Mules - Revision history

Staffan Björk at 21:16, 4 July 2015

2015-07-04T21:16:47Z

Staffan Björk at 19:33, 9 September 2014

2014-09-09T19:33:44Z

Staffan Björk at 10:26, 25 July 2014

2014-07-25T10:26:00Z

Staffan Björk at 10:15, 25 July 2014

2014-07-25T10:15:26Z

Staffan Björk at 12:52, 8 May 2011

2011-05-08T12:52:51Z

Staffan Björk at 16:40, 3 February 2011

2011-02-03T16:40:11Z

Staffan Björk at 22:11, 20 January 2011

2011-01-20T22:11:58Z

Staffan Björk at 17:33, 9 January 2011

2011-01-09T17:33:51Z

Staffan Björk at 10:49, 9 January 2011

2011-01-09T10:49:36Z

Staffan Björk at 12:26, 6 January 2011

2011-01-06T12:26:19Z

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 == Consequences ==
-[[Mules]] are a limited form of [[AI Players]] that work as [[Proxy Players]] to make players escape [[Excise]], most often concerning improving [[Characters]]. As such, they are also examples of [[Player Augmentations|Player Augmentation]] through [[Algorithmic Agents]] and [[Agents]]. The use of [[Mules]] is arguably a form of [[Sanctioned Cheating]], either sanctioned by the players or by the game designers.
+[[Mules]] are a limited form of [[AI Players]] that work as [[Proxy Players]] to provide [[Automated Responses]] or make players escape [[Excise]], most often concerning improving [[Characters]]. As such, they are also examples of [[Player Augmentations|Player Augmentation]] through [[Algorithmic Agents]] and [[Agents]]. The use of [[Mules]] is arguably a form of [[Sanctioned Cheating]], either sanctioned by the players or by the game designers.
 When players can create the [[Mules]] themselves, the pattern also provides [[Creative Control]] and a form of [[Meta Games|Meta Game]].
@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 == Relations ==
 === Can Instantiate ===
 [[Creative Control]], [[Meta Games]],
 [[Player Augmentations]],

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 == Consequences ==
-[[Mules]] are a limited form of [[AI Players]] that work as [[Proxy Players]] to make players escape [[Excise]], most often concerning improving [[Characters]]. As such, they are also examples of [[Player Augmentations|Player Augmentation]] through [[Algorithmic Agents]] and [[Agents]].
+[[Mules]] are a limited form of [[AI Players]] that work as [[Proxy Players]] to make players escape [[Excise]], most often concerning improving [[Characters]]. As such, they are also examples of [[Player Augmentations|Player Augmentation]] through [[Algorithmic Agents]] and [[Agents]]. The use of [[Mules]] is arguably a form of [[Sanctioned Cheating]], either sanctioned by the players or by the game designers.
 When players can create the [[Mules]] themselves, the pattern also provides [[Creative Control]] and a form of [[Meta Games|Meta Game]].
@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 [[Creative Control]], [[Meta Games]],
 [[Player Augmentations]],
-[[Proxy Players]], [[Risk/Reward]]
+[[Proxy Players]], [[Risk/Reward]],
 === Can Modulate ===

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 [[Mules]] need to be able to control [[Avatars]] and often make use of the information stored in [[Characters]] ([[Mules]] are typically not applied to [[Units]] - probably due to the complexity of handling groups of agents). The main difference of designing [[Mules]] and [[AI Players]] is that [[Mules]] only need to be able to fill in for players for limited amount of time and limited sets of activities. Since this makes it easier to design them, it is also easier to help players create them. Ranging from [[Action Programming]] to access to a full programming language, this can provide the players with [[Creative Control]] and a form of [[Meta Games|Meta Game]] to design them as well as possible.
-The most common use of [[Mules]] is to perform some form of [[Grinding]] concerning [[Character Development]] or the gathering of a [[Resources|Resource]]. To modulate the efficiency of using the [[Mules]], the resource generated may have [[Diminishing Returns]], require [[Skills]], or require the presence of [[Non-Renewable Resources]] or [[Renewable Resources]] with a lower replenishment rate than the rate of consumption set for the [[Mules]].
+The most common use of [[Mules]] is to perform some form of [[Grinding]] concerning [[Character Development]] or the gathering of a [[Resources|Resource]]. To modulate the efficiency of using the [[Mules]], the resource generated may have [[Diminishing Returns]], require [[Skills]], or require the presence of [[Non-Renewable Resources]] or [[Renewable Resources]] with a lower replenishment rate than the rate of consumption set for the [[Mules]]. Since [[Mules]] represent the players, they have to stand in for the [[Social Interaction]] expected on them, letting them control [[Emotes]] is one way of doing this.
 The use of [[Mules]] can become a [[Risk/Reward]] tradeoff if there is a chance of having critical failures of the actions being performed, typically leading to the loss of [[Equipment]], attacks by [[Enemies]], and maybe [[Player Elimination]]. These challenges may be simple to deal with if players can monitor the [[Mules]] as [[Spectators]], but when the [[Mules]] are set to do actions without supervision this may leave the [[Mules]] incapable of responding appropriately to these failure situations.
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 === Can Modulate ===
-[[Avatars]], [[Characters]], [[Character Development]]
+[[Avatars]], [[Characters]],
 === Can Be Instantiated By ===

