Movement

The action of moving game elements in game worlds.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Movement of game elements is a common action in games that have a Game World or board. Movement allows players to try and move game elements into favorable positions as well as control or explore the game area.

Examples

Example: Racing games such as F-Zero GX and Mario Kart: Double Dash!! have movement as the primary activity in the game.

Example: With the exception of the value of kings and the ability of pawns to become queens, different Movement abilities are what distinguish different types of pieces in Chess.

Example: Spacewar and Asteroids both allow players to move spaceships by rotation and thrust in the spaceships' direction. However, they also allow players to escape dangerous situations by providing a limited number of hyperjumps that place the spaceship in a random location.

High Frontier

RoboRally Ricochet Robots Sokoban

Cogs Space Alert

Using the pattern

Deciding how game elements can move depends on the Game World and the intended differences between game elements. Obstacles, Inaccessible Areas, and Deadly Traps in the Game World can all be used as basics for Privileged Movement or Movement Limitations. The easiest form of Privileged Movement for one game element compared to other game elements is the ability to move faster (or longer in Turn-Based Games). This can be used to modulate the Right Level of Difficulty in Capture and Evade goals.

The difficulty of Movement is connected to the complexity of the movement and the Freedom of Choice the player has. The more degrees of freedom of movement a player has, up to the maximum of six (three absolute and three rotational) for a single Focus Loci, the more the complexity of the Movement is increased. So, finding the Right Level of Difficulty for Movement lies in finding a balance between the Right Level of Complexity for the Movement and the intended Freedom of Choice the players should have when moving. Further complications to Movement occur through the introduction of acceleration, deceleration, momentum, dislocated centers of gravity, jointed vehicles, and vehicles with complex forms of locomotion.

Movement can be used to create Orthogonal Unit Differentiation by either giving Units some form ofPrivileged Movement or imposing some form of Movement Limitation on the units.

In Turn-Based Games, the typical way of instantiating Movement is through randomizing how far players can move, giving players Budgeted Action Points that can be spent (possible not only) on Movement, or a combination of both.

Can Be Instantiated By

Quick Returns, Rhythm-Based Actions, Warp Zones

Can Be Modulated By

Combos, Clues, Diegetically Tangible Game Items, Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment, Environmental Effects, Game Worlds, Inaccessible Areas, Line of Sight, Obstacles, Pick-Ups, Quick Travel, Traces, Vehicles, Visits, Warp Zones

Goal Points

Race, Capture, Stealth, Exploration,Herd, Delivery, and Traverse goals as well as for performing the actions of Aim & Shoot or the Collecting of Pick-Ups

Consequences

Movement is a basic way of creating Freedom of Choice in games and both affects the Avatars or Enemies given the ability to move and the Game Worlds they can move within. It is a prerequisite for many actions and goals, e.g. Capture, Collecting, Delivery, Evade, Exploration, Herd, Races, Stealth, and Traverse as as well as modulating how Aim & Shoot can be done. While all intentional Movement in Game Worlds requires Game World Navigation when this is supported through Goal Points showing intermediate target locations, the Movement done to reach these makes them act as Progress Indicators. As soon as players need to consider their own acceleration or speed, or the movement of other game elements, Movement requires Tactical Planning.

Movement does not always offer Spatial Engrossment but is more likely to do so in Real-Time Games since this makes the the Movement into Maneuvering. In contrast, Movement in Turn-Based Games can give rise to Puzzle Solving, e.g. games that require players to move between many interconnected places give rise to Traveling Salesman's problems (see Ricochet Robots and Sokoban for two Turn-Based Games that can create Spatial Engrossment even so due to focusing completely on Movement). Puzzle Solving regarding Movement can also occur in any game where Movement is used to succeed with goals to Capture something.

Movement of game elements that are not under the control of any players, usually Obstacles, can be Ultra-Powerful Events that require Movement or Maneuvering from the players in response, for example completing Aim & Shoot actions.

Can Instantiate

Construction, Units

Relations

Can Instantiate

Capture, Collecting, Construction, Delivery, Evade, Exploration, Freedom of Choice, Herd, Races, Stealth, Traverse, Units

with Capture

Puzzle Solving, Tactical Planning

with Real-Time Games

Maneuvering, Spatial Engrossment

with Turn-Based Games

Puzzle Solving

Can Modulate

Aim & Shoot, Avatars, Capture, Enemies, Game Worlds

Can Be Instantiated By

Quick Returns, Rhythm-Based Actions, Warp Zones

Can Be Modulated By

Combos, Clues, Diegetically Tangible Game Items, Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment, Environmental Effects, Game Worlds, Inaccessible Areas, Line of Sight, Obstacles, Pick-Ups, Quick Travel, Traces, Vehicles, Visits, Warp Zones

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

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History

A rewrite of the pattern Movement that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design.