Leaps of Faith

Actions that are performed without any guaranteed, or visible, chance of success.

Not all actions in games have predictable outcomes. When a player can see many potential ways of failing an action and no clear ways of how to succeed, performing the action anyway is a Leap of Faith.

Example: the platform game Ghost'n'Goblins had places where the player could not see the other side of a chasm. In order to advance in the game the players had to jump out into the air hoping that there would be something to land on at the other side.

Example: the negotiation game Intrigue has players bribe each other to get jobs in the castles of the other players' masters. However, bribed players do not have to follow promises, and giving bribes are Leaps of Faiths for the briber.

Examples

Anti-Examples

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Relations

Instantiates: Surprises, Irreversible Actions, Tension, Risk/Reward, Narrative Structures

Modulates:

Instantiated by: Imperfect Information, Betrayal, Negotiation, Uncommitted Alliances

Modulated by: Movement Limitations, Inaccessible Areas

Potentially conflicting with: Perceived Chance to Succeed

Irreversible Events Tension Determinable Chance to Succeed Characters Experimenting Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences Character Defining Actions Delayed Reciprocity Traps Obstacles Predictable Consequences One-Way Travel Invulnerabilities Game World Navigation Exceptional Events Save-Load Cycles Game State Overviews

Can Instantiate

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Can Modulate

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Can Be Instantiated By

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Can Be Modulated By

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Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

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History

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

Acknowledgements

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