Difference between revisions of "Penalties"
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Typical reasons for receiving [[Penalties]] include taking [[Damage]], triggering [[Traps]], or suffering from [[Death Consequences]]. More uncommon but still possible reasons include performing specific [[Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences]] of a negative kind. [[Critical Hits]] can motivate additional [[Penalties]] compared to ordinary hits, but [[Critical Failures]] or [[Critical Misses]] can be used to inflict [[Penalties]] on those performing actions or attacks rather than any potential targets. Failing with the [[Committed Goals]] of accepted [[Quests]] is another reason for receiving [[Penalties]], as may be losing [[Area Control]] over places or entering places controlled by others. | Typical reasons for receiving [[Penalties]] include taking [[Damage]], triggering [[Traps]], or suffering from [[Death Consequences]]. More uncommon but still possible reasons include performing specific [[Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences]] of a negative kind. [[Critical Hits]] can motivate additional [[Penalties]] compared to ordinary hits, but [[Critical Failures]] or [[Critical Misses]] can be used to inflict [[Penalties]] on those performing actions or attacks rather than any potential targets. Failing with the [[Committed Goals]] of accepted [[Quests]] is another reason for receiving [[Penalties]], as may be losing [[Area Control]] over places or entering places controlled by others. | ||
| − | General categories of [[Penalties]] include [[Setback Penalties]], [[Energy Penalties]], [[Life Penalties]], and [[Game Termination Penalties]]. Besides these, there are many, more specific, [[Penalties]] that can be used as well. [[Downtime]], [[Helplessness]], and forced [[No-Ops]], remove [[Player Agency]] from players. [[Turnovers]] also do so by giving the turn in a [[Turn-Based Games|Turn-Based Game]] to some other player. [[Ability Losses]], [[Decreased Abilities]], and [[Movement Limitations]] can make further challenges more difficult or impossible to complete but without removing all [[Player Agency]]. Lowering [[Resource Caps]] can serve the same purpose. Other common ways of creating [[Penalties]] is to negatively modify players' [[Resources]] or [[Scores]]. | + | General categories of [[Penalties]] include [[Setback Penalties]], [[Energy Penalties]], [[Life Penalties]], and [[Game Termination Penalties]]. Besides these, there are many, more specific, [[Penalties]] that can be used as well. [[Downtime]], [[Helplessness]], and forced [[No-Ops]], remove [[Player Agency]] from players. [[Turnovers]] also do so by giving the turn in a [[Turn-Based Games|Turn-Based Game]] to some other player. [[Ability Losses]], [[Decreased Abilities]], and [[Movement Limitations]] can make further challenges more difficult or impossible to complete but without removing all [[Player Agency]]. Lowering [[Resource Caps]] can serve the same purpose. Other common ways of creating [[Penalties]] is to negatively modify players' [[Resources]] or [[Scores]]. In [[Single-Player Games]], [[Game Time Manipulation]] can be used to slow down players or speed up [[Enemies]] (this is more problematic to do in [[Multiplayer Games]] since manipulating game time is likely to affect everyone). |
| − | There are several ways to modify how [[Penalties]] behave. First, a basic choice is whether the [[Penalties]] should be [[Individual Penalties]] or [[Shared Penalties]]. Second, the strength of [[Penalties]] can follow [[Arithmetic Progression]] or [[Geometric Progression]] based upon how bad a failure was, how good a success was, when in a gameplay arc players are, or some other measurable value. Finally, [[Extra-Game Consequences]] - often bad ones - can be tied to the [[Penalties]]. | + | There are several ways to modify how [[Penalties]] behave. First, a basic choice is whether the [[Penalties]] should be [[Individual Penalties]] or [[Shared Penalties]]. Second, the strength of [[Penalties]] can follow [[Arithmetic Progression]] or [[Geometric Progression]] based upon how bad a failure was, how good a success was, when in a gameplay arc players are, or some other measurable value. Regardless of the second possibility, [[Randomness]] can be used to affect the severity of [[Penalties]]. |
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| + | Finally, [[Extra-Game Consequences]] - often bad ones - can be tied to the [[Penalties]]. | ||
The possibility of using [[Save-Load Cycles]] in [[Single-Player Games]] can make any [[Penalties]] avoidable even though in reality few players may be willing to engage in [[Save Scumming]] often enough to avoid all [[Penalties]]. | The possibility of using [[Save-Load Cycles]] in [[Single-Player Games]] can make any [[Penalties]] avoidable even though in reality few players may be willing to engage in [[Save Scumming]] often enough to avoid all [[Penalties]]. | ||
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[[Factions]], | [[Factions]], | ||
[[New Abilities]], | [[New Abilities]], | ||
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=== Can Be Modulated By === | === Can Be Modulated By === | ||
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[[Privileged Abilities]], | [[Privileged Abilities]], | ||
[[Shared Resources]], | [[Shared Resources]], | ||
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[[Rewards]] | [[Rewards]] | ||
Revision as of 15:11, 27 August 2015
The one-sentence "definition" that should be in italics.
