Quote:
Originally Posted by JurisDictum
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These are legitimate problems with non-instanced MMORPGs. These issues have been largely avoided by the modern incarnations of the genre. But to suggest that instancing is the only way to solve these issues demonstrates a complete lack of imagination.
How large is Unrest really?. Is the FBSS bottleneck in classic EQ really the best a non-instance MMO can hope for? Is there something about open world raid encounters that inherently makes them only viable for the most hardcore of gamers? Or is this just some of the problems that exist now that can be overcome...
Instancing, in my mind, always was a lazy fix to a complex problem. Just give them all their own dungeon. No need to ambitiously make a huge dungeon larger than Dreadlands, filled with all kinds of unique mobs and items. We ca just give everyone their own copy of a KC crawl to the boss.
The majority of the industry simply has not been trying. Why would they? The majority of modern MMO gamers seem to have no idea what they are missing.
Unlike the problems of open world content, which can be fixed simply by providing more viable content (including removing the severe bottlenecks that exist in EQ); the problems with instancing are inherent in its design. Its the difference between a training simulation in the matrix and an actual alternate digital world.
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I agree that many forms of instancing are lazy fixes, but do you think that by creating a world or dungeon that is so massive, you are effectively creating some of the same problems instances do? Like making players feel disconnected or decreasing player interaction?
To kind of explain my vision of an instance:
I'd love to see a dungeon like Sebilis, where a group would work their way down to the Emperor's room, to enter a 72-hour lockout 5 level difference instance which features ~15 mins of clearing and a chance at killing the emperor. Sort of a Boss instance, with a long lockout, at the depth of a dungeon. This stops people from camping the same items for days/weeks/months and instead encourages them to do many, many dungeons.
Perhaps make major world bosses such as Trakanon a 10day lockout. Instances such as Plane of Fear a 7 day lockout. Perhaps 10 man raids vs 20 man raids with no scaling of the mobs. Doing it with less rewards you with more?
Regardless, I agree the mass/indiscriminate instancing seen in many games is inexcusable. I think there is a smart way to implement it though.