Difference between revisions of "Game Worlds"

Revision as of 15:34, 30 March 2011

Fictive worlds in which gameplay takes place.

Usually games have a Game World in which the spatial relationships of game elements are important, for example, the actual game board in Monopoly. There are other elements where the spatial relationships are not important as long as categories can be identified, for example, the amount of money each player has in Monopoly. The strict definition adopted here requires that the elements in the Game World have spatial relationships that define and constrain the possible movements within the Game World. As already stated, many games have both the spatial Game World and other elements that have a possible impact on the Game World but that do not have spatial relationships. The Game World is usually limited and contained, but some games, for example, Five-in-a-Row, have a potentially infinite Game World.

Not all games have a Game World ---in Paper-Rock-Scissors there is no need for a Game World ---while most of the card games do not have meaningful spatial relationships between the cards that would determine possible Movement actions.

Examples

Example: Even though the view to the world was in 3D, the Game World of Wolfenstein 3D still remained two-dimensional [Kent01].

Pac-Man Asteroids Space Invaders

Half-life series Portal

Fallout series Mario series

Elite, Slaves to Armok II: Dwarf Fortress, Just Cause, Minecraft, Assassin's Creed series

Nethack

Left 4 Dead series Assassin's Creed series

Using the pattern

Designing Game Worlds consist of deciding what smaller elements (if any) they are created from, what size they are and how boundaries are handled, and what individual game elements exist in them. Inherently related to this is how players are supposed to perceive and interact with them. The following assumed that the Game Worlds are presented visually rather than through text (see Illocutionary Interface for more on the latter).

Game Worlds can be classified first into continuous and discrete. The movement for the player in a continuous Game World is at least seemingly fluid and continuous, and in discrete Game Worlds, the movement happens in larger steps. This classification is not clear cut, as it can be argued that every computer Game World is, in fact, discrete, as the positions and the environment are expressed in digital format. The second categorization concerns the main spatial relationships between the game elements. These basic categories are: linear (or 1D), reticular, 2D and 3D. These categories are orthogonal to the continuous and discrete categorization so that there are eight basic categories (even though the reticular-continuous category is slightly troublesome). Linear Game Worlds are those in which the movement can happen only in one or two directions. For example, Backgammon and Ludo have linear Game Worlds. The movement in reticular Game Worlds can happen only between connected nodes in a graph. The arrangement of different territories in Diplomacy, Hearts of Iron, and many other strategy games is a good example of a reticular Game World. The 2D Game World is just what it says: the movement is limited to a two-dimensional plane. Chess's board and Pac-Man's levels are good examples of 2D Game Worlds. The last category, 3D, is as straightforward as the previous one: the movement is more or less free in all the three dimensions. Note here that the main classification is based on how the movement, and not only player movement, is limited in the world and not on the graphical representation of the world. This means that, for example, a computer Chess with splendidly rendered 3D graphics still has a 2D Game World.

Game Worlds can be constructed to appear continuous or made out of Tiles, possibly through Tile-Laying. Besides this decision of how the Game World should be perceived on a fine level of granularity, the game world can be partitioned into different areas, Levels, on a higher level of granularity. The Levels make the rest of the Game World into Inaccessible Areas, and this can be used to guarantee different modes of play or to maintain a Narrative Structure. Game Worlds can be predetermined by the designer or constructed by the players by using a Reconfigurable Game World. In both cases, the designer has to first figure out the basic building blocks of the Game World, even when the world is continuous. The granularity or size of a Game World can be modulated during gameplay through Dedicated Game Facilitators. Especially Game Masters, who can provide Storytelling, can provide additional information such as the history of the Game World or facts that are not quantified in the game system. In Player Constructed Worlds and Roleplaying, players can do actions similar to Game Masters and provide a way to create a stable form of Never Ending Stories.

