Ephemeral Events

Game events that only exist for a limit period of time within the game's way of measuring time.

While some parts of game states or game worlds may stay then same throughout game instances, others change to have events that are either planned or occur due to chance. When these events only last for a short period of time (in the game's way of measuring the progress of time), these are Ephemeral Events that may offer specific actions, challenges, and rewards.

Examples

Checking in Chess and announcing Atari in Go are both examples of events that only occur for a short period of time, although an Atari may persist as long as both players leave it.

FarmVille and Mafia Wars make in-game events related to various holidays in the real world, and these events only exist in conjunction to when those holidays occur. These reoccur as the holidays do but other types of events can add variety, e.g. the challenge mission in Mafia Wars that was linked to the world championship in Soccer 2010. Persistent game worlds such as World of Warcraft often do similar things with events such as New Year's Eve, Oktoberfest, and the Day of the Dead.

Using the pattern

Ephemeral Events can easily be created by the use of Ephemeral Goals or Time Limits.

Evolving Rule Sets Encouraged Return Visits

Interruptible Actions

Relations

Can Be Instantiated By

Ephemeral Goals, Time Limits

History

New pattern created in this wiki.

References

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Acknowledgements

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