Entitled Players
Players provided with abilities to affect how a game is played.
Games provide players with a range of actions they can perform in order to try and reach the goals they or the game has set up. However, some games also provide players with abilities that affect the structure of the game itself. These Entitled Players are implied to take on a responsibility for the gameplay experience of all players so these abilities are not supposed to be used for personal gains.
Contents
Examples
Multi-User Dungeons such as BatMUD, DragonMud, and Kingdoms let experienced players become wizards, players that can create new entities in the game worlds as well as teleport and otherwise affect other players in ways they themselves cannot. From this position players can then move onto becoming game masters. The commercial Massively Multiplayer Online Game Ultima Online also allows players to become a form of Entitled Players, forming a first group that other players can contact for advice and questions.
Tabletop Roleplaying Games such as Apocalypse World and Universalis allow all players possibilities to affect the structure of the game world that the game takes place in. While Apocalypse World primarily does this before gameplay proper begins, Universalis lets players do this continuously by using a limited resource.
Using the pattern
Creating Entitled Players consists mainly of selecting which Privileged Abilities to provide to players in Multiplayer Games. Typical examples include Coaches and Game Masters (other types of Dedicated Game Facilitators, e.g. Judges tend not be be viewed as players). Typical Abilities that signify Entitled Players include those that allow Player Created Game Elements and Storytelling but Player Kicking is another possibility.
As with providing any type of Privileged Ability, those given to Entitled Players can negatively affect Player Balance. This makes the pattern most often used in Unwinnable Games with both Game Masters and player Cooperation.
Diegetic Aspects
Since one of the most common abilities for Entitled Players is to allow them to create Player Created Game Elements, this pattern can easily disrupt Diegetic Consistency since it only requires one player to create inappropriate content for the consistency to break.
Narrative Aspects
Entitled Players can often perform Storytelling in some way, even if it is only through the creation of Player Created Game Elements, and this makes the pattern a Narration Pattern.
Consequences
Entitled Players are those provided with Privileged Abilities related to changing how a game works, rather than changing the game state of a game. In doing so they have a Social Role related to mediating or facilitating the game. This often allows for Player Created Game Elements or Storytelling, and through this provide players with Creative Control. While this can give them an Empowerment or Exaggerated Perception of Influence it is typically not a problem regarding Player Balance since the pattern is most often used in Unwinnable Games that encourage player Cooperation. When using their abilities magnanimously, Entitled Players can support the Social Adaptability of a game.
While Game Masters are Entitled Players, the use of Entitled Players can offload the Excise that Game Masters otherwise would have to perform.
Relations
Can Instantiate
Creative Control, Empowerment, Exaggerated Perception of Influence, Player Created Game Elements, Player Kicking, Privileged Abilities, Social Adaptability, Social Roles, Storytelling
Can Modulate
Cooperation, Excise, Game Masters, Multiplayer Games, Unwinnable Games
Can Be Instantiated By
Can Be Modulated By
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Possible Closure Effects
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Potentially Conflicting With
Diegetic Consistency, Player Balance
History
New pattern created in this wiki.
References
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Acknowledgements
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