MMORPGs moving to 1-10 MS server side polling

[Dwill]

That is instancing and not open world. Just because they want to go cheap on hardware doesn't remove that fact.

Every zone by definition are already mini-instances dues to having to load between each of them. If it was a real open world, you would log in Gridania for example and you could travel between any Shroud without having to load between each of them. What they are doing is just making sure that there is no performance issue due to overcrowding. If the solution that they choose is similar to the first one I mentioned earlier on, most of you are never going to even notice a difference in your gameplay.

You have to remember that the only reason instancing in exists in the first place, is to not have to spend as much on server cost.

It is true that server cost is a big reason for instancing but is far from the only one. Instancing allows for multiple group to do dungeons and raids at the same time and this is another huge reason why instance exists in the first place.

And with how much they proclaim this game to be a huge success, they should not have to go that route.

Or making the game in a way that spreads people around and not clumping them together.

I agree that Square Enix dropped the ball hard on the server aspect and that they could have had a much better insight on how many people this would attract. Though right now, adding new servers and data centers would be even harder, as it was explained earlier in the thread.