View source for Game Instance Stories

[[Category:Narration Patterns]]
[[Category:Dynamic Patterns]]
[[Category:Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs work]]
[[Category:Needs revision]]
[[Category:Needs examples]]
[[Category:Needs references]]
[[Category:Patterns created on the Wiki]]
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[[Category:Staffan's current workpage]]
''Stories that are based on gameplay events that took place in a specific game instance of a game.''

The sequences of events, and the causes behind them, that occur every time a game is played create a story. In many cases these are not interesting to remember in detail or interesting to tell others, but in some cases the events or outcome for some reason is more interesting and players or game facilitators can want to have recordings of these [[Game Instance Stories]]. 

Note: ''This pattern doesn't discuss the act of telling stories as part of gameplay, for that see [[Storytelling]].

=== Examples ===
Some games have built-in support for players to record gameplay sequences, e.g. the [[Battlefield series]], [[Clash of Clans]], [[The Movies]], and the [[Sims series]], and can have support for players to upload them so others can play them. The stories may in some cases focus on showing players' performance in the games (e.g. the [[Battlefield series]] or [[Clash of Clans]]) but can in other cases be about the diegetic characters in the games (e.g. the [[Sims series]]).

[[:Category:Tabletop Roleplaying Games|Tabletop Roleplaying Games]], e.g. [[Dungeons & Dragons]] and [[Fiasco]], put players in the roles of diegetic characters and through this often create [[Game Instance Stories]] focused on these, but given the game format players need to take notes while playing in order to document the story as it unfolds. [[:Category:Live Action Roleplaying Games|Category:Live Action Roleplaying Games]] such as [[Mind's Eye Theatre]] are similar, but here the players' performance becomes more important. Some of these [[:Category:Category:Live Action Roleplaying Games|Category:LARPs]] include diegetic characters which have in-game reasons to document the events taking place and can therefore record the raw material for [[Game Instance Stories]] during gameplay without disrupting scenes, see [[Monitor Celestra]] and [[College of Wizardry]] for two examples where this has been done. 

Example of non-roleplaying games where players create [[Game Instance Stories]] based on their gameplay include grand strategy games such as the [[Crusader Kings series|Crusader Kings]] and [[Europa Universalis series]]; here the stories take the form of "after-action reports" presented on forums dedicated to the games<ref name="aar"/>). While these can be about winning strategies, other games such as [[Slaves to Armok II: Dwarf Fortress]] tend to be about interesting loses since this is "fun"<ref name="df"/>.

== Using the pattern ==
Any game instance can be the starting point for [[Game Instance Stories]] so designing for this pattern relates most to supporting players in wanting to create them, helping them remember or retell them, or increasing the likelihood that game instances will have noteworthy events in them. The last of these is most typically done through designing for [[Exceptional Events]], and [[Spectacular Failure Enjoyment]] is one of the few patterns that specifically can support the creation of [[Game Instance Stories]] through this. [[Speedruns]] is another, since this encourages players to preserve successful game instances and also let other see these. [Game Instance Stories]] can also emerge spontaneously from games as [[Extra-Game Actions]], for example as [[Bragging]] about results. [[Replays]] can help players with the actual recording of [[Game Instance Stories]] while [[Extra-Game Broadcasting]] can help them transmit these stories either during gameplay or after it has been concluded.

=== Narration Aspects ===
[[Game Instance Stories]] is a [[:Category:Narration Patterns|Narration Pattern]].

== Consequences ==
[[Game Instance Stories]] are [[Extra-Game Consequences]] and can act as foci in [[Multiplayer Games]] for feeling [[Togetherness]] between the players that were involved in them. When [[Game Instance Stories]] are spread to other players, this is an example of [[Trans-Game Information]] and can transfer [[Strategic Knowledge]] between them.

== Relations ==
=== Can Instantiate ===
[[Extra-Game Consequences]], 
[[Trans-Game Information]]

==== with [[Multiplayer Games]] ====
[[Togetherness]] 

=== Can Modulate ===
[[Strategic Knowledge]]

=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
[[Bragging]], 
[[Exceptional Events]], 
[[Extra-Game Actions]], 
[[Extra-Game Broadcasting]], 
[[Replays]], 
[[Spectacular Failure Enjoyment]], 
[[Speedruns]]

=== Can Be Modulated By ===
-

=== Possible Closure Effects ===
-

=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
-

== History ==
New pattern created in this wiki.

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="aar">After-Action Report [http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/content.php?236-after-action-reports page] on Paradox Interactives website.</ref>
<ref name="df">Entry to [http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Losing "fun"] on the Dwarf Fortress wiki.</ref>
</references>

== Acknowledgements ==
-