Difference between revisions of "Luck"

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[[Category:Aesthetic Patterns]]
 
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[[Category:Subjective Patterns]]
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[[Category:Randomness Patterns]]
 
[[Category:Patterns]]
 
[[Category:Patterns]]
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[[Category:Needs revision]]
 
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''The feeling that random effects are not random but favorable to a player.''
[[Category:Stub]]
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''The feeling that random effects are not random but favorable or unfavorable to a player.''
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This pattern is still a stub.
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Many events in games are in practice impossible for players to control in a predictable and repeatable fashion. However, sometimes players feel that they can affect these events anyway, either through how they perform the actions or through the idea that their wishes regarding the outcome will affect it. When this causes players to feel that they are more likely to success or perform better, the games are letting them feel [[Luck]].
 
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Many events in games are impossible for players to control in a predictable and repeatable fashion. However, when players feel that they can affect this event anyway, either through how they perform the action or what they wish for when the effect of the action is being determined, they may feel that they have Luck.
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=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
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[[:Category:Gambling Games|Gambling Games]] are nearly always based upon the possibility for players to feel [[Luck]], and [[Craps]], [[Guts]], and [[Roulette]] are examples of such games. [[Blackjack]], [[Mahjong]], [[Poker]], and [[Texas Hold'em]] also hold large potential for [[Luck]] but here player skill can be noticeable over many game sessions.
  
Example: Letting players roll dice in any game is motivated primarily by letting players experience the possibility of Luck; the main other reason is that nobody else should have to perform the physical actions for the players' game action.
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By their random nature, [[:Category:Dice Games|Dice Games]] such as [[Yahtzee]] and [[:Category:Card Games|Card Games]] such as [[Dominion]] and [[Whist]] have possibilities for players to feel [[Luck]]. This inherited by games that make use of these randomizers, e.g. [[Axis & Allies]], [[Dungeons & Dragons]], [[GURPS]], [[Memoir '44]], and [[Warhammer 40K]]. The randomness in [[:Category:Computer Games|Computer Games]] can make [[Luck]] more difficult to notice, but for games such as [[World of Warcraft]] or [[Torchlight]] this can occur when loot is found and critical hits can do the same in games such as the [[Fallout series]] or [[Dead Island]].
 
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Example: The high level of Luck in gambling games lets most people start playing the games easily and feel that they are competent players, even though Game Mastery might be very difficult to achieve.
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[[Poker]]
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[[Roulette]]
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[[Warhammer 40K]]
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[[Axis & Allies]]
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[[Dungeons & Dragons]]
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[[GURPS]]
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== Using the pattern ==
 
== Using the pattern ==
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As the name suggests, [[Lucky Guess Solutions]] can support [[Luck]] but in general [[Luck]] can be hard to explicitly design into games since it is subjective emotion and emergent as well. Instead, different approaches can be taken to maximize the chances for these to occur sometimes during game sessions. This is much easier, most often simply some form of [[Randomness]] or [[Uncertainty of Outcome]] is sufficient, and classical ways of providing [[Luck]] through [[Randomness]] include letting players roll [[Dice]] or giving them card [[Hands]]. For [[Dice]] rolls, this can further be enhanced by using [[Open-Ended Die Rolls]]. Common examples on how [[Randomness]] is linked with [[Luck]] include [[Skills]] checks (e.g. in [[Basic Roleplaying]] and [[Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay]]) and railroaded [[Movement]] in games with [[Location-Fixed Abilities]] (e.g. in [[Snakes & Ladders]] and [[Monopoly]]). [[Risk/Reward]] situations is also a general way of supporting [[Luck]] since players can choose what to do based on how lucky they feel, as is unknown [[Delayed Effects]]. The action of other players in [[Multiplayer Games]] may surprise and this can also give rise to the feeling of being lucky. Note that some of these solutions work towards making players feel lucky when an outcome is revealed while others work against players being able to feel lucky while the outcome is determined, regardless if they will actually feel this when the outcome is revealed. [[Betting]] can be seen as a combination of several of the things mentioned earlier; it depends on the action of other players and while it does not have [[Randomness]] there is typically some amount of [[Uncertainty of Outcome]].
  
