gdp3 - User contributions [en]

Strongholds

2012-01-05T21:21:17Z

Kenneth Hullett: /* Acknowledgements */

[[Category:Level Design Patterns]]
[[Category:Mechanical Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs revision]]
[[Category:Needs examples]]
[[Category:Needs references]]
[[Category:Patterns created on the Wiki]]
''Game locations that are good positions when defending against enemies.''

In games that have combat, some game world areas are more easily defended than others. [[Strongholds]] are the ones that are especially suited for defensive fighting, often having few ways of reaching time and letting defenders covers these access ways.

=== Examples ===
Both the ''Siwa Oasis'' and the ''Seawall Battery'' levels in [[Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory]] lets the Axis team have easily protected [[Strongholds]] which the Allies team needs to clear so they can destroy the level objectives.

Some levels in [[Team Fortress Classic]] and [[Team Fortress 2]], e.g. ''Dustbowl'', are built around one team trying to conquer levels from the other team by gradually taking over control points. The defending team is supported in keeping these control points by having strongholds in conjunction to each control point.

== Using the pattern ==
[[Strongholds]] primarily need to be easy to defend. This requires that accesses routes to them are [[Choke Points]] where relatively few defenders can hold of enemies with potential numeric superiority, having good [[Line of Sight]] of these routes help. [[Strongholds]] are more useful when they in addition have [[Line of Sight]] over nearby [[Arenas]], possibly through having [[Sniper Locations]].

== Consequences ==
[[Strongholds]] are locations in [[Game Worlds]] or [[Levels]] that make keeping [[Area Control]] easier. By doing so they are [[Strategic Locations]] and encourage [[Camping]] and defensive gameplay. They often contain [[Sniper Locations]]. Maintaining control over [[Strongholds]] require that players adopt [[Guard]] goals.

[[Enemies]] in [[Strongholds]] are more difficult to [[Overcome]], while defending against them in [[Strongholds]] are much easier. In both cases this may lead to [[Repeated Domination]] and because of this make attackers adopt [[Stealth]] goals rather than try head-on attacks. As soon as [[Strongholds]] are occupied, they are [[Inaccessible Areas]] to opponents of the those present in them.

== Relations ==
=== Can Instantiate ===
[[Area Control]],
[[Camping]],
[[Guard]],
[[Repeated Domination]],
[[Sniper Locations]],
[[Stealth]],
[[Strategic Locations]]

==== with [[Enemies]] ====
[[Inaccessible Areas]]

=== Can Modulate ===
[[Arenas]],
[[Enemies]],
[[Game Worlds]],
[[Levels]]

=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
[[Choke Points]],
[[Line of Sight]]

=== Can Be Modulated By ===
-

=== Possible Closure Effects ===
-

=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
-

== History ==
New pattern created in this wiki. However, it was first introduced using another template by Hullett and Whitehead<ref name="Hullett2010"/>, and a more detailed description in this template is available<ref name="HullettPattern"/>.

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="Hullett2010">Hullett, K. & Whitehead, J. (2010). ''Design Patterns in FPS Levels'', paper presentation at Foundations of Digital Games 2010, June 19-21, Monterey, CA, USA.</ref>
<ref name="HullettPattern">[https://users.soe.ucsc.edu/~khullett/doku.php?id=stronghold Stronghold] pattern by Kenneth Hullett.</ref>
</references>

== Acknowledgements ==
Kenneth Hullett, Jim Whitehead

Arenas

2012-01-05T21:21:00Z

Kenneth Hullett: /* Acknowledgements */

[[Category:Level Design Patterns]]
[[Category:Mechanical Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs revision]]
[[Category:Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs references]]
[[Category:Patterns created on the Wiki]]
''Open locations in game worlds that naturally or by design become battlegrounds.''

In games where combat occurs, the characteristics of gameplay locations can heavily influence how this can be done. [[Arenas]] are open areas which draws players into conflicts there, either because they contain goal points or resources or because players have willingly placed themselves within them to challenge others.

=== Examples ===
While maybe not a big surprise given its name, [[Quake III Arena]] contains many maps with [[Arenas]], e.g. ''arena gate'', ''dredwerks'', and ''the forgotten place''. Many of central access routes and goal points in [[Team Fortress 2]] maps are also [[Arenas]], e.g. the areas attackers need to take in ''Dustbowl''. Other [[:Category:FPS Games|First-Person Shooters]] that have [[Arenas]] include the [[Halo series|Halo]] and the [[Unreal Tournament series]]. Given the open maps in [[America's Army]] and the [[Battlefield series]], the games do not have clear [[Arenas]] but combat in these games are often located to specific areas anyway.

The [[Elder Scrolls series]] have explicit [[Arenas]] where players can earn money by fighting monsters or non-player characters in duels. This is also possible in ''the thorn'' in [[Fallout: New Vegas]].

