Sandbox Realism

eindinbloch

I would like to hear your opinion about "life" in a sandbox game such as Mortal Online and Darkfall.  I really want to love these games.  They are really so close to being perfect for my playstyle.  The one issue I have with all of these types of games is that they feel incredibly empty.  It is not immersive to me to see noone in any town for miles and then come across someone who is intent on taking my life.

I would be fine with the hunt-and-kill aspect of these games if they at least showed some life outside of it.  I realise that a game like Skyrim is able to carefully craft content in order to add NPC AI which will live a life inside a town or village, or even travel between them.  MMOs might have to spend their budget on other things.  But why is this completely absent from all semi-modern sandbox MMOs?

Eve Online feels alive to me in that you can find NPC ships in high sec.  You see advertisements by the warp gates and such.  But even that game feels like an oversized arena with guards in some areas to tone the fighting down.  Plus I've never liked thinking of my character as a ship

Now, I realize that all of these games have many other features such as crafting, harvesting, mobs to fight, etc.  But these do not add to the realism of the game, at least not for me.

What do you think?  Is this something that would ruin a game?  Why would you not like to see alive NPCs in the game?  What is preventing developers from adding these features?

Jacxolope

Originally posted by eindinbloch

I would like to hear your opinion about "life" in a sandbox game such as Mortal Online and Darkfall.  I really want to love these games.  They are really so close to being perfect for my playstyle.  The one issue I have with all of these types of games is that they feel incredibly empty.  It is not immersive to me to see noone in any town for miles and then come across someone who is intent on taking my life.

I would be fine with the hunt-and-kill aspect of these games if they at least showed some life outside of it.  I realise that a game like Skyrim is able to carefully craft content in order to add NPC AI which will live a life inside a town or village, or even travel between them.  MMOs might have to spend their budget on other things.  But why is this completely absent from all semi-modern sandbox MMOs?

Eve Online feels alive to me in that you can find NPC ships in high sec.  You see advertisements by the warp gates and such.  But even that game feels like an oversized arena with guards in some areas to tone the fighting down.  Plus I've never liked thinking of my character as a ship

Now, I realize that all of these games have many other features such as crafting, harvesting, mobs to fight, etc.  But these do not add to the realism of the game, at least not for me.

What do you think?  Is this something that would ruin a game?  Why would you not like to see alive NPCs in the game?  What is preventing developers from adding these features?

FFA needs to go...Sadly. If not these games that call themselves "sandbox" will devolve into arena deathmatch games. I say this as someone who likes FFA but also sees the problem with todays market in ever making it work.

HUGE safe zones or ONLY declared warfare resulting in full loot PVP is the only way this can ever work.

 

MO and DF are examples of this. Mo is terrible and has no sand in the box. Its all about PVP for no reason in an empty world. Until FFA goes- That is the result of the sandbox.

 

-Again... I like FFA but we need to be realistic on the failure of these games and why.

Jemcrystal

Hey buddy!  What do you got against Future Farmers of America?  You trying to start somthn???

Jacxolope

Originally posted by Jemcrystal
Hey buddy!  What do you got against Future Farmers of America?  You trying to start somthn???

hahahahahaha.

 

If I could give out nominations for "best Comment in the history of the Internet"...

bcbully

Originally posted by eindinbloch

I would like to hear your opinion about "life" in a sandbox game such as Mortal Online and Darkfall.  I really want to love these games.  They are really so close to being perfect for my playstyle.  The one issue I have with all of these types of games is that they feel incredibly empty.  It is not immersive to me to see noone in any town for miles and then come across someone who is intent on taking my life.

I would be fine with the hunt-and-kill aspect of these games if they at least showed some life outside of it.  I realise that a game like Skyrim is able to carefully craft content in order to add NPC AI which will live a life inside a town or village, or even travel between them.  MMOs might have to spend their budget on other things.  But why is this completely absent from all semi-modern sandbox MMOs?

