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Message: <blockquote data-quote="S'mon" data-source="post: 5126090" data-attributes="member: 463">Hmm, I'd been avoiding this thread, but it seems to have got a lot better since Melan posted.  <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    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I think there are several fun sorts of campaign to which the sandbox moniker has been attached.  None of these are badwrongfun.From the 1e Dungeooneer's Survival Guide:Open Campaigns - PCs can go anywhere, do anything.  Play is episodic, 'Picaresque' and unconnected.  The environment may be largely pre-created, created in the course of the campaign, or a mix.Matrix Campaigns - PCs explore an environment, discover that lots of different elements are in fact connected together into an interacting matrix; this can form a 'web' at the centre of which might be a villain/antagonist, or something else - eg in Vault of Larin Karr it's the treasure vault itself.  The matrix design allows for player freedom but also a sense of progression and building towards a climax, such as eventually confronting the BBEG in his lair.Contrasted with: Linear campaigns - the adventure path model.  I find use of the Railroad term here unhelpful; the term Railroading was invented to describe a GMing technique of invalidating player choices to force things down a predetermined path.  Linear campaigns do not have to use these "You're all captured" techniques; eg my Willow Vale campaign uses a series of missions (based off modules, eg B5 Horror on the Hill) that build into an adventure path, but within the missions' play areas the PCs are free to do as they wish._________From computer game design:Sand box - a pre-created virtual environment in which the player(s) can explore, play, and do as they will.  The computer game virtual environment is always bounded - perhaps a city (Grand Theft Auto), perhaps eight galaxies and two thousand worlds (Elite).  RPG campaigns can use sandboxes, eg in Vault of Larin Karr it's Quail Valley.  But unlike CRPGs the GM can continue to develop in play in accordance with player actions, so it's perfectly possible to run an Open campaign with no definable 'box'. ___________A separate issue is:PC/Tailored/Scenario based design - setting elements designed with the PCs' interests & their power level in mind, vsSetting/Environment/Status Quo design - setting elements designed objectively without regard to what PCs may encounter it._________You can have an open-sandbox-status quo approach (world sim); you can have an open-sandbox-tailored approach where the game is adapted to the PCs (Elder Scrolls IV).None of these are bad or wrong approaches, they present different challenges and opportunities.  Personally I think the Matrix approach is a good one for published campaigns, it gives much more player choice than a linear approach while still offering the opportunity to build towards a satisfying climax.</blockquote>

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