Props - Revision history

Staffan Björk at 13:47, 21 July 2016

2016-07-21T13:47:21Z

Staffan Björk at 16:43, 11 September 2014

2014-09-11T16:43:35Z

Staffan Björk at 16:41, 11 September 2014

2014-09-11T16:41:50Z

Staffan Björk at 16:34, 11 September 2014

2014-09-11T16:34:23Z

Staffan Björk at 16:27, 11 September 2014

2014-09-11T16:27:16Z

Staffan Björk at 10:19, 30 July 2014

2014-07-30T10:19:33Z

Staffan Björk at 11:04, 5 September 2011

2011-09-05T11:04:37Z

Staffan Björk at 16:32, 11 August 2011

2011-08-11T16:32:40Z

Staffan Björk: /* Examples */

2011-08-11T16:28:22Z

‎Examples

Staffan Björk at 16:27, 11 August 2011

2011-08-11T16:27:21Z

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 == Using the pattern ==
-As a pattern mostly related to diegetic and narration aspects, the most important design choices for [[Props]] relate to these areas. While [[Props]] do not have to exist inside [[Game Worlds]] or [[Levels]], those that do naturally need to be given a location. [[Big Dumb Objects]] are [[Props]] and can therefore be used to instantiate the pattern in a game.
+As a pattern mostly related to diegetic and narration aspects, the most important design choices for [[Props]] relate to these areas. While [[Props]] do not have to exist inside [[Game Boards]], [[Game Worlds]], or [[Levels]], those that do naturally need to be given a location. [[Big Dumb Objects]] are [[Props]] and can therefore be used to instantiate the pattern in a game.
 Even if [[Props]] have no gameplay directly facilitated through them, they can affect gameplay in a couple of ways. They can affect [[Movement]] and [[Maneuvering]] by being designed to provide [[Clues]], [[Traces]], and [[Landmarks]], or be [[Red Herrings]] that appear to be any of the former. They can of course also be [[Obstacles]] that block [[Movement]] and can be crashed into if diegetically plausible.  The use of them as large [[Obstacles]] provides an alternative to using [[Invisible Walls]]. The can also be targets for [[Gain Ownership]] and [[Landscaping]] goals, as for example done in certain [[Quests]] in [[Ravenwood Fair]] or what is required for animals to be satisfied in the [[Zoo Tycoon series]].
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 == Consequences ==
-[[Props]] are ways of adding detail to [[Game Worlds]] and [[Levels]] and thereby modulating them and possibly adding [[Thematic Consistency]] through having more details as well as provide support for [[Roleplaying]]. They do however instead break [[Thematic Consistency]] when they are visually similar or identical to other [[Game Items]]. When [[Props]] are designed so they provide [[Clues]], [[Traces]], and [[Landmarks]], they help [[Game World Navigation]] (when they are [[Red Herrings]] they can of course instead make this harder).
+[[Props]] are ways of adding detail to [[Game Boards]], [[Game Worlds]], and [[Levels]] and thereby modulating them and possibly adding [[Thematic Consistency]] through having more details as well as provide support for [[Roleplaying]]. They do however instead break [[Thematic Consistency]] when they are visually similar or identical to other [[Game Items]]. When [[Props]] are designed so they provide [[Clues]], [[Traces]], and [[Landmarks]], they help [[Game World Navigation]] (when they are [[Red Herrings]] they can of course instead make this harder).
 While [[Props]] cannot individually enable [[Predetermined Story Structures]], they can modulate them or create them through being part of [[Environmental Storytelling]]. [[Props]] can make [[Game World Exploration]] more interesting by providing variety, and when [[Props]] exist as [[Red Herrings]] to things players wish to find they make [[Game World Exploration]] necessary.
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 === Can Modulate ===
 [[Game World Exploration]],
 [[Game Worlds]],

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 [[Game World Exploration]],
 [[Diegetic Consistency]],
 [[Gain Ownership]],
 [[Landmarks]],
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 === Can Be Modulated By ===
 [[Geospatial Game Widgets]],
 [[Live Action Roleplaying]]

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 [[Props]] are often necessary for a game to be able to have [[Diegetic Consistency]], the exception being [[Game Worlds]] which are very sparsely populated with any type of objects. [[Props]] may however easily ruin [[Diegetic Consistency]] if they look similar to game elements with gameplay functionality. This since in one case being able to use an object in a [[Game Worlds|Game World]] and in the second case not being able to use a similar object clearly points out an inconsistency in the game (See Linderoth & Bennerstedt 2007<ref name="Linderoth"/> for an example of crates and doors as both [[Props]] and functional game elements). Even just becoming interested in a [[Props|Prop]] due to its appearance and then noticing that one cannot interact with in case produce the same problem. This makes using [[Props]] a balancing act for game designers, one needs to have sufficient amounts of [[Props]] in a game but they should draw attention to themselves. Even so, [[Props]] can be designed to be [[Diegetically Outstanding Features]] through their size, shape, or texture and this may be appropriate if they are supposed to function as [[Clues]], [[Traces]], and [[Landmarks]].
 === Interface Aspects ===
 [[Props]] typically have no interface aspects besides that they help define [[Game Worlds]], and are rather defined as elements that do not provide interaction possibilities. The exception to this is when players can gain information by interacting with them, often through a simple click. In these cases the possibility is often indicated through presenting [[Geospatial Game Widgets]] in conjunction with them, and so is often the information they provide as well.
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 [[Game World Exploration]],
 [[Diegetic Consistency]],
 [[Gain Ownership]],
 [[Landmarks]],

