Energy Penalties

Penalties that numerically reduce game state values important for players to be able to perform actions.

Penalties in games can take many forms. Energy Penalties are those that do not automatically remove players from games or force them to repeat actions again but rather those that reduce numerical values and threaten to cause more serious penalties when these values hit certain thresholds.

Note: while Life Penalties fit the definition of Energy Penalties, the latter pattern is on a finer level of granularity than Life Penalties.

Examples

The most common Energy Penalties are those reducing health or hit points. These can be found in games as varying as Tabletop Roleplaying Games (e.g. Dungeons & Dragons and GURPS), FPS Games (e.g. Call of Duty series and Duke Nukem 3D), Fighting Games (e.g. the Dead or Alive series and the Mortal Kombat series), MMOGs (e.g. City of Heroes and Dark Age of Camelot), and MOBAs (e.g. League of Legends and the StarCraft series).

Using the pattern

Energy Penalties are those Penalties that affect some Attributes or Resources that players have. They are typically diegetically motivated by being affected by Aim & Shoot actions or Traps but can be given for any type of reason. In practice, designing Energy Penalties consist of using Damage on Resources or Attributes, most typically Ammunition, Armor, Energy, or Health.

Consequences

In games with Lives, Energy Penalties can lead to Life Penalties if the Attributes affected by them relate to the Lives.

Relations

Game Termination Penalties Tension Cooldown

Can Instantiate

Life Penalties

Can Modulate

Lives

Can Be Instantiated By

Damage together with Ammunition, Armor, Energy, Health or Resources

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. However it is based on the concept "Energy punishment" introduced by Juul.

Acknowledgements

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