Difference between revisions of "Ability Losses"

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''The event of losing the abilities of performing certain actions in a game.''
 
''The event of losing the abilities of performing certain actions in a game.''
  
This pattern is a still a stub.
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Games do not have to let players have the same possibility of actions the whole game. This can be done by removing abilities during gameplay. Such [[Ability Losses]] may be penalties for failing goals, the effect of enemy actions, the lack of resources, but may also simply be due to different play modes available at different times during the gameplay.
 
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The choice of Focus Loci affects how player's can experience Ability Loss. If the Privileged Abilities are provided by Avatars or Characters, the loss is typically either due to the end of a Time Limit in the case of Power-Ups or a Penalty for losing a Life or losing Ownership of Tools.
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Games do not have to let players have the same possibility of actions the whole game. Such Ability Losses may be the cause of Penalties for failing goals or the effect of opponents' actions, but may also simply be due to different play modes.
+
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
Respawning in multiplayer first-person shooters is typically done without any weapons, and the special abilities they provided, gained in earlier gameplay.
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Respawning in multiplayer [[:Category:FPS Games|First-Person Shooters]] is typically done without any weapons, and the special abilities they provided, gained in earlier gameplay. Dying in [[Eve Online]] can have similar effects if one does not have up-to-date clones in that one loses experience points which can translate into skill losses.  
  
Game masters in roleplaying games can sometimes be forced to invent events that are unavoidable to the players to strip them of equipment that gives the abilities that disrupt the game balance.
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Game masters in [[:Category:Tabletop Roleplaying Games|Tabletop Roleplaying Games]] such as [[Dungeons & Dragons]] or [[GURPS]] can sometimes be forced to invent events that are unavoidable to the players to strip them of equipment that disrupts the game balance. Temporary [[Ability Losses]] are however much more common due to combat effects, e.g. being frozen, paralysis, blinded, or knocked unconscious. When done as actions by players or enemies, these effect are called ''debuffs'' in [[World of Warcraft]] (as is effects that lessen the effectiveness of enemies).
  
[[RoboRally]]
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Disasters and attacks by enemies in [[Space Alert]] can destroy various components of the ship, which effectively creates [[Ability Losses]] since the actions they provide can no longer be done. Being exposed to high levels of ultraviolet radiation in [[Ursuppe]] can force players to have to discard ''gene'' cards and the abilities they provide; similar [[Ability Losses]] can be caused to rockets by solar flares in [[High Frontier]]. Taking damage in [[RoboRally]] does not make actions impossible, but lock what actions one has to do in particular phases.
 
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[[Space Alert]]
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== Using the pattern ==
 
== Using the pattern ==
Using the pattern
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The design of [[Ability Losses]] consists of deciding what actions are lost and what the reason for these losses are. While one reason for [[Ability Losses]] can simply be to give [[Penalties]] for failing goals, [[Ability Losses]] may also be the natural closing effect of [[Temporary Abilities]]. [[Ability Losses]] can be temporary due to running out of [[Energy]] needed to activate them, but this becomes permanent [[Ability Losses]] if the [[Energy]] used is a [[Non-Renewable Resources|Non-Renewable Resource]]. Other common causes for [[Ability Losses]],  which can be seen as specific examples of how [[Ability Losses]] can be [[Penalties]], include [[Spawning]] as part of [[Death Consequences]] or being part of [[Role Reversals]] where the losses of some [[Abilities]] are usually countered by [[New Abilities]] in other [[Competence Areas]]. Suffering the effects of a [[Vulnerabilities|Vulnerability]] is another cause for [[Ability Losses]]. The [[Penalties]] of [[Ability Losses]] can be mitigated by having [[Time Limits]] or by giving players [[New Abilities]] within other [[Competence Areas]]. [[Units]] modulate [[Ability Losses]] since the [[Ability Losses|Ability Loss]] may actual only become a loss if all [[Units]] with the ability are removed from gameplay.
  
The design of Ability Losses consists of deciding what action is lost, for example a severe form of Movement Limitation, and the reason for the loss, typically a Penalty for failing a goal. A loss of ability can be used to create Gain Competence goals in order to regain it, or Gain Ownership if the ability was the effect of a Tool.
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Specific causes for [[Ability Losses]] include [[Environmental Effects]] and [[Game Items]]. The may be [[Traps]], e.g. ''cursed'' [[Game Items]], but that these cause [[Ability Losses]] may also be known in advance so players can expose themselves to them as part of [[Trade-Offs]] or [[Risk/Reward]] choices. Another type of cause for [[Ability Losses]] is to create [[Cooldown]] periods for [[Abilities]] - this is simply combining an [[Ability Losses|Ability Loss]] with a [[Time Limits|Time Limit]] after that [[Abilities|Ability]] has been activated. In great enough amounts, [[Debuffs]], [[Decreased Abilities]], and [[Deterioration]] can effectively give [[Ability Losses]]. In games with [[Character Alignments]], not following ones alignment can be the cause of [[Ability Losses]]. [[Diegetic Social Maintenance]] or [[Diegetic Social Norms]] can be used in a similar effect to penalize agents in [[Game Worlds]] that do not live up to social conventions with the people they have relationships with or share [[Factions]] with.  
  
