sandbox and SOTA

I saw something related to sandbox and SOTA, is that still the case and if so how do I get access to it,

as a wurmian (wurm unlimited) fan, there are 2 sides, the adventure and the creative, so this is why I would like to find out more about the sandbox side if it still exists.

thanks

 

This will get howled down from all sides, but I don't regard SotA as very sandbox at all. There's certainly a vague whiff of sandbox in the air, which people will point to, but it's not very strong when you examine it in detail.

"But you can place a house, that's not instanced... and decorate it!" some will say. Yes, but the houses are placed on predefined lots, in towns, not just anywhere you like in the wilderness, as you can in true sandbox games.

"But you can level up anything and not be locked into a class!" others will say. Sure, but there are plenty of games which, even with classes, still let you wear and wield what you like and level those items up. ESO, anyone?

"But there's a big map to explore!" comes another cry. And indeed, there's a big overland map. You leave it and enter instances, some of them quite small, to do anything. It's not a big seamless world, synonymous with sandbox.

So, all told, I don't regard SotA as very sandbox at all. That's not so say the game isn't more sandbox-y than some MMOs. Of course it is. But is it as open world and sandbox-y as Wurm Unlimited? I'd say a big, big no to that.

 

Compared to WURM SotA is a themepark.
The only sandbox element is the lack of quests

 

Hahaha, actually somehow this is very funny. Mean, but funny.
The devs try to create a sandbox with story for the game and you ask where to turn the sandbox on.
Hey, maybe there is some kind of secret button with which we finally get a real story-related game or a real sandbox but we just haven't found it yet
Hihihi, this made my day

 

Hello Ozmods. I would be happy to show you around or tell what I know anytime. Just send Majoria a whisper in game sometime. And I looked up what sandbox means in a game to be sure I had an idea of what that could mean. So here is the description I found below:
"A sandbox is a style of game in which minimal character limitations are placed on the gamer, allowing the gamer to roam and change a virtual world at will. ... A sandbox game is also known as an open-world or free-roaming game."

Now what I can tell you since this game is really only a piece of the game it will become and it is not done by any means. You will not believe how many things are still coming. People are going to be amazed. Right now the Devs are adding in things fast and furious since we are finally at a point in the game to be able to do this. Up until now the framework was being designed and implemented. The game will continue to be expanded on for years from now. Last release we were starting to be able to place musical instruments around and this release we can now place our weapons on our lots or a lot we have permission on. If you need a place to stay so you can do things like that, please hit me up in game and I'll teach you about this side of the game and more if you like .

 

What and when?
Do you have a Link?
They will implement 3 Questlines, some sidequests and what else?
Oh yes, Brewing...
But would it be something new or just recipes as we already have?

I don't know sbout really new things that change the world significantly and arent implement yet.

 

All of what you mention will be in the game. Boating, treasure maps, quests, achievements, and side quests are all coming per the Devs. We had stretch goals for boats and pack animals which are coming when they get to them. So do you doubt a lot more is coming in? Richard once stated in an interview with Lazareth Long that he would try to add all we want, and why would they not? Who are they making the game for as they always say . I totally believe it. So here's one article where Richard does mention the boating and more .
http://massivelyop.com/2016/04/25/p...sses-shroud-of-the-avatars-launch-and-future/

 

Hey marjoria, sure. I have just arrived, for a second time in soltown, i will lookyou up when i get onnext, will try tomorrow oz time, no promises lol.

Im glad i could give you a reason to giggle at my expense no doubt lol.

 

Sandbox refers to more than just changing the environment for many gamers.

The fact that most of our equipment is created by other players or ourselves is a huge sandbox feature. Not only are most items player created, the economy around crafting is almost entirely open. Not many recent games allow players to sell almost anything that can be purchased or made to other players.

While we can't directly alter the land structures of the open world, few games allow the high level of customization to player owned cities and properties that we have here in SOTA.

Being able to be completely flexible with the design and skill sets of your chosen character is also a sandbox feature. SOTA allows you to truly mix and match skills in any way imaginable and you're not forced into static templates. It also has some of the best social emotes of any game on the market to assist in role playing.

On the character side they are also making great strides with the template system. So the framework is in the game so people will have complete flexible choice over the appearance of their avatars.

While SOTA isn't a complete sandbox, it is closers to a sandbox game than over 90 percent of its competitors especially if you take the quality into consideration.

 

I'm not sure what games you have played historically but a vast majority of games today are set up where the best items drop off creatures and are not player created.

Not only that most of these powerful artifacts can't be traded at all with other players.

Sure other games have crafting but not as their primary source of equipment.

Edit: My character in SOTA is wearing almost all player created equipment and a couple artifacts that are tradable. I can't think of many other game I've played on the market where that's the case. Eve online and maybe the original UO are the exceptions but one is another genre and the other is around 20 years old. I've played dozens of titles too. Almost all the major releases. To suggest that this is common practice for mmo games is a lie.

