discussion Do You Like Sandbox Elements in Visual Novels?

[rain.tamerah]

Every single sandbox AVN I've played is just a normal VN with extra steps. There is no increased agency or enjoyment. It's wait until this time to allow this to trigger, repeat. Oh this event only triggers on Saturdays, wait an entire week to get a required scene. I've yet to see a sandbox actually add to game play and not just increase the tedium. Anyone have opinions or games worth checking out?

 

[Neurasiatic]

Time Loop Hunter would be one. The game is built around having specific events trigger on specific days and having to constantly rewind time to take different paths, interact with different characters, explore the different outcomes events can have, etc... Which would be impossible to recreate in a standard linear VN.
Shame that it has kinda collapsed under its own weight by years of content being added to the point it basically requires a walkthrough to play it as the in-game hint system is not sufficient and you will get stuck because you're missing specific sequence of choices somewhere.
But still, interesting concept.

 

[AnyNameYouWish]

Probably the same reason AAA studios keep making open-world games when the story would greatly benefit from a streamlined focus: it makes the final product seem greater than it really is. You make the game broader, even superficially, yet not an inch deeper, and people think it's grand in scope. By the time they realise it isn't they've already given you their money. And that's assuming they realise it at all or want to admit it; some people enjoy things that feel big regardless of their actual quality, while others ride the sunk cost fallacy right into the ground.

 

[fossa]

There is only a couple sandbox games which seem to do it right.

One I would definitely recommend is The Regional Manager. Only warning -- you have to play the psychopatic corpo leader route, the romantic path is not yet coded by the dev . Tons of content. I guess it works because it has a huge number of characters (over 20 I think), but they all are woven sorta seamlessly in your life. Also you have built-in hints and options to skip money earning or tiredness. Makes for a very satisfying run.

It does have sandbox, but it's really quite good, imo. It also has these moments when you see a random character and talk with her, and think, damn, why can't I get her.
And half a game later you land in position to do things with her. But you'd never think you actually would get her, we're talking like side characters.

 

[AsuraEU]

Because it stretches playtime. Sandbox VNs aren't bad per se, poorly made sandbox games are.

 

[lacrim]

I'm very fond of developers who put a replay gallery in their games. And of course also thank you very much to all modders who put in the effort where the original artist doesn't seem to care.

 

[AsuraEU]

I'm very fond of developers who put a replay gallery in their games. And of course also thank you very much to all modders who put in the effort where the original artist doesn't seem to care.

That's... not what this thread is about.

 

[johnman300]

A sandbox like Come Home works pretty well. It only works well because you aren't grinding anything. No points or items or the like, you just pick a girl to go see. And don't pick a girl you don't want to see. In that game it works pretty well as player agency is respected. In a game like Power Vacuum it works less well. Don't get me wrong, Power Vacuum is a great game, but no because of, but despite the sandbox. You HAVE to do everything in PV is continue on. There is no real optional content. It could have easily been done as a regular AVN, and been the better for it.

 

[cleanermc]

I find some Sandbox are really ok but only a few the other are only grindgames dont know why they do it.

 

[whodunnit]

I see two distinct possibilities. Firstly, they see a blank canvas and just want to create stuff. They place a happy little bush here, place a happy little cumslut there; ah, the joy of creation. Second possibility, They see an open ended project that they can endlessly milk for patreon dollars.

 

[AsuraEU]

I see two distinct possibilities. Firstly, they see a blank canvas and just want to create stuff. They place a happy little bush here, place a happy little cumslut there; ah, the joy of creation. Second possibility, They see an open ended project that they can endlessly milk for patreon dollars.

Thanks for your input, Jeff Ross.

 

[whodunnit]

Thanks for your input, Jeff Ross.

Bob Bezos would have had better aliteration.

 

[rain.tamerah]

There is only a couple sandbox games which seem to do it right.

One I would definitely recommend is The Regional Manager. Only warning -- you have to play the psychopatic corpo leader route, the romantic path is not yet coded by the dev . Tons of content. I guess it works because it has a huge number of characters (over 20 I think), but they all are woven sorta seamlessly in your life. Also you have built-in hints and options to skip money earning or tiredness. Makes for a very satisfying run.

It does have sandbox, but it's really quite good, imo. It also has these moments when you see a random character and talk with her, and think, damn, why can't I get her.
And half a game later you land in position to do things with her. But you'd never think you actually would get her, we're talking like side characters.

I'll give it a try, thank you.

 

[lacrim]

That's... not what this thread is about.

Oh yeah, your right. While thinking about the topic i must have digressed somewhere.

Back to topic and what i originally wanted to say was that while the argument of sandboxes are timefilling sure is often valid there are some games in which the machanics are quite good and comprehensible for the storyline. The latter are very scarse though.
Developers of really grindy sandboxes seem to hate people and want to waste their time.

 

[Alty1234]

sometimes the re nice

 

[Waffles]

Because it forces people to play the game longer. I figure at some point, a dev will make a good sandbox that isn't so grindy or requires you to wait for a certain day to get some scenes.

 

[Spring]

I enjoy the Sandbox feel.
For me it feels like I have more control even when it's a scenario setup that no events are missed.
House in the Rift is one of my favorite of this genre.

 

[User_80256]

Why do sandboxes keep being released? Probably because there is a demand for them. For example, I love sandboxes, one of my favorite games is Bright Past.
Yes, there's a lot of grind, but 80 hours of gameplay is totally worth it.
Of the relatively new projects, I like Club Detention and High School Days (there's still some great cartoon graphics that catch my eye).

 

[Nosian]

Honestly, I don't mind a little grind and interactivity in my games. I tend to get distracted and bored if all that is involved is reading with the occasional animation/porn scene to break it up.

 

[co654]

Just makes you edge longer...