Helplessness

Gameplay situations where players cannot themselves affect their situation.

Games may be about putting players in positions where they can make interesting choices but sometimes games takes this away from them. By doing so, they put them in a state of Helplessness where even if they can notice how the gameplay progresses they are unable to do anything about it.

Examples

Player in the Left 4 Dead series can become incapacitated by falling off ledges, being pinned by infected with special powers, or by simply receiving enough damage. When this occurs players cannot by themselves affect their fate, they have to be saved by other players.

Using the pattern

Extended Actions Delayed Reciprocity

Exaggerated Perception of Influence

Privileged Abilities

No-Ops

Cut Scenes

Multiplayer Games open up the possibility for other players to intervene on the helpless players behalf, as for example done in the Left 4 Dead series. This can further be modulated by letting players have the possibility to request help - this is possible by default in games with Unmediated Social Interaction but may require Communication Channels in others.

Consequences

Helplessness can be seen as Ultra-Powerful Events that quite easily creates Tension in players, and possibly Anticipation as they notice that effort is being made to help them or that they their fate is being sealed. It makes it impossible for players affected to have Exaggerated Perception of Influence, but if players can save incapacitated players they can instead have it, as well as contextually having a Privileged Ability compared to those in need of help.

For games where players can ask for help through Unmediated Social Interaction or Communication Channels, Helplessness may easily give rise to Negotiation and Guilting.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Anticipation, Tension, Ultra-Powerful Events

with Communication Channels or Unmediated Social Interaction

Guilting, Negotiation

with Multiplayer Games

Exaggerated Perception of Influence, Privileged Abilities

Can Modulate

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Can Be Instantiated By

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Can Be Modulated By

Multiplayer Games

with Multiplayer Games

Communication Channels, Unmediated Social Interaction

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

Exaggerated Perception of Influence

History

An updated version of the pattern Helplessness first identified in the paper Exploring Aesthetic Gameplay Design Patterns – Camaraderie in Four Games.

Acknowledgements

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