View source for Big Dumb Objects

[[Category:Level Design Patterns]]
[[Category:Narration Patterns]]
[[Category:Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs revision]]
[[Category:Needs examples]]
[[Category:Needs references]]
[[Category:Patterns created on the Wiki]]
''Very large artificial objects in game worlds that provide evidence of powerful entities or groups of individuals.''

Games often contain big mysterious objects on a different scale than the players in their game worlds. In science fiction literature, such structures are called [[Big Dumb Objects]], and are used to create a sense of wonder or otherworldliness. 

See also the Wikipedia entry<ref name="wiki"/> for the concept.

=== Examples ===
The majority of the gameplay in the [[Halo series]] takes place on the Ringworld-like<ref name="ringworld"/> structures the series are named after.

The White Gold Tower in [[The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]] dominates the Imperial City of Cyrodiil, and can be seen from long distances when players travel in the wilderness of the game world.

== Using the pattern ==
Introducing [[Big Dumb Objects]] to games consist mainly of deciding who created them, what they look like, and where in the [[Game Worlds]] or [[Levels]] they are located. As an option, [[Big Dumb Objects]] can be so large that they are the actually [[Game Worlds]] - the ring structures in the [[Halo series]] are examples of this.

=== Diegetic Aspects ===
Given their size, and typically mysterious nature, [[Big Dumb Objects]] are [[Diegetically Outstanding Features]]. While they can be designed so they can be seen from any type of location, using them so they can visible from [[Transport Routes]] can make otherwise boring movement interesting.

=== Narrative Aspects ===
Given how obvious [[Big Dumb Objects]] are, they need to be part of [[Predetermined Story Structures]] in the form of [[Environmental Storytelling]] unless they are going to quite bluntly break [[Diegetic Consistency]].

== Consequences ==
As mentioned above, [[Big Dumb Objects]] are examples of [[Diegetically Outstanding Features]] of [[Game Worlds]]. There presence is often motivated by how they help maintaining a [[Thematic Consistency]]. They also typically help players in performing [[Game World Navigation]] since they provide players with a [[Line of Sight]] to easily recognizable [[Landmarks]]. For this, they also make natural [[Check Points]] for [[Traverse]] goals. Since they are visible from long distances, they let players have the [[Anticipation]] of reaching them for a long time. When they cannot be reached, they instead give rise to perceivable [[Inaccessible Areas]].

When the [[Big Dumb Objects]] are introduced to [[Game Worlds]] that otherwise are based on the real world, they do become instances of [[Alien Space Bats]].

== Relations ==
=== Can Instantiate ===
[[Alien Space Bats]], 
[[Anticipation]], 
[[Check Points]], 
[[Diegetically Outstanding Features]], 
[[Environmental Storytelling]],
[[Inaccessible Areas]], 
[[Landmarks]], 
[[Line of Sight]], 
[[Predetermined Story Structures]], 
[[Thematic Consistency]], 
[[Traverse]]

=== Can Modulate ===
[[Game World Navigation]], 
[[Game Worlds]], 
[[Levels]], 
[[Transport Routes]] 

=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
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=== Can Be Modulated By ===
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=== Possible Closure Effects ===
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=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
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== History ==
New pattern created in this wiki.

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="wiki">Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dumb_Object entry] for ''Big Dumb Object''.</ref>
<ref name="ringworld">Wikipedia [ entry] for ''Ringworld''.</ref>
</references>

== Acknowledgements ==
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