Updated the OP.

• Added Shores of Hazeron to the game list in the OP.
• Added text that I list games that are playable by the general public, i.e. games that are either released or in open testing. I do not list games in closed testing.

I played UO and EQ back in the day.  EQ is not a themepark game. Despite the name, it only had a few quests.

It's a shame how short this list is

Add "Face of Mankind" and "Linkrealms" to the list!

yes, Face of Mankind is a sandbox. acrtually a very unforgiving one.

the list becomes better and better. good job!

Correction,EU is not sandbox

Ive played EU for 3-4 years,the only single sandbox content present in the game is housing,what you can just buy pre-maid MA houses/aps

Theres also "lands" but they are so overpriced (in irl USD cash) that you just cant buy one if ure not rich

aside that theres no SB

Well if housing is enough to name a game has SB,im sorry for this reply

One criteria that I think is missing is player created/joinable factions and/or player created political system (the simplest being guilds).  In my understanding a major "sand" feature is the ability to make allies and enemies as opposed to having a designer choose your enemies for you (for example with racial based factions).

Thanks for your replies.

@Eyrothath: Linkrealms has been suggested before but cannot be listed because it's still in closed beta. When they go open beta or release it will get listed. I will look into Face of Mankind, I didn't play it. Hehe, I always thought it was some action shooter, never had a closer look at it.

@Heinz130: I assume you mean Entropia Universe? I never played it, I included it here because people in this thread mentioned it and after having a look at their features and forums I thought it might fit the criteria. I will have a second look at it.

@Action: I think I don't know a single game where it's impossible to create guilds, thus it's a feature that every MMORPG has anyway, no matter whether sandbox or not. As for your suggestion about the ability to chose your enemy: I understand it's important for you but generally conflict is no necessity for a sandbox, see for example Istaria or ATitD.

How about a standalone sandbox that that got a mod to make it an MMO?

Mount and Blade Warband got a massive mod that took a few years to make that turned it into an MMORPG...last I heard there are near 10,000 people playing it on the servers.

Interesting info, jtcgs, thanks. I didn't know about it.

Hehe, looks like I now also have to define how many people a server needs to support to be called an MMORPG server. Found a serverlist for the Mount&Blade mod. Largest server I have seen has a limit of 250 spots. Not yet sure how to handle these cases, or do I have to check every single NWN 1/2 server too?

I'll think it over. :) Thanks again for the suggestion.

Entropia got a full blown player-driven economy, a free skillsystem based on usage and a non-linear zone design. the quests have been added later and are just another tool and not comparable to theme-parks quests. of course they dont have terraforming and the player housing is limited. however, playerhousing is just 1 tool. there is no need for playerhousing in a sandbox. it is just a common tool. however this is a sandbox, by the criteria above. it is more sandbox than Darkfall imho.

i would not call Mount&Blade a MMORPG. but I define the 1st M = Massive as "theoretically all players can meet in one PERSISTENT zone, which is not the gamehub". if this is not given, it is a multiplayer game like League of Legends and Two Worlds. but this is my definition. i am very convinced, that numbers alone mean nothing!

Originally posted by Larsa

Interesting info, jtcgs, thanks. I didn't know about it.

Hehe, looks like I now also have to define how many people a server needs to support to be called an MMORPG server. Found a serverlist for the Mount&Blade mod. Largest server I have seen has a limit of 250 spots. Not yet sure how to handle these cases, or do I have to check every single NWN 1/2 server too?

I'll think it over. :) Thanks again for the suggestion.

MMORPG.com guidelines for submission specifies 500 in a single world.

Updated the OP.

• Added Face of Mankind to the list. Please check whether the info in the OP is correct, it's not easy to get info about the game because their forums, marketplace and premium account benefits are only visible after logging in with a game account.
• Had a new look at Entropia Universe. I decided to keep it on the list. The game has enough of the features listed in the OP to be put on this list. If you have objections please check the feature list in the OP and post why you don't think the game qualifies. FYI: payment model or having quests are no reason to exclude a game from the list. Neither payment model nor quests are mentioned in the feature list in the OP. 
• For the time being I use the same criterium for MMORPGs as the staff here at MMORPG.com, i.e. a game needs to have servers supporting at least 500 concurrent players on a single server to be called an MMORPG. Happy to discuss this with you guys. 

