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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 3893327" data-attributes="member: 22779">Fair enough.&nbsp; And explains why I'm having a problem using the definition that RC is using.&nbsp; Considering they emphatically state that they are using the broadest definition possible, it's not really surprising that some (like me) would not care for that definition.Ahh, there's our disconnect.&nbsp; I don't define this as sandbox, I define this as episodic.&nbsp; The problem with pointing to Trek is that the characters in Trek actually never had any choice about their next adventure.&nbsp; Their next adventure was entirely scripted.&nbsp; An episodic campaign is exactly this - a series of adventures with the only link being common characters.To me, sandbox style gaming is almost entirely player driven.&nbsp; It's far closer to (please excuse the computer gaming analogy) something like Ultima V where you start at place X and then it's pretty much entirely up to the players where they go next.&nbsp; If they decide to drop adventure Y and go off for adventure Z that's groovy, since it's already set what is over that next hill.In episodic, you never really go over that next hill because the adventure is right here.Oh, no, I agree, you don't have to have a multi-year campaign to make sandbox style gaming work.&nbsp; Isle of Dread is a prime example of sandbox gaming.&nbsp; Here's the Island, you start at the village, what do you want to do?&nbsp; World's Largest Dungeon takes pretty much the exact same direction.&nbsp; You start at Point A, somewhere off in the unknown is the Exit.&nbsp; How you get there is entirely up to you.But, being able to drop an adventure into a sandbox game isn't quite the same though.&nbsp;&nbsp; That doesn't make that adventure a sandbox style adventure.&nbsp; Cult of the Reptile God is not a sandbox adventure.&nbsp; You could plop it on the map and if the players happen to go to Orlane, that's the adventure they have, but, that doesn't change the fact that the adventure itself isn't sandbox style in the way something like Isle of Dread or even Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil is.I'm most certainly NOT saying that it never happened.&nbsp; That wouldn't be true.&nbsp; My quibble is the idea that it was somehow prevalent.&nbsp; Glyfair, however, is a much better person to answer whether or not it was prevalent in the pages of early Dragon or not.&nbsp; <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />&nbsp; In modules?&nbsp; Not so much.&nbsp; At least, no more than today.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 3893327, member: 22779"] Fair enough. And explains why I'm having a problem using the definition that RC is using. Considering they emphatically state that they are using the broadest definition possible, it's not really surprising that some (like me) would not care for that definition. Ahh, there's our disconnect. I don't define this as sandbox, I define this as episodic. The problem with pointing to Trek is that the characters in Trek actually never had any choice about their next adventure. Their next adventure was entirely scripted. An episodic campaign is exactly this - a series of adventures with the only link being common characters. To me, sandbox style gaming is almost entirely player driven. It's far closer to (please excuse the computer gaming analogy) something like Ultima V where you start at place X and then it's pretty much entirely up to the players where they go next. If they decide to drop adventure Y and go off for adventure Z that's groovy, since it's already set what is over that next hill. In episodic, you never really go over that next hill because the adventure is right here. Oh, no, I agree, you don't have to have a multi-year campaign to make sandbox style gaming work. Isle of Dread is a prime example of sandbox gaming. Here's the Island, you start at the village, what do you want to do? World's Largest Dungeon takes pretty much the exact same direction. You start at Point A, somewhere off in the unknown is the Exit. How you get there is entirely up to you. But, being able to drop an adventure into a sandbox game isn't quite the same though. That doesn't make that adventure a sandbox style adventure. Cult of the Reptile God is not a sandbox adventure. You could plop it on the map and if the players happen to go to Orlane, that's the adventure they have, but, that doesn't change the fact that the adventure itself isn't sandbox style in the way something like Isle of Dread or even Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil is. I'm most certainly NOT saying that it never happened. That wouldn't be true. My quibble is the idea that it was somehow prevalent. Glyfair, however, is a much better person to answer whether or not it was prevalent in the pages of early Dragon or not. :) In modules? Not so much. At least, no more than today. [/QUOTE]

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