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 == Consequences ==
-[[Mules]] are a limited form of [[AI Players]] that work as [[Proxy Players]] to make players escape [[Excise]], most often concerning improving [[Characters]]. As such, they are also examples of [[Algorithmic Agents]] and [[Agents]].
+[[Mules]] are a limited form of [[AI Players]] that work as [[Proxy Players]] to make players escape [[Excise]], most often concerning improving [[Characters]]. As such, they are also examples of [[Player Augmentations|Player Augmentation]] through [[Algorithmic Agents]] and [[Agents]].
 When players can create the [[Mules]] themselves, the pattern also provides [[Creative Control]] and a form of [[Meta Games|Meta Game]].
@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 == Relations ==
 === Can Instantiate ===
-[[Creative Control]], [[Meta Games]], [[Proxy Players]], [[Risk/Reward]]
+[[Creative Control]], [[Meta Games]],
 === Can Modulate ===

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 === Diegetic Aspects ===
-Depending on what activities the [[Mules]] should be able to handle, this can put various difficulties in achieving [[Diegetic Consistency]], where [[Dialogues]] can be an example of a difficult area. When players can create the [[Mules]], this of course puts the responsibility of maintaining [[Diegetic Consistency]] into their hands.
+Depending on what activities the [[Mules]] should be able to handle, this can put various difficulties in achieving [[Thematic Consistency]], where [[Dialogues]] can be an example of a difficult area. When players can create the [[Mules]], this of course puts the responsibility of maintaining [[Thematic Consistency]] into their hands.
 === Interface Aspects ===
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 === Potentially Conflicting With ===
-[[Diegetic Consistency]], [[Excise]], [[Grinding]]
+[[Thematic Consistency]], [[Excise]], [[Grinding]]
 == History ==

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 === Interface Aspects ===
-If players should be able to create or modify [[Mules]] they need [[Optional Interfaces]].
+If players should be able to create or modify [[Mules]] they need [[Secondary Interface Screens]].
 == Consequences ==
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 === Can Be Modulated By ===
-[[Diminishing Returns]], [[Non-Renewable Resources]], [[Renewable Resources]], [[Skills]], [[Spectators]]
+[[Diminishing Returns]], [[Non-Renewable Resources]], [[Renewable Resources]], [[Secondary Interface Screens]], [[Skills]], [[Spectators]]
 === Possible Closure Effects ===

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 ''Code algorithms that can take over the role of players from repetitious tasks.''
-Some games, especially online games, require players to perform smaller or larger sequences of actions repetitiously. One way to let players avoid this is through letting them relinquish control to a program, a [[Mule]], for parts of the gameplay. While this may let them escape boring sequences of gameplay, if they are allowed to also create these [[Mules]] they are provided with a possibility of being inventive and creative.
+Some games, especially online games, require players to perform smaller or larger sequences of actions repetitiously. One way to let players avoid this is through letting them relinquish control to a program, a [[Mules|Mule]], for parts of the gameplay. While this may let them escape boring sequences of gameplay, if they are allowed to also create these [[Mules]] they are provided with a possibility of being inventive and creative.
 === Examples ===

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 [[Category:Patterns]]
 [[Category:Agent Patterns]]
 [[Category:Needs references]]
 ''Code algorithms that can take over the role of players from repetitious tasks.''

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 [[Category:Needs work]]
 [[Category:Needs references]]
 [[Category:Staffan's current workpage]]
 ''Code algorithms that can take over the role of players from repetitious tasks.''