I don't have a beta account (yet) but have been able to piece together some things... Every character will choose from:

Race
Adventuring Profession
Harvesting Profession
Crafting Profession
Diplomatic Profession

The three spheres of adventuring, crafting and diplomacy are exclusive, meaning that you can progress level in any sphere regardless of your level in any other sphere - your adventuring level does not limit you skill in crafting or diplomacy.

One game design is that it take just as much time to max out an adventuring profession as it would to max out a diplomatic or crafting profession. You will see people focus entirely on one sphere of the game and seem to progress quickly, while others will attempt to level all three spheres at the same pace and seem to progress less rapidly. There is absolutely nothing wrong with either method or even somewhere in between - this is a matter of choice and allowance of time.

[Race]

There are 19 player races and three starting continents. I get the feeling that races from one continent are not automatically at war with the other continental races (thus creating factions) but I could be wrong. Different races have different starting stats and innate abilities - but they're trying to make the system such that for each profession one race isn't the automatic choice.

On the continent of Thestra:
Dwarf
Half Giant
Halfling
High Elf
Thestran Barbarian
Thestran Human
Vulmane (wolf people)

On the continent of Qalia:
Ahgramun Human
Dark Elf
Gnome
Mordebi Human
Kurashasa (cat people)
Qalian Barbarian

On the continent of Kojan:
Goblin
Half Elf
Kojan Human
Orc
Raki (fox people)
Wood Elf

[Adventuring Profession]

Currently designed for level 50 max. Leveling takes more time than most other MMO's. There are 15 adventuring classes available at launch with two more being added soon after. There are four arch-types:

Protective Fighters
Dread Knight
Inquisitor - not guaranteed for launch
Paladin
Warrior

Offensive Fighters
Bard
Berserker - not guaranteed for launch
Monk
Ranger
Rogue

Healers
Blood Mage
Cleric
Disciple
Shaman

Arcane Casters
Druid
Necromancer
Psionicist
Sorcerer

<!--EZCODE LINK START-->Race / Class Chart<!--EZCODE LINK END-->

[Harvesting Profession]

Vanguard advertizes that there are 3 "spheres" of gameplay: adventuring, crafting, and diplomacy. Harvesting is part of the adventuring sphere since you will have to adventure (go forth into the game world and slay mobs) to find harvestable materials. The harvesting system is being completely revamped and not expected out until March. March? OMFG

[Crafting Profession]

The only way to gain experience is through the work order system; the crafting system does not reward experience for crafters who simply make the same item over and over. A work order is issued by an NPC and includes all the materials necessary to craft the item. Every craftable item has a grade, A being the best and D the worst. Experience will not be given to D grade crafting. The crafter can choose from extremely easy to extremely difficult combinations derrived from the player's skill; the catch to the system is to pick something easy enough that you can make a high quality but something challenging enough that you can make experience from the work order. Money is also a reward for successful crafting.

<!--EZCODE LINK START-->Crafting from Stratics<!--EZCODE LINK END-->

Experience will be gained in the parent skill and also sub-skills. You will be able to make one sub-skill your primary crafting profession, making the other sub-skill your minor.

Artificer
Carpenter - timber frames for buildings, furniture, staves, bows etc
Mineralogist - stones for buildings and jewels for rings/pendants

Blacksmith
Weaponsmith- metal weaponry and arms
Armorsmith - heavy (plate) armor and shields

Outfitter
Tailor - light (cloth) armor, bags, diplomacy clothes and crafting clothing
Leathworker - medium (leather) armor, saddles and backpacks

Alchemist - not guaranteed for launch
Apothecary - potions, tinctures, balms, etc
Infuser - infused oils, used for item enhancement

[Diplomat Profession]

System works like a strategy card game similar to "Magic: The Gathering" or so it's been said. Start out with a starter deck and hassle beggers. Get more cards, clothes and work your way up. System designed from level 1 to 500. Start off as a general diplomat at level 1, class quest at level 150 and sub-class quest at level 350. Choosing class and sub-class are optional - yield advantages and disadvantages. Classes are:

Thug - Demand
Bureaucrat
Ringleader

Philosopher - Reason
Arbiter
Sage

Demagog - Inspire
Firebrand
Sophist

Charlatan - Flatter
Con Artist
Puppet Artist

<!--EZCODE LINK START-->Diplomacy from Stratics<!--EZCODE LINK END-->

Storyline Quests (0 - 39 skill)
These quests not only establish how to play Parley and use the diplomacy system, they also act as a vehicle to understand racial lore. Each race has a very in-depth lore and this will help players understand their character's race and I should point out that these quests can be quite revealing. Rewards for completing these quests will include new cards, new diplomatic clothing, and diplomatic skill gains.

Civic Diplomacy (40 - 149 skill)
With the introductory quests now over you get to start playing around with the ability to control the influence of cities and outposts in Telon. 24 of the 36 total cities/outposts at launch can be affected by diplomacy at launch. Diplomats will be able to enhance cities with various buffs by partaking in civic diplomacy; however, the diplomats must work together because not all of the buffs can be engaged at one time. If two people are working on raising the level of two opposite diplomatic goals then they will essentially cancel each other out. The buffs may benefit adventurers, crafters, or they could come in the form of material rewards. So diplomats can "choose" whether they want a city to be an adventuring city, a crafting city, or perhaps a city of opportunities.

