Rhythm-Based Actions

An activity requiring players to time their actions in relation to a rhythm.

Real-time games require players to act due to events that occur in the game. When these required actions occur in rhythm, they force players to perform Rhythm-Based Actions, where the timing and stability over time can be just as important as performing the right action.

Examples

Early sports games such as Olympic Decathlon or Summer Games primarily stimulated Sports by requiring players to perform long sequences of Rhythm-Based Actions, and the outcome was judged upon how well the players kept the rhythm.

PaRappa the Rapper require players to hit various buttons in certain combinations while following certain rhythms, and eases gameplay by having music or songs that have the same rhythm the players must follow. Donkey Konga and the Rock Band series does the same but provide specialized instrument-like game controls; Dance Dance Revolution similarly provides a dance mat to make players dance to play.

The fantasy game series Dragon's Lair and the thriller Heavy Rain require players to press certain sequences of buttons correctly to successfully complete action events in the games.

Using the pattern

Rhythm-Based Actions is a way to require players to perform individual actions in Real-Time Games. The actions themselves typically are simple ones, such as button presses, and the design of the pattern mainly consist of deciding with combinations and what Timing is required. Since they are self-contained the difficulty of these actions can be set with quite high level of precision, especially since they can quite unproblematically be tested through user testing, and this makes Rhythm-Based Actions good candidates to become Challenging Gameplay.

Two main sub-varieties of Rhythm-Based Actions exist. Quick Time Events are a form of Rhythm-Based Actions used to create Mini Games in other games (found for example in Heavy Rain), either to provide Tension or to provide Varied Gameplay. The other consists of equipping players with Mimetic Interfaces so that their actions while gaming are similar to play an instrument or dancing.

The reasons for performing Rhythm-Based Actions can simply be to Survive, which may have a direct diegetic explanation (e.g. Dragon's Lair) or not (e.g. Dance Dance Revolution).

the actions are related to Overcome goals or Combat actions such as Combos, failing to keep the rhythm often ends Extended Actions but has no further Penalties; and

Ultra-Powerful Events,Moveable Tiles, and Enemies with Reconnaissance goals can all be used to require Rhythm-Based Actions in games. The Right Level of Difficulty of these actions can easily be modulated by the tempo that has to be followed and by providing the Right Level of Complexity of the actions that have to be performed in that tempo.

Diegetic Aspects

While Rhythm-Based Actions can be explained as copies of other activities through Mimetic Interfaces in some games (e.g. the Rock Band series), in others they are mapped to Movement (e.g. Dragon's Lair).

When linked to Survive goals, and especially when the Rhythm-Based Actions are presented as movement have to do with movement-related Combos, the effect of failing to keep the rhythm often means that players have to suffer the Penalties associated with Deadly Traps.

Interface Aspects

Unless used to avoid actual Obstacles or Enemies in a Game World, players need some way of knowing what Rhythm-Based Actions they need to do in the immediate future. This is most often done through Progress Indicators which at the same time provide Hovering Closures.

Consequences

Rhythm-Based Actions are Extended Actions performed with the intentions of achieving temporal Configuration goals in Real-Time Games. As such they are also examples of Combos. The motivation for the Rhythm-Based Actions often comes from games where The Show Must Go On, and the players are either supposed to follow the rhythm of an Agent giving mentorship or to avoid dangers in the world.

Rhythm-Based Actions provide Anticipation and Hovering Closures since players need to be aware of what they should do next. This, and that they require repetitious actions, either in tempo or in type of action, make it possible for players performing Rhythm-Based Actions to have Sensory-Motoric Engrossment.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Anticipation, Combos, Configuration, Extended Actions, Hovering Closures, Mini Games, Movement, Sensory-Motoric Engrossment

Can Modulate

Real-Time Games

Can Be Instantiated By

Quick Time Events, The Show Must Go On, Timing

Can Be Modulated By

Challenging Gameplay, Mimetic Interfaces

History

A rewrite of the pattern Rhythm-Based Actions that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design.

Acknowledgments

-