Non-Renewable Resources
The one-sentence "definition" that should be in italics.
This pattern is a still a stub.
Contents
Examples
One-time special abilities
Support Cards in Star Trek Catan "When a player uses a Support Card ability for the first time, they may trade it in for a Support Card of their choice or keep it for a second use, but they may only trade immediately after use."
Boss cards in Boss Monster "All Bosses have a Level Up Ability. This ability activates the first time a Bosses Dungeon reaches the maximum 5 Room limit. This ability cannot be saved and only happens once."
characters in Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game
Euphoria ethical dilemmas
Samurai Spirit becoming beast form
Betrayal at House on the Hill boosts from gym, chapel, etc.
Dog allies in Arkham Horror and Dead of Winter that disappear to restore san or die instead of you respectively (double check)
"Got Your Backs" ability in Shadowrun Crossfire
Using the pattern
Can Modulate
Capture, Companions, Fudged Results, Handicaps, Lives, Mules, Player Balance, Randomness, Resources, Transfer of Control, Units, Varied Gameplay
Can Be Instantiated By
Can Be Modulated By
Ownership, Transfer of Control
Non-Renewable Resources is typically designed as part of guaranteeing that Complete Resource Depletion will occur during gameplay. While this may not always be the case, e.g. by players hoard the Resources but not using them, the end result is typically the same: that the Resources aren't used to perform certain actions and therefor those actions don't occur.
Non-Renewable Resources can be designed in two ways. One is that the Resources are globally non-renewable while the other is that they are non-renewable on a per player basis. The main difference between these is that the Resources cannot be tradeable in the latter case.
Resources cannot quite naturally be both Non-Renewable Resources and Renewable or Regenerating ones. It can be problematic to use globally Non-Renewable Resources in Persistent Game Worlds because this more or less requires that gameplay can function well forever without the Resources affected after they have been depleted.
Consequences
Complete Resource Depletion can be guaranteed in games with Non-Renewable Resources and Consumers that consume these resources, and this may create Tied Results as a follow-up effect.
Can Instantiate
Closed Economies, Irreversible Events
with Capture
Higher-Level Closures as Gameplay Progresses
with Energy
with Experimenting
with Hands
Limited Gameplay Time, Predictable Consequences
Relations
Privileged Abilities co-op?
Can Instantiate
Closed Economies, Irreversible Events
with Capture
Higher-Level Closures as Gameplay Progresses
with Consumers
with Energy
with Experimenting
with Hands
Limited Gameplay Time, Predictable Consequences
Can Modulate
Capture, Companions, Fudged Results, Handicaps, Lives, Mules, Player Balance, Randomness, Resources, Transfer of Control, Units, Varied Gameplay
Can Be Instantiated By
Can Be Modulated By
Ownership, Transfer of Control
Possible Closure Effects
-
Potentially Conflicting With
Persistent Game Worlds, Regenerating Resources, Renewable Resources
History
An updated version of the pattern Non-Renewable Resources that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design[1].
References
- ↑ Björk, S. & Holopainen, J. (2004) Patterns in Game Design. Charles River Media. ISBN1-58450-354-8.
Acknowledgements
Johan Gärderud, Mikael Jakobsson, Esther MacCallum-Stewart, Brian McDonald, Richard Wetzel
