Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Quick and Easy Review
daveospice
Member UncommonPosts: 361
I'm a huge fan of these types of games, but I'm also their harsh critic. I hated Salem. Thought it was total waste of time.
Xsyon? Honestly it requires reading a wiki, just like wurmonline and mortal online. I'll go into depth later about my review, but as far as the "four sandbox games" go this game is right behind wurm online for best sandbox. Give it a go on the free trial server, you won't be pleasantly surprised, but you won't be totally disapointed either. Just save yourself the headache and have the wiki ready. I use two monitors for this ;P
Comments
There is a steep learning curve to both Wurm Online, and Xsyon. My issue about Xsyon is the objective isnt really clear and just not fun. Xsyon right now is a building game, everything else in Xsyon is broken. The building aspect in Xsyon is cool to see what you can build, but it takes a long time. With no real reason behind the building other than the "cool" factor, the time it takes isnt worth the fun in my opinion.
PVE is boring and pointless.
PVP is broken and pointless with no objectives.
Crafting is boring, pointless, and again no objectives with a broken trading/marketing system.
Economy is broken, way to much supply, and again no objectives, or even currency sinks. The currency sink is the skilling itself which you dont need to do.
Exploring can be cool if you explore other peoples tribe areas, but mostly its the same stuff over and over.
Updated content is very very slow.
I know it sounds like I'm just a hater, but I'm a realist. I want Xsyon to be great, but its just not improving. The last crafting update even moved it backwards by making it so that all gear is easy to craft, and of much less worth/use.
-MrDDT
Well, I'd hate to break it to you man but any sandbox game you play is going to be really shitty in over all design. I just support them because they're all I have and I don't want the genre to die or I'll never get my fix.
For example, wurm online is better than xsyon but suffers from all the same problems. Why have better ql tools? So you can make better quality tools. What? Combat in it is pointless since you get all the meat you ever need on your deed from the guards, etc... everything is just remade over and over again (stone or wood house rinse and repeat). Nothing new really ever comes out (a few updates a year).
All sandbox games are designed and made very poorly. The funding isn't there. The population is small. They just do what they can to survive, and most of the games are made by dreamers not designers. Everyone remembers Roma Victor *shivers*.
Well take Wurm Online.
First you say "Why have better QL tools" Well to make better QL gear right? Why have better QL gear? What about PVP? What about High end PVE?
They also have a semi working economy. Tokens (aka land area) require money, money is made many of ways one of which is selling high end gear used in PVE and PVP. Also gear that allows you to do things faster and better use better QL and enchanted items. Enchanted items require high skilled chanters.
There is a working system to it. Unlike Xsyon. You dont need good gear for the PVE, and PVP is pointless because 1) You cant find someone, 2) Things are super common, 3) You cant take over tribe land from other players.
A better model to follow IMO would be EVE online. It has a working economy, working PVE, and working PVP.
-MrDDT
Wurm doesn't work though... I Mean I love wurm, In the past three months I've put like 200 dollars into my city... but there's a lot of broken things about it. I'd say only 20% of the game is actually "polished". If that.
Xsyon I'd say none of it is polished. It's a mess. A fun mess imo.
Eve? Can't use eve it's not really a sandbox but a spreadsheet
haha
The problem with the Sandbox model for developers is that to really have a true sandbox you need the ability to affect other players.
And unfortunately, this means being able to affect them in a negative way.
Sandbox building without the ability to take over (I mean, if i can raid your castle, kill you, isn't it now mine?) or to coerce is not really sandbox. It is minecraft.
And Minecraft is not Sandbox because Sandbox MMOs require the ability to "sandbox" your friends and foes.