Pottering
The management of game resources for its own sake.
This pattern is a still a stub.
autotelic
Contents
Examples
Using the pattern
Pottering requires that players can find activities in a game which they want to perform for their own sake without them being forced on them by the design or other players. This means that Player Defined Goals are required for the pattern to emerge. Typical actions or activities that can provide this is Construction when players have Creative Control, but sorting activities as part of Resource Management can also work. Puzzles, either as part of games or as complete games but without Time Limits or Time Pressure, can be seen as an option as well given that they let players take their time and only perform actions when they wish to.
A main component of supporting Pottering is that players do not constantly feel stressed that the activities they are doing can be destroyed or interfered with, making games with Casual Gameplay or Private Game Spaces likely types of games in which Pottering can occur. If one wishes to only encourage Pottering in certain areas of the Game World, Safe Havens can be used instead. In contrast, games with Time Limits or constant Tension or Time Pressure works against the pattern. This does not mean that oppositions or threats cannot exist in the games: Minecraft have monsters appearing during the night but these are no problem if players have constructed Safe Havens for themselves, and players' countries in the Europa Universalis series may be attacked by other countries but this is a rather rare occurrence throughout game instances.
Diegetic Aspects
Interface Aspects
Narrative Aspects
Consequences
Relations
Can Instantiate
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Can Modulate
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Can Be Instantiated By
Casual Gameplay, Safe Havens, Player Defined Goals, Private Game Spaces Puzzles, Resource Management
Construction together with Creative Control
Can Be Modulated By
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Possible Closure Effects
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Potentially Conflicting With
Tension, Time Limits, Time Pressure
History
New pattern created in this wiki.
References
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Acknowledgements
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