IdeaWazaWiki - User contributions [en]

Instance dungeon

2010-09-04T20:15:43Z

76.22.120.197: /* List of games */

{{Refimprove|date=August 2010}}
In [[massively multiplayer online game]]s, an '''instance''' is a special area, typically a [[dungeon (games)|dungeon]], that generates a new copy of the location for each group, or for certain amount of players, that enters the area.<ref name="Carless">{{cite book | title=Gaming hacks | author=Simon Carless | year=2004 | publisher=O'Reilly Media | isbn=9780596007140 | page=112 | quote=A term used to describe a private portion of a gameworld created just for an individual or group of players.}}</ref> Instancing, the general term for the use of this technique,<ref name="Carless" /> addresses several problems encountered by players in the shared spaces of [[virtual world]]s. It is not widely known when instances were first used in this genre, however ''[[The Realm Online]]'' (1996) is sometimes credited as introducing the concept.

==Design considerations==
The problem can be stated as follows: every player wants to be "The Hero", slay "The Monster", rescue "The Princess", and obtain "The Magic Sword". When there are thousands of players all playing the same game, clearly not everyone can be the hero. The problem of everyone wanting to kill the same monster and gain the best treasure became obvious in the game ''[[EverQuest]]'', where several groups of players would compete and sometimes harass each other in the same dungeon, in order to get to the monsters dropping valuable items. The creation of instances largely solves this set of problems, leaving only travelling to and from the dungeon as a potential risk in [[player versus player]] environments.

Stated another way, instances can be used to reduce the competition over resources within the game.<ref name="McQuaid">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamergod.com/article.php?article_id=2933 |title=Instancing in Online Gaming |author=[[Brad McQuaid]] |date=29 November 2005 |publisher=GamerGod |accessdate=8 August 2010 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060324110936/http://www.gamergod.com/article.php?article_id=2933 |archivedate=24 March 2006}}</ref> Excessive competition in these spaces leads to several undesirable behaviors such as [[kill stealing]], [[spawn camping]], and [[ninja looting]] as players do whatever they can to acquire the limited rewards. Instancing preserves the gaming experience, since some gaming scenarios do not work if the player is continually surrounded by other players, as in a multiplayer setting. Instance dungeons may contain stronger than usual mobs and rare, sought-after equipment. They also may include level restrictions and/or restrict the number of players allowed in each instance to balance gameplay. Several games use instancing to scale the [[mob (computer gaming)|mobs]] to the players' levels, and/or the number of players present.

Despite its advantages, instancing in MMOGs has been criticized. [[Brad McQuaid]], lead designer of ''[[EverQuest]]'' and ''[[Vanguard: Saga of Heroes]]'' (both of which did not feature instancing at launch), wrote an essay in 2005 arguing that instances can negatively affect the game's community, [[virtual economy]], [[churn rate]], and other factors.<ref name="McQuaid" /> In response to this article, [[Raph Koster]] added that instancing should be limited to situations in which the creation of a "pocket zone" makes sense within the context of the [[fictional universe]] — such as the [[holodeck]] in the [[Star Trek franchise]].<ref name="Koster">{{cite web |url=http://www.raphkoster.com/2005/11/30/from-instancing-to-worldy-games/ |title=From instancing to worldy games |author=[[Raph Koster]] |date=30 November 2005 |accessdate=8 August 2010}}</ref> One reviewer described the extensive use of instancing in ''[[Age of Conan]]'' as "[destroying] the sense of expansiveness an MMORPG should have".<ref name="Ryan">{{cite journal|last=Ryan|first=Leon|title=Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures|journal=GameAxis Unwired|year=2008|month=July|pages=35|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=weoDAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false|accessdate=8 August 2010}}</ref>

==Technical considerations==
Having players participate in instances tends to spread out populations of players, instead of concentrating them, which may reduce or level the workload for both the [[game server|server]] and [[client (computing)|client]] by limiting the number of potential interactions between players and objects. Because the [[player character]]s in the instance do not need to be updated on all the information going on outside the instance, and vice versa for the characters outside the instance, there is an overall decrease in demands on the network, with the net result being less [[lag]] for the players. This also reduces the demands on each player's computer, as the number of objects to be processed can be more easily limited by the game's developer. The developer can better reason about the worst case performance requirements in an instance because they do not have to consider scenarios such as hundreds of players descending on any location at any time.

==Usage==
===History===
Perhaps the first virtual world to use instances was the MMORPG ''[[The Realm Online]]'', launched in 1996. Combat in this game was extensively instanced, with every battle taking place in a special room outside of the open world.