== Using the pattern ==
The prime requirement of creating [[Arenas]] is to make sure there are open but constrained areas in [[Game Worlds]] or [[Levels]]. However, for [[Arenas]] to be perceivable as interesting structures in games, there needs to be other gameplay areas available as well ([[Chess]] and [[Go]] can be said to have [[Arenas]] that consist of the entire boards but trying to use the pattern in this way offers little in the way of design options or for understanding the resulting gameplay). [[Flanking Routes]], [[Sniper Locations]], and [[Strongholds]] are all potential [[Game Worlds|Game World]] features that can be placed in conjunction with the [[Arenas]] to make them noticeable through the difference in gameplay they provide. [[Choke Points]] are quite often used to create the boundaries between [[Arenas]] and other parts of the [[Game Worlds]]. While not necessarily making them more noticeable, [[Goal Points]] can be placed within [[Arenas]] to draw gameplay to these areas and this can be used to balance the deterrent effect of [[Sniper Locations]].

== Consequences ==
[[Arenas]] focus where [[Combat]] takes place in [[Game Worlds]] or [[Levels]]. Controlling them can provide access to [[Goal Points]] or other parts of the [[Game Worlds]] and for this reason they are often [[Strategic Locations]] and cause players to strive for [[Area Control]] of them. Given their openness, they make [[Herd]] more difficult since that which is herded has more possibilities of heading of in the wrong directions. In [[Multiplayer Games]] with [[Teams]], they can let players coordinate attacks or defenses to achieve [[Team Combos]].

[[Arenas]] provide natural starting points for considering adjacent [[Sniper Locations]] and can in this way help instantiate these.

== Relations ==
=== Can Instantiate ===
[[Area Control]],
[[Sniper Locations]],
[[Strategic Locations]]

=== Can Modulate ===
[[Combat]],
[[Game Worlds]],
[[Herd]],
[[Levels]],
[[Multiplayer Games]],
[[Team Combos]],
[[Teams]]

=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
-

=== Can Be Modulated By ===
[[Choke Points]],
[[Flanking Routes]],
[[Goal Points]],
[[Sniper Locations]],
[[Strongholds]]

=== Possible Closure Effects ===
-

=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
-

== History ==
New pattern created in this wiki. However, it was first introduced using another template by Hullett and Whitehead<ref name="Hullett2010"/>, and a more detailed description in this template is available<ref name="HullettPattern"/>.

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="Hullett2010">Hullett, K. & Whitehead, J. (2010). ''Design Patterns in FPS Levels'', paper presentation at Foundations of Digital Games 2010, June 19-21, Monterey, CA, USA.</ref>
<ref name="HullettPattern">[https://users.soe.ucsc.edu/~khullett/doku.php?id=arena Arena] pattern by Kenneth Hullett.</ref>
</references>

== Acknowledgements ==
Kenneth Hullett, Jim Whitehead

Galleries

2012-01-05T21:20:40Z

Kenneth Hullett: /* Acknowledgements */

[[Category:Level Design Patterns]]
[[Category:Mechanical Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs revision]]
[[Category:Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs examples]]
[[Category:Needs references]]
[[Category:Patterns created on the Wiki]]
''Raised areas that provide advantages through overlooking narrow passages.''

Being on high ground which is not immediately accessible to enemies is an advantage possible in games where combat is possible. [[Galleries]] are places that provide this advantage but in addition require the combatants in the lower area to move along the elevated area for some distance, further adding to the advantage.

=== Examples ===
[[Galleries]] are most prominently used in [[:Category:FPS Games|First-Person Shooters]]. For example, the map ''Mashtuur City'' in [[Battlefield 2]] provides a [[Galleries|Gallery]] by having letting players move on a beach between the sea and some high cliffs while ''Dustbowl'' in [[Team Fortress 2]] has low [[Galleries]] in the last third of the map. ''The Proving Grounds'' in [[Quake III Arena]] is another example of a [[:Category:FPS Games|First-Person Shooter]] map with a [[Galleries|Gallery]].

== Using the pattern ==
[[Galleries]] are primarily created by using height differences while designing [[Levels]] and [[Game Worlds]] but other combinations of [[One-Way Travel]] and cover can work as well. Specifically, the heights (and the rest of the gameplay area) need to funnel movement along them so that those on the heights can attack those below for an extended period of time with the advantage of being on higher ground.

If [[Galleries]] are deemed to disrupt [[Player Balance|Player]] or [[Team Balance]], [[Flanking Routes]] can be used to provide additional ways for those having to move through the lower area.

