Look at all that sand!

[Dionysusjones]

Come Timmy and look at the abundant sandbox we have built for you. Enjoy it in all its glory. The sandbox is here for you to enjoy. Come look at all the various sand castles that we have built for you to interact with. Look at these castles we built. You can take these sea shells from one castle to another! And if you take enough seashells to one castle they will no longer want seashells! You can change the sandbox Timmy isn't that great!?

Timmy began to ask So can i make things with these seashells? Oh no the man said only creators can make things.. But look at all the sand Timmy look at all the sand.

Timmy went off to play in the sandbox. After a while he came back with more questions. He asks the man. So Mister I have been to a lot of these sand castles and a lot of them look the same. After you see a few of them all that really changes is the name. The man exclaims Oh but you must enjoy all the sand! Look at all the sand Timmy look at the sand! Timmy gets an idea. Mister could me and my friends build our own sand castle? Oh NO the man says only the creators can make sand castles. And if you don't like it you can build your own sandbox. Timmy remarks Oh... I don't want to build my own sandbox I just wanted to make yours a bit more fun. Timmy gets another idea. Mister what if me and my friends want to kick over a sand castle? That could be fun. Oh NO the man says you cannot do that! Just look at the sand Timmy!

Timmy digs up some rocks that he found. I found these rocks that are the foundation for building things! Surely now i can make something? He asks the man. Oh NO the man says you can give the rocks to the sand castles! What will the sand castles do with my rocks? Timmy asks. Nothing. Says the man, But just look at all this sand Timmy look at the sand.

Timmy seems confused. I thought that the purpose of a sandbox was to make things with the sand is it not? Oh NO Timmy you get to look at the sand! We build things for you to look at. And sometimes we will make events in the sandbox for you to join in. Look at all this sand Timmy, Just look at the sand.

 

[Jezzah]

Interesting way of putting it OP. It's all true though as an anology.

Just look at all that sand!

 

[CrispyBacon]

I feel the same. Sand sand sand.... And no Tonka trucks.

 

[philux]

Well put, OP!

ED is that infinite ocean of systems where in each in every one you can essentially do ~5 simplistic tasks with little to non persistent impact on your environment...

 

[Hyena]

I never liked sandpits, remind me of my cats litter tray. Always scared i'll find a long-forgotten poop if I dig too deep.

 

[CmdrSimonsen]

Some find great joy playing in the sandbox, others leave for a different sandbox.
Luckily, there's very little trace left of those that left.
I like this sand.

 

[nexxo]

I like making sand angels (it's like snow angels, but in sand).

 

[Deleted member 38366]

-- Deleted --

 

[SlackR]

Timmy doesn't like sand?

 

[Yaffle]

If you disagree with the OP then feel free to make an incisive observation, or a meaningful retort.

If you think it's flamebait/clickbait then stay out. If nobody posts the thread will die...

 

[Agony_Aunt]

I love the sand. Plenty of things to do in it. Enjoying it immensely.

 

[Dionysusjones]

Thanks to those who "get it" I assure you this wasn't planned as flame bait at all but merely a way to express my current disappointment while also maybe sparking our imagination on what our sandbox COULD be. I don't hate this game at all on the contrary i long for it to be better and get better. If you consider it a troll I'm sorry you feel this way

 

[Efinel]

Good for Timmy! Asks all the right questions. I can see a bright future for that young cadet. That strange man creeps me out a bit though!

 

[Chaotic-Entropy]

Come Timmy and look at the abundant sandbox we have built for you. Enjoy it in all its glory. The sandbox is here for you to enjoy. Come look at all the various sand castles that we have built for you to interact with. Look at these castles we built. You can take these sea shells from one castle to another! And if you take enough seashells to one castle they will no longer want seashells! You can change the sandbox Timmy isn't that great!?

Timmy began to ask So can i make things with these seashells? Oh no the man said only creators can make things.. But look at all the sand Timmy look at all the sand.

