I'm going to disagree with most of the folks, simply because I don't think "themepark" is a dirty word.
To me, hands down ESO is a themepark, you are guided from point to point in your PvE leveling process. I know everyone says you have to explore, other games had that too, it does not make it any less a themepark.
I suspect that ESO does a better job of any recent MMO in hiding the "rails". You are still going to be guided, that is not changing, but you won't feel near as directed in other games. Don't expect it to be as sandbox as UO or SWG was, but it's not as overly scripted and directed as other games.
Originally posted by bcbully Rails are just one characteristics of themeparks. In ESO you will quest, craft, do dungeons, or run battlegrounds. That's it. That's how themeparks are made.
I'm not an ESO fan at all... But I hate it when false information is thrown around whether it be in a game I am interested or not.
ESO does NOT have battlegrounds. PvP is strictly in Cyrodil.
First Cyrodil is a big battleground, and secondly it has been stated in reviews that the devs are working to put in battlegrounds for different level ranges. Just like DAOC.
I'm not complaining about it but it's still essentially battlegrounds.
It seems to me it's more 'Everquest' than 'WoW'. It still a themepark but it gives you much more freedom than a lot of themepark mmo's from the past 5 years.
"You know nothing, Jon Snow."
Is there something preventing you from finding out for yourself this coming weekend? How can it seem anything to you if you haven't played it?
Having said that, my own personal opinion agrees with what you just said
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”
― Umberto Eco
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
The user and all related content has been deleted.
Somebody, somewhere has better skills as you have, more experience as you have, is smarter than you, has more friends as you do and can stay online longer. Just pray he's not out to get you.
It is a pretty standard themepark though it isn't on rails like say WoW or WildStar. You do have a little freedom to move around and a lot of the quests are kind of hidden off the main path.
I broke NDA with post trying to tell people that the AvA in ESO was pretty darn epic, weeks ago. I was telling them to "grit your teeth and make it to level 10." You know why? I thought the game was being judged on bad information.
Cyrodiil has a score. It has an ending and a beginning, and combat is always expected. You also have to take a portal to get there. Don't get me wrong, it's the reason I'm buying the game, that along with character development. It falls under the umbrella of battleground though.
I'll answer this way. At launch, Guild Wars 2 could be enjoyed in very much the same free-roaming way you could enjoy Skyrim. A large portion of my 1,800 hours in that game felt a lot like the way I play Skyrim. ESO is much less supportive of that free roaming style of play, instead playing pretty much like any other quest hub driven MMO we've seen in the last five+ years.
IMO, MMO players are going to find nothing special in ESO and most Elder Scrolls fans are going to find ESO extremely disappointing. For those who still enjoy the current status quo style MMO experience, but like the idea of playing that kind of game in the ES environment, this might be for them. However, then we have to look at combat, which will probably seem clunky and very limiting for many MMO fans.
I have to assume you are talking about an entirely other game, because you certainly aren't describing ESO, or are intentionally being misleading.
--------------------------------------
To the OP: this weekend is a Beta Weekend. Please grab a key and find out for yourself what the game is like. I've found that there is a world of difference between firsthand experience and trying to filter through posts like the above to find real information.
I broke NDA with post trying to tell people that the AvA in ESO was pretty darn epic, weeks ago. I was telling them to "grit your teeth and make it to level 10." You know why? I thought the game was being judged on bad information.
Cyrodiil has a score. It has an ending and a beginning, and combat is always expected. You also have to take a portal to get there. Don't get me wrong, it's the reason I'm buying the game, that along with character development. It falls under the umbrella of battleground though.
It does... the humongous mother of all BGs though
I was expecting it to be BIG when I first when in...didn't realize BIG doesn't even begin to cover it.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”
― Umberto Eco
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
I broke NDA with post trying to tell people that the AvA in ESO was pretty darn epic, weeks ago. I was telling them to "grit your teeth and make it to level 10." You know why? I thought the game was being judged on bad information.
Cyrodiil has a score. It has an ending and a beginning, and combat is always expected. You also have to take a portal to get there. Don't get me wrong, it's the reason I'm buying the game, that along with character development. It falls under the umbrella of battleground though.
