Advice/Help Any advices/tips on how to GM sandbox specifically ?

[Arnalia]

I love creating world collaboratively, like my fav are godsim were players are gods and shape the world and all.
Which is why I'm fond of sandbox that let you do that. I find it so fun to see the effect my actions had on the world, like seeing how a creature I made interact with another player creation and so on.

The thing is by their very nature sandbox are a place were anything could technically happen if the GM didn't set it in stone. I remarked that this type of rp have some problems I'm not sure how to describe, but that have a different feel from some of the usual one you see in standard rp ?

Like the overall atmosphere/vibe if not defined by the GM could drastically change depending on players.
Ex : some players go grimdark with their world building while the rest prefer a more cozy setting.
And sometimes those two are destined to clash or be incompatible.
Or what do you do if you began in the middle age and then some players want to make the world advance technologically but others want to stay there ? OOC argument can even get worse then usual if players all have the same amount of power in creating and affecting the world and they happen to clash on something.

And of course the dreaded "nothing interesting happen and the rp drag on" problems that I see a lot complain about sandbox.

So as someone that have considered becoming a gm for a long time.
Is there any advices or tips that GMs used to run sandbox would have for me ?

 

[Spoiled Bread]

If you want the sandbox to run by itself without too much of your meddling, better form the group with people you know and trust. This type of sandbox is fragile and usually ends up with nothing is happening problem so having group that already have chemistry should help with the problem... theoritically. I never see this kind of RP running for long honestly.

Another kind of RP is the one where players are free to do what they want but the GM practically controls the world and give response to every players. I think this fare better since the world is now more consistent and you can weave one or two overarching plots while at it, but it is tiring and a lot of GMs who tried to do this ends up burning out themself. Limiting the number of players to a small amount can help with this, or you can also try appointing co-GMs that share your vision.

 

[Elohim]

Sounds kind of like you're looking for a plot idea that can transition into a sandbox environment. No matter what type of RP you're attempting to make, if it's going to be on this grand of a scale, you are going to require a few things.

1- A longterm goal they can advance towards, with smaller goals in-between that will show growth.
2- A conflict they must face that will impede that advancement. This is a conflict that must require the cooperation of multiple players to encourage interaction.

As a GM, your goal is to almost ALWAYS have something that your player's characters can do. They must feel that they are making a type of impact, while also having the freedom of choice, which you seem to be providing a lot of here. However, this is likely the hardest part of your specific concept here- imaginative burnout.

Despite freedom of choice being important, you may still find some players may prefer to be 'handheld' more than others and be simply led into interesting scenarios, where their actions are guided heavier by the GM. Others will branch out on their own and do not require these types of moments as often. Personally for something like a sandbox, you're going to want the latter type of player. Whatever the case, make sure you are still providing feedback to them through your own characters, or getting another player character to interact with them and their creations. The best GMs are the ones that can prompt the other players into action while remaining consistent, and still performing those little pushes in a natural way.

Honestly, it sounds kind of like the people you want to play in your games are other GMs, if you are expecting people to make their own worlds and have them clash/interact. Regardless, here's an example of a plot you could play on.

Plot example - As part of a morality experiment on all the player characters involved, they have signed up to be test subjects in a grand technological breakthrough; simulated worlds, crafted by them! The process requires them to be placed in stasis pods, where their consciousness will be ejected into their new sandbox universes, where they are the gods of their own worlds. However, unfortunately during the experiment's beginning stages, their worlds are beginning to leak together and collide in odd ways. The worst of it- an outside force that seems to have other plans for the fate of these inner universes...

Overall there is a lot you can do, just make sure everyone's willing to work together on some level!

 

[Arnalia]

If you want the sandbox to run by itself without too much of your meddling, better form the group with people you know and trust. This type of sandbox is fragile and usually ends up with nothing is happening problem so having group that already have chemistry should help with the problem... theoritically. I never see this kind of RP running for long honestly.

Another kind of RP is the one where players are free to do what they want but the GM practically controls the world and give response to every players. I think this fare better since the world is now more consistent and you can weave one or two overarching plots while at it, but it is tiring and a lot of GMs who tried to do this ends up burning out themself. Limiting the number of players to a small amount can help with this, or you can also try appointing co-GMs that share your vision.

Thank you. I was def thinking more about the latter type of sandbox rp. I was thinking of allowing a bigger number of players so the world felt alive, but I will most likely restrain their numbers to ~6 something now.

Sounds kind of like you're looking for a plot idea that can transition into a sandbox environment. No matter what type of RP you're attempting to make, if it's going to be on this grand of a scale, you are going to require a few things.

1- A longterm goal they can advance towards, with smaller goals in-between that will show growth.
2- A conflict they must face that will impede that advancement. This is a conflict that must require the cooperation of multiple players to encourage interaction.

As a GM, your goal is to almost ALWAYS have something that your player's characters can do. They must feel that they are making a type of impact, while also having the freedom of choice, which you seem to be providing a lot of here. However, this is likely the hardest part of your specific concept here- imaginative burnout.

Despite freedom of choice being important, you may still find some players may prefer to be 'handheld' more than others and be simply led into interesting scenarios, where their actions are guided heavier by the GM. Others will branch out on their own and do not require these types of moments as often. Personally for something like a sandbox, you're going to want the latter type of player. Whatever the case, make sure you are still providing feedback to them through your own characters, or getting another player character to interact with them and their creations. The best GMs are the ones that can prompt the other players into action while remaining consistent, and still performing those little pushes in a natural way.

Honestly, it sounds kind of like the people you want to play in your games are other GMs, if you are expecting people to make their own worlds and have them clash/interact. Regardless, here's an example of a plot you could play on.

Plot example - As part of a morality experiment on all the player characters involved, they have signed up to be test subjects in a grand technological breakthrough; simulated worlds, crafted by them! The process requires them to be placed in stasis pods, where their consciousness will be ejected into their new sandbox universes, where they are the gods of their own worlds. However, unfortunately during the experiment's beginning stages, their worlds are beginning to leak together and collide in odd ways. The worst of it- an outside force that seems to have other plans for the fate of these inner universes...

Overall there is a lot you can do, just make sure everyone's willing to work together on some level!

Thank you for your advices. They are really helpful ! I will make sure to think about an overarching plot that bring everyone together.

I was more thinking of the world being defined in some place and the players being free to fill the empty space left. I was thinking world builders but I guess that's part of the role of GM. So I can see why it would look like that.