View source for Rhythm-Based Actions

[[Category:Patterns]]
[[Category:Action Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs references]]
''An activity requiring players to time their actions in relation to a rhythm.''

Real-time games require players to act due to events that occur in the game. When these required actions occur in rhythm, they force players to perform [[Rhythm-Based Actions]], where the timing and stability over time can be just as important as performing the right action.

=== Examples ===
Early sports games such as [[Olympic Decathlon]] or [[Summer Games]] primarily stimulated [[:Category:Sports|Sports]] by requiring players to perform long sequences of [[Rhythm-Based Actions]], and the outcome was judged upon how well the players kept the rhythm.

[[PaRappa the Rapper]] require players to hit various buttons in certain combinations while following certain rhythms, and eases gameplay by having music or songs that have the same rhythm the players must follow. [[Donkey Konga]] and the [[Rock Band series]] does the same but provide specialized instrument-like game controls; the [[Dance Dance Revolution series]] similarly provides a dance mat to make players dance to play.

The fantasy game series [[Dragon's Lair series|Dragon's Lair]] and the thriller [[Heavy Rain]] require players to press certain sequences of buttons correctly to successfully complete action events in the games.

== Using the pattern ==
[[Rhythm-Based Actions]] is a way to require players to perform individual actions in [[Real-Time Games]], and [[Ultra-Powerful Events]], [[Moveable Tiles]], and [[Enemies]] with [[Reconnaissance]] goals can all be used to require these. The actions themselves typically are simple ones, such as button presses, and the design of the pattern mainly consist of deciding with combinations and what [[Timing]] is required. Since they are self-contained the difficulty of these actions can be set with quite high level of precision, and this makes [[Rhythm-Based Actions]] good candidates to become [[Challenging Gameplay]], especially since they are quite unproblematic to run user tests on.

Two main sub-varieties of [[Rhythm-Based Actions]] exist. [[Quick Time Events]] are a form of [[Rhythm-Based Actions]] used to create [[Mini Games]] in other games (found for example in [[Heavy Rain]]), either to provide [[Tension]] or to provide [[Varied Gameplay]]. The other consists of equipping players with [[Mimetic Interfaces]] so that their actions while gaming are similar to play an instrument or dancing.

The reasons for performing [[Rhythm-Based Actions]] can simply be to [[Survive]], which may have a direct diegetic explanation (e.g. [[Dragon's Lair series|Dragon's Lair]]) or not (e.g. [[Dance Dance Revolution series]]). In other cases they are to achieve [[Combos]] - and when these [[Combos]] are the only way to beat [[Enemies]] this adds the reason of achieving [[Overcome]] goals for performing the [[Rhythm-Based Actions]]. 

=== Diegetic Aspects ===
While [[Rhythm-Based Actions]] can be explained as copies of other activities through [[Mimetic Interfaces]] in some games (e.g. the [[Rock Band series]]), in others they are mapped to [[Movement]] (e.g. [[Dragon's Lair series|Dragon's Lair]]). Failing the later, especially when the [[Rhythm-Based Actions]] are linked to [[Survive]] goals, can diegetically be represented as triggering [[Deadly Traps]].

=== Interface Aspects ===
Unless used to avoid actual [[Obstacles]] or [[Enemies]] in a [[Game Worlds|Game World]], players need some way of knowing what [[Rhythm-Based Actions]] they need to do in the immediate future. This is most often done through [[Progress Indicators]] which at the same time provide [[Hovering Closures]].

== Consequences ==
[[Rhythm-Based Actions]] are [[Extended Actions]] performed with the intentions of achieving temporal [[Configuration]] goals in [[Real-Time Games]]. As such they are also examples of [[Combos]]. The motivation for the [[Rhythm-Based Actions]] often comes from games where [[The Show Must Go On]], and the players are either supposed to follow the rhythm of an [[Agents|Agent]] giving mentorship or to avoid dangers in the world.

[[Rhythm-Based Actions]] provide [[Anticipation]] and [[Hovering Closures]] since players need to be aware of what they should do next. This, and that they require repetitious actions, either in tempo or in type of action, make it possible for players performing [[Rhythm-Based Actions]] to have [[Sensory-Motoric Engrossment]].

== Relations ==
=== Can Instantiate ===
[[Anticipation]], 
[[Combos]], 
[[Configuration]], 
[[Extended Actions]], 
[[Hovering Closures]], 
[[Mini Games]],
[[Movement]],  
[[Overcome]], 
[[Sensory-Motoric Engrossment]]

=== Can Modulate ===
[[Real-Time Games]]

=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
[[Moveable Tiles]], 
[[Quick Time Events]], 
[[The Show Must Go On]], 
[[Timing]], 
[[Ultra-Powerful Events]]

[[Enemies]] together with [[Reconnaissance]]

=== Can Be Modulated By ===
[[Challenging Gameplay]], 
[[Deadly Traps]], 
[[Mimetic Interfaces]]

=== Possible Closure Effects ===

=== Potentially Conflicting With ===

== History ==
A rewrite of the pattern ''Rhythm-Based Actions'' that was part of the original collection in the book ''Patterns in Game Design''<ref name="Bjork & Holopainen 2004"/>.

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="Bjork & Holopainen 2004">Björk, S. & Holopainen, J. (2004) Patterns in Game Design. Charles River Media. ISBN1-58450-354-8.</ref>
</references>

== Acknowledgments ==
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