It does... the humongous mother of all BGs though
I was expecting it to be BIG when I first when in...didn't realize BIG doesn't even begin to cover it.
Yup, it's a "battleground", but it's a battleground you never have to leave
I broke NDA with post trying to tell people that the AvA in ESO was pretty darn epic, weeks ago. I was telling them to "grit your teeth and make it to level 10." You know why? I thought the game was being judged on bad information.
Cyrodiil has a score. It has an ending and a beginning, and combat is always expected. You also have to take a portal to get there. Don't get me wrong, it's the reason I'm buying the game, that along with character development. It falls under the umbrella of battleground though.
No matter how hard you try to push that agenda, people that actually know the difference between a battleground and RvR-style PvP aren't going to agree with you. Did you ever play DAoC, or is your knowledge based in WoW? WoW-style battlegrounds are small instances with easy, short goals. DAoC RvR is lightyears past that, of which ESO's AvA is directly modeled after.
I'm going to disagree with most of the folks, simply because I don't think "themepark" is a dirty word.
To me, hands down ESO is a themepark, you are guided from point to point in your PvE leveling process. I know everyone says you have to explore, other games had that too, it does not make it any less a themepark.
I suspect that ESO does a better job of any recent MMO in hiding the "rails". You are still going to be guided, that is not changing, but you won't feel near as directed in other games. Don't expect it to be as sandbox as UO or SWG was, but it's not as overly scripted and directed as other games.
^^^ This.
At least as far as I got(level 16)ESO is pure theme park but hides the rails better than most.They're are quest hubs but it feels natural and the quests from these hubs who'll lead you to most of the other scattered quests or breeze enough for them to pop up on your HUD.Exploration does reward you with excess out of the way quests, resource nodes and public dungeons.But that was true off other MMORPG's in the past.
But as Baikal says being Themepark is not a bad or good thing despite what certain people here will tell you.All that matters is if you find the game enjoyable for a Time you feel is worth the money and you can live with the dev/publisher's business decisions in regard to the game.Time will tell on those things.
I broke NDA with post trying to tell people that the AvA in ESO was pretty darn epic, weeks ago. I was telling them to "grit your teeth and make it to level 10." You know why? I thought the game was being judged on bad information.
Cyrodiil has a score. It has an ending and a beginning, and combat is always expected. You also have to take a portal to get there. Don't get me wrong, it's the reason I'm buying the game, that along with character development. It falls under the umbrella of battleground though.
No matter how hard you try to push that agenda, people that actually know the difference between a battleground and RvR-style PvP aren't going to agree with you. Did you ever play DAoC, or is your knowledge based in WoW? WoW-style battlegrounds are small instances with easy, short goals. DAoC RvR is lightyears past that, of which ESO's AvA is directly modeled after.
the situation in battlegrounds will last for months... the situation is persistent for months... I see a huge difference between a normal battleground and a RvR battle...
I think this kind of PvP deserves its own name, its very special, requires at least 3 teams and is the only main form of PvP in the game..
Its not open world PvP... its not instanced battle grounds... its RvR ... and now stop bickering about the name, and lets all enjoy what is good..
Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)
What is a themepark? Well let's think Disneyland or Six Flags. What happens when you go to one of those places? There are rides and attractions for your entertainment - you can choose which ones to ride or see and basically do what you want, but the entertainment is all laid on for you. And that's why you go there, to ride the rides and see the attractions.
So what is a sandbox? Well it's a pit filled with sand. No rollercoasters or ghost trains just...sand. Why is it fun? Well you can build castles and forts with the sand and pretend you're the king defending against a siege. Or a monorail that takes people to the space station. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination because, well, it's just sand and it's not so fun unless you do something with it.
So why are people always wondering if a game is a themepark or a sandbox? I think because they forget what we really mean by those categories. Very very few MMOs are sandboxes because most of them aim to design your fun for you. A sandbox is an MMO like Mortal Online, or Darkfall or even DayZ to some extent. There is no form of entertainment provided, just the tools with which to make your own entertainment (the pvp has nothing to do with it really, other than being a means to be entertained, if you so choose).
