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+2 refs, reworded criticism to be more specific
Redo lead in summary style; organized discussion of problems and solutions; The Realm (1996) had them
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{{Refimprove|date=August 2010}}
{{Refimprove|date=August 2010}}
In [[MMORPG]]s, an '''instance location''' is a special area, typically a [[dungeon (games)|dungeon]], that generates a new copy, or ''instance'', of the dungeon map 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> This saves [[game server|server]] work and ensures that there will never be competition ([[kill stealing]], [[spawn camping]]) over resources such as [[mob (computer gaming)|mobs]] within the instance. Because the [[player character]]s in the instance do not need to be updated of 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 technique also tends to spread out populations of players, instead of concentrating them. This increases individual player's gaming performance by placing less graphical processing demand on their computers, reducing graphics-based lag and making the game itself more available to people with less powerful computers.
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.


This also 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.
==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.


Instances were first proposed by [[Richard Garriott]] in the late 1990s as a way to solve a set of related problems which had become obvious in ''[[Ultima Online]]''. The problem can be stated as follows: everyone wants to be "The Hero" and 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.  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.


Several games use instancing to scale the [[mob (computer gaming)|mobs]] to the players' levels, and/or the number of players present.
==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.


Despite its advantages, the use of instancing in MMORPGs has also been criticized. For example, 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>
==Criticism==
Despite its advantages, instancing in MMORPGs has been criticized. For example, 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>


==Usage==
==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:
Games that have been known to use instancing include:


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*''[[Kal Online]]''
*''[[Kal Online]]''
*''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]''
*''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]''
*''[[LaTale]]''
*''[[La Tale]]''
*''[[The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar]]''
*''[[The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar]]''
*''[[Mabinogi (video game)|Mabinogi]]''
*''[[Mabinogi (video game)|Mabinogi]]''

Revision as of 22:54, 8 August 2010

Template:Refimprove In massively multiplayer online games, an instance is a special area, typically a dungeon, that generates a new copy of the location for each group, or for certain amount of players, that enters the area.[1] Instancing, the general term for the use of this technique,[1] addresses several problems encountered by players in the shared spaces of virtual worlds. 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. 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 mobs to the players' levels, and/or the number of players present.

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 server and client by limiting the number of potential interactions between players and objects. Because the player characters 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.

Criticism

Despite its advantages, instancing in MMORPGs has been criticized. For example, one reviewer described the extensive use of instancing in Age of Conan as "[destroying] the sense of expansiveness an MMORPG should have".[2]

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:

Template:Div col

Template: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.Template: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 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

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Simon Carless (2004). Gaming hacks. O'Reilly Media. p. 112. ISBN 9780596007140. "A term used to describe a private portion of a gameworld created just for an individual or group of players." 
  2. ↑ Ryan, Leon (July 2008). "Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures". GameAxis Unwired: 35. http://books.google.com/books?id=weoDAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved on 8 August 2010. 

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

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