Vanguard: Saga of Heroes details
by Kit

Friday, May 7 2004

MMORPG will feature Unreal Engine.

Sigil Games Online, Inc. today announced that the company is using the Unreal Engine as one of several licensed technologies used in their flagship product, the massively multiplayer RPG "Vanguard: Saga of Heroes."

"Unreal Technology enabled us from the very beginning to start making a game instead of an engine," said Brad McQuaid, president & CEO of Sigil and the co-producer for "Vanguard." "From nearly day one, our highly technical team of artists were taking their visions from paper to playable. Furthermore, within a few short months, our designers were seeing real gameplay and functional technology. It is integral to a content-based product like 'Vanguard' that the artists and designers rapidly generate assets and see results, and that all departments are working concurrently as quickly as possible."

The Unreal Engine has been instrumental in bringing dozens of titles to market on multiple platforms with fast, clean, and polished production value. "Vanguard: Saga of Heroes" will heavily modify the Unreal Engine and other technology over time to better support an MMOG's many special needs, while at the same time reaping the benefits of an extensive tool set and the support of the Unreal Development Network.

"I've known Tim Sweeney and the guys at Epic for over ten years", expressed Ryan Elam, lead programmer and graphics 'guru' for "Vanguard." "I've watched the Unreal Engine practically since inception, and I agree wholeheartedly with their philosophy of giving the developer a strong, stable foundation upon which to build a game. Frankly, they free our programmers up to do the 'Cool Stuff'!"

"We're thrilled to be collaborating with Sigil to combine their world class design and artistry with Epic's leading-edge 3D technology," said Tim Sweeney, CEO and technical director of Epic Games. "Sigil's core team members are largely responsible for the popularity of the MMORPG genre today, and it's almost scary to think of the potential of their talent coupled with the Unreal Engine's flexibility. Historically, massively multiplayer games have not pushed graphical detail and realism as ardently as other genres, but 'Vanguard' looks to demolish that trend."

Early on, as Sigil evaluated their technology options, McQuaid and Elam recall discussing their previous experiences building large and ambitious games with either home-grown or licensed technology.

"Given the scope and scale of 'Vanguard,'" said McQuaid, "it was really a no-brainer to use technology like Unreal's to accelerate the process. I'm glad we licensed third party technology for "EverQuest®" back when I worked at SISA/989 Studios, and I'm happy we made a similar decision with 'Vanguard' here at Sigil. The results speak for themselves."

--- Kit