Decreased Abilities - Revision history

Staffan Björk at 09:40, 2 August 2015

2015-08-02T09:40:00Z

Staffan Björk at 09:01, 2 August 2015

2015-08-02T09:01:28Z

Staffan Björk at 13:32, 15 December 2014

2014-12-15T13:32:26Z

Staffan Björk at 07:40, 10 October 2014

2014-10-10T07:40:17Z

Staffan Björk at 18:46, 20 August 2011

2011-08-20T18:46:01Z

Staffan Björk at 11:14, 4 August 2011

2011-08-04T11:14:12Z

Staffan Björk at 10:20, 20 July 2011

2011-07-20T10:20:34Z

Staffan Björk at 20:11, 18 July 2011

2011-07-18T20:11:36Z

Staffan Björk at 09:41, 7 July 2011

2011-07-07T09:41:19Z

Staffan Björk at 11:00, 6 July 2011

2011-07-06T11:00:55Z

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 [[Ability Losses]],
 [[Balancing Effects]],
 [[Competence Areas]],
 [[Difficulty Levels]],
@@ Line 56: / Line 55: @@
 ==== with [[Ammunition]] or [[Armor]] ====
 [[Trade-Offs]]
 ==== with [[Environmental Effects]], [[Equipment]], or [[Game Items]] ====

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 [[Decreased Abilities]] are often intended as [[Penalties]] related to [[Abilities]], or if not perceived as such most of the time anyway. They may hinder players to feel a [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]] and may result in total [[Ability Losses]] if the [[Abilities]] are decreased so much that the chances of success become zero.  Unlike definite [[Ability Losses]], [[Decreased Abilities]] can be used to modulate the how [[Challenging Gameplay]] a game should have without necessarily affecting how [[Complex Gameplay]] it has. While this possibility can be built into the rules of the same to support [[Balancing Effects]] or [[Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment]], it can also instantiate [[Difficulty Levels]] by leaving up to the players to select how much [[Decreased Abilities]] they should have before actual gameplay begin. It can be used in the same way to create [[Handicap Systems]] but these may be regulated by [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]] just as well as players.
-When sprung upon unaware players, [[Decreased Abilities]] can be [[Traps]] and lower their possibility to have a [[Determinable Chance to Succeed]]. Examples of other patterns with can be combined with [[Decreased Abilities]] for this purpose  includes [[Environmental Effects]], [[Equipment]], and [[Game Items]] when these look harmless. If given a narrative framing, [[Decreased Abilities]] can be part of both [[Abstract Player Construct Development]] and [[Character Development]]. If it is possible to regain previous levels of competence, suffering [[Decreased Abilities]] can be the motivation for [[Gain Competence]] goals.
+When sprung upon unaware players, [[Decreased Abilities]] can be [[Traps]] and lower their possibility to have a [[Determinable Chance to Succeed]]. Examples of other patterns with can be combined with [[Decreased Abilities]] for this purpose  includes [[Environmental Effects]], [[Equipment]], and [[Game Items]] when these look harmless. If given a narrative framing, [[Decreased Abilities]] can be part of both [[Abstract Player Construct Development]] and [[Character Development]] depending on if the pattern is used on [[Abstract Player Constructs]] and [[Characters]]. If it is possible to regain previous levels of competence, suffering [[Decreased Abilities]] can be the motivation for [[Gain Competence]] goals.
 [[Decreased Abilities]] can be used in to define [[Competence Areas]] in a negative way. This kind of differentiation typical is an emergent feature due to different levels of [[Damage]] or depletion of [[Resources]] between [[Units]] or players in a team.
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 === Can Instantiate ===
 [[Ability Losses]],
 [[Balancing Effects]],
 [[Character Development]],
@@ Line 51: / Line 50: @@
 [[Safe Havens]],
 [[Traps]]
 ==== with [[Ammunition]] or [[Armor]] ====

