Experimenting - Revision history

Staffan Björk at 07:57, 11 August 2016

2016-08-11T07:57:40Z

Staffan Björk at 09:33, 15 July 2016

2016-07-15T09:33:00Z

Staffan Björk at 13:28, 10 November 2015

2015-11-10T13:28:32Z

Staffan Björk: /* Relations */

2015-09-07T12:07:28Z

‎Relations

Staffan Björk at 12:17, 11 January 2015

2015-01-11T12:17:51Z

Staffan Björk at 18:07, 14 July 2014

2014-07-14T18:07:50Z

Staffan Björk at 12:12, 19 September 2011

2011-09-19T12:12:37Z

Staffan Björk at 13:24, 21 August 2011

2011-08-21T13:24:58Z

Staffan Björk at 21:21, 16 August 2011

2011-08-16T21:21:17Z

Staffan Björk at 21:18, 16 August 2011

2011-08-16T21:18:38Z

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 == Consequences ==
-The act of planning and [[Experimenting]] promotes [[Cognitive Engrossment]] in games, and both [[Casual Gameplay|Casual]]  and [[Challenging Gameplay]] can be modulated by how costly it is to do [[Experimenting]]. When [[Experimenting]] can have severe or costly consequences, they create [[Tension]] and can require [[Leaps of Faith]] but also encourage [[Stimulated Planning]], especially if [[Non-Renewable Resources]] need to be used for the [[Experimenting]]. As the actions performed when [[Experimenting]] do not usually fulfill a goal in the game, the activity gives [[Illusionary Rewards]], but these can be valuable for gameplay since they may let players discover the [[Strategic Knowledge]] which is possible to acquire.
+The act of planning and [[Experimenting]] promotes [[Cognitive Engrossment]] in games, and both [[Casual Gameplay|Casual]]  and [[Challenging Gameplay]] can be modulated by how costly it is to do [[Experimenting]]. When [[Experimenting]] can have severe or costly consequences, they create [[Tension]] and can require [[Leaps of Faith]] but also encourage [[Stimulated Planning]], especially if [[Non-Renewable Resources]] need to be used for the [[Experimenting]]. As the actions performed when [[Experimenting]] do not usually fulfill a goal in the game, the activity gives [[Illusionary Rewards]], but these can be valuable for gameplay since they may let players discover the [[Strategic Knowledge]] which is possible to acquire and can thereby let players acquire [[Gameplay Mastery]] over time.
 The possibility of testing various ways of performing actions and trying to reach goals in games makes [[Experimenting]] support [[Smooth Learning Curves]]. Related to this, [[Experimenting]] in a game can aid in avoiding [[Analysis Paralysis]], as players can try the effects and consequences of their ideas and plans rather than try to deduce the effects and consequences.
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 === Can Instantiate ===
 [[Illusionary Rewards]],
 [[Leaps of Faith]],
 [[Randomness]],

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 === Interface Aspects ===
-While the ''exploratory'' actions in games described by Linderoth<ref name="Linderoth"/> can be seen as [[Experimenting]], some patterns can work against this since they remove the need for players to do these actions. Examples of this include [[Point of Interest Indications]], [[Vision Modes]], or [[Geospatial Game Widgets]] used for ''highlighting'' game objects or otherwise pointing out important game entities for players.
+While the ''exploratory'' actions in games described by Linderoth<ref name="Linderoth"/> can be seen as [[Experimenting]], some patterns can work against this since they remove the need for players to do these actions. Examples of this include [[Point of Interest Indicators]], [[Vision Modes]], or [[Geospatial Game Widgets]] used for ''highlighting'' game objects or otherwise pointing out important game entities for players.
 == Consequences ==
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 [[Geospatial Game Widgets]],
 [[Irreversible Events]],
-[[Point of Interest Indications]],
+[[Point of Interest Indicators]],
 [[Randomness]],
 [[Vision Modes]]

