Detective Structures

Information available to a player is limited to the information available to one single character.

Narration in games (and other media) can be done in two ways to align players with the events that unfold. In Detective Structures knowledge is restricted to a protagonist, so players experience game events aligned with a single character. This means that all surprises and revelations occur at the same time for the players and their characters although they may make different conclusions.

Examples

The Detective Structure is a typical pattern used in many First-Person Shooters, e.g. Half-Life series and Deus Ex series. This come pretty natural for the genre since it is defined by how one perceives the game world from the view of one character.

However, games using third-person views can also make use of the pattern, with the Silent Hill series as one example. Although this may allow players to perceive things their characters do not (or vice versa) due to looking in different directions, this only concerns what happens in the very proximity of the characters and does not have to affect narrative structures.

Using the pattern

Creating a game with a Detective Structure at a minimum requires the design of an Avatar for each player, and then limiting each players' availability of information to their Avatars. When doing so the range of possibilities to present information is limited compared to other games given that a Detective Structure can mainly provide information through the Game World. Diegetically Outstanding Features such as Clues and Traces is one alternative to do so, while NPCs with potentially accompanying Dialogues provides another one.

The information provided through the Game World can be complimented with those related to the players' Characters. This includes diegetic interpretations of events by the Characters, including Game Prophecies, but can also be internal cognitive processes such dream, hallucinations, and Character Memories.

Although a Detective Structure does not by itself create Surprises, the wish to provide players with Surprises is one of the main reason to make use of the structure.

Diegetic Aspects

Although limiting information of players to that of specific Characters may seem to imply that the information presented should be that perceivable by those Characters, this does not need to be the case. For instance, when a player makes his or her Character look at a certain object in the Game World additional Non-Diegetic Game Elements may be shown (e.g. floating Handles) which the Character cannot detect. Thus, the presence of a Detective Structure in a game does not need to imply Diegetic Consistency.

Interface Aspects

In a Detective Structure is to be used in conjunction with a Game World, they need to make use First-Person Views or Third-Person Views that is tied to a specific Avatar.

Narrative Aspects

The use of Detective Structure makes it easier to control how players receive information, and which order they receive it in. Through this, the Detective Structure can be used to ensure that Narration Structures are presented in the intended order.

Consequences

A Detective Structure provides Imperfect Information since it limits the player’s information to a certain point-of-view at any given point in time; the player does not need to have unlimited access to what the character knows, feels, and perceives. This provides an Uncertainty of Information at the beginning of gameplay which can be maintained through updating Game Worlds through Unobserved Game Events. Although initially incompatible with Perfect Information (unless a player's Avatar can perceive the whole Game World, which makes the pattern irrelevant), if these additional patterns are not used the Imperfect Information will gradually turn into Perfect Information] as players can merge the different set of information into one complete view. Similarly, a Detective Structure is initially incompatible with a Melodramatic Structure but unlike Perfect Information this can be maintained throughout the gameplay.

Through providing Imperfect Information and the possibilities of Surprises, a Detective Structure can cause Tension. This is especially true when players' have been given Clues that certain events may occur. It is also likely that players will adopt Gain Information goals, either related to Narration Structures or simply related to Exploration of Game Worlds (that may be possible to solve simply by Movement).

Relations

Can Instantiate

Exploration, Gain Information, Imperfect Information, Surprises, Tension, Uncertainty of Information

Can Modulate

Game Worlds, Narration Structures

Can Be Instantiated By

Avatars, Characters, First-Person Views, Third-Person Views

Can Be Modulated By

Dialogues, Character Memories, Clues, Game Prophecies, Diegetically Outstanding Features, Non-Diegetic Game Elements, NPCs, Traces

Possible Closure Effects

-

Potentially Conflicting With

Melodramatic Structure, Perfect Information

History

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