Checkup on sandbox content

[Sagenod]

How do you perceive the concept of sandbox-style gameplay in World of Warcraft? Do you believe it's lacking and would like to see it improved on? Do you believe it's not necessary to World of Warcraft and would be a waste of resources and potentially impact the core experience by diverting resources from traditional gameplay systems? I am curious as to what people here on MMO-C think!

If you do believe that sandbox-style content could improve the game, I would also like to know exactly what type of content you would envision and how it would add to the overall experience. For example if you want player housing, why do you want it and how would you see it implemented?

[justandulas]

To rate their sandbox content, they’d have to first have real sandbox content

Where is it? Where can we explore undiscovered things and zones? Where can we build homes anywhere we want? Where is the true open world pvp with looting?

There isn’t a single area in which WoW would qualify as a sandbox in

Obviously housing is the most requested feature and that would be what I’d ask for too. Something like ff14’s but more open to every zone and city in the game having a housing district

[Greyvax]

I hope we get another Timeless Isle.

[Razion]

I never got out of games like Minecraft but Wildstar housing was one example where I thought the sandbox elements were great as the decor item drops kind of forced you to consider new possibilities, so in turn you were always getting ideas on what you could do with the system whereas by comparison Minecraft I felt was so much of a blank canvas it was paralyzing without any kind of direction at all, so the leveling in Wildstar where throughout doing quests and killing bosses and such where decor could be rewarded I found was a lot more enjoyable as far as interacting with the sandbox. BDO and Trove also have okay approaches to the housing sandbox, as while the items aren't drops or acquisitions as often, there is a lot of misc collection of materials and components which can translate into things that you can either make or trade so by naturally playing you can be pushed in certain directions based on the content you're doing organically. Dragon Quest Builders, another good example to look at do to the storyline again putting you on some kind of path to have some level of direction which you can eventually divert off of. These are the kinds of sandboxes I think would translate best to WoW. I think in terms of what WoW should be looking at for sandbox housing, I think Wildstar is the best example to look at and try to emulate with BDO and Trove after that. I personally think implementing it via crafting/trading such as with BDO/Trove is the less interesting option, and as rewards like Wildstar did with quests/boss drops was a lot more organic for content in a combat-centric MMO. The most trading or crafting I would imagine would feel good in WoW for housing items would just be as reputation rewards you buy to collect.

I think it probably goes without saying that collecting appearances of decor items for example, should probably be something account-wide in WoW. As for 'why,' I'm not someone I'd consider the target audience for sandbox content - so when I see examples of this kind of content I think of it as extra content I can collect, extra content I can work towards unlocking in terms of things like rep rewards or achievement rewards or rare mob drops or boss drops. The hunt and journey of collecting the perfect assembly of items I almost think is a lot more tantalizing for me than actually having the perfect house or even hanging out in the house itself. No doubt there is a sect of social players who love the social aspect of this feature, and being able to show it off is obviously important to give it some level of importance. People kind of like showing off, or some do anyway.

Another kind of sandbox content would be like Neverwinter's player-made-questing system. A good feature for RPers, I think, but I know less about this one so I don't really have much to say on it beyond that.

[Super Kami Dende]

Sandbox content is hard to do, because if it's too aimless it gets boring. If it rewards too much, People find the optimal ways to do it and it stops being sandbox, if it rewards too little, People just ignore it.

If a game isn't built to be sandbox from the start or at least have the frame work for that type of content it doesn't work very well.

[Blackmist]

WoW is not a sandbox. WoW has never been a sandbox. WoW is not designed to be a sandbox. WoW will never be a sandbox.

You want a sandbox, there's Valheim which is honestly great. You can play with friends, the world is dangerous, death has consequences, it's random every time, there's a good progression system, and you can build pretty much whatever you want.

[FuxieDK]

How do you perceive the concept of sandbox-style gameplay in World of Warcraft? Do you believe it's lacking and would like to see it improved on? Do you believe it's not necessary to World of Warcraft and would be a waste of resources and potentially impact the core experience by diverting resources from traditional gameplay systems? I am curious as to what people here on MMO-C think!

If you do believe that sandbox-style content could improve the game, I would also like to know exactly what type of content you would envision and how it would add to the overall experience. For example if you want player housing, why do you want it and how would you see it implemented?

Sandbox is the lowest form of content... It's anti-content.. And we've had way too much of it already.

Tanaan, Timeless Isle, Tol Brad (to a degree), Thunder Island... Every time a new zone t by at starts with T, I dread it's another sandbox.