== Consequences ==
[[Galleries]] modulate how [[Combat]] and [[Movement]] can do done in [[Game Worlds]] and [[Levels]]. They do this by making [[Guard]] goals easier for those in the elevated areas through making the areas overlooked into potential [[Choke Points]] (the raised areas can also often function as a form of [[Sniper Locations]]). This has the effect of modulating the difficulty of [[Enemies]] and increasing the likelihood of [[Repeated Domination]].

The advantages of [[Galleries]] make them into [[Strategic Locations]] and likely places for [[Camping]]. When not to enclosed, [[Galleries]] typically offer [[One-Way Travel]] from the raised parts to the passages they are overlooking.

== Relations ==
=== Can Instantiate ===
[[Camping]],
[[Choke Points]],
[[One-Way Travel]],
[[Repeated Domination]],
[[Sniper Locations]],
[[Strategic Locations]]

=== Can Modulate ===
[[Combat]],
[[Enemies]],
[[Game Worlds]],
[[Guard]],
[[Levels]],
[[Movement]]

=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
-

=== Can Be Modulated By ===
[[Flanking Routes]]

=== Possible Closure Effects ===
-

=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
-

== History ==
New pattern created in this wiki. However, it was first introduced using another template by Hullett and Whitehead<ref name="Hullett2010"/>, and a more detailed description in this template is available<ref name="HullettPattern"/>.

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="Hullett2010">Hullett, K. & Whitehead, J. (2010). ''Design Patterns in FPS Levels'', paper presentation at Foundations of Digital Games 2010, June 19-21, Monterey, CA, USA.</ref>
<ref name="HullettPattern">[https://users.soe.ucsc.edu/~khullett/doku.php?id=gallery Gallery] pattern by Kenneth Hullett.</ref>
</references>

== Acknowledgements ==
Kenneth Hullett, Jim Whitehead

Sniper Locations

2012-01-05T21:20:25Z

Kenneth Hullett: /* Acknowledgements */

[[Category:Level Design Patterns]]
[[Category:Mechanical Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs revision]]
[[Category:Needs examples]]
[[Category:Needs references]]
[[Category:Patterns]]
[[Category:Patterns created on the Wiki]]
''Locations in game worlds suited for snipers.''

The use of ranged weapons is often beneficial in games since enemies may not be able to fight back. This is especially true when the attacks can be done at very long ranges or it is difficult to detect from where the attack came. [[Sniper Locations]] are places in game worlds that provide one or both of these advantages.

=== Examples ===
For obvious reasons, [[Sniper Locations]] are most common in [[:Category:FPS Games|First-Person Shooters]]. The [[Battlefield series]] provides many locations where snipers can have good overviews over large parts of the gameplay area. This includes tops of cliffs, roof tops, and scalable cranes. [[Fallout 3]] and [[Fallout: New Vegas]] has many features in their game worlds that can be used to attack enemies at long distances and in relative safety. This is also encouraged by the presence of specialized sniping weapons in the game. The open and hilly worlds in the [[Crysis series]] also provide many [[Sniper Locations]] and

== Using the pattern ==
Two main design requirements exist for locations to be usable as [[Sniper Locations]]: that it covers an area which is suitable for targeting [[Enemies]] and that the location itself is relatively safe.

[[Arenas]], or any other open area where players can have [[Line of Sight]] to large continuous gameplay areas, make good places to observe from [[Sniper Locations]]. If there areas are too open, this can easily be adjusted by providing [[Obstacles]] or [[Flanking Routes]]. While having [[Arenas]] is often a way of indirectly instantiating [[Sniper Locations]] by provide gameplay areas to cover, the pattern is also a way to modulate [[Arenas]].

Making [[Sniper Locations]] safe can be done in several ways. Height differences and [[Inaccessible Areas]] can both make attacking sniper more difficult and require [[Enemies]] to take detours to reach the [[Sniper Locations]]. Placing [[Obstacles]] in the [[Sniper Locations]] does typically not cause problems with [[Line of Sight]] to the overlooked areas but does help snipers in providing cover and making it more difficult to spot them. If [[Sniper Locations]] prove to be to powerful in games (or sniping in general), [[Killcams]] can be used to reveal these to players that have been sniped.
[[Variable Accuracy]] does not directly modify [[Sniper Locations]], but since they reduce the usefulness of the [[Weapons]] one can use in them it does so indirectly, and this can also be an option to limit the effectiveness of [[Sniper Locations]].

While [[Strongholds]] may be obvious locations in [[Game Worlds]], they can function as [[Sniper Locations]] if players at least have a couple of different places from which to snipe. [[Galleries]] can to a certain degree function as [[Sniper Locations]] although they are not optimal for this since the [[Enemies]] tend to be quite close when engaged.

