Gossip
The exchange of information by word-of-mouth 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.
Many, e.g. 1942 – Noen å stole på and [[Dragonbane], provide good settings for Gossip to be spread, both by having uncertain information and by providing ample time to discuss this 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. Not that Gossip can be true, false, or contain partial truths - the important thing is that players (or at least their Characters) do not always have an immediate and fully reliable way of judging the trustworthiness of the statement.
One aspect of designing Gossip is deciding if it should occur between Non-Player Characters, between Player Characters, or between one of each. The first can provide opportunities of Eavesdropping (as can the other two when there is at least three or two players respectively). The second lets players engage in both Roleplaying and Storytelling, and to have some Creative Control in how these are performed.
For games building on Roleplaying, encouraging Gossip can be as easy as providing Downtime in addition to the presence of Imperfect Information.
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
with Player Characters
Creative Control, Roleplaying, Storytelling
Can Modulate
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Can Be Instantiated By
Non-Player Characters, Player Characters, Imperfect Information
Downtime together with Roleplaying
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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