ESO is themepark like any other MMO of similar design. It tells you the various ways in which you will be entertained. It is not any less of a themepark just because it offers options and some freedom (Disneyland gives you options too remember).
So basically what I am getting is that the PvP side of the game is superb so far whereas the PvE side of the game is mediocre at best. Even described as boring in this thread? And I had heard only the starter zone was boring not PvE in general.
This is what I have been afraid of, a game with great end game PvP but lacklustre PvE levelling will never survive on a sub only model
Definitely wait for release / reviews on this one I think as everyone has an agenda, unfortunately none of my rl friends have played the beta so it's almost impossible to get a trustworthy opinion on what the game is really like....
Driz
I just don't get posts like this. There is no excuse for you to not see it for yourself during the stress test. They are literally giving out access keys, so stop your needless forum QQ and find out for yourself.
I'm going to disagree with most of the folks, simply because I don't think "themepark" is a dirty word.
To me, hands down ESO is a themepark, you are guided from point to point in your PvE leveling process. I know everyone says you have to explore, other games had that too, it does not make it any less a themepark.
I suspect that ESO does a better job of any recent MMO in hiding the "rails". You are still going to be guided, that is not changing, but you won't feel near as directed in other games. Don't expect it to be as sandbox as UO or SWG was, but it's not as overly scripted and directed as other games.
^^^ This.
At least as far as I got(level 16)ESO is pure theme park but hides the rails better than most.They're are quest hubs but it feels natural and the quests from these hubs who'll lead you to most of the other scattered quests or breeze enough for them to pop up on your HUD.Exploration does reward you with excess out of the way quests, resource nodes and public dungeons.But that was true off other MMORPG's in the past.
But as Baikal says being Themepark is not a bad or good thing despite what certain people here will tell you.All that matters is if you find the game enjoyable for a Time you feel is worth the money and you can live with the dev/publisher's business decisions in regard to the game.Time will tell on those things.
I agree with both of you.
The small details matter to my enjoyment and just about everything about this game is different in a good way.
My own personal favorite was when I discovered last beta weekend that horses have their own separate stamina bar and can sprint just like you can!
I already knew that you can "level" your horses along different paths (speedier, stronger, more carrying capacity) which is another nice small change from other themeparks, but sprinting is such a nice useful ability. The whole mount experience is a nice change from the level/gold-tiered speedier mount in other games.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”
― Umberto Eco
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
Originally posted by CazNeerg Themepark just means it relies on static content created by the developers. Since there are no tools for players to create their own content, it's not at all sandbox, so it would be 100% themepark.
Yeah, this post sums it all up.
Yep, but that's not a bad thing. I think people have confused the term to mean linear to extreme levels like in Neverwinter. Plenty of games with giant worlds fall under the themepark banner.
Themeparks are not determined by size, there are plenty of huge themeparks in the world like Disneyworld and Universal Studios, the defining feature is that the content is all generated for you. You are shown what you can ride on and you get to pick what to do from that selection.
If you cant build and create content in the game, then its a themepark. If you can create your own content, then its a sandbox. ESO is 100% themepark, but it has a nice large world to explore in.
For those looking for a truly Elder Scrolls experience at all similar to Morrowind or Skyrim, I would say they will be disappointed. For those that just want to play an MMO like WoW or any other similar MMO, ESO is a relatively solid GAME. In other words, it will work for some and not for others.
In my case I was looking for the Morrowind/Skyrim play with friends involved. I just did not see that in the 30 some hours I played with my friends in beta. My friends agree. None of us plan to play. In fact, we were all invited back for this weekend's beta event and we all have decided to pass. It is telling when my friends pass on a chance to play a game from free.
Originally posted by CazNeerg Themepark just means it relies on static content created by the developers. Since there are no tools for players to create their own content, it's not at all sandbox, so it would be 100% themepark.
This is so wrong. If that was the case name one true "Sandbox" game other then Minecraft.
Sandbox <> content creation
Sandbox can have content creation, but that does not define it. There are no Sandbox MMO's... there are sandbox like mmo's.
I broke NDA with post trying to tell people that the AvA in ESO was pretty darn epic, weeks ago. I was telling them to "grit your teeth and make it to level 10." You know why? I thought the game was being judged on bad information.
