Every time I see a new sandbox title cross the news feed, I could probably close my eyes and rattle off a fairly accurate list of what features it will tout. It’ll be skill-based, feature player towns, have tons of crafting and gathering, and of course, 100% full-loot PvP. Because someone somewhere — probably in the New World Order — gets a nice kickback whenever full-loot PvP is shoehorned into a game.
Frankly, I’m tired of this list. Most of those bullet points aren’t bad, per se, but they aren’t inspirational or exciting. Sandbox MMOs are supposed to be about open-ended possibilities and emergent gameplay and features that aren’t married to the combat system. I have a sad face when I see games that neglect, say, roleplay tools, player music systems, and pig racing.
What neglected sandbox features do you crave in your MMOs? These can be infrequently repeated systems or brand-new ones!
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
