add to your list. It's probably the best on the list. if you like people more than space ships 15-20 million worldwide.
How exactly is age of wushu a sandbox? You can't build things in that game.
Show me in the definition of where you need to be able to build something to label it a sandbox. Sandbox means non-linear, open ended gameplay. Period.
Sandbox by definition means you can build and alter the world within a predefined space, or if not, then It's like going into a real sandbox and having your sandcastles already built for you.
Ah well then, 1. mmorpg search box sucks and 2. mods, please sticky THAT thread, although mines a bit more strict I guess. Fallen Earth is not an obvious sandbox. It just has some elements.
Everyone has their own criteria for it. The great part about that other thread is it has a set criteria and we've adhered to the criteria it assigns for the purpose of the thread. IMO, it's one of the most useful threads on the subject we've had here in years.
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
Darkfall also isn't a sandbox game, it's an open world pvp game. If you want an example of a sandbox then swg is your measuring stick..that game was a pure unadulterated sandbox.
add to your list. It's probably the best on the list. if you like people more than space ships 15-20 million worldwide.
How exactly is age of wushu a sandbox? You can't build things in that game.
Show me in the definition of where you need to be able to build something to label it a sandbox. Sandbox means non-linear, open ended gameplay. Period.
That's your definition. In my sandbox I built things...a game without "sand" isn't a sandbox to me.
And you'd be wrong.
Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!
Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!
Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!
"Turbine is taking that gamble with its venerable Asheron's Call sandbox, though, as the title's February update is bringing sweeping changes to the world of Auberean".
Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!
Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!
Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!
To me, the term sandbox means that the player has to create all or most of the "content" of the game. In Ryzom, for example, players cannot build buildings, but it is still a sandbox. Players have to create everything: all spells, actions (like digging), fighting, etc, have to be built by the player. There are no pre-built "powers".
Players also have to create all the objects in the game: swords, armor, etc, all have to be built by players. Mobs do not drop these items, only mats that can be used to make these items.
There are also no classes. No "Cleric" and "Mage". It is completely skill based, where using the ability helps to level that ability.
Also there are no quests, no story-lines, no mobs with a ? over their heads.
So just because you cannot alter the actual landscape, or build buildings, does not mean it is not a sandbox.
add to your list. It's probably the best on the list. if you like people more than space ships 15-20 million worldwide.
How exactly is age of wushu a sandbox? You can't build things in that game.
Show me in the definition of where you need to be able to build something to label it a sandbox. Sandbox means non-linear, open ended gameplay. Period.
That's your definition. In my sandbox I built things...a game without "sand" isn't a sandbox to me.
And you'd be wrong.
Of course he's right. Why call something a sandbox if you can't build anything?
The base of the appelation is the "sand" the player can mold. No "sand"... no sandbox.
Says where? and says who? Sorry the sand is just a term, it has nothing to do whether or not you can build. In reality it is a poor choice of a title because it causes people like yo uto get fixated on 1 little word, and that word has no bearing on the overall definition.
Sandbox = open world, non instanced, free-form gameplay
Themepark_ linear, developer created guide rails to carry you through a game.
That is it, period, no ifs and or buts about the definition PERIOD END of Freaking STORY.
Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!
Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!
Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!
add to your list. It's probably the best on the list. if you like people more than space ships 15-20 million worldwide.
How exactly is age of wushu a sandbox? You can't build things in that game.
Show me in the definition of where you need to be able to build something to label it a sandbox. Sandbox means non-linear, open ended gameplay. Period.
That's your definition. In my sandbox I built things...a game without "sand" isn't a sandbox to me.
And you'd be wrong.
Of course he's right. Why call something a sandbox if you can't build anything?
The base of the appelation is the "sand" the player can mold. No "sand"... no sandbox.
I played AC1 for 7 years. It's not a sandbox. Or if AC1 is a sandbox, then WoW and GW2 (for instance) are too.
WoW and GW2 aren't sandboxes because you are guided from creation to cap through certain zones and there is massive amounts of instancing to create the illusion of a dynamic world or to give you a story.
AC is a sandbox because yo ucan do anything go anywhere and progress, not only that you can progress how you want or not progress at all and still play the game. Total freedom.
Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!
Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!
Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!
add to your list. It's probably the best on the list. if you like people more than space ships 15-20 million worldwide.
