Check Points

Locations in game worlds which signify game state changes directly related to the progress of some goal.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Examples

Example: All racing games, such as the Midtown Madness and Super Monkey Ball series, make use of Goal Points by having goal lines for completing the race. Reaching the Goal Point in Super Monkey Ball is the goal for finishing each of the levels.

Example: Capture-the-Flag variants of multiplayer first-person shooters, such as in some variants of Quake and Unreal Tournament, have certain areas where the enemy flag has to be delivered for the team to score.

Left 4 Dead series Assassin's Creed series

Anti-Examples

optional

Using the pattern

Can Be Instantiated By

Big Dumb Objects Delivery, Herd, Safe Havens, Save Points

Can Be Modulated By

Point of Interest Indications, Save Points Diegetically Outstanding Features Mini-maps Geospatial Game Widgets Herd

Interface Aspects

Check Points is an Interface Pattern.

Consequences

Check Points are a type of Progress Indicators or Goal Indicators. They can serve as Landmarks or Traces and can denote Strategic Locations, or make places into Strategic Locations simply by their own existence. By their placement they can make players engage in Game World Exploration as part of trying to achieve some other goal.

When reaching Check Points are used to achieve Area Control, they create Gain Ownership goals.

Can Instantiate

Backtracking Levels, Traverse

Can Modulate

Area Control, Continuous Goals, Game Worlds, Movement Arenas, Levels, Multiplayer Games

Relations

Can Instantiate

Backtracking Levels, Game World Exploration, Goal Indicators, Landmarks, Progress Indicators, Strategic Locations, Traces, Traverse

with Area Control

Gain Ownership

Can Modulate

Area Control, Arenas, Continuous Goals, Game Worlds, Levels, Movement, Multiplayer Games

Can Be Instantiated By

Big Dumb Objects, Delivery, Herd, Safe Havens, Save Points

Can Be Modulated By

Diegetically Outstanding Features, Geospatial Game Widgets, Herd, Mini-maps, Point of Interest Indications, Save Points

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

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History

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

Acknowledgements

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