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 [[Competition]] puts players in situations where the effect of every action can have the potential of affecting the overall outcome, and this may work against players' willingness to experiment. This can be compensated by making the [[Competition|Competitions]] contain [[Red Queen Dilemmas]]. Severe consequences of [[Experimenting]] may not be a problem in [[Quick Games]] as long as they have no [[Extra-Game Consequences]], as a new game session can be started again. In [[Single-Player Games]], problematic consequences can be avoided by having [[Reversibility]] or supporting [[Save-Load Cycles]]. [[Time Limits]] can work against players considering alternatives, but can also force players to try something simple because they are running out of time.
-Actions that are closely related to [[Constructive Gameplay]], for example [[Construction]], are often better suited to support [[Experimenting]] than other actions because they are less likely to result in [[Competition]]. Specific design solutions to encourage [[Experimenting]] in a more general fashion include [[Safe Havens]] (players can experiment without feeling threatened), [[Arithmetic Progression]] (erroneous efforts have limited consequences), and [[Testing Achievements]] (players are given these [[Extra-Game Consequences]] as rewards for simply [[Experimenting]]).
+Actions that are closely related to [[Constructive Gameplay]], for example [[Construction]], are often better suited to support [[Experimenting]] than other actions because they are less likely to result in [[Competition]]. Specific design solutions to encourage [[Experimenting]] in a more general fashion include [[Safe Havens]] (players can experiment without feeling threatened), [[Arithmetic Progression]] (erroneous efforts have limited consequences), and [[Testing Achievements]] (players are given these [[Extra-Game Consequences]] as rewards for simply [[Experimenting]]). The possibility to have [[Save Files]] also encourages [[Experimenting]] since players can rely on being able to go back to previous game states before initiating potentially riskily gameplay actions.
 === Interface Aspects ===
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 [[Red Queen Dilemmas]],
 [[Safe Havens]],
 [[Stimulated Planning]],
 [[Testing Achievements]]

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 [[Randomness]],
 [[Smooth Learning Curves]],
 [[Tension]]
 === Can Modulate ===

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 == Using the pattern ==
-[[Experimenting]] relies on the presence of [[Gain Information]] or [[Gain Competence]] goals that players can try to complete by performing different variations of actions in a game, but this is not enough since harsh [[Penalties]] for failure may make players cautious.
+[[Experimenting]] can rely on the presence of [[Gain Information]] or [[Gain Competence]] goals so that players try to reach these goals by performing different variations of actions in a game, but this is not always enough since harsh [[Penalties]] for failure may make players cautious. [[Complex Gameplay]] can either by itself or in combination with [[Gain Information]] or [[Gain Competence]] make players engage in [[Experimenting]] since a trial by error method may be the easiest (and possibly best) way of learning about how the game system works.
 When [[Gain Information]] goals lie behind the need for [[Experimenting]], it also implies a presence of [[Imperfect Information]]. The [[Imperfect Information]] can be about the fundamental rules of cause and effect in computer games, about the long-term consequences of actions, or about the game state. For the first two cases, being able to do [[Stimulated Planning]] or combining [[Predictable Consequences]] with [[Limited Foresight]] is necessary for [[Experimenting]] to be worthwhile, while for the last case [[Experimenting]] can be supported by offering to possibility of gaining information about other players' [[Avatars]], [[Units]], [[Skills]], [[Technology Trees]], etc. [[Puzzle Solving]] is related to [[Gain Information]] in that the activity can be seen as wanting to find the right actions to perform. However, since testing this affects the game state games need to support [[Reversibility]] if the games overall should promote [[Experimenting]]. A specific type of [[Experimenting]] required in games with [[Enemies]] can be to figure out their [[Achilles' Heels]] or other types of [[Vulnerabilities]]. While the need for [[Predictable Consequences]] can make the presence of [[Randomness]] counterproductive for [[Experimenting]], it can also make it required to experiment to figure out the nature of game environment ([[NetHack]] requires this to figure out the effects of scrolls, potions, and rings).
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 === Can Be Instantiated By ===
 [[Arithmetic Progression]],
 [[Gain Competence]],
 [[Red Queen Dilemmas]],

