Should The Repopulation be the first to introduce a warning label or a window informing every visitor that this is a Sandbox MMO, to include the definition of a Sandbox? A definition that is bold in explaining how complex and demanding the game will/could be?
The competitors know that there’s a trickle-down effect whenever they post rhetoric threads in sites like MMORPG. IMO, The Repopulation doesn’t need that sh#t. Rhetoric all you want but the company should make it clear that reward in this game is the outcome of your personal actions and sometimes conduct. Personal responsibility, free markets, individual liberty, traditional values built by your guild (government).
These days, sandbox games are meant for the minority of the MMO community. That community is currently in exodus, waiting for someone to tell them to come home to the promise land. The last of the Mohicans (if you will). Sounds funny but it’s the freaking truth.
After SWTOR, take a good look at what’s about to unravel. Totalitarianism MMO companies such as Blizzard, EA (Bioware), Trion, are paying close attention to how the community is fixing their curiosity crosshairs on sandbox.
Are you ready to witness the definition of sandbox become contaminated?
Comments
Heh, it's getting to the point where we'l have to drop the term MMORPG for games like Repop, in case the ignorant masses misunderstand the style of game it is.
MMORPGs where for the minority until wow came along and broke MMORPGS LOL..
Anyway i do try and not to listen to the complainers and whiners that sometimes post on here tho i must admit i have taken the bait now and then hehe..
At the end of the day if i like the game i like the game i dont really care too much what others think...
Hell i loved both darkafll and mortal online but if you listened to a lot of people on here playing either of those would course your left testicle to fall off..
However isn't it time to stop holding peoples hands and let them figure out what it is. All they have to do is look at the game description and if their dumb enough not to before they buy into the game that is their fault. However it will be free to play so whats the difference.
Strong words, strong bewildering words.
Sandbox games sadly don't do as well as 'themeparks' even Eve, the most successful, or perhaps the only successful? game of that type, its very much a 'niche' game, the Repopulation looks good, but, it will be another 'niche' game, if it does as well as Eve that would be a huge success. I hope it does well, i really do, we need more games like this to show that there is an alternative to themepark games, how much they can achieve though, remains to be seen, their aims are very high, and if they manage to pull off half of it.. i'll be moderately surprised, with the games current level of development, its hard to say how many concepts they have aimed for will make it into actuality, hopefully most of them, but realistically i think it may be that they are attempting more than they can realistically achieve, i hope im wrong though, maybe in another 6 months - year, will get a better idea of how their managing in terms of game development.
TSW, which is a Themepark needed to put in a lot of help hints to avoid players rage quitting when they took investigation missions (that don't hold your hand). It's important for games to communicate what kind of game it is, so yeah, I think it should be stated pretty clearly. Not necessarily as a warning label, but as part of the opening sequences.
All Repop is at the moment is a list of wishes and a hand held out for money. Give it some time before you start asking for warning labels to keep the riff-raff out.
'til the day i see this massive sand-box crowd... This will be another fringe game living of the scraps of the so called theme-park MMO's and cater to the MMO version of stamp-collectors and a special type of maschocists.
That does not equal that i feel it has no place in the world, it have every right to exist. I just have a hard time seeing it going to become anything major.
As for the question it self.. Not needed, no amount of signs and warnings will deter somone set on being dissapointed.
This have been a good conversation
LOL you might want to check the games progress before you start saying things like its just a list of wishes..
Wading through the the elitist arrogance comprising the majority of this thread, I came across your post and I wanted to suggest to you to check out some of the YouTube videos of the game. A lot of gameplay has already been demo'd and much of the game is in a functional state right now. It's far more along than most 'indie' projects.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Instead of a warning sign why don't we just kick back and watch the confused themepark carebears try to figure out where "end game" is and the gear grind? That alone will be worth the price of a ticket.
Only thing I wonder about is if people have forgotten how to play a game like this. Most haven't even tried.
I guess it depends on how the game will handle its information about the mechanics.
I think that EVE handles information very well. You can learn a lot just from within the game itself. It has great guides and general information about mechanics and items within the game.
But there are also sandbox games that lack information about skills, crafting or whatever mechanic and players have to look up guides on forums to make sense of the mechanics. Some ppl confuse this with complexity. But I think a better term is obscurity. Keeping skill descriptions vague on purpose forces players to make badly informed choices. You shouldn't have to visit websites to learn about the game's mechanics. Many players don't think it is fun, having to learn a game outside the game. Easy to pick up , difficult to master can also apply to sandbox MMORPG's.
