Overcome

The goal of defeating an opposing force.

This pattern is a still a stub.

he opposing force in Overcome can be other players or other kinds of enemies provided by the game system.

Examples

Example: Fighting games, such as Soul Calibur and Tekken, are almost purely about overcoming the opponent by performing a series of successful attacks the opponent is unable to dodge or block.

Example: Chess uses the Overcome pattern through a combination of eliminating the other player's pieces and skillful positioning of one's own pieces.

Left 4 Dead series

Anti-Examples

optional

Using the pattern

Central to designing Overcome

Can Modulate

Deliver, Higher-Level Closures as Gameplay Progresses

Can Be Instantiated By

Area Control, Capture, Boss Monsters, Eliminate, Enemies, Factions, Last Man Standing, Loyalty, Rescue, Rhythm-Based Actions, Tournaments, Trick Taking

Overcome can be modified in several ways. The existence of Evade goals may make the need to complete Overcome goals unnecessary, Tiebreakers may make it impossible for Overcome goals not to resolved into either successes or failures, and Internal Rivalry may make otherwise allies into Enemies and may also restrict how conflicts can occur compared to other agents in a game. Timing can force players to have to try to complete Overcome goals at particular instances of time during gameplay and Achilles' Heels can provide ways to make Overcome goals either much easier or make otherwise impossible ones possible.

Negotiation goals can be seen as Excluding Goals to Overcome since a successful Negotiation is equally satisfactory to all involved parts.

Narration Aspects

Narration Structures are often created to provide narrative and thematic reason to motivate the Overcome goals to players, and exist implicitly when the Overcome goals are Mandatory Goals.

Consequences

Can Instantiate

Combat, Competition, Conflict, Engrossment, Excluding Goals, Gain Ownership, Gameplay Mastery, Player Elimination, Symmetric Goals, Tension, Transfer of Control

with Evade

Tactical Planning

Relations

Can Instantiate

Combat, Competition, Conflict, Engrossment, Excluding Goals, Gain Ownership, Gameplay Mastery, Narration Structures, Player Elimination, Symmetric Goals, Tension, Transfer of Control

with Evade

Tactical Planning

Can Modulate

Deliver, Higher-Level Closures as Gameplay Progresses

Can Be Instantiated By

Area Control, Capture, Boss Monsters, Eliminate, Enemies, Factions, Last Man Standing, Loyalty, Rescue, Rhythm-Based Actions, Tournaments, Trick Taking

Can Be Modulated By

Achilles' Heels, Evade, Internal Rivalry, Mandatory Goals, Narration Structures, Tiebreakers, Timing

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

Negotiation

History

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

Acknowledgements

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