A loss of ability affects Player Balance. If the lost ability was possessed by most or all players, it is a Penalty, but if the ability was a Privileged Ability and other players did not have other forms of actions that equaled the lost ability in value, the loss can affirm Player Balance and is a Balancing Effect if explicitly designed. The Penalty of Ability Loss can also be mitigated by having a Time Limit on the loss or by giving the same player New Abilities within other areas.
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The creation of [[Safe Havens]] can be a consequence of combining [[Ability Losses]] of aggressive [[Abilities]] with [[Location-Fixed Abilities]], i.e. making the aggressive [[Abilities]] possible everywhere but within the [[Safe Havens]].
  
=== Diegetic Aspects ===
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In games with [[Game Masters]], [[Ability Losses]] may naturally occur as the outcome of [[Negotiation]] with players in order to restore [[Player Balance]]. Although not popular, it can also be part of [[Evolving Rule Sets]] in order to provide [[Balancing Effects]] between different strategies.
 
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=== Interface Aspects ===
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=== Narrative Aspects ===
 
=== Narrative Aspects ===
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[[Ability Losses]] are not commonly used to advance [[Narration Structures]] unless they are [[Ultra-Powerful Events]], since players may see goals in resisting the loss, especially in games that support [[Save-Load Cycles]]. One reason for enforcing these types of [[Ability Losses]] in [[Predetermined Story Structures]] are when they are important parts of [[Abstract Player Construct Development|Abstract Player Construct]] or [[Character Development]]. When the losses are part of the game story, they do provide a form of [[Varied Gameplay]], as players have to adjust to a [[Limited Set of Actions]], which may be used to maintain [[Challenging Gameplay]]. [[Half-Life]] has this as it at one point strips players of their equipment and the ''Dead Money'' [[Expansions|Expansion]] to [[Fallout: New Vegas]] does it through temporarily removing all equipment when the [[Expansions|Expansion]] is played.
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Selective [[Ability Losses]] may be enforced by a game design as an alternative to [[Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences]], for example, making it impossible to attack shopkeepers in the [[Dragon Age series]] when it is possible to attack monsters or making it impossible to shoot allies in [[Doom 3]]. This saves production costs in dealing with unwanted narrative developments, and can from the perspective of [[Narration Structures]] as enforcing [[Thematic Consistency]] but from the perspective of [[Roleplaying]] as breaking [[Thematic Consistency]].
  
 
== Consequences ==
 
== Consequences ==
Ability Loss is a common Penalty, for example, by the effects of Damage. Losing an ability naturally restricts the Limited Set of Actions available and thereby players' Freedom of Choice, either on a Unit level or for the player overall, and may cause Competence Areas to be lost as well. In extreme cases, Ability Loss may cause players to have Downtime, and if the loss is temporary, this is equal to Player Killing and, if permanent, to Player Elimination. An Ability Loss may reduce the complexity of a game while increasing the difficulty, modulating Right Level of Complexity and Right Level of Difficulty in different directions.
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[[Ability Losses]] are common as [[Penalties]], e.g. those caused by as the whole effects of [[Damage]] or those that are [[Critical Hits]] which cause [[Ability Losses]] besides reducing [[Health]]. Losing [[Abilities]] naturally creates or restricts a [[Limited Set of Actions]] for players and thereby players' their [[Freedom of Choice]]. This most likely negatively affects any [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]] players may have and can make it difficult to have an accurate [[Determinable Chance to Succeed]]. When [[Ability Losses]] are temporary in the sense that they somehow can be regained, the pattern creates [[Gain Competence]] goals.
  