Luck is hard to explicitly design players to experience unless the game system cheats. This can be instantiated by Game Masters to provide maximum Tension but is a Risk/Reward choice, because if players notice the cheating, they will lose all Illusion of Influence.
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Other, more specific, ways of supporting [[Luck]] without changing probabilities of actual success is to provide players with multiple [[Drawing Stacks]] to draw from or allowing them to choose with [[Dice]] to use. Introducing [[Critical Hits]] is a way of augmenting the possibility of [[Luck]] since how players have more than one level of possible success. [[Near Miss Indicators]] can make players feel lucky because they avoided being hit, and can realize how closely they avoided this.  
  
Designing for the possibility for players to feel lucky is much easier, most often simply some form of Randomness is sufficient. Typical ways of letting players feel Luck are through letting them roll Dice, giving them hidden Card Hands, or letting Near Miss Indicators show them how close they were to being affected by dangers. For Betting, actions based around Skills, or Overcome goals that are determined by Randomness, players may base their Risk/Reward choices upon how much Luck they feel that they have.
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Several patterns can work against players feeling [[Luck]]. [[Extra Chances]] take away the perception since unluckiness can be avoided through them. [[Fixed Distributions]], [[Predictable Consequences]], and [[Strategic Knowledge]] can work against it since players may know exactly what will happen in unfolding events, or at least the exact odds for different outcomes. Avoiding these intentionally in a game can be seen as a form of trying to support players in being able to feel [[Luck]] while playing.
  
Parts of Polyathlons that appear to depend on Luck add elements not depending on player skills and that may have less Predictable Consequences.
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The alternative to trying and encourage experiences of [[Luck]] by creating possibilities for it to occur is to cheat. This can be instantiated by [[Game Masters]] which can combine this with providing [[Tension]]. A specific way of doing this is to make [[Feigned Die Rolls]] and give players the unlikely but positive outcomes. This however introduces [[Risk/Reward]] choices for the [[Game Masters]] since if players notice the cheating they will not only lose the sense of [[Luck]] but quite likely also of an [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]].
  
[[Movement]] and [[Location-Fixed Abilities]] (example for randomesss), [[Skills]]
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[[Luck]] is a fickle solution to providing [[Player Agency]] since while it can do so if players feel the [[Luck]] is there if can likewise be felt to just be "[[Luck]]".
another
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=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
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[[Misfortune Mitigation]] can weakly or indirectly modify the presence of [[Luck]] in a game. This since it can allow players to feel lucky in avoiding misfortune, but also in that it can ruin [[Luck]] if other [[Agents]] in that game can use [[Misfortune Mitigation]] to counter players' [[Luck]]. In contrasts, games that allow the use of [[Explicit Random Seeds]] to create the starting positions of games (e.g. through [[Procedurally Generated Game Worlds]]) can let players reuse lucky starting positions if they keep track of the random seeds.
[[Critical Hits]],
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[[Delayed Effects]],  
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[[Drawing Stacks]],
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[[Feigned Die Rolls]],
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[[Game Masters]],  
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[[Randomness]]
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=== Narrative Aspects ===
 
=== Narrative Aspects ===
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One way of making players feel [[Luck]] is to inscribed fortunate events in [[Predetermined Story Structures]], e.g. receiving an unexpected and large inheritance or winning a lottery. This is of course a fragile design solution since replaying the game will reveal this to be a deterministic event rather than a lucky one.
  
 
== Consequences ==
 
== Consequences ==
Feeling [[Luck]] gives players an [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]] in games, but can co-exist with [[Tension]] when perceived in actions with [[Delayed Effects]]. Games, which rely heavily on Randomness, or at least lack Predictable Consequences, often make it possible for players to feel that the outcome depends on Luck, and thereby give these games deceptive Smooth Learning Curves. Games depending totally on Randomness can be said to depend solely on Luck and have no Game Mastery, but many games with high levels of Randomness can have Game Mastery through Bluffing or Strategic Knowledge about probabilities, although Meta Games and Tournaments or other forms of playing many game sessions may be required to notice the Game Mastery.
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Feeling [[Luck]] gives players an [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]] in games, and this can be enough to create interesting games with [[No Direct Player Influence]]. The experience of having a large amount of [[Luck]] can be perceived as an [[Exceptional Events|Exceptional Event]]. However, hoping for [[Luck]] can create [[Tension]] since the outcome of events are unknown, and this become more likely when perceived in actions with [[Delayed Effects]] since players may not be sure about their [[Luck]]. Games that make it possible for players to feel that the outcome depends on [[Luck]] have deceptive [[Smooth Learning Curves]] if not real ones.  
  