Cyrodiil has a score. It has an ending and a beginning, and combat is always expected. You also have to take a portal to get there. Don't get me wrong, it's the reason I'm buying the game, that along with character development. It falls under the umbrella of battleground though.
This site amazes me. People would rather debate which label should be applied to games / mechanics as opposed to weather or not said game / mechanics are actually fun. The best part is, no one can even agree on what the definition of said labels is, which makes the debate more of a train wreck.
Originally posted by CazNeerg Themepark just means it relies on static content created by the developers. Since there are no tools for players to create their own content, it's not at all sandbox, so it would be 100% themepark.
This is so wrong. If that was the case name one true "Sandbox" game other then Minecraft.
Sandbox <> content creation
Sandbox can have content creation, but that does not define it. There are no Sandbox MMO's... there are sandbox like mmo's.
Content creation does not mean physical content. That's why I prefer to think of sandboxes as requiring entertainment/activity creation in order to have something to do in the game.
Originally posted by CazNeerg Themepark just means it relies on static content created by the developers. Since there are no tools for players to create their own content, it's not at all sandbox, so it would be 100% themepark.
This is so wrong. If that was the case name one true "Sandbox" game other then Minecraft.
Sandbox <> content creation
Sandbox can have content creation, but that does not define it. There are no Sandbox MMO's... there are sandbox like mmo's.
Everquest Next Landmark, EVE, Wurm Online and The Repopulation all have content creation and are MMOs. Some people used to define sandbox as MMOs without character classes or levels (such as UO or Darkfall), but I think people have moved beyond that now.
Content creation does not mean physical content. That's why I prefer to think of sandboxes as requiring entertainment/activity creation in order to have something to do in the game.
So what game doesn't have this?
In EQ, I held player driven quests where I would send players on quests to retrieve an item, then give them rewards.
I did the same thing in WOW, RIFT, etc
EVERYGAME can be sandbox by that definition...
The term sandbox, in relation to MMO's, did not even come around until way after WOW, as people were trying to "hate" on the games being developed. That is why I loathe people using that term, as it doesn't even mean what they want it to mean. And in the MMO realm, it will never be accomplished.
Everquest Next Landmark, EVE, Wurm Online and The Repopulation all have content creation and are MMOs. Some people used to define sandbox as MMOs without character classes or levels (such as UO or Darkfall), but I think people have moved beyond that now.
By that definition, Neverwinter is a sandbox.
Sandbox-Like describes all the games you listed. You don't get to design the skills in the games, you don't get to design the terrain, you don't get to mod the armor or effects.
Sandbox is a term that goes back to the MUD days, so no it has nothing to do with WoW. A sandbox game gives you the tools to affect the world in some sort of permanent way. Housing if it isn't just in a special housing zone or instance is a sandbox feature.
There is pretty much nothing sandbox about ESO that I've seen at least.
EQN in theory is a sandbox MMORPG. We'll see what we get in reality.
Minecraft is an example of the purist of Sandbox as without the player the game is just nothing at all. There are definitely shades of gray between Minecraft and a themepark though.
For me the most cut and dry way to look at it is if you log off in one spot of a game and then log on to that same spot on another server, will you just see the same things? In ESO the answer is yes. In a sandbox game the answer is generally no.
Originally posted by Ender4 Sandbox is a term that goes back to the MUD days, so no it has nothing to do with WoW. A sandbox game gives you the tools to affect the world in some sort of permanent way. Housing if it isn't just in a special housing zone or instance is a sandbox feature.There is pretty much nothing sandbox about ESO that I've seen at least.EQN in theory is a sandbox MMORPG. We'll see what we get in reality. Minecraft is an example of the purist of Sandbox as without the player the game is just nothing at all. There are definitely shades of gray between Minecraft and a themepark though.For me the most cut and dry way to look at it is if you log off in one spot of a game and then log on to that same spot on another server, will you just see the same things? In ESO the answer is yes. In a sandbox game the answer is generally no.
Comments
I'm going to disagree with most of the folks, simply because I don't think "themepark" is a dirty word.
