Galleries

Raised areas that provide advantages through overlooking narrow passages.

Being on high ground which is not immediately accessible to enemies is an advantage possible in games where combat is possible. Galleries are places that provide this advantage but in addition require the combatants in the lower area to move along the elevated area for some distance, further adding to the advantage.

Examples

Galleries are most prominently used in First-Person Shooters. For example, the map Mashtuur City in Battlefield 2 provides a Gallery by having letting players move on a beach between the sea and some high cliffs while Dustbowl in Team Fortress 2 has low Galleries in the last third of the map. The Proving Grounds in Quake III Arena is another example of a First-Person Shooter map with a Gallery.

Using the pattern

Galleries are primarily created by using height differences while designing Levels and Game Worlds but other combinations of One-Way Travel and cover can work as well. Specifically, the heights (and the rest of the gameplay area) need to funnel movement along them so that those on the heights can attack those below for an extended period of time with the advantage of being on higher ground.

If Galleries are deemed to disrupt Player or Team Balance, Flanking Routes can be used to provide additional ways for those having to move through the lower area.

Consequences

Galleries modulate how Combat and Movement can do done in Game Worlds and Levels. They do this by making Guard goals easier for those in the elevated areas through making the areas overlooked into potential Choke Points (the raised areas can also often function as a form of Sniper Locations). This has the effect of modulating the difficulty of Enemies and increasing the likelihood of Repeated Domination.

The advantages of Galleries make them into Strategic Locations and likely places for Camping. When not to enclosed, Galleries typically offer One-Way Travel from the raised parts to the passages they are overlooking.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Camping, Choke Points, One-Way Travel, Repeated Domination, Sniper Locations, Strategic Locations

Can Modulate

Combat, Enemies, Game Worlds, Guard, Levels, Movement

Can Be Instantiated By

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Can Be Modulated By

Flanking Routes

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 using another template by Hullett and Whitehead, and a more detailed description in this template is available.

Acknowledgements

Kenneth Hullett, Jim Whitehead