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[[Luck]] can ruin or lessen the satisfaction of [[Goal Achievements]] when it allows the goals to be achieved not by player skill but fortunate events. The perception that one can have [[Luck]] can also work against [[Further Player Improvement Potential]] when this is possible since the importance of being lucky may feel more important than actual trying to improve. If can even more strongly work against [[Gameplay Mastery]] since having [[Luck]] may remove possibilities to learn and may remove the possibility to feel a [[Value of Effort]] since it can be [[Luck]] rather than effort that determines outcomes of gameplay.
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== Relations ==
 
=== Can Instantiate ===
 
=== Can Instantiate ===
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[[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]],
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[[Exceptional Events]],
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[[Player Agency]],
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[[Smooth Learning Curves]],
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[[Tension]]
  
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==== with [[Delayed Effects]] ====
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[[Tension]]
  
==== with [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]] ====
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==== with [[Game Masters]] ====
[[No Direct Player Influence]]
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[[Risk/Reward]],  
 
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[[Tension]]
=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
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[[Extra Chances]],  
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[[Fixed Distributions]],
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[[Goal Achievements]],
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[[Strategic Knowledge]]
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== Relations ==
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=== Can Instantiate ===
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[[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]]
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==== with [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]] ====
 
==== with [[Exaggerated Perception of Influence]] ====
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=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
 
=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
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[[Betting]],
 
[[Critical Hits]],  
 
[[Critical Hits]],  
 
[[Delayed Effects]],  
 
[[Delayed Effects]],  
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[[Feigned Die Rolls]],  
 
[[Feigned Die Rolls]],  
 
[[Game Masters]],  
 
[[Game Masters]],  
[[Randomness]]
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[[Lucky Guess Solutions]],
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[[Multiplayer Games]],
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[[Near Miss Indicators]],
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[[Open-Ended Die Rolls]],
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[[Predetermined Story Structures]],
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[[Randomness]],
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[[Uncertainty of Outcome]]
  
 
=== Can Be Modulated By ===
 
=== Can Be Modulated By ===
-
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[[Explicit Random Seeds]],
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[[Misfortune Mitigation]]
  
 
=== Possible Closure Effects ===
 
=== Possible Closure Effects ===
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[[Extra Chances]],  
 
[[Extra Chances]],  
 
[[Fixed Distributions]],  
 
[[Fixed Distributions]],  
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[[Further Player Improvement Potential]],
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[[Gameplay Mastery]],
 
[[Goal Achievements]],  
 
[[Goal Achievements]],  
[[Strategic Knowledge]]
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[[Misfortune Mitigation]],
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[[Player Agency]],
 +
[[Predictable Consequences]],
 +
[[Strategic Knowledge]],
 +
[[Value of Effort]]
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==

Latest revision as of 12:58, 9 April 2018

The feeling that random effects are not random but favorable to a player.

Many events in games are in practice impossible for players to control in a predictable and repeatable fashion. However, sometimes players feel that they can affect these events anyway, either through how they perform the actions or through the idea that their wishes regarding the outcome will affect it. When this causes players to feel that they are more likely to success or perform better, the games are letting them feel Luck.

Examples

Gambling Games are nearly always based upon the possibility for players to feel Luck, and Craps, Guts, and Roulette are examples of such games. Blackjack, Mahjong, Poker, and Texas Hold'em also hold large potential for Luck but here player skill can be noticeable over many game sessions.

By their random nature, Dice Games such as Yahtzee and Card Games such as Dominion and Whist have possibilities for players to feel Luck. This inherited by games that make use of these randomizers, e.g. Axis & Allies, Dungeons & Dragons, GURPS, Memoir '44, and Warhammer 40K. The randomness in Computer Games can make Luck more difficult to notice, but for games such as World of Warcraft or Torchlight this can occur when loot is found and critical hits can do the same in games such as the Fallout series or Dead Island.

Using the pattern

As the name suggests, Lucky Guess Solutions can support Luck but in general Luck can be hard to explicitly design into games since it is subjective emotion and emergent as well. Instead, different approaches can be taken to maximize the chances for these to occur sometimes during game sessions. This is much easier, most often simply some form of Randomness or Uncertainty of Outcome is sufficient, and classical ways of providing Luck through Randomness include letting players roll Dice or giving them card Hands. For Dice rolls, this can further be enhanced by using Open-Ended Die Rolls. Common examples on how Randomness is linked with Luck include Skills checks (e.g. in Basic Roleplaying and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay) and railroaded Movement in games with Location-Fixed Abilities (e.g. in Snakes & Ladders and Monopoly). Risk/Reward situations is also a general way of supporting Luck since players can choose what to do based on how lucky they feel, as is unknown Delayed Effects. The action of other players in Multiplayer Games may surprise and this can also give rise to the feeling of being lucky. Note that some of these solutions work towards making players feel lucky when an outcome is revealed while others work against players being able to feel lucky while the outcome is determined, regardless if they will actually feel this when the outcome is revealed. Betting can be seen as a combination of several of the things mentioned earlier; it depends on the action of other players and while it does not have Randomness there is typically some amount of Uncertainty of Outcome.