Eve Online feels alive to me in that you can find NPC ships in high sec.  You see advertisements by the warp gates and such.  But even that game feels like an oversized arena with guards in some areas to tone the fighting down.  Plus I've never liked thinking of my character as a ship

Now, I realize that all of these games have many other features such as crafting, harvesting, mobs to fight, etc.  But these do not add to the realism of the game, at least not for me.

What do you think?  Is this something that would ruin a game?  Why would you not like to see alive NPCs in the game?  What is preventing developers from adding these features?

Come play Wushu OP there something like 50k NPCs that all have an affinity meter which tells how much they like you. They give gossip (old school quest with very limited clues) if they like or even hate you. 

 

What's preventing Western Devs? Stock holders, and complacency, budgets weighted in graphics, voiceovers, and advertising. 

SavageHorizon

Wurm Online is a true sandbox mmo, not the two games you mention.

 

SavageHorizon

Originally posted by bcbully

Originally posted by eindinbloch

I would like to hear your opinion about "life" in a sandbox game such as Mortal Online and Darkfall.  I really want to love these games.  They are really so close to being perfect for my playstyle.  The one issue I have with all of these types of games is that they feel incredibly empty.  It is not immersive to me to see noone in any town for miles and then come across someone who is intent on taking my life.

I would be fine with the hunt-and-kill aspect of these games if they at least showed some life outside of it.  I realise that a game like Skyrim is able to carefully craft content in order to add NPC AI which will live a life inside a town or village, or even travel between them.  MMOs might have to spend their budget on other things.  But why is this completely absent from all semi-modern sandbox MMOs?

Eve Online feels alive to me in that you can find NPC ships in high sec.  You see advertisements by the warp gates and such.  But even that game feels like an oversized arena with guards in some areas to tone the fighting down.  Plus I've never liked thinking of my character as a ship

Now, I realize that all of these games have many other features such as crafting, harvesting, mobs to fight, etc.  But these do not add to the realism of the game, at least not for me.

What do you think?  Is this something that would ruin a game?  Why would you not like to see alive NPCs in the game?  What is preventing developers from adding these features?

Come play Wushu OP there something like 50k NPCs that all have an affinity meter which tells how much they like you. They give gossip (old school quest with very limited clues) if they like or even hate you. 

 

What's preventing Western Devs? Stock holders, and complacency, budgets weighted in graphics, voiceovers, and advertising. 

Another good choice.

Utinni

If it's sandbox realism you want, then definitely don't forget Rust. It's about as real as it gets. You start with a rock and no food.

bcbully

Originally posted by Utinni

If it's sandbox realism you want, then definitely don't forget Rust. It's about as real as it gets. You start with a rock and no food.

Wow going to check it out!

 

edit- will keep tabs on this one. I'm not going for anymore steam early access give me 20$ to alpha looks great though. Active forum too!

eindinbloch

Originally posted by bcbully

Come play Wushu OP there something like 50k NPCs that all have an affinity meter which tells how much they like you. They give gossip (old school quest with very limited clues) if they like or even hate you. 

What's preventing Western Devs? Stock holders, and complacency, budgets weighted in graphics, voiceovers, and advertising. 

Yeah I agree with that.  I have seen a bunch of ads for Wushu but haven't tried it.  I'll have to check it out.  Thanks for the recommendation!

Originally posted by SavageHorizon

Wurm Online is a true sandbox mmo, not the two games you mention.

Yeah, I've played Wurm Online.  It is pretty crazy and I agree, much more "sandboxy" than the other games I mentioned.  Unfortunately, I don't have time for this game.  Plus, I know it's superficial, but I don't like the way the character animations look.  And on top of all of that, it still falls victim (at least from what I've seen) to the same lack of NPC AI in towns and cities that those other games do.

Originally posted by Utinni

If it's sandbox realism you want, then definitely don't forget Rust. It's about as real as it gets. You start with a rock and no food.

Hm.. Haven't heard of this one.  I looked at a video on Steam.  Looks interesting.  I'll have to check it out.

eindinbloch

Another one I should add to the list is Saga of Ryzom.  That game still felt a bit empty, but the world had rich enough AI that it wasn't quite as bad.