Grinding - Revision history

Staffan Björk at 08:22, 4 August 2022

2022-08-04T08:22:33Z

Staffan Björk: /* Can Be Instantiated By */

2017-03-21T15:33:41Z

‎Can Be Instantiated By

Staffan Björk at 08:34, 3 September 2016

2016-09-03T08:34:11Z

Staffan Björk at 13:38, 19 November 2015

2015-11-19T13:38:49Z

Staffan Björk at 12:17, 31 August 2015

2015-08-31T12:17:07Z

Staffan Björk at 14:29, 29 August 2015

2015-08-29T14:29:42Z

Staffan Björk at 09:13, 11 August 2015

2015-08-11T09:13:12Z

Staffan Björk at 07:58, 8 August 2015

2015-08-08T07:58:45Z

Staffan Björk at 15:12, 7 January 2013

2013-01-07T15:12:06Z

Staffan Björk at 08:13, 1 November 2012

2012-11-01T08:13:57Z

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 On a higher level of abstraction, [[Red Queen Dilemmas]] can provide [[Grinding]] by mitigating players' progress by matching it with [[Ever Increasing Difficulty]], a design solution found in both the fourth edition of [[Dungeons & Dragons]] and in [[World of Warcraft]]. [[Encouraged Return Visits]] allow [[Grinding]] to occur between play sessions when players need to return to the game simply to perform trivial actions. Promises of [[Unlocking]] future game content is often an explicit motivation for players to keep [[Grinding]]. On a meta level, [[Grind Achievements]] can encourage players do perform [[Grinding]] due to the promise of receiving specific [[Achievements]] if they do so.
-Given that [[Grinding]] is often undesired there are many design solutions that remove or mitigate them without removing the actions underlying them, e.g. supporting [[Clickability]] or [[Repeat Combos]], having [[Time Limits]], or injecting [[Ephemeral Goals]] throughout game sessions. However, sometimes it is also desired to make these underlying actions optional. [[Quick Travel]] and [[Quick Returns]] are one example of such solutions used to avoid the [[Grinding]] of travelling through already explored parts of the [[Game Worlds|Game World]]. [[Mules]] are [[AI Players]] specifically designed to avoid people having to do the [[Grinding]] by letting them do it instead. Related, [[Non-Player Help]] lets others than the players perform actions that influence the game and thereby lessen any potential [[Grinding]].
+Given that [[Grinding]] is often undesired there are many design solutions that remove or mitigate them without removing the actions underlying them, e.g. supporting [[Clickability]] or [[Repeat Combos]], having [[Time Limits]], or injecting [[Ephemeral Goals]] throughout game sessions. However, sometimes it is also desired to make these underlying actions optional. [[Quick Travel]] and [[Quick Returns]] are one example of such solutions used to avoid the [[Grinding]] of travelling through already explored parts of the [[Game Worlds|Game World]]. [[Mules]] are [[AI Players]] specifically designed to avoid people having to do the [[Grinding]] by letting them do it instead. Related, [[Non-Player Help]] lets others than the players perform actions that influence the game and thereby lessen any potential [[Grinding]]. On a meta level, [[Testing Achievements]] can be used to encourage players to test other parts of the gameplay in a game and thereby get an (at least temporary) break from the [[Grinding]].
-Some [[Extra-Game Actions]] can give rise to [[Grinding]]. Specifically, saving and loading game states as a way of min-maxing gameplay can become a form of [[Grinding]], so as one particular example [[Save Scumming]] can give rise to [[Grinding]]. These types of [[Grinding]] cannot be addressed in the same way as other types if deemed a problem; designer instead need to consider how to reduce the benefits of the [[Extra-Game Actions]].
+Some [[Extra-Game Actions]] can give rise to [[Grinding]]. Specifically, saving and loading game states as a way of min-maxing gameplay can become a form of [[Grinding]], so as one particular example [[Save Scumming]] can give rise to [[Grinding]]. These types of [[Grinding]] cannot be addressed in the same way as other types if deemed a problem; designer instead need to consider how to reduce the benefits of the [[Extra-Game Actions]]. [[Grinding Achievements]] explicitly encourages [[Grinding]] and can be used when [[Grinding]] is not seen as a problem. Similarly, [[Collections]] together with [[Testing Achievements]] can create [[Grinding]] (and [[Grinding Achievements]]).
 == Consequences ==
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 [[Complex Gameplay]] together with [[Resource Management]]
 === Can Be Modulated By ===
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 [[Clickability]],
 [[Ephemeral Goals]],
-[[Mules]], [[Non-Player Help]],
+[[Mules]],
 [[Time Limits]],
 [[Value of Effort]]

