I think we all need to calm down and get a solid definition of "instance".

My definition - Any area, no matter how large, that is split into two or more "copies" of the same area, all of which are contained on the same server. Entering an instance generally comes with a loading screen, however a loading screen does not automatically make an area "instanced".

By my definition, EvE is not instanced, because there is only one copy of each area.
By my definition, WoW is partially instanced, because there is only one "world", but dungeons, battlegrounds, and arenas are split into copies for each group.
By my definition, AoC is heavily instanced, because each zone, each city, and even some caves are split into multiple copies on the same server.

Is WAR Instanced? Short answer: partially. Much like WoW is, where the entire world is seamless with certain non-world instances. So the answer is: "open-world" like wow.

That said, you should remember that WAR is somewhat against using instances, and has even less of them than WoW does. They push for open world dungeons, much akin to the stuff back in the 'hardcore' days of MMOs.

Originally posted by Jowen

Originally posted by Magsato

EVE is not an open world! Every single "zone" is instanced as you have to take a jumpgate(loading screen) to get there. So yes each one is an "instance" and individual zone.

Sure WAR and WoW used Tunnel zoning but honestly I dont know of ANY game that uses a completely open world. WoW, WAR, EQ, those are abotu as open as current MMOs can get. Sure in the future we may have something that is truly and completely open in every direction but until then this is what we have.

 

Wow, you are way out.

According to you logic the real world is instanced as some people live in one town and others in another and you have to travel between them to pass from one to another.

I think your brain is malfunctioning, please see a doctor.

This is going to turn into a flame war but...

Your logic is retarded. Yes roads connect two towns but are there not sideroads, fields, streams, lakes, etc that couldl be crossed in order to reach another city or town? Yea think about it....

My personal definition of instanced is when you have to face a loading screen any time you travel from one zone to another. By that I mean there is NO way to EVER travel from one zone to another without facing a loading screen.

Originally posted by Magsato

My personal definition of instanced is when you have to face a loading screen any time you travel from one zone to another. By that I mean there is NO way to EVER travel from one zone to another without facing a loading screen.

That is generally called zoning. 

Originally posted by Ender4

Originally posted by vernd

Originally posted by Ender4

The player base definition of instancing is multiple copies of the same zone such that I can be standing in a spot of the world and a friend can be standing in the same spot and I cannot see him because he is in a different instance.

If you are trying to use some other definition of the word (what most people call zoned) then that is probably what is causing part of the issues.

Zoning is not instancing. It's not a matter of "seperate" definitions. If he thinks instancing is the same as zoning, he's plain and simply wrong.

 

Every time i've had this discussion on a message board some geek comes along and gives some technical programming based definition of instancnig being the same as zoning that may or may not be true.  I fully agree instancing is one thing and zoning is something completely different and the majority of players agree. 

Furthermore there are two different definitions of zoning.  To me I'm not zoning unless I see a loading screen, I don't care if there is a little half second delay while the game loads a new zone in the background, that doesn't kill immersion like a loading please wait style zone.  That is the other technicality that is always thrown into these.

WAR is zoned between tiers, instanced in a few places but most of the game is open.  It is pretty much set up like WoW and nothing like AOC which was instanced and zoned to the extreme.

Well, if the technical definitions are not understood, you will have someone come along and say WoW is instanced just like Age of Conan. Pretty absurd statement, isn't it? Technical details are not superfluous to the discussion in this thread. In fact, the differences between zones, instances, and how players move through them is very much the core of what this thread is about, and answering the OP correctly is contingent upon a clear understanding of the technology in question and its application in WAR.

Mucking about with "well this is what it means to ME" only confuses and clouds the issue, and gives people reason to believe complete bull**** such as WoW's shared-world space being instanced.

