Tactical Planning
Planning based on what one knows of the current game state.
This pattern is a still a stub.
Contents
Examples
RoboRally requires players to plan five moves for their robot to perform while racing and fighting several other robots in an environment where various machinery at regular interval provide deadly effects. Ricochet Robots does not have a dangerous environment, but players need to think several steps ahead and make use of the current and possible future positions of other robots to get one specific robot to one specific square on the game board.
Both the board game and computer game versions of Space Hulk require players to under time pressure plan how space marines should move and engage in combat against genestealers. The board game allows players to move the marine one at a time but since they need to support each other the movements of the first must be done with thoughts of how the others should move; the computer version moves all marines at once but players can only give orders in a planning mode that one has time-limited access to.
Using the pattern
One a general level, providing the possibility of Tactical Planning in a game consists of letting players have a Freedom of Choice between some actions they can perform, letting the feasibility of those actions depend on local circumstances, and providing them with some time to choose between them.
Action Programming, Budgeted Action Points, Combos
Delayed Effects, Development Time, Enemies, Environmental Effects, , Multiplayer Games, Power-Ups,
Ammunition together with Downtime or Limited Resources
Capture together with Bidding, Movement, or Investment
Destructible Objects together with Traps
Vulnerabilities together with Weapons
Tactical Planning can be modulated by how much information is available about the game state. Perfect Information lets players focus their planning on how they believe other players will behave or how Algorithmic Agents function. Imperfect Information, e.g. through Fog of War, make it necessary to work with a less than perfect understanding of the context although this may be modulated further through Game State Overviews, Near Miss Indicators, and Traces.
Time Limits and Real-Time Games can make Tactical Planning more difficult since one has limited amount of time to do the planning within, but Tactical Planning can also be added as a part of gameplay in Real-Time Games to make the overall gameplay more difficult.
Diegetic Aspects
Interface Aspects
Narrative Aspects
Game Mastery Tradeoffs Risk/Rewards Paper-Rock-Scissors
Consequences
The possibility of doing Tactical Planning to increase one's chances of succeeding lead to Stimulated Planning in a game design. Further, it can support players to have an Exaggerated Perception of Influence and have Cognitive Engrossment but this may also cause Analysis Paralysis. The Analysis Paralysis pattern may not occur in Real-Time Games or those with specific Time Limits but these instead can create Tension if Tactical Planning is required.
That Tactical Planning can be done implies that there exist a Freedom of Choice for players, and when gameplay depends on how well this is used the pattern of Tactical Planning can be the basis for Player/Character Skill Composites.
In games with Imperfect Information, players wishing to engage in Tactical Planning are likely to give themselves Gain Information goals to have better grounds to make that planning on.
Relations
Can Instantiate
Analysis Paralysis, Cognitive Engrossment, Exaggerated Perception of Influence, Freedom of Choice, Player/Character Skill Composites, Stimulated Planning
with Imperfect Information
with Real-Time Games or Time Limits
Can Modulate
Can Be Instantiated By
Action Programming, Budgeted Action Points, Combos, Delayed Effects, Development Time, Enemies, Environmental Effects, Freedom of Choice, Multiplayer Games, Power-Ups, Traces
Ammunition together with Downtime or Limited Resources
Capture together with Bidding, Movement, or Investment
Destructible Objects together with Traps
Vulnerabilities together with Weapons
Can Be Modulated By
Fog of War, Game State Overviews, Imperfect Information, Near Miss Indicators, Perfect Information, Real-Time Games, Time Limits
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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