Surly's Column: Sandbox!

It's that time again for Surly to publish his new column and this time he talks about PvP not being a 'feature' in Darkfall. Want to know what he means? Then read on!

Surly:
Darkfall is not a PvP Game. I say this not as I draw back a fist in preparation of delivering the cliché of a childish notion that Darkfall is 'more' than a game, 'more' than a PvP Game. No, Darkfall is just a game, and is not, nor will it ever be, a PvP Game because it has not implemented a PvP system. PvP is an act; it is the one constant among all multiplayer games regardless of their design goals.

To curtail the untoward conceptions of the sagacious few whose curious travels from the status quo have charmed their souls at the altar of Darkfall is to make clear a very simple notion. It is a simplicity, though, which does not belie an importance worth the ribaldry of a thousand drunken sailors to accent its sweet bouquet. That is to wit, PvP is not a damn feature.

It is not nearly common enough for those who've recently learned of Darkfall to be filled with the wondering of an infant drawing its first breath. Too often are the conceptions of known PvP Games brought aboard a ship of cynicism to the land of Agon and used to build the ramparts of tradition in a place which has none. It is my great pleasure, and indeed my duty as a gamer, to herald reality for the confused and set truth to the accidental deception of the innocently jaded minds.

Darkfall is not a PvP Game. I say this not as I draw back a fist in preparation of delivering the cliché of a childish notion that Darkfall is 'more' than a game, 'more' than a PvP Game. No, Darkfall is just a game, and is not, nor will it ever be, a PvP Game because it has not implemented a PvP system. PvP is an act; it is the one constant among all multiplayer games regardless of their design goals. It is competition, the inherent competition implied by setting two conscious minds in a controlled environment. What people speak of as PvP Games are systems of controlled competition, no more creative than the philosophical adaptation of bumper cars. Designed from the ground up to be an independently developed part of the game, a feature, PvP systems are the bane of the free formed world.

Darkfall's overlying design concept is simple, basic. Deceptively, it is that simplicity which taunts and derides any whose concepts of it are not clear because it is a fundamental difference in not only the function of a game, but also of its purpose. So although simple, the concept is entirely new to most gamers. Even veterans of such sinews that have held the genre together for so long (Ultima Online, Shadowbane, Asheron's Call, EVE Online, etcetera) have yet to truly see the concept reach the fruition which waters our mouths and has us enthralled with its temptation. It is the realization of a 'sandbox' MMO. A world where players are given a plastic shovel and bucket and let loose to build, destroy, and control whatever they wish, however they wish.

To state what a sandbox is, does little to explain the concept. Far more important to its depth is what it isnot. Oh, how the questions rendered by the inquisitive betray them their former inculcation. 'What happens when a player takes control of all the resources in an area? What happens when a clan conquers an entire region? What happens if you sink a ship?'And yet to answer, the word will strike fear into his mind as he recalls the months of his life spent previously in the pursuit of mere items.
'Nothing.' The shrill chatter of repetitive memories turns his guts inside out, 'othing happens. The will of the players, the whims of the world and the politics subjected to it are the only consequence to any action.' 'How can this be?'He grinds his teeth in defiance and looks to the ground to hide the swelling redness of his eyes, 'How can it be that there are no safeguards, no prevention, no preemption?' Broken, to his knees, he weeps.

There is no PvP 'feature'; there is no honor point tracking, no grinding for PvP gear, no silly loot restrictions. No items of profound power or item grinds. There is no invisible hand to save you from the consequences of your actions; the retribution of angry players against you for your transgressions will be unfettered by game mechanics. No classes, no dependencies. Most importantly, there is nothing in the game that you must do to be successful. Everything is available, everything optional, and everything free. This isn't PvP, this is choice; this is freedom.

It is perhaps the truest form of a role-playing game. A novel of endless pages with no words beyond the title, where the living hedonic reflection of one's mind is haphazardly scrawled in the margins as hands of strangers feverishly scribble pieces of their own tattered realities on the pages. It is the one luxury of utter madness, and delivered without the consequence of delusion.

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Great article Surly :D

Keep it up!

I should credit Lindorn and a bunch of other DF Forumbies for the inspiration of this article as we discussed the subject at length.

