Difference between revisions of "Naming"

Revision as of 12:21, 5 June 2011

Letting players choose the names of characters or other game elements.

In many games players can create or change the specifics of their game world. One of the simplest of these effects is the ability to choose the names that are to be used. Naming things in this fashion can both help players feels that they are creating something themselves and help them organize the game world so it is easier to overview.

Examples

Naming probably first became an integral part of games in Tabletop Roleplaying Games such as Dungeons & Dragons and Hârnmaster where players named their characters. The has been carried over to such as the Elder Scrolls series and the Fallout series. While not thematically similar, Naming also appears in Manager Games such as Bloodbowl, Hattrick, and the Football Manager series.

The Civilization series proposed names for players' cities based on the civilization they are playing, but this can be changes to suit the players' whims. The Europa Universalis series and Hearts of Iron series lets players change the name of provinces they have conquered or colonized which in these case can ensure thematic rather than historic accuracy.

CityVille lets players change the name of businesses they start within the game.

Using the pattern

Diegetic Aspects

Interface Aspects

Narrative Aspects

Consequences

Relations

Can Instantiate

Avatar Personalization, Creative Control, Emotional Attachment, Freedom of Choice Initial Personalization

with Characters

Player-Created Characters

Can Modulate

Abstract Player Constructs, Avatar Personalization, Characters, Handles, Initial Personalization

Can Be Instantiated By

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Can Be Modulated By

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Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

Thematic Consistency

History

New pattern created in this wiki.

References

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Acknowledgements

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