===List of games===
Games that have been known to use instancing include:

{{div col|2}}
*''[[Aetolia, The Midnight Age]]''
*''[[Age of Conan]]''
*''[[Anarchy Online]]''
*''[[Asheron's Call 2]]''
*''[[Auto Assault]]''
*''[[Borderlands (video game)|Borderlands]]''
*''[[City of Heroes]]''/''[[City of Villains]]''
*''[[Dark Age of Camelot]]''
*''[[Dungeon Runners]]''
*''[[Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach]]''
*''[[Earth Eternal]]''
*''[[Emil Chronicle Online]]''
*''[[EverQuest]]'' (instances added with the ''[[Lost Dungeons of Norrath]]'' expansion)
*''[[EverQuest II]]''
*''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'' (instances added with the ''[[Treasures of Aht Urhgan]]'' expansion)
*''[[Granado Espada]]''
*''[[Guild Wars]]''
*''[[Kal Online]]''
*''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]''
*''[[La Tale]]''
*''[[The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar]]''
*''[[Mabinogi (video game)|Mabinogi]]''
*''[[MapleStory]]'' (instances added with v.60)
*''[[Myst Online: Uru Live]]''
*''[[Phantasy Star Online]]''
*''[[The Realm Online]]''
*''[[RuneScape]]''
*''[[Seal Online]]''
*''[[Star Trek: Online]]''
*''[[Star Wars Galaxies]]''
*''[[Tabula Rasa (computer game)|Tabula Rasa]]''
*''[[Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning]]''
*''[[World of Warcraft]]''
{{div col end}}

In ''[[Guild Wars]]'', Town/Outpost areas are created on demand, with a new "district" of that town being created for every 100 players in it; players can move between these at will. Players can play with players across the globe, as in ''[[EVE Online]]'', along with the advantages in load scaling and resources of a traditional multiple server model for [[ArenaNet]], the developers.

''[[Vanguard: Saga of Heroes]]'' does not use instance dungeons. However, it is envisioned that, through the Advanced Encounter System (AES), certain "boss" NPCs can be triggered when a group enters an area; this NPC would then be "tagged" to that group, meaning no other players could attack or interact with it. AES was not implemented in the commercial release of ''Vanguard'', but the developer is reportedly working on it and plan to release it in a future patch.{{update after}}

In ''[[RuneScape]]'', instances are used mostly in quests, so that other players cannot interfere with the player who is doing the quest, such as battling boss [[Non-player character|NPC]]'s or having to accomplish a special task. They are also used in certain 'minigames'. However, most monsters not related to quests are not instanced, so players often have to compete with each other to get the reward from killing them.

==See also==
* [[Game server]] (or "shard")
* [[Persistent world]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Video game gameplay]]
[[Category:Massively multiplayer online role-playing games]]
[[Category:Competitive video gaming]]

[[cs:Instance (MMORPG)]]
[[de:Instanz (Computerspiel)]]
[[fr:Donjon instancié]]
[[fi:Instanssi (World of Warcraft)]]
[[sv:Instans (datorspel)]]
[[zh:副本 (電子遊戲)]]

Archive:List of notable bagpipe makers

2009-01-06T14:06:41Z

76.22.90.164: /* Uilleann pipes */

===Great Highland Bagpipe===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
!width="175"|Principal(s)
!width="175"|Company Name
!width=”75”|Location
!width="50"|Status
!width=”55”|Website
|-
| Alexander, George || Unknown || London, England, then Isle of Wight (United Kingdom) || Closed as of 1990 || None
|-
| Atherton, David M. || D. M. Atherton Bagpipes Ltd.|| Naperville, Illinois (United States) || Active || http://www.dmatherton.com/
|- Booth David & Craig Booth. || David Booth Bagpipes. || Alva, Scotland. || Active. || None.

| Primarily Pakistani Products || Beginner Bagpipes || West Lothian, Scotland || active || http://www.beginnerbagpipes.co.uk/
|-