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 [[Decreased Abilities]] are often intended as [[Penalties]] related to [[Abilities]], or if not perceived as such most of the time anyway. They may hinder players to feel a [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]] and may result in total [[Ability Losses]] if the [[Abilities]] are decreased so much that the chances of success become zero.  Unlike definite [[Ability Losses]], [[Decreased Abilities]] can be used to modulate the how [[Challenging Gameplay]] a game should have without necessarily affecting how [[Complex Gameplay]] it has. While this possibility can be built into the rules of the same to support [[Balancing Effects]] or [[Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment]], it can also instantiate [[Difficulty Levels]] by leaving up to the players to select how much [[Decreased Abilities]] they should have before actual gameplay begin. It can be used in the same way to create [[Handicap Systems]] but these may be regulated by [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]] just as well as players.
-When sprung upon unaware players, [[Decreased Abilities]] can be [[Traps]]. Examples of other patterns with can be combined with [[Decreased Abilities]] for this purpose  includes [[Environmental Effects]], [[Equipment]], and [[Game Items]] when these look harmless. If given a narrative framing, [[Decreased Abilities]] can be part of both [[Abstract Player Construct Development]] and [[Character Development]]. If it is possible to regain previous levels of competence, suffering [[Decreased Abilities]] can be the motivation for [[Gain Competence]] goals.
+When sprung upon unaware players, [[Decreased Abilities]] can be [[Traps]] and lower their possibility to have a [[Determinable Chance to Succeed]]. Examples of other patterns with can be combined with [[Decreased Abilities]] for this purpose  includes [[Environmental Effects]], [[Equipment]], and [[Game Items]] when these look harmless. If given a narrative framing, [[Decreased Abilities]] can be part of both [[Abstract Player Construct Development]] and [[Character Development]]. If it is possible to regain previous levels of competence, suffering [[Decreased Abilities]] can be the motivation for [[Gain Competence]] goals.
 [[Decreased Abilities]] can be used in to define [[Competence Areas]] in a negative way. This kind of differentiation typical is an emergent feature due to different levels of [[Damage]] or depletion of [[Resources]] between [[Units]] or players in a team.
@@ Line 75: / Line 75: @@
 [[Characters]],
 [[Death Consequences]],
 [[Equipment]],
 [[Freedom of Choice]],

@@ Line 85: / Line 85: @@
 [[Armor]],
 [[Deterioration]],
 [[Vulnerabilities]]

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 When sprung upon unaware players, [[Decreased Abilities]] can be [[Traps]]. Examples of other patterns with can be combined with [[Decreased Abilities]] for this purpose  includes [[Environmental Effects]], [[Equipment]], and [[Game Items]] when these look harmless. If given a narrative framing, [[Decreased Abilities]] can be part of both [[Abstract Player Construct Development]] and [[Character Development]]. If it is possible to regain previous levels of competence, suffering [[Decreased Abilities]] can be the motivation for [[Gain Competence]] goals.
-[[Decreased Abilities]] can be used in to define [[Orthogonal Differentiation]] in a negative way. This kind of differentiation typical is an emergent feature due to different levels of [[Damage]] or depletion of [[Resources]] between [[Units]] or players in a team.
+[[Decreased Abilities]] can be used in to define [[Competence Areas]] in a negative way. This kind of differentiation typical is an emergent feature due to different levels of [[Damage]] or depletion of [[Resources]] between [[Units]] or players in a team.
 While not reducing players' [[Freedom of Choice]] per se since it does not remove actions, [[Decreased Abilities]] can make some choices less attractive by making them less effective.
@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 [[Balancing Effects]],
 [[Character Development]],
 [[Difficulty Levels]],
 [[Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment]],
@@ Line 46: / Line 47: @@
 [[Gain Competence]],
 [[Handicap Systems]],
 [[Movement Limitations]],
 [[Penalties]],

