WAR (Warhammer Online)

I don't think anyone knew how instanced AoC was, when asked about it they simply said massive zones. And they turned out alot smaller than at least I imagined, some very small. and no one knew it would be 50 -100 players per instance (depending on its size).

So how can we know war won't be instanced the same as AoC? we can't really gauge how big zones are until will play it. and have they mentioned making new zones if zone is too populated?

No no.. every fight you get into drags you into an instance like in Pokemon!

The yellow squigs make "pika pika" noises as well.

Seriously with the backlash from a lot of players over AoC's instances and loading areas this thread asks a pretty viable question.  I hope a beta tester can pass on a hint and not break their NDA.  For me I don't see how WAR with 500k subscribers can have large roaming fields and space for players to run around.  If they do then there will be more complaints about how the lag is so bad and players stealing kills and how no one can finish  quests because the bosses are always killed etc. 

Darkfall is the only game being developed that has stated it has a massive world with 'no' instanced or loading screens.  I like to feel like I can get lost and wont come across players every 2 minutes.  I can get away in AoC but as you say players are split into different zones.  I don't see how they could have done it any other way tbh.

Originally posted by chryses

Seriously with the backlash from a lot of players over AoC's instances and loading areas this thread asks a pretty viable question.  I hope a beta tester can pass on a hint and not break their NDA.  For me I don't see how WAR with 500k subscribers can have large roaming fields and space for players to run around.  If they do then there will be more complaints about how the lag is so bad and players stealing kills and how no one can finish  quests because the bosses are always killed etc. 

Darkfall is the only game being developed that has stated it has a massive world with 'no' instanced or loading screens.  I like to feel like I can get lost and wont come across players every 2 minutes.  I can get away in AoC but as you say players are split into different zones.  I don't see how they could have done it any other way tbh.

We know more or less definitively that the game world is not instanced like AoC.  There are scenarios that are much like WoW's battlegrounds (although with an actual purpose beyond a faction grind :)) that you see out in the world and during the city sieges.  Outside of that you are in the open world.

I'd say players will spend at least 90% of their time out in the open world (although I'm sure there are some players who will live in scenarios)

Originally posted by chryses

Seriously with the backlash from a lot of players over AoC's instances and loading areas this thread asks a pretty viable question.  I hope a beta tester can pass on a hint and not break their NDA.  For me I don't see how WAR with 500k subscribers can have large roaming fields and space for players to run around.  If they do then there will be more complaints about how the lag is so bad and players stealing kills and how no one can finish  quests because the bosses are always killed etc. 

Darkfall is the only game being developed that has stated it has a massive world with 'no' instanced or loading screens.  I like to feel like I can get lost and wont come across players every 2 minutes.  I can get away in AoC but as you say players are split into different zones.  I don't see how they could have done it any other way tbh.

A Beta player does not have to break NDA to answer that.  The Devs make it clear in their interviews and podcasts which are readily available on their main page, as well as various places on Youtube.  There was also a thread or three recently which amply cover the topic.

As for the 500k Subs roaming, naturally they will be divided into servers.  There will  not be 500k people on one server or screen at a time.  There will be large open worlds for people to battle over, or do personal and public quests in to turn the tide of the war for their allies.

You say that but even if you have say....20 servers and there are 500k subscribers then that equals 20k per server.  Even taking some out for time offline you are looking at a huge number of people trying to play in the same zone so I hope its either massive open world or it will be pretty uncomfortable.  BTW I am not slaggin the game off.. I am already in a guild and will buy the game outright but I can handle loading screens but some cant, I prefer none obviously!

There will be more than 20 servers.  Servers will be split between sevral regions (USA, Europe, Australia, etc) and people will be playing at various hours.  Some people game all night.  Some game evenings after work, others work mornings.  That is a good 3 separate "play schedules" So even with 10k per server, split that down into 3k per "play schedule" and that is what a standard MMO has on a server is between 1500 and 3k online at one time.  Those numbers will not be that high at launch either, and will not all be in one area.  If we want to crunch numbers, we can.  It works out fine.  Every other MMO out right now supports those numbers on a server.  Again, the answers are all available with some basic homework/research.

Ok... in WAR you have the following:

Huge, open-world zones. Huge, as in larger than WoW Barrens. However they will be zoned - meaning there are loading screens between them. This is where the majority of gameplay takes place including PQs, keep sieges etc. There's 30-ish of them. No, you won't need to move from one zone to other to complete quests, sell stuff or train skills.

Instanced scenarios. PvP mini-games that take 15 minutes or so to complete. 30+ of them.

PvE dungeons: some are open world, some are instanced and some are "open-world instanced" meaning there's two instances - one for each faction, no player limit.

On-demand instancing in actual capital siege PvP. This will happen after the open-world fortress, the final keep guarding the capital gates falls. Fighting in the capital city streets will be instanced pretty much like AoC - number 72vs72 has been mentioned but it's all up in the air right now. Anyway this part of the game will take place maybe once a week or two weeks.