Complex Gameplay - Revision history

Staffan Björk at 11:13, 21 March 2018

2018-03-21T11:13:41Z

Staffan Björk at 11:13, 21 March 2018

2018-03-21T11:13:27Z

Staffan Björk at 08:44, 21 September 2016

2016-09-21T08:44:21Z

Staffan Björk at 08:09, 8 August 2015

2015-08-08T08:09:58Z

Staffan Björk at 09:49, 27 July 2015

2015-07-27T09:49:54Z

Staffan Björk at 07:44, 27 July 2015

2015-07-27T07:44:53Z

Staffan Björk at 14:10, 20 July 2015

2015-07-20T14:10:17Z

Staffan Björk at 11:11, 22 January 2015

2015-01-22T11:11:35Z

Staffan Björk at 11:08, 22 January 2015

2015-01-22T11:08:38Z

Staffan Björk at 14:34, 14 January 2015

2015-01-14T14:34:54Z

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 Providing players with many [[Abilities]] is an easy to increase the amount of [[Complex Gameplay]] through increasing the number of different possible actions, while [[Units]] under players control can add more number of total possible actions although many may be the same. [[Enemies]] or [[Units]] under control of opponents add complexity in having more opposition to handle and having more actions possible in that actions can typically be taken towards defeating each individual enemy, and [[Algorithmic Agents]] can add significant complexity to the behavior of [[Enemies]] (as well as [[Non-Player Characters]]). In addition, [[Enemies]] add complexity to completing [[Quests]]. Further, [[Orthogonal Differentiation]] can be used to multiply the effects of adding [[Abilities]] with adding [[Units]]. Of course, the type of actions possible can affect how complex gameplay is. While [[Movement]] might seem like one of the simplest types of actions possible in a game, the possibility to move repeatedly quickly can create a complex set of potential future actions, and complexity might further be increase by adding other game components that move and requiring players to avoid hitting [[Obstacles]] while moving. [[Puzzle Solving]] typically creates [[Complex Gameplay]] by requiring thinking several steps ahead or innovative ways (one example of the former is the use of [[Limited Resources]] together with [[Traverse]]). [[Rhythm-Based Actions]] is an example of how a few very simply actions can be combined to create [[Complex Gameplay]] in which order and with which [[Timing]] they should be performed. [[Variable Accuracy]] is basically a pattern for making more [[Complex Gameplay]] of [[Aim & Shoot]] actions. While individual [[Skills]] in themselves do not create complexity in gameplay, games which have large numbers of [[Skills]] (such as [[GURPS]]) adds [[Complex Gameplay]] in that these begin to function more or less like [[Abilities]].
-Given a set of actions possible, there are several ways of adding complexity to these. [[Goal Hierarchies]] (potentially together with [[Quests]]) can put requirements on what actions players need to perform to succeed with goals as well as in which order the goals need to be done. [[Indirect Control]] creates [[Complex Gameplay]] by requiring the use of actions to trigger other events that have the consequences one actually wants to make happen. [[Trumps]] can make some actions better than other (but often limited by [[Resources]]) while [[Rock-Paper-Scissors]] make power relations between actions non-transitive and requires players to either have best information about the current game state or try to read other players' intentions. [[Attention Swapping]] requires players to move between several different gameplay foci, while [[Combos]] stress learning specific combinations of actions and [[Budgeted Action Points]] highlights the necessity to choose between actions. [[Card Building]], [[Deck Building]] or[[Pre-Customized Decks]] are also likely to create [[Complex Gameplay]] since player typically use these to try to maximize there chances of getting [[Combos]].