I have to say, besides waxing the poetic often, the point is clear. The only reason why DFO is considered a "PVP" game is because the peopel who want to play it are (for the msot part) gearing their mindsets towards that. However, even though it is encouraged in some ways, it is not at all impossible to paly the entire game without ever harming another. Would it defeat the purpose? Not at all, because in the end, like EVE, most people merely want to succeed in what they are doing HOWEVER unlike EVE you do not need to be part of something to succeed, simply because you are not restricted in so many ways.

In DFO, i could see someone, depending on how it's implimented, being a farmer and making his way through the world by merely being one who farms the rare or atleast the regionally rare (I.E. being smart enough to grab a niche) and doing well. He may be attacked, his farm may be pillaged yes, but that does nto change that fact that when its's all said and done, the person themselves do not have to play any differently than they wish to.

Well written, but I either missed the point or just don't get it.

Great article Surly, you summed it up perfectly. PvP won't be a feature of Darkfall, it will be a by-product of the freedoms that the developers give us to shape our sandbox. There will be no mechanics or "PvP systems" in place, and that is the single greatest thing ever.

More more!

Panchoe:
Well written, but I either missed the point or just don't get it.

Too many people looking at Darkfall with hesitation do so because of their preconceived notions of what a "PvP Game" is, and rightly so. A traditional PvP Game with full loot would be horrible. People just need to realize that Darkfall is a fundamentally different animal altogether. I chose to make that distinction primarily at "PvP" because it is the most controversial topic of discussion about Darkfall on sites like F13.net, Penny Arcade, MMORPG.com, etcetera.

Surly:

Panchoe:
Well written, but I either missed the point or just don't get it.

Too many people looking at Darkfall with hesitation do so because of their preconceived notions of what a "PvP Game" is, and rightly so. A traditional PvP Game with full loot would be horrible. People just need to realize that Darkfall is a fundamentally different animal altogether. I chose to make that distinction primarily at "PvP" because it is the most controversial topic of discussion about Darkfall on sites like F13.net, Penny Arcade, MMORPG.com, etcetera.

Why didn't you just say so. :)

Nice article. Small quibble though. EVE-Online is a sandbox game. The "overlying design concept" you mention for DFO is the same for EVE. Also, I hope you are not getting your hopes up too high because there will have to be limits on freedom to prevent exploits/griefing, etc. There will also be mechanics which people may or may not like and which many people will debate about, such as the whole "declaring war" mechanic and such. It's like an immigrant coming to America for the first. Yeah, there's all this talk of opportunities, and there are opportunities, but don't over idealize it. Practicalities of the world mean that the reality almost never lives up to the promise.

Beautifully written, I commend your skills Surly.

Absolutely brilliant. I'd say the most important lesson to take away from here is how we can use this information to spread the word to other gamers. These labels, stereotypes, and preconceived notions really do hamper our efforts as gamers. Let's be honest here guys if we really want our genre to evolve and grow we need to "activate" the interests of other gamers out here that may share our ideals and not know it. Unfortunately a lot of these people are brainwashed by the mainstream gaming media (as well as by their peers who have played EQ and WoW for years) into believing that a good MMORPG by necessity must have monotonous skill and item based progression in a controlled developer environment. They are trained to keep a watchful eye and ear out for any PvPer trying to push his "agenda". Go make a pro PvP post on MMORPG.com and see how they fall upon you like wolves.

What I'm trying to get at is this: This is really about our freedom as gamers to build our own magnificent world. This is a style of gaming that is literally exploding in the "underground" right now. People everywhere are looking at us to deliver to them the definition of a "sandbox" and intrigue them into wanting to be a part of this world. It isn't about PvP or risk and reward when you really get down to the meat of the issue. Unfortunately those two concepts are doing us more harm than good when we spread the word because we are emphasizing the negative aspects (from their perspective) when we explain these concepts to them. It is crucial that we explain that the reigns to these virtual worlds should be in the hands of the player. And that true freedom comes with PvP and risk and reward as a necessary by product. If we emphasize the fact that people can live out their fantasies and be anything from a crafter, to a baker, down to the leader of a massive naval empire then we are doing our jobs correctly.

Because let's be honest; in order to play out our own journeys and for all of us to impact each other in a monolithic and magnificent social, economic, and political virtual environment, it is necessary to exist free of the mainstream "amount" of developer control.

This is the message we need to send...and I believe that if we send it loud and clear it won't be long before we realize just how many people share our sentiments with gaming.