Theorically, I prefer sandboxes.

In practive, sandboxes are usually badly designed.

Originally posted by davcha

Theorically, I prefer sandboxes.

In practive, sandboxes are usually badly designed.

So are themeparks, hence why there hasn't been a single one that has grown over time after launch since... 2004.

I chose themepark.  The sandbox games that have been released in the past, full loot pvp and crafting based, don't really interest me.  I don't think you can make a sandbox MMO that would appeal to me that doesn't include lots of griefing.  Minecraft shows that building stuff is cool, but logging on and finding all that you did destroyed would truly stink.

I'm not sure why the OP is so pompous as to tell me what my favorite three MMOs can and can't be.  They are:

1) WOW: Vanilla and BC

2) GW2

3) LOTRO: SOA and MoM

I prefer sandboxes but the problem is there isn't a lot of sandbox games around. Except EVE and maybe AO  they are in general not very good. I don't consider TSW a real sandbox but rather a poorly disguise just gear driven instead of level driven. Then again AO isn't really a sandbox eighter just a themepark where it takes extremly long to get to max level. If I should make list it would go like this:

1. SWG

2. EVE

3. AO

Originally posted by rungard
i wish there were worlds. Worlds have the elements of both sandboxes and themeparks.

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Originally posted by BrotherD
I prefer sandboxes but the problem is there isn't a lot of sandbox games around. Except EVE and maybe AO  they are in general not very good. I don't consider TSW a real sandbox but rather a poorly disguise just gear driven instead of level driven. Then again AO isn't really a sandbox eighter just a themepark where it takes extremly long to get to max level. If I should make list it would go like this:

1. SWG

2. EVE

3. AO
 
 

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TSW is a themepark, always has been.

HYBRID.  Why is there never the HYBRID option?

For an MMORPG to be truly brilliant, you have to have a sandbox world which players can build upon and invent themselves in via some strong themepark contant as well as great player generated contact to populate said world with even more adventures via sandbox tools.

Originally posted by Xzen

Picked sandbox.

Well due to your P.S. I guess I'd have to say you could play Rift or SWTOR but I don't think either are the best Themepark offering atm. I would say FFXI but they ruined it. In the Sandbox catagory I would say UO but they kind of ruined that too.

 

P.S. Frack your P.S. EvE for sandbox and GW2 for themepark. ArcheAge is looking good for a sandbox.

Archeage is not a sandbox mmo it's a hybrid that has both elements.If you are thinking that Archeage is a full sandbox mmo then get ready to be dissapointed.Jake and team have never promoted the game as being a sandbox mmo it has many themepark features but also some sandbox.

Archeage=hybrid. Vanguard=hybrid. Hybrid is the future and the way to go imo.

Originally posted by Sylvarii

Originally posted by rungard
i wish there were worlds. Worlds have the elements of both sandboxes and themeparks.

 

Vanguard is such a world,they are called hybrids.

Indeed it is. Probably the best game world in MMORPG history.

I prefer sandparks or basically Sandbox play with some rules or more open ended freedom driven Themeparks.  I would say EQ1 and Vaguard kinda fall into this category as will Archeage.  I wish I could go back and play SWG again as I think I would appreciate it more now in my old age than I did 10 years ago. 

I'm kinda intrigued by this updated Darkfall that will be coming out in November, although I didn't play the original and don't typically love Full loot PVP.

Originally posted by Sylvarii

Originally posted by Xzen

Picked sandbox.

Well due to your P.S. I guess I'd have to say you could play Rift or SWTOR but I don't think either are the best Themepark offering atm. I would say FFXI but they ruined it. In the Sandbox catagory I would say UO but they kind of ruined that too.

 

P.S. Frack your P.S. EvE for sandbox and GW2 for themepark. ArcheAge is looking good for a sandbox.

 

Archeage is not a sandbox mmo it's a hybrid that has both elements.If you are thinking that Archeage is a full sandbox mmo then be get ready to be dissapointed.Jake and team have never promoted the game as being a sandbox mmo it has many themepark features but also some sandbox. Archeage=hybrid. Vanguard=hybrid. Hybrid is the future and the way to go imo.

I consider anything with sandbox features in it to be a sandbox. The fact that it has a level system instead of a skill system doesn't matter. The fact that it has quest hubs doesn't matter.

I picked Sandbox, even though the only one I play is Eve. FFXI (pre-Aht Urghan) is my favorite MMO of all time. I'm most looking forward to Archeage.

1. FFXI

2. Eve Online

3. Guild Wars 2

Themepark players can't vote they are waiting in line for raids, and frantically mashing 1,2,3,4,5.

I can't say that I prefer one over the other, however I think that many can agree that there are far more themeparks to choose from so there is a larger pool of quality games there.  I think it is just easier to produce a quality themepark title than it is to produce a sandbox.  So, I have never tried Eve (not into the sci-fi thing and that's about the gist of it) and am ignorant of any other sandbox titles for a casual like me to jump into.  So, my preference for theme parks should be tempered by the fact that I have nothing against sandboxes, there just aren't many quality titles to choose from.