Don't misinterpret this to mean I am arguing with how you say it's set up in WAR. I've played the beta and I do know how it works, but it's still under NDA. ;)

Instances : Dungeons, keeps, or other confined areas can have sub-areas called instance dungeons, or simply, instances. These instances are special areas in the World of Warcraft where your group or raid party is able to interact with a dungeon privately; that is, without interference from other parties or raids. The term instance has been often conflated and interchanged with the term dungeon.

Instance dungeons tend to feature the most difficult and rewarding content, both in terms of enemies and items, but also in terms of level design. Getting through an instance requires a well-trained and well-balanced group of players who are of an appropriate level for the challenge.

Zoning: In World of Warcraft, the continents are divided up into sections known in-game as zones, or regions. Zones may contain subzones, cities, towns, and instances. For example, the zone Dun Morogh contains the subzone Coldridge Valley, the city Ironforge, the town Kharanos, and the instance Gnomeregan. For a graphical list, see Zones by level.

In lore a zone is usually referred to as a "region". Lore regions and ingame zones do not always match up (what may be a region in lore may be reduced to a subzone in game, and some subregions may become their own zones).

OP: Warhammer is "mass-world like WoW".

There you go, the answer.

Zones for each tier for each conflict group.  Instanced for scenarios, ie BGs.  So not open like WoW but not instanced like AoC either.  More like EQ2.

Dungeon bosses are instanced, the dungeon itself is zoned, you can interact and see other people in the dungeon called a open dungeon

To make this clear:

Zoning: The world doesn't load before you step into it, the map is divided in parts which requires a loading time as you change zone.

Channeling: The world creates copies of itself, usually done to divide the load, you can change channels as you please.

Instancing: You select who you play with or against, a map is created exclusively for your party, and similar parties might be seeing the same scenario, without seeing your group.

Persistent: The world loads before you step into it, you can go across different maps without any loading screen, there aren't copies of the world you're seeing, so every player who wants to enter the area you're in will meet you.

AoC is completely channeled and uses a lot of zoning, it also has a bunch of instances.

WoW has channeled battlegrounds and many instanced dungeons, the rest of the world is zoned and persistent.

EvE is zoned and persistent.

Lineage II is persistent with certain instanced dungeons.

War is like WoW in terms of instancing. It also has similar graphics.

However the PvP/RvR is literally EVERYWHERE. So if you are a PvPer, stop playing stupid WoW to get gear which will be obselete the next patch, and jump onto the Warhammer wagon nau!

Originally posted by Sevensodd

Originally posted by vernd

Originally posted by Sevensodd

Originally posted by Mandy

 

Is Warhammer instaced zoned like Age of Conan?

Or is it mass word zones like WoW and not instanced that only hold 50 or so people?

 

I dont understand why people think WoW is an "open world". It was instanced just like AoC was.

No, not at all. I have to wonder if you even played WoW.

 

Every zone in WoW is instanced, just bigger instances then AoC.

  Are you seriously that stupid? Or just never played WoW? I sure dont see a loadin screen if I decide I ride my mount from Hf pemisula all the way to netherstorm I sure dont see a loadin screen.Its same on old workd also so I really wonder if you just haven't played WoW or if your really that stupid?

Originally posted by Sevensodd

Originally posted by vernd

Originally posted by Sevensodd

Originally posted by Mandy

 

Is Warhammer instaced zoned like Age of Conan?

Or is it mass word zones like WoW and not instanced that only hold 50 or so people?

 

I dont understand why people think WoW is an "open world". It was instanced just like AoC was.

No, not at all. I have to wonder if you even played WoW.

 

Every zone in WoW is instanced, just bigger instances then AoC.

Honestly, I do not enjoy defending WoW, but I will say this: you could not be more wrong. The only instancing in WoW is when you que up for BG's and when you enter dungeons. If you're referring to going from one continent to another, that's not an instance, it's just zoning. A short load screen pops up and that's it. How you came up with that statement is way beyond me.

WAR is mainly an open world, only certain dungeons and RvR will be instanced, but most of the Game is open world.

