Poll: Do you follow a sandboxes story?

[redisforever]

In an open world game, do you usually follow the storyline, or do you roleplay as just another person in the world?

I spent hours in the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. just exploring the world. I never finished it, but I love it. I just bought Red Dead Redemption, and I did a few mission, but I just spend my time wandering around the desert on my horse, just... living.

So, what do you do?

 

[Sleekgiant]

I play for both, it just takes me longer to get missions done in a sandbox game than a linear game.

 

[redisforever]

I play for both, it just takes me longer to get missions done in a sandbox game than a linear game.

Oh, I think I should add that option to the poll.

 

[Sixcess]

I tend to get sidetracked a lot.

I once spent a week or so in Fallen Earth (playing every day) in which I earned about half a level's worth of experience in total. The rest of the time was spent exploring, admiring the scenery and trying to glitch my way into a level 50 restricted zone with a level 25. I almost made it too...

And I have a secondary character in the same game who I never do any missions with, and who eats twice a day and sleeps during the night. I don't play that character often, but when I do it's very relaxing.

 

[Zhukov]

No.

I am yet to play a sandbox game with a story worth following.

And no, before someone pulls me up on this, I have not played any Rockstar games. I have GTA IV and Red Dead Redemption, but I haven't got around to playing them.

 

[ChupathingyX]

What about following a story not because of the story itself, but because of the characters involved in it? In which case I would put down Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction as an example.

I would also say Destroy All Humans! and DAH! 2 but I'm not sure if they're considered "sandbox" games.

Finally; Fallout: New Vegas, because I was interested in the politics of the Mojave and really eager to see the various endings.

 

[NickySquicky]

It depends on the game. In Skyrim, for instance, I've worked more on side quests than the campaign. Also, in Assassin's Creed (if it's considered a "sandbox" game it's very small compared to others) I've worked on all the side bits like buying shops and training assassins. However, the story is the main thing I'm interested in, so of course I'll get to it eventually. San Andreas is perhaps the game I spent the most time messing around in and not doing any sort of missions, considering how fun blowing stuff up and using cheat codes was. I've never even beaten the campaign and I've owned three different copies.

 

[The_Blue_Rider]

Yes I do, I generally go through the main story on my first playthrough, then dick around on subsequent ones. And some sandboxes do have great stories, Red Dead Redemption and GTA4 for example, New Vegas too. I want to say Skyrim because it actually has an interesting plot but the characters are boring as hell

 

[skywolfblue]

I play for both, it just takes me longer to get missions done in a sandbox game than a linear game.

This.

I get into the side quests and going to random places to see more of the world, but the story is my main attraction.

 

[Kimarous]

It depends on the game. Some games have more interesting sidequest storylines, others need story progression to truly experience the sandbox, and others have simply decent stories. The only sandbox game I can think off where I've actively avoided the main story was Oblivion... and that's because I played through it once and HATED it! It more or less ruined my playthrough until I got it over and done with. Statue in Bruma was nice, though...

 

[StormShaun]

I do both things.

I follow the story until I find some more fun to do, in Red Dead Redemption, I ran on my horse doing the missions until I unlocked more towns, weapons and the bounty hunter missions and I started to do heaps of them until I got to a side quest.

In things like Saints Row, I just screw around for a while and then do the missions to unlock new things that make me screw around more.

So it depends about the story and if I can get into the game, but eventually I try to complete the story.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I have the attention span of a kitten in a tinsel storage warehouse when I play open world games.

I will finish the main quest line after I've done everything else. Oblivion was horrible though.

As a woman I really can't bring myself to work for the Legion in Fallout Vegas even though I love that game, I always end up independent or NCR.

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

I love games like Farcry2, where it was sandbox, but you always felt like you were continuing the story... The missions were used to collect currency, and the collectables were all story related! If you go and do what you want, you can make your own missions storming camps, and upsetting the factions... But with the constant malaria reminder, and the constant fighting of factions (seriously where were the civilians!?) reminded you that you were an outsider, and had a mission to do!

 

[Vault101]

of coarase...Iwant a game for more than just screwing around

 

[TheDarkKing]

I do do the main storyline, but it generally takes me ages to get it finished due to the fact that there are so many side quests and stuff.

 

[Cogwheel]

I play for both, it just takes me longer to get missions done in a sandbox game than a linear game.

That's me, depending on the story. STALKER or Morrowind? See above.

Just Cause 2? I have... somewhat less focus to spare for the story.

 

[chaosyoshimage]

I follow the story in all the games I play no matter how terrible it is...

 

[The Maddest March Hare]

I always endeavor to finish the story in any sandbox, but rarely within the first few hours as is usually possible. Skyrim can be done in 3-4 hours, I completed the main story at level 45 after the 80 or so hour mark just because many shiny interesting things distracted me from my path. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. I got to 37 or so hours on, great fun but the story hasn't made me want to complete it yet, I'm having more fun running around the map finding artifacts and getting stupidly rich..

Generally I follow the story when I feel it makes sense to, maybe because the next main objective is directly in front of me after following a few other minor quest lines and ending up there.

 

[tthor]

Does Grand Theft Auto 3 even have a story? I was too busy shooting down helicopters and riding my flying tank to notice~

 

[PurePareidolia]

Sure. If there's a story to follow I'll generally play it.

Except in Just Cause 2, but then again, it's like I said - only if there's a story to follow.