Getting Started
How to install the Vanguard client and connect to the VGO Emulator server.
Known problem: the host is blocking some players
The host used for the VGO website and the primary login authorisation has started blocking connections from some players. The cause is not known. Some players get past it with a VPN; for others a VPN does not help.
A secondary auth server on a different host now exists,
and a new launcher falls back to it when the primary cannot be reached.
If a VPN gets you through, the launcher updates itself to
v4.5.1.0
automatically. If it does not, replace
VGOEmuLauncher.exe in your Vanguard install with the version
below.
Download VGOEmuLauncher.exe (v4.5.1.0, 1.52 MB)
SHA-256 c835668428972f9be67d9a59ae9717d6062a32e7295a17d6eb652371b8bbe1f9
This is a courtesy mirror of the launcher, hosted here because the
official host is unreachable for some players. It is a copy, not
something this archive built or audited — check the hash above
against the official release before running it, and prefer the official
download whenever you can reach it.
If you need the full client
New players who cannot reach the normal download can get the full client from one of these mirrors. They are the same files in different archive formats — pick whichever you can open.
After extracting, replace the launcher with the version above.
Installation, step by step
- Create a login account. Register at vgoemulator.net/index.php?p=accounts. This is the account you log into the server with in-game — it is not the same as a forum account.
-
Download the client.
The download contains the game files and the VGO launcher needed to reach
the server. Normally from
vgoplayers.com/downloads.php,
or the mirrors above if that is unreachable.
Neither the original discs nor the Steam version work. You need this client.
-
Unblock the .exe before extracting.
Right-click the downloaded zip, choose Properties, and if there is
an Unblock checkbox, tick it and hit OK.
Do not skip this step.
-
Extract the client.
This is the full client, not an installer, so extract it wherever you want
it to live — you can move it later.
Do not put it in
Program Files. That folder is protected by Windows and causes problems running the game. -
Check the folder.
Confirm the extracted Vanguard folder contains the game files and
VGOEmuLauncher.exeat its root. -
Start the launcher.
Double-click
VGOEmuLauncher.exe. This is a good moment to make a desktop shortcut. - Configure the launcher. On first run it searches for the client executable so it can connect your client to the emulator server. If the launcher is in the root Vanguard folder it finds it automatically. You only need to do this once.
- Create a character and you are in.
What next
- GM command list — for testing
- Full chunk list — which parts of the world are built out, and how far
- What to test (official forum)
- Known issues and troubleshooting (official forum)