Timmy went off to play in the sandbox. After a while he came back with more questions. He asks the man. So Mister I have been to a lot of these sand castles and a lot of them look the same. After you see a few of them all that really changes is the name. The man exclaims Oh but you must enjoy all the sand! Look at all the sand Timmy look at the sand! Timmy gets an idea. Mister could me and my friends build our own sand castle? Oh NO the man says only the creators can make sand castles. And if you don't like it you can build your own sandbox. Timmy remarks Oh... I don't want to build my own sandbox I just wanted to make yours a bit more fun. Timmy gets another idea. Mister what if me and my friends want to kick over a sand castle? That could be fun. Oh NO the man says you cannot do that! Just look at the sand Timmy!

Timmy digs up some rocks that he found. I found these rocks that are the foundation for building things! Surely now i can make something? He asks the man. Oh NO the man says you can give the rocks to the sand castles! What will the sand castles do with my rocks? Timmy asks. Nothing. Says the man, But just look at all this sand Timmy look at the sand.

Timmy seems confused. I thought that the purpose of a sandbox was to make things with the sand is it not? Oh NO Timmy you get to look at the sand! We build things for you to look at. And sometimes we will make events in the sandbox for you to join in. Look at all this sand Timmy, Just look at the sand.

*standing ovation*

Well put. More akin to a sandcastle competition beach, where you are not a contestant but merely an onlooker.

 

[Dabba]

Grain of truth, wave of hyperbole.

 

[philux]

Thanks to those who "get it" I assure you this wasn't planned as flame bait at all but merely a way to express my current disappointment while also maybe sparking our imagination on what our sandbox COULD be. I don't hate this game at all on the contrary i long for it to be better and get better. If you consider it a troll I'm sorry you feel this way

Same here. If I wouldn't care about the future of the game, I wouldn't post here any more. Similar to the OP, I feel that the game still lacks the illusion of a vibrant, living universe with believable interactions with NPCs, faction and the environment at large.

 

[tresch]

I would like to propose another analogy.

Timmy's brother makes him some sculptures in the sand so Timmy can play a game. He can look at the sculptures and trade seashells, and play war between the sandcastles. The brother put lots of work in building this world for Timmy to play in. But Timmy says "can i build new sandcastles?" and his brother says "of course you can! Just learn how to sculpt the sand and you can build whatever you want, just like me!" But Timmy says "but I don't want to do that. I want to make sandcastles like just like yours, in your world. I don't want to make my own world. I want to tell you to make sandcastles wherever I want them.

His brother is displeased. He put in all this word for his brother, but Timmy isn't satisfied and wants his brother to change it however Timmy wants. He wants to help Timmy, and make more worlds for him, but it takes him time, it takes a lot of work! Timmy wants it now. Timmy is now crying and smashing the sandcastles and threatening to run away and never play with his brother again, because he didn't make the sandcastles however HE wanted them, and spend time making him tools so he could build castles just like his brothers without having to learn how to sculpt the sand himself.

Timmy's brother says "stop being a brat"

You see, you can make whatever you want. You can learn programming and make whatever game you like. If someone makes a game that doesn't have a feature that you want, it's not some awful moral violation. No one is binding your hands and reducing your freedom. By making this sandbox, they have given you something new you CAN do, they're not reducing your options in life. You were not born with the RIGHT to build your own space stations or whatever in a game called Elite: Dangerous.

I'm not saying criticism isn't valid, I'm just saying that it's a little, well, bratty, to equate a game not tools for players to create infinite content as somehow an assault to your freedom. It's a stretch, at best

 

[Riepah]

I would like to propose another analogy.

Where's the part where Timmy's brother charged him money to enter the sandpit, luring him there by promising him more than there was?

 

[Nikonthenet]

Do not try and change the sand, thats impossible! Instead...only try to realize the truth. There is no sand.

 

[Sanderson]

Little Timmy obviously isn't mature enough to play ED. I'd suggest something more age appropriate like Minecraft. Or, if little Timothy is a bright boy, he would try blocks instead of sand?