Now, this isn't really a post to decide whether the perfect MMORPG should be sandbox or theme park. It's hard to say how exactly it will turn out. Instead let's try to imagine that neither word exists. This way we can decide on features that we want, and how they will affect the game, without limiting ourselves by encapsulating the game as a 'sandbox' or a 'theme park.' For now, lets try to outline why these words hold us back.
For theme park, the problem is obvious. You're on a set path, and once you've played it out, you have nowhere to go. And if you've gotten to the cap once, getting to it again is going to seem even more monotonous than before. But theme park comes with its perks. It's newbie-friendly, it's familiar, it has direction, and it sets goals for you.
Sandbox is generally deemed as a play style suitable mostly for hardcore gamers (see this article for a good comparison). But I see that as something that can be remedied.
While PvP combat does seem to overshadow many other features in a sandbox MMORPG, we're taking our opinion of sandbox from games that have tried and either failed, or have only appealed to a niche audience. What if that void was filled with rewarding PvE, dynamic events that encourage participation, and combat that is fun?
This post presents some very interesting challenges to overcome in a sandbox title. Direction seems to be something that casual players miss from their theme parks, something which sandbox usually lacks. And that might be the key to Pandora's box here. A sandbox with goals - a reason for the grind.
But if we forget those words altogether, we can imagine a game where we think of how each feature affects the whole. Instead of sandbox, we can say, how will this feature affect the freedom we offer our players? Instead of theme park, we can say, will this feature provide direction and guidance? And most of all, we can ask, will this feature be fun?