Zone: An  area where there is only ONE copy of each area, only the zone you are in is loaded into memory(ie, barrens, durotar), WAR 's teirs are seperate zones

Instance: An area where there are MULTIPLE copies of each area, only the instance you are in is loaded into memory (ie, dungeons, AoC areas)

The number of servers is irrelivant, EVE has one, WoW has 400, that does not make EVE more open

Whether or not there is a loading screen is irrelivant to the definitions, but this is the question the OP is asking, and the answer is no WAR will not have a loading screen, might have a little stutter or lag when zoning

Originally posted by vernd

Originally posted by Sevensodd

Originally posted by Mandy

 

Is Warhammer instaced zoned like Age of Conan?

Or is it mass word zones like WoW and not instanced that only hold 50 or so people?

 

I dont understand why people think WoW is an "open world". It was instanced just like AoC was.

No, not at all. I have to wonder if you even played WoW. Each continent was made up of multiple zones with seamless borders...none of them instanced. Only dungeons are instanced in WoW.

They are not instances but they are also not seamless at all.Instances are where by each group or player will be alone in there own copy of the map.So the game loads a new map each time.Zones in WOW are loaded everywhere,it is not a seamless world,Only game i know of that tries to seamlessly load multiple zones is/was Vanguard.Wow tries to make it look like a fake seamless world,but it's not you still stop to load the new textures/items/models/sounds ect. ect.

Originally posted by Wizardry

Originally posted by vernd

Originally posted by Sevensodd

Originally posted by Mandy

 

Is Warhammer instaced zoned like Age of Conan?

Or is it mass word zones like WoW and not instanced that only hold 50 or so people?

 

I dont understand why people think WoW is an "open world". It was instanced just like AoC was.

No, not at all. I have to wonder if you even played WoW. Each continent was made up of multiple zones with seamless borders...none of them instanced. Only dungeons are instanced in WoW.

They are not instances but they are also not seamless at all.Instances are where by each group or player will be alone in there own copy of the map.So the game loads a new map each time.Zones in WOW are loaded everywhere,it is not a seamless world,Only game i know of that tries to seamlessly load multiple zones is/was Vanguard.Wow tries to make it look like a fake seamless world,but it's not you still stop to load the new textures/items/models/sounds ect. ect.

 

Loading the player character from one zone into another is done seamlessly. You never hit a loading screen until you enter an instanced dungeon, or in crossing between continents. Vanguard uses chunking. Slightly different technology, nearly the same result for a person just playing the game. Oh, except for in Vanguard's case where mobs crossing the chunk borders caused problems with server stability or everything kind of hangs for a second while it loads.

To the OP.

Warhammer is like WOW, but will have more overland pvp.  In WOW, you have to look for pvp (bg's, arena or overworld objectives), in Warhammer, the fighting should be all over.

Originally posted by Wizardry

Originally posted by vernd

Originally posted by Sevensodd

Originally posted by Mandy

 

Is Warhammer instaced zoned like Age of Conan?

Or is it mass word zones like WoW and not instanced that only hold 50 or so people?

 

I dont understand why people think WoW is an "open world". It was instanced just like AoC was.

No, not at all. I have to wonder if you even played WoW. Each continent was made up of multiple zones with seamless borders...none of them instanced. Only dungeons are instanced in WoW.

They are not instances but they are also not seamless at all.Instances are where by each group or player will be alone in there own copy of the map.So the game loads a new map each time.Zones in WOW are loaded everywhere,it is not a seamless world,Only game i know of that tries to seamlessly load multiple zones is/was Vanguard.Wow tries to make it look like a fake seamless world,but it's not you still stop to load the new textures/items/models/sounds ect. ect.

 

The important part is that in WoW it's completely transparent to the user. There are no loading screens when you go from Eastern Plaguelands to Western Plaguelands and there aren't multiple copies to divide up the players. So while you may be technically right it's the player perception that the op was asking about.