How exactly is age of wushu a sandbox? You can't build things in that game.
Show me in the definition of where you need to be able to build something to label it a sandbox. Sandbox means non-linear, open ended gameplay. Period.
that's how you define 'sandbox'.
how i see it: you have openworlds and sandboxes. In an open world the player can roam freely through the virtual world and is given freedom in how or when to approach objectives.No invisible walls and loading screens that block you from certain parts of the world.In a sandbox, the player has tools to modify the world themselves and create how they play. openworlds dont necessarily imply a sandbox. For me AoW is a openworld.
That is the one and only correct definition of a sandbox. Thank you sir for seperating openworld games and sandboxes properly. I award you one internet.
To find an intelligent person in a PUG is not that rare, but to find a PUG made up of "all" intelligent people is one of the rarest phenomenons in the known universe.
Ah well then, 1. mmorpg search box sucks and 2. mods, please sticky THAT thread, although mines a bit more strict I guess. Fallen Earth is not an obvious sandbox. It just has some elements.
That thread is just a bunch of ppl arguing about what a sandbox is and the OP almost never comes to the forums to update it.
This one of course will become just another argument but atleast you're active...for now :P
its not supposed to be a debate, just a list in the OP. Didn't know there was another one
Also, if you consider AO a sandbox, you can probably consider AoC one too, in terms of being able to build cities, attack other people's cities, etc. They're both hybrids really.
AOC is definetly not a sandbox, Fallen Earth has some sandbox elements, but its basically on rails, quests, storyline.
Also, if you consider AO a sandbox, you can probably consider AoC one too, in terms of being able to build cities, attack other people's cities, etc. They're both hybrids really.
AOC is definetly not a sandbox, Fallen Earth has some sandbox elements, but its basically on rails, quests, storyline.
Ah well then, 1. mmorpg search box sucks and 2. mods, please sticky THAT thread, although mines a bit more strict I guess. Fallen Earth is not an obvious sandbox. It just has some elements.
You don't like it so it sucks. Ok. The world doesn't really work that way.
No, I mean I searched for 'sandbox' and got one result. Thus it sucks.
On sandbox definition: My opinion is that a sandbox must have some sort of free build or world editing element. Other games are simply open-world, non-linear games. If I see a tree, can I cut it down is always a good test. Even games like DF and MO, where you can only build in certain areas, are semi-sandbox in my opinion.
Ah well then, 1. mmorpg search box sucks and 2. mods, please sticky THAT thread, although mines a bit more strict I guess. Fallen Earth is not an obvious sandbox. It just has some elements.
Everyone has their own criteria for it. The great part about that other thread is it has a set criteria and we've adhered to the criteria it assigns for the purpose of the thread. IMO, it's one of the most useful threads on the subject we've had here in years.
Well like I said, they should sticky that as you cant find it with a search. I don't mind abandoning this thread.
Ah well then, 1. mmorpg search box sucks and 2. mods, please sticky THAT thread, although mines a bit more strict I guess. Fallen Earth is not an obvious sandbox. It just has some elements.
Everyone has their own criteria for it. The great part about that other thread is it has a set criteria and we've adhered to the criteria it assigns for the purpose of the thread. IMO, it's one of the most useful threads on the subject we've had here in years.
This present thread would be "useful" if there weren't games which are obviously not sandboxes in the list. AO, while a good game, definitely isn't a sandbox. If you have UO and AO on the same list saying it's all sandbox MMOs, then the list is not credible. And don't get me started with Age of Wushu...
And threads trying to define what a sandbox should be have already been done by the dozen.
So yeah, this is just another thread trying to define what a sandbox is, and failing at it.
I agree the other list is MUCH better than this one, even though Mortal Online is still a "tricky" entry in any list because of it's failure to control PvP and therefore ending in a PvP gank fest instead of a sandbox allowing every play style to have fun.
That's what a sandbox is. The players control whether its a gankfest or not. They are given tools and decide what to do with them.
Anyhoo, back to the list, I don't mind removing things if theres a debate as to whether it qualifies. I supposed I will have to define my criteria since its not as obvious as I thought.
All obvious sandbox MMORPGs have some things in common:
freedom - the player is given tools and a general nudge in the right the direction to start but can then basically do whatever they want
open world - limited instancing and walls
massive number of players possible in one logical space
role playing - a general lore or story which sets the background
That's what a sandbox is. The players control whether its a gankfest or not. They are given tools and decide what to do with them.
