Information Passing

The passing, from a character to another, of information having influence on the gameplay.

One or more characters are talking. The information perceived could trigger new goals, add action possibilities, or improve changes to make good choices.

Examples

In Lies and Seductions players can find out that a non-player character, Ed, is a good poker player but becomes legless when drunk through talking to other characters, and thereby uncover the possible game strategy to win money from Ed.

Players of the Thief series of games receive new goals, or have current goals canceled, as their characters overheard discussions.

Characters in the Sim series can quickly become friends or enemies depending on what they heard them saying.

Using the pattern

Information Passing is easily achieved as part of Character Dialogues in a game although the level of influence on gameplay can vary. While Information Passing resulting in the completion or failure of goals, it directly steers the gameplay but merely providing the player with information also lets the pattern provide Clues or Red Herrings. Similarly, the introduction of Predefined Goals or Optional Goals as an effect of Information Passing show two distinctly different ways of influencing the gameplay.

One design choice regarding Information Passing is if the events are predetermined Canned Text Responses which are part of Narration Structures (as for example in Thief series) or if the Information Passing is part of the game system (as for example in the Sim series).

One specific way of creating Information Passing is to present it as Gossip between characters. Eavesdropping can be combined with this or work independently as another way to instantiate the pattern, but also open up to having Gain Information goals requiring Stealth.

Factions

Consequences

Conversation becomes more tightly integrated with the Character-Driven Game Design gameplay and they can be used to tie the gameplay and the Narrative Structures together.

Typically, a game event of containing Information Passing results in information being gained by players also, although it may not be the same information or only the knowledge that information has been passed. When information is revealed, this may cause Surprises and the unfolding of Narrative Structures but regardless of this, the event may be sufficient to complete Gain Information goals.

Whenever the event gives information not only to characters but also to players, this makes the pattern incompatible with Perfect Information.

History

An updated version of the pattern Faction, first introduced in Lankoski 2010.