Zero-Player Games - Revision history

Staffan Björk at 15:08, 19 March 2018

2018-03-19T15:08:17Z

Staffan Björk: /* Consequences */

2016-07-06T10:49:37Z

‎Consequences

Staffan Björk at 14:13, 6 July 2015

2015-07-06T14:13:29Z

Staffan Björk: /* Examples */

2011-10-11T12:23:14Z

‎Examples

Staffan Björk at 12:22, 11 October 2011

2011-10-11T12:22:18Z

Staffan Björk: /* Examples */

2011-10-11T12:14:39Z

‎Examples

Staffan Björk at 21:05, 25 May 2011

2011-05-25T21:05:14Z

Staffan Björk at 14:54, 21 April 2011

2011-04-21T14:54:19Z

Staffan Björk at 14:41, 8 April 2011

2011-04-08T14:41:40Z

Staffan Björk at 21:27, 7 April 2011

2011-04-07T21:27:47Z

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 == Using the pattern ==
-Having this pattern in a game is mostly a question of not introducing [[Freedom of Choice]] during gameplay. However, one may wish to modulate the pattern to provide [[Creative Control]], [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]] or some [[Freedom of Choice]] during the set-up phase so that these patterns exist at all in the game. This typically requires that the game supports some form of [[Strategic Planning]]. [[Action Programming]] to perform [[Puzzle Solving]] is one option for this purpose. Anther option is to allow the [[Construction]] of [[Algorithmic Agents]] that are a form of [[AI Players]] (as is done in for example in [[C-Robots]] and [[P-Robots]]), but since all players are [[AI Players]] it is feasible to ask how many decisions are actually made during gameplay. The setting up of an the initial game state (a form of [[Player Constructed Worlds]], that may or may not be interfered with after it has been initiated, is a third possibility. A classic example of this is [[Conway's Game of Life]] but the [[Sims series]] can be seen as an example of this which uses [[Algorithmic Agents]] (if one does not consider the issues that Sims do not  seek employment or purchasing things on their own). Unless the goal is to provide [[Puzzle Solving]], it is typically required to have sufficiently complex relations within the rule set to create [[Emergent Gameplay]] to achieve interesting choices in the set-up phase.
+Having this pattern in a game is mostly a question of not introducing [[Freedom of Choice]] during gameplay. However, one may wish to modulate the pattern to provide [[Creative Control]], [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]] or some [[Freedom of Choice]] during the set-up phase so that these patterns exist at all in the game. This requires [[Extra-Game Actions]] and typically that the game supports some form of [[Strategic Planning]]. [[Action Programming]] to perform [[Puzzle Solving]] is one option for this purpose. Anther option is to allow the [[Construction]] of [[Algorithmic Agents]] that are a form of [[AI Players]] (as is done in for example in [[C-Robots]] and [[P-Robots]]), but since all players are [[AI Players]] it is feasible to ask how many decisions are actually made during gameplay. The setting up of an the initial game state (a form of [[Player Constructed Worlds]], that may or may not be interfered with after it has been initiated, is a third possibility. A classic example of this is [[Conway's Game of Life]] but the [[Sims series]] can be seen as an example of this which uses [[Algorithmic Agents]] (if one does not consider the issues that Sims do not  seek employment or purchasing things on their own). Unless the goal is to provide [[Puzzle Solving]], it is typically required to have sufficiently complex relations within the rule set to create [[Emergent Gameplay]] to achieve interesting choices in the set-up phase.
 [[No Direct Player Influence]] may seem natural to [[Zero-Player Games]], but does not have to. [[Progress Quest]] and [[4 Minutes and 33 Seconds of Uniqueness]] are examples of games where players do not have to perform any actions but it is nonetheless important if they (or other people) play. Each challenge in [[Ricochet Robots]] is conducted without any player actions and proving the solution afterwards not so much influences the game state as randomizes it slightly for the next challenge.
@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 === Can Be Instantiated By ===
-[[AI Players]], [[Algorithmic Agents]], [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]], [[No Direct Player Influence]], [[Strategic Planning]]
+[[AI Players]],
 === Can Be Modulated By ===