+Given a set of actions possible, there are several ways of adding complexity to these. [[Goal Hierarchies]] (potentially together with [[Quests]]) can put requirements on what actions players need to perform to succeed with goals as well as in which order the goals need to be done. [[Indirect Control]] creates [[Complex Gameplay]] by requiring the use of actions to trigger other events that have the consequences one actually wants to make happen. [[Trumps]] can make some actions better than other (but often limited by [[Resources]]) while [[Rock-Paper-Scissors]] make power relations between actions non-transitive and requires players to either have best information about the current game state or try to read other players' intentions. [[Attention Swapping]] requires players to move between several different gameplay foci, while [[Combos]] stress learning specific combinations of actions and [[Budgeted Action Points]] highlights the necessity to choose between actions. [[Card Building]], [[Deck Building]] or [[Pre-Customized Decks]] are also likely to create [[Complex Gameplay]] since player typically use these to try to maximize there chances of getting [[Combos]].
 However, [[Collaborative Actions]] and [[Cooperation]] are probably the richest areas in which complexity can be added to gameplay actions. First, they can require [[Negotiation]] and [[Coordination]]. This can be complicated through requiring that the [[Collaborative Actions]] have to be done as [[Asynchronous Collaborative Actions]] or using [[Delayed Effects]] so that knowing the effects of the actions isn't instantaneous (or even that one does not get confirmations that the [[Collaborative Actions]] have been made at all). [[Collaborative Actions]] can also be made more risky through the use of [[Delayed Reciprocity]] so that one part of the [[Cooperation]] needs to trust that the other will return the favor or fulfill an obligation in the future; [[Trading]] used together with [[Delayed Effects]] have similar effects. [[Secret Alliances]] can facilitate the need to do these [[Collaborative Actions]] in secrecy while [[Uncommitted Alliances]] introduces complexity in the form of possible failure of fulfilling promises of [[Cooperation]]. [[Betrayal]] can also be introduced to assign players into being the ones that are supposed to hinder [[Cooperation]] or [[Teams]] to function properly (see [[Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game]] for an example of this). Complexity can also be added through requiring players to both have [[Competition]] and [[Cooperation]] with each other at the same time; [[Republic of Rome]] does this through making players compete with each other but force them to together fight barbarian unless they should all lose. [[Internal Rivalry]] is a more specific form of combining [[Competition]] and [[Cooperation]] that only needs to apply to specific pairs of players.