| Chris Terry Bagpipes || Professional Bagpipes || Grahamstown, South Africa || active ||
|-
| Crisler, Peter W. || Peter's Pipes Inc. || Louisville, Kentucky (United States) || Active || http://home.insightbb.com/~pwwjcrisler/index.html
|-
| Dunbar, Jack || J. Dunbar Bagpipes Ltd. || St. Catherines, Ontario (Canada) || Active || http://www.dunbarbagpipes.com/
|-
| Gibson, Jerry || Gibson Bagpipes, Inc. || Willoughby, Ohio (United States) || Active || http://www.gibsonpipes.com/
|-
| Grainger, George and Neil Campbell || Grainger & Campbell || Glasgow, Scotland (United Kingdom) || Closed as of 1989 || None
|-
| Chalmers, Scott || Peter Henderson Bagpipes || Glasgow, Scotland (United Kingdom) || Active || http://www.rghardie.co.uk
|-
| Huggins, Murray || Colin Kyo Bagpipe Company || Medford, Oregon (United States) || Active || http://www.colinkyobagpipes.com/
|-
| Kron, Charley || C.E. Kron & Co. || Dobbs Ferry, New York (United States) || Active || http://www.cekron.com/
|-
| MacLellan, Roddy || MacLellan Bagpipe || Summerville, South Carolina (United States) || Active || http://www.highland-pipemaker.com/
|-
| MacLeod, Kenny and Stuart McCallum || McCallum Bagpipes Ltd. || Kilmarnock, Scotland (United Kingdom) || Active || http://www.mccallumbagpipes.com/
|-
| MacPherson, Hugh || Unknown || Scotland (United Kingdom) || Closed as of around 1990 || None
|-
| Murray, Ian D. || Ian Murray Bagpipes || Forfar, Scotland (United Kingdom) || Active || http://www.ianmurray-bagpipes.co.uk/
|-
| Cowell, Les & Martin || David Naill & Co. || Somerset, England (United Kingdom) || Active || http://www.naill-bagpipes.com/
|-
| Richard Kean || RK Bagpipes || Texas, USA || Active || http://www.rkbagpipes.com/
|-
| Douglas Shepherd || RT Shepherd and Son (Scotland) Ltd. || Fife, Scotland (United Kingdom) || Active || http://www.shepherd-bagpipes.com/
|-
| Sinclair, Robert || || Leicester, England (United Kingdom) || ||
|-
| Sinclair, William || Wm. Sinclair & Son || Edinburgh, Scotland (United Kingdom) || Active || http://www.sinclair-bagpipes.co.uk/
|-
| Somers, Trewin || Somers Bagpipes || Calgary, Alberta (Canada) || Active || http://www.somersbagpipes.com/
|-
| Soutar, Duncan || Duncan Soutar of St. Andrews || St. Andrews, Scotland (United Kingdom) || Active || http://www.duncansoutarofstandrews.com/
|-
| Gillanders, Robert and Iain McLeod || Gillanders & McLeod Ltd. || Edinburgh, Scotland (United Kingdom) || Active || http://www.gandmbagpipes.co.uk/
|-
| Chalmers, Scott || R.G. Hardie & Co. Ltd. || Glasgow, Scotland (United Kingdom) || Active || http://www.rghardie.co.uk/
|-
| Henderson, Peter || Peter Henderson & Co. || Glasgow, Scotland (United Kingdom) || Inactive || None
|-
| Unknown || RG Lawrie Bagpipes Limited || Castle Douglas, Scotland (United Kingdom) || Active || http://www.lawriebagpipes.com/
|-
| David Booth||Duncan MacDougall & Gavin C MacDougall || Aberfeldy, Scotland|| Active || www.macdougallbagpipes.com
|-
|}

===Uilleann pipes===

*Dave Williams (deceased)
*Joe Kennedy
*[[Geoff Wooff]]
*[[C.J. Dixon]]
*[[B.C. Childress]]
*[[Patrick O'Hare - Belfast]]
*[http://www.sethgallagher.com Seth Gallagher]
*[[Andreas Rogge]]
*[[Alain Froment]] (deceased)
*[[Mickey Dunne]]
*Mark Hillmann
*David Daye
*David Quinn & Benedict Kohler
*[http://www.patricksky.com Pat Sky]
*[[Brendan Ring]]
*[[Nick Whitmer]]
*[[Leo Rowsome]] (deceased)
*[[Patsy Brown]] (deceased)
*[[Taylor brothers]] (deceased)
*[[Michael Vignoles]]
*[[Tim Britton]]
*[http://www.kmbagpipes.com Kenneth McNicholl]
*[http://home.comcast.net/~setunsky Aaron Setunsky]

===Northumbrian pipes===

*[[Richard Evans]]

===Scottish Smallpipes===

*Garvie - http://garviebagpipes.co.uk
*Ebert Jones - http://www.piperjones.com
* Hamish Moore http://www.hamishmoore.musicscotland.com
*John Walsh http://www.hotpipes.com/walsh.html
*Nate Banton - http://www.elbowmusic.com
*Richard and Anita Evans - http://evansweb.co.uk
*Fred Morrison Smallpipes - http://www.fredmorrisonpipes.com
*Brian Mckay - http://www.MckayPipes.com
*Duncan & Gavin C MacDougall-www.macdougallbagpipes.com
*Alec Smith - http://www.lauriebeck.co.uk

===Cauld Wind Pipes===

* Moore, Hamish, Perthshire

===Transmontan bagpipes===

*[[Associação Gaita-de-fole]]

[[Category:Lists of people by occupation]]

===Lowland Pipes/Border Pipes===

*Hamish Moore - http://www.hamishmoore.musicscotland.com
*Garvie (Nigel Richards) - http://www.garviebagpipes.co.uk
*John Burke - http://www.borderpipe.com
*Richard and Anita Evans - http://evansweb.co.uk
*Nate Banton - http://www.elbowmusic.com
*Fred Morrison Reelpipes - http://www.fredmorrisonpipes.com
*Alec Smith - http://www.lauriebeck.co.uk

===French and German Pipes===

*Rémy Dubois - No working site (http://www.cornemuse.net)
*Bernard Blanc - http://www.pipeshow.net/bernard-blanc.htm
*Frans Hattink - http://www.hotpipes.com/frans.html
*Andreas Rogge -http://www.uilleann-pipes.de
*Alban Faust -http://www.albanfaust.se
*Jean-Sylvain Maître - No working website
*Yvon Lecoant - http://www.lecoant.com
*Serge Durin - http://www.pipeshow.net/musee-virtuel-serge_durin.htm
*Jon Swayne- http://www.pipeshow.net/musee-virtuel-jon-swayne.htm
*Bernard Jaquemin - http://www.pipeshow.net/bernard-jacquemin.htm
*Juergen Ross - http://www.dudelsackbau.de/