=== Interface Aspects ===
One of the weaknesses of [[Sniper Locations]] is that their use may be predictable, and this makes snipers want to vary their positions or not be noticed within them. If the [[Sniper Locations]] are too powerful in a game, other players can be helped by [[Game State Overviews]] that point out player positions and thereby reveal uses of [[Sniper Locations]]. However, since this may instead make [[Sniper Locations]] of little use, this design solution is most relevant in [[Teams|Team-based]] games since it can there be given to a limited number of players.

== Consequences ==
[[Sniper Locations]] affect how [[Combat]], [[Aim & Shoot]] specifically, can be done in [[Game Worlds]] or [[Levels]] by offering [[Strategic Locations]] from which engage in these activities. This promotes [[Camping]] in these locations and - since not being noticed in them is an advantage - also encourages players to adopt [[Stealth]] goals both in getting there and while being there. Getting to these locations and using them effectively thereby requires [[Tactical Planning]], as does dislocating those that have gotten access to them. Regardless if it is players or [[Enemies]] that make use of the [[Sniper Locations]], the use modulates the difficulty of defeating the [[Enemies]].

[[Sniper Locations]] occupied by [[Enemies]] can effectively become [[Inaccessible Areas]] until the [[Enemies]] have been removed somehow. It can also let them have [[Area Control]] over the areas they can watch. These features, or if victims fail to detect the [[Sniper Locations]], can make for [[Repeated Domination]] in games with [[Sniper Locations]].

== Relations ==
=== Can Instantiate ===
[[Area Control]],
[[Camping]],
[[Repeated Domination]],
[[Stealth]],
[[Strategic Locations]],
[[Tactical Planning]]

==== with [[Enemies]] ====
[[Inaccessible Areas]]

=== Can Modulate ===
[[Aim & Shoot]],
[[Arenas]],
[[Combat]],
[[Enemies]],
[[Game Worlds]],
[[Levels]]

=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
[[Arenas]],
[[Galleries]],
[[Inaccessible Areas]],
[[Line of Sight]],
[[Strongholds]]

=== Can Be Modulated By ===
[[Flanking Routes]],
[[Game State Overviews]],
[[Killcams]],
[[Variable Accuracy]]

=== Possible Closure Effects ===
-

=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
-

== History ==
New pattern created in this wiki. However, it was first introduced using another template by Hullett and Whitehead<ref name="Hullett2010"/>, and a more detailed description in this template is available<ref name="HullettPattern"/>.

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="Hullett2010">Hullett, K. & Whitehead, J. (2010). ''Design Patterns in FPS Levels'', paper presentation at Foundations of Digital Games 2010, June 19-21, Monterey, CA, USA.</ref>
<ref name="HullettPattern">[https://users.soe.ucsc.edu/~khullett/doku.php?id=sniper_location Sniper Location] pattern by Kenneth Hullett.</ref>
</references>

== Acknowledgements ==
Kenneth Hullett, Jim Whitehead

Vehicle Sections

2012-01-05T21:20:08Z

Kenneth Hullett: /* Acknowledgements */

[[Category:Level Design Patterns]]
[[Category:Mechanical Patterns]]
[[Category:Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs revision]]
[[Category:Needs references]]
[[Category:Patterns created on the Wiki]]
''Gameplay areas created for vehicular movement.''

Some games let players alternate between self-propelled movement and using vehicles. [[Vehicle Sections]] are parts of game worlds specifically designed for the latter.

=== Examples ===
''The coast'' region in [[Half-Life 2]] in mainly an area meant to be traversed using a buggy. [[Crysis]] has two parts of the game specifically designed to support travelling in vehicles - in one case in a main battle tank and in another a vertical takeoffs and landing aircraft. [[Halo: Combat Evolved]] and the other games in the [[Halo series]] have several areas designed to using the ''Warthog'' and other vehicles.

Games with huge open worlds, e.g. the [[Grand Theft Auto series]] and the [[Battlefield series]] but also multiplayer maps in the [[Halo series]], can arguably be said to consist mainly of [[Vehicle Sections]]. Building and narrow passages are here the exceptions the [[Vehicle Sections]] and make pedestrian gameplay feasible.

== Using the pattern ==
Designing [[Vehicle Sections]] is concerned with presenting players with a different scale between moving in [[Vehicles]] and moving without them - games where one always is inside vehicles with the same capacities could be said to consist entirely of [[Vehicle Sections]] but this also makes talking about the pattern superfluous.

[[Vehicle Sections]] can be emphasized compare to other regions in several ways. One is simply to having entire [[Levels]] be [[Vehicle Sections]] which are intermixed with other [[Levels]] ([[Crysis]] can be seen as an example of this). Another, exemplified by the [[Battlefield series]] and the [[Grand Theft Auto series]] from the third installment and forward, is to have most of a [[Levels|Level]] be [[Vehicle Sections]] but provide some places where pedestrian movement is required or those lacking [[Vehicles]] can are not disadvantaged.

