If FFXIV is a theme park MMO, what other types of MMOs are there?

[BlaiseArath]

The problem is that "sandbox" is just a keyword used in marketing and has absolutely no bearing on the "sandbox-worthiness" of the game.

For a game to be a true sandbox, it has to be a persistent world that functions regardless if the player is in it or not. UO originally started that way. But sharding and spamability of monsters demotes it to Themepark.

A true Sandbox MMO:
1) Is "ONE" world, not a dozen copies of one, and does not instance out of "fairness" but for local capacity.
2) Is not indelible, the world must be changable by the players without the server needing to be patched to change the content
3) Has an entity-driven market, whereby you can't simply harvest infinite materials and dump them on the market for infinite money.
4) Has an entity-driven combat, whereby you can't simply kill everyone and everything and not have players and "autonomous" entities attempt to capture or kill you.
5) Has an entity-driven "enmity" rumor mill. Hence, if you go around drowning cats and kicking dogs, and someone (player or entity) notices it, it will make them hostile to you until they forget about it. If you want to go roam around with a pack of wolves and help them kill cows, the wolves will befriend you but the cows will want to kill you.
6) Has a realistic physics environment. If you cut the foundation out from under a building, the building is going to collapse. If someone builds a catapult, you should be able to use it defensively, aggressively, or even launch yourself from it, and die if you hit a solid wall.
7) The rules of the Sandbox is dictated by those who play in it. The server only assists in enforcement of such rules, marking rule breakers and rule enforcers, but letting players decide how to deal with it.

Like the entire idea of a sandbox MMO runs counter to the rule of fun. Hence why none exist, and those that call themselves a sandbox are nothing but a themepark with a few sandbox ideas used to expand the amount of time-sinks. A crafting system alone does not make a game a sandbox, but that is what Marketers seem to think it means. Placable housing seems to be another element often touted as sandbox'ish. Games that wish they were sandbox games are often also primarily PvP games because that's the only way to add fun to an otherwise bloodlust competition.

A MMO is a Themepark if ANY of below are true:
1. Monsters (and NPC's) respawn on a schedule, and do NOT spawn based on environmental conditions.
2. Quests can be repeated for the same reward.
3. NPC's stand in the same spot regardless of environmental conditions.
4. NPC's will buy all items and junk, regardless of quality, and have infinite money
5. Any Immortal NPC's

I don't think this is entirely accurate. Sandbox/Themepark are at best vague terms or an "Idea" used to describe some content a MMO would offer... so I don't think you can refute what he said with a list of your opinions lol.

Though if you assert these are in fact defined characteristic, i'd just like to know where you found this very concise list of defining traits required to be considered a Sandbox MMO, because I think a game you described would not only be awful but impossible to create on any realistic scale in the form of an MMO.