How hard can it be (to find a sandbox game)

Lobotomist

How hard can it be (to find a sandbox game) ... I asked myself this question 5 years ago.

Well, very very hard.

 

All I wanted is a non theme park, open world game. Where you can persue either crafting or adventuring (killing)not dependent on pre set path made by handholding quests. Where what you do (let say crafting) is inter dependable by other player. (read player co operation is needed)

NOT in a game that its sole purpose is HC PVP and GANKING.

 

I search and search for 5 years , yet no luck at all.

 

 

 

gobla

I give you: Ryzom.

Greatly enjoying it so far. Initial levels are a bit dull but it really opens up past level 20-30 (levels work a bit differently though, different levels for different activities so you can train all at the same time).

Great crafting system. Great ability system (create custom abilities to your own tastes). Great community. Bit old graphics but due to the unique design it looks great.

Give it a try, there's an unlimited free trial. So nothing to lose.

Karahandras

Aswell as ryzom you could also check out planeshift

MMOman101

If a  list of features is all you really wanted you would have found a game by now, there are games that have "sandbox" features.

Features are the least important part of a game, one day gamers will get it.  Not today though....not today.

Lobotomist

I have played it several times over the years. And installed it now it has become free.

Been meaning to give it another try.

 

What scared me a bit , is that the whole thing looks bit on grind side. Perhaps its just a misconception.

vladww

Ryzom, Istaria, Wurm online are good crafting mmo's

Lobotomist

Originally posted by MMOman101

If a  list of features is all you really wanted you would have found a game by now, there are games that have "sandbox" features.

Features are the least important part of a game, one day gamers will get it.  Not today though....not today.

 

I forgot to mention one thing.

Game should not be based around "grind"

Grind now so somewhere in future you can start having fun.

 

For example EVE. A perfect sandbox game.

From day one you can do almost everything. Naturally later you do it faster and in bigger ships and for bigger stakes.

But it doesnt mean you need to play 100 hours just so you can do something.

 

Now if only eve was not so focused on hardcore PVP...

 

 

Caldrin

Another one you might want to check out is Xsyon.. if its crafting you want then you will probally like this game..

Or another one if your not after graphics is Wurm online crafting and building stuff does take a long time but you might like it..

IF you want somthing a bit faster... try Minecraft on one of the larger servers as you can have quite a few people playing and can be godo fun if you enjoy building things

Another Sandbox type game is Dawntide, its currently in open beta but I ahve not given it enough time to tell you how good the game is... the world is well designed with soem nice cities and so on..

 

 

 

Lobotomist

I seen Ryzom recommended. But how about Runescape ? Is it only kids territory ?

StoneRoses

Originally posted by Lobotomist

Originally posted by MMOman101

If a  list of features is all you really wanted you would have found a game by now, there are games that have "sandbox" features.

Features are the least important part of a game, one day gamers will get it.  Not today though....not today.

 

I forgot to mention one thing.

Game should not be based around "grind"

Grind now so somewhere in future you can start having fun.

 

For example EVE. A perfect sandbox game.

From day one you can do almost everything. Naturally later you do it faster and in bigger ships and for bigger stakes.

But it doesnt mean you need to play 100 hours just so you can do something.

 

Now if only eve was not so focused on hardcore PVP...

 

 

Quieung skills I guess can be fun. While you're sleeping or at work your skills are automatically level for you, just have to queue them up.

joojoo1975

OP is not false

 

 

I have been lookin for Years as well and here is my small entry:

 

Ryzon.  Low population, the crafting was(imo) blahh(sorry, i just couldn't get into it).  it looked good, but i just couldn't ge into it 

 

Eve online.  I been here off and on for over 5 years.  Pro's  your descisions have consequences,  full loot(well what's left of your ship, that is), and lots of things you can do from day 1.  But i couldn't stay with it.  first off, the nerf's(but that should be expected) the time skill thingy(i would like to see a hybrid, like 50% time based, and 50% hands on based)  bottom line for me was i became bored with the game 

 

Wurm:  Skills take a LONG time to establish, and most if not 80% of all skills are connected(you wanna make arrows and bows, better be a good metalsmith as well) the non pvp server is populated.  but what I was TOLD was that the PVP server was a ghost town(i can't prove this, it was what i was told time and time again whenever i asked)

 

darkfall:  loved this game, except it had 2 flaws that broke the game for me.  it's a medevil FPS(you need to actually aim your axe, arrow or healing spell) and EVERYBODY MACROS  I'm not joking, you go into a player city, and you'll hear or see dozens of characters just sitting at a place casting magics at someone, or out in a water spot macro swimming. the FPS was something i just wasn't good at, but the MACRO thingy, i just couldn't stomach.

 

Vanguard.  LOVED the crafting.  lil to no population and sony(also known as the third reich of mmo's) owns it.

 

hope this helps.  all my RL friends are going to SWTOR.  I prolly will to.

