Performance Uncertainty

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

This pattern is a still a stub.

Note: player performance that depends on finding a solution of actions that guarantee success is covered under Solution Uncertainty.

Examples

All Sports, e.g. Figure Skating, Marathons, and Soccer, depend on how well the participants perform. Chess and Go are early examples of games that pitch players against each other and winning depends on their mental abilities.

Computer Games allowed more control over which type of performance players have to do, and when they had to do it. first-person shooters, e.g. the Quake, Left 4 Dead, and Crysis series put emphasis on skillful movement and shooting but this can arguably be found already in Asteroids. Other, e.g. PaRappa the Rapper and Donkey Konga, put more focus on requiring that players can keep steady rhythms; the Rock Band series does this also in requiring players to handle replicas of musical instruments while the Dance Dance Revolution series make players dance or perform dance-like movement.

Roleplaying or enacting characters in Tabletop Roleplaying Games or LARPs also depend on player performances, but here what is at stake is not winning but rather providing enjoyment for all players by giving good and interesting portrayals of characters.

Using the pattern

Can Be Instantiated By

Roleplaying Physical Enactment Enactment Aim & Shoot Rhythm-Based Actions Challenging Gameplay, Memorizing, Player Physical Prowess, Tactical Planning

Can Be Modulated By

AI Players, No Direct Player Influence, Player/Character Skill Composites, Player/System Action Composites, Strategic Knowledge

Consequences

The main consequence of having Performance Uncertainty in a game is that it increases the Uncertainty of Outcome in that game.

Relations

Exaggerated Perception of Influence Roleplaying Physical Enactment Enactment

Can Instantiate

Uncertainty of Outcome

Can Modulate

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Can Be Instantiated By

Aim & Shoot, Challenging Gameplay, Memorizing, Player Physical Prowess, Rhythm-Based Actions, Tactical Planning

Can Be Modulated By

AI Players, No Direct Player Influence, Player/Character Skill Composites, Player/System Action Composites, Strategic Knowledge

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

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History

New pattern created in this wiki. However, the pattern is based on the concept of performance uncertainty described in Costikyan's book Uncertainty in Games.

Acknowledgements

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