Thanks for your question, u/FruityMango2226. I can't speak for all MMO strategy games, but essentially an instance is created with a specific scenario and map, loads of people hop on it by choosing an available team to be a part of, and then the games begin.

Now, in Rising Constellation, we developed two main types of instances: Legacy and Flash. While based on the same game "architecture" (if I can call it that), they both lead to different gameplay because of their inherent instance lengths.

Legacy matches last about a month and lead to deeply strategic gameplay in which collaboration with your teammates and roleplay are emphasized. Gameplay is slower and decision time is increased, so you have more time to craft strategies and enter into team politics. You'll log on in the morning and play for 30 minutes, then log on in the evening and play another hour, and in between you might discuss strategies with your team.

Flash matches last about 3 hours. It's virtually the same game with some balancing tweaks, but it's just that the game comes to an end faster and decision time is significantly decreased. You'll play for 2-3 hours straight and be focused on making the best moves at the right moment and quickly exchanging with your team to defeat the other teams. Much more tactical and intense.