 

 

st4t1ck

I really liked Dawntide, i didnt get far though because the people i tend to play my games with arent really sandbox players.  and i couldnt get the forums working for a while and couldnt find a  guild to join

disownation

Fallen Earth has a great crafting system. And the game itself has come a long way and improved much. You're not "forced" to adventure or quest. You can completely level off of crafting (I levelled up to 36 strictly on crafting and only did the AP quests). Haven't checked it out since it went F2P, but that should be even more good news as you don't have to invest anything to try it out.

 

Other than that, I agree with other recommendations people have stated: Vanguard, Istaria, Rysom, Eve, etc.

Sakeraso

Archeage is the last effort for sandbox to become a viable genre of MMORPG.

 

Let us all pray it goes well.

futnatus

I'm a 'Sandboxer' from the F2P category, and times are even more dire on this side.  However I can recommend some very nice indie games to try out, such as Haven & Hearth.  It has the allure of most indie games, and that is the lovable and not overdone graphics.  When it comes to progress, you start off in the middle of nowhere with nothing and no skills.  You'll have to learn everything, including what the heck do you eat so you don't starve to death.  Fighting, or more specifically Hunting, can even be difficult to achieve at the start, so you'll be looking into foraging and the like.  In the long term you can construct a city.  I would say there is a big grind element in this game, but the fight for surival especially at the start and the desire to get your first house up makes you play

Minecraft and Terraria are two games that need a purchase, but really nice.  Minecraft is like that King of Indie Sandboxes and God of Crafting games.  I'd be surprised if you hadn't heard of it.  Terraria has a more balanced approach with greater combat options.  Both games work very well in single player, but you would need to get involved in a server with others to keep that flare going.  Community is the one thing that I find makes one commit in the longterm.

I tried Wurm and oh the technical problems I had... Just not pleasant.

I feel like.. I'm really forgetting something.  I've been on the same hunt as you are so many times, found small solutions but nothing permanent.  It's gone to the point where it's forcing me out of MMOs.

 

Archeage Please show us the way to the future.  I feel like the sandbox gamer community need to spam the developers with enough mail to get the message "Don't mess it up now!" right through to them.  Just so afraid of it's unlikely failure. > <

joojoo1975

To all those thinking about Haven and Hearth.

 

here is the "In Congress Assembled" forums post section.

http://www.havenandhearth.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=25

this is where players and guilds talk and yell at each other for thier actions.

 

I post this because Haven and Hearth is unique in that you have character death.  which means, if your character dies, you have to make a new character.  sure you can inherit a % of your old charactar stats(anywhere from 75% to 25% give or take 10%) but it's almost basically starting over.

 

So if your still interested.  sign up.  make sure you have a Really Thick skin.   and good luck(well good luck when the server comes back online)

rojoArcueid

Originally posted by RefMinor

I have just bought a copy of Star Wars Galaxies cheap from eBay. People here seem to refer to it in awed tones as a sandbox If you google SWGEMU there is a preCU emulator, might be a few character wipes during the development cycle. It is legal if you have the original discs,

i heard and read on this same forums that SWG will shut down this holydays...... not sure about it.

to the OP, Dawntide is a nice piece of sandbox.... its still in beta so its a bit glitchy but imsure it will be just fine when it fully release. you can try the beta from their website

Velerak

Originally posted by rojo6934

Originally posted by RefMinor

I have just bought a copy of Star Wars Galaxies cheap from eBay. People here seem to refer to it in awed tones as a sandbox If you google SWGEMU there is a preCU emulator, might be a few character wipes during the development cycle. It is legal if you have the original discs,

i heard and read on this same forums that SWG will shut down this holydays...... not sure about it.

to the OP, Dawntide is a nice piece of sandbox.... its still in beta so its a bit glitchy but imsure it will be just fine when it fully release. you can try the beta from their website

 SWG is being turned off a couple of days before/after the old republic starts up.  It's the end of SOEs license to run a starwars mmo.

rojoArcueid

Originally posted by Velerak

Originally posted by rojo6934

Originally posted by RefMinor

I have just bought a copy of Star Wars Galaxies cheap from eBay. People here seem to refer to it in awed tones as a sandbox If you google SWGEMU there is a preCU emulator, might be a few character wipes during the development cycle. It is legal if you have the original discs,

i heard and read on this same forums that SWG will shut down this holydays...... not sure about it.

to the OP, Dawntide is a nice piece of sandbox.... its still in beta so its a bit glitchy but imsure it will be just fine when it fully release. you can try the beta from their website

 SWG is being turned off a couple of days before/after the old republic starts up.  It's the end of SOEs license to run a starwars mmo.

yeah that licensing stuff... thanks for making it clear.

BadSpock

There is no grind in a sandbox.

This is the lesson no attempted sandbox has learned, the lesson UO taught us over a decade ago.

A true sandbox would not have the stats and levels and skill raising garbage and be a lot more like minecraft.

Content is limited by skill and available play-time and access to materials, not some BS diku-MUD D&D PnP progression system.

SWG, EvE, DF, plenty of others have all failed in this regard.

EQ was the grind-heavy linear progression game. EQ was more popular then UO, so progression came to define the RPG part of MMORPG.

Single player RPG's and PnP were fine to have level/stat/skill/gear progression because they had story.

