Player-Avatar Proximity

Game rules that depend on players being physically close to avatars.

Being close to other players is important in games where players physically enact gameplay action, e.g. Live Action Roleplaying Games and Sports. Likewise, games the proximity to other avatars is usually important in games that take place in virtual environments, for example Fighting Games, FPS Games, and Massively Multiplayer Online Games. However, a less common case is when the physical location of one player and the virtual location of another player's avatar is important to gameplay. This Player-Avatar Proximity feature can only occur in games where players locations are mapped to virtual environment (or vice versa) but then gives players an additional level of complexity of spatial relations.

Examples

The pervasive game Can You See Me Now? pitches group of players navigating real world environments against individual ones that move their avatars on a game map of the real world environment. Through GPS devices the locations of the first group is positioned on the map and the group can use this to catch the individual players by coming close to their avatars.

Uncle Roy All Around You is a co-operative game where a player navigating the real world can team up with one navigating a virtual one to complete tasks.

Using the pattern

Can Be Modulated By

Extended Actions

Consequences

Can Instantiate

Orthogonal Differentiation, Privileged Movement, Replayability, Social Interaction

Player-Avatar Proximity is a specific gameplay feature that can be used in Hybrid Spaces

Relations

Can Instantiate

Orthogonal Differentiation, Privileged Movement, Replayability, Social Interaction

Can Modulate

Hybrid Spaces

Can Be Instantiated By

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Can Be Modulated By

Extended Actions

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

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History

Updated version of the pattern Player-Avatar Proximity first described in the paper Understanding Pervasive Games through Gameplay Design Patterns.

Acknowledgements

Johan Peitz