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 Providing players with many [[Abilities]] is an easy to increase the amount of [[Complex Gameplay]] through increasing the number of different possible actions, while [[Units]] under players control can add more number of total possible actions although many may be the same. [[Enemies]] or [[Units]] under control of opponents add complexity in having more opposition to handle and having more actions possible in that actions can typically be taken towards defeating each individual enemy, and [[Algorithmic Agents]] can add significant complexity to the behavior of [[Enemies]] (as well as [[Non-Player Characters]]). In addition, [[Enemies]] add complexity to completing [[Quests]]. Further, [[Orthogonal Differentiation]] can be used to multiply the effects of adding [[Abilities]] with adding [[Units]]. Of course, the type of actions possible can affect how complex gameplay is. While [[Movement]] might seem like one of the simplest types of actions possible in a game, the possibility to move repeatedly quickly can create a complex set of potential future actions, and complexity might further be increase by adding other game components that move and requiring players to avoid hitting [[Obstacles]] while moving. [[Puzzle Solving]] typically creates [[Complex Gameplay]] by requiring thinking several steps ahead or innovative ways (one example of the former is the use of [[Limited Resources]] together with [[Traverse]]). [[Rhythm-Based Actions]] is an example of how a few very simply actions can be combined to create [[Complex Gameplay]] in which order and with which [[Timing]] they should be performed. [[Variable Accuracy]] is basically a pattern for making more [[Complex Gameplay]] of [[Aim & Shoot]] actions. While individual [[Skills]] in themselves do not create complexity in gameplay, games which have large numbers of [[Skills]] (such as [[GURPS]]) adds [[Complex Gameplay]] in that these begin to function more or less like [[Abilities]].
-Given a set of actions possible, there are several ways of adding complexity to these. [[Goal Hierarchies]] (potentially together with [[Quests]]) can put requirements on what actions players need to perform to succeed with goals as well as in which order the goals need to be done. [[Indirect Control]] creates [[Complex Gameplay]] by requiring the use of actions to trigger other events that have the consequences one actually wants to make happen. [[Trumps]] can make some actions better than other (but often limited by [[Resources]]) while [[Rock-Paper-Scissors]] make power relations between actions non-transitive and requires players to either have best information about the current game state or try to read other players' intentions. [[Attention Swapping]] requires players to move between several different gameplay foci, while [[Combos]] stress learning specific combinations of actions and [[Budgeted Action Points]] highlights the necessity to choose between actions. [[Deck Building]] and [[Pre-Customized Decks]] are also likely to create [[Complex Gameplay]] since player typically use these to try to maximize there chances of getting [[Combos]].
+Given a set of actions possible, there are several ways of adding complexity to these. [[Goal Hierarchies]] (potentially together with [[Quests]]) can put requirements on what actions players need to perform to succeed with goals as well as in which order the goals need to be done. [[Indirect Control]] creates [[Complex Gameplay]] by requiring the use of actions to trigger other events that have the consequences one actually wants to make happen. [[Trumps]] can make some actions better than other (but often limited by [[Resources]]) while [[Rock-Paper-Scissors]] make power relations between actions non-transitive and requires players to either have best information about the current game state or try to read other players' intentions. [[Attention Swapping]] requires players to move between several different gameplay foci, while [[Combos]] stress learning specific combinations of actions and [[Budgeted Action Points]] highlights the necessity to choose between actions. [[Card Building]], [[Deck Building]] or[[Pre-Customized Decks]] are also likely to create [[Complex Gameplay]] since player typically use these to try to maximize there chances of getting [[Combos]].
 However, [[Collaborative Actions]] and [[Cooperation]] are probably the richest areas in which complexity can be added to gameplay actions. First, they can require [[Negotiation]] and [[Coordination]]. This can be complicated through requiring that the [[Collaborative Actions]] have to be done as [[Asynchronous Collaborative Actions]] or using [[Delayed Effects]] so that knowing the effects of the actions isn't instantaneous (or even that one does not get confirmations that the [[Collaborative Actions]] have been made at all). [[Collaborative Actions]] can also be made more risky through the use of [[Delayed Reciprocity]] so that one part of the [[Cooperation]] needs to trust that the other will return the favor or fulfill an obligation in the future; [[Trading]] used together with [[Delayed Effects]] have similar effects. [[Secret Alliances]] can facilitate the need to do these [[Collaborative Actions]] in secrecy while [[Uncommitted Alliances]] introduces complexity in the form of possible failure of fulfilling promises of [[Cooperation]]. [[Betrayal]] can also be introduced to assign players into being the ones that are supposed to hinder [[Cooperation]] or [[Teams]] to function properly (see [[Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game]] for an example of this). Complexity can also be added through requiring players to both have [[Competition]] and [[Cooperation]] with each other at the same time; [[Republic of Rome]] does this through making players compete with each other but force them to together fight barbarian unless they should all lose. [[Internal Rivalry]] is a more specific form of combining [[Competition]] and [[Cooperation]] that only needs to apply to specific pairs of players.
@@ Line 82: / Line 82: @@
 [[Attention Swapping]],
 [[Budgeted Action Points]],
 [[Collaborative Actions]],
 [[Combos]],

