Difference between revisions of "Sidegrades"

Revision as of 09:05, 10 August 2011

Modification to game items to provide uses that are more specialized.

Some games allow players to upgrade their equipment in various ways. While this most often improves players' chances to perform actions or the effect of those actions, Sidegrades instead provide specific improvements that are not generally positive but only so in specific circumstances.

Examples

Sidegrades have primarily been created in the Team Fortress 2 game. Here, gaining various achievements lets players replace various weapons they have for variants with some advantages and some disadvantages compared to the basic weapons. Examples of such alternative weapons include the Huntsman, the Kritzkrieg, the Flare gun, and the Sandwich. It should be noted however that it is not easy to perfectly balance advantages to disadvantages, and for this reason debates among players do not find consensus if specific equipment are Sidegrades or not.

Battlefield 2 allows players to unlock new weapons when they advance in ranks. These weapons, e.g. the DAO-12 shotgun, provide some advantages but also some disadvantages (e.g. slow reloads for the DAO-12) which makes them into Sidegrades rather than upgrades.

Using the pattern

Sidegrades are typically created in ways similar to Upgrades, but with Decreased Abilities added so that the Improved Abilities inherent in Upgrades are balanced by the Decreased Abilities. One example of a potential Sidegrade is scopes, which may provide more accuracy when shooting at long ranges but make it more difficult to use weapons in close-quarters battles. Given the difficulty of finding a right balance, Sidegrades are often volatile design solutions that can turn into Upgrades or "downgrades" if players realize that optimal strategies exist.

Like Upgrades, installing Sidegrades can either be something anybody can do anywhere of something which is regulated by Crafting. However, since they are not intended to affect Player Balance, Sidegrades can be made accessible through Unlocking, e.g. through gaining Achievements.

Consequences

Sidegrades are variants to Upgrades that do not automatically created Improved Abilities. This is since they at the same time give other Decreased Abilities but can allow players with Game Mastery to exploit opportunities to position themselves in useful Competence Areas as well as take dedicated Functional Roles. Regardless of players' levels of Game Mastery, Sidegrades can allow them to have Varied Gameplay if they wish.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Competence Areas, Functional Roles, Varied Gameplay

with Decreased Abilities

Upgrades

Can Modulate

Crafting, Game Mastery

Can Be Instantiated By

Unlocking

Can Be Modulated By

Achievements

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

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History

New pattern created in this wiki.

References

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Acknowledgements

Brice Clocher, Jonas Jacobsson, Johan Ottosson