To me, hands down ESO is a themepark, you are guided from point to point in your PvE leveling process. I know everyone says you have to explore, other games had that too, it does not make it any less a themepark.
I suspect that ESO does a better job of any recent MMO in hiding the "rails". You are still going to be guided, that is not changing, but you won't feel near as directed in other games. Don't expect it to be as sandbox as UO or SWG was, but it's not as overly scripted and directed as other games.
First Cyrodil is a big battleground, and secondly it has been stated in reviews that the devs are working to put in battlegrounds for different level ranges. Just like DAOC.
I'm not complaining about it but it's still essentially battlegrounds.
"You know nothing, Jon Snow."
Is there something preventing you from finding out for yourself this coming weekend? How can it seem anything to you if you haven't played it?
Having said that, my own personal opinion agrees with what you just said
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
Somebody, somewhere has better skills as you have, more experience as you have, is smarter than you, has more friends as you do and can stay online longer. Just pray he's not out to get you.
It is a pretty standard themepark though it isn't on rails like say WoW or WildStar. You do have a little freedom to move around and a lot of the quests are kind of hidden off the main path.
I broke NDA with post trying to tell people that the AvA in ESO was pretty darn epic, weeks ago. I was telling them to "grit your teeth and make it to level 10." You know why? I thought the game was being judged on bad information.
Cyrodiil has a score. It has an ending and a beginning, and combat is always expected. You also have to take a portal to get there. Don't get me wrong, it's the reason I'm buying the game, that along with character development. It falls under the umbrella of battleground though.
I have to assume you are talking about an entirely other game, because you certainly aren't describing ESO, or are intentionally being misleading.
--------------------------------------
To the OP: this weekend is a Beta Weekend. Please grab a key and find out for yourself what the game is like. I've found that there is a world of difference between firsthand experience and trying to filter through posts like the above to find real information.
It does... the humongous mother of all BGs though
I was expecting it to be BIG when I first when in...didn't realize BIG doesn't even begin to cover it.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
Yup, it's a "battleground", but it's a battleground you never have to leave
No matter how hard you try to push that agenda, people that actually know the difference between a battleground and RvR-style PvP aren't going to agree with you. Did you ever play DAoC, or is your knowledge based in WoW? WoW-style battlegrounds are small instances with easy, short goals. DAoC RvR is lightyears past that, of which ESO's AvA is directly modeled after.
^^^ This.
At least as far as I got(level 16)ESO is pure theme park but hides the rails better than most.They're are quest hubs but it feels natural and the quests from these hubs who'll lead you to most of the other scattered quests or breeze enough for them to pop up on your HUD.Exploration does reward you with excess out of the way quests, resource nodes and public dungeons.But that was true off other MMORPG's in the past.
But as Baikal says being Themepark is not a bad or good thing despite what certain people here will tell you.All that matters is if you find the game enjoyable for a Time you feel is worth the money and you can live with the dev/publisher's business decisions in regard to the game.Time will tell on those things.
the situation in battlegrounds will last for months... the situation is persistent for months... I see a huge difference between a normal battleground and a RvR battle...
I think this kind of PvP deserves its own name, its very special, requires at least 3 teams and is the only main form of PvP in the game..
Its not open world PvP... its not instanced battle grounds... its RvR ... and now stop bickering about the name, and lets all enjoy what is good..
Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)
Aargh! Let's get this fixed.
What is a themepark? Well let's think Disneyland or Six Flags. What happens when you go to one of those places? There are rides and attractions for your entertainment - you can choose which ones to ride or see and basically do what you want, but the entertainment is all laid on for you. And that's why you go there, to ride the rides and see the attractions.
So what is a sandbox? Well it's a pit filled with sand. No rollercoasters or ghost trains just...sand. Why is it fun? Well you can build castles and forts with the sand and pretend you're the king defending against a siege. Or a monorail that takes people to the space station. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination because, well, it's just sand and it's not so fun unless you do something with it.
So why are people always wondering if a game is a themepark or a sandbox? I think because they forget what we really mean by those categories. Very very few MMOs are sandboxes because most of them aim to design your fun for you. A sandbox is an MMO like Mortal Online, or Darkfall or even DayZ to some extent. There is no form of entertainment provided, just the tools with which to make your own entertainment (the pvp has nothing to do with it really, other than being a means to be entertained, if you so choose).