The size of Game Worlds can influence gameplay significantly. Having large worlds is one way to create Illusion of Open Space but Invisible Walls can work as well, and for sufficiently open worlds the latter may be needed even though they are likely to break Diegetic Consistency. Regardless, game designs need to consider how to handle the edges of the Game Worlds. One way is to avoid them through using Warp Zones, like for example the Civilization series and the Hearts of Iron series do to model the spherical nature of planets. Levels can be used to split Game Worlds into smaller chunks either to support Narration Structures or clearly let player clearly have Progress Indicators as they complete them.

In addition to game elements, the appearance of the Game World can be modulated by Outstanding Features. These can either point to the presence of game elements or simply give reference points to players and thereby support Game World Navigation. Area Control does not change the appearance of the Game World but changes how players can perform actions within the Game World.

Game elements before or during gameplay

Construction or Game Element Insertion

Categories of basic game elements that can be placed in Game Worlds include Alarms, Obstacles, Environmental Effects, Helpers, Installations, Resources and Resource Generators, Tools, Traps as well as Vehicles (Invisible Walls are theoretically possible but typically only used to create the outer border of the Game Worlds). The representation used for these and their placement can in turn be used to create Clues, Traces, and Environmental Storytelling. They can all be modified to be Diegetically Outstanding Features, and Big Dumb Objects are game elements specifically used for this purpose, but parts of the Game Worlds themselves can become Diegetically Outstanding Features simply by changing the presentation locally. Diegetically Outstanding Features in the Game Worlds can also be used to create Red Herrings to lure players towards certain areas. Geospatial Game Widgets are a special option to place in Game Worlds in that they are spatially located in the Game Worlds but diegetically not present.

Game elements that can be Agents and placed in Game Worlds include Enemies and Non-Player Characters, although some of the latter may be actual more accurately described as Helpers if they are sessile. Avatars and Units also belong to this category but they are typically not placed in the Game Worlds before game instances begin; instead they are placed in them through Construction or Game Element Insertion. Ghosts are Replays of previous players' actions in the game and can because of this be seen as a form of Geospatial Game Widgets for Agents of earlier game instances.

Abstract aspects of the Game Worlds, that is subsections of the actual space of the Game Worlds, include Goal Points, Inaccessible Areas, Safe Havens, Spawn Points, Resource Generators (since these can be immaterial besides being tangible game elements), and Resource Locations. Since these do not have natural representations the Game Worlds may need to be changed to have Diegetically Outstanding Features to show where they are.

Movement through game worlds

Irreversible Events Maneuvering Rhythm-Based Actions Roleplaying Drop-In/Drop-Out Time Limits (← links) Extended Actions (← links) Massively Single-Player Online Games (← links) Randomness (← links) Game Element Insertion (← links) Dedicated Game Facilitators (← links) Casual Gameplay (← links)

Open Destiny (← links) Algorithmic Agents (← links) Private Game Spaces (← links) Gameplay Statistics (← links) Quick Returns (← links) Characters (← links) Game State Indicators (← links) Stimulated Planning (← links) Extra Chances (← links) Freedom of Choice (← links) Multiplayer Games (← links) Quick Travel (← links) Companions (← links) Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences (← links) Detective Structure (← links) Enforced Agent Behavior (← links) Alignment (← links) Extra-Game Consequences (← links) Gossip (← links) Cutscenes (← links) Parallel Lives (← links) Speed Runs (← links) Varying Rule Sets (← links) Game Masters (← links) Persistent Game Worlds (← links) Visits (← links) Massively Multiplayer Online Games (← links) Non-Player Help Encouraged Return Visits (← links) Grinding (← links) Construction (← links) Development Time (← links) Public Player Statistics (← links) Pottering (← links)

Asymmetric Starting Conditions

There are several patterns that can be applied to control players information about Game Worlds.

