first question - how is the combat at higher levels I beta tested it for a very short period and combat seemed kinda slow with no need for cover or strategy. does this change later and if so how?

also i read the official forum and to my surprise i keep hearing "this game really isn't a sandbox". Can someone explain this logic to me as well?

it is a sandbox.. dont listen to much into people who dislike the game in their rants

its not a sandbox.....its a very good post apoc mmo tho

 Its a hybrid. It isnt pure sandbox but its not a themepark. It has some elements of both but doesnt qualify as either,

Is it a Sandbox? Depends on what you want out of a Sandbox.

You can't build your own cities or kill anyone you want.

You can build your character any way you want, you never have to choose a class and the vast majority of items in the game can be crafted.

This is probably the closest thing on the market right now to a Sandbox which doesn't attempt to shove PvP down your throat.

Originally posted by parrotpholk

 Its a hybrid. It isnt pure sandbox but its not a themepark. It has some elements of both but doesnt qualify as either,

This.

So is there a free trail or will one be coming out soonish? Ive been burnt on too many games lately to pay for another one hehe.

Also silly me I thought this was a skill based game compared to level based (see how much I actually beta tested it). How is the leveling pace and is it all solo or do people actually group.

also finally and don't burn me at the stake for saying this but does this have any cool exploration bits ala Fallout 3, where you come across a seemingly no point area only to find out some cool quests or things that happened there.

Originally posted by Raltar

Is it a Sandbox? Depends on what you want out of a Sandbox.

You can't build your own cities or kill anyone you want.

You can build your character any way you want, you never have to choose a class and the vast majority of items in the game can be crafted.

This is probably the closest thing on the market right now to a Sandbox which doesn't attempt to shove PvP down your throat.

SWG has many more sandbox elements and does not shove pvp down your throat. Infact you don't need to combat at all if you don't want to. Player cities, placed in world. Crafting system better then any MMO. In FE when someone makes a .45 it is like EVERY other of it's type. In SWG many factors can make a better product. 

Yes NGE sucked bad, but it is greatly changed for the better since. In many ways SWG is better then it was pre-cu.

Don't forget SWG is 2 different games with the addition of space. There is a great pilot community.

Shame SOE and LA have such a bad past because although far from perfect it's the best sandbox out. I feel SWG is a very underrated MMO. It really deserves a second look from people.

Originally posted by Ravanos

also finally and don't burn me at the stake for saying this but does this have any cool exploration bits ala Fallout 3, where you come across a seemingly no point area only to find out some cool quests or things that happened there.

I would be curious to know this as well. Back in early beta I found the quest system to actually discourage exploring. I would find cool places and want to explore them but wouldn't because I wanted to wait until I had quests to visit the place instead.

There ARE cool places to find and there is nothing preventing you from exploring them, but you always run the risk of having to return just to complete a quest. I'm not sure how much this has changed since beta. I actually left some very long and details posts about HOW they could implement quests that encourage exploring rather than discourage it. Hopefully my efforts led to some content being designed with that in mind.

Originally posted by Ravanos

also i read the official forum and to my surprise i keep hearing "this game really isn't a sandbox". Can someone explain this logic to me as well?

simple example you are forced to quest if you want to craft a ATV

in a sandbox game you can get the skill book to craft a ATV using other means like  ....... buying them

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth

Originally posted by parrotpholk

 Its a hybrid. It isnt pure sandbox but its not a themepark. It has some elements of both but doesnt qualify as either,

 

This.

Yep, I agree. And being a Hybrid doesn't make it less of an MMO or inferior to predominantly TP or SB games. It has more SB elements than the so-called AAA cookie cutter games being pumped out  that have champagne Blizzard bubbly dreams on the brain and it has some TP elements (lots and lots of mission/quest content).

Im just calling it a Open ended game to me thats all a sandbox is.

People have other opinions on what a sandbox game is and what they should include like FFA pvp, full loot and city building.

For me as long as a game has a open ended character advancement system it's my kind of game. Let me do what I want and im golden.

does it matter? arent u heaving fun?

or is it a new trend "IM tr00 hardcore player cause i play sandox 1337 skillz" ?

Posted by Kenaoshi on 10/07/09 at 5:58:06 PM

does it matter? arent u heaving fun?

or is it a new trend "IM tr00 hardcore player cause i play sandox 1337 skillz" ?
 

THIS

Originally posted by Shohadaku

SWG has many more sandbox elements and does not shove pvp down your throat. Infact you don't need to combat at all if you don't want to. Player cities, placed in world. Crafting system better then any MMO. In FE when someone makes a .45 it is like EVERY other of it's type. In SWG many factors can make a better product. 

