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Asia the home of the Sandbox saviors? WTF?
Maquiame
Member UncommonPosts: 1,073
First if you do not like Asian mmos because of asthetics (art, character design etc) Please do not discuss it here, this is strictly about the potential of new sandboxes coming out of asia. Yes I know you don't like big breasted little girls and wuxia kung fu, lets get past that and stick to the subject at hand.
I got to say the newest asian mmorpgs coming out of two places china with snail games Darkness and Light, Age of Wu Lin and Arche Age are looking damn damn good with alot of features that I know sandboxers are looking for in a game. Personally I prefer asian asthetics and subject matter (especially in the case of Age of Wulin which is a wuxia mmorpg) but to also have sandbox elements to these games is amazing. I am hoping that a worthy American publisher has the balls to start working on these games, ah Working Designs you are needed now more than ever.
Check these out and enjoy, and discuss
IF YOU DON'T LIKE ASIAN MMOS WHO CARES- THIS IS ABOUT DISCUSSING THE FEATURE LISTS OF THESE NEW SANDBOX STYLED GAMES
Darkness and Light
http://www.mmoculture.com/2011/03/darkness-and-light-epic-mmo-in-making.html2. Similar to Age of Wulin, an in-house graphics engine is used, but this time using the Mafate engine.
3. The game is apparently over 40,000 square kilometers, 40 times the size of World of Warcraft. In this huge open world, there will be 10 races separated into 2 factions. Of course, these races will be available for players to choose. They include humans, elves, beastmen, dwarves, fairies, demons, dragons and more.
4. When players create a character, the system will generate an unique growth path for them. All players will get to try out the various battle and life classes at first in order to allow them to choose a class most suited for them to progress. Eventually, a well-trained character will be a sword-wielding warrior who is able to throw fireballs in the middle of battle!
5. Other than the battle classes, there will be a variety of life classes for players to play as. Having your own shop (like a real actual shop space), going on a trade expedition, a skilled blacksmith, a world-renown herbalist, a wandering storyteller, a knowledgeable historian, a dragon trainer (gasp!)... All these and more is possible in Darkness and Light! These unique classes will cater for players who are not so much into battles.
6. When players eventually gain a huge amount of honor and recognition, the kingdom will bestow him with a title and a piece of land. With the piece of land, players can build a grand castle from scratch, eventually turning the areas around it into a town! If the player is lucky, there will be a time where a gold mine is discovered in the mountains within his territory, which can be farmed by the citizens of the town.
{mod edit}
Any mmo worth its salt should be like a good prostitute when it comes to its game world- One hell of a faker, and a damn good shaker!
Comments
Did you play all those games that call them 'sandbox saviors'?
http://feature.mmosite.com/ageofwulin/feature.shtml
Age of Wulin
Gala Networks Europe (gPotato EU) grabbed the right to operate martial art MMORPG Age of Wulin in Europe. Developed by Snail Game, the first 3D online game developer in China, Age of Wulin tries to give you a eastern style action MMO in which the skills and actions are based on real kung-fu of different schools. The game will be free to play and set to released in early 2011 and its teaser site has been live.
.Key Game Features
The whole world covers an area of 20,000 sq. meters, similar to WoW's size
Most of the sceneries in the game are based on the real scenes
Watching the duel between two kung fu masters can earn you EXP
There won't be shining effects for the skills but real kung fu
You can block and dodge in the combat
No traditional MMORPG concepts like tank and healing classes in the party
There will be solo dungeons as well as party dungeons
Key System Features
8 player factions, including Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Beggar, Tang Clan, Junzi Hall, Royal Guard and Paradise Valley.
5 player abilities: Kungfu, Medicines & Poisons, Weapons, Body Channels, and Community
3 player levels
Robust Equipment system
5 Battle systems
Mounts and Pets with Level-ups
No Classes
{mod edit}
Now i know this game is more of a themebox/sandpark but the fact that it is classless and that your toon becomes an npc when you are not on is friggin cool.
Any mmo worth its salt should be like a good prostitute when it comes to its game world- One hell of a faker, and a damn good shaker!
this is strictly about the potential of new sandboxes coming out of asia.
I said this in the opening post, please read everything before you post, also look at the title, there is a question mark there.
Sigh......Selective reading must be banned from schools!
Any mmo worth its salt should be like a good prostitute when it comes to its game world- One hell of a faker, and a damn good shaker!
Please don't copy entire articles over from other sites. Excerpt and quote from them and then offer a link. We try to respect others' content and hope they respect ours. I'm going to edit them down a bit.
To give feedback on moderation, contact mikeb@mmorpg.com
ArcheAge
http://feature.mmosite.com/archeage/feature.shtml
Definitely a themebox/sandpark with some pretty good features, there is plenty of info here about them, the game looks gorgeous and I am looking forward to it as well. Another great translation project for a western developer.
ArcheAge features a massive, dynamic world designed to be filled with your adventures!