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 [[Nomic]] is an example of a small category of games which typically becomes more complex over time since new rules are added to it as part of playing it.
-[[Minecraft]] shows how computer can be used to procedurally generate game worlds that are very complex due to their size and ways of using the materials found in them. The [[Crusader Kings series]] and the [[Europa Universalis series]] shows how computers can handle large rule sets that are very heavily intertwined with each other. [[Dwarf Fortress]] shows how a computer game can have both of these types of characteristics.
+[[Minecraft]] shows how computer can be used to procedurally generate game worlds that are very complex due to their size and ways of using the materials found in them. The [[Crusader Kings series]] and the [[Europa Universalis series]] shows how computers can handle large rule sets that are very heavily intertwined with each other. [[Slaves to Armok II: Dwarf Fortress|Dwarf Fortress]] shows how a computer game can have both of these types of characteristics.
 == Using the pattern ==

@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 == Consequences ==
-[[Complex Gameplay]] can have several different far-reaching consequences for a game design. First, it can lead to [[Challenging Gameplay]] and possibly [[FUBAR Enjoyment]]. Second, it can lead to [[Solution Uncertainty]] and make [[Predictable Consequences]] absent so players may be inclined to do [[Experimenting]]. This also leads to [[Complex Gameplay]] making [[Surprises]] possible but at the same time making [[Anticipation]] more unlikely. [[Complex Gameplay]] has a dual relation to [[Hovering Closures]], it can provide these by having many simultaneously requirements that need to be fulfilled at the same time but when they are too many of these, or their status is not clearly presented, players may not experience them as being close to being reached. The pattern does however not need to lead to both [[Solution Uncertainty]]  and [[Challenging Gameplay]] at the same time, and when a game with [[Complex Gameplay]] lacks challenging aspects (at least sometimes), it can provide [[Creative Control]] and let players engage in [[Pottering]] ([[Minecraft]] can be seen as an example of this). Third, the complexity of gameplay can lead to [[Varied Gameplay]] since players may only be focusing or interacting with specific parts of the gameplay in each game instance. All these consequences can lead to [[Cognitive Engrossment]] so this is perhaps one of the more predictable effects of [[Complex Gameplay]]. Finally, being able to handle the complexity of a game with [[Complex Gameplay]] is a form of [[Game Mastery]], e.g. when being able to skillfully make use of all possible [[Combos]].
+[[Complex Gameplay]] can have several different far-reaching consequences for a game design. First, it can lead to [[Challenging Gameplay]] and possibly [[FUBAR Enjoyment]]. Second, it can lead to [[Solution Uncertainty]] and make [[Predictable Consequences]] absent so players may be inclined to do [[Experimenting]]. This also leads to [[Complex Gameplay]] making [[Surprises]] possible but at the same time making [[Anticipation]] more unlikely. [[Complex Gameplay]] has a dual relation to [[Hovering Closures]], it can provide these by having many simultaneously requirements that need to be fulfilled at the same time but when they are too many of these, or their status is not clearly presented, players may not experience them as being close to being reached. The pattern does however not need to lead to both [[Solution Uncertainty]]  and [[Challenging Gameplay]] at the same time, and when a game with [[Complex Gameplay]] lacks challenging aspects (at least sometimes), it can provide [[Creative Control]] and let players engage in [[Pottering]] ([[Minecraft]] can be seen as an example of this). Third, the complexity of gameplay can lead to [[Varied Gameplay]] since players may only be focusing or interacting with specific parts of the gameplay in each game instance. All these consequences can lead to [[Cognitive Engrossment]] so this is perhaps one of the more predictable effects of [[Complex Gameplay]]. Finally, being able to handle the complexity of a game with [[Complex Gameplay]] is a form of [[Gameplay Mastery]], e.g. when being able to skillfully make use of all possible [[Combos]].
 [[Complex Gameplay]] can give [[Excise]] if players need to manipulate many individual game components as part of gameplay. When the [[Complex Gameplay]] relies on [[Resource Management]], this can take the form of [[Grinding]].
@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
 [[Exploitation]],
 [[FUBAR Enjoyment]],
-[[Game Mastery]],
+[[Gameplay Mastery]],
 [[Hovering Closures]],
 [[Middlegame]],

@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 [[Winner determined after Gameplay Ends]] can be supported even when players have all the information needed to calculate current positions if [[Complex Gameplay]] makes the calculations too complex to realistically be done while playing.
-In games with clear gameplay phases, [[Complex Gameplay]] tends to be found in the [[Middlegame]] after players' initial moves have created a sufficiently complex game state but before their struggles with challenges have been concluded. For this reason, [[Complex Gameplay]] may be seen as an indicator of that one is in the [[Middlegame]] phase.
+In games with clear gameplay phases, [[Complex Gameplay]] tends to be found in the [[Middlegame]] after players' initial moves have created a sufficiently complex game state but before their struggles with challenges have been concluded. [[Exploitation]] is an example of such a phase. For this reason, [[Complex Gameplay]] may be seen as an indicator of that one is in the [[Middlegame]] phase and used to create phases of [[Exploitation]].
 == Relations ==
@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 [[Excise]],
 [[Experimenting]],
 [[FUBAR Enjoyment]],
 [[Game Mastery]],

