Phasing is far more dificult to achieve than a world change. World change is indeed for every player to see it.
Like the Wintergrasp SIege castle changed appearance in real time during the battles and it went Horde or Alliance side.
Those "DE" techniques existed in WOW and many other games since years now.
Phasing is a new multiple kind of state into a real world envirnmont compared to individual players.
While these players still see each other they are confronted with changing worlds standing in front of them...
I know difficult to grasp, but apparently more so for a Wow tard....
Apart from the fact you like it or not, it is far more costly to do since you design several alternate realities of one zone for each player with the added advantage they still see each other at a decent distance.
More complecated to program/costly or not, a lot of people (including me) dislike phasing and prefer these ''global'' changes.
Of course, I respect your opinion. I just wanted to point out that Dynamic events are not as new as phasing was or is. Phasing can be used in the leveling department and makes for a more dynamic experience, a kind of Oblivion meets traditional non changing content of MMO's.
But changing world events, My God, Wintergrasp did even change dynamically in the fights: they are old techniques going back a decade even.
Well I think Arenanet is saying that the player initiates the dynamic event that changes the world. Each time a player finishes a quest. At least that's kind of how they make it sound to me. The only way I can see them giving each player a unique experience like that is through phasing. To have that happen as an open word dynamic event would either be insanely chaotic or too few occurances to really matter.
He did not ask for GW 2 sources, he asked a simple question. And one would think that with all your replies to this thread you could simply just answer his question rather than being condescending towards him.
He didn't ask a question, he made a statement.
He asked the question in the subject title of the thread you clicked on.
Of course, I respect your opinion. I just wanted to point out that Dynamic events are not as new as phasing was or is. Phasing can be used in the leveling department and makes for a more dynamic experience, a kind of Oblivion meets traditional non changing content of MMO's.
But changing world events, My God, Wintergrasp did even change dynamically in the fights: they are old techniques going back a decade even.
You are comparing apples and oranges here. Dynamic events are a new form of content, and they should be compared to something inside it's category - quests. Phasing and persistent changing of the world are basically fluff features made to enhance player experience.
Of course, I respect your opinion. I just wanted to point out that Dynamic events are not as new as phasing was or is. Phasing can be used in the leveling department and makes for a more dynamic experience, a kind of Oblivion meets traditional non changing content of MMO's.
But changing world events, My God, Wintergrasp did even change dynamically in the fights: they are old techniques going back a decade even.
You are comparing apples and oranges here. Dynamic events are a new form of content, and they should be compared to something inside it's category - quests. Phasing and persistent changing of the world are basically fluff features made to enhance player experience.
I don't think that grabbing a tank in a PvP zone, bombarding the wall of a Castle, see that wall thumble and then attack with all others around you through the opening of that wall and go to the next defensive construction is "fluff".
It is an example of a dynamic event that changes the world dynamically - in real time even - with or without getting quests to down that wall or tank -.
Been there done that years ago. AoC, WoW, WAR (although very bad implemented in those PQ's), you name it.
You make it sound it is something new, it ain't. The only thing that could change is the timer.
From 15 minutes to 2.5 hours to a few weeks to never.
And it will be instanced in GW2 as it will be a cross server PvP Battleground (with the knowledge of their GW1 programming).
You are comparing apples and oranges here. Dynamic events are a new form of content, and they should be compared to something inside it's category - quests. Phasing and persistent changing of the world are basically fluff features made to enhance player experience.
I don't think that grabbing a tank in a PvP zone, bombarding the wall of a Castle, see that wall thumble and then attack with all others around you through the opening of that wall and go to the next defensive construction is "fluff".
It is an example of a dynamic event that changes the world dynamically - in real time even - with or without getting quests to down that wall or tank -.
Been there done that years ago. AoC, WoW, WAR (although very bad implemented in those PQ's), you name it.
You make it sound it is something new, it ain't. The only thing that could change is the timer.
From 15 minutes to 2.5 hours to a few weeks to never.
And it will be instanced in GW2 as it will be a cross server PvP Battleground (with the knowledge of their GW1 programming).
You don't believe it? Let's wait and see.
You still miss the point of dynamic events, and compare it to a fluff feature. And you should read more about GW2 PvP... And what instancing means.
