Character Levels

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Revision as of 11:14, 4 July 2016 by Staffan Björk (Talk | contribs) (Consequences)

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An enumeration of states characters can progress through, gaining and improving abilities as they are reached.

This pattern is a still a stub.


Note: this pattern is not about the concept of parts of a game that players are confined to until certain goals or end condition has been fulfilled. That concept is described in the pattern Levels.

Examples

Anti-Examples

optional

Using the pattern

There are a number of design choices related to creating a system of Character Levels. First, how many Character Levels should exist. Second, what specific requirements needs to be met to reach each level. Third, and perhaps most complex, what effects should take place when a Character Level is met. Common ones are Improved Abilities and increases in Attributes, Skills, and Powers (or more simply: Characteristics), but reaching new Character Levels can also work as Unlocking either New Abilities or Powers (in which case this pattern modulates those rather than the other way around). In addition, games with Character Classes can have individual design choices for each class.

The presence of some other patterns make them potential interact points with Character Levels. For example, games with Death Consequences can have reductions in Character Levels as one of those consequences. In games using the Neighbors pattern, Character Levels can be connected to these as requirements for reaching levels.

Consequences

Character Levels are part of the Characteristics of Characters tied to a Character or player. As such it can signify a Score and each increase in Character Level can be seen as reaching a Gain Competence goal leading to Unlocking of New Abilities or Powers. Reaching a new Character Levels represents Character Development for Characters and can be either the result of Character Defining Actions or result in these when choices are made about how to develop.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Characteristics, Gain Competence, Scores, Unlocking

with Characters

Character Defining Actions, Character Development

with Massively Multiplayer Online Games

Endgame

Can Modulate

Characters, Helpers, Massively Multiplayer Online Games, New Abilities

Can Be Instantiated By

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Can Be Modulated By

Attributes, Character Classes, Death Consequences, Improved Abilities, Neighbors, Powers, Skills

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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