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 [[Crafting]],
 [[Encouraged Return Visits]],
 [[Generic Adversaries]],
 [[Grind Achievements]],
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 [[Unlocking]]
 [[Complex Gameplay]] together with [[Resource Management]]
 === Can Be Modulated By ===

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 [[Player/Character Skill Composites]] can create [[Grinding]] since it offers players the opportunity to spend effort on getting better [[Tools]] and [[Abstract Player Construct Development]] or [[Character Development]] rather than developing [[Gameplay Mastery]]. This is of course even more likely to occur if little actual player skill is required.
-On a higher level of abstraction, [[Red Queen Dilemma]] can provide [[Grinding]] by mitigating players' progress by matching it with [[Ever Increasing Difficulty]], a design solution found in both the fourth edition of [[Dungeons & Dragons]] and in [[World of Warcraft]]. [[Encouraged Return Visits]] allow [[Grinding]] to occur between play sessions when players need to return to the game simply to perform trivial actions. Promises of [[Unlocking]] future game content is often an explicit motivation for players to keep [[Grinding]]. On a meta level, [[Grind Achievements]] can encourage players do perform [[Grinding]] due to the promise of receiving specific [[Achievements]] if they do so.
+On a higher level of abstraction, [[Red Queen Dilemmas]] can provide [[Grinding]] by mitigating players' progress by matching it with [[Ever Increasing Difficulty]], a design solution found in both the fourth edition of [[Dungeons & Dragons]] and in [[World of Warcraft]]. [[Encouraged Return Visits]] allow [[Grinding]] to occur between play sessions when players need to return to the game simply to perform trivial actions. Promises of [[Unlocking]] future game content is often an explicit motivation for players to keep [[Grinding]]. On a meta level, [[Grind Achievements]] can encourage players do perform [[Grinding]] due to the promise of receiving specific [[Achievements]] if they do so.
 Given that [[Grinding]] is often undesired there are many design solutions that remove or mitigate them without removing the actions underlying them, e.g. supporting [[Clickability]] or [[Repeat Combos]], having [[Time Limits]], or injecting [[Ephemeral Goals]] throughout game sessions. However, sometimes it is also desired to make these underlying actions optional. [[Quick Travel]] and [[Quick Returns]] are one example of such solutions used to avoid the [[Grinding]] of travelling through already explored parts of the [[Game Worlds|Game World]]. [[Mules]] are [[AI Players]] specifically designed to avoid people having to do the [[Grinding]] by letting them do it instead. Related, [[Non-Player Help]] lets others than the players perform actions that influence the game and thereby lessen any potential [[Grinding]].
@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
 [[Illusionary Rewards]],
 [[Player/Character Skill Composites]],
-[[Red Queen Dilemma]],
+[[Red Queen Dilemmas]],
 [[Reward Widgets]],
 [[Save Scumming]],

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 Given that [[Grinding]] is often undesired there are many design solutions that remove or mitigate them without removing the actions underlying them, e.g. supporting [[Clickability]] or [[Repeat Combos]], having [[Time Limits]], or injecting [[Ephemeral Goals]] throughout game sessions. However, sometimes it is also desired to make these underlying actions optional. [[Quick Travel]] and [[Quick Returns]] are one example of such solutions used to avoid the [[Grinding]] of travelling through already explored parts of the [[Game Worlds|Game World]]. [[Mules]] are [[AI Players]] specifically designed to avoid people having to do the [[Grinding]] by letting them do it instead. Related, [[Non-Player Help]] lets others than the players perform actions that influence the game and thereby lessen any potential [[Grinding]].
 == Consequences ==
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 [[Red Queen Dilemma]],
 [[Reward Widgets]],
 [[Social Rewards]],
 [[Unlocking]]

