Instances

Subparts of game worlds creates specifically for groups of players as these parts are needed.

Computer Games that support multiplayer games can have problems with too many players in the same place. This can both cause technical issues with too much communication needed between a server and many clients and cause gameplay balance issues. Instances is one way of solving this issue by creating isolated gameplay areas where a limited number of players may be. This can also ensure that players are guaranteed to interact with each other, something that may not occur if the game world is to large in comparison with the number of players.

Wikipedia has a entry for Dungeon Instances which discusses the same topic.

Note: The use of Instances here is different from the concept of game instances in the component framework.

Examples

Massively Multiplayer Online Games such as Eve Online, World of Warcraft and the Everquest series make use of Instances to allow small groups of players to enter specific areas in attempt to complete quests.

Using the pattern

Boss Monsters, Freedom of Choice, Game Lobbies, Game Servers, Massively Multiplayer Online Games, Persistent Game World Changes, Persistent Game Worlds, Private Game Spaces, Thematic Consistency Temporal Consistency

when respawn

Narrative Aspects

Instances are often used to house Quests so that only a limited number of players are part of it. Besides allowing Quests to be balanced against a certain number of players, it allows the game design to focus on these players as central to the narration.

Consequences

Instances are Levels and Inaccessible Areas. If players are allowed to enter them several times, they can provide Extra Chances.

Camping may occur whenever players cannot enter Instances at any time since they may gather close to their entrance. In Massively Multiplayer Online Games where Instances need certain number of players, players may not know all the people they are playing with. This makes Instances create Pickup Groups and Dynamic Alliances. These consequences, and the concentration of players during the actual gameplay provided in instances, increases the likelihood of Social Interaction between players.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Camping, Extra Chances, Inaccessible Areas, Levels, Social Interaction

with Massively Multiplayer Online Games

Dynamic Alliances, Pickup Groups

Can Modulate

Game Servers, Massively Multiplayer Online Games, Persistent Game Worlds, Quests

Can Be Instantiated By

Private Game Spaces

Can Be Modulated By

Boss Monsters, Game Lobbies

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

Persistent Game World Changes, Temporal Consistency, Thematic Consistency

History

New pattern created in this wiki.

Acknowledgements

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