Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Would you play a pve focused sandbox?
Rockgod99
Member Posts: 4,640
Lets say someone released a sandbox mmo with a capless skill system.
The game focuses on non instanced dungeons, gaining fame with factions, world/rare boss monsters with a clear focus on co-op play and solo viability in a pve environment.
The game has a heavy crafting and non-combat (gathering, social) mechanic focus also.
While having a more pve/social focus the game offers pvp. A basic faction system with a couple dedicated pvp (flag enabled) zones that are completly optional.
Would you play this game.
A sandbox with pve progression from day 1, the option to pvp but it isnt forced and a real focus on social activities, rp and crafting/gathering.
Again would you play this?
Comments
Yes but it needs to also have terra forming.
I know it's kinda hard to implement but I'd like the idea of building a house/castle/town for me and arrange the terrain to what I would like.
reminds me of SWG when it was released.
"going into arguments with idiots is a lost cause, it requires you to stoop down to their level and you can't win"
I'd say that based on the OP's description, I'd decline. Simply because what is being described is basically SWG Pre-CU,which whilst have some very nice points, felt lifeless and meaningless because I, as a player, didn't feel like the world story was progressing and immersing me in it.
For me, although I do agree that character progression is a BIG thing, it isn't the only ingredient that's needed.
For me, there has to be a good world story arc that itself progresses. That doesn't necessarily have to involve the player on a personal level (i.e. you AREN'T the "chosen one") but nevertheless attempts to immerse the player in a feeling of being involved in something grander than just their individual quests that they decided to do.
In other words, take something like the world story of SWTOR or WoW and fold that into the mix, and it might just capture my attention.
Top 10 Most Misused Words in MMO's
It depends on what mechanics are in place to take items out of the system.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Yeah its sad that with the exception of Saga of Ryzom noones released a pve/social focused sandbox game since Swg pre-cu.
Playing: Rift, LotRO
Waiting on: GW2, BP
sounds like original swg or an improved eq1, AO or VG. I'd be willing to pay around $25/mo sub for something like that, it'd be a nice change from the current crapfest of wow clones, pvp based epeen strokefests and the other crap out nowadays.
Sounds like a real good game to me.
I think it should also have PPH (persistant player housing) in order to have something to upgrade, with all kinds of various things, instead of just the gear you are wearing. Focusing like wow only on the gear you wear and maybe a mount, and pretty soon nothing means anything. That is just way to limiting.
I respect that Your into more of the linear story based games aye? thats fine.
Consider yourself lucky because the mmo genre happens to be filled with them.
Playing: Rift, LotRO
Waiting on: GW2, BP
Even though I enjoy WoW, I do agree that progression in armour / weapons doesn't necessarily have to be the ONLY way to progress your character. I did enjoy obtaining some freaky items for my house in SWG Pre-CU.
Top 10 Most Misused Words in MMO's
I would love it if it offered more non-combat activities...like terraforming, player housing, non-combat skills.
I think you misunderstand me. I agree with your OP, but what you have listed isn't the entirety of what I would look for IF we are talking about the possibility of a hyperthetical design.
For me, SWG Pre-CU seemed pretty boring from a PVE perspective. The crafting was good, the housing was good, the economy was good. But, specifically from a PVE perspective, I felt it was lacking a cohesive story world arc that moved along as the game matured and the player progressed.
To use a crude example: When I heard about SWG in the beginning, I imagined the MMO would create the illusion of a progressive world, by moving through world story lines. Not necessarily the stories from the films, because after all, the stories in the films aren't enough to keep an MMO going. However, there is so much StarWars reading literature out there that I hoped they would eventually start using it as inspiration to continue and progress the world story arcs and thus perpetuate the feeling of a progressing gameworld.
Not many MMO's do this even now. However, MMO's like WoW at least attempt to provide a world story arc which the progresses through as they move from expansion to expansion and in the case of Cataclysm, the world story arc is going to change in the wake of the Lich Kings (Arthas') death. THAT to me helps to create the illusion of a progressing world.
Coming back to SWG, unfortunately SOE didn't provide enough PVE story content for my own liking. The world story arc remained static. And the only slight thing that came close to what I was looking for in terms of a progressive storyline was the Emperiors Retreat and Jabba's Palace quest chains. These were good examples of how to implement quest story arcs which were optional and didn't force the players to do them. They weren't world story arcs, but they were a good example of smaller ones.
In my opinion, those quest chains could have possibly have helped SWG's sub levels a lot more than changing the game in the way that SOE did.
Anyhow, in short I do agree that the future of MMO's may lie in the "hybrid" models, but your OP didn't include details regarding world story arcs and quest chain arcs, which is why I declined.
Top 10 Most Misused Words in MMO's
Sandbox can have a story! Nothing is stopping devs from creating one 'world story arc'.
The current 'linear' mmos are quite pathetic when it comes to this anyway (with few exceptions as Tarka said) - they don't provide reliable or interesting things. Maybe because all those precious lore is made in 15 minutes nowdays so we don't have any believeable world.
Btw. I voted yes - just because I play anything new that comes out, and this one would be a new game after all, it doesn't matter if it's something similiar that we already had, it would be a new world to explore!
