Darth Hater

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To instance, or not to instance... That is the question

Well, I will finally go there, one of the big questions... Instancing, how will it be handled?

Call them Flashpoints, Dungeons, Raids, or Instances, what it means is it's CLOSED for you and your party, without interruption. Who wouldn't like the option to go into single player-esque mode? You are minding your own business, until a lightsaber is shoved through your stomach, or someone thinks that it's a great idea to kill the quest giver (assuming the possibility). Sure, you run into those that choose to disrupt your game time, rather then lend a hand, but what about those who are playing to make friends?
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Instancing, the closed world, single player, leave me alone time. You can get a lot done in this time, without worrying about anyone bothering you, or needing to rely on your buddy to log on and give you a hand. But if this is what you want, why not play a single player game? You will get the same immersion, and do not have to pay a monthly fee. But without a monthly fee, the game you are playing will hardly be updated, and you might possibly be bored in no time, which comes to a predicament: Switch to MMO, or deal with it and wait for another big game. I have had my fun in single player games, but I usually try to zoom through them as fast as possible, so I could justify my purchase by beating it, but I fight through a lot of the boring game play. I guess I am just MMO oriented now.
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But what about those who are interested in the MMO portion of the game? The non-instanced, mass amount of players in sight, ask for help anywhere anytime. From the footage we have seen, the flashpoint of the Sith and Bounty Hunter, they are in a flashpoint. Which could be a major story quest, in that case my opinion is that it SHOULD be closed. Major Quests, certain party quests, raids, some but not all dungeons, should be instanced. Those parts most likely offer massive information in your class quests. But a good bulk of us are looking forward to an open world to have fun and meet people in

So my question is, how do you think instancing should be handled? My statement of the major quests, raids, etc. Or do you want a more closed game?

Comments

  • TaboriHK's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #7 TaboriHK Posted 7/31/2009 7:41:28 PM
    Being a WoW-player on a backwater server, my biggest concern with instancing is finding groups. If I have trouble getting a group, does that mean I won't be able to do these instances? And what if they are plot relevant? Or simply enjoyable and include elements that add depth to the universe, like having events that are not necessarily plot necessary but add to the flavor of the universe?

    Much of the WotLK instances have been only partially explored, only once seen, or not seen at all by me. With WoW, I don't REALLY care, I sort of do but it doesn't exactly keep me up at night. But with KOTOR, where some of the best writing came out of one-shot side quests, it's certainly a concern.
  • Zoid's avatar
    Jawa Trader
    • Posts: 656
    #8 Zoid Posted 7/31/2009 8:30:16 PM
    I know how it is on a backwater server. We had a great community where everyone knew almost everyone, but groups were a pain to get. Kinda the reason I was cornered into being a healer. I never even saw Mauradon until I soloed it at 80.
  • TaboriHK's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #9 TaboriHK Posted 7/31/2009 8:57:48 PM
    Oh yeah, you can pretty much forget the old world, even Outland it's basically impossible to get a group for anything outside of the starting Hellfire Citadel instances (mostly Death Knights who don't want to quest in the Plaguelands to push from 58 to 60).
  • Maxar's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #3 Maxar Posted 7/31/2009 3:40:04 AM
    The game should have some content outside of instances, to increase some actual activity outside of cities. Don't want it to be some barren waste land like most games are.
  • PurpleCliff's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #4 PurpleCliff Posted 7/31/2009 4:33:19 AM
    This is true. And I hope there is a good viewing distance ... in WoW you can't even see a player who's a few hundred meters away. They just fade in from about 100 meters. Makes everything seem fake ...
  • PurpleCliff's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #1 PurpleCliff Posted 7/31/2009 2:20:45 AM
    In general I'm not a fan of Instancing. But I understand that you need some.
    I hope it's done "WoW Style".
  • Sleeper's avatar
    Jawa Trader
    • Posts: 495
    #2 Sleeper Posted 7/31/2009 2:48:14 AM
    A WoW style would not bother me at all, although I do like a good amount of OPEN world dungeons, ala EverQuest. Entrance is easy, maybe 2 manned, deeper you go it gets harder and harder, maybe 5 man. But both can be in the same dungeon.
  • Zoid's avatar
    Jawa Trader
    • Posts: 656
    #6 Zoid Posted 7/31/2009 11:59:03 AM
    I like that way of thinking Sleeper, kinda like BRD was 5 man but at the bottom you had the entrance to a 40 man raid. Just tone that 40 man down and you got a fun experience.
  • Sedit's avatar
    Jawa Trader
    • Posts: 130
    #5 Sedit Posted 7/31/2009 11:36:57 AM
    I'll 2nd the WoW style instancing. Even the Pre-CU style instances would be hot, as in, the only real instances were on the corvette and it would not make sense to have that mission a non-instanced zone. Battlegrounds (that never worked in SWG) was a quasi-instance I could support also and from the sounds of it, like the Bounty Hunter Quest giver you walk into his hide-out and it's a quasi-instance.
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