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 Providing players with many [[Abilities]] is an easy to increase the amount of [[Complex Gameplay]] through increasing the number of different possible actions, while [[Units]] under players control can add more number of total possible actions although many may be the same. [[Enemies]] or [[Units]] under control of opponents add complexity in having more opposition to handle and having more actions possible in that actions can typically be taken towards defeating each individual enemy, and [[Algorithmic Agents]] can add significant complexity to the behavior of [[Enemies]] (as well as [[Non-Player Characters]]). In addition, [[Enemies]] add complexity to completing [[Quests]]. Further, [[Orthogonal Differentiation]] can be used to multiply the effects of adding [[Abilities]] with adding [[Units]]. Of course, the type of actions possible can affect how complex gameplay is. While [[Movement]] might seem like one of the simplest types of actions possible in a game, the possibility to move repeatedly quickly can create a complex set of potential future actions, and complexity might further be increase by adding other game components that move and requiring players to avoid hitting [[Obstacles]] while moving. [[Puzzle Solving]] typically creates [[Complex Gameplay]] by requiring thinking several steps ahead or innovative ways (one example of the former is the use of [[Limited Resources]] together with [[Traverse]]). [[Rhythm-Based Actions]] is an example of how a few very simply actions can be combined to create [[Complex Gameplay]] in which order and with which [[Timing]] they should be performed. [[Variable Accuracy]] is basically a pattern for making more [[Complex Gameplay]] of [[Aim & Shoot]] actions. While individual [[Skills]] in themselves do not create complexity in gameplay, games which have large numbers of [[Skills]] (such as [[GURPS]]) adds [[Complex Gameplay]] in that these begin to function more or less like [[Abilities]].
-Given a set of actions possible, there are several ways of adding complexity to these. [[Goal Hierarchies]] (potentially together with [[Quests]]) can put requirements on what actions players need to perform to succeed with goals as well as in which order the goals need to be done. [[Indirect Control]] creates [[Complex Gameplay]] by requiring the use of actions to trigger other events that have the consequences one actually wants to make happen. [[Trumps]] can make some actions better than other (but often limited by [[Resources]]) while [[Rock-Paper-Scissors]] make power relations between actions non-transitive and requires players to either have best information about the current game state or try to read other players' intentions. [[Attention Swapping]] requires players to move between several different gameplay foci, while [[Combos]] stress learning specific combinations of actions and [[Budgeted Action Points]] highlights the necessity to choose between actions. However, [[Collaborative Actions]] and [[Cooperation]] are probably the richest areas in which complexity can be added to gameplay actions. First, they can require [[Negotiation]] and [[Coordination]]. This can be complicated through requiring that the [[Collaborative Actions]] have to be done as [[Asynchronous Collaborative Actions]] or using [[Delayed Effects]] so that knowing the effects of the actions isn't instantaneous (or even that one does not get confirmations that the [[Collaborative Actions]] have been made at all). [[Collaborative Actions]] can also be made more risky through the use of [[Delayed Reciprocity]] so that one part of the [[Cooperation]] needs to trust that the other will return the favor or fulfill an obligation in the future; [[Trading]] used together with [[Delayed Effects]] have similar effects. [[Secret Alliances]] can facilitate the need to do these [[Collaborative Actions]] in secrecy while [[Uncommitted Alliances]] introduces complexity in the form of possible failure of fulfilling promises of [[Cooperation]]. [[Betrayal]] can also be introduced to assign players into being the ones that are supposed to hinder [[Cooperation]] or [[Teams]] to function properly (see [[Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game]] for an example of this). Complexity can also be added through requiring players to both have [[Competition]] and [[Cooperation]] with each other at the same time; [[Republic of Rome]] does this through making players compete with each other but force them to together fight barbarian unless they should all lose. [[Internal Rivalry]] is a more specific form of combining [[Competition]] and [[Cooperation]] that only needs to apply to specific pairs of players.
+Given a set of actions possible, there are several ways of adding complexity to these. [[Goal Hierarchies]] (potentially together with [[Quests]]) can put requirements on what actions players need to perform to succeed with goals as well as in which order the goals need to be done. [[Indirect Control]] creates [[Complex Gameplay]] by requiring the use of actions to trigger other events that have the consequences one actually wants to make happen. [[Trumps]] can make some actions better than other (but often limited by [[Resources]]) while [[Rock-Paper-Scissors]] make power relations between actions non-transitive and requires players to either have best information about the current game state or try to read other players' intentions. [[Attention Swapping]] requires players to move between several different gameplay foci, while [[Combos]] stress learning specific combinations of actions and [[Budgeted Action Points]] highlights the necessity to choose between actions. [[Deck Building]] and [[Pre-Customized Decks]] are also likely to create [[Complex Gameplay]] since player typically use these to try to maximize there chances of getting [[Combos]].
 Providing shifting goals during gameplay can also make for [[Complex Gameplay]]. [[Role Reversal]] for players that they are not aware of is an example of this ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game]] is an example of this since players may discover that they are [[Traitors|Traitor]] cylons halfway through the game).
@@ Line 80: / Line 82: @@
 [[Coordination]],
 [[Converters]],
 [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]],
 [[Enemies]],
@@ Line 91: / Line 94: @@
 [[Optional Rules]],
 [[Orthogonal Differentiation]],
 [[Perfect Information]],
 [[Predictable Consequences]],

