Guild Wars Mini-Interview #10
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Q: Some people feel, and this includes some developers from rival MMORPGs, that instancing hinders socializing. Personally, I think such claims are preposterous. However, we're here to hear what you have to say. Knowing that Guild Wars is predominately instanced based, how would address this concern? Do you think that the current set up is conducive to socializers?
A: Yes, I think the current design is conducive to the best possible socializing, and to gaming over which you, as a player, have complete control. First of all, let's talk about Guild Wars, so that it's clear that the game is much more than a bland chat room and instanced missions, like the on-line games of years ago. Guild Wars offers a very rich social outlet through the towns and outposts. You could probably fully enjoy the game just by hanging around in town all the time, chatting with other players, discussing the news of the day. In towns, you find merchants who buy and sell items, gem traders who offer those all-important skill gems, and the Crafter who helps you turn your everyday outfit into splendid armour, or your normal weapon into a rune-enhanced Amazingly Fantastic Sword of Great Mightiness. Well, ok, I'm just kidding about the name; let's just say the Crafter will make it "a substantially better weapon." ;) In town you find the Ringcrafters for each profession, the essential folks you visit to acquire more skills. Sometimes you even receive a quest from an NPC in town. In short, there is a lot to do in town, plus the opportunity to do nothing at all: To simply hang out in a beautiful and dynamic setting and shoot the breeze.
Outposts make up a second kind of social area, and they serve a distinctly different purpose than a town. You head to an outpost to form a team, to hook up with guildmates, or to strategize before going into the mission. Outposts will be busy places, too, and you have plenty of opportunities to chat with other players while you are there. With these two types of settlements towns and outposts extended social interaction takes place.
The parts of Guild Wars that are instanced are the essential elements that involve combat. And for combat, the advantages of instancing are huge: You don't have to worry about someone camping the boss and preventing you from completing a quest. You don't have to travel hours to get to the best battlegrounds. (Oh, the hours I spent doing the "run for 20 minutes, then turn left at the second frog near the blue rock behind the.. oh nooo, you're dead!" run. I don't miss it, I promise you!) And with instanced missions, you don't have to position a teammate on the perimeter of battle to make sure that loot stealers don't swoop down and steal your rewards. You don't even have to stand in line to wait for monster spawns. That's right, you can avoid the "Take a number, stand in line and kill the boss monster" routine.