I don't think that grabbing a tank in a PvP zone, bombarding the wall of a Castle, see that wall thumble and then attack with all others around you through the opening of that wall and go to the next defensive construction is "fluff".
It is an example of a dynamic event that changes the world dynamically - in real time even - with or without getting quests to down that wall or tank -.
Been there done that years ago. AoC, WoW, WAR (although very bad implemented in those PQ's), you name it.
You make it sound it is something new, it ain't. The only thing that could change is the timer.
From 15 minutes to 2.5 hours to a few weeks to never.
And it will be instanced in GW2 as it will be a cross server PvP Battleground (with the knowledge of their GW1 programming).
You don't believe it? Let's wait and see.
No, phasing isn't fluff. But it isn't the same as GW2s dynamic events either. In Wow the world change for you when you (and your group) do something that has phasing. In GW2 does it change for everyone.
But the big difference here is the whole quest thing. The dynamic quests isn't something you accept, puts in your questlog and do when you have enough quests in the same area. If a bunch of Corsairs are plundering a coastal village you hurry down and do something or there wont be more than burning ruins afterwards. And they are not just standing still and waiting for you to kill them, they are pillaging.
I for one are looking forward to not have a full quest log.
As for instances: yes there will be instances. Dungeons are instanced. The mists are instanced. A lot of the personal storyline is instanced as well. But not the open world (and it do contain a ruin underwater city and similar places).
Just to clarify that thing with Dynamic Events (for a gazzillion time):
They change the landscape for everyone!
Once an event ends, it's (most probably) replaced with another one, which is part of "circle chain"(depends on the win/lose condition of the previous one...oh and there is said to be branching...)
Events replace quests and work active AND proactive (you see something happening so you join the event, you win/lose and you see something else happenning which you may join again as well etc etc)
Events scales on the number of people and there is no ninja looting,mob stealing etc...
You could picture events as a quest circle: It starts and after many events it returns to its former place(but it depends on the conditions etc)
Events are not based on time periodics (No WAR PQs...things happen, all that matters is if you do something about it)
...
Based on what I just wrote, you may guess that this system is insanely huge content wise (since events chain,branch and change based on another events) and it seems almost impossible to pull this of...BUT:
Don't get cocky thinking that everything will be living/changing/new everytime you enter the same place. Yes it will be different for the first/third/maybe fifth time but then you'll eventually see things you already saw - other way is not just possible (but I can still see QQs about this on the future forums - the cake was not a lie, you made it look so! )
I hope I wasn't too confusing and that I was right(otherwise please inform!)
I think I actually spent way more time reading and theorycrafting about MMOs than playing them
Its funny, first people can't believe the game doesn't have a sub fee, then they can't believe it's not instanced, then they can't believe the game doesn't use phasing, then they start to make assumptions of gameplay based on past experiences of games that didn't succeed in doing it right. But yea, if you can progress in that order, you definitely want to know more about the game but if you're stuck in one of those areas then..well... the only hope for you is to play the game.
Or, instead of hoping, you could check GW2 website, watch hours of gameplay footage on the internet and read hundreds of pages of GW2 hands on articles. But if you were honestly interested in GW2, you would have done that long time ago...
Yep, cause only fanatically devoted that watched hours of gameplay videos and read hundreds of pages of GW2 will be allowed to buy this game.
I didn't say that everyone has to watch/read all that. I said that he/she had plenty of GW2 sources to get the info he/she ''needs''.
ROFL. I've never visted the GW2 website, not watched one bit of gameplay footage (just not what I do) nor read any pages of GW2 hands on articles.
Easier to ask a simple question on my favorite forums and get a straight answer from those folks who don't mind sharing their knowledge.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Or, instead of hoping, you could check GW2 website, watch hours of gameplay footage on the internet and read hundreds of pages of GW2 hands on articles. But if you were honestly interested in GW2, you would have done that long time ago...
Yep, cause only fanatically devoted that watched hours of gameplay videos and read hundreds of pages of GW2 will be allowed to buy this game.
I didn[object Window]t say that everyone has to watch/read all that. I said that he/she had plenty of GW2 sources to get the info he/she [object Window][object Window]needs[object Window][object Window].