While [[Vehicle Sections]] can make use of all types of game world features that other areas can use, it is worth pointing out that [[Obstacles]] and [[Choke Points]] can have more abrupt effects in [[Vehicle Sections]] since players are likely to be moving at higher speeds.

== Consequences ==
Not too surprising, [[Vehicle Sections]] are areas of [[Game Worlds]] or [[Levels]] dedicated for using [[Vehicles]]. They affect [[Movement]], and in many cases also [[Maneuvering]], by letting players make explicit use of the capabilities of the [[Vehicles]] provided. They can however cause [[Excise]] if players intentionally or by mistake traverse them without the [[Vehicles]]. In games that mix [[Vehicle Sections]] with other sections within a continuous [[Game Worlds|Game World]], knowing where the boundaries between these are is a form of [[Strategic Knowledge]].

Since vehicular travel can be assumed to be quicker than "ordinary" travel, [[Vehicle Sections]] can be seen as a halfway alternative between [[Quick Travel]] and ordinary [[Movement]].

== Relations ==
=== Can Instantiate ===
[[Excise]],
[[Strategic Knowledge]]

=== Can Modulate ===
[[Game Worlds]],
[[Levels]],
[[Maneuvering]],
[[Movement]],
[[Vehicles]]

=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
-

=== Can Be Modulated By ===
[[Choke Points]],
[[Obstacles]]

=== Possible Closure Effects ===
-

=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
-

== History ==
New pattern created in this wiki. However, it was first introduced using another template by Hullett and Whitehead<ref name="Hullett2010"/>, and a more detailed description in this template is available<ref name="HullettPattern"/>.

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="Hullett2010">Hullett, K. & Whitehead, J. (2010). ''Design Patterns in FPS Levels'', paper presentation at Foundations of Digital Games 2010, June 19-21, Monterey, CA, USA.</ref>
<ref name="HullettPattern">[https://users.soe.ucsc.edu/~khullett/doku.php?id=vehicle_section Vehicle Section] pattern by Kenneth Hullett.</ref>
</references>

== Acknowledgements ==
Kenneth Hullett, Jim Whitehead

Secret Areas

2012-01-05T21:19:51Z

Kenneth Hullett: /* Acknowledgements */

[[Category:Level Design Patterns]]
[[Category:Mechanical Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs work]]
[[Category:Needs revision]]
[[Category:Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs examples]]
[[Category:Needs references]]
[[Category:Patterns created on the Wiki]]
''Areas of game worlds that are not easily noticed.''

While most gameplay areas created for games are made so players naturally will visit them, some are [[Secret Areas]] that players may need to explicitly search for in order to find. If players know these exist it gives them reason to explore the game worlds more throughly than otherwise, and even if they do not know about them finding one can provide surprises for them.

=== Examples ===
One of the first documented easter eggs in a game was a [[Secret Areas|Secret Area]], a room in the game [[Adventure]] that revealed the name of its creator Warren Robinett.

Many [[:Category:FPS Games|First-Person Shooters]] like the [[Doom series|Doom]] and [[Quake series]] contain [[Secret Areas]] with extra resources. The [[Half-Life series]] include these as well, sometimes as caches for resistance fighters, as does the [[Portal series]] with the dens of the ''rat man''.

== Using the pattern ==
There are two main ways of creating [[Secret Areas]] in games. One is making areas difficult to notice due to the presence of [[Obstacles]] and the other is to have areas completely hidden until unknown [[Conditional Passageways]] are activated. In both cases [[Clues]] can be used to make it easier to notice the [[Secret Areas]] or at least hinting that something is unusual.

While [[Game World Exploration]] goals and [[Quests]] may require players to find [[Secret Areas]], it is also quite common to provide them in order to offer players [[Optional Goals]] where they can earn [[Resources]] as [[Rewards]].

== Consequences ==
[[Secret Areas]] are ways to hide parts of [[Game Worlds]] and [[Levels]] to players, and may be intentional [[Easter Eggs]]. Finding them may provide [[Surprises]] for players while if they know or suspect that the exist they may instead give rise to [[Game World Exploration]] activities.

Knowing about [[Secret Areas]] are examples of [[Strategic Locations]], and these may even more likely be conveyed to others players as [[Trans-Game Information]].

== Relations ==
=== Can Instantiate ===
[[Easter Eggs]],
[[Game World Exploration]],
[[Optional Goals]],
[[Surprises]],
[[Strategic Locations]],
[[Trans-Game Information]]

=== Can Modulate ===
[[Game Worlds]],
[[Levels]],
[[Quests]]

=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
[[Conditional Passageways]],
[[Obstacles]]

=== Can Be Modulated By ===
[[Clues]],
[[Resources]],
[[Rewards]]

=== Possible Closure Effects ===
-

=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
-

== History ==
New pattern created in this wiki. However, it was first introduced as ''Hidden Area'' using another template by Hullett and Whitehead<ref name="Hullett2010"/>, and a more detailed description in this template is available<ref name="HullettPattern"/>.