This pattern is a still a stub.
Contents
Examples
Using the pattern
Typical reasons for receiving Penalties include taking Damage, triggering Traps, or suffering from Death Consequences. More uncommon but still possible reasons include performing specific Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences of a negative kind. Critical Hits can motivate additional Penalties compared to ordinary hits, but Critical Failures or Critical Misses can be used to inflict Penalties on those performing actions or attacks rather than any potential targets. Failing with the Committed Goals of accepted Quests is another reason for receiving Penalties, as may be losing Area Control over places or entering places controlled by others.
General categories of Penalties include Setback Penalties, Energy Penalties, Life Penalties, and Game Termination Penalties. Besides these, there are many, more specific, Penalties that can be used as well. Downtime, Helplessness, and forced No-Ops, remove Player Agency from players. Turnovers also do so by giving the turn in a Turn-Based Game to some other player. Ability Losses, Decreased Abilities, and Movement Limitations can make further challenges more difficult or impossible to complete but without removing all Player Agency. Lowering Resource Caps can serve the same purpose. Other common ways of creating Penalties is to negatively modify players' Resources or Scores. In Single-Player Games, Game Time Manipulation can be used to slow down players or speed up Enemies (this is more problematic to do in Multiplayer Games since manipulating game time is likely to affect everyone).
There are several ways to modify how Penalties behave. First, a basic choice is whether the Penalties should be Individual Penalties or Shared Penalties. Second, the strength of Penalties can follow Arithmetic Progression or Geometric Progression based upon how bad a failure was, how good a success was, when in a gameplay arc players are, or some other measurable value. Regardless of the second possibility, Randomness can be used to affect the severity of Penalties.
Finally, Extra-Game Consequences - often bad ones - can be tied to the Penalties.
The possibility of using Save-Load Cycles in Single-Player Games can make any Penalties avoidable even though in reality few players may be willing to engage in Save Scumming often enough to avoid all Penalties.
Can Be Instantiated By
Eliminate, Enemies, Factions, New Abilities,
Can Be Modulated By
Mutual Goals, Parallel Lives, Predictable Consequences, Privileged Abilities, Shared Resources, Rewards
Characters together with Emotional Engrossment
Interface aspects
In Single-Player Games, Cutscenes can be used to high-light the effects of Penalties without disrupting gameplay for others.
Consequences
The possibility of receiving Penalties in games create Tension in them.
Experiencing them may break any Exaggerated Perception of Influence that players may have had, and can easily break Thematic Consistency if not following the diegesis or narration (e.g. killing a player's character but then letting them restart at earlier positions of a Level).
Can Instantiate
Destructible Objects, Ephemeral Events, Safe Havens, Spectators,
with Anonymous Actions and Unmediated Social Interaction
with Ephemeral Goals
with Factions
with Movement and either Avatars, Characters, or Units
Can Modulate
Attention Demanding Gameplay, Ephemeral Goals, Player Killing, Quick Time Events, Rewards
Relations
Can Instantiate
Destructible Objects, Ephemeral Events, Safe Havens, Spectators, Tension
with Anonymous Actions and Unmediated Social Interaction
with Ephemeral Goals
with Factions
with Movement and either Avatars, Characters, or Units
Can Modulate
Attention Demanding Gameplay, Ephemeral Goals, Player Killing, Quick Time Events, Scores, Resources, Rewards
Can Be Instantiated By
Ability Losses, Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences, Area Control, Critical Failures, Critical Hits, Critical Misses, Damage, Death Consequences, Decreased Abilities, Downtime, Eliminate, Enemies, Energy Penalties, Factions, Game Termination Penalties, Helplessness, Movement Limitations, New Abilities, No-Ops, Life Penalties, Resource Caps, Setback Penalties, Traps, Turnovers
Committed Goals together with Quests
Game Time Manipulation together with Single-Player Games
Can Be Modulated By
Arithmetic Progression, Extra-Game Consequences, Geometric Progression, Individual Penalties, Mutual Goals, Parallel Lives, Predictable Consequences, Privileged Abilities, Shared Penalties, Shared Resources, Randomness, Rewards
Characters together with Emotional Engrossment
Cutscenes in Single-Player Games
Possible Closure Effects
-
Potentially Conflicting With
Exaggerated Perception of Influence, Thematic Consistency
Save-Load Cycles in Single-Player Games
History
An updated version of the pattern Penalties that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design[1].
References
- ↑ Björk, S. & Holopainen, J. (2004) Patterns in Game Design. Charles River Media. ISBN1-58450-354-8.
Acknowledgements
-