If the information about the game is presented well ingame, players can just try the game and see if they like it. Some players might be even surprised that they like this kind of game.
I dunno.
When stuff like that is mentioned people just tend to go "Who do you think I am, puto?! I am down for the challenge!", and then come home all teary-eyed about how the game picked on them for being stupid. It's actually very likely to make a lot more people pay for the price of admission, because they assume they can handle it. Like telling people "you ain't hardcore enough for this one!", then they get pissed when the slogan was right about them.
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture
This is what I think when I hear the term sandbox and I hope it doesn't have full loot pvp.
This isn't a signature, you just think it is.
Might give this a try, see their take on a sandbox/hybrid shooter. Sounds like they are trying to make a SWG game. Never liked SWG or scifi games much but it looks like it deserves a try. Looks like they are leaving it up to the community to deside its own fate, lets hope they are up for the task. Griefers huddled around the safe zones will kill the game, any kind of tatical warfare would make it fun.
In the end it will be the players who make or break the game like all sandbox style games.
The sandbox genre is DYING for a good,well made,solid MMO,where your avatar is an actual person.
Eve is a good game,but I dont want to be a little space ship floating around in space.I want to be a humanoid running around on a planet.Im pulling for this game,if its anywhere near solid and well made,it'll take off as a hit.
That said,yes,once a company nails that proverbial sandbox G-spot,all the big boys will be jumping in to get a peice of that action.Maybe one of the big boys (Blizzard,EA,Trion,Sony,Turbine..etc) will be the one to do it,I think it'd be awesome if it was some small unknown company like a CCP.
But once there is a hit,I believe it'll be big and other companies will follow suit.
As for informing the uninformed? I say no, let them decide for themselves.Maybe they'd actually get into it,maybe they wont.Either way,if the game turns out well,their money will help drive its further development.
I don't know, I just was reading more on the game and found out its F2P. That is putting a huge gamble on attracting a player base that would aid them in making the game fun. If they attract too many of the griefer types the game could go down in flames. Its all up to the players to what the game will be like in sandbox games.
New term for sandbox MMO's shall be Virtual Pen and Paper RPG... VPRPG.
Doesn't have a very good ring to it I admit. Let's get some more suggestions of a name we can use to set the upcoming sandbox era apart from the stagnant MMORPG era.
"I am not in a server with Gankers...THEY ARE IN A SERVER WITH ME!!!"
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture
We do need something new for sandboxes. The themeparks stole, mutilated, and morphed MMORPG.
Ever heard about Archage? Repopulation is not all that special that it needs warning signs.
My concern is that some company (like SOE) would take notice of this game and buy out Repop and turn it into a pile of crap. SOE imparticular has an uncanny talent for turning gold into feces. I really hope the folks at Above and Beyond Technologies don't fall for that trap and stay true to their original goals.
Playing: varies every day it seems.
I don't believe the Repop devs are willing to sell out to some soulless corporate publisher. Money isn't whats driving these guys to make the game, so they aren't going to let their vision be turned into some massive pile of crap just for money.
We've had more than a few discussions about this on the official forum and so far the owners act as disgusted about the thought as the rest of us.
According to them, they've spend years of their own time, money, sweat and tears developing this game as they vision it. They at least act like they want to see their dream all the way through without losing creative control.
I guess it's like we never see artist hand half finished hand painted portraits over to some graphics designer to finish. That will be like blasphemy. Also like my 67 Bronco I've been restoring for the past 15 years and everyone, I mean everyone keeps telling me I'll never finish it so I should sell it but hell no, it's my dream and one day before I die I want it finished. The owners here are coming across to me with the same mentality.
I think you are being unfairly critical of SOE. While their current releases have tanked...I don't blame SoE for them. EQ1 and 2 are still going strong although a lot of people will claim they ruined EQ1 with SoL, PoP, or GoD...those same people would of claimed it died from anything Sony released. Vanguard and Matrix were dying before SoE got involved. SWG isn't the shining golden standard that fanboi's remember it to be. It had serious issues and was bleeding subs long before the hated patches.
About Repop and sandboxes, I'm eagerly looking for one, but Repop won't be it. SciFi isn't my strong choice(guns just seem underpowered in games) and it is PvP centric which is a turn off for me, full loot or not. Why can't a dev make a sandbox that doesn't cater to griefers.