This is indeed the case. There are end-game zones that max-level players are incentivised to wander into. These zones, named the wilds, are also PVP enabled, and you can lose some valuable items if you are slain. High level alchemy supplies, end game dungeons, etc can all be found in the wilds. A bodyguard will very likely be necessary.
Indeed. We need to have space to roleplay, but I would argue this is closer to WoW (at least the early days) than a sandbox. How you chose to spend your time sets up an identity for you. There are mechanical professions the game introduces, and just like in WoW, there are player-driven professions.
You dont need a “sandbox” for that to happen, so much as a structure that encourages interactivity, and we have seen quite a bit of that so far in Orbus. I would argue that orbus is easier to roleplay in because of these.
I’m not simply Allen the Tank. I’m Allen the Bard. I’ll sing and play songs to keep the fisherman, or whoever else will hire me, entertained. That isn’t a mechanical implementation in game, but something I have fun doing, and open voice chat makes that possible for me.
You don’t need races to roleplay. You dont even need lore. You need imagination. You make your own lore as you play. You do what you want to do. This is roleplaying 101.
I think the big aspect you are missing in the picture of Orbus is that the game is becoming incredibly social, and social interaction is the bread and butter of MMO’s. It can have the best content, best lore, and best mechanics, but if the game is utterly unsocial, then its probably going to fall flat.
High social content (which is inherently player driven) is also how most people, myself included, work to get involved in roleplaying.