Wrong. The "real world" is a sandbox, yet people most of the times don't kill each others in the streets mindlessly.
The big flaw of most of those "sandbox wannabe" PvP gank fest games is that they didn't implement the drawbacks for being a serial killer properly. They forgot that in a video game, you have unlimited lives, therefore people don't care about the pathetic consequences those games implement for being an ass.
A few games managed to do it properly, and they flourish. The others remain crappy niche games only played by those who enjoy killing each other all day long without any kind of depth to the gameplay.
In mortal you don't HAVE to kill each other. Same as in EVE. You can exist by avoiding everyone. Its also a GAME. Its fun because there is competition, be it trade or combat. This is not a virtual world, this is a game.
That's what a sandbox is. The players control whether its a gankfest or not. They are given tools and decide what to do with them.
Wrong. The "real world" is a sandbox, yet people most of the times don't kill each others in the streets mindlessly.
The big flaw of most of those "sandbox wannabe" PvP gank fest games is that they didn't implement the drawbacks for being a serial killer properly. They forgot that in a video game, you have unlimited lives, therefore people don't care about the pathetic consequences those games implement for being an ass.
A few games managed to do it properly, and they flourish. The others remain crappy niche games only played by those who enjoy killing each other all day long without any kind of depth to the gameplay.
In mortal you don't HAVE to kill each other. Same as in EVE. You can exist by avoiding everyone. Its also a GAME. Its fun because there is competition, be it trade or combat. This is not a virtual world, this is a game.
Comparing EvE to MO is killing your credibility. The second is a badly designed gank fest played by a small niche, while the first one (EvE) is the most successful sandbox MMORPG for now.
You never have to kill each other, yet when no well designed safeguards are implemented, some people will just do it because they can and don't have to fear any noticeable repercussions. That's the difference between a poorly designed game and a masterwork like EvE.
Originally posted by Quirhid Admins should steer clear from the minefield and not sticky any thread similar to this. It would be just asking for trouble.
And hopefully there NEVER will be a way to filter it.
Sandbox means too many things to too many people for it to be seen as a defined category. Just think of the rage threads against MMORPG.com every time someone didn't like their interpretation of the word 'sandbox'. What a waste of forum space that would be.
AC is a sandbox because yo ucan do anything go anywhere and progress, not only that you can progress how you want or not progress at all and still play the game. Total freedom.
Anyone who played AC1 knows this is totally wrong. Go to the obsidian plains at level 1, and you won't even touch the mobs, if you ever make it there. You'll be bashed so hard that your lifestone will flinch.
But that has nothing to do with what a sandbox is anyway. UO is a sandbox, yet you can't get into Hyloth and kill a dragon with a new character either, you'll get your ass handed to you properly and end a roasted newbie dragon meal. Sandbox never meant lack of progression, lack of character power increase.
I'm a big AC1 fan, but I won't try to turn the game into what it never was. You don't build anything in AC1 (except crafting, like in all other MMOs). You don't alter the world, the developers do that. A sandbox is a place where players alter the world actively, without developer intervention. They mold the sand.
AC1 is not a sandbox for the same reasons Age of Wushu or Guild Wars 2 aren't sandboxes.
And yet the powers that be call it one. I wonder why that is? Could it be because sandbox means something other then building? Perhaps so. I'll not delve into this matter any more but suffice it to say AC is a sandbox, although a different type of sandbox then say UO. Games like Just Cause 2 are also called a sandbox but that is for a different genre.
Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!
Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!
Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!
Comments
Sandbox by definition means you can build and alter the world within a predefined space, or if not, then It's like going into a real sandbox and having your sandcastles already built for you.
Everyone has their own criteria for it. The great part about that other thread is it has a set criteria and we've adhered to the criteria it assigns for the purpose of the thread. IMO, it's one of the most useful threads on the subject we've had here in years.
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
And you'd be wrong.
Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!
Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!
Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!
Simple google searches for certain games and sandbox kind of prove that those games are sandbox, regardless of their ability to build stuff.
http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/asherons-call-readies-radical-february-revamp/
"Turbine is taking that gamble with its venerable Asheron's Call sandbox, though, as the title's February update is bringing sweeping changes to the world of Auberean".
Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!
Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!
Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!
To me, the term sandbox means that the player has to create all or most of the "content" of the game. In Ryzom, for example, players cannot build buildings, but it is still a sandbox. Players have to create everything: all spells, actions (like digging), fighting, etc, have to be built by the player. There are no pre-built "powers".
Players also have to create all the objects in the game: swords, armor, etc, all have to be built by players. Mobs do not drop these items, only mats that can be used to make these items.
There are also no classes. No "Cleric" and "Mage". It is completely skill based, where using the ability helps to level that ability.
Also there are no quests, no story-lines, no mobs with a ? over their heads.
So just because you cannot alter the actual landscape, or build buildings, does not mean it is not a sandbox.
------------
2024: 47 years on the Net.
Says where? and says who? Sorry the sand is just a term, it has nothing to do whether or not you can build. In reality it is a poor choice of a title because it causes people like yo uto get fixated on 1 little word, and that word has no bearing on the overall definition.
Sandbox = open world, non instanced, free-form gameplay
Themepark_ linear, developer created guide rails to carry you through a game.
That is it, period, no ifs and or buts about the definition PERIOD END of Freaking STORY.
Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!
Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!
Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!
HomePage/Gaming Blog - http://dalewj.com . MMORPGer - Current game: http://AfterWorld.ru .
Author of Diaries of Afterworld- http://www.jconsult.com/afterworld and the Outside Sci-Fi series- http://www.jconsult.com/outside
WoW and GW2 aren't sandboxes because you are guided from creation to cap through certain zones and there is massive amounts of instancing to create the illusion of a dynamic world or to give you a story.
AC is a sandbox because yo ucan do anything go anywhere and progress, not only that you can progress how you want or not progress at all and still play the game. Total freedom.
Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!
Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!
Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!
That is the one and only correct definition of a sandbox. Thank you sir for seperating openworld games and sandboxes properly. I award you one internet.
To find an intelligent person in a PUG is not that rare, but to find a PUG made up of "all" intelligent people is one of the rarest phenomenons in the known universe.
its not supposed to be a debate, just a list in the OP. Didn't know there was another one
AOC is definetly not a sandbox, Fallen Earth has some sandbox elements, but its basically on rails, quests, storyline.
I agree its very quest driven
HomePage/Gaming Blog - http://dalewj.com . MMORPGer - Current game: http://AfterWorld.ru .
Author of Diaries of Afterworld- http://www.jconsult.com/afterworld and the Outside Sci-Fi series- http://www.jconsult.com/outside
No, I mean I searched for 'sandbox' and got one result. Thus it sucks.
Shores doesn't appear to be an MMORPG though.
Well like I said, they should sticky that as you cant find it with a search. I don't mind abandoning this thread.
That's what a sandbox is. The players control whether its a gankfest or not. They are given tools and decide what to do with them.
HomePage/Gaming Blog - http://dalewj.com . MMORPGer - Current game: http://AfterWorld.ru .
Author of Diaries of Afterworld- http://www.jconsult.com/afterworld and the Outside Sci-Fi series- http://www.jconsult.com/outside
Anyhoo, back to the list, I don't mind removing things if theres a debate as to whether it qualifies. I supposed I will have to define my criteria since its not as obvious as I thought.
All obvious sandbox MMORPGs have some things in common:
freedom - the player is given tools and a general nudge in the right the direction to start but can then basically do whatever they want
open world - limited instancing and walls
massive number of players possible in one logical space
role playing - a general lore or story which sets the background
competition of some form
In mortal you don't HAVE to kill each other. Same as in EVE. You can exist by avoiding everyone. Its also a GAME. Its fun because there is competition, be it trade or combat. This is not a virtual world, this is a game.
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
Whatever.
They already did. Look at the stickies.
And hopefully there NEVER will be a way to filter it.
Sandbox means too many things to too many people for it to be seen as a defined category. Just think of the rage threads against MMORPG.com every time someone didn't like their interpretation of the word 'sandbox'. What a waste of forum space that would be.
And yet the powers that be call it one. I wonder why that is? Could it be because sandbox means something other then building? Perhaps so. I'll not delve into this matter any more but suffice it to say AC is a sandbox, although a different type of sandbox then say UO. Games like Just Cause 2 are also called a sandbox but that is for a different genre.
Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!
Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!
Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!