Sandbox MMO without story and adding in the level/stat/skill/gear progression = grind and a big no-thanks from me.

Icewhite

Originally posted by Lobotomist

Game should not be based around "grind"

You seem to have conflicting goals.  Do you want an open, unstructered world, or do you want to do quest chains?

DAS1337

There is grind in every single MMO out there.  I never understand when people give that as a negative about a game.  EQ had grind, WoW has grind, UO had a lot of grind, (MO, DF) has grind, LOTR has grind, EVE has grind.  Do you see my point?  If you don't want grind, don't play a MMO.  The whole point is to create a time-sink (grind) that keep people playing your game.  The only difference is how those games deliver said grind to you, the player.

 

There isn't a good fantasy sandbox on the market currently.  That's all there is to it.  The few that there are, are horribly made.  This is proven by the extremely low subscription count.  Players play good games.  EVE is the only one, but it's sci-fi.  I will wait for Archage most likely, hoping that they can convert it's eastern market appeal to the western gaming market.  I'm not holding my breath though. 

 

I don't see myself playing a MMO for a while.  I can only bang my head up against a wall so many times with the current MMO field.

Sid_Vicious

Originally posted by BadSpock

There is no grind in a sandbox.

This is the lesson no attempted sandbox has learned, the lesson UO taught us over a decade ago.

A true sandbox would not have the stats and levels and skill raising garbage and be a lot more like minecraft.

Content is limited by skill and available play-time and access to materials, not some BS diku-MUD D&D PnP progression system.

SWG, EvE, DF, plenty of others have all failed in this regard.

EQ was the grind-heavy linear progression game. EQ was more popular then UO, so progression came to define the RPG part of MMORPG.

Single player RPG's and PnP were fine to have level/stat/skill/gear progression because they had story.

Sandbox MMO without story and adding in the level/stat/skill/gear progression = grind and a big no-thanks from me.

Wait what?

Character progression is pretty much the RPG part of MMORPG.

Even if you are playing a tabletop RPG you start out at level 1.

You are basically saying that you do not want to play an RPG.

Minecraft is not an RPG.

Archeminos

Originally posted by Sid_Vicious

Originally posted by BadSpock

There is no grind in a sandbox.

This is the lesson no attempted sandbox has learned, the lesson UO taught us over a decade ago.

A true sandbox would not have the stats and levels and skill raising garbage and be a lot more like minecraft.

Content is limited by skill and available play-time and access to materials, not some BS diku-MUD D&D PnP progression system.

SWG, EvE, DF, plenty of others have all failed in this regard.

EQ was the grind-heavy linear progression game. EQ was more popular then UO, so progression came to define the RPG part of MMORPG.

Single player RPG's and PnP were fine to have level/stat/skill/gear progression because they had story.

Sandbox MMO without story and adding in the level/stat/skill/gear progression = grind and a big no-thanks from me.

Wait what?

Character progression is pretty much the RPG part of MMORPG.

Even if you are playing a tabletop RPG you start out at level 1.

You are basically saying that you do not want to play an RPG.

Minecraft is not an RPG.

The by your logic, EVE Online is not an RPG. Which is false.

Levels =/= RPG. Nothing about Role Playing Game denotes a need for level. Minecraft has progression, maybe not as a character, but to say things are the same when you start as they are 2 weeks down the road is just asanine.

btraill

There are quite a few kids playing still and there always will be, however; there are also A LOT of adults. My recommendation would be to find a guild/clan solely made up of mature players.

 

Runescape is an extremely fun game -- a great sandbox! Yes, it is true that you will likely need to spend 5.00 for members but it is WORTH it! 

 

I've currently got a Level 103 and I love the game. A lot of the 'hard' and 'meaningful' quests/story-lines actually require a decent amount of time, preperation, and 'skill'. Yes, it is a bit of a grind but there is SO much to do in the game that you can break and go play mini-games that attribute to your levels, you can do soul wars, PK, etc... Endless amount of things to do.

 

Give it a try!

 

Also, I would give Glitch a try. I'm addicted to it right now and I cannot get off of it! It's a browser game with skill progression almost exactly like E.V.E. It's graphics are a bit.... "wierd" but you do get used to them. There are a TON of adults playing this and the community is extremely helpful.

oakthornn

Originally posted by Lobotomist

How hard can it be (to find a sandbox game) ... I asked myself this question 5 years ago.

Well, very very hard.

 

All I wanted is a non theme park, open world game. Where you can persue either crafting or adventuring (killing)not dependent on pre set path made by handholding quests. Where what you do (let say crafting) is inter dependable by other player. (read player co operation is needed)

NOT in a game that its sole purpose is HC PVP and GANKING.

 

I search and search for 5 years , yet no luck at all.

 

 

 

 

        There are zero mmorpg's that have all those features... However, you may want to try Sims,, as that's pretty much the closest game to actual real life I can think of....

        If your truly looking for a sandbox style MMORPG, there's really only a couple games I know of that give you the freedom of following any path you desire.... Ultima Online,, and with a sense, Darkfall and Mortal Online... Every other MMORPG I know of is level based that make you follow a pre determined path from beginning to end...