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 == Consequences ==
-One may ask what the purpose is of having games in which players do not perform actions or can make choices since this removes all their [[Player Agency]]. One reason is that they provide the basis of [[Meta Games]] where players can engage in [[Puzzle Solving]] or [[Construction]]. An alternative view is that [[Zero-Player Games]] make use of [[Player/Character Skill Composites]] where the players' skill lies in programming, setting up states, or creating rules which are then executed by
+One may ask what the purpose is of having games in which players do not perform actions or can make choices since this removes all their [[Player Agency]]. One reason is that they provide the basis of [[Meta Games]] where players can engage in [[Puzzle Solving]] or [[Construction]]. An alternative view is that [[Zero-Player Games]] make use of [[Player/Character Skill Composites]] where the players' skill lies in programming, setting up states, or creating rules which are then executed by [[Algorithmic Agents]] or [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]]. However, unless [[Game Masters]] or computer-based facilitators are used, these games providing the [[Meta Games]] can be said to have replaced all the ''inner'' gameplay with [[Excise]].
 [[Algorithmic Agents]] or [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]]. However, unless [[Game Masters]] or computer-based facilitators are used, these games providing the [[Meta Games]] can be said to have replaced all gameplay with [[Excise]].
 [[Zero-Player Games]] based upon [[Creative Control]] requires players to have [[Strategic Knowledge]] to intentionally be able to create viable [[Agents]]. Those supporting [[Spectators]] can encourage the development of this [[Strategic Knowledge]] since one can observe the behaviors of other players' constructs.

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 == Consequences ==
-One may ask what the purpose is of having games in which players do not perform actions or can make choices. One reason is that they provide the basis of [[Meta Games]] where players can engage in [[Puzzle Solving]] or [[Construction]]. An alternative view is that [[Zero-Player Games]] make use of [[Player/Character Skill Composites]] where the players' skill lies in programming, setting up states, or creating rules which are then executed by
+One may ask what the purpose is of having games in which players do not perform actions or can make choices since this removes all their [[Player Agency]]. One reason is that they provide the basis of [[Meta Games]] where players can engage in [[Puzzle Solving]] or [[Construction]]. An alternative view is that [[Zero-Player Games]] make use of [[Player/Character Skill Composites]] where the players' skill lies in programming, setting up states, or creating rules which are then executed by
 [[Algorithmic Agents]] or [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]]. However, unless [[Game Masters]] or computer-based facilitators are used, these games providing the [[Meta Games]] can be said to have replaced all gameplay with [[Excise]].
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 === Potentially Conflicting With ===
-[[Creative Control]], [[Freedom of Choice]], [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]]
+[[Creative Control]],
 == History ==

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 Seeing each puzzle as its own game, several puzzle games where players need to set up the game and then see it resolve can be seen as [[Zero-Player Games]], e.g. the [[Incredible Machine game series]]. [[4 Minutes and 33 Seconds of Uniqueness]] and [[Progress Quest]] are example of [[Zero-Player Games]] in that players cannot directly influence the gameplay except for, respectively, when they play or how long they play.
-A weaker form yet of [[Zero-Player Games]] can be found in those that do not require actions from humans but allows this at their pleasure. [[Conway's Game of Life]], the [[Sims series]], and [[:Category:Tower Defense Games|Tower Defense Games]] such as [[Desktop Tower Defense]] and [[Plants vs. Zombies]] can be seen as examples of this.
+A weaker form yet of [[Zero-Player Games]] can be found in those that do not require actions from humans when the game is running but allows this at their pleasure. [[Conway's Game of Life]], the [[Sims series]], and [[:Category:Tower Defense Games|Tower Defense Games]] such as [[Desktop Tower Defense]] and [[Plants vs. Zombies]] can be seen as examples of this.
 [[Space Alert]] can also be seen as a [[Zero-Player Games|Zero-Player Game]] in its second phase, since the only things player can do then is to update the game state according to their planned moves (with the exception of claiming to have made mistakes in placing cards and correcting them). [[Scorched Earth]] can be played against AI players, and the game continues playing if the human players' tanks are destroyed.

