A slightly maudlin post to begin the Blaugust challenge but one I need to write.
I hadn’t been sure if I actually wanted to be online when Vanguard closed the servers but I decided that I would eventually regret not being there, taking a final tour of my favourite places and well, just saying good bye I guess.  It was never my main MMO but it was somewhere I visited often and it was a game that just kept pulling me back over the years – there was something very special about it that I can’t quite define.
I logged in the character I had ended up playing the most (Mallendis my Shaman) and journeyed from Jalen’s Crossing down to Ca’ial Breal, went across to Tawar Galan and then went to Whitefawn Retreat, the place my first character (Suzita the Ranger) had started all those years ago. Â I was madly taking screenshots as I went, I had previously taken some video footage of this particular journey as screenshots don’t capture the feel of being in the world. Â The trees and grass sway, the clouds move, a background of forest-y noises, the sound of your footsteps, and of course the Vanguard soundtrack playing. Â The continent of Kojan always strongly resonated with me, I just loved being here – it was a stunning environment. Â I do intend to publish some more screenshot posts of some of the architecture and environments (probably after #blaugust)
People were gathering at the Khal docks for a screenshot for the Castaways of Telon so I went along to take part in that.  Whilst there, we could be ported to have a look round The Nexus (an unfinished raid zone) which was an interesting experience.  A boat flotilla had been organised and people were making plans for where to end their adventures in Telon.  I chose Tawar Galan to say my farewells, as it’s possibly my favourite place.  The chat channels were busy with players (and devs) saying their goodbyes, sharing memories and making plans to meet in future games.  At 6.00 pm (PST), we had a reprieve of 15 mins and (I think with some dev magic), we ended up watching the sun set in Telon as Vanguard was sunsetted.
Update:
these blogs are also posting about Vanguard – check them out.
(links nicked from The Ancient Gaming Noob – thanks :))
- The Ancient Gaming Noob – All Sagas must End
- Avatars of Steel – Goodbye Vanguard
- ECTMMO – Vanguard Sunsets this Week
- Inventory Full – Sailing into the Sunset
- MMO Quests – Goodbye Vanguard, From a Guide
- Random Waypoint – We’ll Always Have Aghram
- Random Waypoint – Five Things Other Games Should Copy From Vanguard
- The Grouch Gamer – Good Night, Vanguard
- Welshtroll – Lights Out
StarShadow 
I love that time series of the sunset, with all the nuances of color in the changing sky. I would be great to see more of your screenshots.
thanks very much 🙂 Yes I will be posting more screenshots soon. These are already posted ~ some Ca’ial Breal shots https://starandshadow.wordpress.com/2014/02/07/caial-breal-and-surrounding-areas/
and a couple of panoramas https://starandshadow.wordpress.com/2014/02/26/panoramic-screenshots/
I’m sad for the loss of Vanguard, though I only played a short time at launch. I really enjoyed diplomacy and crafting — things that were unique to this world.
I had hope when it went F2P (that seems to help sustain some games), and was really dismayed when I heard it was sunsetting. While it wasn’t a home for me, I know it was a home for others. Anytime a game shuts down, it’s a sad day.
thanks for commenting. Like you, it was never my MMO home but even so it had a pull on me so I’m just glad I enjoyed it when I could and especially glad that I did make the final 2 hours. I will miss it though.
What a great send-up of vanguard to remember it by. So much of what makes this game special to me is the world, and just how interesting it is. Also thanks so much for joining me in the madness 🙂
thank you 🙂 Yes I’m really looking forward to carrying on with blaugust, what a great start with so many people!