Maneuvering

Controlling the movement of game elements in real-time games.

Moving game elements in games are common, but doing so in real-time games require different skills than in turn-based ones. This type of movement, Maneuvering, requires players to pay constant attention to what happens in the game and react to these with the appropriate timing.

Examples

Racing Games such as the Need for Speed series and the Gran Turismo series requires players to maneuver cars as quickly as possible around courses. The racing game F-Zero GX also requires player to maneuver vehicles to avoid obstacles and other vehicles but does this at even high speeds and on tracks making full use of three dimensions.

Much of the skill in playing First-Person Shooters such as the Battlefield series, the Halo series, and the Left 4 Dead series consists in being able to maneuver Avatars, and vehicles they have entered, so one has good opportunities to attack enemies while still avoiding their attacks.

In the Assassin's Creed series, the Super Mario series, and the Tomb Raider series players need to navigate the game environment by timing running, jumping, and other movement actions to a high degree.

Using the pattern

Maneuvering is basically Movement in Real-Time Games, and can be necessary either due wanting to reach certain location or by the Movement of other game elements. In the first case, Environmental Effects, Obstacles, and Traps can be used to create Evade goals while Chargers and Pick-Ups can create Collecting goals, both of which can be completed by Maneuvering. Movement of other game elements can be Enemies, or shots from them, that aim directly for the players' game elements or can be Ultra-Powerful Events, e. g., raising bridges or rock falls, that have to be avoided. Maneuvering due to the Movement of other game elements does not only have to aid in Evading them but can also include Aim & Shoot actions with the intention of fulfilling Capture or Eliminate goals.

Maneuvering requires that players at least have a weak Spatial Immersion in the game and thereby requires either a First-Person View or a Third-Person View. Setting theRight Level of Difficulty for Maneuvering actions can be done either by controlling the speed game elements move in or controlling the Right Level of Complexity by the number of game elements that have to be taken into consideration at any given point. The first raises the requirements on skills in Dexterity-Based Actions while the second requires Attention Swapping.

Can Be Modulated By

Challenging Gameplay, Enemies, Game Worlds, Pick-Ups, Turn-Based Games, Vehicles

The need for Maneuvering comes either from a lack of Game State Overview that causes the current situation to be suboptimal or because the Game World is sufficiently complex to make corrections necessary regardless of chosen path. Both these causes may be due to the Movement of other game elements, which can either be intentional movement by Enemies or instantiations of The Show Must Go On.

Consequences

Maneuvering is typically an Attention Demanding activity and can give Spatial Engrossment since players must think of the positions of their Focus Loci in relation to Game Worlds. Like other forms of Movement, it is quite likely to provide players with a Freedom of Choice. When combined with goals to Evade, Capture, or Herd the pattern can also require Dexterity-Based Actions and Timing.

Can Modulate

Capture

Relations

Can Instantiate

Attention Demanding, Freedom of Choice, Spatial Engrossment

with Chargers or Pick-Ups

Collecting

with Environmental Effects, Obstacles, or Traps

Evade

with Evade, Capture, or Herd

Dexterity-Based Actions, Timing

Can Modulate

Capture

Can Be Instantiated By

Movement together with Real-Time Games

Can Be Modulated By

Challenging Gameplay, Chargers, Enemies, Environmental Effects, Game Worlds, Obstacles, Pick-Ups, Traps, Turn-Based Games, Vehicles

History

A rewrite of the pattern Maneuvering that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design.