[Venziir]

Sandbox is the lowest form of content... It's anti-content.. And we've had way too much of it already.

Tanaan, Timeless Isle, Tol Brad (to a degree), Thunder Island... Every time a new zone t by at starts with T, I dread it's another sandbox.

Calling Isle of Thunder sandbox is laughable. You most likely mean Isle of Giants. Tol Barad wasn't sandbox either - like at all. Tanaan was kinda sandboxy, but not even a little compared to Timeless Isle or Mechagon, the two only real sandbox zones.

- - - Updated - - -

How do you perceive the concept of sandbox-style gameplay in World of Warcraft? Do you believe it's lacking and would like to see it improved on? Do you believe it's not necessary to World of Warcraft and would be a waste of resources and potentially impact the core experience by diverting resources from traditional gameplay systems? I am curious as to what people here on MMO-C think!

If you do believe that sandbox-style content could improve the game, I would also like to know exactly what type of content you would envision and how it would add to the overall experience. For example if you want player housing, why do you want it and how would you see it implemented?

Enough with sandbox games, that thing was never really great to begin with and it's just beating a dead horse at this point.

[intenz]

Sandbox is the lowest form of content... It's anti-content.. And we've had way too much of it already.

Tanaan, Timeless Isle, Tol Brad (to a degree), Thunder Island... Every time a new zone t by at starts with T, I dread it's another sandbox.

None of those were remotely sandbox. They're all carefully curated themepark zones.

[Sagenod]

So thus far it seems as though most people either:

a) Believe sandbox content doesn't work or belong in WoW
b) Are interested but concerned about the execution

Those who subscribe to the former, I understand. Considering the track record, implementing more sandbox elements would realistically be a waste of time unless it meshed well with the core gameplay rotation. Hence the latter issue! We saw with garrisons that Blizzard isn't particularly adept at "housing" systems. Just like with the best gear, the best housing rewards would optimally be obtained from the highest levels of content. Completing a raid awards you a unique trophy from the final boss, winning a PvP match awards you a faction-oriented decoration, so on and so forth.

I think we can all agree on this right? If housing/another sandbox element was in the game, it would need to synergize well with the game's core content.

[ceall]

The thing with sandbox content and wow is, that they dont mesh well together.

Also, from my own experience in other games, those that were the most sandbox-y were the ones that bored me the earliest.
Maybe that's because I'm a near-30-year-old boomer that has grown up with games on rails (for example super mario for the original game boy), that prefers extended gaming sessions that also provide some sort of progression towards a set goal.

Running around doing nothing (of importance) like in sandbox games isn't for me, same as small scale bite size content or todays mentality of quick 15-30 minute sessions as seen in mobas or battle royales.

[saixilein]

If its like Trashran i'll pass.

Sanbox its fine, if its:

- fun
- balanced
- you can carry/do shit solo
- its not necessary, but still somehow rewarding

[Twdft]

WoW already is a giant sandbox. It provides you with a couple fully fledged out worlds and lore. All you have to do is actually play in it. Blizzard even provides you with extra server for sandbox play and called them... roleplay realms.

[WowIsDead64]

How do you perceive the concept of sandbox-style gameplay in World of Warcraft? Do you believe it's lacking and would like to see it improved on? Do you believe it's not necessary to World of Warcraft and would be a waste of resources and potentially impact the core experience by diverting resources from traditional gameplay systems? I am curious as to what people here on MMO-C think!

If you do believe that sandbox-style content could improve the game, I would also like to know exactly what type of content you would envision and how it would add to the overall experience. For example if you want player housing, why do you want it and how would you see it implemented?

Blizzard think, they already have sandbox content. For them it's just "questless" content, where players decide by themselves, what they're going to do. Just grind mobs or kill some rares. Argus. Mechagon. Maw. Problem is - it's not sandbox content. Because choice there - is just illusion. Because you're so limited, that choice is irrelevant. Compare it with games like Minecraft or Terraria. You can do everything you want there.

[Unlimited Power]

WoW has always been more of a skinner box than a sandbox, but I've enjoyed my time on Timeless Isle and Mechagon Isle tremendously and wouldn't mind more content in the same vein.

As far as actual sandbox games like Minecraft are concerned, too much creative freedom ironically stifles me as I struggle to decide what to do if I have too many options available to me.

I generally don't do well with "create your own fun" type of games. I need a predetermined goal.