Besides Penalties, Ability Losses may be the natural affect of New Abilities that had Time Limits. Other causes for Ability Losses can be Spawning after losing a Life or Role Reversals where the losses of some abilities are usually countered by New Abilities in other Competence Areas. If the Ability Losses severely affect how players can complete goals, they hinder them to have a Perceived Chance to Succeed and any Illusion of Influence.
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The losses can be on an [[Avatars|Avatar]] or [[Units|Unit]] level or be applied on a player generally. [[Ability Losses]] may cause [[Competence Areas]] to be lost, but in the case of [[Abilities]] possessed by [[Units]] the [[Abilities]] become [[Limited Resources]] that only lead to losses of [[Competence Areas]] when all of them are lost. This may however create [[Competence Areas]] for others as they may be the only ones left competent. When [[Ability Losses]] are related to [[Abstract Player Constructs]] or [[Characters]], these loses can be seen as (negative) [[Abstract Player Construct Development|Abstract Player Construct]] or [[Character Development]]; [[Ability Losses]] can also modulate other [[Character Development]], e.g. having some actions being taboo after having joined specific [[Factions]]. In extreme cases, [[Ability Losses]] may cause players to have [[Downtime]], which is equal to [[Player Killing]] if the loss is temporary and equal to [[Player Elimination]] if it is permanent. However, [[Ability Losses]] may reduce the complexity of a game while increasing the difficulty, thereby being able to modulate both [[Complex Gameplay|Complex]] and [[Challenging Gameplay]].
  
The presence of Units in a game with Privileged Abilities regarding other Units controlled by the same player gives that player the Continuous Goals to make the Units Survive (or not be Captured) in order to not have Ability Loss. If the Units are under Indirect Control, the loss may not be so severe, as control can be regained.
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A loss of [[Abilities]] can affect [[Player Balance]]. If the lost [[Abilities]] were possessed by most or all other players or [[Agents]] this is a [[Penalties|Penalty]], but if the [[Abilities]] were [[Privileged Abilities]], the losses can affirm [[Player Balance]] and be [[Balancing Effects]] if explicitly designed into the game. When [[Ability Losses]] are combined with [[New Abilities]], this pair can be balanced in itself and require players to consider both the [[Risk/Reward]] and the [[Trade-Offs]] associated with losing one [[Abilities|Ability]] to gain another.
  
Ability Losses are not commonly used to advance Narrative Structures unless they are Ultra-Powerful Events, since players may see goals in resisting the loss, especially in games that support Save-Load Cycles. One reason for enforcing these types of Ability Losses in Narrative Structures is as part of Character Development. When the losses are part of the game story, they do provide a form of Varied Gameplay, as players have to adjust to a Limited Set of Actions, which may be used to modulate theRight Level of Difficulty. However, Ability Losses may be enforced by a game design to ensure a Narrative Structure, although this may be in conflict with a Consistent Reality Logic, for example, making it impossible to attack shopkeepers in computer-based roleplaying games when it is possible to attack monsters.
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== Relations ==
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=== Can Instantiate ===
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[[Balancing Effects]],  
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[[Competence Areas]],  
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[[Damage]],  
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[[Downtime]],  
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[[Environmental Effects]],  
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[[Gain Competence]],  
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[[Penalties]],  
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[[Player Elimination]],  
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[[Player Killing]],  
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[[Predetermined Story Structures]],
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[[Risk/Reward]],
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[[Thematic Consistency]],
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[[Trade-Offs]],
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[[Traps]],
 +
[[Varied Gameplay]]
  
In games with Game Masters, Ability Losses may be the outcome of Negotiation with the players in order to restore Player Balance and provide theRight Level of Difficulty.
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==== with [[Abstract Player Constructs]] ====
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[[Abstract Player Construct Development]]
  
== Relations ==
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==== with [[Characters]] ====
[[Debuffs]]
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[[Character Development]]  
  
[[Time Limits]]
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==== with [[Damage]] and [[Health]] ====
[[Challenging Gameplay]]
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[[Critical Hits]]  
[[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]]
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[[Avatars]]
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[[Units]]
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[[Freedom of Choice]]
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[[Evolving Rule Sets]]
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[[Game Masters]]
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[[Cooldown]]
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[[Environmental Effects]]
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[[Game Items]]
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[[Character Development]]
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[[Traps]]
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[[Obstacles]]
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[[Balancing Effects]]
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[[Privileged Movement]]
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[[Gain Competence]]
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[[New Abilities]]
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=== Can Instantiate ===
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==== with [[Location-Fixed Abilities]] ====
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[[Safe Havens]]
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==== with [[New Abilities]] ====
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[[Risk/Reward]],
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[[Trade-Offs]]
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 +
==== with [[Time Limits]] ====
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[[Cooldown]]
  
==== with ... ====
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==== with [[Units]] ====
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[[Limited Resources]]
  
