Vanguard vs Ryzom: Is "harder" better?
by Shawn Schuster 
Sep 23rd 2008 at 9:00AM
Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Ryzom, Opinion, Vanguard
In this comparison, Beau explores the idea of Vanguard utilizing some of the difficulty of Ryzom. That's not really to say that Ryzom is a particularly difficult game in terms of gameplay, but as Beau points out, many of the game's mechanics make it more hardcore than others. This includes no real definitive class structure, map travel options and non-repairable loot that deteriorates over time. Would Vanguard players be able to handle a Ryzom-type world, or would Vanguard itself benefit from being more "hardcore"? Check out the complete article for Beau's prognosis.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Vandell said on 9:22AM 9-23-2008
An insightful analysis on two games nobody seems to care about. That guy sure is spending his time wisely.
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Scopique said on 10:45AM 9-23-2008
I've played both, and I think they work well TOGETHER. They're different from the top tier MMOs because they focus more on the experience one has in the game, rather then on the acquisition of physical goods.
I just posted something yesterday myself about how VG is more a game of exploration then it is about numerical advancement (http://www.cedarstreet.net/post/Vanguard-Saga-of-WTH-Am-I.aspx).
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Tony said on 10:26AM 9-23-2008
Honestly, neither game is terribly accessible and I don't know if that's a great thing.
I really like aspects of both of them. I like that there's more to the crafting in Vanguard. I like the conversation system. In Ryzom I like that all equipment is player made, that you can literally go in any direction you want with your character...
But this doesn't really excuse some of the basic design issues that both games have. I've been trying to play Vanguard, for example, and I can't tell you how often something works in a way that I'm not expecting it to. At some point you cross a line where this stops being tolerable and just becomes frustrating.
Even with quests, sometimes the dialogue is not clear about what you should be clicking to move on (quest boxes often have 5+ things in them to click on). I had to do the crafting quest a few times before the game actually would give me a recipe I needed. And this is on the "newbie trial" island.
There's a difference between hardcore and unintuitive. Vanguard, in particular between these two, really feels more difficult than it should be. A lot of things work well in it and I can tell it rewards persistence early on... but getting past that initial wall is difficult.
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Wjowski said on 4:49PM 9-23-2008
Well said. And personally speaking I'm tired of seeing outdated 'Fake Difficulty' designs in MMOs in an attempt to be challenging (Hint, not having an overworld map doesn't make things challenging, it makes things confusing and frustrating). It's time that MMO designers start adding real challenges to the game ala mobs that act more like players in combat via advanced AI and dungeons that require more than just tanking, healing, and DPS to get through (traps, puzzles, etc.).
Beau said on 1:01PM 9-23-2008
Yes, Scopique I agree they boh work well together! That's why I play both! :)
I posted this mainly from the reactions on both official forums about the new "hardcore" issue. Personally, I hate the word, but feel like it is one of those words that has become less cheesy and just more particularly descriptive: meaning "harder" or "slower to level."
So, I compared them both for those players of both games.
As far as me spending my time wisely: I have fun, I get to interview the people who make these games and get to be very involved with small, tight knit communities. I am sorry that you feel that unless the game is huge, that it is not worth spending time discussing.
Beau
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