Post by Morreion on Oct 7, 2011 11:48:18 GMT -5
www.archeage.com/en
www.originsofmalu.com/
www.therepopulation.com/
www.dawntide.net/
Quick, what do the above 4 games in development have in common? Yep, they're sandboxes!
I have to say I'm glad to see this. The 'level-based fantasy theme park of a thousand quests' perfected by WoW has been overdone to death. For years. A chunk of the MMO player base is weary of the same 'ol same 'ol. We need different types of games!
A little caution is in order. Except for Archeage, these games are independent efforts that may or may not be adequately funded. We've seen that before with titles like Xsyon, Earthrise, Fallen Earth and Mortal Online. It's easy to promise the moon and fall short in the MMO biz.
BUT.
There are successes- EVE and Darkfall, for example. And the fact that so many sandboxes are out there and in development speaks to a market for them, even if it is a niche market. These games typically de-emphasize questing, have skill-based classless systems, aim for a virtual world approach with many things to do, and put player-created content front and center. In other words, other players are the content, politically, economically, and militarily- often through player-created cities.
It's very common in a theme park to have the players blow through content and become disgruntled while waiting for more dev-created content that they blow through quickly.
When a sandbox gives players the tools to actually be the content themselves-and when this is done well, the results can be grand. Form kingdoms or cities, develop the economy, fight other kingdoms or cities, for example. Political intrigue becomes absorbing. Think of DAoC's 3-way RvR and how players were the content there.
Sandboxes have had issues as well. They are often FFA PvP, which turns off the majority of players. It appears that Archeage, Origins and Repopulation all contain mechanisms to make PvP consensual, such as confining it to 1 of 3 continents, or following DAoC's voluntary realm war zone idea. The idea seems to have sunk in that PvEers and occasional PvPers want to enjoy sandboxes, too. This will go far to getting more people interested in these games.
Also, it's nice to see unusual and unique ideas in these games. Archeage will let you be a farmer and grow food to sell. Origins of Malu will have a perma-death voluntary option that allows for great rewards at the risk of losing it all. The Repopulation will allow players to gain ranks in their chosen military organization by building faction by doing beneficial actions.
I think MMO gaming has been in a rut for years, but is showing signs of creativity again. I'm hoping that this might spark a new interest in the genre.
www.originsofmalu.com/
www.therepopulation.com/
www.dawntide.net/
Quick, what do the above 4 games in development have in common? Yep, they're sandboxes!
I have to say I'm glad to see this. The 'level-based fantasy theme park of a thousand quests' perfected by WoW has been overdone to death. For years. A chunk of the MMO player base is weary of the same 'ol same 'ol. We need different types of games!
A little caution is in order. Except for Archeage, these games are independent efforts that may or may not be adequately funded. We've seen that before with titles like Xsyon, Earthrise, Fallen Earth and Mortal Online. It's easy to promise the moon and fall short in the MMO biz.
BUT.
There are successes- EVE and Darkfall, for example. And the fact that so many sandboxes are out there and in development speaks to a market for them, even if it is a niche market. These games typically de-emphasize questing, have skill-based classless systems, aim for a virtual world approach with many things to do, and put player-created content front and center. In other words, other players are the content, politically, economically, and militarily- often through player-created cities.
It's very common in a theme park to have the players blow through content and become disgruntled while waiting for more dev-created content that they blow through quickly.
When a sandbox gives players the tools to actually be the content themselves-and when this is done well, the results can be grand. Form kingdoms or cities, develop the economy, fight other kingdoms or cities, for example. Political intrigue becomes absorbing. Think of DAoC's 3-way RvR and how players were the content there.
Sandboxes have had issues as well. They are often FFA PvP, which turns off the majority of players. It appears that Archeage, Origins and Repopulation all contain mechanisms to make PvP consensual, such as confining it to 1 of 3 continents, or following DAoC's voluntary realm war zone idea. The idea seems to have sunk in that PvEers and occasional PvPers want to enjoy sandboxes, too. This will go far to getting more people interested in these games.
Also, it's nice to see unusual and unique ideas in these games. Archeage will let you be a farmer and grow food to sell. Origins of Malu will have a perma-death voluntary option that allows for great rewards at the risk of losing it all. The Repopulation will allow players to gain ranks in their chosen military organization by building faction by doing beneficial actions.
I think MMO gaming has been in a rut for years, but is showing signs of creativity again. I'm hoping that this might spark a new interest in the genre.
