It’s like cooking. There are those who prefer to cook their own meals – everything homemade, with vegetables from their own garden and a pot forged by their great-grandfather. And then there are others who prefer to order a pizza. That’s how it is with theme park and sandbox MMOs.
And it holds true:
- No matter how much end content there is to discover.
- No matter which renowned publisher develops a game.
- No matter how many innovative features a new MMO has.
- No matter if World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, WildStar & Co.
All theme park MMOs have one thing in common: It always tastes the same. You chase quest after quest, following the plot of a story – you follow the red thread with the goal of exploring the end content. Always in sight are the max level, dungeons, and equipment.
IT LACKS SALT
But where is the innovation? The developers dictate exactly what we should and shouldn’t do, how we should approach something and what comes out of it. The current MMOs are all “content-driven” and leave little room for creativity. Time and again, we have to kill a dragon, rescue villagers, and even save princesses. Although – I think the one about the princess was a different genre.
In any case, it has become standard that developers not only develop the game but also significantly dictate the gameplay, at least in theme park MMOs. Especially in the European market, these theme park MMOs are at the top of the food chain.
There are only a few exceptions. Games like Ultima Online did not deserve a spring with me. I struggle with games whose graphics cannot keep up with a Gameboy game. But just before I wanted to throw in the towel completely, I discovered ArcheAge and changed my mindset.
TRYING IS BETTER THAN STUDYING
For a long time, no MMO has captivated me like ArcheAge. After trying various MMOs for years, I thought I was too old for computer games. But you’re never too old for something, especially not for computer games. After all, I wanted to spend my last years in front of the PC after retirement or maybe in Thailand? Was it perhaps because I had never played a sandbox MMO before? Ultima Online, Star Wars: Galaxies or EVE Online were all games that did not have their beginnings in my time. But back to ArcheAge.
The release was exactly during my semester break, which made for the most favorable timing. I learned about the game through Twitch. I really hadn’t heard much about the game in advance, even though I browse various magazines daily. I cautiously approached the game.
Especially Asian MMOs have a bit of a bad reputation for me due to the past. Grinding is just too dull for me. On the official ArcheAge site, the game mainly attracted my interest through housing, the strange class system, and the fact that you can breed animals. Man, how I miss Harvest Moon.
I dove right in. I completed one quest after another. The quest system felt well-rounded. Sometimes there were a lot of XP, even though I only had spoken two sentences with the quest giver. I also quickly joined a guild to mingle among my kind on the multilingual EU servers. Upon arriving in Teamspeak, I was overwhelmed by the individual experiences of the players. At first, I was uncertain whether we were playing the same game. One was working on his farm all day, another was hunting for treasures while diving – unfortunately, no one wanted to quest with me. After three days of intense questing, I was level 35. The others were in the same level range, but without having completed any quests. What was going on?
Before the release of a new MMO, I usually study the game thoroughly. With ArcheAge, everything was different. After a good week of playing, I understood where things were going. I was excited about all the freedom and possibilities that a sandbox MMO like ArcheAge offers. Why aren’t there more MMOs like ArcheAge that offer so many possibilities to shape the world yourself? With all that freedom, there should be something for everyone, right?
The head of Sony Online Entertainment, John Smedley, has written a very worthwhile post about the future of MMOs on his blog “SmedsBlog.” According to John, the era of theme parks is over and the age of increasingly attractive sandbox MMOs has begun. The post made me contemplate.
By now, I no longer play ArcheAge. I was overwhelmed by all the freedoms and possibilities. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I simply need someone to take me by the hand and tell me what to do. Just as the developers do in theme parks, or like my math teacher did.
TASTES VARY
Of course, every player has different preferences and motivations for why they prefer one thing or another. But I would almost argue that it depends on whether I am a casual or a progressive player. A sandbox MMO simply takes more time. In ArcheAge, I was practically “forced” to log in daily, because otherwise, half of my harvest on the farm would spoil.
Because of the Minecraft-like crafting system, it took forever to get that one item, as it consisted of 943 other items. Additionally, the work points you need for crafting were only available in limited quantities – even with a premium status. This certainly binds the player base to a game and makes it harder to rush through, but I am glad if I find one or two hours in the evening to play.
That’s why I appreciate the simplicity of theme park MMOs. That doesn’t mean they can be completed in five minutes. It’s simply easier to catch up due to their not-so-high complexity.
THE RIGHT RECIPE
ArcheAge has whetted my appetite for more with a mix of theme park and sandbox elements. However, I find that the theme park component in the game is still somewhat lacking. Sooner or later, after level 30, you lose the plot, as the main quest line comes to a sudden end. The solution would be a bit of restaurant attitude: after you find your seat at the restaurant, the waiter comes by and recommends the highlight of the day, including suitable wine. However, if I don’t feel like that, I’ll just order a schnitzel with fries. This way, we have the waiter and the menu to provide orientation.
That’s why I would wish for future MMOs to find a balanced mix of theme park and sandbox. With the familiar elements from theme parks that ensure clarity and orientation, and with a healthy dose of freedom to allow players to shape the world individually. Of course, everything must be properly seasoned.
Or what do you think? For more background, our previous Sandbox vs. Themepark Special is also recommended.