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 [[Experimenting]] relies on the presence of [[Gain Information]] or [[Gain Competence]] goals that players can try to complete by performing different variations of actions in a game, but this is not enough since harsh [[Penalties]] for failure may make players cautious.
-When [[Gain Information]] goals lie behind the need for [[Experimenting]], it also implies a presence of [[Imperfect Information]]. The [[Imperfect Information]] can be about the fundamental rules of cause and effect in computer games, about the long-term consequences of actions, or about the game state. For the first two cases, being able to do [[Stimulated Planning]] or combining [[Predictable Consequences]] with [[Limited Foresight]] is necessary for [[Experimenting]] to be worthwhile, while for the last case [[Experimenting]] can be supported by offering to possibility of gaining information about other players' [[Avatars]], [[Units]], [[Skills]], [[Technology Trees]], etc. A specific type of [[Experimenting]] required in games with [[Enemies]] can be to figure out their [[Achilles' Heels]] or other types of [[Vulnerabilities]]. While the need for [[Predictable Consequences]] can make the presence of [[Randomness]] counterproductive for [[Experimenting]], it can also make it required to experiment to figure out the nature of game environment ([[NetHack]] requires this to figure out the effects of scrolls, potions, and rings).
+When [[Gain Information]] goals lie behind the need for [[Experimenting]], it also implies a presence of [[Imperfect Information]]. The [[Imperfect Information]] can be about the fundamental rules of cause and effect in computer games, about the long-term consequences of actions, or about the game state. For the first two cases, being able to do [[Stimulated Planning]] or combining [[Predictable Consequences]] with [[Limited Foresight]] is necessary for [[Experimenting]] to be worthwhile, while for the last case [[Experimenting]] can be supported by offering to possibility of gaining information about other players' [[Avatars]], [[Units]], [[Skills]], [[Technology Trees]], etc. [[Puzzle Solving]] is related to [[Gain Information]] in that the activity can be seen as wanting to find the right actions to perform. However, since testing this affects the game state games need to support [[Reversibility]] if the games overall should promote [[Experimenting]]. A specific type of [[Experimenting]] required in games with [[Enemies]] can be to figure out their [[Achilles' Heels]] or other types of [[Vulnerabilities]]. While the need for [[Predictable Consequences]] can make the presence of [[Randomness]] counterproductive for [[Experimenting]], it can also make it required to experiment to figure out the nature of game environment ([[NetHack]] requires this to figure out the effects of scrolls, potions, and rings).
 [[Gain Competence]] goals that are to support [[Experimenting]] have similar requirements as those for [[Gain Information]] goals but here it may also be that players need to experiment as part of learning their skills. However, the need for [[Experimenting]] can be mechanically encouraged by [[Combos]] - either because they are part of [[Hidden Rules]] (something sometimes done in [[:Category:Fighting Games|Fighting Games]]) or to identify emergent effects of [[Construction]].
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 [[Predictable Consequences]] together with [[Limited Foresight]]
 [[Single-Player Games]] together with [[Reversibility]] or [[Save-Load Cycles]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:24, 21 August 2011
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−	~~[[Category:Staffan's current workpage]]~~
	[[Category:Patterns]]		[[Category:Patterns]]
	[[Category:Action Patterns]]		[[Category:Action Patterns]]