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="Hullett2010">Hullett, K. & Whitehead, J. (2010). ''Design Patterns in FPS Levels'', paper presentation at Foundations of Digital Games 2010, June 19-21, Monterey, CA, USA.</ref>
<ref name="HullettPattern">[http://users.soe.ucsc.edu/~khullett/doku.php?id=hidden_area Hidden Area] pattern by Kenneth Hullett.</ref>
</references>

== Acknowledgements ==
Kenneth Hullett, Jim Whitehead

Flanking Routes

2012-01-05T21:19:33Z

Kenneth Hullett: /* Acknowledgements */

[[Category:Level Design Patterns]]
[[Category:Mechanical Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs revision]]
[[Category:Needs references]]
[[Category:Patterns]]
[[Category:Patterns created on the Wiki]]
''Alternative ways to reach locations in game worlds which may be unexpected to others.''

Games that contain aspects of area control require that players guard access routes to these. [[Flanking Routes]] are either access routes that are less likely to be used or ones that will not attract the main portions of combatants. Even so, they can be vital for the outcome since use of them can launch surprise attacks or take over areas believed to be safe.

=== Examples ===
[[Flanking Routes]] are often found in the maps of [[:Category:Real-Time Strategy Games|Real-Time Strategy Games]] and team-based [[:Category:FPS Games|First-Person Shooters]]. Both [[Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory]] and [[Team Fortress 2]] contain maps where gameplay needs to go along certain tracks but how this progresses depend heavily on how team make use of the numerous [[Flanking Routes]] that exist. In [[Battlefield 2]] sneaking on the left side of the map ''Strike at Karkand'' offers marine teams a viable strategy to take a spawn point, while driving jeeps off-road on the western plateau on the ''Dragon Valley'' can let them steal one deep inside the Chinese team's territory.

[[Flanking Routes]] can also exist in other [[:Category:Strategy Games|Strategy Games]] than [[:Category:Real-Time Strategy Games|Real-Time Strategy Games]]. A well-known example from World War II which is recreated in [[:Category:Wargames|Wargames]] such as the [[Hearts of Iron series]] is the possibility of Germany to avoid the French Maginot line by going through Belgium and Holland. However, in most cases flanking in these games depends more on outmaneuvering other forces than on terrain features.

== Using the pattern ==
[[Flanking Routes]] is primarily a way to modulate how other features of [[Game Worlds]] or [[Levels]] work, e.g. [[Arenas]], [[Choke Points]], [[Galleries]], or [[Sniper Locations]]. Designing them consist of providing additional ways of reaching locations in the [[Game Worlds]]. Although all accesses to a location may similar and thereby make what is perceived as [[Flanking Routes]] depend on what the current game state is, accesses that are intended to always be perceived as [[Flanking Routes]] should either be narrower or otherwise less obvious (e.g. by containing [[Choke Points]]), or be extra accesses to those that will guaranteed be focus for gameplay. An example of the latter can be found in the ''Gold Rush'' map in [[Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory]] and all payload maps in [[Team Fortress 2]]. Here, the attacking team needs to move a tank or cart respectively along a predefined route but several [[Flanking Routes]] exist that let defending players various ways of trying to intercept or ambush the attackers.

An option for [[Flanking Routes]] is to make them [[One-Way Travel]], e.g. by being down an unscalable cliff side. Another option, in games with [[Vehicles]], is to make them only accessible to those that are either using or ''not'' using the [[Vehicles]].

When players can create [[Warp Zones]] (which engineers in [[Team Fortress 2]] can) or [[Spawn Points]] (which North Vietnamese engineers in [[Battlefield Vietnam]] can), this opens up for these to be used as [[Flanking Routes]].

== Consequences ==
[[Flanking Routes]] affect the ease with how [[Movement]] can be done in [[Game Worlds]] and [[Levels]]. They also affect the usefulness of [[Galleries]] and [[Sniper Locations]], and the difficulty of [[Combat]] to gain or retain [[Area Control]] of many types of areas, e.g. [[Arenas]]. They also make [[Reconnaissance]] goals more difficult. They not only modulate how important [[Choke Points]] are, but can directly counter the purpose of them. Likewise, they can make [[Camping]] more difficult or even make it meaningless.

