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So when does this game start being sandbox?
I gotta be honest, even though I knew it was a hybrid themepark/sandbox, I expected some sandbox. So far, I'm level 10 and all I am experiences is the worst case of hand holding themepark I have seen in any game. I mean this is going above and beyond WoW to an extreme. Arrows under my feet 24/7 telling me where to go? So I guess I want to ask, what level does the more open world and sandbox elements come into play? Or am I just going to experience this average generic quest grinder for the remainder of the game? I will say that it admittedly is the easiest to level korean mmo I've ever tried which is saying a lot. There are enjoyable elements, so I hope I am wrong and some sandbox creeps its way in. Can anyone answer if and when it goes from hand holding tri-class quest grinder, to more of a sandbox?
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Archeage is not a sandbox.
I'm not in the beta but been reading about AA from alpha players a lot.
This is what I've captured so far: you can level up by grinding mobs if you like without questing, at level 30+ I belive it's when most call it sandbox as anyone can murder you and most do play just for that to kill low levels all day over and over.
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a sandbox is not defined by murder ^^
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Some people choose alternate progression mechanics, by doing activities like crafting, fishing, or trading which all provide experience instead of running the quests.
Had one guildmate level from 30 to 50 only by fishing, another had 4 characters all from level 25 to 50 which he did by crafting once he completed the crafting quest lines.
I'm told they may have added getting experience from PVP in 1.2, if so, that would be another option.
The game is definitely not like playing EVE, but it does give you alternate progression paths if you choose to follow them.
But the real sand box features come from the player interaction, as factions and guilds vie for control of the high seas and northwards, or seek to control or disrupt intercontinental trading, it really is all about the conflict and competition, which frequently (but not always) are hallmarks of a sandbox style game.
My best advice, don't play this game alone, join up with a good guild and you'll have a much better experience.
2nd piece of advice, plan on being a patron subscriber.
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After Silent Forest (around level 28), I've been leveling mostly to 50 through farming, crafting and trading. I actually loved that way to progress a lot, at least better than running quests like I'm playing WoW (or whatever other themepark you want to name).
Is the game level bracketed? Meaning that there is no point to go to areas outside your level bracket because the mobs will own you, no matter how good you are?
If so, then this game is not a sandbox. Because the hallmark for a sandbox, for me, is that you can go everywhere and, to some degree, do something useful. ThemePark = linear gaming, sandbox = open ended, free gaming.
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The sandbox elements start at setting up your plot with a farm / house.
When you build your clipper +- level 30 and explore the oceans
When you reach the north continent and start building your castle with your guild if they are top dogs that can defend it
When you go scuba diving for treasures
There are tons and tons of options
Ignore the haters who say it aint a sandpark / sandbox, they dint get passed their own hate level to see what is infront of their nose.
Uhm, you can actually level up by a killing spree in most MMOs and it was the main leveling tactics in many older MMOs (who usually had few quests) like Meridian 59 and Lineage to mention 2. And you can murder all other players (besides guildies) on AOCs PvP servers, that still doesn't make them sandboxes.
AAs main sandbox component is the player owned farms but it is mostly a themepark. A sandbox means that players creates their own content, like in Minecraft. WodO was supposed to have player created quests you could give to other players before it got canned, that is a good example of sandbox thinking.
Player owned stores is another sandbox feature even if some themeparks also used it.
Themepark content is typically stuff the devs placed, like mobs, dungeons and quests. Now, if players actually could create or breed their own mobs to guard their dungeon that would be sandboxy.
Exploration really is neither sandbox or themepark specific just like combat, any type of game can have it.
Same with diving for treasures, many themeparks have hidden treasure chests both above and under water (like GW2 if you want an example).
Click on a popular "is it sandbox" thread here and get 40 different answers.
It seems it's almost as hard for people to define what a sandbox is as it is to get them to play one.
So with that in mind, no AA is not a sandbox. And it would be futile to attempt to make one if all the criteria that needs to be achieved before you can consider it a sandbox is to be taken seriously. Any developer that rigidly adheres to a set of mythical guidelines when making their game instead of just making design decisions that make sense to their vision, is not interested in making a good game.
Personally, I'm not obsessed with labels and subscription numbers and any of the other trivial nonsense that people here seem to think is important. I'm a gamer, I play games. It doesn't have to be more elaborate than that.
People seem to believe that just because a game has an overall narrative and quest progression that it's not a sandbox. Or if their standards for a sandbox are not met that it's not a sandbox. Waste of time.
Do sandbox elements exist is AA, absolutely. A lot of them. Is that going to change the way people define a word, no it isn't. So play it and find out, it's F2P anyways.
I stopped doing quests altogether and started having fun at about level 30.
You shouldn't have to get to level 30 to start having fun. One day developers will realize that the beginning game is just as important as the end game...
True. I have played so many MMOs I instinctively started playing this one the same way as all the other ones I hate.
I can't say if the game can be fun at lower levels or what. Thats just how it worked out for me.
When I stopped trying to play it like every other game it stopped being like every other game.
so around level 14 I decided to study more of the crafting. I started looking at the materials required and I saw things on the list that I had never seen before. My first reaction was, what is this, I should ask people. Then my second reaction was, no wait, this is predictable, these are items that I will 'find'; once I get higher level so fuck it I will just grind up and then take another look at crafting.
Guess what? I hit one of those required items at level 24.
shocker!
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Yet in GW2 everything is instanced while in Archeage its not.
Archeage is one persistent world with zero loading screens and zero instances.
Thus its a sandpark or sandbox.
AA on Oculus would be a fucking nightmare with that crappy 3rd person view
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What item?
The game design is such that you aren't supposed to really "find" your crafting items. You are supposed to proactively get them.
If you need endgame armor, you don't go find it. You craft something, sell that thing, then use the money to buy your armor. Or fish, farm, grind, etc..
Crafting mats are the same. You find a way to make money, trade, fishing, whatever.. and then you buy the mats with the fruits of your labor.
So, WoWs world is not instanced, guess that makes it a sandbox.
Thanks for clearing that up.
Hey everyone, need to play WoW again, per Demrocks rules for a sandbox it is a sandbox!
'proactively get them' FROM WHERE?
I forget what the item was...but exactly where do you get some of the items?
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Nobody cares about non-endgame content. Especially in WOW.
WOW's endgame is heavily instanced along with a few open world diversions like battle pet hunting. Only the newbie questing experience is open world.
Your point about open world not being a sandbox is a "what is a sandbox" argument and good luck winning that on any forum ever.
That is just part of learning the game and being a crafter. If you could remember the name of the item I could tell you.
The game doesnt tell you where though. You have to learn it or not do it.
If it is archeum though the game is currently bugged or broken or something right now since that patch. A dev commented that they know the archeum drop rates are problematic.
I am not arguing about open world, I think a sandbox is more then having an open world.
I think AA has some sandbox elements to it but I do not think it is a true 100% sandbox game.
I still think it is a good game, has a few flaws but what game doesn't.
I personally totally agree with you then.
I just try to avoid sandbox definition discussions which I thought you were trying to have, my mistake.