 
=== Can Modulate ===
 
=== Can Modulate ===
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[[Abilities]],
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[[Avatars]],
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[[Challenging Gameplay]],
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[[Character Development]],
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[[Complex Gameplay]],
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[[Death Consequences]],
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[[Determinable Chance to Succeed]],
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[[Freedom of Choice]],
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[[Game Items]],
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[[Limited Set of Actions]],
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[[Player Balance]],
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[[Units]]
  
 
=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
 
=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
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[[Character Alignments]],
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[[Debuffs]],
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[[Decreased Abilities]],
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[[Deterioration]],
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[[Diegetic Social Maintenance]],
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[[Diegetic Social Norms]],
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[[Evolving Rule Sets]],
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[[Game Masters]],
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[[Role Reversals]],
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[[Spawning]],
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[[Temporary Abilities]],
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[[Vulnerabilities]]
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[[Energy]] together with [[Non-Renewable Resources]]
  
 
=== Can Be Modulated By ===
 
=== Can Be Modulated By ===
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[[Time Limits]],
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[[Units]]
  
 
=== Possible Closure Effects ===
 
=== Possible Closure Effects ===
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-
  
 
=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
 
=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
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[[Competence Areas]],
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[[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]],
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[[Thematic Consistency]]
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
Line 94: Line 127:
  
 
== Acknowledgements ==
 
== Acknowledgements ==
 +
Marcus Antonsson, Karl Bergström

Latest revision as of 16:27, 30 July 2016

The event of losing the abilities of performing certain actions in a game.

Games do not have to let players have the same possibility of actions the whole game. This can be done by removing abilities during gameplay. Such Ability Losses may be penalties for failing goals, the effect of enemy actions, the lack of resources, but may also simply be due to different play modes available at different times during the gameplay.

Examples

Respawning in multiplayer First-Person Shooters is typically done without any weapons, and the special abilities they provided, gained in earlier gameplay. Dying in Eve Online can have similar effects if one does not have up-to-date clones in that one loses experience points which can translate into skill losses.

Game masters in Tabletop Roleplaying Games such as Dungeons & Dragons or GURPS can sometimes be forced to invent events that are unavoidable to the players to strip them of equipment that disrupts the game balance. Temporary Ability Losses are however much more common due to combat effects, e.g. being frozen, paralysis, blinded, or knocked unconscious. When done as actions by players or enemies, these effect are called debuffs in World of Warcraft (as is effects that lessen the effectiveness of enemies).

Disasters and attacks by enemies in Space Alert can destroy various components of the ship, which effectively creates Ability Losses since the actions they provide can no longer be done. Being exposed to high levels of ultraviolet radiation in Ursuppe can force players to have to discard gene cards and the abilities they provide; similar Ability Losses can be caused to rockets by solar flares in High Frontier. Taking damage in RoboRally does not make actions impossible, but lock what actions one has to do in particular phases.

Using the pattern

The design of Ability Losses consists of deciding what actions are lost and what the reason for these losses are. While one reason for Ability Losses can simply be to give Penalties for failing goals, Ability Losses may also be the natural closing effect of Temporary Abilities. Ability Losses can be temporary due to running out of Energy needed to activate them, but this becomes permanent Ability Losses if the Energy used is a Non-Renewable Resource. Other common causes for Ability Losses, which can be seen as specific examples of how Ability Losses can be Penalties, include Spawning as part of Death Consequences or being part of Role Reversals where the losses of some Abilities are usually countered by New Abilities in other Competence Areas. Suffering the effects of a Vulnerability is another cause for Ability Losses. The Penalties of Ability Losses can be mitigated by having Time Limits or by giving players New Abilities within other Competence Areas. Units modulate Ability Losses since the Ability Loss may actual only become a loss if all Units with the ability are removed from gameplay.

Specific causes for Ability Losses include Environmental Effects and Game Items. The may be Traps, e.g. cursed Game Items, but that these cause Ability Losses may also be known in advance so players can expose themselves to them as part of Trade-Offs or Risk/Reward choices. Another type of cause for Ability Losses is to create Cooldown periods for Abilities - this is simply combining an Ability Loss with a Time Limit after that Ability has been activated. In great enough amounts, Debuffs, Decreased Abilities, and Deterioration can effectively give Ability Losses. In games with Character Alignments, not following ones alignment can be the cause of Ability Losses. Diegetic Social Maintenance or Diegetic Social Norms can be used in a similar effect to penalize agents in Game Worlds that do not live up to social conventions with the people they have relationships with or share Factions with.

The creation of Safe Havens can be a consequence of combining Ability Losses of aggressive Abilities with Location-Fixed Abilities, i.e. making the aggressive Abilities possible everywhere but within the Safe Havens.

