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What exactly is a "Sand Box" MMORPG?
Az2002ro
Member UncommonPosts: 158
I ask this for a couple reasons, but mainly because I think there is a huge misunderstanding out there.
From what I gather, a Sand Box game allows for the player to do anything they desire. The world is their sandbox. Is this true? I've also seen it said that VG (to use a more recent game) is a sandbox game and WoW and LOTRO are not. Do you believe this?
I'd like to challenge those thoughts. First, ALL of those games allow you to go whereever you heart desires, with the understanding that if you enter an area significantly higher in level than you, your arse will be handed to you on a platter. Second, NONE of those games requires you to do quests (though all those games require a few class quests early on). Its your choice, just that some of them give you more quests than others. Finally, Sandbox games are supposed to be "challenging." What determines this? Leveling toughness? Mob fight toughness? If its levelling, then I purpose that LOTRO is far tougher to level than VG. Here's the challenge. Level a char in VG and LOTRO from 1 to 50 doing NO quests. Take you much longer in LOTRO. You doing the quests is YOUR choice. It's not the fault of WOW or LOTRO for giving you MORE options by providing tons of quests.
Thoughts? What makes a sandbox game?
Comments
MMOs rule the world
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"Sandbox" : an enclosed area filled with sand where children (of all ages) can build sandcastles, sandcities, and whatever else their heart desires.
Tell me, where in any MMO aside from Ryzom can anybody really build much of anything? Sure, you can pick an apartment in some games, you can build buildings in others (Horizons, Shadowbane), but can you build a quest? Can you build something someone else can participate in? Nopers.
I don't actually play Ryzom, so don't take the fact I name it as some sort of fanboy response, but go look at their Ryzom Ring. That is the proper evolution of what a sandbox should be. Not that it's anywhere near a "true" sandbox...
edit: and so far as I know, you can't play the bad guys in Vanguard or LotR? That's def not in line with the "play how you want" idea.
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TheCore
Here is a true sand box game. Follow the link: http://www.egenesis.com/index.html
"Don't corpse-camp that idea. Its never gonna rez"
Bladezz (The Guild)
Now that's not exactly fun ... And even of the people i can kill, there is no actual benefit from killing them , except that they'll whine a lot ( wich is good enough reward for the kill for me). But still i personally would prefer more freedom in terms of pvp. The reason why i froze my Wow account was that it just got booring, not a thing to do really , arena is a joke and so are the battlegrounds.
I'd prefer some MMO where races wouldn't give you penalties in pvp , as in if you're this race you can't kill your own race ( or allied races ).
Should be able to kill anyone you want to , perhaps with the restriction of not being able to kill your guild mates.
Linear is WOW where your game dictated by quests and raids. You don't like quest and raids, then you won't get very far and end up with cheap gear at the end game. Every good players in WOW are following the same kind of path and style of playing, they do not have the choice if they wish to advance.
Linear or sandbox, it really depends on your own taste.
I personaly prefer playing dungeon and dragons with a pen a paper then playing a dungeon board game where the goal is always the same and it's all about the luck of dice.
(That's an example, I don't play DND but I like the concept)
Oblivion is a sandbox mixed with a strong storyline, it's almost the best of both worlds.
Sandbox = no content
You have to use the tools to create the content.
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SWG - PrePub9 Jedi mastered all professions - June 26th 2003 > Nov 15th 2005
EVE Online - 24 million SP - May 6th 2003 > Early 2005
PlanetSide - BR20 CR5 - May 23rd 2003 > Sept 2003
SWG(pre-cu) there are planet but no loading at all within the planets (you have the core planets where you have creatures of wevery level strategically placed incertain places,) not necessarely a dangerous mob furthest away but in a certain region, and if you wanted you could bring a krayt dragon to bestine and make it kill every new player there.
some planets are for strong people. others are for every one,
no classes either, just skills and skillboxes, for all i care you could be a musician bountyhunter and a scout...
or you could be an artisan marksman brawler medic and entertainer at the same time (course there are rules with how many skillpoint you can use) and in ryzom there isnt any cap for all i know. Quests are more of a tutorial phase.
no levels either, the challenge is building your own world. you dont need to kill to be successfull
as an artisan you can harvest ressources to gain little money buy a few rare materials with it, craft grinding(practice) objects for xp and getting better then use your rare materials and build a great weapon sell it and buy your own house decorate it or pay some one to decorate it, or join a faction and supply them in weapons/armour and they preaty much give you anything you need. or be an entertainer or be a trader... WHATEVER YOU WANT. politics... as a guild leader you didn tonly fight, you actually sat down with the enemy in the same room and do... politics.
player made quests
example (again in SWG(pre-Cu) cuz its what i played the most) our guild's jedi aprentice needs a kray pearl to build his lightsaber, go an hunt down a kray dragon and slay it, take his pearl and bring it back to the jedi. (sounds familiar?) so you take a ranger, the one who will track the krayt and will make your camps for between battles. the hunt team goes to the doctor who will aply buffs on your team, get a few Teras kasi artist (karate) a few polearm experts (lances) few riflemen, combat medics to heal, and bring about a doctor to rezurect, an entertainer to heal your battle fatigue... and before you leave you go to the armoursmith's guild armoury and fit every one with a top of the line weapon fresh out of the oven. on the way kill a few tusken raiders that got in your way, heal the entertainer that got shot but a raider, track down the krayt... kill it no loot, put down camp heal buff, track ancient krayt , kill loot bring back happy jedi who will later take on 5-6 imperials at once by himself and win and save your base from destruction.
hows that for some player made quests? and thats just a basic examples. you then have INFINITE quests compare to your little lots of quests in WoW or LOTRO.
From my point of view wurmonline is a true sandbox game.
Don't like that hill ? If you have a shovel, you can flatten it. Which takes a lot of efford, however. Want to build a village in the mid of that forest ? OK, chop down down those trees, get some stones from a nearby rocky tile, and start building. If you can imagine something could be done in a mediaval scenario it can probably done in wurm.
There are no quests and only 2 NPCs, which sell nothing but plans for property.
If that isn't a sandbox game then there is none.