The Daily Grind: What game has your favorite instanced PvP?

In some ways, it's much easier to design an open PvP environment than an instanced battlefield. All one needs for the former is a world wherein anyone can attack anyone else, but creating an instanced map requires a set of objectives for players to fight over, an interesting layout to create diverse battles, and a balance so that every side within the instanced map will have a fair chance out of the gate. It's similar to creating a solid map for a first-person shooter, but with far more variables at play and much wider ranges of abilities for all participants.

Despite the obstacles, the instanced PvP map has become one of the most common features of games with any sort of PvP system. So which games offer the best instanced PvP experience? Is it Warhammer Online's diverse and varied Scenario maps? RIFT's balanced Warfronts with specialized PvP-only character builds? What game makes instanced PvP feel the most vibrant and interesting in play?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

Reader Comments (34)

Guild Wars.

@(Unverified)
Agreed. The system where you can make a character equal to everyone else's is really great.

@(Unverified)

Yep Guild Wars had amazing PvP.

Definitely Guildwars.

GvG's were by far the best PvP I've played in any MMO. It wasn't like WoW where you had to have the right gear. You could create a new PvP character that was exactly like everybody else. Those were the good days.

Guild Wars

Classic WoW: I know it was terribly imbalanced and the honour system poorly implemented, but the simple fact is that, before arenas and the e-sports tripe, 8-hour Alterac Valleys were incredible.

WAR: Despite the clunky engine, poor combat and balance issues, the scenarios in WAR were well-designed and were fun.

Nordenwatch, I salute thee.

Gee Dubz by a long shot.

The only games I have played with instanced pvp has been WoW and Rift. Rift was better imho but it also came out later.

Most games I play have open world pvp like Darkfall and Rift.

Daoc had the best PvP instanced or otherwise, end of discussion.

@Darkmoone

I played DAoC for 6 years and I've never seen an instanced PvP in that game. They have zones full of PvP, but instanced?

@Bladerunner83

6 years?, seems like you didn't play long enough to remember BG's

Think real hard now, i'll even give you a little hint. Thidranki

oooohh, duh

@Darkmoone

Ah thats right, I stopped playing around the new frontiers pack. They couldnt be as good as the traditional wall of players picking each other off and the snipers that could kill an entire group of players. Those where some killer PvP days.

I had the most fun in WAR scenarios and for whatever reason they didn't feel terribly repetitive.
I quickly grew bored with RIFT's scenarios though.

My favourite pvp isn't instanced. :P

WAR for sure. Being able to tank in pvp is priceless ^_^

Guild Wars. My personal favorite are Random Arenas. GvG is a little too pro for me and always too much pressure.

WAR also had great Scenarios, i enjoyed them more than open RvR.

WAR:
The scenarios were well designed - curiously the most fun ones were of Tier 1.
And despite the unpolished combat and normal imbalances the careers have some interesting mechanics that made them unique.
I am waiting for another game that makes tanking viable and interesting in PvP and some of the healer careers had some truly original mechanics that made melee healing viable such as the Warrior Priest and Disciple of Khaine.
Pity that the World PvP was uninspired and with no variety at all (same keep design everywhere, same objectives in every PvP area), that the game has barely any crafting and that there isn't a continuous game world nor decent PvE.

I also enjoyed Rift scenarios.

My favorite instanced PvP is Team Fortress 2.

World of Warcraft Alterac Valley Classic was the best fun I had in a long time. It was rare to win a round when the bases had npcs decked out to take a beating.

Guild Wars pvp was awesome where everyone was setup equal. The only real challenge was working as a team and finding the right skills to equip beforehand.

Instanced PvP? Then I would go with WAR's scenarios at launch, back then you could queue up and it would never take more then 30 seconds to start a new scenario. Like said above, oddly enough T1 and T2 were some of the best fights and ever class shined at those levels. It's a shame WAR didn't make its max level 20, after that level was when the powers started getting to crazy.

Of course that's only for instanced PvP, WAR doesn't even come close to DAoC in overall PvP. DAoC before the Trials of Atlantis and New Frontiers downgrades was a thing of beauty.

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The Daily Grind: What game has your favorite instanced PvP?

Reader Comments (34)

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 8:27AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 8:34AM BigAndShiny said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 9:57AM EndDream said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 10:23AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 9:05AM Nepentheia said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 9:18AM Dril said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 9:27AM Nebhatesyou said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 9:28AM Bramen said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 9:30AM Darkmoone said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 7:11PM Bladerunner83 said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 9:04PM Darkmoone said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 9:49PM Bladerunner83 said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 9:31AM terroni said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 9:33AM KaiserZeppelin said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 9:58AM PsiLAN said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 9:59AM Dumac said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 10:50AM Gaugamela said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 11:12AM Palebane said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 11:48AM WeirdJedi said

Posted: Jul 3rd 2011 12:14PM Faith said

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