Originally posted by IPolygon

Originally posted by GreenHell
 

By definition a sandbox game is "a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how or when to approach objectives." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbox_game)

Due to the nature of how most content in the game (read: DEs) is structured, GW2 (and Skyrim for that matter) actually is a sandbox game by design.

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but there seems to be some misconception about terms floating around on these forums.

Thanks.  Im a bit unsure of what constitutes 'considerable freedom'.  That is too vague.  WoW gives you a fair amount of freedom to be honest....  

Originally posted by Tawn47

Originally posted by mikahr

Originally posted by Tawn47

I second that.  I'd really like to hear a full explanation from mikahr..  not a further unsupported assertion.

Especially since he basically put down another guy (not quoted above) for not knowing the difference between Sandbox and Themepark... 

...because if GW2 is not a full themepark MMO, then I as well as several here need a good lesson.

 

(fyi..  I am following GW2, played in all the recent betas and am not playing any other MMO's atm.  So don't pass me or others off as 'not knowing about the game'.  I know about GW2 - I just don't know why you think it's a hybrid!)

This is not GW2 forums.

This is not topic about themepark vs. sandbox.

If i wanted to discuss GW2 i would do it where it belongs.

I already stated that whines started on both end of the spectrum and ill leave it at that.

Then link us to a full explanation...  whatever, just stop dodging the question.  Hell, put a new thread in the GW2 forum. 

 Please don't...

This line of discussion only leads to bitter bickering about the definitions of sandbox and themepark.  And this has already been done...exhaustively.

http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/352748/page/107

Originally posted by Fadedbomb

[updated title & post with accurate info]

I barely have words for this. I've never EVER seen a game launch with such large numbers only to go as far as reducing their total server count to a small fraction of its original count. 10 or 20 servers sure, but 100s?! 

 

 

Simply, wow...... O_o;

Merged Servers, Now the lag is increasing to the point PVP instances are like reading a comic book. Last night we had to quit doing them because of the lag. You could not get targetting and attack skills to work do to the lag. We were getting messages we typed to each other in PVP instance 7 mnutes after the PVP match ended. Every time I think this game can't get any worse I am wrong.

For the lolz

Originally posted by Methos12

Originally posted by Fadedbomb

[updated title & post with accurate info]

I barely have words for this. I've never EVER seen a game launch with such large numbers only to go as far as reducing their total server count to a small fraction of its original count. 10 or 20 servers sure, but 100s?! 

 

 

Simply, wow...... O_o;

I have, it's called Warhammer Online. It's also frightening how keen TOR is on re-tracing WAR's footsteps.

I hope MMO studios will look at which directors were common to both projects, and learn from that.

Originally posted by Ghost12

Originally posted by mikahr

Originally posted by rdrpappy

Online Sandbox games give players a world with resources, beasts and an environment to create their own content, society and gameplay.

GW2 to my knowledge does not let players build structures, set up or claim plots and maintain  harvesters, build societies or in any way change the game like a true sandbox.

 

Dynamic quests and pvp does not qualify it as a sandbox by any stretch of the imagination, or a hybrid.

Of course its not sandbox, even less holy "true sandbox". Cookie?

Its a hybrid, and if devs continue with their ideas it will be pretty good one.

If youre looking for holy "true sandbox", yah, you might skip it. Just as if you want holy "true themepark" (although whines already started on both end of spectrum, which is quite funny)

 

Please enlighten us on how GW2 is a "hybrid." 

sandbox is changing meanings. lol

MMO are also changing meanings. lol

anything with a internet connection is a MMO now.

 Some have talked about mergers. Mergers would have been good unfortunately; they made it so people had to voluntarily move from one designated server to another not merge them. There are still holdouts on the dead servers that will not voluntarily go and they have to spam the servers with information on how to move for anyone coming back to the game. The refusal or inability to truly merge servers was the most disappointing thing about the consolidation and it will haunt them for some time.

Originally posted by pierth

Just goes to show the importance of having a quality, compelling endgame.

The game wasn't very compelling, but even if it was, no way they could've made it work at launch with 214 servers.  Had they had even half of that, they probably would've avoided the problems they had.  Yet as it stands, they were completely unrealistic, and combine that with piss poor optimization and a lack of compelling gameplay, and here we are.

Anyone still wanna say that going down to the amount they are proves Bioware made a profitable game?  :p

Originally posted by superniceguy

By the time all the transfers are done, servers will become swiftly dead again, and then more merges will be necessary.

It took SOE 6 years to do transfers/merges and they mainly focussed on content, which is the right thing to do, as it tackles the root of the population decline. Transfer/merges will make some people quit too, if their characters name is the really important to them.

More content that people want = people return, when people return the servers fill back up again, servers fill back up, then those that quit due to low population will also return.

These transfers are the beginning of the end

THIS.

Server mergers are a short-term tonic that never really pans out long-term.  When that happens, if you enjoy the game, enjoy it while it lasts.  You aren't going to see massive amounts of new content when a game is consolidating like that.  You will see temporary improvements here and there.

What's said is that if Bioware launched with 100 servers, and carried most of the stuff they have now at launch, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion.

I was under the impression that they were reducing the number of servers to move the players to stretchable servers so they wouldnt have to keep openeing and closing servers due to population swings

Originally posted by hermit000

I was under the impression that they were reducing the number of servers to move the players to stretchable servers so they wouldnt have to keep openeing and closing servers due to population swings

That mega server stuff EA said they were looking into hasn't happen. The transfers are only a result of declined population.

Lets face it, it's a poorly designed Wow clone. I seen the writing on the wall when i tried the game in early access. starwars with a mini space game? it shows how narrow minded the designers are.

For this starwars fan you have to put more effort in the design then making it another Wow clone. we have plenty of those coming this year. and they will fail or be niche games.

You can't hunt players with a bounty hunter,you can't smuggle for the republic or the empire. you have invisible  barriers blocking access to the next hill.

You can't craft anything worth anything due to the intense focus on giving raid/PVP gear away. legacy is the largest credit sink in a MMO i have ever came across.

The Devs never come to the forums to stop rumours or assure the product we payed for will get anything other then a new race we don't want, a new planet that never existed until they created it.

all the characters are human not one alien looking species we could create and level with.

it's so limited in every sense of the word you wonder what the hell they were doing for all those years making this.

It's Wow with less features and freedom. now that's really sad man, what a waste of money.

The real kicker here is, they won't change it. they can't now. it would cost to much to add new class storys or expand the engine to have a fully funcional space simulation with combat and exploration.

let it die i say. let the industry hear this one for the furture and know that making Wow clones are not the way to advance the genre.