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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Haltherrion" data-source="post: 5140803" data-attributes="member: 18253">I tend to think of a sandbox as a game where no matter what the players decide to do, the referee will go with it. For that reason, keeping the players in this adventure hub probably isn't a sandbox per se but why worry about that. It could be a fun setting with plenty of choices for the players to make, within the limitations of working from a particular base camp. Most players are reasonable and realize they will get a more enjoyable adventure if they go with what the referee has prepared, especially if they got to decide which arc to persue. Remember, a lot of sandbox games can be rather dull in the wrong hands as the players blunder about looking for something interesting to do. Usually a hierarchy of decision points works well:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Between adventure arcs, give them a lot of freedom in choosing the next arc. You can give them a range of choices or maybe just toss out hooks until they bite on something.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Once they select an arc, the understanding is that they will see it through so they lose some freedom to leave it (within reason). But still give them as much choice as possible in how they approach the adventure.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">These choices will lead to encounters, fighting and roleplaying. Once the encounter starts, the players are 'stuck' there but give them as much freedom as possible in how they resolve it- let them talk their way out of things, if they create an interesting plot idea, consider working it into the adventure.</li> </ul>One thing to watch out for in your concept- if there appear to be say eight adventure arcs but the players try them one by one and find that one after another is "too high level for them" until by luck they finally find a low level one they can do, it will not seem like much freedom and may be rather irritating. Rather than pre-determining the level of most arcs, considering setting the level to match their current level for all but maybe one or two arcs that you can clearly identify, in-game, as very challenging. That gives them something to aspire to defeat some day while giving them free range over most of the setting. Put another way, if you have eight arcs available but at any given level only one or two is accessible, that isn't actually a lot of choice the players have.</blockquote>

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