All players begin their journey on either the Nuia or Harihara continents. From there they explore the world, cooperating or competing with each other. Remnants of the Lost Continent, where the ancestors of the world's races lived together in peace two thousand years ago, still dominate the landscape. If you explore deep into the hearts of these ancient relics, you may discover the secrets of legendary gods and heroes. Or you may reveal more details about the catastrophe that caused the Nuia and Harihara schism. It all depends on your choices.
The results of ArcheAge's storytelling process is determined by the choices you make. You can cooperate with your enemies, win fame by helping people in danger, or become a renowned craftsman by making fine items or producing exceptional crops. You can build a house and found a new town. You can be a sailor and sail around the world. You can be a lord of a castle and rule your territory.
Whatever kind of life you choose, there is a place for you in ArcheAge's world. The sea is not just a big pool you can swim in. On the open ocean, you can hear the explosions of cannons fired from a crumbling castle, the roars of a dragon flying overhead, or bawdy sailor songs echoing from a ship slicing through the waves. You can go anywhere and can do anything. You can choose your goal in life and fulfill it in any way you want.
Every decision you make could begin a new chapter in the history of ArcheAge.
Key Game Features
-Unique and Fanciful Modes of Transportation:the Floating Ships,the Carriages,the Horse,the Ship.
With the Floating Ships,you can see the the largest city(Marianoplein)in a completely different way,looking down from the sky rather than lost in the buildings on horseback.
Horses,which you earn by completing an early quest,make travel and hunting much quicker and easier.you can use a variety of skills on horseback.If your horse dies, you can resurrect it for a fee at a stable.
Carriages: travel from zone to zone along a fixed route and are available for everyone.You don’t need to return to the loading screen to move to another zone.Just hop in a carriage!
you can construct Ships at sea. Enjoy crafting with your gaming friends and then have the freedom of sailing across the sea on your own free will.
-Under and Overachiever System:
In ArcheAge, you can complete a quest even if you haven’t fulfilled all of its requirements.There are times when you no longer wish to complete all the goals of a quest, but are reluctant to abandon the work you've already done. If you have completed more than half of the quest goals, you can compromise with the quest NPC to treat it as semi-completed.-The Travel Journal Holds the History of Each Race,You can learn the history and culture of each race in ArcheAge by carrying out quests. The Travel Journal will be filled with the adventures and activities of your character.
Back to Top
-Your Traveling Companions,Yata and the Merchant Narayana.
Narayanas are merchants who transport and sell goods along the Road of Dragons. They are patient, taciturn, smart, and have survived traveling the entire Road of Dragons, an accomplishment most have long thought impossible.Yatas are a docile bipedal animals.
Narayanas uses them to transport with their goods.
-The Snow Lion: Your Pet, Brother, Mentor and Asset.
Snow lions, once wild beasts roaming the Ancient Continent, were domesticated by the Ferres.-The Siege Warfare Training Camp:There are a great number of classes in ArcheAge, and various combo skills. You must be familiar with every skill to win in one-on-one combat. The Battlefield is where warriors are trained for siege warfare.
-Prison:Forced labor or prison break
If you commit a crime, such as murder, you are imprisoned for as long as the court deems appropriate. You can reduce your sentence by doing penal services such as digging or filling holes.-The Court:If you commit a crime such as indiscriminate murder, theft, or assault and there is evidence to prove your guilt, you will receive a crime point.
-You can build your own house
a house that can be a home, an atelier or a shelter.-Labor System:Whether you are online or offline, and regardless of your level, you will regularly gain something called labor power. This labor power can be used for production, construction, crafting and other entertainment activities.
-Sea Battle System:
Players need to transport materials from the new continent to the wild one so as to build their own castles there, and sea transport is regarded as the best choice.more detailsBack to Top
The World
The page will updated when more information becomes available.
The size of ArcheAge’s world is expected to exceed the size of WoW's.
Currently there are three continents available, one of which can be conquered by players. On that wild continent groups of players can establish towns/castles and attack (siege) their enemy’s homesteads. The remaining two continents seem to be at war with each other, setting the stage for more destruction.
Any mmo worth its salt should be like a good prostitute when it comes to its game world- One hell of a faker, and a damn good shaker!
Never heard of Darkness and Light. Sounds to be an awesome game. I've actually been following ArcheAge more than anything and Kingdom Under Fire 2. Those are the two asian games I'm looking forward to.
For me this feature right here pushes D&L above all else (well cept AoWL wuxia kung fu makes everything taste better)
5. Other than the battle classes, there will be a variety of life classes for players to play as. Having your own shop (like a real actual shop space), going on a trade expedition, a skilled blacksmith, a world-renown herbalist, a wandering storyteller, a knowledgeable historian, a dragon trainer (gasp!)... All these and more is possible in Darkness and Light! These unique classes will cater for players who are not so much into battles
Any mmo worth its salt should be like a good prostitute when it comes to its game world- One hell of a faker, and a damn good shaker!
graphics are good in both titles Arche Age and the Dark & Light Remake... Yes Darkness & Light is a remake (Hopefully done properly) of the cluster **** fail title from many years back.
