Difference between revisions of "Game World Navigation"

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[[Category:Staffan's current workpage]]
 
[[Category:Staffan's current workpage]]
 
[[Category:Patterns]]
 
[[Category:Patterns]]
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[[Category:Action Patterns]]
 
[[Category:Needs work]]
 
[[Category:Needs work]]
 
[[Category:Needs revision]]
 
[[Category:Needs revision]]
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Example: The maze-like levels in Doom and Quake required player to navigate within the environments to move efficiently between all parts of the levels.
 
Example: The maze-like levels in Doom and Quake required player to navigate within the environments to move efficiently between all parts of the levels.
 +
 +
[[Assassin's Creed series]]
  
 
== Using the pattern ==
 
== Using the pattern ==
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The layout of Game Worlds modulate theRight Level of Difficulty of navigating and can be made more difficult by Movement Limitations, Obstacles,Inaccessible Areas, and other possibilities for Leaps of Faith, especially if they block players' views to other areas of a Game World. The navigation can be made easier by the use of Outstanding Features, Traces, Clues, and Game State Overview in the forms of maps. The division of Game Worlds into Levels makes Game World Navigation easier as smaller areas have to be navigated. Privileged Movement forms such as flying also makes the navigation easier as players can have better Game State Overview through different perspectives and may remove problems with Obstacles and Inaccessible Areas.
 
The layout of Game Worlds modulate theRight Level of Difficulty of navigating and can be made more difficult by Movement Limitations, Obstacles,Inaccessible Areas, and other possibilities for Leaps of Faith, especially if they block players' views to other areas of a Game World. The navigation can be made easier by the use of Outstanding Features, Traces, Clues, and Game State Overview in the forms of maps. The division of Game Worlds into Levels makes Game World Navigation easier as smaller areas have to be navigated. Privileged Movement forms such as flying also makes the navigation easier as players can have better Game State Overview through different perspectives and may remove problems with Obstacles and Inaccessible Areas.
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 +
an activity based upon Exploration goals in Game Worlds done when performing Movement where only reaching the Goal Point is the only point of interest. However, learning the layout of the Game World can be used if the route has to be navigated again and can thus be
 +
 +
[[Strategic Knowledge]]
 +
 +
=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
 +
[[Game World Exploration]],
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[[Game Worlds]],
 +
[[Levels]],
 +
[[Movement]]
 +
 +
=== Can Be Modulated By ===
 +
[[Big Dumb Objects]],
 +
[[Clues]],
 +
[[Diegetically Outstanding Features]],
 +
[[Inaccessible Areas]],
 +
[[Landmarks]],
 +
[[Mini-maps]],
 +
[[Movement Limitations]],
 +
[[Obstacles]],
 +
[[Point of Interest Indications]],
 +
[[Props]],
 +
[[Strategic Locations]],
 +
[[Traces]],
 +
[[Warp Zones]]
 +
 +
[[Game State Overviews]] together with [[Privileged Movement]]
  
 
=== Diegetic Aspects ===
 
=== Diegetic Aspects ===
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== Consequences ==
 
== Consequences ==
−
Game World Navigation is an activity based upon Exploration goals in Game Worlds done when performing Movement where only reaching the Goal Point is the only point of interest. However, learning the layout of the Game World can be used if the route has to be navigated again and can thus be Strategic Knowledge.
+
[[Game World Navigation]] is the activity of trying to succeed with [[Traverse]] goals in [[Game Worlds]] or [[Levels]], and implies that players have a [[Freedom of Choice]] since otherwise there would be not challenge to the act of navigating. [[Game World Navigation]] encourages [[Cognitive Engrossment]] but can actually lessen [[Spatial Engrossment]] as it encourages players to perceive [[Game Worlds]] from an abstract perspective rather than through a diegetic perspective. While [[Game World Exploration]] may be the reason for engaging in [[Game World Navigation]], the reverse may be true since players may discover new areas while navigating.
  
−
A certain amount of Freedom of Choice is necessary for Game World Navigation to be possible; that is, players must be able to choose wrong directions to move in and have the possibility to get lost for Game World Navigation to be a purposeful activity. Since God Views let players move their view of the Game World regardless of game elements it makes Game World Navigation a trivial problem.
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While [[Mini-maps]] may help navigation by providing maps they may also make it to easy to find one's position and which direction one should be travelling in, thereby making the activity of navigating closer to [[Excise]] than a gameplay challenge. The same applies to [[God Views]] since they can let players move their view of the Game World regardless of game elements, making [[Game World Navigation]] a trivial problem.
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+
−
Game World Navigation encourages Cognitive Immersion and can actually lessen Spatial Immersion as it encourages players to perceive the Game World from an abstract perspective rather than through a game element.
+
  
 
== Relations ==
 
== Relations ==
−
[[Assassin's Creed series]]
 
−
[[Levels]]
 
−
[[Diegetically Outstanding Features]]
 
−
[[Freedom of Choice]]
 
−
[[Game Worlds]]
 
−
[[Mini-maps]]
 
−
[[Big Dumb Objects]]
 
−
[[Props]]
 
−
[[Warp Zones]]
 
−
[[Landmarks]]
 
−
[[Obstacles]]
 
−
[[Inaccessible Areas]]
 
−
[[Clues]]
 
−
[[Traces]]
 
−
[[Strategic Knowledge]]
 