The asked for list of currently playing:

1) WoW:  You said not to mention, but whatever, I have been playing this off and on fo 6 years now.  I understand why some hate it.  But they do what they do very very well.  I play I get burnt out, then I quit.  Then I get drawn back in again.  I have fun playing it.

2) GW2:  my current focus.  It's not perfect.  But it is the most fun I've had since trying WoW the first time back into 2006.  That says a lot.  Staying power is yet to be seen, but right now I am loving it.  AND I can keep a WoW sub going at the same time.  My one rule for MMOs is not to pay for more than one at a time.

Have played, from best to worst:

1) LotRO: the original game, not the F2P.  This was the one game other than wow that I have played the longest (about 2 years off and on.  Incredibly polished and very adherent to Tolkien lore.  I don't have anything against the f2p model but this one made me sick.  NPCs should NOT have flavor text that says "oh and hey visit our website and buy stuff, lol!"

2) EQ2:  I picked this one up around t he Kunark expansion (or something).  I had a ton of fun in this one, but a bit of trouble with immersion.  Travel was just ridiculous.  I could not find (at the time) a world map.  Found some maps online, but they always involved some convoluted flow chart that made my head hurt every time I looked at it.  Honestly, I don't mind zone loads, but can the developers please stick to the concept of regions and continents?

3) Age of Conan:  The most gorgeous graohics of any game I have played to date.  Held my attention for a bit, I felt that this world (at the time)  was just too small for my taste.

4) Vanguard: I absolutely loved the concept of this game.  I really really really wanted, and still would love to see this game implemented properly.  However it was released in such a coded mess it was embarassing.  People talk about broken games.  This one was the very definition of broken.  Too bad, because I loved the world and mechanics.

5) WAR:  so... much... hype... with so little to offer.  This was the original "WoW Killer" but turned out to be nothing but a giant version of WoW's Alterac Valley.  I will give it credit for the concept of PQs though.  I'm sorry but I like them, and am enjoying GW2's current iteration, however...

6) Rift:  ... had nothing but PQs.  I did not have fun here.

7) SW:ToR:   I liked this game when it was called Dragon Age and was single player.

8) Tabula Rasa:   LMFAO

9) I've downloaded several F2P asian titles out of boredom that have been mentioned on this site, and... meh

These are all my OPINION.  It's alright if  you don't like my choices, and is okay if you like my disliked titles.

THE QUESTION IS:  ARE YOU HAVING FUN?

Originally posted by Kopogero

Ok, I see lots of threads but few that are helping the community to find/enjoy MMORPG's that are avaliable out there.

Sandbox - MMORPG where players can directly impact the gameplay and experience of other players in the virtual world.  

Themepark - MMORPG where you only impact your character history (like achivements, feats, text titles, pet/mount animation)

Your welcome to add your reasons for playing your current MMORPG and maeby list your top 3 MMORPG's that you think are doing better in terms of gameplay, polish, value for the $, pace of content release, and so on...

 

P.S: Do not bother mentioning EVE(2003), WOW(2004) and GW2(2012) in your top 3 list. Only a complete noob to the genre would not heard or know anything about these MMORPG's and there is plenty of info avaliable here on these MMORPG's.

 

Voted sandbox but only if there isnt forced PvP.  IMO the best forms of sandbox gameplay allows the use of a flagging mechanism to differentiate those who do or do not wish to partake in PvP.  An MMO like Asherons Call has the best form of sandbox elements IMO, you can either play on a red (PvP server) with no rules or a White (PvE server) where in order to go Red (or Player Killer) you msut undertake an arderous and semi-lengthy quest to turn into a PK.

Best games I played so far:

1. Lineage II (by far the best)

2. DAOC

3. Planetside

I voted for Sandbox, because I need at least a decent amount of freedom when playing MMOGs. All of the above offer freedom, although they aren't Sandbox titles at all.

I prefer Sandboxes.

My top 3 MMOs, per the OP's wishes:

1. Vendetta Online (currently playing)

2. Kingdom of Loathing

3. Urban Dead

Originally posted by Kopogero

Ok, I see lots of threads but few that are helping the community to find/enjoy MMORPG's that are avaliable out there.

Sandbox - MMORPG where players can directly impact the gameplay and experience of other players in the virtual world.  

Themepark - MMORPG where you only impact your character history (like achivements, feats, text titles, pet/mount animation)

Your welcome to add your reasons for playing your current MMORPG and maeby list your top 3 MMORPG's that you think are doing better in terms of gameplay, polish, value for the $, pace of content release, and so on...

 

P.S: Do not bother mentioning EVE(2003), WOW(2004) and GW2(2012) in your top 3 list. Only a complete noob to the genre would not heard or know anything about these MMORPG's and there is plenty of info avaliable here on these MMORPG's.

 

The top sandbox i've ever played is Darkfall.  For the owpvp with consequences and a total sandbox...very little compares to Darkfall. 

None of the above.  I don't care whether a MMO is a theme park or a sandbox, I want one that is more of a virtual world than not and has territory control, PVP and castle siegeing as the primary "end game".

Haven't been too many of those in recent years, at least not that I consider of sufficient quality to make them worth playing. (Hence I've returned to one of the 3 unmentionable titles)

Perhaps DFUW will surprise me.