For Game Worlds, or Levels for that matter, Mini-maps

Line of Sight

These games offer players the possibility to enter another world, and when these shared fantasies are constructed with care the Emotional Immersion and commitment from the players can be significant. Tabletop roleplaying games create these shared fantasies through Storytelling by the players and the Game Masters. The games usually have loose Narrative Structures with no definite ends, making the tales told by the players and to the players Never Ending Stories. This kind of Storytelling is usually based on the players doing Roleplaying with their Characters. As much of the Storytelling does not have an immediate effect on the state of the Game Worlds, these worlds typically generate significant Extra-Game Actions and Extra-Game Consequences.

The defining features of a Game World are the spatial relationships between the game elements, which determine what kinds of Movement actions are possible in the game (see Levels for details on possible game elements). A designer must first determine if there is a need for the Game World and then decide based on the desired basic Movement actions which kind of game worlds would suit the gameplay the best. Another basic decision concerning Game Worlds is how players should experience them: concretely through First-Person Views and Third-Person Views or abstractly through Storytelling.

Populating the Game World with game elements can be continuous or can be done before gameplay begins. Players' perceptions of the Game World will be strongly affected by the presence of any known Strategic Locations due to the placement of these types of game elements. Continuous introduction of game elements requires Resource Generators or Spawn Points, or players may create them, by Construction or by acting as Producers. Besides player actions, the effects of Producers and Converters can change not only the game elements in the Game World but aspects of the Game World itself. The presence of game elements, and Strategic Locations due to geographical features in the Game World, significantly affects Player Balance and decides which locations are suitable for specific actions such as Camping.

The Game World can be constructed so that players have either a full overview through a God View or have a partial overview using Fog of War, Game State Overview, and varying abilities of Avatars and Units. The concrete difference here is whether players are able to view the whole game world at once. The presence of Easter Eggs and Secret Resources can encourage Exploration when players do not have a complete overview of the Game World. The spatial characteristics of a Game World can be further specified by designing it to be open or closed. An open game world can be expanded during gameplay, potentially infinitely or through creating spatial cycles, while a closed one has a predefined maximum size.

Game Worlds can evolve in several different ways. Besides the effect of players' actions on game elements, Storytelling and Ultra-Powerful Events such as Shrinking Game Worlds can change the environment during gameplay.

Diegetic Aspects

Game Worlds provide a basis for Spatial Engrossment but gameplay activities taking place "outside" the Game Worlds, e.g. Excise or manipulation of Characters or Inventories in Secondary Interface Screens, can distract from this. If Diegetic Consistency is not important, the use Alien Space Bats can allow greater freedom in the range and themes possible for both the actual environments and the game elements in them.

Interface Aspects

Narrative Aspects

Environmental Storytelling

Consequences

Game Worlds give players an Alternative Realities, and creates a basis for Diegetic Consistency, in which they can experience Engrossment through Spatial Engrossment, especially in games with First-Person Views. Game Worlds limit the area on which players have to focus the attention, and typically very intuitively limits the possible Movement (Movement in turn modifies how Game Worlds are experienced).

Relations

Can Instantiate

Alternative Reality, Diegetic Consistency, Spatial Engrossment

with ...

Can Modulate

Movement

Can Be Instantiated By

Illocutionary Interface, Levels

Can Be Modulated By

Alarms, Alien Space Bats, Avatars, Big Dumb Objects, Clues, Construction, Diegetically Outstanding Features, Enemies, Environmental Effects, First-Person Views, Game Element Insertion, Geospatial Game Widgets, Ghosts, Helpers, Illusion of Open Space, Inaccessible Areas, Installations, Invisible Walls, Mini-maps, Non-Player Characters, Obstacles, Red Herrings, Resource Generators, Resource Locations, Resources, Safe Havens, Spawn Points, Tools, Traces, Traps, Units, Vehicles, Warp Zones

Possible Closure Effects

-

Potentially Conflicting With

Diegetic Consistency when Invisible Walls are present

History

An updated version of the pattern Game World 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.