King of the Hill

Reaching and keeping a sought for game state that other players are trying to reach and keep.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Examples

Example: Some game variants of Battlefield 1942 have positions on the maps that when held for a certain period of time depletes "ticks" from the other team.

Example: The board game Junta lets the president control how foreign aid money is distributed to the players. This position, although dangerous, is often sought for by all players since the ownership of money is the prerequisite for winning the game.

Using the pattern

Can Be Instantiated By

Non-Player Characters together with Enemies

Can Be Modulated By

Damage, Scores, Time Limits

King of the Hill goals are defined by several agents or players all having the same goal but only one can start satisfy their goal at any time and others can take over so they instead satisfy their goal. Actually completing the goal requires one agent or player to do so for a certain amount of time or turns.

This means that defining a King of the Hill goal consist of creating a goal which is an Interferable, Incompatible Goal. and Continuous Goal. The Guard goal is the basis for the archetypical goal of King of the Hill but other options of goals to start with is Gain Ownership, Alignment, Enclosure, or Connection.

Consequences

Can Instantiate

Balancing Effects, Conflicts, Competition, Symmetric Goals, Temporary Alliances, Tension, Role Reversal

Relations

Can Instantiate

Balancing Effects, Conflicts, Continuous Goals, Competition, Incompatible Goals, Interferable Goals, Symmetric Goals, Temporary Alliances, Tension, Role Reversal

Can Modulate

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Can Be Instantiated By

Alignment, Connection, Gain Ownership, Enclosure, Guard

Non-Player Characters together with Enemies

Can Be Modulated By

Damage, Scores, Time Limits

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

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History

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

Acknowledgements

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