Vanguard's Free accounts detailed, Silver membership axed

Sony Online Entertainment's Vanguard is moving ever closer to the launch of its free-to-play model this summer. While the game's model will be similar to other SOE F2P games, there will be no Silver membership option.

"We determined it was in the best interest of our players to eliminate the Silver membership and instead provide primarily a Gold membership offering," producer Andy Sites wrote in his July letter to fans. "In doing so, we've moved a few elements which would normally fall under a subscription category, and opened them up to the players for free."

A feature matrix explains the differences between the free and gold membership, which will cost $14.99 a month. Free players, for example, will have access to only six races and seven classes. Free players can only create four characters and will have a gold limit as well.

If you're curious about what happens when a gold membership lapses, you can visit the FAQ for additional technical, account and game questions relating to the transition.