Is war the sandbox endgame?

DeathDealer89 wrote: I think what would be really interesting to see is what would happen if alliances could claim huge swaths of territory and actually gain something from it.

I hear talk of implementing a tracking/intercepting system, where caravans and armies can be stopped as they are moving. I don't know whether this is one of those announcements that never got followed up, but that might make things more interesting.

Will players be allowed to assign routes to their moving units, to go around and avoid a certain area instead of taking the straightest path? If so, could an alliance or player claim a certain land, and force anyone moving through it to pay tribute or else risk having their caravan raided?

Sorry, probably off-topic.

I don't know what the endgame is like, but I agree with Brandmeister is saying about armies sitting around like dry firewood, and I also agree with those who are saying it doesn't have to be about war. The way I see it, in a sandbox game, if there are no in-game goals that interest you, make your own. Maybe try to set up a tyrannical alliance, using force to "persuade" lesser players in your area to join and suffer a heavy tax, and see how long you can keep it up. Maybe have a little Menzoberranzan-style competition within your alliance, to try and drag each other down the rankings without openly leaving evidence that it was your doing. Illyriad leaves lots of options open.

And why not war? I very much agree with what Deathdealer is saying here, "Nation-building". Just like Sid Meier's Civilization, I think if we play a little more ambitiously excitement and conflict will come up, whether in open war or economic war or cold war, or all three.

Those who have too much firewood, do something with it, do something crazy and don't worry if you get burned. It is a game, after all.

It's like I thought? we are going to have to defend our roads when pathfinding comes out (if)

Sloter wrote: Those are some interesting ideas and you should  try them out.You could form alliance and try to enforce 50 sq rule and all who are within those 50sq of town should pay taxes, or something similar to that.There are no rules that prevent players from trying those things.

So if factions do go live, and they can take hostile action against players, do you think they will siege? Not the point you were making, but I'm curious as to the limits of faction combat actions...

Angrim, it was my understanding that you cannot attack PvP into or out of the care bear forest against cities. The cities you place there will be safe, but cannot be used in battle. Otherwise it would be troll heaven. People would launch raids and diplos into the PvP zone non-stop. I would expect that you could not use care bear cities to reinforce siege camps and otherwise take indirect hostile action, either.