Just a quick note that I found and that I forgot to add to my (non)contribution (now edited) to the discussion about the use of instancing.

Lum’s defined it this way:

Again – instancing is just tech. Like 3D engines.

While I’d specify (because I think it’s an important point that triggers other thoughts) that instancing can be tech, but it can also exist without it.

In fact I believe that, in particular from the design perspective, instancing is a symbolic structure and nothing else. That can then have different types of implementation that could also require specific technology (like different servers and communicating databases). But what is essential is that you can completely abstract the concept from the technical implementation.

And that’s what actually matters. The tech is a way to realize at best an idea and not vice-versa. The more the technical level is concealed for the final user, the better is the game.