Interruptible Actions

Actions that can be interrupted before their effects on the game state have been completely taken place.

Just because players have performed, or started to perform, actions does not mean that they will affect the game state. Games that allow actions to be interrupted before they affect the game state, either partially or fully, have Interruptible Actions.

Examples

Fighting games such as the Tekken series allow players to block opponent's attacks, effectively making the attacks interruptible.

In RoboRally, players choose how their robots should move by deciding a sequence of programming cards. These are the actions the robot will perform, but since other robots' movement may push the robot around, the intended actions are interruptible.

Several actions in the Left 4 Dead series, e.g. healing other players or helping them up when they are hanging from a ledge, can be disturbed by attacks of the enemies in the game, the infected.

Using the pattern

In Real-Time Games, Interruptible Actions are either Extended Actions, so that the actions can interrupted before their effects takes place, or actions with Delayed Effects so that other actions may nullify the effect of the action. In Turn-Based Games, special Turn Taking sequences may be necessary to describe in rules for how actions can be interrupted, even though these sequences are not-used for most turns.

Actions that cause Irreversible Events can be modulated with Interruptible Actions so that a period of time exists for agents to stop the action. This can provided Balancing Effects in games, e.g. fighting games where players can block attacks or interrupt Combos, so not only the actions available and how they are performed are important but also how one counters them.

In games with Negotiation, for example the Trading in Settlers of Catan, Interruptible Action allows several agents to simultaneously engage in the active but may cause Time Pressure.

Being able to interrupt an action can be a Privileged Ability. This is most common in card games but can also be found in situations where judges are used to modulate Negotiation. Depending on the game, it may be allowed to interrupt Storytelling and this can be used to make the story into a collaborative action.

Consequences

As completing an Interruptible Action can be a goal in itself, all Interruptible Actions spawn Interferable Goals. In a case where players have multiple Focus Loci, Interruptible Actions that are also Extended Actions may require players to perform Risk/Reward choices on how much Attention Swapping is necessary to ensure completion of the actions.

Relations

Instantiates

Attention Swapping, Interferable Goals, Risk/Reward, Balancing Effects

Modulates

Extended Actions, Trading, Storytelling, Combos, Negotiation, Irreversible Events

Instantiated By

Turn Taking, Privileged Abilities

Modulated By

Delayed Effects

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

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History

An rewrite of the original pattern named Interruptible Actions in the book 'Patterns in Game Design' (Björk & Holopainen, 2004).

References

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