Maneuvering

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

This pattern is a still a stub.

Games in which players control vehicles or characters that move in real time often have Obstacles or Enemies that have to be avoided. Doing this in real time requires Maneuvering of the game elements under the players' control.

Examples

Assassin's Creed series Left 4 Dead series

Example: Much of the skill in playing first-person shooters consists in being able to maneuver one's Avatar so one avoids enemy gunfire and has good opportunities to attack enemies.

Example: The racing game F-Zero GX requires player to maneuver to avoid obstacles and other vehicles while traveling at high speeds on a 3D racing track.

Using the pattern

Maneuvering in a [Game Worlds|Game World]], even in simple two-dimensional [Game Worlds]], enhances the feeling of [Spatial Immersion]].

Maneuvering can be necessary either due to the Movement of a game element controlled by a player or by the movement of other game elements. In the first case, Obstacles and Deadly Traps in the environment may cause emergent Evade goals, or Chargers and Pick-Ups may require Collecting actions, 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 Instantiated By

Movement together with Real-Time Games

Can Be Modulated By

Challenging Gameplay, Enemies, Game Worlds, Obstacles, Pick-Ups, Traps, 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 Instantiate

Freedom of Choice, Spatial Engrossment

with Capture

Dexterity-Based Actions, Timing

Can Modulate

Capture

Relations

Can Instantiate

Attention Demanding, Freedom of Choice

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, Enemies, 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.