D&D General Working on a new open world city "sandbox" adventure! What would entice you to buy it?

[Catolias]

For me, managing a game for a sandbox city only works if the players know that they can visit every street and shop to be explored and get a sense that there are different vibes in different parts of the city. It has to be reasonably seemless and provide the goldilocks amount of detail.

Also, there has to be a clear sense on the city’s structure - politically (how is it managed?), economically and historically (why does it exist?), and socially (what are the parts of the city that keep it together?)

Oh, and maps, pictures . There have to be maps of the town, unique areas and the like to allow players to orient themselves

 

[Accaris]

For me, managing a game for a sandbox city only works if the players know that they can visit every street and shop to be explored and get a sense that there are different vibes in different parts of the city. It has to be reasonably seemless and provide the goldilocks amount of detail.

Also, there has to be a clear sense on the city’s structure - politically (how is it managed?), economically and historically (why does it exist?), and socially (what are the parts of the city that keep it together?)

Oh, and maps, pictures . There have to be maps of the town, unique areas and the like to allow players to orient themselves

Lots of random charts?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Generators. Lots and lots of generators.

Don't make me think up a name on the fly and expect it to fit into the world. That damned NPC that the players insist on interacting with might well be someone I'm stuck using for six years and, as The Adventure Zone showed us, you don't want that NPC to be named something dumb like "Barry Bluejeans."

I would rather have generators than actual hardcore detail. I don't want to be required to remember the name of the miller's eldest daughter on King Street. If it ever comes up, let me roll it on the spot and make a note.

Make the rest of the book full of stuff that's actionable and useful in games.

And lordy, make it well organized. Use Ptolus as your north star here, rather than the indifferently organized WotC books. If I can easily find what I'm looking for in a 600 page copy of Ptolus mid-game (and I can), think of how convenient a book half that size will be to use, when organized in a similar fashion.

Lots of reusable maps: This is what a sample shop's layout is, here's what a typical tavern looks like, here's some sewers maps, here's a thieves guild, etc.

 

[Tonguez]

First Cities need to have character, their own story and feel. City stories need three frames/aspects being: Past Threat/Issue - Current Issues - Impending Doom

Cities are also all about interesting factions to interact with, Factions should have interesting Power brokers (NPCs) and a network of motivations, desires and relationships that link the various factions to the cities story and provide hooks for PC involvement.

Then create Wards, and interesting locations for the Factions and Powerbrokers to be found.
BUT also remember that wards also need to have regular NPCs that are part of the life of the neighbourhood and have small street level stories but dont have to link to the Factions.
So yes Tables that let PCs create their friends and neighbours -the local shopkeeper, the pretty landlords daughter or the homeless beggar on the street corner.