One of the longstanding debate in the MMO community is to instance or not to instance. An instance is a section of the game world that spawn for an individual player or party and allows multiple groups of people to go through it at the same time in their own little private "zone" or instance.
Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, instances have their downside.
Proponents of them say that it helps cure overpopulation, keeps you from having to deal with players or fight for content, and provides protection from griefers.
Opponents will argue that MMOs are social games and instances kill the social aspect. They cheapen the experience, impede PvP, and allow the developers to put out less content because they can just use instances to provide enough content.
The social argument is bogus. Let's just put an ax in that one right here. Yeah, MMOs are "massively multiplayer" and there is an entire community aspect that is very important to the long-term health of the game. But if someone wants to solo their entire career and not deal with other people, I say more power to them. If they are having fun, they are playing the game the right way.
So, are instances a good thing or a bad thing?
Neither. Or both. Instances are tool. Anyone who thinks they are all good or all bad -- even if their name is Brad McQuaid -- is wrong.
The biggest issue with instances is the content issue. They really can be used to make up for a lack of content. And, just as bad, they can be a Band-aid for poorly balanced content. I remember one MMO developer lauding instances because they overcame the population density issues that popped up in any game. This is when a specific area has a huge population because it is a favorite spot for players.
But that is an issue of balance and design. And instances are just a band-aid covering up the real problem -- which is usually the fact that other spots simply aren't in line with the overly-dense area. For example, the back of Karnor's Castle in EQ was always an overly-dense area while out in the wilds in the Dreadlands was fairly unpopulated by players. Why? Because it was a lot more risk to be in the middle of the Dreadlands hunting and you got no additional reward for it.
This is an issue of balance. And not one without an answer. Dark Ages of Camelot had a great solution for it -- experience bonuses for mob camps that haven't been cleared in a while. Essentially, you went out to a far out place that no players went, and you got a sizable chunk of bonus experience. That's a great way to get people to spread out.
When instances are used to make up for a lack of content or poorly balanced content, they are bad thing.
So when are instances a good tool?
When they are used to add to the content by providing something that simply cannot be done without the use of an instance. Let's face it, you can't feasibly have a bridge that burns up, trapping the players on the other side until they journey to the depths of a dungeon to find the portal out in a world without instances. Either you are going to lock that piece of content for hours at a time, or the bridge is going to respawn and let the party walk right back over it to escape.
And what about tripping an event that causes hallways throughout the dungeon to explode in flame, forcing the party to find an alternative route out? How are you going to deal with the other players standing in those hallways? Instant death? Or do they get to be immune to fire?
These are examples of using an instance to provide an area that dynamically reacts to the player's actions. It allows developers to create a single-player-like experience in an MMO world, which can add to the overall content.
So, when instances are at their best is when they are used sparingly to provide content that cannot be done outside of an instance. When they are at their worst, they are making up for a lack of content or poorly-designed content.
10 Great MMO Settings
The Most Anticipated Upcoming MMOs
A Star Wars Galaxies emulator goes old school on SW:G
Comments