Difference between revisions of "Polyathlons"

Revision as of 13:26, 20 August 2011

Polyathlons are tournaments where each competition requires different skill sets.

One way to vary gameplay in both individual games or tournaments is to make them consist of several different events with different gameplay in each, and doing so typically blurs the distinction between a game and a tournament. Polyathlons is a generalized name for these gameplay structures although specific cases are often known by how many events they contain, e.g. Decathlons being competitions consisting of ten different events.

As the events in Polyathlons have different skill requirements, playing these requires competence in more skill areas than other forms of tournaments as well as making it more likely that players have different specialties. The latter allows more players to have experiences of winnings, as they can have partial victories within the tournament by winning individual games.

Examples

Several Sport competitions are structured as Polyathlons consisting of several different types of individual sports. Decathlon is the oldest established such competition but another example is Triathlons consisting of swimming, biking, and running components (with Ironman Triathlons as an extreme version). Biathlons typically means combinations of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting but Chess Boxing is also a Biathlon. Olympic Decathlon, Summer Games and Winter Games are examples of computer-based versions of the sport Polyathlons.

The WarioWare series consists of many minigames, which are played sequentially to progress in the main game, and can be considered Polyathlons since they each require different gameplay.

With the exception of Chess Boxing, Hybrid Sports^[1] are not Polyathlons since they combine the rules of two or more sports at the same time instead of making the gameplay switch between the sports.

Using the pattern

Polyathlons are games consisting of several different games or events. This means that designing Polyathlons consist of creating Tournaments

The games in a Polyathlon can either be chosen to require particular skills within a category of expertise, or be chosen to spread the requirements between categories (such as Dexterity-Based Actions, Memorizing, Luck, Negotiation, or Rhythm-Based Actions). When the requirements are different, player can choose to develop specific Competence Areas as part of their planning.

Polyathlons do not have to be so complex that they require several different play sessions to complete. Using, for example, Quick Games, as in WarioWare, Inc., a Polyathlon can have the same time requirement as ordinary games.

Minigames

Selectable Set of Goals

Diegetic Aspects

Interface Aspects

Narrative Aspects

Consequences

The primary use of Polyathlons is to provide Varied Gameplay for players and force them to either prioritize some Competence Areas or be a generalist. If players can affect which games are to be played through having a Selectable Set of Goals, Polyathlons lets players use Extra-Game Information knowledge about other players' skills at playing specific games, especially if choosing one game means excluding another.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Competence Areas, Varied Gameplay

with Selectable Set of Goals

Extra-Game Information

Can Modulate

Can Be Instantiated By

Minigames, Quick Games, Tournaments

Can Be Modulated By

Selectable Set of Goals

Possible Closure Effects

Potentially Conflicting With

History

An updated version of the pattern Polyathlons that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design^[2].

References

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

Acknowledgements

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