Journal Entry 7: The Sandpark of Wild Star

So in case you haven’t heard, there’s a new MMO that will be out Soon™ called Wild Star.

This MMO has been labelled as a sandpark^[1]. For some quick definitions:

• Sandpark: a combination of sandbox and themepark
• Sandbox (gaming): a game with no set rules, and often no set levels; there is no plot or story line to follow and you can do what you want. Example: Second Life.
• Themepark (gaming): a game where there is a set story line and a story line quest you’re expected to follow with many side quests.

So how does Wild Star marry these two separate concepts, a sandbox game and a themepark game, into a single sandpark game? There’s a story line quest with side quests, but you don’t have to do any quests if you don’t want to.

Another way that this game proves to be innovative is that it takes a once-thought long-dead concept and revives it into use – open, seamless worlds. Specifically, the game’s world Nexus is open and seamless^[2]. The only time it isn’t is when you’re doing instance dungeons. But otherwise, no portals (and consequently wait time) to jump through to enter a city.

This game seems to promise an interesting story arc with a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Are there serious parts? Surely. But the game makers know how to have a laugh, how to encourage others to have a laugh (or a smirk or grin), and how to balance that oh-so-sticky scale of serious and silly.

For those looking for some typical characteristics of MMOs, there is a class system, a quest system, a leveling system, two warring factions (Dominion and Exiles [GO EXILES!]) and numerous races to pick from.

For those looking to just explore, this game has that too. There are plenty of interesting things to see and explore on your own or through quests.

Screenshot from the Game

Release date? Hopefully 2013.

But we’ll just have to wait and see.