The existence of [[Flanking Routes]] lets players have a [[Selectable Set of Goals]] on how to reach or take control over locations, and through this can provide [[Varied Gameplay]]. They can make [[Stealth]] goals possible since unguarded [[Flanking Routes]] may exist, or encourage these goals further if they already are possible. This in turn makes the routes [[Attention Demanding]] to those wanting to hinder [[Movement]] through them and gives rise to [[Guard]] goals; when not enough players or [[Units]] exist to [[Guard]] all accesses this also requires [[Attention Swapping]]. Failure to [[Guard]] the [[Flanking Routes]] can lead to [[Surprises]] and [[Combos]] in the form of two-pronged attacks.

All these consequences of [[Flanking Routes]] make them [[Strategic Locations]] in addition to the strategic values of the areas they provide access to. They however rely on the locations of [[Avatars]] and [[Units]] and how aware players are of these, so effective use or defense against [[Flanking Routes]] requires [[Tactical Planning]]. In games with [[Teams]], [[Flanking Routes]] provides a possibility for [[Team Combos]] in having some team members take the [[Flanking Routes]] while other team members distract the opponents.

== Relations ==
=== Can Instantiate ===
[[Attention Demanding]],
[[Attention Swapping]],
[[Selectable Set of Goals]],
[[Stealth]],
[[Strategic Locations]],
[[Surprises]],
[[Tactical Planning]],
[[Varied Gameplay]]

==== with [[Teams]] ====
[[Team Combos]]

=== Can Modulate ===
[[Area Control]],
[[Arenas]],
[[Camping]],
[[Choke Points]],
[[Combat]],
[[Combos]],
[[Galleries]],
[[Game Worlds]],
[[Guard]],
[[Levels]],
[[Movement]],
[[Reconnaissance]],
[[Sniper Locations]],
[[Stealth]],
[[Vehicles]]

=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
[[Spawn Points]],
[[Warp Zones]]

=== Can Be Modulated By ===
[[Choke Points]],
[[One-Way Travel]]

=== Possible Closure Effects ===
-

=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
[[Camping]],
[[Choke Points]]

== History ==
New pattern created in this wiki. However, it was first introduced using another template by Hullett and Whitehead<ref name="Hullett2010"/>, and a more detailed description in this template is available<ref name="HullettPattern"/>.

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="Hullett2010">Hullett, K. & Whitehead, J. (2010). ''Design Patterns in FPS Levels'', paper presentation at Foundations of Digital Games 2010, June 19-21, Monterey, CA, USA.</ref>
<ref name="HullettPattern">[https://users.soe.ucsc.edu/~khullett/doku.php?id=flanking_route Flanking Route] pattern by Kenneth Hullett.</ref>
</references>

== Acknowledgements ==
Kenneth Hullett, Jim Whitehead

Choke Points

2012-01-05T21:19:08Z

Kenneth Hullett: /* Acknowledgements */

[[Category:Level Design Patterns]]
[[Category:Mechanical Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs revision]]
[[Category:Needs references]]
[[Category:Patterns]]
[[Category:Patterns created on the Wiki]]
''Areas in game worlds which can be used to block access to other areas.''

Parts of game worlds can be narrow or otherwise quite difficult to move through. When this funnels movement between different parts of game worlds into small areas, these areas become [[Choke Points]] which can easily be used to hinder access to other parts of the game worlds.

=== Examples ===
[[Choke Points]] are used in maps for many multiplayer [[:Category:FPS Games|First-Person Shooters]] as they concentrate gameplay activity. [[Counter-Strike]] has [[Choke Points]] a numerous [[Choke Points]], for example the double doors in the ''Dust2'' map and the stairs to the second floor of the safe-house in the ''Italy'' map. For [[Team Fortress 2]], examples include the tunnel in the ''Gold Rush'' map and the blue team's initial exit points in the ''Dustbowl'' map. In [[Battlefield 2]], some areas such as the road across the dam in the ''Kubra Dam'' map may be [[Choke Points]] more for vehicles than pedestrians since those on foot have several alternative routes.

[[Choke Points]] are also common in [[:Category:Real-Time Strategy Games|Real-Time Strategy Games]] such as the [[Starcraft series|Starcraft]] and [[Warcraft series]]. For [[Starcraft II]], the maps ''Incineration Zone'' and ''Kulas Ravine'' especially make heavy use of [[Choke Points]]. In contrast, tactics exist in [[Defense of the Ancients]] to exploit [[Choke Points]] near "creep" camps to harvest them more efficiently.

