Heterogeneous Game Element Ownership
Game designs that require players to contribute with the game elements anew for each game instance.
Most games come with all components together so that playing the game only requires that one person owns the game or that it exists as a service. However, other games require players to bring the
This pattern is a still a stub.
Examples
Probably the oldest example of Heterogeneous Game Element Ownership are Marble Games, in which players have to bring the players they want to play with and possibly bet with.
LARPs
Miniatures games such as Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40K let plays build their own armies for a certain amount of points before the game begins. They can buy any from the lists contained in the various rule books but must own the actual miniatures, and for competitions they must be painted as well.
Magic: The Gathering
Using the pattern
By definition, Heterogeneous Game Element Ownership is meaningful for Multiplayer Games.
Typical game elements used to construct game instances are Cards (e.g. Magic: The Gathering) or Units (e.g. Warhammer Battle and Warhammer 40K). Less common are those that let players have Creative Control involving the Construction of Algorithmic Agents (e.g. Crobots and P-robots).
Game designers need to consider the possible Combos when designing Heterogeneous Game Element Ownership. This since players will look for them as part of achieving Game Mastery but unless the types of combos are balanced this may make various elements unbalance and as an effect easily destroy Player Balance. This may be mitigated partly through Expansions that can introduce new rules with the new game elements that balance the game using a Evolving Rule Set, although this may also require that old elements are passed out as well.
Strategic Planning and setting up for , and leads to Game Element Trading and that players share Strategic Knowledge as a form of Trans-Game Information.
Diegetic Aspects
Interface Aspects
Narrative Aspects
Consequences
Heterogeneous Game Element Ownership lets players have Freedom of Choice to construct their parts of the game. This also creates a Meta Game consisting of Construction where the game elements are Resources. Be able to bring their own game elements means that they can also customize them in different ways, be it painting miniatures, creating equipment and armor for live-action roleplaying games, or writing code to control agents. In all these cases they provide players with ways of having Creative Control.
When players contribute to games with Algorithmic Agents they have created this allows No Direct Player Influence.
Relations
Can Instantiate
Construction, Creative Control, Freedom of Choice, Meta Games, Resources
with Algorithmic Agents
Can Modulate
Can Be Instantiated By
Can Be Modulated By
Possible Closure Effects
Potentially Conflicting With
History
New pattern created in this wiki.
References
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