Environmental Effects
Changes to how actions or events function due to being in a specific part of the game world.
For game worlds to have interesting features, the different parts of need to vary. Besides their relation to each other and the game components they contain, this can be done by having Environmental Effects. This may be adding, removing, or modifying the actions possible for those within them, doing the same with actions directed towards those within them, or by having specific events take place within them due to their nature.
Contents
Examples
Fallout series has water which slows movement and causes damage when one is submerged for too long without any breathing support. Minecraft, and The Elder Scrolls series have this as well and adds lava that kills quickly. The Lemmings series of games make both water and lava deadly to the lemmings, while the Super Mario series varies the effects of lava between games.
The production of villages and town in Settlers of Catan depend on what hexes they border to.
The terrain one's car is on affects acceleration, deceleration and grip in Racing Games such as Need for Speed series and Gran Turismo series. More unrealistic racing games such as Super Monkey Ball series and the Wipeout series have stretches which adds boost to whatever vehicles is on it.
Hey! That's My Fish!, Forbidden Island, and Greed Corp all have game worlds which gradually disappears, and the disappeared parts can be said to be under an Environmental Effect.
Using the pattern
Environmental Effects are ways of changing details of Levels and Game Worlds, although the most important part of any part of a Game World is how it connects to the rest of it.
A simple example of an Environmental Effect is to make a part of the Game World into an Inaccessible Area. Privileged Abilities or Privileged Movement can then be given, temporarily or permanently, to some game elements possible to provide Orthogonal Unit Differentiation or Varied Gameplay respectively. While Inaccessible Areas block Movement completely, Environmental Effects can also provide Privileged Movement through making it quicker or easier, or provide Movement Limitations through making it slower or more difficult.
Other possible Environmental Effects include granting Privileged Abilities, blocking or modifying Line of Sight rules, and modify how Combat and Damage works.
The inverse of Environmental Effects is actions and events that affect the environment, and it makes sense to consider both when using one. An example of this can be found in Hey! That's My Fish!, Forbidden Island, and Greed Corp, which all have Shrinking Game Worlds through the removal of tiles and the disappearance of these tiles causes death, require instantaneous movement, or makes places into Inaccessible Areas. Forbidden Island modifies this by allowing the 'diver' to move through the disappeared areas as a form of Privileged Movement.
Diegetic Aspects
To make players aware of the presence or properties of Environmental Effects, these are typically linked to Diegetically Outstanding Features but unless these maintain Diegetically Consistency the effects are likely to become Alien Space Bats.
Interface Aspects
Important Environmental Effects may be appropriate to display on Mini-maps so that players can know their locations even if they are not close to them.
Consequences
Game Worlds and Levels are modulated by Environmental Effects and since they localize places where specific rules apply, they give Varying Rule Sets.
Relations
Can Instantiate
Alien Space Bats, Movement Limitations, Privileged Ability, Privileged Movement, Resource Generators, Resource Locations, Varying Rule Sets
with Inaccessible Areas and Privileged Abilities or Privileged Movement
Orthogonal Unit Differentiation, Varied Gameplay
Can Modulate
Combat, Damage, Game Worlds, Levels, Line of Sight, Movement
Can Be Instantiated By
Can Be Modulated By
Diegetically Outstanding Features, Mini-maps, Privileged Abilities, Privileged Movement, Shrinking Game Worlds
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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Acknowledgements
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