Regional Trade (150 - 199 skill) * not a guaranteed feature for launch
This feature is the "moneymaker" for diplomats. The idea is simply that diplomacy allows for players to purchase items in region A and traffic them to region B for a large profit. Trade routes will not be defined in the quests; this is something that the players will have to figure out for themselves.

Writs (200 - 299/349 skill) * not a guaranteed feature for launch
Travel! Diplomats should travel and Rits is the means to do it. Rits quests will allow for diplomats to see the world while reaping the benefits of mid-high level diplomacy quests.

Embassy (300/350 - 500 skill) * not a guaranteed feature for launch
I'll be entirely honest and state that I really don't remember much about the function of embassies, but they sound really important!

That was a very good post

Thanks Hokiejoe

/cheers

Really nice post there Hokiejoe.

Its been confirmed that Inquisitor and Berserker won't be there at launch, I don't recall where I saw this, but, I'm 99.9% sure that they'll be thrown in the mix later.

Also, I'm not entirley sure you'd call Harvesting a offshot of the Adventuring Sphere, but, I can see why you'd say that. I guess its a hybrid of Adventuring and Crafting?

Looks like you defenetly did your research, hope to see more interesting posts!

-Kros

Yeah, I also have read that Inq and Bzk will not be completed at launch, nor will alchemy.

I'm still pretty excited to read more and more info.  I love a research project!

That was a very nice post Hokie. :)

Hey Zinn,

Your ears must have been burning, I was just boasting about some of your articles the other day. Nice work!

Its good to see you on the boards here. :SMILE:

Thanks for the kind words Kal. :)

It is refreshing to see a post like Hokie's. Not only did it obviously take a lot of time and effort it is also helpfull to many players. I see so much misinformation being spread about Vanguard it is good to see people being so nice and selfless to take the time to write such informative threads. I have not been to these boards in a few months. Lots of great threads and information. :)

Thanks!

Hey Zinn!  I really like your articles on TTH; you're doing a great job at getting some specific and real information out.  I check it everyday to see what you've written.  Love to see something on the sorcerer!  I think Vanguard is depending too much on affiliates to release details - maybe because you do it better.

My best MMO experiences have been with a small group, including a Zinn.

And Hi to Kalivesa!  There was a game called DragonRealms that I played in the early 90's with a butt-kickin mage named Kalivesa.  I didn't know him very well but he was a legend.  I played a cleric named Valken.  You probably don't remember...that was 15 years ago.  It probably wasn't even you...oh well.

Hokie:

Thanks for the kind words. We have a number of guides in the pipeline now waiting for approval from Sigil, including a Sorcerer guide. We are just waiting for approval from Sigil to print them. The new Sorcerer guide was not written by me but another TTH staff member. I think its much better done than my guides.

Sigil put up some class details for every class 2-3 weeks ago but for some reason they took all thier class information down about a week ago. Maybe they are planning on releasing some big information soon?

I agree with you. some of my best MMO expereinces were with you, Kalivesa and the LA crew. I have fond memories of a pink armored Hero running around Emain attracting Midguardians like a magnet and of your Ranger scouting enemies for us to ambush.

When I wrote my Ranger guide I often thought of your Ranger in DAOC. I really think you will enjoy the Vanguard Ranger. But there are so many fun looking classes it is just about impossible to make a choice. I almost wish there were only 5-8 class choices to simply the decision. I may just end up being a crafter to postpone that choice. The city building aspects of the game are really what sold me on Vanguard. I know you can probably appreciate the crafting coming from SWG. I played HZ and the crafting and city building there, was just outstanding. Horizons may have been a very bad game but strangely I have some of my best MMO memories from its crafting and community building projects. I have heard people say the same for SWG. Hopefully Vanguard can do as well as those two games in terms of crafting and city building.

Nice to hear from you and I hopoe we are all in beta soon. :)

[Edited by Zinn at 2:49 PM on 12/15/2006]

Hmm...I missed the Sigil info release on classes.  Look forward to seeing more.

I liked the DAOC ranger - loved it.  But I have to admit, I like the WoW priest even more - the duality of the priest was perfect for me.  I couldn't be both at the same time - but I could be the support class when the group needed one, or the damage class when that was needed.  I don't see that kind of duality in Vanguard but didn't really expect to either.

I love the city building aspects of Vanguard as well.  I thought I would like SWG's version but it didn't take.  I think I'm going to take the diplomat route instead of crafting, but both systems look awesome.

Hey guys, just got back from hunting, I was in North florida for the past few days.

Hokie, Yeah I remember Dragonrealms, that was ages ago. :)

Zinn, I know you are going to be a crafter. So I have a new challenge for you to figure a way to craft a new set of pink armor for my tank. It will be like old times.

For those who have no clue what we are talking about, I had a Spear Hero in Daoc and I dyed my armor pink so enemy players could pick me out in the middle of a huge battle. I didnt want them crying on the message boards afterwards that I ambushed them. There was no hiding a bright shiny pink tank in the middle of all the carnage.

lol thats an awesome idea.

I would just like it because if I personally was killed by a guy in bright pink armor I would definitely feel awful, and that would be fun to inflict on others :TONGUE:

Hokie we have the Sorcerer guide up. It was not wrtitten by me but by Ralsu who plays a Sorcerer in our regular group. His guide is very good and Much better than anything I have done. Hopefully you will like it.

Kalivesa I am still undecided on the Crafer vs. Adventurer aspect. I want to do it all and Vanguard appears to be a game where there is so much to do but only so little time. I can't even pick a class. Writing these guides adds more confusiuon and makes me want to play another class. It will be hard making a choice.