ROFL. I[object Window]ve never visted the GW2 website, not watched one bit of gameplay footage (just not what I do) nor read any pages of GW2 hands on articles.
Easier to ask a simple question on my favorite forums and get a straight answer from those folks who don[object Window]t mind sharing their knowledge.
Or you type www.google.com in your browser and search for it...
"It has potential" -Second most used phrase on existence "It sucks" -Most used phrase on existence
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Unlike everyone else telling you to use google, I'll just give you your answer.
You will be able to run into other players out in the world while leveling, or doing what ever. The main part of the world is persistent. So things will change for everyone. If, however, you see open world as seamlessness (no load screens when changing zones), that we are not yet aware. There is speculation, and good evidence, that suggests you will face load screens between zones and while map travel. However, there is no confirmation as to whether we will face load screens while changing zones. Load screens, though, does not automatically imply instancing. It's just another way to manage the game data for the next zone. I believe Anet has stated that they will use what ever works best to manage lag. But, again, you will be able to run into other players out in the regular word.
Yes there will be instancing. Dungeons, personal stories, and parts of cities will be instanced.
As for dynamic events, i just thought of another way to explain how it may be possible without the need for phasing.
Think about when you first enter an area. You go to some mob encampment, and there's no mobs there. The person who was there before just went through and wiped out the encampment. The emptiness of the camp shows for every, not just for one person. Think of dynamic events as an extension of that. Taking the same technology used to tell other players that those pixies of doom were killed before you came here, obvious by no mobs being around, and merging the idea of questing with it. Now extend that technology further and make it suddenly affect environment objects, such as bridges, you start to have what looks like dynamic events. Obviously they would be much more complicated than this, but perhaps this will give you another way to think about dynamic events without resorting to phasing.
Phasing is far more dificult to achieve than a world change. World change is indeed for every player to see it.
Like the Wintergrasp SIege castle changed appearance in real time during the battles and it went Horde or Alliance side.
Those "DE" techniques existed in WOW and many other games since years now.
Phasing is a new multiple kind of state into a real world envirnmont compared to individual players.
While these players still see each other they are confronted with changing worlds standing in front of them...
I know difficult to grasp, but apparently more so for a Wow tard....
Apart from the fact you like it or not, it is far more costly to do since you design several alternate realities of one zone for each player with the added advantage they still see each other at a decent distance.
More complecated to program/costly or not, a lot of people (including me) dislike phasing and prefer these ''global'' changes.
Of course, I respect your opinion. I just wanted to point out that Dynamic events are not as new as phasing was or is. Phasing can be used in the leveling department and makes for a more dynamic experience, a kind of Oblivion meets traditional non changing content of MMO's.
But changing world events, My God, Wintergrasp did even change dynamically in the fights: they are old techniques going back a decade even.
Well I think Arenanet is saying that the player initiates the dynamic event that changes the world. Each time a player finishes a quest. At least that's kind of how they make it sound to me. The only way I can see them giving each player a unique experience like that is through phasing. To have that happen as an open word dynamic event would either be insanely chaotic or too few occurances to really matter.
Let me try and help carify things a bit if I may.
Dynamic events happen. Some will be triggered automatically, some will be triggered by players interacting with something that results in something happening. Either way, let's use the classic "centaurs attacking the outpost" example.
You're wandering along and you perhaps hear an npc yelling that their outpost is under attack, or perhaps you see an explosion in the near distance, whatever... but something tells you that something is happening. You investigate and find that centaurs are attacking an outpost and in combat with the npcs there. (Note: anyone else happening along will see the same thing - it's happening in the world for everyone.) You have options. You can help, or not. Let's say you do the righteous thing and help drive off the centaurs, rezzing fallen npcs, etc. The act of driving off the centaurs will trigger one (or more) events. Perhaps someone says that the centaurs have a base not too far away and will likely attack again. Perhaps someone else is saying that they need to rebuild the walls. More options... do you help rebuild, do you attack the nearby base to further drive off the centaurs, or do you go along your merry way? (Note: Anyone else coming along this outpost will arrive at this point in time, with the centaurs driven off and the options of attacking their base or rebuilding the walls.) This is where the persistence comes in... someone coming along sees the town after you've driven off the bad guys and continues the event chain(s) from there. There won't be any phasing. If you failed to drive off the centaurs (or didn't bother) and the town was taken, someone coming along would find a town occupied by centaurs and the npcs dead. They will have the chance to liberate the town and work on rebuilding, etc.
