Horatious

What i cant understand however is the fact that the last gen games like for example wow can handle a non-instanced world..
Fuck progress in terms of graphix and new cool gamemechanics if it means we have to take leaps backwards in terms of how the world works..
I mean, i can totally live with the fact that the world has alot of zones, that comes with highend graphics and mechanics.. Loadtimes arent the problem, they are in every game..

Of course you will have lagspikes when there is enough people/toons in the same general area, and those areas are bound to be in every game.. However, its really pisspoor gamedesign to alleviate the problem by making instances of that area.. Better, easier and defenitely more rewarding for the game as a whole to spread out points-of-intrest in the world.. Like Blizz did with AH´s in all major cities. Took away loads of problems with a laggy Orgrimmar..

AoC however is designed with very few areas, and not the huge, seamless world they "promised" us.. So while i do understand the need for instances, i absolutely hate it as it takes away the mmo of the game..

Also, lets ponder all the things that will happen with multiple instances..

Communitywise:
* You cant run into friends/foes even if on the same map..
* You will have an extremely hard task of hunting people down..
* Griefers will have the chanse to escape you trhu a simple /command and/or a dropdownmenu..

Mechanicwise:
* You can search thru the instancelist for places where your mobs are spawned so you can finish quests quicker/easier..
* Raidbosses will/can spawn in several instances, meaning a guild has to camp multiple places for the kill, and possible even kill the mob several times a day/week/whatever..

And so on.. to tired atm to give more examples, but you catch my drift on how the system can and WILL be abused..
Theres a debate on how chatsystem and what the playercap will be per instance and how they will spawn.. We dont know yet, FC doesnt tell us anything..

However, there are basically two ideas of thought..

1. A set number of instances, and players zoning into the area gets evenly distributed..
2. A dynamic handling, which means that when one instance becomes full, the next one spawns and so on..

Which would you prefer ?

1 - means that you have a very spread playerbase in terms of friends/foes etc..
2 - that people in the new instance has a helluva lot easier time both playing the game due to load and the fact mobs are uncamped..


Gamingwise its a brill idea, will make the serverload be much less and players will in general have a much better time playing the game.. MMO-wise its a fucking nightmare..

I play MMO´s for the social aspect first and foremost.. Lets all be honest.. Would we play games like UO, WoW, eve and the likes if they were singleplayer ?? Fuck no, Morrowind is a insanely better game in that respect, and its what, 8 years old ?

Anyways, im ranting and we really dont know how the system will work on retail, just the fact that its in place now, and will be later on too..
I´m just really, really worried since i had high hopes for AoC..