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<blockquote data-quote="GlassJaw" data-source="post: 7938057" data-attributes="member: 22103">I love sandboxes. That said, my view of what a sandbox is - or at least what is fun - has changed over the years.Unless it's a video game, the traditional hexcrawl isn't fun. Players need hooks (and remember kids, create hooks, not plot). Hooks give player's choice, when then creates emotional investment.The hexcrawl map is fine but it can't stand alone. The map needs to have context. Players need to have the &quot;why&quot; so they can created a semi-informed choice.LMoP and CoS do this extremely well. These adventures aren't just maps with a hodgepodge of random locations that exist in a vacuum. The hooks, leads, and rumors create a lattice that links all the locations together. That's what makes a good sandbox.I also HIGHLY recommend checking out <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/180558/The-Beast-of-Graenseskov-An-Introductory-Ravenloft-Adventure" target="_blank">The Beast of Graenseskov</a> (now only $3 on DMs Guild!) written by EN World's own [USER=20323]@Quickleaf[/USER] . It is an absolutely amazing showcase of how to create a mystery sandbox within a relatively small geographic area. A sandbox doesn't just have to be locations; the NPCs the players interact with also have their own motivations, goals, and secrets. These provide way more fuel for the players' motivation than which hex to go to next.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="GlassJaw, post: 7938057, member: 22103"] I love sandboxes. That said, my view of what a sandbox is - or at least what is fun - has changed over the years. Unless it's a video game, the traditional hexcrawl isn't fun. Players need hooks (and remember kids, create hooks, not plot). Hooks give player's choice, when then creates emotional investment. The hexcrawl map is fine but it can't stand alone. The map needs to have context. Players need to have the "why" so they can created a semi-informed choice. LMoP and CoS do this extremely well. These adventures aren't just maps with a hodgepodge of random locations that exist in a vacuum. The hooks, leads, and rumors create a lattice that links all the locations together. That's what makes a good sandbox. I also HIGHLY recommend checking out [URL='https://www.dmsguild.com/product/180558/The-Beast-of-Graenseskov-An-Introductory-Ravenloft-Adventure']The Beast of Graenseskov[/URL] (now only $3 on DMs Guild!) written by EN World's own [USER=20323]@Quickleaf[/USER] . It is an absolutely amazing showcase of how to create a mystery sandbox within a relatively small geographic area. A sandbox doesn't just have to be locations; the NPCs the players interact with also have their own motivations, goals, and secrets. These provide way more fuel for the players' motivation than which hex to go to next. [/QUOTE]

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