Don't confuse these world events with personal story events - personal story events are an optional story within the world that you can choose to follow or not. Changes made within your personal story are permanent... if you let a friend die in your home instance, they stay dead. Again, no phasing, but these personal stories are instanced in your own personal home/section of the city.
I don't think that grabbing a tank in a PvP zone, bombarding the wall of a Castle, see that wall thumble and then attack with all others around you through the opening of that wall and go to the next defensive construction is "fluff".
It is an example of a dynamic event that changes the world dynamically - in real time even - with or without getting quests to down that wall or tank -.
Been there done that years ago. AoC, WoW, WAR (although very bad implemented in those PQ's), you name it.
You make it sound it is something new, it ain't. The only thing that could change is the timer.
From 15 minutes to 2.5 hours to a few weeks to never.
And it will be instanced in GW2 as it will be a cross server PvP Battleground (with the knowledge of their GW1 programming).
You don't believe it? Let's wait and see.
No, phasing isn't fluff. But it isn't the same as GW2s dynamic events either. In Wow the world change for you when you (and your group) do something that has phasing. In GW2 does it change for everyone.
But the big difference here is the whole quest thing. The dynamic quests isn't something you accept, puts in your questlog and do when you have enough quests in the same area. If a bunch of Corsairs are plundering a coastal village you hurry down and do something or there wont be more than burning ruins afterwards. And they are not just standing still and waiting for you to kill them, they are pillaging.
I for one are looking forward to not have a full quest log.
As for instances: yes there will be instances. Dungeons are instanced. The mists are instanced. A lot of the personal storyline is instanced as well. But not the open world (and it do contain a ruin underwater city and similar places).
The massive changing of the landscapes exist YEARS in other MMO's already.
The Isle of the Sunwell back in TBC changed several times according to the progression of what players did on the island in TBC. Attention what players did as a WHOLE: so for everyone.
Before that you had the Silithus opening of that unpronouncable Raid back in Vanilla WOW.
You had the PQ's in WAR too. The Siege fights in Wintergrasp (dyunamic changes in real time even). the fortress constructions in AOC through gathering mats etc etc ...
The only thing that changes is the timer on which it "resets" or even never "resets".
Now even the implementation of it is not very exciting either in - PVE at least.
Why? Because the group is playing and whether you do something or don't do something is trivial at best. The most boring things in WOW are those "massively" fights against elementals back in pre Cata launch.
The first time you do them and the second them you watch, the third time you stay out and read a book and grab the resultant world change and go to the opened dungeon kills.
To make it something different is pure PR talk as it has been seen in most MMORPG's already.
.
As to the OP question of instanced play: the famous "world" PvP in GW2 is based on multiple server mechanics. As the data of players and playing ground will be preloaded from different servers it is PURE instanced.
That should be easy to grasp for even the most hardcore fans.
Easier to ask a simple question on my favorite forums and get a straight answer from those folks who don't mind sharing their knowledge.
You think, in a forum you'll have people debate about useless stuff even if you ask a very simple question and require a yes/no anwser; not even to speak about the flood of missinformations that'll get you lost. Honestly you better go watch some vid and read the official infos, and its healthier.
As to the OP question of instanced play: the famous "world" PvP in GW2 is based on multiple server mechanics. As the data of players and playing ground will be preloaded from different servers it is PURE instanced.
That should be easy to grasp for even the most hardcore fans.
The massive changing of the landscapes exist YEARS in other MMO's already.
The Isle of the Sunwell back in TBC changed several times according to the progression of what players did on the island in TBC. Attention what players did as a WHOLE: so for everyone.
Before that you had the Silithus opening of that unpronouncable Raid back in Vanilla WOW.
You had the PQ's in WAR too. The Siege fights in Wintergrasp (dyunamic changes in real time even). the fortress constructions in AOC through gathering mats etc etc ...
The only thing that changes is the timer on which it "resets" or even never "resets".
Gw2's world works in the same way as age of conan's, but each zone is much bigger, and with (usually, except in extreme circumstances) only one version of said zone per world (with a soft cap so large it's unlikely to ever be reached).