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 [[Decreased Abilities]] are often used as [[Penalties]] to affect [[Player Balance]]. When the effect of this needs to be modulated, [[Time Limits]] of the decrease or providing [[Improved Abilities]] in other areas can be used to achieve [[Balancing Effects]]. [[Time Limits]] can also be used for this reason together with [[Decreased Abilities]] to require [[Cooldown]] periods between multiple uses of the same [[Abilities|Ability]].
-Related to [[Balancing Effects]] are [[Tradeoffs]]. [[Decreased Abilities]] can require players to do these by having both [[Improved Abilities]] and [[Decreased Abilities]] linked to the same [[Game Items]]. For example, when several different types of [[Ammunition]] exist in a game, these may require players to do [[Tradeoffs]] between having increased penetration and decreased damage or vice versa. Another example is [[Sidegrades]], which are in principle [[Upgrades]] but which have their [[Improved Abilities]] balanced out by [[Decreased Abilities]] but still can be beneficial to players that can read what [[Abilities]] are locally most important. The defining characteristic of [[Armor]] is to reduce [[Damage]] which is a form of [[Decreased Abilities|Decreased Ability]] to attackers, but it can also have [[Tradeoffs]] through providing better protection but making the players slower (i.e. giving [[Movement Limitations]]) or reducing athletic skills; this is also a [[Balancing Effects|Balancing Effect]] since it affects how well other players can act against the player.
+Related to [[Balancing Effects]] are [[Trade-Offs]]. [[Decreased Abilities]] can require players to do these by having both [[Improved Abilities]] and [[Decreased Abilities]] linked to the same [[Game Items]]. For example, when several different types of [[Ammunition]] exist in a game, these may require players to do [[Trade-Offs]] between having increased penetration and decreased damage or vice versa. Another example is [[Sidegrades]], which are in principle [[Upgrades]] but which have their [[Improved Abilities]] balanced out by [[Decreased Abilities]] but still can be beneficial to players that can read what [[Abilities]] are locally most important. The defining characteristic of [[Armor]] is to reduce [[Damage]] which is a form of [[Decreased Abilities|Decreased Ability]] to attackers, but it can also have [[Trade-Offs]] through providing better protection but making the players slower (i.e. giving [[Movement Limitations]]) or reducing athletic skills; this is also a [[Balancing Effects|Balancing Effect]] since it affects how well other players can act against the player.
 [[Decreased Abilities]] can also be used more discretely to create [[Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment]] by applying them based upon how well players handle gameplay challenges.
@@ Line 53: / Line 53: @@
 ==== with [[Ammunition]] or [[Armor]] ====
-[[Tradeoffs]]
+[[Trade-Offs]]
 ==== with [[Environmental Effects]], [[Equipment]], or [[Game Items]] ====

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 == Using the pattern ==
-Instantiating [[Decreased Abilities]] can easily be done by changing values in game states that are part of the evaluation functions of actions, e.g. [[Attributes]] and [[Skills]]. Typically, this is thematically motivated by events that have affected [[Characters]] or [[Units]], e.g. as [[Death Consequences]]. However, several indirect way of achieving [[Decreased Abilities]] also exist. [[Environmental Effects]] can give [[Decreased Abilities]], e.g. [[Movement Limitations]], in specific parts of [[Game Worlds]] while [[Game Items]] can be [[Traps]] or embody risks of [[Decreased Abilities]]. This last possibility is due to the fact that losing [[Game Items]], e.g. because of [[Deterioration]], thefts, etc., also result in the loss of the [[Improved Abilities]] they provided. A special case of the latter is ''cursed'' [[Equipment]] that only reveal their power to cause [[Decreased Abilities]] when they are actually equipped.
+Instantiating [[Decreased Abilities]] can easily be done by changing values in game states that are part of the evaluation functions of actions, e.g. [[Attributes]] and [[Skills]]. Typically, this is thematically motivated by events that have affected [[Characters]] or [[Units]], e.g. suffering the effects of [[Vulnerabilities]]
 [[Decreased Abilities]] are often used as [[Penalties]] to affect [[Player Balance]]. When the effect of this needs to be modulated, [[Time Limits]] of the decrease or providing [[Improved Abilities]] in other areas can be used to achieve [[Balancing Effects]]. [[Time Limits]] can also be used for this reason together with [[Decreased Abilities]] to require [[Cooldown]] periods between multiple uses of the same [[Abilities|Ability]].
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 === Can Be Instantiated By ===
 [[Armor]],
-[[Deterioration]]
+[[Deterioration]],
 === Can Be Modulated By ===