Mutual Goals

The one-sentence "definition" that should be in italics.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Examples

Left 4 Dead series

Using the pattern

Mutual Goals are typically used to provide players with Shared Rewards and/or Shared Penalties for some activity, and if Agents shared those goals create Teams. Another reason is to make Algorithmic Agents into Companions by giving them Mutual Goals with a player. A special case of Mutual Goals is those that players together decide upon, i.e. the ones that are Player Defined Goals; these can occur spontaneously within game instances whenever players can identify some form of Shared Rewards (or Shared Penalties they want to avoid).

Can Modulate

Competition, Factions, Mutual FUBAR Enjoyment, Player-Decided Distributions, Shared Resources, Team Elimination

Can Be Modulated By

Mutual Goals can be modified in several different ways.

Betrayal, Individual Penalties or Individual Rewards can be added, as can Asymmetric Resource Distribution in general, to make the incentives for players to reach the Mutual Goals differ. Having Secret Alliances make Collaboration or Cooperation regarding the goals much more difficult. Be able to, or having to, engage in Negotiation adds a social or diplomatic dimension to Mutual Goals. This can either be in relation to completing the goals or in

Quite naturally, the Mutual Goals players have with each other cannot be Incompatible Goals. It is also difficult to have Mutual Goals over that which one has Conflicts regarding.

Consequences

That Mutual Goals most often provide Shared Rewards can give rise to Alliances if those sharing the goals are not already in Teams, and Cooperation as well as Symbiotic Player Relations in both cases. This also modifies how players view the Penalties and Rewards they would each get compared to receiving them but knowing that nobody else receive any. Mutual Goals are by definition Symmetric Goals and succeeding with them are often Team Accomplishments.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Alliances, Symbiotic Player Relations, Symmetric Goals, Team Accomplishments

with Agents

Teams

with Algorithmic Agents

Companions

with Shared Rewards

Cooperation

Can Modulate

Factions, Competition, Mutual FUBAR Enjoyment, Penalties, Rewards, Shared Resources, Team Elimination

Can Be Instantiated By

Shared Penalties, Shared Rewards

Can Be Modulated By

Asymmetric Resource Distribution, Betrayal, Individual Penalties, Individual Rewards, Negotiation, Player Defined Goals, Player-Decided Distributions, Secret Alliances

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

Conflicts, Incompatible Goals

History

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

Acknowledgements

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