So it's a persistant zoned world, with large zones and short load times between zones. Think a persistant guild wars 1 with each zone as big as istan, or shing jea island (which compromised of about 5-6 zones in gw1).
Whereas in guild wars 1, going into a map meant only you going, now if someone else goes into the portal, they'll appear too. It's how it works. The maps are easily big enough for 99.9% of all players not to give a damn.
Dungeons and your personal storyline are instances, like in guild wars 1, where only your party can enter (yes, you can do storylines as a group).
Definitions:
Instance: A map that is only viewable by the player/party who enters it. and is only for them, leaving an instance resets it for the player.
Examples: Guild Wars standard PvE, gw2 dungeons, dungeons in most MMO's.
Persistant instance: A map that retains it's state for the current player ('remembers events' in the past, including mobs being killed), but can be different for other players.
Examples: Home instance gw2, most single player rpg's, to a limited extent levels in gw1 dungeons (state only resets on a level if whole dungeon is left).
Open world persistant: Big open map with no portals, usually quite laggy without artificial zoning. Most 'open world' games have invisible zones to reduce lag. Anyone in the map can see anyone else, remembers events such as a mob getting killed. In MMO's respawns replenish mob deaths.
Example: WoW, most f2p knock offs
Zoned persistant: Like above but has physical zones, instead of invisible. Still persistant (you see everyone else), but has portals between zones. All other basic mechanics same as open world persistant.
Comments
Well I think Arenanet is saying that the player initiates the dynamic event that changes the world. Each time a player finishes a quest. At least that's kind of how they make it sound to me. The only way I can see them giving each player a unique experience like that is through phasing. To have that happen as an open word dynamic event would either be insanely chaotic or too few occurances to really matter.
He asked the question in the subject title of the thread you clicked on.
This whole thread makes me facepalm with the ground acting as my palm.
This is not a game.
You are comparing apples and oranges here. Dynamic events are a new form of content, and they should be compared to something inside it's category - quests. Phasing and persistent changing of the world are basically fluff features made to enhance player experience.
It will be like World of Warcraft... open world with instanced dungeons with bosses and decent loot.
I don't think that grabbing a tank in a PvP zone, bombarding the wall of a Castle, see that wall thumble and then attack with all others around you through the opening of that wall and go to the next defensive construction is "fluff".
It is an example of a dynamic event that changes the world dynamically - in real time even - with or without getting quests to down that wall or tank -.
Been there done that years ago. AoC, WoW, WAR (although very bad implemented in those PQ's), you name it.
You make it sound it is something new, it ain't. The only thing that could change is the timer.
From 15 minutes to 2.5 hours to a few weeks to never.
And it will be instanced in GW2 as it will be a cross server PvP Battleground (with the knowledge of their GW1 programming).
You don't believe it? Let's wait and see.
You still miss the point of dynamic events, and compare it to a fluff feature. And you should read more about GW2 PvP... And what instancing means.
Gw2 is mainly open world. Only parts of personal story will be instanced, and I believe PvP arenas or similar.
Guild Wars 2 Youtube Croatian Maniacs
My Guild Wars titles
No, phasing isn't fluff. But it isn't the same as GW2s dynamic events either. In Wow the world change for you when you (and your group) do something that has phasing. In GW2 does it change for everyone.
But the big difference here is the whole quest thing. The dynamic quests isn't something you accept, puts in your questlog and do when you have enough quests in the same area. If a bunch of Corsairs are plundering a coastal village you hurry down and do something or there wont be more than burning ruins afterwards. And they are not just standing still and waiting for you to kill them, they are pillaging.
I for one are looking forward to not have a full quest log.
As for instances: yes there will be instances. Dungeons are instanced. The mists are instanced. A lot of the personal storyline is instanced as well. But not the open world (and it do contain a ruin underwater city and similar places).
There is a great resource at the top of this forum that people should use.
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/287180/Everything-We-Know-about-GW2.html
If people could start using these then perhaps half of these threads wouldn't be here. Anyway OP, go to that thread, read it and be informed.
Just to clarify that thing with Dynamic Events (for a gazzillion time):
They change the landscape for everyone!
Once an event ends, it's (most probably) replaced with another one, which is part of "circle chain"(depends on the win/lose condition of the previous one...oh and there is said to be branching...)