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 === Potentially Conflicting With ===
 [[Creative Control]], [[Freedom of Choice]], [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]]
 == History ==
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 <ref name="robocup">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robocup Wikipedia entry for RoboCup]</ref>
 </references>

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 [[Algorithmic Agents]] or [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]]. However, unless [[Game Masters]] or computer-based facilitators are used, these games providing the [[Meta Games]] can be said to have replaced all gameplay with [[Excise]].
-[[Zero-Player Games]] supporting [[Spectators]] can encourage the development of [[Strategic Knowledge]].
+[[Zero-Player Games]] based upon [[Creative Control]] requires players to have [[Strategic Knowledge]] to intentionally be able to create viable [[Agents]]. Those supporting [[Spectators]] can encourage the development of this [[Strategic Knowledge]] since one can observe the behaviors of other players' constructs.
 Quite naturally, those [[Zero-Player Games]] where one can program [[AI Players]] result in [[Enforced Agent Behavior]].
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 === Can Instantiate ===
 [[Enforced Agent Behavior]], [[Excise]], [[Meta Games]],
-[[Player/Character Skill Composites]],
+[[Player/Character Skill Composites]]
 [[Strategic Knowledge]]

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 [[Category:Needs revision]]
 [[Category:Patterns created on the Wiki]]
-''Games where players have no direct choices during the gameplay.''
+''Games where humans have no direct choices during the gameplay.''
-Zero-Player Games<ref name="wiki"/> are games where players do not directly influence the game sessions. Instead they may have indirect influence, e.g. by creating the rules of how entities in the game should act, or be spectators.
+Zero-Player Games<ref name="wiki"/> are games where humans do not directly influence the game sessions. Instead they may have indirect influence, e.g. by creating the rules of how entities in the game should act, or be spectators.
 === Examples ===
 [[:Category:Programming Games|Programming Games]] such as [[Crobots]] and [[P-Robots]] are typical examples of [[Zero-Player Games]] since all player activity takes places before gameplay begins in programming the robots (an alternative view is that the games proper are the meta games of programming, but this still leaves the rules of how the robots can move as [[Zero-Player Games]]). RoboCup<ref name="robocup"/> is a competitions within the robotics community consisting of several different types of [[Zero-Player Games]], including both virtual agents and physical robots.
-Seeing each puzzle as its own game, several puzzle games where players need to set up the game and then see it resolve can be seen as [[Zero-Player Games]], e.g. the [[Incredible Machine game series]].
+Seeing each puzzle as its own game, several puzzle games where players need to set up the game and then see it resolve can be seen as [[Zero-Player Games]], e.g. the [[Incredible Machine game series]]. [[4 Minutes and 33 Seconds of Uniqueness]] and [[Progress Quest]] are example of [[Zero-Player Games]] in that players cannot directly influence the gameplay except for, respectively, when they play or how long they play.
 A weaker form yet of [[Zero-Player Games]] can be found in those that do not require actions from humans but allows this at their pleasure. The [[Sims series]] and [[Conway's Game of Life]] can be seen as examples of this.
-[[Space Alert]] can also be seen as a [[Zero-Player Games|Zero-Player Game]] in its second phase, since the only things player can do then is to update the game state according to their planned moves (with the exception of claiming to have made mistakes in placing cards and correcting them).
+[[Space Alert]] can also be seen as a [[Zero-Player Games|Zero-Player Game]] in its second phase, since the only things player can do then is to update the game state according to their planned moves (with the exception of claiming to have made mistakes in placing cards and correcting them). [[Scorched Earth]] can be played against AI players, and the game continues playing if the human players' tanks are destroyed.
-−
-[[4 Minutes and 33 Seconds of Uniqueness]] and [[Progress Quest]] are example of [[Zero-Player Games]] in that players cannot directly influence the gameplay except for, respectively, when they play or how long they play.
 == Using the pattern ==