I'll try and update this post weekly or if there is big progress in between. Just keep checking the github CLAUDE auto updates it.

vanguard-soh-server-emulator

With all the talk of REA (Reverse Engineer Anything) on Github and all these decomps and recomps happening. I thought it might be fun to let AI have a go at making a new Server for Vanguard.

I have a working login screen via python. I'll be updating it as I go along whenever I have time to work on it.

Whats my ultimate goal?

Other than curiosity as a software dev and someone who like using AI Agents and tools. I don't know exactly how the content is created so if the mobs are placed by the server and if that's lost to time. So if thats the case I want a couple of things from this project

1 - Open Source so anyone can see the code and run the server themselves

2 - Create a level editor so anyone can create the content and have a public repo of zones or dungeons with populated data for others to use.

3 - Ultimate goal - if we get the backend working 100% then rewrite the front end client in modern Unreal Engine with better performance and stability

Can I finish it... who knows but it's fun to try!

As of this morning from starting with nothing yesterday to:

DAY 0 - How Claude + REA get logging in working to local python server.

Update 1 - Day 1

https://imgur.com/a/dwIGNP8

DAY 4 CLAUDES UPDATE:

The engine is far along. The client and server understand each other almost completely: 682 of the 720 kinds of messages the server can send to the client are handled or known not to be needed. Nearly every system the client has works at least in a basic form: combat, abilities, quests, conversations, parleys, crafting, harvesting, housing, mounts and flying, groups, raids, guilds, trade, mail, the broker, and death and corpses. It holds up under load, with 50 players and no memory growth over 15 minutes. The checks pass, and the content editor now covers every content file.

The world itself is mostly missing, and that's the long road. - Content: we have two small test areas (the Thestran Wastes camp and a Wildgrowth Forest outpost) with about four quests and a few dozen placeholder creatures. The real Telon had three continents, hundreds of areas, thousands of quests, NPCs and items, and dungeons. That's most of the remaining work. The archive (11,600 quest records, 4,400 creatures, 5,500 items) and the editor's draft buttons are the tools for it, but each entry still needs a person to place it in the world and check it in game. - Game numbers: XP curves, damage, health, prices and stat formulas are all guesses. They need someone who played the game, or archive data, to tune. - Abilities: about 800 class abilities have names and icons, but most use a generic effect (a plain strike, damage over time, a heal or a buff) instead of what they really did. - Bigger systems: dungeons, raid encounters with scripted bosses, and real crafting recipe trees exist only as working mechanics with placeholder content. - Smaller open items: about 38 optional messages, two visual effects that don't show (fireworks and quest-node sparkles), and flight descent, which needs a person to try. - Before opening it to the public: a security review, real hosting, and a backup and operations plan.

Follow the Updates

https://github.com/baysidejr/vanguard-soh-server-emulator/actions

Is it still being worked on? The last time I played it all the mobs did was auto-attack. I remember reading a while back that it was being worked on so they’d all cast their retail abilities. Has there been any update? Do they still only auto attack?

I have very faint memories of playing this game, and the memories I have were great. This game intrigued me and enticed me to explore the world, all while challenging me and humbling me. I never got very far, but every once in a while I come back to this game, though I know I can't play it again. Though I don't wonder why or how these screenshots appear on the subreddit, if I figured out how, I would pursue it. It's still great to see, because it is to me a world that I never finished exploring.

I notice those are all Kojani style vessels, but I have no screenshots of Qalian or Thestran boats.

More wyverns and Randolph flying over Theatre and Qalia.

Since the topic of flying mounts recently came up, here are a wyvern and a griffon.

Planning on making a team this weekend. One question though. Does Vanguard have any kind of an interact with target command? In Rift I can have my boxes use an interact macro , and they will all talk to the same NPC I am. This is helpful when questing etc. Any help appreciated

Idk if you guys have seen but there's a small resurgence for this game, some new people like myself levelling. A lot of us are refugees from the monsters & memories community that will probably play for a few months while we wait for EA.

The process of building a Guild Hall was overall amazing.

It started with weeks of farming materials, usually a full group of guildmembers including a bard for drums / max runspeed and running around in circles for hours to farm stones, wood, flowers, while others did diplomacy to get all the writs.

When we had all the building materials it was fun to watch the progress. Whenever one of the material stacks was fully stacked, the game gave visual feedback by updating the building site.

That and the whole griffon questline are some of my best memories of Vanguard.

Looking into multi boxing because my ranger is squishy and it's very time consuming soloing 3 dots. I don't want to pay $50 a year for Innerspace either.

Imagine my surprise when I first saw those two standing in New Targonor.

Hey there guys! Just started playing the emulator, guessing there's not many players around, so I can't really group, meaning that I'll have to solo.

Created a goblin disciple, because I heard that class is a god for soloing, and I also heard that rangers and sorcerers level incredibly quickly when kiting.

Question I have is, which one is better and kills enemies quicker when kiting solo? Thanks!

Hey i found this game recently on a video talking about closed mmos that are worth playing i was wondering how the emulator is thank you!

Just recently returned to the emulator and had a blast last night. Realized my equipment was shit (made the character in 2017) and spent some time questing and crafting to upgrade a bit.

I want to challenge everyone, every time you play, to take one screenshot and post it on this subreddit, to draw some attention to this emulator.

I was feeling nostalgic and I missed Vanguard Saga of Heroes. I recently came across the Vanguard emulator. I decided to try it out and it’s been a blast to play, especially with friends.

Mob difficulty was implemented and combat has been fun and challenging. Most class abilities including stances appear to be fully functional. I haven’t reached high levels yet, but low-mid levels seem to have plenty of solo and group content including quests and dungeons.

The game is still actively being worked on so there will be bugs, but it is definitely playable. I haven’t come across any game-breaking bugs yet. The developers are active and the updates are steady.

In case you encounter these issues: I was getting lag and erratic enemy pathing at the Isle of Dawn starter region, but it got better after leaving the region. It is still very much worth completing the starter quests for the great rewards though. Use /endloot if you get a “already looting” message when trying to loot. You can make a macro for this as well.

I am very much enjoying playing the game again. If you’re feeling nostalgic like I was, check it out. I would encourage checking the discord server for current news and updates.

https://vgoemulator.net/index.php

Never played EQ2 until now, but I did play Vanguard back in the day. This is basically the closest thing to a Vanguard revival. Classic non-instanced group-oriented gameplay. Major differences as far as I can remember:

1. No card game. ☹️
2. Housing isn't out in the world like VG. It's more like housing from FFXI or FFXIV.
3. Zones, not seamless or chucked like VG was.

But otherwise, if you miss VG, definitely check this out.