@@ Line 60: / Line 60: @@
 [[Pottering]],
 [[Solution Uncertainty]],
-[[Varied Gameplay]]
+[[Varied Gameplay]],
 ==== with [[Resource Management]] ====
@@ Line 67: / Line 68: @@
 === Can Modulate ===
 [[Analysis Paralysis]],
-[[Stimulated Planning]],
+[[Stimulated Planning]]
-[[Winner determined after Gameplay Ends]]
 === Can Be Instantiated By ===

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Category:Patterns]]
-[[Category:Needs work]]
+[[Category:Dynamic Patterns]]
 [[Category:Needs revision]]
 [[Category:Needs references]]
 [[Category:To be Published]]
 ''Gameplay where planning or performing actions is complex, or understanding the consequences of actions are.''
@@ Line 22: / Line 18: @@
 [[Complex Gameplay]] can be a design goal for several reasons in game, common ones being to provide [[Challenging Gameplay]], [[Solution Uncertainty]], and, more generally, [[Cognitive Engrossment]]. It can also be used to increase or decrease the likelihood of [[Analysis Paralysis]] or [[Stimulated Planning]] since a certain level of complexity might increase the presence of these patterns but adding even more complexity might decrease them. The generic ways of providing [[Complex Gameplay]] is through number of game components (and their relations), through numbers of rules (and their inter-connectivity), and through the number of actions with [[Predictable Consequences]] players can perform.
-Adding game components is typically a question of adding [[Resources]]. However, adding game components tend to also add number of actions so the approach is twofolded, for example adding [[Resources]] is likely to lead to [[Resource Management]]. Adding [[Units]] under player control is a more particular way of adding [[Resources]] in this sense and leads to an increase in number of possible actions although not necessarily different types of actions. [[Producers]] can be used to add game components during gameplay for added complexity, and [[Converters]] or [[Producer-Consumer]] can be used to create complexity through having hierarchies of game components. Given a set of game components, complexity to a game can be "added" simply by letting players have [[Perfect Information]] amount them if there are many components while in cases where players do not get to know the complete game state [[Red Herrings]] or [[Secret Goals]] can be used instead.
+Adding game components is typically a question of adding [[Resources]]. However, adding game components tend to also add number of actions so the approach is twofold, for example adding [[Resources]] is likely to lead to [[Resource Management]]. Adding [[Units]] under player control is a more particular way of adding [[Resources]] in this sense and leads to an increase in number of possible actions although not necessarily different types of actions. [[Producers]] can be used to add game components during gameplay for added complexity, and [[Converters]] or [[Producer-Consumer]] can be used to create complexity through having hierarchies of game components. Given a set of game components, complexity to a game can be "added" simply by letting players have [[Perfect Information]] amount them if there are many components while in cases where players do not get to know the complete game state [[Red Herrings]] or [[Secret Goals]] can be used instead.
-Just having many rules or have many rules interacting with each other can create [[Complex Gameplay]] (e.g. how game values influence each other in the [[Europa Universalis series]]), but [[Evolving Rule Sets]] and [[Varying Rule Sets]] can be used to create [[Complex Gameplay]] through adding or changing rules as gameplay progresses or between game instances - [[Optional Rules]] can be used to let players decide how [[Complex Gameplay]] they want.
+Just having many rules or have many rules interacting with each other can create [[Complex Gameplay]] (e.g. how game values influence each other in the [[Europa Universalis series]]), but [[Evolving Rule Sets]] and [[Varying Rule Sets]] as in [[Nomic]] can be used to create [[Complex Gameplay]] through adding or changing rules as gameplay progresses or between game instances - [[Optional Rules]] can be used to let players decide how [[Complex Gameplay]] they want.
