Gossip
The exchange of gossip between diegetic characters.
Like in the real world, the people presenting in game worlds can engage in the very human activity of sharing Gossip.
Examples
Standing within hearing distance of non-player characters in Oblivion in the The Elder Scrolls series can let players overhear them talking to each other, and these discussions can reveal interesting areas to explore. Being close, but not too close, to Grace and Trip in the interactive drama Façade can likewise provide information, but in this case concerning their relational problems.
Most, but not all, of the Gossip Stones found in The Legend of Zelda series provide players with information about the game state or hints on how to complete quests. Many of the characters encountered in the game, e.g. the friends, relatives, and neighbors on Outset Island of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, can also provide some more or less useful information.
Using the pattern
A requirement for Gossip is that Imperfect Information exists in the Game World, even if it only does so on a diegetic level. This may be that players, or their Characters, do not have information about the state of facts or that Non-Player Characters lack this.
One aspect of designing Gossip is deciding if it should occur between Non-Player Characters, between Player Characters, or between one of each.
Diegetically Outstanding Features
Diegetic Aspects
Interface Aspects
Narrative Aspects
Consequences
Gossip is one form of Information Passing between characters.
Relations
Can Instantiate
with Non-Player Characters
Can Modulate
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Can Be Instantiated By
Non-Player Characters, Player Characters
Can Be Modulated By
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Possible Closure Effects
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Potentially Conflicting With
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History
New pattern created in this wiki.
References
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