I play Vanguard on occasion; for various reasons I prefer making "alternate" characters there than on EQ-emulator. I use Vanguard strictly as a free player and have no intention of ever spending anything on it.
First off, if you're free-play, put your lockboxes (even bronze) up on the broker; don't vendor them. As you level they WILL fund things like flying mounts for you. Also, don't bother wasting money/gold on item unlocks at least until level 40 or so. Prior to then items don't last very long and you level so quickly that it's a waste. If you want to be a bit stingy, wait for level 48 gear or therabout.
Due to the plethora of relatively cheap flying mounts, ships are largely obsolete now. Don't waste money on one unless you have money to spare. Player-owned houses are generally obsolete as well on account of harvested materials stacking to 100 now. Crafting in general serves little purpose unless you take it all the way to very high levels; either craft because you enjoy it, or don't bother.
Bring a large dose of bug tolerance. Vanguard remains an exceedingly glitchy game--much moreso than P1999 even--and the unrelenting stream of glitches eventually wears most people down. It's the video game equivalent of death by a thousand cuts.
The miniscule community still playing Vanguard (less than on P1999 at any given time) exhibits a strange tendency towards denial with respect to the game's myriad faults. These people often discuss how Vanguard isn't really buggy, or how the population's climbing fast, or how it's the greatest MOG ever made and how only Sony conspires to keep it down, or any of a dozen other delusional claims. When these folks start up, it's best to politely ignore them; you won't change their minds any more than you can argue with a religious fanatic and most the folks there are plenty nice otherwise.
Danth
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