Difference between revisions of "Diegetically Tangible Game Items"

Revision as of 12:41, 16 April 2011

Game items that have tangible presences in game worlds.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Examples

Diegetically Tangible Game Items can let players reach places otherwise inaccessible to them. Sokoban and the Tomb Raider series uses this to create puzzles but sometimes this effect is unintentional; that players' avatars could stand on limpet mines in Deus Ex let them circumvent the level designs, and that players' avatars could stand on each other in Team Fortress Classic made it possible for them to reach ledges they weren't supposed to.

The blocks in Minecraft are Diegetically Tangible Game Items that can be "mined" to be used as building material or the raw materials for tools, equipment, and other items.

Using the pattern

Creating Diegetically Tangible Game Items consists of creating Game Items, which all the choices this confers, but also considering how they affect, and are affected by, Game Worlds.

Existing in Game Worlds, Diegetically Tangible Game Items can affect both Line of Sight and Movement. They can also be Traps or, if they are movable, make it possible to reach Inaccessible Areas by placing them appropriately (including stacking them) and this can be used to require player to engage in Puzzle Solving. However, Diegetically Tangible Game Items can also allow players to create Inaccessible Areas, Safe Havens, and Traps.

The most common way to make Diegetically Tangible Game Items be affected by Game Worlds is to let them be affected by Environmental Effects. Since the Diegetically Tangible Game Items can be Environmental Effects themselves these means that they can affect each other, e.g. when water and lava blocks in Minecraft come in contact with each other they turn into obsidian.

Diegetic Aspects

As the name indicates, Diegetically Tangible Game Items is a diegetic pattern whose defined by making Game Items have a tangible present in Game Worlds.

Consequences

Diegetically Tangible Game Items are Obstacles in Game Worlds. Since they can affect both Movement and Line of Sight for Avatars and Units, they affect these also. However, since they are removable these are temporary effects, and they may be used to create Inaccessible Areas, Safe Havens, and possibly Traps.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Inaccessible Areas, Obstacles, Puzzle Solving, Safe Havens, Traps

Can Modulate

Avatars, Game Items, Game Worlds, Inaccessible Areas, Line of Sight, Movement, Units

Can Be Instantiated By

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Can Be Modulated By

Environmental Effects

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

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