Helpers

Diegetic individuals that help players.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Helpers are game elements presented as diegetic characters that support the players in completing goals by giving advice or by performing actions which the players are not able to perform. They are not under players' control, and typically do not move around in the game world.

Examples

Example: the rumor spreading non-player characters in Ultima series are sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly giving the player advice on how to progress in the game.

Example: each of the games in The Legend of Zelda series contains several helpers from helpful grandmothers to talking boats.

Mario Kart series being towed after falling of courses

Choosing the Mysterious Stranger perk in the Fallout series gives players a certain chance to be helped very temporarily in combat when things look grim. Fallout: New Vegas add a similar perk, Miss Fortune, that deals fatigue damage rather than real damage.

Using the pattern

Designing Helpers consist of deciding on what type of Non-Player Characters the Helpers should be and what type of help should be provided. They two areas are however related since the available actions and planning of different types of Non-Player Characters can allow some types of help but be unable to allow other types of help.

Giving Clues or helping with Quests in some fashion requires little agency and can be done by Non-Player Characters as limited as Self-Service Kiosks represented as diegetic people. When Narrative Engrossment is wanted, Gossip may be an appropriate way of providing Clues since it is also inherently diegetic. In games with Private Game Spaces, Tutorial Neighbors can offer the same types of helps as Self-Service Kiosks but can provide an additional way of supporting Smooth Learning Curves through giving players an example of how gameplay can develop. Both these types of Helpers can also allow players to engage in Trading or have access to Privileged Abilities such as Crafting or healing Damage. Companions are the most versatile types of Helpers and may be as helpful as AI Players. Even Cutscenes can be used to create Helpers, typically then as part of Predetermined Story Structures.

Helpers can be modified by Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences. That is, they can be designed so that they will not help players that have behaved in a certain way, or may require players to perform certain actions to begin helping them. This may also be represented as Quests which differ from the one Helpers provide aid with in that they are done to gain access to the Helpers.

Helplessness is not so often alleviated by Helpers but the [[Mario

However, as Helpers typically are represented as living creatures, they may provide different Indirect Information when interacted with several times. This may range from simply rotating through a couple of answers to provide variation to providing new pieces of information when the previous goals have been completed. Further, game designer have to determine if the players can modify the reaction of Helpers by their actions, e. g. gifts, bribes, threats, or direct attacks. Sometimes Helpers can also act as Tools, for example, the Lion Boat in The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is also the player's main means of transportation. Helpers can be used to create Red Herrings for the players as the information they provide is rarely Direct Information about the game state.

Game elements can change roles between being Helpers and Units due to the actions of the player, and this can be used to create new subgoals for the player. For example, in Baldur's Gate the player can talk to many non-player characters in the game, but some these characters can also be invited to the player's adventuring party, effectively changing their status from being a Helper to being a Unit.

Diegetic Aspects

Helpers is a Diegetic Pattern in that it gives players help in a diegetic form.

Narrative Aspects

Helpers can be used both to drive Predetermined Story Structures forward or to provide additional details to them.

Consequences

Helpers are Non-Player Characters that help players in Levels or Game Worlds by providing players with Clues, Quests or services such as Trading or performing Privileged Abilities (e.g. healing Damage). Quite naturally, Helpers are not compatible with Enemies but the presence of the pattern Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences can turn Helpers into Enemies if players do despicable actions according to the Helpers.

Like Clues, Helpers can support Smooth Learning Curves by offering additional help when needed.

Gain Competence,

Relations

Can Instantiate

Clues, Gain Competence, Gain Information, Predetermined Story Structures, Privileged Abilities, Smooth Learning Curves, Trading, Quests

Can Modulate

Game Worlds, Helplessness, Levels, Predetermined Story Structures, Quests

Can Be Instantiated By

Companions, Cutscenes, Non-Player Characters, Self-Service Kiosks, Tutorial Neighbors

Can Be Modulated By

Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

Enemies

History

An updated version of the pattern Helpers that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design.

Acknowledgements

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