Vanguard: Saga of Heroes Pre-E3 2005 Preview
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While the dungeon we explored seemed huge (and appropriately infested with giant scorpions, kobolds, mummies, and other walking dead), it, like other content in Vanguard, will not be "instanced." That is, unlike many recent massively multiplayer games, Vanguard will not have closed-off areas that are generated only for specific characters (instanced content has been used as a way to prevent overcrowding by creating duplicate zones for players to explore). So, to prevent overcrowding and competition for existing monsters and loot, Vanguard will have an "advanced encounter" system keyed off of monster loot. Essentially, while all dungeons will have wandering monsters that will let casual hunters get in a few fights, some monsters will drop encounter-specific items, such as a bracer, which, when equipped, will spawn all-new monsters along an "encounter route." These monsters may be targeted only by the party that possesses the item, so these adventuring parties will have no shortage of enemies to fight and won't have to worry about other players stealing them away.
