Difference between revisions of "Supporting Goals"

Revision as of 08:44, 28 September 2016

Goals whose primary effect is to help players achieve other goals of a game.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Examples

Example: In the case of Chess, the subgoals of capturing the opponent's pieces can be seen as Supporting Goals for the higher level goal of checkmating the king. They are not necessary to achieve the checkmate but make it easier to complete.

Example: Getting the power pill in Pac-Man can be seen as a Supporting Goal for the goal of taking all the pills as the ghosts cannot capture Pac-Man during the time he is affected by the power pill.

Example: Real-time strategy games, such as Age of Empires, have many Supporting Goals, from identifying and collecting resources to building defenses and scouting enemy territory, all of which support the goal of defeating the opponents. Much of the skill in those games lies in balancing the struggle towards the different Supporting Goals so that the chances of succeeding with the overarching goal are maximized given the particular circumstances of a specific game instance.

Left 4 Dead series

Using the pattern

Diegetic Aspects

Interface Aspects

Narration Aspects

Consequences

Relations

Cooperation Challenging Gameplay Casual Gameplay Algorithmic Agents Team Combos Non-Player Characters Enemies Companions Enforced Agent Behavior

Factions Pick-Ups Improved Abilities New Abilities Sidequests Area Control Game World Exploration Races Red Herrings Traverse Evade Winner determined after Gameplay Ends Gameplay Engines Progress Indicators Trade-Offs Varied Gameplay

Modulates: Goal Hierarchies

Instantiated by: Achilles' Heels, Optional Goals

Modulated by: Resources

Can Instantiate

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Can Modulate

Player Balance, Risk/Reward

Can Be Instantiated By

Gain Information

Can Be Modulated By

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Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

Conflicts

History

An updated version of the pattern Supporting Goals that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design^[1].

References

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

Acknowledgements

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