ESO is themepark like any other MMO of similar design. It tells you the various ways in which you will be entertained. It is not any less of a themepark just because it offers options and some freedom (Disneyland gives you options too remember).
I just don't get posts like this. There is no excuse for you to not see it for yourself during the stress test. They are literally giving out access keys, so stop your needless forum QQ and find out for yourself.
I agree with both of you.
The small details matter to my enjoyment and just about everything about this game is different in a good way.
My own personal favorite was when I discovered last beta weekend that horses have their own separate stamina bar and can sprint just like you can!
I already knew that you can "level" your horses along different paths (speedier, stronger, more carrying capacity) which is another nice small change from other themeparks, but sprinting is such a nice useful ability. The whole mount experience is a nice change from the level/gold-tiered speedier mount in other games.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
Yep, but that's not a bad thing. I think people have confused the term to mean linear to extreme levels like in Neverwinter. Plenty of games with giant worlds fall under the themepark banner.
Themeparks are not determined by size, there are plenty of huge themeparks in the world like Disneyworld and Universal Studios, the defining feature is that the content is all generated for you. You are shown what you can ride on and you get to pick what to do from that selection.
If you cant build and create content in the game, then its a themepark. If you can create your own content, then its a sandbox. ESO is 100% themepark, but it has a nice large world to explore in.
For those looking for a truly Elder Scrolls experience at all similar to Morrowind or Skyrim, I would say they will be disappointed. For those that just want to play an MMO like WoW or any other similar MMO, ESO is a relatively solid GAME. In other words, it will work for some and not for others.
In my case I was looking for the Morrowind/Skyrim play with friends involved. I just did not see that in the 30 some hours I played with my friends in beta. My friends agree. None of us plan to play. In fact, we were all invited back for this weekend's beta event and we all have decided to pass. It is telling when my friends pass on a chance to play a game from free.
Let's party like it is 1863!
This is so wrong. If that was the case name one true "Sandbox" game other then Minecraft.
Sandbox <> content creation
Sandbox can have content creation, but that does not define it. There are no Sandbox MMO's... there are sandbox like mmo's.
This site amazes me. People would rather debate which label should be applied to games / mechanics as opposed to weather or not said game / mechanics are actually fun. The best part is, no one can even agree on what the definition of said labels is, which makes the debate more of a train wreck.
Content creation does not mean physical content. That's why I prefer to think of sandboxes as requiring entertainment/activity creation in order to have something to do in the game.
Everquest Next Landmark, EVE, Wurm Online and The Repopulation all have content creation and are MMOs. Some people used to define sandbox as MMOs without character classes or levels (such as UO or Darkfall), but I think people have moved beyond that now.
So what game doesn't have this?
In EQ, I held player driven quests where I would send players on quests to retrieve an item, then give them rewards.
I did the same thing in WOW, RIFT, etc
EVERYGAME can be sandbox by that definition...
The term sandbox, in relation to MMO's, did not even come around until way after WOW, as people were trying to "hate" on the games being developed. That is why I loathe people using that term, as it doesn't even mean what they want it to mean. And in the MMO realm, it will never be accomplished.
By that definition, Neverwinter is a sandbox.
Sandbox-Like describes all the games you listed. You don't get to design the skills in the games, you don't get to design the terrain, you don't get to mod the armor or effects.
Sandbox is a term that goes back to the MUD days, so no it has nothing to do with WoW. A sandbox game gives you the tools to affect the world in some sort of permanent way. Housing if it isn't just in a special housing zone or instance is a sandbox feature.
There is pretty much nothing sandbox about ESO that I've seen at least.
EQN in theory is a sandbox MMORPG. We'll see what we get in reality.
Minecraft is an example of the purist of Sandbox as without the player the game is just nothing at all. There are definitely shades of gray between Minecraft and a themepark though.
For me the most cut and dry way to look at it is if you log off in one spot of a game and then log on to that same spot on another server, will you just see the same things? In ESO the answer is yes. In a sandbox game the answer is generally no.
this guy is spot on.