With the launch of Darkfall: Unholy Wars just around the corner, I would appreciate it if someone could provide a list of things that make Darkfall a sandbox. I did tried the free trial mildly, but the original simply did not impress me with its clunky combat, crude animations, and less-than-inspired visuals. While presentation definitely plays a major role on whether I am initially hooked to game or not, what I truly value in a game of this type (sandbox) are the small things, for I believe that they are responsible for its longevity factor. A sandbox, in my eyes, should present many venues of gameplay, such that it does not revolve entirely around combat and sieging. However, the apparent vibe around this game is that it is first and foremost a siege-centric game, and not a fully-fledged sandbox. For that reason, I hope some of you can post a list of meaningful features or activities that one will be able to partake in Darkfall: Unholy Wars.

Thanks.

There are none known at this time, except PvP.   It is still possible that crafting and an economy could still happen if resources are regional, and there is some kind of production limitations.   However, I wouldn't put any hopes into either of those, since they would be an obstacle for " fast paced pvp ".  

I dont think a dry list of "you can do A, B and C" would really do Darkfall justice.

While the housing is ordinary (compared to UO) you get so absorbed in city fights that you really do feel ownership of a city and feel a comraderie with those you defend it with. The people create the content and thats one definition of a sandbox.

I guess the rest will come out in a release note soon but hopefully that gives you the idea.

I'm an old fart but I'm excited like a schoolkid over this release.

There is no sandbox qualities worth the name in DF UW.

You have to see it as it is, a big PvP-arena.

Originally posted by Aragon100

There is no sandbox qualities worth the name in DF UW.

You have to see it as it is, a big PvP-arena.

no not really but if you say so ok

Originally posted by Aragon100

There is no sandbox qualities worth the name in DF UW.

You have to see it as it is, a big PvP-arena.

Aside from the glaring fact that we still don't know enough about this game for any of us to make such claims.

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Originally posted by Aragon100

There is no sandbox qualities worth the name in DF UW.

You have to see it as it is, a big PvP-arena.

---

Pretty much this.

That is what DF was and there is no indication that DFUW should be any different.

Originally posted by Aragon100

There is no sandbox qualities worth the name in DF UW.

You have to see it as it is, a big PvP-arena.

Jesus you sound like a bitter man,as all you do is complain. Just take a look for yourself, all your recent forum posts are about a game you clearly doesn`t like.

Originally posted by Hotjazz

Originally posted by Aragon100

There is no sandbox qualities worth the name in DF UW.

You have to see it as it is, a big PvP-arena.

Jesus you sound like a bitter man,as all you do is complain. Just take a look for yourself, all your recent forum posts are about a game you clearly doesn`t like.

 

 

I liked the game Aventurine promised to make, unfortunately they were lying and i dont like liers.

Making crafting interesting and that way create a economy was what they promised, turned out to be just another lie.

Originally posted by Aragon100

There is no sandbox qualities worth the name in DF UW.

You have to see it as it is, a big PvP-arena.

Lol...worst description of darkfall ever...

OP, perhaps you should tell us what you think makes for a sandbox mmorpg and then I'll let you know if Darkfall has/had those features.

Before you do I'll list a few myself...

The game world should be open, non instanced and non zoned (or at least as much as possible). Check.

Player progression should be open and skill based. Check.

The player should be able to follow a variety of playstyle types. Check.

There should be player created meta roles. Check.

The players should be able to impact upon the actual game world, long term. Check.

Emphasis on player politics and territory control. Check.

Non instanced player housing. Check.

Player villages. Check.

Most items in game craftable. Check.

More emphasis on player crafting over looting (outside of resources/mats). Check.

Non centralized AH. Check.

Regional player vendors. Check.

Resource control vital. Check.

Exploration. Check.

All playstyles types on the same game world map. Check.

As little as possible artificial restrictions placed upon player interactions. Check.

It's no EVE and it is highly pvp centric, but it's a sandbox mmo (going on Darkfall here given Unholy Wars is not out).

IB4 the same old haters.... oh too late.

The word "sandbox" is a marketing gimmick we are used to hear these days. It's like the "smart" word used in many products. I guess Darkfall is called a "sandbox" MMO because you can build siege and affect the political map via massive battles. I am assuming the political map in Darkfall:UW is persistent. Otherwise, the game may be called a semi-sandbox or "sandboxy" MMO.

