Column: Who Still Wants A Sandbox MMO?

IncGamers' Bill Vaughan discusses the advantages and disadvantages of real sandbox MMOs. Is it worth playing them anymore?

"Now to the crux of the matter – how many people still really want to play this type of game? Clearly some do, because there are always plenty of players going about their business whenever I log on to Mortal, and there's been a lot of interest in the community, but to me it lacks excitement, and I can't understand what would keep bringing people back to the game, besides friends I suppose."

[thetamer]

I'm not playing sandbox MMOs anymore. In fact, I'm not playing MMOs at all. Mwahahahaha

[SCFreelancer]

Same, although it is not because they aren't fun, but because they take way to much time to "enjoy".

[Dorjan]

I used to want them but now I like multiplayer... tbh I want lan again or private parties like in NWN!

[Recka]

I play EVE, Enjoying it :D

[Leord]

I think sandbox games is a little boy's dream that works different in real life than they imagined.

[Fyzzu]

To answer the title question: quite a lot of people, I think. It's a fair argument, but there's some awesome stuff going on with sandbox MMOs. An MMO doesn't mean a WoW-style MMORPG - it means a whole lot more, and there's plenty of room for other things in there.

[Medievaldragon]

I'm unfamiliar with the term sandbox MMO. What does he mean with that?

[Motion]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe a "sandbox" mmo, is one where there isn't an overall structure of what you are supposed to accomplish within the game. What I mean by this, is that, while there are quests and what not, there isn't necessarily an "end game", where the story is more driven by the players. The developers basically give you a world to play in, but the players are really the ones creating the story of whats happening in that world. You would need a very strong community to pull this type of play off. I haven't played either of these games myself, but I believe that's how EVE online and Darkfall work.

[DeepThought]

yeah ive gotten out of the MMO scene

[Faelan]

Useless article.

Perhaps Mortal Online is just crap? Does that mean sandbox is crap in general? Surely we have seen a crappy theme park MMO or two (or a dozen) over the years. Does that mean they're all crap as well?

Also, does sandbox automatically mean no tutorial, no quests, none of the new mechanics and seemingly forced crafting as the author of the article suggests?

Why is sandbox somehow incompatible with all that?

Could it be that the problem simply has to do with the fact that making a good sandbox MMO takes a lot of effort, innovation and guts to pull off, something that the big developers dare not do because it's safer to just make yet another clone?

I mean, I'd kill for a good sandbox MMO, but if the choice is between a good well polished theme park ride MMO and a mediocre buggy sandbox MMO, then I'll go with the theme park. That doesn't mean I'm not longing for one. It just means I want it to be worth spending my time on.