-Providing players with many [[Abilities]] is an easy to increase the amount of [[Complex Gameplay]] through increasing the number of different possible actions, while [[Units]] under players control can add more number of total possible actions although many may be the same. [[Enemies]] or [[Units]] under control of opponents add complexity in having more opposition to handle and having more actions possible in that actions can typically be taken towards defeating each individual enemy, and [[Algorithmic Agents]] can add significant complexity to the behavior of [[Enemies]] (as well as [[Non-Player Characters]]). In addition, [[Enemies]] add complexity to completing [[Quests]]. Further, [[Orthogonal Differentiation]] can be used to multiply the effects of adding [[Abilities]] with adding [[Units]]. Of course, the type of actions possible can affect how complex gameplay is. While [[Movement]] might seem like one of the most simple types of actions possible in a game, the possibility to move repeatedly quickly can create a complex set of potential future actions, and complexity might further be increase by adding other game components that move and requiring players to avoid hitting [[Obstacles]] while moving. [[Puzzle Solving]] typically creates [[Complex Gameplay]] by requiring thinking several steps ahead or innovative ways (one example of the former is the use of [[Limited Resources]] together with [[Traverse]]). [[Rhythm-Based Actions]] is an example of how a few very simply actions can be combined to create [[Complex Gameplay]] in which order and with which [[Timing]] they should be performed. [[Variable Accuracy]] is basically a pattern for making more [[Complex Gameplay]] of [[Aim & Shoot]] actions. While individual [[Skills]] in themselves do not create complexity in gameplay, games which have large numbers of [[Skills]] (such as [[GURPS]]) adds [[Complex Gameplay]] in that these begin to function more or less like [[Abilities]].
+Providing players with many [[Abilities]] is an easy to increase the amount of [[Complex Gameplay]] through increasing the number of different possible actions, while [[Units]] under players control can add more number of total possible actions although many may be the same. [[Enemies]] or [[Units]] under control of opponents add complexity in having more opposition to handle and having more actions possible in that actions can typically be taken towards defeating each individual enemy, and [[Algorithmic Agents]] can add significant complexity to the behavior of [[Enemies]] (as well as [[Non-Player Characters]]). In addition, [[Enemies]] add complexity to completing [[Quests]]. Further, [[Orthogonal Differentiation]] can be used to multiply the effects of adding [[Abilities]] with adding [[Units]]. Of course, the type of actions possible can affect how complex gameplay is. While [[Movement]] might seem like one of the simplest types of actions possible in a game, the possibility to move repeatedly quickly can create a complex set of potential future actions, and complexity might further be increase by adding other game components that move and requiring players to avoid hitting [[Obstacles]] while moving. [[Puzzle Solving]] typically creates [[Complex Gameplay]] by requiring thinking several steps ahead or innovative ways (one example of the former is the use of [[Limited Resources]] together with [[Traverse]]). [[Rhythm-Based Actions]] is an example of how a few very simply actions can be combined to create [[Complex Gameplay]] in which order and with which [[Timing]] they should be performed. [[Variable Accuracy]] is basically a pattern for making more [[Complex Gameplay]] of [[Aim & Shoot]] actions. While individual [[Skills]] in themselves do not create complexity in gameplay, games which have large numbers of [[Skills]] (such as [[GURPS]]) adds [[Complex Gameplay]] in that these begin to function more or less like [[Abilities]].
 Given a set of actions possible, there are several ways of adding complexity to these. [[Goal Hierarchies]] (potentially together with [[Quests]]) can put requirements on what actions players need to perform to succeed with goals as well as in which order the goals need to be done. [[Indirect Control]] creates [[Complex Gameplay]] by requiring the use of actions to trigger other events that have the consequences one actually wants to make happen. [[Trumps]] can make some actions better than other (but often limited by [[Resources]]) while [[Rock-Paper-Scissors]] make power relations between actions non-transitive and requires players to either have best information about the current game state or try to read other players' intentions. [[Attention Swapping]] requires players to move between several different gameplay foci, while [[Combos]] stress learning specific combinations of actions and [[Budgeted Action Points]] highlights the necessity to choose between actions. However, [[Collaborative Actions]] and [[Cooperation]] are probably the richest areas in which complexity can be added to gameplay actions. First, they can require [[Negotiation]] and [[Coordination]]. This can be complicated through requiring that the [[Collaborative Actions]] have to be done as [[Asynchronous Collaborative Actions]] or using [[Delayed Effects]] so that knowing the effects of the actions isn't instantaneous (or even that