Other, more specific, ways of supporting Luck without changing probabilities of actual success is to provide players with multiple Drawing Stacks to draw from or allowing them to choose with Dice to use. Introducing Critical Hits is a way of augmenting the possibility of Luck since how players have more than one level of possible success. Near Miss Indicators can make players feel lucky because they avoided being hit, and can realize how closely they avoided this.

Several patterns can work against players feeling Luck. Extra Chances take away the perception since unluckiness can be avoided through them. Fixed Distributions, Predictable Consequences, and Strategic Knowledge can work against it since players may know exactly what will happen in unfolding events, or at least the exact odds for different outcomes. Avoiding these intentionally in a game can be seen as a form of trying to support players in being able to feel Luck while playing.

The alternative to trying and encourage experiences of Luck by creating possibilities for it to occur is to cheat. This can be instantiated by Game Masters which can combine this with providing Tension. A specific way of doing this is to make Feigned Die Rolls and give players the unlikely but positive outcomes. This however introduces Risk/Reward choices for the Game Masters since if players notice the cheating they will not only lose the sense of Luck but quite likely also of an Exaggerated Perception of Influence.

Luck is a fickle solution to providing Player Agency since while it can do so if players feel the Luck is there if can likewise be felt to just be "Luck".

Misfortune Mitigation can weakly or indirectly modify the presence of Luck in a game. This since it can allow players to feel lucky in avoiding misfortune, but also in that it can ruin Luck if other Agents in that game can use Misfortune Mitigation to counter players' Luck. In contrasts, games that allow the use of Explicit Random Seeds to create the starting positions of games (e.g. through Procedurally Generated Game Worlds) can let players reuse lucky starting positions if they keep track of the random seeds.

Narrative Aspects

One way of making players feel Luck is to inscribed fortunate events in Predetermined Story Structures, e.g. receiving an unexpected and large inheritance or winning a lottery. This is of course a fragile design solution since replaying the game will reveal this to be a deterministic event rather than a lucky one.

Consequences

Feeling Luck gives players an Exaggerated Perception of Influence in games, and this can be enough to create interesting games with No Direct Player Influence. The experience of having a large amount of Luck can be perceived as an Exceptional Event. However, hoping for Luck can create Tension since the outcome of events are unknown, and this become more likely when perceived in actions with Delayed Effects since players may not be sure about their Luck. Games that make it possible for players to feel that the outcome depends on Luck have deceptive Smooth Learning Curves if not real ones.

Luck can ruin or lessen the satisfaction of Goal Achievements when it allows the goals to be achieved not by player skill but fortunate events. The perception that one can have Luck can also work against Further Player Improvement Potential when this is possible since the importance of being lucky may feel more important than actual trying to improve. If can even more strongly work against Gameplay Mastery since having Luck may remove possibilities to learn and may remove the possibility to feel a Value of Effort since it can be Luck rather than effort that determines outcomes of gameplay.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Exaggerated Perception of Influence, Exceptional Events, Player Agency, Smooth Learning Curves, Tension

with Delayed Effects

Tension

with Game Masters

Risk/Reward, Tension

with Exaggerated Perception of Influence

No Direct Player Influence

Can Modulate

-

Can Be Instantiated By

Betting, Critical Hits, Delayed Effects, Drawing Stacks, Feigned Die Rolls, Game Masters, Lucky Guess Solutions, Multiplayer Games, Near Miss Indicators, Open-Ended Die Rolls, Predetermined Story Structures, Randomness, Uncertainty of Outcome

Can Be Modulated By

Explicit Random Seeds, Misfortune Mitigation

Possible Closure Effects

-

Potentially Conflicting With

Extra Chances, Fixed Distributions, Further Player Improvement Potential, Gameplay Mastery, Goal Achievements, Misfortune Mitigation, Player Agency, Predictable Consequences, Strategic Knowledge, Value of Effort

History

A rewrite version of the pattern Luck 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.