Should Instances be in Tibia?

[Flatlander]

Hello all,
I decided to make a thread on this so it can be discussed OUTSIDE of my Customized TFS thread so that topic can continue to stay "on topic".

If you don't know what an instance is, it is usually a duplicate server or area, so that too many players aren't in the same area.
There are 3 main reasons why you would use an instance in an MMO.

Zones Copies: - In my opinion this is just lazy game making.
This is an area that has many copies of itself, to spread out player population.

Pros:

• Less lag: Each server has less players which creates less lag(each server is usually hosted in it's own environment)
• Less Conflict: Players will not have to fight over hunting zones.

Cons:

• Divided Community: The community is divided and split up, so that servers feel less populated.

Single Player Zones:
This is an area that is single-player content. This is usually done by running a client-based server, but with tibia we would have to run it server-side.

Pros:

• Can make personalized content: This is actually something I would want, the ability to create a personal experience for 1 player. Such as the tutorial, or single-player quests, etc and you wouldn't have to wait "in line" and wait for quests to reset.

Cons:

• Resource Intensive: This would basically mean you would need to load an entire map, or maybe even entire server per each single-player zone.

My Reasons for hating any game with Instances:

• PvP: With instances, you lose the ability to hunt people, have guild-wars IN the game world, prevent people from hunting. track people down with exiva, or control areas of the map.
• PvE: With instances you lose the chance of running into other players while in the gameworld, and even if someone is in your hunting area, you can usually just switch to an instance where the hunting spot is free.
  
• Community: Most of the people I met in tibia and still talk to today, I didn't just see them once and we immediately start talking and being friends. The fact that people usually become familiar with each other because they share the same world. You develop friends, enemies, rivals, and relationships over time because you are forced to live together, just like in the real world. With instances, you lose the main thing that makes Tibia's Community better than other MMOs.

If you are a player: Do you think instances would be a good or bad thing for tibia?
If you are a server developer: Do you want instances? If yes, how would you use them?

 

[Raisa Marianna]

I'm personally not sure... I feel a little more leaned towards saying No Instances, but at the same time I also like the idea.
Undecided for now.

 

[Sportacus]

 

[Fenrisus]

So, about instances. That is my vision, my imho and some facts. Yes!
For be correct: Technically about instances. Instanced map - that is NOT dungeons like in WoW, Perfect Worlds, Aions and other Korean MMORPG (thats games - bad example of that technology usage). We talk, in first, about instances as technology in TFS and only in second - how to use it. Remember that, if for you - instance = korean style dungeon, where other players cant reach that location.
For developers:
Instanced map technology - primary, non-singleton class, allow to support a few map files in one game world. That world can be connected by new functions like this:
doTeleportThing(cid, mapID, tPos)
doCreateTeleport(itemid, mapID, topos, createpos)
Many ways to use them: cutscenes, randomized map pieces and etc.
For players:
If OTS developer have a skills & release ingame instances - no ways to dectect - that map instance or not. Them looks for players like one map. (For example - dungeon, where ANYONE can enter, but today - that dungeon looks like catacombs, week later - like a crypt/something else. Trick - different mapped maps + some selector on lua(change maps with their ID))

My imho - instances (non-singleton class with allow few maps) should be in TFS as technology for create unique game world enviroment. But i agree - Tibia - NOT NEEDED instances like in Korean MMORPG. We talk about implement that feature or not.

A bit more, imho as community member:
So, as you can understand - if we implement them, it is inevitable - some developers, make a instanced maps in Korean style. But if we dont - some developers lost their opportunity to create unique gameworld enviroment. How to use that technology - private matter of each Developer. We can only tell him - "hey guy! That is bad idea!" or "Yewww! Man! That is awesome!". We must understand - OpenTibia - Open Community! I remember, as Teckman ask's me about few maps support, in EK thread, for him Hall of The Champions - Tibia based game. TFS & OT - not only dedicated for RL Tibia, we should be more tolerable to another tibia-based games or custom servers. Okay, that idea, maybe poor (but as i tell that is private matter of each Developer) for Tibia (RL or with little mods) but how about PokeTibia? NaruTibia? Hall of The Champions? (DOTA based servers)(That projects based on TFS too!) Maybe that idea - awesome for custom projects?
So, if you dont like a instances, dont use that! Implementation of instances should be flexible! And if you like them - why not?
Open Community - should be more tolerable to each idea or project - and TFS - should be more flexible for each developer and any project. It should be - if developer want it - him use it, if developer dont want that feature - him no use it. All simple. And it should be implemented in such a way that both choices are independent and do not interfere with one another.

Kind regards, thanks for read this!