Sandbox of Sin

Sandboxes: A child’s playpen of imagination with design and destruction. Quite a clever idea our friend NullSenseStudio (On roblox) would create. This particular sandbox can compare to how one would build on roblox without the slightly complicated studio. Everything is within a specific shape Even further back was “Blazing Man” if anyone ever knew of that game which was probably copied as most games are. For those who can’t catch my drift: Sandbox is basically a building game that you build on baseplates by placing each and every block with its base being a certain cube size. Unlike a minecraft creative scenario, we would get many furnitures and shapes to develop a larger variety than the other kinds of this game on roblox. I suppose this improvement is why I tended to play sandbox over the lesser levels of building fun. The only restriction was the distance by which you could build, which actually was a benefit too. No more could some ignorant, confused user step on over and destroy your hard work; they could only build on their baseplate and you on yours. We could only build a certain horizontal distance, but the sky was the limit if you went vertically.

But enough about the gameplay, as I’m sure you can find it yourself, let me explain to you why I’m not quick to play it anymore. I’m not afraid really, but I find myself feeling watched when I play it. Call me paranoid if you will, but there’s something about it that is truly wrong and isolating about that game. Let me put it in perspective: when you’re building way above the sandbox itself within your baseplate and the only thing around you is sky, you feel alone. This can easily occur in any other game, but the atmosphere of creative builders below you is a community. You are not in the booming society, you are on the border of a forest. It’s dark, it’s unwelcoming, but yet you pursue onwards for your own interests. After staying there and building for awhile change happens in town. Being separate from town, you hear and see change last. The trips you would take to town would shock you more than the others. For me, the nice and pleasant sandbox community of calm and kind construction workers would gradually evolve into a demonic wasteland of anger and sorrow.

I was once in the process of creating an adventure role-playing type game high above the other players and had blocked off the teleporters leading to me. Now, roblox itself may not be the best platform for this kind of thing, especially not a game within roblox, but I still tried. It would actually work well for this project, which was about clouds and those who dwell in it being destroyed by an evil wizard. I was looking forward to continuing my progress on it as I entered a small server, populated by 4 others and myself. Small servers always had a neat little charm to make them better for me as I never really liked crowds, virtual or not. Before I would select a base to load my game, I briefly explored what the others were doing.

One of the guys whom we’ll call FireDragon had a hotel in the making going on. This was so common I barely gave it a thought. I generally inspect the average buildings briefly, determine if its something new, and more or less move on to something else.

Someone else was doing something that required a lot of difficult looking architecture, which I found to be very cool to look at. The player, that we’ll refer to as ZombieLord, didn’t seem to pleased that I was there. I’m sure anyone could recognize that one player, whom considers themselves above your level.

“What are you building?” I asked innocently.

“A shrine.” Zombie replied moments later. This shrine consisted of 4 stone columns supporting diamonds in glass cases atop them. Connecting the columns were arches of slate acting like gateways to another world. Within the arches was a garden and a statue in the making. I thought nothing of it.

I was quickly convinced I had picked up an error in the symmetry of this structure. “Why is this like this?” I question this quiet artist, whose name really wasn’t fitting after enough pondering.

He seemed to pause to type for a second as his character lagged to a halt. “Its just part of the building. I make no mistakes, kid.”

I knew I had no reason to be in the presence of an arrogant fool like this. I left a little annoyed. I was always struck down by these minor provocations more than others. I obviously wouldn’t show it on roblox as easily though. I for one try to resolve conflicts rather than participate in the exchanged insults we’ll commonly see.

By what I can remember, the other characters named Zeldagirl and Aquasilver had joined bases next to each other and were building a mansion of some sort. They spoke frequently in order to work on their project which lightened the mood a bit. Chat silence, while nice, is sometimes a bit bizarre. These players masked the sense of doubt I would have otherwise seen if I had just looked closer at everything and if silence remained.

I selected the black square of a plot next to the shovel to load my cloud adventure map and go above this little community. I scaled my cloud villages, obstacle courses and other quests, all of which depended on the player to correctly learn the methods of the game. Many would always skip sections because they were eager to progress and it was quite difficult, I’ll admit. My challenges aren’t ever easy because I always trick myself into thinking it’s too easy because I knew where it was. Obviously the others weren’t so quick to discover my secrets. I was far above the plate and creating a train in the sky which was basically an express train with rooms and dining cars and such.

While I was up there, someone joined and the chat seemed to become full of anger and insults. As we’ll often see on any roblox game, someone will be rude to another for no explainable reason. FireDragon was the one responding with “Go away and stop trying to get attention.” and “You stupid noob.” while Zombie was silent and the others tried to ignore the situation. I typically am paying attention to building at this point in the sandbox game, so I do miss a lot of the nonsense people talk about.

I really wasn’t paying close attention, but when I glanced back up to the chat, the conversation got a little weird. The rude player, of whom we’ll call Foxtrot, was shouting using all caps. He seemed to be swearing a bit according to the large amounts of # we started seeing all over the place. FireLord had apparently typed in perfect grammar of warnings of some kind. I remember reading “You will be sorry.” and “How unfortunate for you…” which isn’t horribly strange. FireLord said the last thing, but Foxtrot just sat there and didn’t speak again until he was probably disconnected for being idle after 10 minutes.

Awhile passed and nothing seemed to be going on that I could mention, but when I was in the process of organizing the skytrain I accidently deleted the floor and fell down to the sandbox. My character darted through the floor due to the velocity I had reached and I respawned in the sandcastle that was spawn. The hotel in front of the spawn being built by FireLord looked almost done. It was actually pretty darn tall, but at the top of it, there were little red dots and the roof was seemingly being built out triangularly.

