The ability to make a persistent (not necessarily permanent) change to the gameworld.
So, if you can kill all the NPCs in a quest hub, and they don't respawn for hours, that's a sandboxy element. If you can build a player home on empty ground (as opposed to an instanced space), that's also a sandboxy element.
I cant just say 'options' because then the clever ones will start thinking they can change reality by suggesting that having your hair on fire or getting a massage is an 'option' so I have to be explict which is usually something you have to do when dealing with special students
Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.
I cant just say 'options' because then the clever ones will start thinking they can change reality by suggesting that having your hair on fire or getting a massage is an 'option' so I have to be explict which is usually something you have to do when dealing with special students
Insulting people doesn't move this further and just makes you look silly.
There are legitmate options in many themepark games, just cause you don't like them doesn't make it not so.
If setting your hair on fire, or getting a massage in a game enhances the game other than a cosmeteic endeavor that yes that is a viable option.
Learn to different between your preferences and actual options.
Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it is bad.
A complete lack of a consistent advancement experience.
What I mean by this is the notion that every player must have the same opportunities at the same time as every other player. This is what has driven us from enemies that "appear" to enemeis that "occopy an area".
For example. Yeah, when I go outside at night I expect to see undead in various places. What I don't want to see is an area at night that repeatedly spawns the same configuration of enemies in the same spot forever.
I cant just say 'options' because then the clever ones will start thinking they can change reality by suggesting that having your hair on fire or getting a massage is an 'option' so I have to be explict which is usually something you have to do when dealing with special students
Insulting people doesn't move this further and just makes you look silly.
There are legitmate options in many themepark games, just cause you don't like them doesn't make it not so.
If setting your hair on fire, or getting a massage in a game enhances the game other than a cosmeteic endeavor that yes that is a viable option.
Learn to different between your preferences and actual options.
this is why I am using the word 'combarable' in hopes that people will someday be able to understand which right now some still do not understand
Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.
I don't understand this "new" trend that seam to think you can build a sandbox as you design a themepark. Let use some related parable here since people seam to not want to understand simple and obvious things.
So how do you build a themepark, well you choose a theme, lets say you choose disney, you could have chosen Asterix&Obelix, or Hello Kitty right, but you choose Disney. So what next, well you choose your elements, this mean you have your cinema showing disney films, you'll have video games about disney, you'll have disney spinning meery go round or whatever you guys call them in english, you'll have those russian montains, those huge wheels, all those elements. Now you have your disney themepark, you just need to open the door right?
So now let's build a sandbox, so what do you need? you obviously need a somewhat big and solid box. And a lot of sand so that kids can come with their molds and shovel and little cars to make their little games with their own tools. They are no elements here, or they are so tiny and numerous they aren't really interesting per say, right? sand is sand after all, nothing fancy here. What is important is that kids can come do their own stuff.
So Op understand that your question is pretty twisted you are here coming saying you don't care about definition, but yet you impose your definition over it obviously since you want a game that would feel like a sandbox since it use elements of a sandbox, yet it must be build like a themepark right, i sure hope you understood my parable?
Now to respond your question if you need a feature that would be to have a game with enough space for the player to build their own game inside that "world", if any element is needed it is this one, but as you can see it is not an element you will put inside your game, but rather have outside it so to speak. If you build a game with "sandboxy features" as you put it in your OP, you are just doing an other themepark which theme is the "sandbox mmo" you don't actually do a sandbox. I hope you can understand that?
To me, as I've stated before, a sandbox is about creativity. The more freedom I have the more creative I can be, the less linear it is..
You need to be able to build, the more the better. You need to be able to design your characters abilities (skill, or class I don't care as long as I'm not locked into it).
And I need to be able offer something that lets gameplay happen. Something simple would be a player shop, more complex, as I've stated before I build a castle and plunk it over a mine entrance, thereby effecting some permanent change in the world.
Those are my only two requirments, but they are pretty big IMO.
Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it is bad.
The ability to make a persistent (not necessarily permanent) change to the gameworld.
So, if you can kill all the NPCs in a quest hub, and they don't respawn for hours, that's a sandboxy element. If you can build a player home on empty ground (as opposed to an instanced space), that's also a sandboxy element.
themepark MMO been doing that for years now.
Oh yeah, I know...Alliance camping Horde's quest hub has created some very memorable situations in WoW. That's why I like the term "element", since it implies a sandboxy thng can occur in a themepark.
Comments
themepark MMO been doing that for years now.
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
comparable options.
I cant just say 'options' because then the clever ones will start thinking they can change reality by suggesting that having your hair on fire or getting a massage is an 'option' so I have to be explict which is usually something you have to do when dealing with special students
Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.
Please do not respond to me
Insulting people doesn't move this further and just makes you look silly.
There are legitmate options in many themepark games, just cause you don't like them doesn't make it not so.
If setting your hair on fire, or getting a massage in a game enhances the game other than a cosmeteic endeavor that yes that is a viable option.
Learn to different between your preferences and actual options.
A complete lack of a consistent advancement experience.
What I mean by this is the notion that every player must have the same opportunities at the same time as every other player. This is what has driven us from enemies that "appear" to enemeis that "occopy an area".
For example. Yeah, when I go outside at night I expect to see undead in various places. What I don't want to see is an area at night that repeatedly spawns the same configuration of enemies in the same spot forever.
this is why I am using the word 'combarable' in hopes that people will someday be able to understand which right now some still do not understand
Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.
Please do not respond to me
I don't understand this "new" trend that seam to think you can build a sandbox as you design a themepark. Let use some related parable here since people seam to not want to understand simple and obvious things.
So how do you build a themepark, well you choose a theme, lets say you choose disney, you could have chosen Asterix&Obelix, or Hello Kitty right, but you choose Disney. So what next, well you choose your elements, this mean you have your cinema showing disney films, you'll have video games about disney, you'll have disney spinning meery go round or whatever you guys call them in english, you'll have those russian montains, those huge wheels, all those elements. Now you have your disney themepark, you just need to open the door right?
So now let's build a sandbox, so what do you need? you obviously need a somewhat big and solid box. And a lot of sand so that kids can come with their molds and shovel and little cars to make their little games with their own tools. They are no elements here, or they are so tiny and numerous they aren't really interesting per say, right? sand is sand after all, nothing fancy here. What is important is that kids can come do their own stuff.
So Op understand that your question is pretty twisted you are here coming saying you don't care about definition, but yet you impose your definition over it obviously since you want a game that would feel like a sandbox since it use elements of a sandbox, yet it must be build like a themepark right, i sure hope you understood my parable?
Now to respond your question if you need a feature that would be to have a game with enough space for the player to build their own game inside that "world", if any element is needed it is this one, but as you can see it is not an element you will put inside your game, but rather have outside it so to speak. If you build a game with "sandboxy features" as you put it in your OP, you are just doing an other themepark which theme is the "sandbox mmo" you don't actually do a sandbox. I hope you can understand that?
To me, as I've stated before, a sandbox is about creativity. The more freedom I have the more creative I can be, the less linear it is..
You need to be able to build, the more the better. You need to be able to design your characters abilities (skill, or class I don't care as long as I'm not locked into it).
And I need to be able offer something that lets gameplay happen. Something simple would be a player shop, more complex, as I've stated before I build a castle and plunk it over a mine entrance, thereby effecting some permanent change in the world.
Those are my only two requirments, but they are pretty big IMO.
Oh yeah, I know...Alliance camping Horde's quest hub has created some very memorable situations in WoW. That's why I like the term "element", since it implies a sandboxy thng can occur in a themepark.