== Using the pattern ==
[[Choke Points]] can be create through designing narrow sections in [[Game Worlds]] or [[Levels]] that solely or together with just a few other [[Choke Points]] provide access between other parts of the [[Game Worlds]] or [[Levels]]. Alternatively, [[Inaccessible Areas]], [[Obstacles]], or [[Environmental Effects]] can be used and [[Environmental Effects]] can make the use of [[Choke Points]] a [[Trade-Offs|Trade-Off]] rather than a requirement. Of course, if several [[Choke Points]] exist between the same areas - which makes them into [[Flanking Routes]] - then players also have a choice whether to use a particular [[Choke Points|Choke Point]] or not. The existence of [[Flanking Routes]] may however make locations stop functioning as [[Choke Points]] if they always offer easier access to other parts of the [[Game Worlds]]. These [[Flanking Routes]] can of course contain their own [[Choke Points]], complicating the relation between the two patterns. In games with [[Vehicles]], [[Choke Points]] (and [[Flanking Routes]]) can be designed so they only apply to vehicular or pedestrian movement.

[[Galleries]] can specifically create [[Choke Points]] through the narrow passages they contain. [[Installations]] can also create [[Choke Points]], and this is one way of letting players create them during gameplay if they can create the [[Installations]]. [[Destructible Objects]] can offer the same possibility if they create [[Obstacles]] when they are destroyed. The efficiency of [[Choke Points]] to block access can be greatly increased if [[Avatars]] or [[Units]] have [[Zone of Control]] abilities.

[[Choke Points]] can be used to define the limits of [[Arenas]], and can heighten the difference between the open area in [[Arenas]] compared to other parts of [[Game Worlds]]. The same applies to [[Vehicle Sections]], and especially so when the [[Choke Points]] are impassible when using [[Vehicles]].

== Consequences ==
[[Choke Points]] are [[Strategic Locations]] that affect how [[Movement]] can be done in [[Game Worlds]] and [[Levels]], primarily by making [[Traverse]] goals more difficult or by creating
[[Conditional Passageways]] when [[Enemies]] are controlling them or they are blocked by [[Obstacles]]. By doing so they are often the targets of [[Area Control]] goals and this quite naturally leads to [[Eliminate]] goals also. The resulting [[Combat]] against [[Enemies]] is typically easier or harder than "normal" [[Combat]] depending on who controls the [[Choke Points]]. This can lead to [[Repeated Domination]] but can also likely shift the balance of which weapons are most efficient (powerful but short ranged weapons, such as the flamethrower of the ''Pyro'' in [[Team Fortress 2]], is most efficient in [[Choke Points]]).

Besides creating [[Eliminate]] goals, [[Choke Points]] can create [[Guard]] goals and make [[Stealth]] goals more difficult. This is even more the case when [[Choke Points]] create [[Strongholds]] by being the only ways of getting to gameplay areas. In contrast, [[Choke Points]] can make [[Herd]] goals easier since they are fewer ways for the herded elements to escape. Providing several [[Choke Points]] for players to try to get access to is an explicit way of creating a [[Selectable Set of Goals]] (even if games with [[Teams]] can try several at once).

[[Choke Points]] in [[Vehicle Sections]] more radically affect gameplay that in other sections since the difference between top speeds and being bogged down is greater; they may also make it preferable to temporary abandon [[Vehicles]] to try an circumvent the [[Choke Points]].

An extra effect of [[Choke Points]] in [[Multiplayer Games]] is that they increase the likelihood of players meeting each other.

== Relations ==
=== Can Instantiate ===
[[Area Control]],
[[Repeated Domination]],
[[Selectable Set of Goals]],
[[Strategic Locations]],
[[Strongholds]],
[[Trade-Offs]]

==== with [[Enemies]] or [[Obstacles]] ====
[[Conditional Passageways]],
[[Eliminate]]

=== Can Modulate ===
[[Arenas]],
[[Combat]],
[[Enemies]],
[[Flanking Routes]],
[[Game Worlds]],
[[Guard]],
[[Herd]],
[[Levels]],
[[Movement]],
[[Multiplayer Games]],
[[Stealth]],
[[Traverse]],
[[Vehicle Sections]],
[[Vehicles]]

==== with [[Enemies]] ====
[[Traverse]]

=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
[[Destructible Objects]],
[[Galleries]],
[[Inaccessible Areas]],
[[Installations]],
[[Environmental Effects]],
[[Obstacles]]

=== Can Be Modulated By ===
[[Flanking Routes]],
[[Zone of Control]]

=== Possible Closure Effects ===
-

=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
[[Flanking Routes]]

== History ==
New pattern created in this wiki. However, it was first introduced using another template by Hullett and Whitehead<ref name="Hullett2010"/>, and a more detailed description in this template is available<ref name="HullettPattern"/>.

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="Hullett2010">Hullett, K. & Whitehead, J. (2010). ''Design Patterns in FPS Levels'', paper presentation at Foundations of Digital Games 2010, June 19-21, Monterey, CA, USA.</ref>
<ref name="HullettPattern">[http://users.soe.ucsc.edu/~khullett/doku.php?id=choke_point Choke Point] pattern by Kenneth Hullett.</ref>
</references>

== Acknowledgements ==
Kenneth Hullett, Jim Whitehead