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 == Consequences ==
-[[Props]] are ways of adding detail to [[Game Worlds]] and [[Levels]] and thereby modulating them and possibly adding [[Thematic Consistency]] through having more details. They do however instead break [[Thematic Consistency]] when they are visually similar or identical to other [[Game Items]]. When [[Props]] are designed so they provide [[Clues]], [[Traces]], and [[Landmarks]], they help [[Game World Navigation]] (when they are [[Red Herrings]] they can of course instead make this harder).
+[[Props]] are ways of adding detail to [[Game Worlds]] and [[Levels]] and thereby modulating them and possibly adding [[Thematic Consistency]] through having more details as well as provide support for [[Roleplaying]]. They do however instead break [[Thematic Consistency]] when they are visually similar or identical to other [[Game Items]]. When [[Props]] are designed so they provide [[Clues]], [[Traces]], and [[Landmarks]], they help [[Game World Navigation]] (when they are [[Red Herrings]] they can of course instead make this harder).
 While [[Props]] cannot individually enable [[Predetermined Story Structures]], they can modulate them or create them through being part of [[Environmental Storytelling]]. [[Props]] can make [[Game World Exploration]] more interesting by providing variety, and when [[Props]] exist as [[Red Herrings]] to things players wish to find they make [[Game World Exploration]] necessary.
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 [[Game World Navigation]],
 [[Levels]],
-[[Predetermined Story Structures]]
+[[Predetermined Story Structures]],
 === Can Be Instantiated By ===

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 Trees are a common example of [[Props]] found for example in the [[Super Mario series]], the [[Elder Scrolls series]], and the [[Dragon Age series]] ([[Minecraft]], the [[Crysis series]], the [[Just Cause series]], and the [[Warcraft series]] are examples of games where the trees provide gameplay functionality).
-Buildings players cannot enter are another common type of [[Props]], often outnumbering the ones that can be entered for game worlds that include cities. Besides the games mentioned above regarding trees, games with this type of [[Props]] include the [[Grand Theft Auto series]] and the [[Assassin's Creed series]] (here the [[Just Cause series]] used [[Props]]).
+Buildings that players cannot enter are another common type of [[Props]], often outnumbering the ones that can be entered for game worlds that include cities. Besides the games mentioned above regarding trees, games with this type of [[Props]] include the [[Grand Theft Auto series]] and the [[Assassin's Creed series]] (here the [[Just Cause series]] used [[Props]]).
 Backgrounds that provide the farthest one can see in game worlds can be seen as a type of [[Props|Prop]]. These are very common in 3D games (called skyboxes<ref name="skybox"/>), found for example in [[Minecraft]], [[World of Warcraft]], the [[Crysis series]], the [[Deus Ex series]], the [[Dragon Age series]], the [[Quake series]], and the [[Halo series]].
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 Unlike their use in theater and movies, [[Props]] are rarely [[Game Items]] that can be picked up or moved. This since this is gameplay activities and may affect gameplay-related aspects such as [[Inventories]]. It is however quite common to place temporary [[Props]] where [[Destructible Objects]] used to be recently to provide a smoother transition between their being and their not-being.
 === Diegetic Aspects ===
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 [[MacGuffins]],
 [[Obstacles]],
 [[Red Herrings]],
 [[Thematic Consistency]],
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 === Can Be Instantiated By ===
-[[Cutscenes]]
+[[Cutscenes]],
 === Can Be Modulated By ===

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 === Narrative Aspects ===
-[[Props]] can be used to create [[Environmental Storytelling]] and add details and flavor to [[Narration Structures]]. [[Props]] can also work well as [[MacGuffins]] since these do not need to have any functionality and in fact, little information needs to be revealed about them. Like [[MacGuffins]], they do actually not need to exist as physical entities in the parts of the [[Game Worlds]] players can act within - they can be present in games solely through [[Cutscenes]].
+[[Props]] can be used to create [[Environmental Storytelling]] and add details and flavor to [[Predetermined Story Structures]]. [[Props]] can also work well as [[MacGuffins]] since these do not need to have any functionality and in fact, little information needs to be revealed about them. Like [[MacGuffins]], they do actually not need to exist as physical entities in the parts of the [[Game Worlds]] players can act within - they can be present in games solely through [[Cutscenes]].
 == Consequences ==
 [[Props]] are ways of adding detail to [[Game Worlds]] and [[Levels]] and thereby modulating them and possibly adding [[Thematic Consistency]] through having more details. They do however instead break [[Thematic Consistency]] when they are visually similar or identical to other [[Game Items]]. When [[Props]] are designed so they provide [[Clues]], [[Traces]], and [[Landmarks]], they help [[Game World Navigation]] (when they are [[Red Herrings]] they can of course instead make this harder).
-While [[Props]] cannot individually enable [[Narration Structures]], they can modulate them or create them through being part of [[Environmental Storytelling]]. [[Props]] can make [[Game World Exploration]] more interesting by providing variety, and when [[Props]] exist as [[Red Herrings]] to things players wish to find they make [[Game World Exploration]] necessary.
+While [[Props]] cannot individually enable [[Predetermined Story Structures]], they can modulate them or create them through being part of [[Environmental Storytelling]]. [[Props]] can make [[Game World Exploration]] more interesting by providing variety, and when [[Props]] exist as [[Red Herrings]] to things players wish to find they make [[Game World Exploration]] necessary.
 == Relations ==
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 [[Game World Navigation]],
 [[Levels]],
-[[Narration Structures]]
+[[Predetermined Story Structures]]
 === Can Be Instantiated By ===