So much potential, but horrid bugs (from beta that still exist) and half implemented ideas drag Vanguard down.
The potential runs high, with three seperate paths to pursue in adventuring, crafting, and diplomacy (a new concept that has intriguing potential), and the ability to pursue each of these without having to sacrifice progress in the other is a great idea.
The good in Vanguard stops right about there. Being a part of the closed beta, you would expect bugs that were reported months before release (and i'm speaking of showstoppers and experience ruining bugs) to have been fixed. Some of which are STILL not, and these include the infamous 'falling through the world', attacking a mob only to have it suddenly disappear, still be able to hit you, reappear about 15 meters away, STILL able to hit you, and you unable to damage it until it is back in range.
The game also feels terribly unbalanced when it comes to the races and their starting quest experiences that get you into the game. Some are fleshed out and fun (like Kojan humans for example), and some flat out suck and literally drop you into a starting area, if you can call it that... with two tents, and you're there because you just...are.
I know there are a throng of people that will scream "its an MMO, its going to be bugged, its not going to ever be complete, especially at the start." I have been playing nearly every MMO that has come out in the US since the Realm, and I'm sorry but there is no excuse for the state that Vanguard is in at Release. Release means ready for consumption, ready for people to play and enjoy. Vanguard simply is not, and for those that are blinded by fervor for the game, Brad McQuaid himself ADMITTED this game is nowhere near finished but "they had no choice." With the case of Vanguard, if SOE didn't want to dish out more cash on it being finished (and as I see it there had every reason not to), find another investor. Do not release this product, using your consumers as a middle man to support your beta to further finish the game.
The engine is terrible, and completely counter-intuitive. I have an absolute top of the line system at this point, and Vanguard runs TERRIBLY. There is no excuse for it but half assed, rushed design. Want to see how an engine SHOULD be? look at LOTRO, but that is beside the point.
Again, Vanguard HAD a lot of potential. But what should be an immersive and engaging world is completely empty for miles in areas. There is no introduction movie whatsoever, while that's not everything, it gives you an idea as to the production values behind this game. As much as people like this game, its honestly more a desire to see it reach its full potential, which should it ever, it will be awesome. But the question is will it survive that long? I doubt it. Few games can survive such a horrid release, and the only reason they do is because the publisher is behind it and supporting it, SOE (again for good reason) simply does not seem to be behind Vanguard as they are other franchises. If I'm sounding overly bitter or too much on the "hatorade" as many of the Vanguard community will point out, I am. I as a gamer, a supporter and believer in Vanguard and what it should be, am outright pissed off. Anyone who buys this game in its current state SHOULD be pissed off. No one should be charged $60 (in the collector edition $100) plus their monthly fee to support their continued beta testing, because their investors have given up. As much as I loved the idea of Vanguard and what it could have been, this will (and should) be the game that illustrates to the industry what terrible practices are going on in MMO design. If you can say that you're having fun with Vanguard in its current state, you're either way too used to broken releases, or literally too proud to admit that Vanguard is not what you expected, or you haven't played a character to level 20 yet.
If you are considering buying Vanguard, I'd say wait six months. It needs the time, and needs it BADLY. By then (hopefully) things will be fixed and the game will be on its way to being fun. But the developers, the management, and the vision behind this could-have-been-great game should be flat out ashamed. As a designer myself, I'd have risked it not being released at all and looking for another investor, then release my brainchild so to speak, in the state that Vanguard is in. Again... six months minimum and it should be playable...
That's even assuming its still there by summer. If things do not get fixed fast, I would not be surprised in the least to see Vanguard, unfortunately, not even last a year.
There's so much potential here, but a terribly sluggish engine, a hives population full of bugs that are over 4 months old, and flat out nothing being 'fun', drags Vanguard: SOH into the mire of one of the worst released MMOs to date. Only time will determine what will happen here, and hopefully, it can survive and become what it has the potential to be.