Sandbox with levels?

sacredcow4

How can this game be sandbox with levels? To me sandbox is the ability to explore anywhere or attempt to do anything. Segregating zones/content by level is not sandbox in my eyes. Can anyone expand on how this game is a sandbox please? I'm interested, but the level aspect really turns me off.

DamonVile

Because it's not a sandbox. It has sandbox features, but it also has theme park features. Sandpark is probably more accurate.

Reizla

Originally posted by sacredcow4
How can this game be sandbox with levels? To me sandbox is the ability to explore anywhere or attempt to do anything. Segregating zones/content by level is not sandbox in my eyes. Can anyone expand on how this game is a sandbox please? I'm interested, but the level aspect really turns me off.

There's levels in every game. EVE uses levels for your skill progress. TSW same and using XP for giving skill points.

Just face it, every game claiming to be sandbox uses levels in one way or the other. Without levels there's no progress, and without progress players loose interest in the game.

Back on your question how AA is a sandbox (with levels!), you can customize your character the way you want. There are 5 basic classes and 3 additional ones, and you're totally free to pick any 3 of those to make your character. Then there's also the contested territory and castle sieges, making it a political sandbox (sadly with 2 factions as well).

On the other hand, there are lots of (themepark) quests as well, dropping the whole sandbox thing...

Onigod

Originally posted by sacredcow4
How can this game be sandbox with levels? To me sandbox is the ability to explore anywhere or attempt to do anything. Segregating zones/content by level is not sandbox in my eyes. Can anyone expand on how this game is a sandbox please? I'm interested, but the level aspect really turns me off.

Who says it is a sandbox.. people like you.. threads like this.. facepalm

Uhwop

UO is a sandbox and has levels, same with saga of ryzom.  

Torcip

What sandbox or any game ever doesn't have content that requires some sort of progression to complete?

 

Mikeha

Even in real life there are levels. Its called a person's age. That's how our progression is tracked.

Creatorzim

Originally posted by Jockan
Even in real life there are levels. Its called a person's age. That's how our progression is tracked.

Its bullshit you have to wait till lvl 16 to get your mount. 

syriinx

having levels or not is irrelevant to your game being a sandbox.

 

But ArcheAge is mostly a themepark regardless.

syriinx

Originally posted by Jean-Luc_Picard

The skill system is a bit similar to AC1, with improvements. It's definitely not your habitual WoW clone level system.

 

Uh, you gain skill points you can spend in one of three sets of abilities.

 

It is very close to WoW clone level system.

 

andre369

Originally posted by Creatorzim

Originally posted by Jockan
Even in real life there are levels. Its called a person's age. That's how our progression is tracked.

Its bullshit you have to wait till lvl 16 to get your mount. 

Or you can grind for a couple of gold and buy a calf at w/e level you want. Plus you get you'r mount at level 10 ish  not 16.

RaZKaLz

The mount is around 7-10, at 16 you get the glider

syriinx

Originally posted by andre369

Originally posted by Creatorzim

Originally posted by Jockan
Even in real life there are levels. Its called a person's age. That's how our progression is tracked.

Its bullshit you have to wait till lvl 16 to get your mount. 

Or you can grind for a couple of gold and buy a calf at w/e level you want. Plus you get you'r mount at level 10 ish  not 16.

you cant grind gold without hacks until level 13

Dreamo84

You can still go anywhere. Doesn't mean you will live...

Ultima Online didn't have levels, but you would still get your ass handed to you in the wrong place if you weren't strong enough. There's always some measure of power and content which is off limits based on said power. Without that there is no feeling of progression. Everyone would just run to the scariest place right away and kill all the l33t monsters as soon as they start.

Dreamo84

Originally posted by syriinx

Originally posted by andre369

Originally posted by Creatorzim

Originally posted by Jockan
Even in real life there are levels. Its called a person's age. That's how our progression is tracked.

Its bullshit you have to wait till lvl 16 to get your mount. 

Or you can grind for a couple of gold and buy a calf at w/e level you want. Plus you get you'r mount at level 10 ish  not 16.

you cant grind gold without hacks until level 13

O_O I think his joke was missed... Real life level 16 = age 16 you get a real life mount = a car.

Makidian

Originally posted by Creatorzim

Originally posted by Jockan
Even in real life there are levels. Its called a person's age. That's how our progression is tracked.

Its bullshit you have to wait till lvl 16 to get your mount. 

lvl 25 to rent one.

syriinx

Originally posted by Fendel84M

Originally posted by syriinx

Originally posted by andre369

Originally posted by Creatorzim

Originally posted by Jockan
Even in real life there are levels. Its called a person's age. That's how our progression is tracked.

Its bullshit you have to wait till lvl 16 to get your mount. 

Or you can grind for a couple of gold and buy a calf at w/e level you want. Plus you get you'r mount at level 10 ish  not 16.

you cant grind gold without hacks until level 13

O_O I think his joke was missed... Real life level 16 = age 16 you get a real life mount = a car.

I didnt miss it, poster before me did

DeathmachinePT

Sandbox or any other MMO shouldn't have levels it's a mechanic that only adds more work, destroys content generation and destroys socialization.

On the matter of AA npcs seem well placed in the world which comes from the kinda of hybrid sandbox(mid and end game)/themepark style(initial gameplay low levels) so you can explore just enough without bumping in too hard npcs or too easy.

As everyone mention I just remember playing one MMO that had not levels and that was SWG but in this case some npcs from the same player race had insane amounts of health I despised this very much.

Creatorzim

Originally posted by Fendel84M

Originally posted by syriinx

Originally posted by andre369

Originally posted by Creatorzim

Originally posted by Jockan
Even in real life there are levels. Its called a person's age. That's how our progression is tracked.

Its bullshit you have to wait till lvl 16 to get your mount. 

Or you can grind for a couple of gold and buy a calf at w/e level you want. Plus you get you'r mount at level 10 ish  not 16.

you cant grind gold without hacks until level 13

O_O I think his joke was missed... Real life level 16 = age 16 you get a real life mount = a car.

I thought the joke was pretty self explanatory. I guess I was wrong. lol.

syriinx

Originally posted by DeathmachinePT

Sandbox or any other MMO shouldn't have levels it's a mechanic that only adds more work, destroys content generation and destroys socialization.

As everyone mention I just remember playing one MMO that had not levels and that was SWG but in this case some npcs from the same player race had insane amounts of health I despised this very much.

Levels, or some offshot, are ESSENTIAL for a good MMORPG.  Character progression has to be there.  The problem with modern MMOs is character progression lasts 2 weeks and then its just gear progression which is a lot less interesting

 

SWG had levels too.  Not  in the traditional sense but skills are another form of levels.  its the same concept in a different package.

rounner

I played beta a couple of weeks and just see it as a standard theme park with more fluff than usual. The skill/level system is no more flexible than rift, eso or any other game like that.

Raquis

I played the beta its not a sandbox its exactly the same as blade$soul and archelord,cheap Asian imports.

Binafus

Well I think it is a Themebox, I mean who ever has heard of a Sandpark.