The fact that you're not stuck on some chain of quests is a big one.

Players build the cities they capture. Players destroy the buildings/walls made by others. They have to be rebuilt with resources gathered in the world. Seems pretty sandboxish to me.

..

Originally posted by skamper
"Sandbox" and "themepark" are pathetic words generated by small minded people. These are people who can only think in binary terms, such as "right or wrong" "black and white" "republican and democrat" and so on.

It's human nature to classify things. Types of games which are now classified as themepark / sandbox are obviously different and as such probably should have some sort of label in order to be distinguished one from another. You say that it is bad which is fine, but can you provide some alternative.

Originally posted by bunnyhopper

OP, perhaps you should tell us what you think makes for a sandbox mmorpg and then I'll let you know if Darkfall has/had those features.

I don't disagree with your opinion, but the original version had many of those features designed so rigid it would be hard to call them sandbox elements, and the rest were so poorly implemented that they were just flat out not fun, and I don't see that changing much with UW, since everything will be supporting the " fast paced pvp ".

1.) How is the game's crafting system? What types of items can you craft? Can you customize items to any extent? Are there varying qualities of the same item? Does the actual process of crafting an item have any depth? Can you, as a player, stand out from the rest for having exceptional crafts?

2.) How is the game's gathering system? What kinds of things can you gather? Are there region-based resource nodes? Are there varying qualities of resource nodes? Are resources depletable?

3.) Is there farming? Can you grow crops, establish farms, etc.?

4.) Can you write books, letters, newspapers, etc.?

5.) Are there any art-related activities such as painting, playing music, acting, etc.?

6.) Can you interact with NPC's and befriend them to perhaps gain access to something?

7.) Can you decorate your house and/or village? Can you place statues, monuments, etc.?

8.) Are there puzzles, traps, locked doors/chests, secret passageways etc.? Can you make any of these as a player?

9.) Is there any form of archeology? Can you dig up lost relics or go treasure hunting?

10.) Is there item decay for a healthy relationship between supply and demand?

11.) Are there trade ports, harbors, and commerce hubs that are naturally better for merchants?

12.) Can you tame wild animals? Can you breed animals?

13.) Is there a law system? What is it like? Can you place bounties on someone's head?

14) Is there cooking? Do you need to eat or sleep?

15.) Is there fishing?

16.) Are there mounts that are necessary for carrying large amounts of cargo, like ships or caravans? Can you steal these?

17.) Are there trade routes and regional markets?

18.) Can you raise families?

19.) Can you have NPC helpers, like ones that harvest, trade, or guard for you?

20.) Is there burglary, theft, vandalism, etc.?

21.) Are there religions, deities, churches, etc.? Can you form pacts, establish cults, etc.?

22.) With the new role system, if you are currently using a warrior role, does that mean you can't use magic-like or scout-like abilities? AKA, is there no multi-classing?

23.) Are there NPC societies, where NPC's actually do things to maintain their establishments?

24.) Is there wildlife in the game? Can one become a hunter?

25.) Are there campfires, tents, etc.? Are there any benefits to using them?

26.) Is there a weather system and a day/night that affect the world in significant ways?

27.) Are there taverns, bars, etc.?

28.) Are there hidden skills or abilities that one can only learn by exploring the world or talking to certain NPC's?

29.) Is there gear for other professions, like aprons for cooking, robes for diplomatic encounters, etc.?

30.) Do monsters just stand around or can they grow in numbers and potentially invade and conquer a town?

31.) Can you interact with objects in the game world? How so?

32.) Are there any carrying capacity limits?

33.) Does gear impose any condition upon the player, like heavy armor making one slower?

34.) Is the death of a leader (guild master) meaningful? Can an assassination attempt potentially destabilize a guild or do they simply re-equip themselves if they die?

35.) Is lore an important aspect of the game? Can you interact with notable figures from a race? Do quests take lore into account? Can you learn of the game's lore through in-game items like books? Are there any real conflicts or encounters going on between the races?

36.) Is magic treated as a list of abilities or can you weave and experiment with it to potentially unveil new effects?