Functional Roles
Gameplay where responsibility for different types of game actions can be divided between participants.
This pattern is a still a stub.
Contents
Examples
Class-based Tabletop Roleplaying Games such as Dungeons & Dragons
weapons
Using the pattern
Supporting Functional Roles requires both vary that entities can or need to specialize into different roles, and that several entities exist to fill these roles.
Can Be Instantiated By
Equipment Slots, Role Selection, Sidegrades, Skills, Tools, Weapons
New Abilities with Competence Areas and Teams
Privileged Abilities with Competence Areas and Teams
Functional Roles in Multiplayer Games create need for player Coordination. Beyond all other ways of supporting Coordination that exist, one way appropriate in conjunction with Functional Roles is to let players distinguish themselves with Cosmetic Game Items according to their roles.
Diegetic Aspects
Interface Aspects
Narrative Aspects
Consequences
Novice players can ease into a game when Functional Roles require different levels of expertise in Teams, so the pattern can support Smooth Learning Curves in these types of games; an example of this is playing engineers or medics in Team Fortress 2.
In Multiplayer Games, Functional Roles let players have Varied Gameplay and thereby provides Replayability in that players can have different gameplay experiences by testing different roles. When roles are limited, this can lead to Internal Rivalry between the players - especially in games with persistent social organizations such as Guilds. These Internal Rivalries can in turn lead to Role Reversals during gameplay.
Relations
Can Instantiate
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with Teams
with Cosmetic Game Items
with Internal Rivalry
with Multiplayer Games
Internal Rivalry, Replayability, Varied Gameplay
Can Modulate
Can Be Instantiated By
Companions, Equipment Slots, Parties, Role Selection, Sidegrades, Skills, Tools, Weapons
New Abilities with Competence Areas and Teams
Privileged Abilities with Competence Areas and Teams
Can Be Modulated By
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Possible Closure Effects
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Potentially Conflicting With
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History
New pattern created in this wiki. However, it was first introduced as a concept to support socially adaptable games by Björk et al (2004)[1].
References
- ↑ Björk, S., Eriksson, D., Holopainen, J. & Peitz, J. (2004). Guidelines for Socially Adaptable Games, Deliverable D9.1 of the EU project "Integrated Project on Pervasive Gaming" (FP6 - 004457).
