Difference between revisions of "Chat Channels"

Revision as of 08:29, 9 October 2012

The one-sentence "definition" that should be in italics.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Examples

Zork series

DragonMud BatMud

Façade

World of Warcraft Eve Online

Using the pattern

Implementing Chat Channels requires Dedicated Game Facilitators that receives messages, stores them, and sends them to appropriate receiver. Games rarely have only one Chat Channel, and deciding which to provide is one of the main design choices regarding the pattern. Examples include channels that only support communication with those close in a Game World (which maintains Diegetic Consistency) and those that allow secret communication with co-members of Parties, Guilds or Teams. In many cases, all these channels are accessed through the same command line interface (which then functions as a form of Illocutionary Interface).

Another design choice for Chat Channels is if they should be between players or between Characters. Both types may exist simultaneously, but if a channel goes to both players and Characters they may disrupt Diegetic Consistency.

scripting

censoring

Chat Channels typically identify who sent a message. This common way of doing this is through Handles since these are also in text.

Diegetic Aspects

Chat Channels can have issues with both Diegetic Consistency and Thematic Consistency. The first depends on how text messages are presented in the Game World, and while it may be quite clear that presentations based upon Geospatial Game Widgets or HUD Interfaces break diegetic Consistency generated voice responses from text is also likely to be perceived as artificial given current technologies. The second is due to players having Creative Control in what they say and this can be used to introduce inconsistencies; Canned Text Responses can be used to hinder this at the cost of severely limiting Creative Control.

Interface Aspects

Chat Channels is a Interface Pattern. While they often are available during play sessions, the same Chat Channels typically also exist in Game Lobbies if these exist.

See section above also.

Narrative Aspects

When Chat Channels allow players to formulate the messages freely, they can help players in Enactment which the game may not otherwise allow, including expressing complex emotions or providing non-diegetic narrative information.

Consequences

Chat Channels are text-based forms of Communication Channels. Since they typically support free form messages, they can support people in being more precise while Cooperation even if at a certain cost of communication speed. The freedom in expression can also support Enactment, Bragging, and Guilting as well as let players pass Extra-Game Information.

When game actions can be invoked through the Chat Channels, e.g. Voting, the channels are Illocutionary Interfaces and when the information is received by Characters the pattern also gives rise to Information Passing.

Creative Control

Mediated Gameplay

Potentially Conflicting With

Enforced Player Anonymity, Diegetic Consistency, Thematic Consistency Thematically Consistent Dialogues

Relations

Can Instantiate

Communication Channels, Cooperation, Creative Control, Bragging, Enactment, Guilting, Illocutionary Interfaces, Information Passing, Mediated Gameplay, Voting

Can Modulate

Game Lobbies, Guilds, Parties, Teams

Can Be Instantiated By

Dedicated Game Facilitators, Geospatial Game Widgets, HUD Interfaces

Can Be Modulated By

Canned Text Responses, Handles

Possible Closure Effects

-

Potentially Conflicting With

Enforced Player Anonymity, Diegetic Consistency, Thematic Consistency, Thematically Consistent Dialogues

History

New pattern created in this wiki.

References

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Acknowledgements