Back in May, Albion Online developer Sandbox Interactive reiterated to fans on a Q&A video that while it’s building a hardcore PvP sandbox, it wanted to appeal to co-op PvE players too. Let me quote my own writeup:
“Albion is intending to appeal to hardcore PvP sandbox players as well as a wider audience of ‘players who are not immediately aligned with the idea of risking everything they’ve played for a long time to someone just killing them.’ [Albion’s Robin] Henkys says that the two groups synergize, create goods for each other, and become targets and allies.”
In other words, while some hardcore PvP players are content to slaughter each other, the “wolves” out there in the audience are really after sheep, not other wolves. And that means giving sheep sufficient reasons to play against type.
Setting aside my cynical belief that this is a lot easier to say than pull off, I do have to say that I’ve seen it done very well in PvP MMOs with TEF and RvR rulesets; I get a huge thrill out of crafting for the PvPers and being part of economic PvP. But more FFA sandboxes seem a harder sell all around since they’re generally designed with PvPers in mind first, PvEers second. Which ones buck that trend? Which PvP sandbox is best for PvE gamers?
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!
