Yes, some direction tends to be good to get players into content, im my experience. But maybe I’m just terrible at sandboxes?
Yes, some direction tends to be good to get players into content, im my experience. But maybe I’m just terrible at sandboxes?
I think a lot of it has to do with risk reward management too. Like this isn’t exclusive to the MMO genre, you see it elsewhere. You have two questions: why and what do I get?
The hardest fight in Final Fantasy 7 is the optional emerald boss. Virtually nobody fights him. Why fight him? Its not required and the loot can be gotten elsewhere without fighting a 1mil HP boss.
Skyrim. Why play anything other than stealth archer? You do more damage and don’t risk your health. The reward is the same. You still get the loot.
D&D even if milestone. If I get experience from advancing the story only, then combat earns me very little. It unnecessarily puts me at risk.
If a game is sandbox, then why should I fight these optional bosses or put myself at risk? I stand to lose more than I gain. Management wise, it’s better for me to do nothing which leads to a pretty boring game.