Definitative answer on instancing?

[magillag]

I've been wondering for a while how the "instancing" thing works. Does anyone have word from the dev's on how instancing works?
In other words, When I click 'play' from the launcher am I set to an 'instance' and that 'instance' only has 36 players. Or is that when I jump into a system that I'm connected with a "system instance". Or is it that when I drop out of supercruise into a station that I enter an 'instance'.

If wehave word from the dev's that would be great, if not, anecdotal will probably give us an idea...

 

[kurush]

Supercruise and any location in the system where you can drop would be separate instances. That includes you just dropping from SC in the middle of nowhere - gives you an instance of one (others might follow you via FSD scans - not sure about that). So, each station would give you an instance, RES, CZ, Nav Beacon would give you an instance and SC would give you an instance where you can just run into players. You can really see all of this in the verbose network log where instance is called "island".
Another indication of re-instancing is artificially long delay (SC count-down, dropping from SC or Hyper Jumping into another system). I assume this is where it tries to build an instance for you and of course they also do it in Solo

 

[jgm]

Whenever you enter or leave supercruise or jump from one system to another you are in a different instance, which may or may not be populated with other players.

I'm sure there is official information on this if you want to hunt it down.

 

[magillag]

Supercruise and any location in the system where you can drop would be separate instances. That includes you just dropping from SC in the middle of nowhere - gives you an instance of one (others might follow you via FSD scans - not sure about that). So, each station would give you an instance, RES, CZ, Nav Beacon would give you an instance and SC would give you an instance where you can just run into players. You can really see all of this in the verbose network log where instance is called "island".
Another indication of re-instancing is artificially long delay (SC count-down, dropping from SC or Hyper Jumping into another system). I assume this is where it tries to build an instance for you and of course they also do it in Solo

Interesting. It sounds like the network log is the place to look.

So if we were to do a simple system to system trade route for example, the instancing would look like this:

System A
spaceport (instance 1)
Supercruise (instance 2)
Hyperspace (instance 3)
System B
Supercruise (instance 4)
spaceport (instance 5)

That sure seems like a lot of server load for a simple jump!

Could someone (who knows how better than I) check the network log to see it this is correct?

 

[Yabba Addict]

As far as server load is concerned, if you think of the server as a p2p tracker, it's probably gonna be quite low. You'll also usually find the same people in the SC instances as you find in normal space instances, so it looks like the game tries to hold on to other peers even when you leave that particular instance. When fighting in the Lugh wars I'd often run into the same guys on the war front that I'd been chatting with in the station 30 minutes before.

 

[Duckfather]

From what I remember of past bug fixes, it was mentioned in one of the patch notes that, when you start the game, you start in a 'clean' instance with just you in it. From other Dev posts, it sort of works like a travelling 'island' around your ship (not my word, that's what FD call their instances). Anyone else who is also around your area when you start are phased into your islands up to the current total supported (32). When you travel, you travel in your own little island which phases in others as and when you meet them, and drops them when you or they leave each others defined area. Sorta like a gaming version of a warp drive bubble

 

[magillag]

As far as server load is concerned, if you think of the server as a p2p tracker, it's probably gonna be quite low. You'll also usually find the same people in the SC instances as you find in normal space instances, so it looks like the game tries to hold on to other peers even when you leave that particular instance. When fighting in the Lugh wars I'd often run into the same guys on the war front that I'd been chatting with in the station 30 minutes before.

Sorry, don't know what a p2p tracker is....

 

[Troa Barton]

Answer: it sucks

 

[magillag]

From what I remember of past bug fixes, it was mentioned in one of the patch notes that, when you start the game, you start in a 'clean' instance with just you in it. From other Dev posts, it sort of works like a travelling 'island' around your ship (not my word, that's what FD call their instances). Anyone else who is also around your area when you start are phased into your islands up to the current total supported (32). When you travel, you travel in your own little island which phases in others as and when you meet them, and drops them when you or they leave each others defined area. Sorta like a gaming version of a warp drive bubble

This makes a lot of sense.

Maybe Kurush can help us out on this one

 

[Troa Barton]

From what I remember of past bug fixes, it was mentioned in one of the patch notes that, when you start the game, you start in a 'clean' instance with just you in it. From other Dev posts, it sort of works like a travelling 'island' around your ship (not my word, that's what FD call their instances). Anyone else who is also around your area when you start are phased into your islands up to the current total supported (32). When you travel, you travel in your own little island which phases in others as and when you meet them, and drops them when you or they leave each others defined area. Sorta like a gaming version of a warp drive bubble

you can see this bubble effect when you're in a wing. If one of you is lagging when you get close to each other the game freaks out trying to sync the instance up.
the same thing happens when you go away from each other.
this also happens in supercruise when it's a really big system, commanders and npc's will wink in and out in huge chunks at imaginary borders.

 

[Zplintz]

Answer: it sucks

Thanks for contributing to the thread.

 

[Troa Barton]

Thanks for contributing to the thread.

I did, and you're welcome.

 

[kurush]

Interesting. It sounds like the network log is the place to look.

So if we were to do a simple system to system trade route for example, the instancing would look like this:

System A
spaceport (instance 1)
Supercruise (instance 2)
Hyperspace (instance 3)
System B
Supercruise (instance 4)
spaceport (instance 5)

That sure seems like a lot of server load for a simple jump!

Could someone (who knows how better than I) check the network log to see it this is correct?

This is mostly correct except that you normally skip supercruise when jumping into another sector, meaning no instance 2 on your list, unless you explicitly go SC first. And as other people mentioned, the server load is only to find you the peers that are in the same place/time. The server itself does not maintain instances - your PC does.

 

[Archvillain]

This is mostly correct except that you normally skip supercruise when jumping into another sector, meaning no instance 2 on your list, unless you explicitly go SC first. And as other people mentioned, the server load is only to find you the peers that are in the same place/time. The server itself does not maintain instances - your PC does.

Also, I doubt that hyperspace is an instance at all, so no instance 3 on the list either. (My understanding is that hyperspace is a bit of a "please standby while we assemble the destination system" sequence.)

 

[kurush]

Also, I doubt that hyperspace is an instance at all, so no instance 3 on the list either. (My understanding is that hyperspace is a bit of a "please standby while we assemble the destination system" sequence.)

You are right, next instance would be Supercruise in the destination system. I managed to somehow overlook it.

 

[magillag]

This is mostly correct except that you normally skip supercruise when jumping into another sector, meaning no instance 2 on your list, unless you explicitly go SC first. And as other people mentioned, the server load is only to find you the peers that are in the same place/time. The server itself does not maintain instances - your PC does.

Agreed on the skipping SC point. I guess it makes sense that the server load is A: to find peers in the same place/time, B: connect us into the same instance.

Also, I doubt that hyperspace is an instance at all, so no instance 3 on the list either. (My understanding is that hyperspace is a bit of a "please standby while we assemble the destination system" sequence.)

Agreed, no instance 3. However I couldn't think of a better way to phrase the sequence. If the "Please stand by...." is actually what it's doing, then concurrently to A&B above, it's (C building the system.

So A&B are server side
while C is PC side.