one does not get confirmations that the [[Collaborative Actions]] have been made at all). [[Collaborative Actions]] can also be made more risky through the use of [[Delayed Reciprocity]] so that one part of the [[Cooperation]] needs to trust that the other will return the favor or fulfill an obligation in the future; [[Trading]] used together with [[Delayed Effects]] have similar effects. [[Secret Alliances]] can facilitate the need to do these [[Collaborative Actions]] in secrecy while [[Uncommitted Alliances]] introduces complexity in the form of possible failure of fulfilling promises of [[Cooperation]]. [[Betrayal]] can also be introduced to assign players into being the ones that are supposed to hinder [[Cooperation]] or [[Teams]] to function properly (see [[Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game]] for an example of this). Complexity can also be added through requiring players to both have [[Competition]] and [[Cooperation]] with each other at the same time; [[Republic of Rome]] does this through making players compete with each other but force them to together fight barbarian unless they should all lose. [[Internal Rivalry]] is a more specific form of combining [[Competition]] and [[Cooperation]] that only needs to apply to specific pairs of players.
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 == Consequences ==
-[[Complex Gameplay]] can have several different far-reaching consequences for a game design. First, it can lead to [[Challenging Gameplay]] and possibly [[FUBAR Enjoyment]]. Second, it can lead to [[Solution Uncertainty]] and make [[Predictable Consequences]] absent so players may be inclined to do [[Experimenting]]. This also lead to [[Complex Gameplay]] making [[Surprises]] possible but at the same time making [[Anticipation]] more unlikely. [[Complex Gameplay]] has a dual relation to [[Hovering Closures]], it can provide these by having many simultaneously requirements that need to be fulfilled at the same time but when they are too many of these, or their status is not clearly presented, players may not experience them as being close to being reached. The pattern does however not need to lead to both [[Solution Uncertainty]]  and [[Challenging Gameplay]] at the same time, and when a game with [[Complex Gameplay]] lacks challenging aspects (at least sometimes), it can provide [[Creative Control]] and let players engage in [[Pottering]] ([[Minecraft]] can be seen as an example of this). Third, the complexity of gameplay can lead to [[Varied Gameplay]] since players may only be focusing or interacting with specific parts of the gameplay in each game instance. All these consequences can lead to [[Cognitive Engrossment]] so this is perhaps one of the more predictable effects of [[Complex Gameplay]]. Finally, being able to handle the complexity of a game with [[Complex Gameplay]] is a form of [[Game Mastery]], e.g. when being able to skillfully make use of all possible [[Combos]].
+[[Complex Gameplay]] can have several different far-reaching consequences for a game design. First, it can lead to [[Challenging Gameplay]] and possibly [[FUBAR Enjoyment]]. Second, it can lead to [[Solution Uncertainty]] and make [[Predictable Consequences]] absent so players may be inclined to do [[Experimenting]]. This also leads to [[Complex Gameplay]] making [[Surprises]] possible but at the same time making [[Anticipation]] more unlikely. [[Complex Gameplay]] has a dual relation to [[Hovering Closures]], it can provide these by having many simultaneously requirements that need to be fulfilled at the same time but when they are too many of these, or their status is not clearly presented, players may not experience them as being close to being reached. The pattern does however not need to lead to both [[Solution Uncertainty]]  and [[Challenging Gameplay]] at the same time, and when a game with [[Complex Gameplay]] lacks challenging aspects (at least sometimes), it can provide [[Creative Control]] and let players engage in [[Pottering]] ([[Minecraft]] can be seen as an example of this). Third, the complexity of gameplay can lead to [[Varied Gameplay]] since players may only be focusing or interacting with specific parts of the gameplay in each game instance. All these consequences can lead to [[Cognitive Engrossment]] so this is perhaps one of the more predictable effects of [[Complex Gameplay]]. Finally, being able to handle the complexity of a game with [[Complex Gameplay]] is a form of [[Game Mastery]], e.g. when being able to skillfully make use of all possible [[Combos]].
 [[Complex Gameplay]] can give [[Excise]] if players need to manipulate many individual game components as part of gameplay. When the [[Complex Gameplay]] relies on [[Resource Management]], this can take the form of [[Grinding]].