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 [[Category:Patterns]]
 [[Category:Action Patterns]]
 [[Category:Needs revision]]
 ''Exploratory actions done to learn the rules or state of a game, or to practice one's skills or strategies.''
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 Gameplay in [[Mastermind]] consists of one player guessing the correct combination of colored pegs. As the chance for guessing correctly based only on luck is very small, successful gameplay requires that the player combines the results from different guesses to draw conclusions and uses the guesses as experiments. The abstract game [[Zendo]] require players to set up arrangements of different colored pyramids to extrapolate the correct arrangement rules that a game master has decided to use for that particular game instance. Puzzle-solving in [[Sokoban]] can take the form of [[Experimenting]] since failures only require players to replay levels.
-The [[Incredible Machine game series]] lets players use a limit set of objects such as pipes, bowling balls, cats, candles, ropes, and balloons to try and reach goal states by making the objects interact with each other in certain ways. In [[Pontifex]], players' goals are to build bridges and to learn how the physics model works. The players' have to experiment with how cable, joints, and metal beams interact.
+The [[Incredible Machine game series]] lets players use a limit set of objects such as pipes, bowling balls, cats, candles, ropes, and balloons to try to reach goal states by making the objects interact with each other in certain ways. In [[Pontifex]], players' goals are to build bridges and to learn how the physics model works. The players' have to experiment with how cable, joints, and metal beams interact.
 Creating potions in [[The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind]] can require [[Experimenting]] if players are not alchemist masters, as not all effects of ingredients are known until one reaches that skill level.
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 [[Gain Competence]] goals that are to support [[Experimenting]] have similar requirements as those for [[Gain Information]] goals but here it may also be that players need to experiment as part of learning their skills. However, the need for [[Experimenting]] can be mechanically encouraged by [[Combos]] - either because they are part of [[Hidden Rules]] (something sometimes done in [[:Category:Fighting Games|Fighting Games]]) or to identify emergent effects of [[Construction]].
-[[Competition]] puts players in situations where the effect of every action can have the potential of affecting the overall outcome, and this may work against players willingness to experiment. This can be compensated by making the [[Competition|Competitions]] contain [[Red Queen Dilemmas]]. Severe consequences of [[Experimenting]] may not be a problem in [[Quick Games]] as long as they have no [[Extra-Game Consequences]], as a new game session can be started again. In [[Single-Player Games]], problematic consequences can be avoided by having [[Reversibility]] or supporting [[Save-Load Cycles]]. [[Time Limits]] can work against players considering alternatives, but can also force players to try something simple because they are running out of time.
+[[Competition]] puts players in situations where the effect of every action can have the potential of affecting the overall outcome, and this may work against players' willingness to experiment. This can be compensated by making the [[Competition|Competitions]] contain [[Red Queen Dilemmas]]. Severe consequences of [[Experimenting]] may not be a problem in [[Quick Games]] as long as they have no [[Extra-Game Consequences]], as a new game session can be started again. In [[Single-Player Games]], problematic consequences can be avoided by having [[Reversibility]] or supporting [[Save-Load Cycles]]. [[Time Limits]] can work against players considering alternatives, but can also force players to try something simple because they are running out of time.
 Actions that are closely related to [[Constructive Play]], for example [[Construction]], are often better suited to support [[Experimenting]] than other actions because they are less likely to result in [[Competition]]. Specific design solutions to encourage [[Experimenting]] in a more general fashion include [[Safe Havens]] (players can experiment without feeling threatened), [[Arithmetic Progression]] (erroneous efforts have limited consequences), and [[Testing Achievements]] (players are given these [[Extra-Game Consequences]] as rewards for simply [[Experimenting]]).

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 [[Category:Needs references]]
 [[Category:Stub]]
-''Exploratory actions to learn how the rules of cause and effect work in a game.''
+''Exploratory actions done to learn the rules or state of a game, or to practice one's skills or strategies.''
-This pattern is a still a stub.
+In all but the most simple of games, the complete consequences from actions performed are difficult to understand, but [[Experimenting]] can aid in understanding them. Actions may be tested for this reason simply because they have not been tested before if a player is willing to see a game session primarily as a learning period, but in other cases they may be necessary to do in all game sessions. Some games explicitly build [[Experimenting]] into gameplay as puzzles. In these cases, the actions used to test possible solutions are usually reversible.
-−
-In all but the most simple of games, the complete consequences from actions performed are difficult to understand, but Experimenting can aid in understanding them. Actions may be tested for this reason simply because they have not been tested before if a player is willing to see a game session primarily as a learning period. Some games explicitly build experimenting into gameplay as puzzles. In these cases, the actions used to test possible solutions are usually reversible.
 Linderoth<ref name="Linderoth"/> points out that actions in games are either ''exploratory'' or ''performatory'', where the former can be seen as a form of [[Experimenting]].