pulled down and the parts returned to us for re-use. I'll just have to rebuild it again.
There always was that rumor that SoE bought Vanguard only to prevent it competing with EQ/EQ2 but I never believed it. They did their best to get it back off its knees after the disastrous Sigil launch, but the damage was already done. And frankly SoE has struggled for the last 5 years to keep its own MMOs afloat.
Nothing lasts forever, but to lose Telon would be a terrible shame. I'd love to see a DDO-style rebranding and re-promotion but to be honest at the moment I am nervous for the future of EQ2 let alone Vanguard. Of all SoE's fantasy MMOs, ironically EQ1 seems to be in the best shape.
I think SWG is still pretty profitable and not sure how many would actually jump ship for SWTOR given how different the games are. There are some servers that are actually too busy and I regret having transferred my characters there after the last merge. From what I've seen, I don't think SWTOR will really offer much for the SWG player, but you never know.
Bhagpuss, you had me curious that you thought EQ1 was in better shape than EQ2. But after looking at the server numbers, maybe you are right. SWG still as 13 servers, EQ2 has 18, and EQ1 has 24. I was actually surprised EQ1 still has so many. It just seems they give so much more attention to EQ2...or used to. The last two expansions I thought were awful. I'm really tired of all these islands in the sky expansions that bear no resemblance to the original zones. Everything is focused on tough dungeons I never get to see the inside of. The only expansion I've really enjoyed was Echoes of Faydwer.
All this talk in my household has now gotten my husband to download and play EQ1 again lol. We'll see how long this go around lasts. Wish I had picked up the $2.50 deal from Steam before it expired!
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