The information provided is a little too vague for a definite response. I like Star Wars, I like BioWare, but I still haven't even decided if I'm going to play SW:TOR yet. What would the business model of this game be? What's the theme? How steep is the leveling curve? Is the combat more turn-based or action-based? First-person, third-person, or both? What's the crafting system like? How sparse or dense are salvageable crafting nodes? Does it even have crafting nodes? What races are available? What's the art style? What's the game's policy on 3rd-party apps? How aggressive are gold-sellers? How secure is the billing site?
There are any number of things that could kill a game for me- far more than were outlined in the original post, or even in my paragraph above. That said, I'm primarily a PvE player, I like the unlimited skill advancement angle, and I have nothing against sandboxes. Provided there was nothing in the game that I couldn't stand (FPS-only point-of-view, movement that can't be keymapped, twitch-based combat, FFA pvp, item malls), I'd probably try it. I try everything that comes within a hundred miles of being a possiblity for me. Since I know my likes and dislikes very well at this point, however, that still doesn't leave many games to choose from.
I would love one tbh, I like pvp but only in fps/action games
Precisely, the OP is obviously trying to bridge the gap between "themepark" and "sandbox", but you cannot do so in a biased way if you wish to try to appeal to BOTH audiences.
Themepark MMO's are well-liked, no one can deny this. And even though some may hate them, it would be futile to ignore some of the elements which appeal to people the most. The same goes for sandbox MMO's.
Hybrid games that include sandbox elements CAN have a progressive world story line and quest chains which are optional for those who want to get involved in them, whilst still being linked to the "sandbox" elements in the game.
The big problem is that the dev company has to make the conscious decision from the start to create an MMO with a progressive story, and then employ someone specifically to look after the lore and story arcs in the game (like Chris Metzen at Blizzard). It could be "tagged" on afterwards (post-launch), but it would be better if the design incorporated it from the start.
I could go into details, but I think SWG Pre-CU with progressive story arcs and quest chains is probably near enough an example.
Top 10 Most Misused Words in MMO's
I would play the crap out of that game.
xyson´s feature list without the PvP, or atleast possible to only have it as an option.
Not trying to bridge anything.
Im fully aware that the people that enjoy pve focused sandbox games like SWG/Ryzom aren't always the same people that like Lotro,WoW or EQ2.
The people that like story based games with things like hub/zone progression and forced questing have their games already. The people that want more of a community based game, in more of a world simulation with tons of pve and social options on day 1 don't have anything to play really.
This is why I asked.
I'm also fully aware of "hybrid" games and those certainly are not sandbox games because they force the player on a path with little choice. As an example look at fallen earth. its a perfect hybrid game yet its nothing like Ryzom or SWG was. It doesn't appeal to those players at all.
Playing: Rift, LotRO
Waiting on: GW2, BP
Yes I would try a PvE sandbox as long as you can PvP anyone anytime a la Darkfall.
if by pvping anyone at anytime you mean going to a dedicated full pvp area and fighting against another faction then yes lol
As long as it doesnt limit the pvers.
Playing: Rift, LotRO
Waiting on: GW2, BP
Addtional to my red replies above:
The future of MMO's doesn't lie in Sandbox designs, this fact is pretty obvious by popularity figures. Granted Themepark MMO's have their own failings (typically linear etc). However BOTH designs have good points and bad points.
And so, rather than just yammer on about YET ANOTHER sandbox design, which is nothing more than YET ANOTHER thread pine-ing for the days of SWG Pre-CU, why not "think outside of the box" and examine the possibilities of a hybrid design that takes the best of BOTH types of games?
Or are you too blinded by hate of themepark MMO's that you refuse to acknowledge that they may have some good things going for them?
Top 10 Most Misused Words in MMO's
Heh I don't hate themeparks and I don't think sandbox games are the future either. I'm not afraid of hybrid design either i enjoyed hybrid games from AC to AO and others.
My op is simple would you play a pve focused sandbox game. Im not against other forms of mmo at all. Right now all we've been offered has been ffapvp focused sandbox games. so I asked the question wanting to see the poll results.
You shouldn't read to deeply into it. This isnt a theampark vs sandbox thread, nor a Hybrids arent a sandbox thread, nor a I hate ffa pvp thread.
I described a kind of pve sanbox that you experienced in other games like Ryzom and Swg and asked if people would be interested in a game like that agin.
Simple.
Playing: Rift, LotRO
Waiting on: GW2, BP
So.... Everquest?
Important facts:
1. Free to Play games are poorly made.
2. Casuals are not all idiots, but idiots call themselves casuals.
3. Great solo and group content are not mutually exclusive, but they suffer when one is shoved into the mold of the other. The same is true of PvP and PvE.
4. Community is more important than you think.
Which I answered and gave my reasons. Given your OP, I acknowledge that I had assumed you were interested in discussing a hybrid model. Obviously I was wrong.
However, to assume that people necessarily want themepark MMO's, because they answered NO to your OP is incorrect.
Top 10 Most Misused Words in MMO's
I misunderstood your post then. It seemed like what you prefered was a more linear themepark experience. If i was wrong my apologies.
I know quite a few people that enjoy a good linear story in their mmos, hell i like them too sometimes. this is why im looking forward to games like TOR besides the few obscure sandbox titles i follow like perpetuum and earthrise.
People enjoy many different types of games. i was trying to be somewhat vauge in my OP so I wouldnt stir the pot and get into a whats a sandbox/themepark/hybrid thread lol. I kinda failed at that.
Playing: Rift, LotRO
Waiting on: GW2, BP