Events replace quests and work active AND proactive (you see something happening so you join the event, you win/lose and you see something else happenning which you may join again as well etc etc)
Events scales on the number of people and there is no ninja looting,mob stealing etc...
You could picture events as a quest circle: It starts and after many events it returns to its former place(but it depends on the conditions etc)
Events are not based on time periodics (No WAR PQs...things happen, all that matters is if you do something about it)
...
Based on what I just wrote, you may guess that this system is insanely huge content wise (since events chain,branch and change based on another events) and it seems almost impossible to pull this of...BUT:
Don't get cocky thinking that everything will be living/changing/new everytime you enter the same place. Yes it will be different for the first/third/maybe fifth time but then you'll eventually see things you already saw - other way is not just possible (but I can still see QQs about this on the future forums - the cake was not a lie, you made it look so! )
I hope I wasn't too confusing and that I was right(otherwise please inform!)
I think I actually spent way more time reading and theorycrafting about MMOs than playing them
Its funny, first people can't believe the game doesn't have a sub fee, then they can't believe it's not instanced, then they can't believe the game doesn't use phasing, then they start to make assumptions of gameplay based on past experiences of games that didn't succeed in doing it right. But yea, if you can progress in that order, you definitely want to know more about the game but if you're stuck in one of those areas then..well... the only hope for you is to play the game.
This is not a game.
Hoping it's open world unlike GW1..
there is this thing on the internet called Google.
Don't shoot the messenger.....it will ruin you monitor
WoW Dude, you got stuck in time or whatsoever?
Use the bloody google atleast once in your life
"It has potential"
-Second most used phrase on existence
"It sucks"
-Most used phrase on existence
ROFL. I've never visted the GW2 website, not watched one bit of gameplay footage (just not what I do) nor read any pages of GW2 hands on articles.
Easier to ask a simple question on my favorite forums and get a straight answer from those folks who don't mind sharing their knowledge.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Or you type www.google.com in your browser and search for it...
"It has potential"
-Second most used phrase on existence
"It sucks"
-Most used phrase on existence
Now this was a helpful post. I was wrong, I did read this thread at one time and had forgotten about it. Thanks for sharing it again.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Unlike everyone else telling you to use google, I'll just give you your answer.
You will be able to run into other players out in the world while leveling, or doing what ever. The main part of the world is persistent. So things will change for everyone. If, however, you see open world as seamlessness (no load screens when changing zones), that we are not yet aware. There is speculation, and good evidence, that suggests you will face load screens between zones and while map travel. However, there is no confirmation as to whether we will face load screens while changing zones. Load screens, though, does not automatically imply instancing. It's just another way to manage the game data for the next zone. I believe Anet has stated that they will use what ever works best to manage lag. But, again, you will be able to run into other players out in the regular word.
Yes there will be instancing. Dungeons, personal stories, and parts of cities will be instanced.
As for dynamic events, i just thought of another way to explain how it may be possible without the need for phasing.
Think about when you first enter an area. You go to some mob encampment, and there's no mobs there. The person who was there before just went through and wiped out the encampment. The emptiness of the camp shows for every, not just for one person. Think of dynamic events as an extension of that. Taking the same technology used to tell other players that those pixies of doom were killed before you came here, obvious by no mobs being around, and merging the idea of questing with it. Now extend that technology further and make it suddenly affect environment objects, such as bridges, you start to have what looks like dynamic events. Obviously they would be much more complicated than this, but perhaps this will give you another way to think about dynamic events without resorting to phasing.
Let me try and help carify things a bit if I may.
Dynamic events happen. Some will be triggered automatically, some will be triggered by players interacting with something that results in something happening. Either way, let's use the classic "centaurs attacking the outpost" example.