Yes NGE sucked bad, but it is greatly changed for the better since. In many ways SWG is better then it was pre-cu.

Don't forget SWG is 2 different games with the addition of space. There is a great pilot community.

Shame SOE and LA have such a bad past because although far from perfect it's the best sandbox out. I feel SWG is a very underrated MMO. It really deserves a second look from people. 

Oh no... not a post-NGE fanboy. I would almost rather talk to a Second Life fanboy... almost. Maybe if he wasn't a furry.

First of all, the new combat system in SWG sucks. Its a joke. Its FAKE FPS, like Tabula Rasa was. Seems interesting at first but still boils down to random dice rolls and stats at the end of the day. BORING and FUSTRATING rolled into one mess. FE's combat system makes much more sense.

Secondly, All of the old classes and the versatile options for playing more than one class at a time are gone. If they bring back all the old class systems I would consider looking at their game again but without that the game loses 90% of its sandbox feel. Building a player city holds no appeal for me if my character is still boring to play. Give me the freedom to build the CHARACTER I want first, then we can talk about the rest of the world. FE actually takes that attitude, which is exactly what they needed to do.

Third, Crafting. Yes, back in its day the crafting in SWG was a very attractive part of the game. But like many other aspects of the game it was FAR to grindy. Why do I need to make 8000 knives (which will then be thrown into the trash) just to level up my character enough to make a decent weapon? Its stupid. And does the ability to make a balster which does one more point of damage than the guy standing next you you really make the three weeks of searching for the perferct copper deposit worth while? Probably not. Plus, due to the one character per server limit and the fact that a crafters can't do combat its pretty much impossible for people to enjoy any of their OWN crafted items. Yeah some people had multiple accounts to get around this, but multiple accounts also means multiple subscription fees. I think SOE only allowed that sort of crap to earn more money for themselves.

Crafting in FE has none of these issues. You can have a combat character which is still good enough at crafting to make most of the equipment he needs. You don't need to grind like crazy just to craft basic items. And resources to craft with are a challenge to find but not an impossible one. This crafting system has both depth and balance which keeps it fun and accessable, something SWG cannot say for itself now or ever.

Fourth, ZOMBIES.

Lastly, even IF I actually believed SWG was "better" now (which I don't believe) I will NEVER give any of my money to SOE again as long as I live. Not just because of the NGE but also because of all the other horrible things they have done to the gaming community down through the years, like SecuROM. FE is made by a group of people who thus far have done nothing to betray my trust in them, thats far more than anyone on the planet can say about Sony.

Originally posted by Raltar

Is it a Sandbox? Depends on what you want out of a Sandbox.

You can't build your own cities or kill anyone you want.

You can build your character any way you want, you never have to choose a class and the vast majority of items in the game can be crafted.

This is probably the closest thing on the market right now to a Sandbox which doesn't attempt to shove PvP down your throat.

No. 

SWG or any game that has predefined classes, no matter how flexible do not qualify.  Games out now that are true sandbox experiences are Saga of Ryzom and Ascheron's Call (old but still kicking and still alot of fun.)   Ryzom is under new management.  Excellent game.  AC is my true love and I'm hoping for a sequel true to the original (not more AC2 crap).

Originally posted by Kenaoshi

does it matter? arent u heaving fun?

or is it a new trend "IM tr00 hardcore player cause i play sandox 1337 skillz" ?

I think people are getting to hung up and the term sandbox.

I just want some freedom in my character development.

FE us a fun game, while I have games im busy with atm. I will be back in FE and Ill continue on my adventures.

Originally posted by Khalathwyr

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth

Originally posted by parrotpholk

 Its a hybrid. It isnt pure sandbox but its not a themepark. It has some elements of both but doesnt qualify as either,

 

This.

 

Yep, I agree. And being a Hybrid doesn't make it less of an MMO or inferior to predominantly TP or SB games. It has more SB elements than the so-called AAA cookie cutter games being pumped out  that have champagne Blizzard bubbly dreams on the brain and it has some TP elements (lots and lots of mission/quest content).

This is the problem with the sandbox issue.  Too many people think sandbox = superior.  That totally confuses the definition, when people are really just trying to say they like a game, sandbox or not.

Ya id probley have to say that UO, Ryzom, Eve Online, and AC are really the only few bigger named sandbox games out there, other games would be Roma Victor, Wurm . FE is a fun game and has some sandbox points to it but its not a true S-B game.