So I had the nerve to say, “Fire, you making a pizza up there?”

I saw movement up there, but no response.

Aquasilver wasn’t at her computer at the moment while Zeldagirl was. She curiously spoke saying: “Where?”

So I then replied, “Fire’s hotel roof.”

I decided to return to work, only to be interrupted by Zombie complimenting my adventure in the clouds project. It seemed to be a nice remark, but being the clever psychologist that this individual was, had actually made me stop to type a ‘Thanks.’ As I prepared this polite response, I noticed the shrine in the making and at this point it already began to seem disturbing. I walked to the corner baseplate next to mine that Zombie built on. The statue that Zombie built, was of a man being lynched in a garden.

“Zombie, why did you build this?” I pressured him.

“I wanted to show someone else it.” He told me, which really only made me more confused. At this point, I really should have known that this wasn’t a player to mess with, but he went on before I had my chance to leave. “I wanted change.”

“Oh..” I said, feeling out of place. “Wait, did you use a conveyer belt to reach my baseplate?”

“No. Why do you ask?”

“I blocked off the way up.”

“I would not dare to ruin the shrine. You are just ignorant and misled.”

I had just about had it with this idiot. He was giving me really psychotic signals and treats me like I’m inferior and worthless. He built a shrine of suicide and broke into my map in the sky when his base was flat. “Why do you feel the need to insult me?”

“Why do you exist?”

I stormed up to the cloud tops and reported this guy. Even though reporting him wouldn’t do anything, it satisfies me to think that they’ll learn from their mistakes and become better. (Actually, I just appreciate how mad they’d be.)

I started the second day of the train, which was basically the same train, but with different rooms open. I was considering adding a scene where a boy was knocked out in the hallways at night where no guard was positioned. The story of this boy revolved around a suite that was locked and held a passenger of dark magic inside. This would be a character you met earlier who was evil and a servant of the evil wizard in the end. This poor soul was manipulated into serving the wrong cause, but still caused problems on the train from day 2 to 3. Soon enough, this exact idea was absorbed by the server and became a reality.

The main event of my nightmares was well under way and boiling to a point where it overflowed. The people I was playing with, except for one unlucky girl, were all working for someone who controls all evil. They were sadly lead to this path of unforgiven sin that would deteriorate their spirits and ruin them eternally.

The chat finally moved after around half an hour of nothing aside from 2 people joining and leaving a little while later. I don’t blame them, this server was bland, small, and appeared peaceful to an untrained eye like myself. I still enjoy the small servers, but I still remember and I almost don’t wish to share anymore. What happened will affect my entire life and this so-called “Kids game” named roblox is a nest for scarring experiences that will influence absolute paranoia and doubt. This sandbox server was made of the finest grains of pure wrongdoings that were soon exploited into fitting new roots of hell itself.

The movement of the chat was of Zeldagirl complaining that her friend was taking too long to return and would get disconnected soon.

Zombie pretended to comfort her, “She will return momentarily.”

“How do you know?” Zelda investigated the evidence that this uncomforting player had.

“It is just about time, I must admit.”

“Ok.”

I was beginning to get bored of my clouded trains, which actually takes a lot longer to build than one might initially believe. I deleted my base and fell down but survived the fall. I adjusted my camera position using the right mouse button like I always do and got a glimpse of the hotel. The roof I had called pizza had become something unexpected really. Atop the monstrous hotel was the head of the Devil spewing out a river of blood.

I slowly typed in: “Holy crap.” I hadn’t the slightest idea what was going on. I thought to myself, This must be a joke. I should leave. Rather than trust myself, I pursued an understanding of my acquaintances here in the server.

“You two both are making terrible things. May I ask why?”

No response. Zelda left the game around the same time.

“Its starting to creep me out even more than before.”

No response.

“Seriously, please explain yourselves.”

I had left my screen focused on the devil head and stared in disbelief. All along these strangers were planning on making disturbing icons of sin and acting as if nothing was happening. Finally I would get a response, but not one I wanted either.

“Come here, child.” The one left forgotten commanded.

I followed Aquasilver while in the midst of a deep trance. This character, who was dressed like a witch led me to her base that was once joined on with Zelda. Zombie and Fire were standing next to a series of squares and colored glass. At first I didn’t know what I was seeing and I was in denial that something wrong could happen. The witch stood on top of this design and as she used the fall tool I was in shock to see a pentagram. The witch fell and completed the top of the pentagram. The sky turned to darkness and the entire area turned to the black fog that was needed before dynamic lighting.

'''The 3 of them chanted together:

We all sin, so just give in.

You poor sad fools are just meaningless tools.

You are weak, you mean nothing.

You are doomed to suffer.

Join us and win.

'''

I didn’t just see the satanists in the game, I felt the demons penetrating my soul and trying to possess me. It was one of the most painful experience I can ever recall. I was home alone screaming and seeing red everywhere whilst thrashing and being choked on the inside. My eyes rolled up into my head but I still managed to smash the mouse onto the exit button and escape the portal that allowed the demons in. My head dropped onto my keyboard and I blacked out for a moment, but when I awoke I saw the sandbox logo. It was changed and said “Version 1.2 Fatal Sin” The owner’s name was no longer his usual name. It was replaced with “Devilish”

It has been a long time since this incident and I’m not totally horrified anymore. It was a more painful thing to remember than anything. I was exposed by roblox, what hell would be like and now more than ever I fight the power of sin. I’ll bet you my entire soul, Satan will not win.

--DarkSwarm (talk) 18:13, November 1, 2014 (UTC)