−
[[Strategic Locations]]
 
−
[[Movement]]
 
−
[[Movement Limitations]]
 
−
[[Privileged Movement]]
 
−
[[Point of Interest Indications]]
 
−
[[Game World Exploration]]
 
−
 
 
=== Can Instantiate ===
 
=== Can Instantiate ===
−
 
+
[[Cognitive Engrossment]],
−
==== with ... ====
+
[[Freedom of Choice]],
 +
[[Game World Exploration]],
 +
[[Traverse]]
  
 
=== Can Modulate ===
 
=== Can Modulate ===
 +
-
  
 
=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
 
=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
 +
[[Game World Exploration]],
 +
[[Game Worlds]],
 +
[[Levels]],
 +
[[Movement]]
  
 
=== Can Be Modulated By ===
 
=== Can Be Modulated By ===
 +
[[Big Dumb Objects]],
 +
[[Clues]],
 +
[[Diegetically Outstanding Features]],
 +
[[Inaccessible Areas]],
 +
[[Landmarks]],
 +
[[Mini-maps]],
 +
[[Movement Limitations]],
 +
[[Obstacles]],
 +
[[Point of Interest Indications]],
 +
[[Props]],
 +
[[Strategic Knowledge]],
 +
[[Strategic Locations]],
 +
[[Traces]],
 +
[[Warp Zones]]
 +
 +
[[Game State Overviews]] together with [[Privileged Movement]]
  
 
=== Possible Closure Effects ===
 
=== Possible Closure Effects ===
 +
-
  
 
=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
 
=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
 +
[[God Views]],
 +
[[Mini-maps]],
 +
[[Spatial Engrossment]]
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==

Revision as of 07:58, 7 September 2011

...

This pattern is a still a stub.

The action of trying to move from one place in the game to another when the correct way is not obviously apparent.

Examples

Example: The text-based adventure game Zork made navigation difficult by having non-symmetric routes between locations: Moving north from a place to another did not means that one returned by going south, rather one might have to go west instead.

Example: The maze-like levels in Doom and Quake required player to navigate within the environments to move efficiently between all parts of the levels.

Assassin's Creed series

Using the pattern

Game World Navigation is most common in games with large Game Worlds and which support Spatial Immersion. However, games relying on text-based descriptions can have Game World Navigation and make the action into a Puzzle Solving one by consciously breaking the Consistent Reality Logic that moving in one direction and then in the opposite direction brings one back to the starting position.

The layout of Game Worlds modulate theRight Level of Difficulty of navigating and can be made more difficult by Movement Limitations, Obstacles,Inaccessible Areas, and other possibilities for Leaps of Faith, especially if they block players' views to other areas of a Game World. The navigation can be made easier by the use of Outstanding Features, Traces, Clues, and Game State Overview in the forms of maps. The division of Game Worlds into Levels makes Game World Navigation easier as smaller areas have to be navigated. Privileged Movement forms such as flying also makes the navigation easier as players can have better Game State Overview through different perspectives and may remove problems with Obstacles and Inaccessible Areas.

an activity based upon Exploration goals in Game Worlds done when performing Movement where only reaching the Goal Point is the only point of interest. However, learning the layout of the Game World can be used if the route has to be navigated again and can thus be

Strategic Knowledge

Can Be Instantiated By

Game World Exploration, Game Worlds, Levels, Movement

Can Be Modulated By

Big Dumb Objects, Clues, Diegetically Outstanding Features, Inaccessible Areas, Landmarks, Mini-maps, Movement Limitations, Obstacles, Point of Interest Indications, Props, Strategic Locations, Traces, Warp Zones

Game State Overviews together with Privileged Movement

Diegetic Aspects

Interface Aspects

Narrative Aspects

Consequences

Game World Navigation is the activity of trying to succeed with Traverse goals in Game Worlds or Levels, and implies that players have a Freedom of Choice since otherwise there would be not challenge to the act of navigating. Game World Navigation encourages Cognitive Engrossment but can actually lessen Spatial Engrossment as it encourages players to perceive Game Worlds from an abstract perspective rather than through a diegetic perspective. While Game World Exploration may be the reason for engaging in Game World Navigation, the reverse may be true since players may discover new areas while navigating.

While Mini-maps may help navigation by providing maps they may also make it to easy to find one's position and which direction one should be travelling in, thereby making the activity of navigating closer to Excise than a gameplay challenge. The same applies to God Views since they can let players move their view of the Game World regardless of game elements, making Game World Navigation a trivial problem.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Cognitive Engrossment, Freedom of Choice, Game World Exploration, Traverse

Can Modulate

-

Can Be Instantiated By

Game World Exploration, Game Worlds, Levels, Movement

Can Be Modulated By

Big Dumb Objects, Clues, Diegetically Outstanding Features, Inaccessible Areas, Landmarks, Mini-maps, Movement Limitations, Obstacles, Point of Interest Indications, Props, Strategic Knowledge, Strategic Locations, Traces, Warp Zones

Game State Overviews together with Privileged Movement

Possible Closure Effects

-

Potentially Conflicting With

God Views, Mini-maps, Spatial Engrossment

History

An updated version of the pattern Game World Navigation that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design[1].

References

  1. ↑ Björk, S. & Holopainen, J. (2004) Patterns in Game Design. Charles River Media. ISBN1-58450-354-8.

Acknowledgements

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