 

Dan, we might need to get you out of SotA and into other games some more In ESO, player crafted gear is absolutely top of the tree. There are great drops too, but most players run in crafted gear for a reason.

Prior to ESO I spent a lot of time in GW2. You can craft exotics as good as any drop in the game but the ultimate gear - legendaries - are absolutely player crafted. And can be sold to other players, too.

That's the last two games I've been in. Both of them recognised the need for gamers to craft stuff as good as, or better, than any drops. And they deliver on it. But looking back over time, this isn't a new thing.

I think back to something like SWG which was 15 years ago, or whenever it was, and the crafting system there was extraordinarily deep, with resource quality determining gear quality and such. And all sellable, too.

I guess the thing I'm trying to hammer home here is that there's nothing SotA does which hasn't been done before at some stage, and an awful lot of what SotA does that's being done by many games as we speak.

 

If I loaded up my max level character in ESO or Guild Wars 2 right now both of my characters would not be wearing all crafted gear. Actually they would both be wearing almost all dropped equipment.

I was going to mention SWG too, but since it was shut down completely and of a different genres I didn't.

You seem to have some vendetta against SOTA if you're trying to push this narrative. You named 3 titles that happen to have some sandbox like crafting but are really only pale hybrids compared to SOTA. One does not even exist anymore. What about the other 50+ titles on the Mmorpg list? I did only claim 90 percent to give myself room for the few exceptions.

 

Sandbox needs a lot of work still.
If you have a house lot etc or even a pot you can build quite nice stuff.

Action and consequence wise there is nothing yet. Also your actions have no meaning. You can pk freely though.

 

Seems like few commenting have actually played Wurm Online/Unlimited, I highly recommend that those calling SOTA a sandbox should first qualify themselves to respond by also playing the game the OP wants to compare SOTA to.

Wurm and SOTA crafting systems are not even remotely comparable in breadth, depth and difficulty. You cannot build anywhere, houses are prebuilt, and terraforming is not even possible. There is no open world living biome ecosystem in SOTA.

SOTA is a story based MMO much like ESO is (not it's equal, this forum always has an active ESO is better thread). ESO is the game DarkStarr plays for inspiration, but to truly understand what a sandbox is the devs need to be playing Wurm Online/Unlimited. ESO is considered open world, you can go anywhere and have much build flexibility, but it certainly is not a sandbox where you can do anything you want.

Having spent years in WO/WU myself, I can honestly say this is not the game you are looking for. That has always been true of Wurm, that people always think another sandbox must be out there, then realize there really is no game like that and they end up back in Wurm hoping for something better again. The closest game so far would be considered Life Is Feudal, which was developed by ex-Wurm players who thought they could do better but that claim is debatable.

 

I agree that wurm is the ultimate sandbox available right now but didn't mention it because the game is very raw. It's not the kind of title that draws a mainstream crowd.

If someone made a AAA version of what Wurm has accomplished I think we'd have a major hit.

I was only defending SOTA against allegations that it is not a sandbox at all. I'd call it a sandbox and theme park hybrid at the moment. You have to admit there are very few well funded games out there that are as sandboxish as SOTA.

 

But you are not being helpful to the OP who is looking for a game like Wurm.

There is a reason for Wurm despite being the ultimate sandbox never selling well. Very few people want to take the years it takes to master skills, let alone the weeks to build a house, and months to build a ship. It is by definition a niche market. Notch quit and made Minecraft and removed much of that grind and did very well. But Wurm would not be Wurm without that long term investment by players in the game.

Wurm Unlimited lets you speed it up, but lacks the persistent server economy that Wurm Online has, but some find it more fun as creative play - just like minecraft can be. My ruins on Wurm Online will be there until Rolf decides to shut it down and wipe the servers and turn off the lights, the marks I left on the game will remain.

Wurm Online is even grindier than SOTA, but it is a different kind of grind. It is never about redoing an instanced spawn so everyone can get their drop much like any MMO. It is never about killing wolves because you need to fill your pool or the gaps between quests. In Wurm there is no end game, the journey is it's own reward. You grind because you want to achieve goals that you set, not because the meta dictates it.

It is a very different game, and unless you have played it is not something that can be understood. And those proclaiming SOTA as a sandbox game are doing such players a disservice who are always looking for that Wurm replacement. Wurm is a niche product by design with highly variant dev quality but most Wurmians find that there really is no better drug.

And there are much better sandbox games than SOTA that are also more successful, look at the early access titles like Ark Survival Evolved or Conan Exiles or Planet Explorers. But even those are not really going to satisfy the Wurm player as it only scratches some of that itch.

 

Oh give me a break.

 

A few days ago Darkstarr said they hope to get boats in for Episode 2. Maybe it'll be an Ep2 kickstarter goal.

 

Can i have a submarine..its a sandbox after all

 

I want to fly on the back of a phoenix or dragon. Submarines would be very cool too - especially in Blood Bay.... SNEAK ATTACK!!!