You're wandering along and you perhaps hear an npc yelling that their outpost is under attack, or perhaps you see an explosion in the near distance, whatever... but something tells you that something is happening. You investigate and find that centaurs are attacking an outpost and in combat with the npcs there. (Note: anyone else happening along will see the same thing - it's happening in the world for everyone.) You have options. You can help, or not. Let's say you do the righteous thing and help drive off the centaurs, rezzing fallen npcs, etc. The act of driving off the centaurs will trigger one (or more) events. Perhaps someone says that the centaurs have a base not too far away and will likely attack again. Perhaps someone else is saying that they need to rebuild the walls. More options... do you help rebuild, do you attack the nearby base to further drive off the centaurs, or do you go along your merry way? (Note: Anyone else coming along this outpost will arrive at this point in time, with the centaurs driven off and the options of attacking their base or rebuilding the walls.) This is where the persistence comes in... someone coming along sees the town after you've driven off the bad guys and continues the event chain(s) from there. There won't be any phasing. If you failed to drive off the centaurs (or didn't bother) and the town was taken, someone coming along would find a town occupied by centaurs and the npcs dead. They will have the chance to liberate the town and work on rebuilding, etc.
Don't confuse these world events with personal story events - personal story events are an optional story within the world that you can choose to follow or not. Changes made within your personal story are permanent... if you let a friend die in your home instance, they stay dead. Again, no phasing, but these personal stories are instanced in your own personal home/section of the city.
I hope this makes sense...
Oderint, dum metuant.
The massive changing of the landscapes exist YEARS in other MMO's already.
The Isle of the Sunwell back in TBC changed several times according to the progression of what players did on the island in TBC. Attention what players did as a WHOLE: so for everyone.
Before that you had the Silithus opening of that unpronouncable Raid back in Vanilla WOW.
You had the PQ's in WAR too. The Siege fights in Wintergrasp (dyunamic changes in real time even). the fortress constructions in AOC through gathering mats etc etc ...
The only thing that changes is the timer on which it "resets" or even never "resets".
Now even the implementation of it is not very exciting either in - PVE at least.
Why? Because the group is playing and whether you do something or don't do something is trivial at best. The most boring things in WOW are those "massively" fights against elementals back in pre Cata launch.
The first time you do them and the second them you watch, the third time you stay out and read a book and grab the resultant world change and go to the opened dungeon kills.
To make it something different is pure PR talk as it has been seen in most MMORPG's already.
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As to the OP question of instanced play: the famous "world" PvP in GW2 is based on multiple server mechanics. As the data of players and playing ground will be preloaded from different servers it is PURE instanced.
That should be easy to grasp for even the most hardcore fans.
It is instanced because it is multi server based.
You think, in a forum you'll have people debate about useless stuff even if you ask a very simple question and require a yes/no anwser; not even to speak about the flood of missinformations that'll get you lost. Honestly you better go watch some vid and read the official infos, and its healthier.
Thats not what instancing is.
And you still keep missing the point...
Gw2's world works in the same way as age of conan's, but each zone is much bigger, and with (usually, except in extreme circumstances) only one version of said zone per world (with a soft cap so large it's unlikely to ever be reached).
So it's a persistant zoned world, with large zones and short load times between zones. Think a persistant guild wars 1 with each zone as big as istan, or shing jea island (which compromised of about 5-6 zones in gw1).
Whereas in guild wars 1, going into a map meant only you going, now if someone else goes into the portal, they'll appear too. It's how it works. The maps are easily big enough for 99.9% of all players not to give a damn.
Dungeons and your personal storyline are instances, like in guild wars 1, where only your party can enter (yes, you can do storylines as a group).
Definitions:
Instance: A map that is only viewable by the player/party who enters it. and is only for them, leaving an instance resets it for the player.
Examples: Guild Wars standard PvE, gw2 dungeons, dungeons in most MMO's.
Persistant instance: A map that retains it's state for the current player ('remembers events' in the past, including mobs being killed), but can be different for other players.
Examples: Home instance gw2, most single player rpg's, to a limited extent levels in gw1 dungeons (state only resets on a level if whole dungeon is left).
Open world persistant: Big open map with no portals, usually quite laggy without artificial zoning. Most 'open world' games have invisible zones to reduce lag. Anyone in the map can see anyone else, remembers events such as a mob getting killed. In MMO's respawns replenish mob deaths.
Example: WoW, most f2p knock offs
Zoned persistant: Like above but has physical zones, instead of invisible. Still persistant (you see everyone else), but has portals between zones. All other basic mechanics same as open world persistant.
Example: Age of Conan, Guild wars 2 main maps.
If I have the choice between a bad open world story or a good instanced one, I prefer the latter.