Vanguard not dead yet

When Sony Online converted Vanguard to free-to-play, I assumed it was being put out to pasture. Apparently not. Apparently someone somewhere was making new content. Because today, Vanguard gets a whole new area.

In this update, the Efreeti have returned and are imprisoning mortals beneath the fiery skies of Jhor Razkur, otherwise known as The City of Brass. Players are invited to join the fight against the Efreeti and their allies inside the City of Brass in this all-new adventure area.

The new City of Brass area can be accessed beyond the eastern walls of Khal. Users will face off against more than a dozen challenging named and boss mobs, earning valuable new loot. Daring souls who best these foes may summon forth The Keeper of Lesser Wishes, a 12-person encounter that is sure to test their strength.

Will someone take a quick break from Guild Wars 2, Rift, Lord of the Rings Online, or World of Warcraft to duck in there and let me know how it’s holding up? Is this new Orangetown in any way nifty? Because I played a bit of Vanguard about a year ago and was happy to discover that it’s just as good as I remembered it, considering it’s a mostly conventional MMO that emphasizes scope over detail. And you really can’t beat the absurdly detailed crafting and collectible card game diplomacy.