In games with Game Masters, Ability Losses may naturally occur as the outcome of Negotiation with players in order to restore Player Balance. Although not popular, it can also be part of Evolving Rule Sets in order to provide Balancing Effects between different strategies.

Narrative Aspects

Ability Losses are not commonly used to advance Narration Structures unless they are Ultra-Powerful Events, since players may see goals in resisting the loss, especially in games that support Save-Load Cycles. One reason for enforcing these types of Ability Losses in Predetermined Story Structures are when they are important parts of Abstract Player Construct or Character Development. When the losses are part of the game story, they do provide a form of Varied Gameplay, as players have to adjust to a Limited Set of Actions, which may be used to maintain Challenging Gameplay. Half-Life has this as it at one point strips players of their equipment and the Dead Money Expansion to Fallout: New Vegas does it through temporarily removing all equipment when the Expansion is played.

Selective Ability Losses may be enforced by a game design as an alternative to Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences, for example, making it impossible to attack shopkeepers in the Dragon Age series when it is possible to attack monsters or making it impossible to shoot allies in Doom 3. This saves production costs in dealing with unwanted narrative developments, and can from the perspective of Narration Structures as enforcing Thematic Consistency but from the perspective of Roleplaying as breaking Thematic Consistency.

Consequences

Ability Losses are common as Penalties, e.g. those caused by as the whole effects of Damage or those that are Critical Hits which cause Ability Losses besides reducing Health. Losing Abilities naturally creates or restricts a Limited Set of Actions for players and thereby players' their Freedom of Choice. This most likely negatively affects any Exaggerated Perception of Influence players may have and can make it difficult to have an accurate Determinable Chance to Succeed. When Ability Losses are temporary in the sense that they somehow can be regained, the pattern creates Gain Competence goals.

The losses can be on an Avatar or Unit level or be applied on a player generally. Ability Losses may cause Competence Areas to be lost, but in the case of Abilities possessed by Units the Abilities become Limited Resources that only lead to losses of Competence Areas when all of them are lost. This may however create Competence Areas for others as they may be the only ones left competent. When Ability Losses are related to Abstract Player Constructs or Characters, these loses can be seen as (negative) Abstract Player Construct or Character Development; Ability Losses can also modulate other Character Development, e.g. having some actions being taboo after having joined specific Factions. In extreme cases, Ability Losses may cause players to have Downtime, which is equal to Player Killing if the loss is temporary and equal to Player Elimination if it is permanent. However, Ability Losses may reduce the complexity of a game while increasing the difficulty, thereby being able to modulate both Complex and Challenging Gameplay.

A loss of Abilities can affect Player Balance. If the lost Abilities were possessed by most or all other players or Agents this is a Penalty, but if the Abilities were Privileged Abilities, the losses can affirm Player Balance and be Balancing Effects if explicitly designed into the game. When Ability Losses are combined with New Abilities, this pair can be balanced in itself and require players to consider both the Risk/Reward and the Trade-Offs associated with losing one Ability to gain another.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Balancing Effects, Competence Areas, Damage, Downtime, Environmental Effects, Gain Competence, Penalties, Player Elimination, Player Killing, Predetermined Story Structures, Risk/Reward, Thematic Consistency, Trade-Offs, Traps, Varied Gameplay

with Abstract Player Constructs

Abstract Player Construct Development

with Characters

Character Development

with Damage and Health

Critical Hits

with Location-Fixed Abilities

Safe Havens

with New Abilities

Risk/Reward, Trade-Offs

with Time Limits

Cooldown

with Units

Limited Resources

Can Modulate

Abilities, Avatars, Challenging Gameplay, Character Development, Complex Gameplay, Death Consequences, Determinable Chance to Succeed, Freedom of Choice, Game Items, Limited Set of Actions, Player Balance, Units

Can Be Instantiated By

Character Alignments, Debuffs, Decreased Abilities, Deterioration, Diegetic Social Maintenance, Diegetic Social Norms, Evolving Rule Sets, Game Masters, Role Reversals, Spawning, Temporary Abilities, Vulnerabilities

Energy together with Non-Renewable Resources

Can Be Modulated By

Time Limits, Units

Possible Closure Effects

-

Potentially Conflicting With

Competence Areas, Exaggerated Perception of Influence, Thematic Consistency

History

An updated version of the pattern Ability Losses that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design[1].

References

  1. Björk, S. & Holopainen, J. (2004) Patterns in Game Design. Charles River Media. ISBN1-58450-354-8.

Acknowledgements

Marcus Antonsson, Karl Bergström