Hopefully the content delivers.
Everything I say is my opinion or personal preference. You may or may not find it useful to your cause but regardless I am entitled to it.
Can you answer the question or not?
You label those games as 'sandbox saviors' thus I ask if you have played those game to make such a labels because I do not know what you base your assumption on that those games are sandboxes in the first place.
Also do not copy articles from other sites...
I agree that him calling them saviors may be overboard, but you don't have to play a game to know its sandbox, you just have to know the features and the basics of how it works.
Thanks for the info.
There's no point to this thread. The game manufacturers can write down as many of their game's superfabamazing features as they like, but until the games have been commented on by people who have PLAYED them the company blurb is just... blurb. All the OP has done is quote swathes of text from the companies which SOUND great but actually prove nothing.
I think what OP is trying to tell, than actually Asian developers are trying to be innovative when western ones stagnated and produce same thing over and over.
You can not agree with me but for me VO is Swtor is not innovative. It is just lipstick put on same old thing. Not that Swtor will not be enjoyable as many people will find it enjoyable, but at core gameplay it is just copying old schematics.
Rift also was copy & pasting. Small thing like Rifts, sorry but it is just big random spawn. Small innovation.
GW2 maybe will have some innovtions but actually NCSoft owns 100% of Arena.net so it's kinda Asian owned company...
I agree with Fenistil.
Those games shown by the OP look great and as a UO beta vet I genuinely hope that they actually come to pass with all hype included. The genre needs more diversity for no other reason than to give new MMOers a view of 'other ways'. I have no bias to whoever makes the MMORPG I sub to, it could be a Martian and I'd gladly give them my monthly sub, or lifetime sub, if it was what I wanted.
The 'popout' school of MMO design needs a lesson in innovation or the whole genre will collapse and people, and funding, will vanish as the MMORPG is finally disolved by the MMO, which if styles and trends dont change is rapidly become associated as online 'junk food'. Drop levels, grinding, daily quest bs, gating, linear progression and the devisive and greed encouraging raid paradigm of the MMO, give the industry back an MMORPG
of substance .Kudos to innovative companies who try to bring something new, even the companies that people mindlessly label as "failed", at least these companies gave it a go! Looking forward to these games.
UO beta, etc etc ---> present day.
Currently in LOTRO while waiting for another DAOC to arrive!.
I saw Gpotato and closed the window. they will mess this game up. sorry to sound negative.
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
I totally disagree.
those Asian MMOs arent being innovating, they are using concepts already found in current gen and older gen Sandbox.
just because its not themepark doesnt mean its innovation.
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
when these games come out btw?
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
Personally I think asian development is just as likely, if not more likely to produce a good sandbox style mmorg in the future. My reasoning is simple, the asian culture has a much higher regard for teamwork and sacrifice over modern western cultures. I would think that Sandboxes are therefore more attractive on average to these peoples, so more dev asian houses will a consider sandboxes a less risky project to consider.
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
I don't know. ArcheAge looks like it has WoW style questing and charcter progression and combat but it's in a sandbox. I don't think that's been done before. If it has let me know so I can play it.
My theme song.
Hi Maquiame
Yes i am so looking forward to these titles coming and yes from what i have read over the last year or so by all accounts they do give the impression of being sandbox saviors,Archage being the one i am most looking forward to.
Have given up on todays mmos,tryed them all from Wow to Rift and guess what am currently back playing Vanguard,IN MY OPINION one of the best.
Honestly it makes sense.
UO was an awesome place to see various playstyles back in the day. The Koreans worked as large groups and were hard as hell to budge in pvp. Japanese players had small group conflict down to a science. Americans talked a lot of trash. Europeans kept offering you coppers for purple hair dye. (joke)
Still, the free for all community pvp aspect was "the game" most of those players were playing. Early on also many of their games were PVP centric with some static components. They're seeing games progress the same way we are. So, a .hack open world where players build the content isn't THAT surprising coming from their developers.
US devs had to deal with whiney 12 year olds and 30+ year old house wives bitching about content being too hard; and............
Well we got panda bears and star wars lite.
It's just our culture now.
I used to play MMOs like you, but then I took an arrow to the knee.
I wpuld agree with this, a sandbox with some themepark elements layered on top seems like a smart move.
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
ArcheAge looks pretty good to me.
I went to check out the site and this looks like so much fun: http://www.archeage.com/en/contents/gameinfos/ability/28 It also uses the Crysis Engine, while we all know the "can it run Crysis" joke, it's a really good engine.
Mind you, I can be a sucker for graphics and hype though, I thought FFXIV and Aion would be awesome too and that didn't turn out so well lol.
If a sandbox game can sell well in Asia, it makes sense that the place it would get developed would be in Asia. They aren't going to do super well in the "West". It's been tried and done...outperformed time and again by theme parks and more casual game mechanics.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
Very informative...thanks!
I wish a development team would take UO, Oblivion/Skyrim and pre-CU SWG and deveolp a game with those titles as their inspiration. I think Bethesda or the original SWG dev team could pull it off.