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 == Consequences ==
-Give that [[Grinding]] typically is experienced as a form of labor, it adds [[Excise]] to a game. Even if [[Grinding]] is not perceived as enjoyable by players, having completed a goal based on it (e.g. [[Grind Achievements]]) does provide a basis for a sort of [[Game-Based Social Statuses]].
+The main consequence of [[Grinding]] is to create [[Repetitive Gameplay]]. Give that [[Grinding]] typically is experienced as a form of labor, it also adds [[Excise]] to a game. Even if [[Grinding]] is not perceived as enjoyable by players, having completed a goal based on it (e.g. [[Grind Achievements]]) does provide a basis for a sort of [[Game-Based Social Statuses]].
 [[Grinding]] undercuts players' [[Value of Effort]] if they realize that they are performing actions with little effect on the gameplay progression (they may of course consider the social or other extra-game consequences justifying this). If they do not perceive that the actions do not further their progress, [[Grinding]] instead supports an [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]].
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 == Relations ==
 === Can Instantiate ===
-[[Casual Gameplay]], [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]], [[Excise]],
+[[Casual Gameplay]],
 [[Game-Based Social Statuses]],
 [[Pottering]],
 [[Rewards]],
 [[Unwinnable Games]]

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 [[Grinding]] may not be a pattern that players necessarily wish to have in a game, but it can be needed to provide actions to do in [[Unwinnable Games]] or in games with [[Persistent Game Worlds]] that should not evolve over time. The main challenge with designing [[Grinding]] is providing [[Rewards]] that do not advance players position in the game globally, which typically leads to the [[Rewards]] being either [[Illusionary Rewards]] or [[Social Rewards]]. A case where the possibility of [[Grinding]] can be seen as positive is for games which wish to offer or encourage players to engage in [[Pottering]].
-A concrete way of creating [[Grinding]] in a game is to require the [[Collecting]] of [[Resources]], as for example done in [[Minecraft]] or [[Slaves to Armok II: Dwarf Fortress]]. To avoid them having too much impact on the game progression, these resources can either be worthless or have [[Diminishing Returns]] when changed into something else through [[Converters]] or [[Crafting]], but engaging in the latter can become a form of [[Grinding]] in itself. If there are many types of [[Resources]] or many individual [[Resources]] that have to be interacted with, [[Grinding]] can occur through the combination of [[Resource Management]] and [[Complex Gameplay]]. This second option may be combined with the first it players can amass large number of [[Resources]] or can be present simply by the game giving the [[Resources]] to the players. [[Reward Widgets]] are a way of introducing [[Grinding]] without necessarily adding more [[Rewards]] since collecting [[Rewards]] after they are given becomes a task when this pattern is used. Modulating [[Reward Widgets]] with [[Time Limits]] before they are automatically collected makes the [[Grinding]] optional.
+A concrete way of creating [[Grinding]] in a game is to require the [[Collecting]] of [[Resources]], as for example done in [[Minecraft]] or [[Slaves to Armok II: Dwarf Fortress]]. To avoid them having too much impact on the game progression, these resources can either be worthless or have [[Diminishing Returns]] when changed into something else through [[Converters]] or [[Crafting]], but engaging in the latter can become a form of [[Grinding]] in itself. If there are many types of [[Resources]] or many individual [[Resources]] that have to be interacted with, [[Grinding]] can occur through the combination of [[Resource Management]] and [[Complex Gameplay]]. This second option may be combined with the first it players can amass large number of [[Resources]] or can be present simply by the game giving the [[Resources]] to the players. [[Combat]] against great numbers of [[Generic Adversaries]] is yet another way to create [[Grinding]]. [[Reward Widgets]] are a way of introducing [[Grinding]] without necessarily adding more [[Rewards]] since collecting [[Rewards]] after they are given becomes a task when this pattern is used. Modulating [[Reward Widgets]] with [[Time Limits]] before they are automatically collected makes the [[Grinding]] optional.
 [[Player/Character Skill Composites]] can create [[Grinding]] since it offers players the opportunity to spend effort on getting better [[Tools]] and [[Abstract Player Construct Development]] or [[Character Development]] rather than developing [[Gameplay Mastery]]. This is of course even more likely to occur if little actual player skill is required.
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 [[Collecting]],
 [[Crafting]],
-[[Encouraged Return Visits]], [[Grind Achievements]], [[Illusionary Rewards]],
+[[Encouraged Return Visits]],
 [[Player/Character Skill Composites]],
 [[Red Queen Dilemma]],

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 [[Category:Patterns]]
 [[Category:Negative Patterns]]
 [[Category:Action Patterns]]