OP correct me if I am wrong or if somone already mentioned them, But I think that Ryzom and Miner Wars should be added to the list

http://www.ryzom.com/en/

http://www.minerwars.com/

Ryzom is an mmo in which you can develope any scill you want according to what you are doing at the momment and Miner Wars let you do what you want with a fully destructable environment (and they say that it is about to have even more features as well like player runed fuctions etc)

check them and tell me what you think

Thanks for your suggestions, Orestes.

However:

• Ryzom is already on the list, has always been. :)
• Miner Wars isn't yet released or in open testing. I'm happy to have a look at it once it goes to open beta and release.

Originally posted by Larsa

Anyone here who has actually played Free Realms or Wizard 101?

I know, they're both aimed at kids, but from the feature list they might fit the description of a sandbox MMORPG. I have no experience with either of them.

BTW: I decided to exclude Second Live from the list. It's not an MMORPG, has no character development, no crafting and no resource system. Yes, I know one can make stuff in that game, but the stuff isn't made out of in-game resources but pure "Photoshop" work, they seem to have their own editor. The company running the world annex chat-room doesn't call it an MMORPG too.

Wizard 101 is a themepark - in my opinion the best of the kiddy games.

Free Reams - didn't play it long - actually it might qualify as a sandbox, don't remember having to do anything in any particular order.  Not sure if there's any building/changing environment going on.

Originally posted by Pale_Fire

Originally posted by MMOExposed

Originally posted by Pale_Fire
Also, Asheron's Call and Everquest.  I know AC was/is sandbox.

EQ is the first major theme park mmo

I would disagree with this and with your thought on Vanguard, but, things like this ultimately come down to opinion.

This is not somethig that is a matter of opinion like which brand of beer is best.  If you don't think EQ is a themepark, perhaps it's better for everyone else if you don't chime in with your thoughts.  You are obviously free to say what you want.

Originally posted by Delvie

...

Wizard 101 is a themepark - in my opinion the best of the kiddy games. ...

Free Reams - didn't play it long - actually it might qualify as a sandbox, don't remember having to do anything in any particular order.  Not sure if there's any building/changing environment going on.

Thanks for the info, Delvie. I'll have a look at Free Realms in the next days.

Minor update to the OP.

• Had to change Wurm's info about item-mall to Yes because one can actually purchase in-game currency for RL cash.
• Changed Wurm's setting to Survival/Fantasy because I thought that describes the game better.

A few more:

8BitMMO
First release: June 2011
Link to Website: http://www.8bitmmo.net/
Payment Model: Free
Item Mall: No
Setting: Fantasy
Game environment: 2D
Client OS: Browser

AfterWorld
First release: April 2008
Link to Website: http://www.afterworld.ru/
Payment Model: Free
Item Mall: No
Setting: Post-Apoc, Sci-Fi
Game environment: 3D
Client OS: Browser

Free Realms
First release: April 2009
Link to Website: http://www.freerealms.com/
Payment Model: Free
Item Mall: Yes
Setting: Fantasy
Game environment: 3D
Client OS: PC Browser, PS3 Console

Updated the OP.

• Added AfterWorld to the game list. (Thanks @ Loktofeit, I didn't know that one)
• Added Free Realms to the game list because people think that it qualifies, personally I have no idea. (Thanks @ Delvie and Loktofeit)
• Changed the description "Item Mall" to "Cash Shop" for all games because we have a few games on the list now that don't sell items in their shop but do sell in-game currency for real life cash.
• Changed the title of this thread to "sandbox MMORPGs" from "sandbox games", should have done that much earlier.

As always, corrections and reasonable  discussions welcome.