Difference between revisions of "Preventing Goals"

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[[Category:Goal Patterns]]
 
[[Category:Goal Patterns]]
 
[[Category:Patterns]]
 
[[Category:Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs work]]
 
 
[[Category:Needs revision]]
 
[[Category:Needs revision]]
 
[[Category:Needs examples]]
 
[[Category:Needs examples]]
 
[[Category:Needs references]]
 
[[Category:Needs references]]
[[Category:Stub]]
 
 
[[Category:To be Published]]
 
[[Category:To be Published]]
[[Category:Staffan's current workpage]]
 
 
''Goals where the objective is to prevent a completion of another goal.''
 
''Goals where the objective is to prevent a completion of another goal.''
  
This pattern is a still a stub.
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Games typically provide players with goals for winning or making their actions feel meaningful. To do so, these goals need to be challenging and one of the easiest ways of making goals challenging is to provide somebody that is actively working against that goal being completed. Players or other agents with the goals to hinder others from completing their goals have [[Preventing Goals]].  
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
Example: The goal of the goalkeeper in Soccer is to prevent the opposing team's players from score goals.
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The goal in [[Backgammon]] is to move each individual piece to the inner table and one can prevent the other player from achieving this in two ways: by hitting the opponent's piece when moving one's own pieces or by blocking the piece by placing two or more pieces on area of the game board. The first case directly affects the opponent's piece as it interferes with the game state (the position of the piece) defining the opponent's goal. The second case indirectly prevents the goal as it does not affect the piece but may block future moves of the piece.
  
Example: The goal in Backgammon is to move each individual piece to the inner table and one can prevent the other player from achieving this in two ways: by hitting the opponent's piece when moving one's own pieces or by blocking the piece by placing two or more pieces on area of the game board. The first case directly affects the opponent's piece as it interferes with the game state (the position of the piece) defining the opponent's goal. The second case indirectly prevents the goal as it does not affect the piece but may block future moves of the piece.
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The goal of the goalkeeper (and other players) in [[Soccer]] is to prevent the opposing team's players from score goals. Similar [[Preventing Goals]] exist in the [[Team Fortress series]] and Capture-the-flag variants of [[:Category:FPS Games|First Person Shooters]] such as the [[Quake series|Quake]] or [[Unreal Tournament series]]. Protecting and attacking enemy bases in [[Defense of the Ancients]] and the [[StarCraft series]] are also similar.
  
[[Left 4 Dead series]]
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The team-based variants of the [[Left 4 Dead series]] and [[Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory]] build gameplay around one team trying to progress through a level and the other side trying to stop them.
 
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Fix [[Cooperation]] realation to this
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== Using the pattern ==
 
== Using the pattern ==
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[[Preventing Goals]] are typically introduced into games to provide challenges, [[Conflicts]], or [[Enemies]] in a game. It can also be introduced to hinder [[Cooperation]]
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or make it impossible.
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The main point with designing [[Preventing Goals]] is identifying a target goal that is to be prevented and selecting those that should prevent it. The target goal needs to be an [[Interferable Goals|Interferable Goal]], and examples of such goals include [[Alignment]], [[Capture]], [[Eliminate]], [[Evade]], [[Guard]], [[Reconnaissance]], and [[Rescue]]. [[Construction]] or [[Herd]] can also be used if they are [[Agents]] with different [[Construction]] goals regarding the same [[Construction]] space or if the entities to be herded are [[Agents]]. [[Survive]] can also function as a [[Preventing Goals|Preventing Goal]] as long as a player or [[Agents|Agent]] has the appropriate [[Eliminate]] goal.
  
=== Diegetic Aspects ===
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The basis for [[Preventing Goals]] can also be created from identifying forces opposed to groups a player or [[Agents|Agent]] should have [[Loyalty]] to. However, it should be pointed out that [[Preventing Goals]] can be [[Player-Defined Goals]], that is, players can easily make up their own [[Preventing Goals]] in any game that has other [[Agents]] with [[Interferable Goals]] in it. One example when this can occur is when players receive or take on [[Ephemeral Goals]] in [[Multiplayer Games]] since other players can then take on clear short term [[Preventing Goals]].
  
=== Interface Aspects ===
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Completing [[Preventing Goals]] can be made easier by giving those trying to prevent the target goal with [[Perfect Information]] or [[Game State Overviews]]. [[Time Limits]] can both make them easier or harder by either requiring that the target goal must just be hindered from being completed within a certain time or by requiring that it must permanently be stopped within a certain time.
  
=== Narration Aspects ===
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[[Preventing Goals]] are likely to change how players perceive [[Non-Player Characters]] regardless if it is the [[Non-Player Characters]] that have the target goals or have the [[Preventing Goals]]. The most likely effect is that they will be seen as [[Enemies]].
  
 
== Consequences ==
 
== Consequences ==
As goals that work against other goals, [[Preventing Goals]] give rise to several other patterns. First, it
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As goals that work against other goals, [[Preventing Goals]] give rise to several other patterns. First, the target goal and the [[Preventing Goals|Preventing Goal]] are [[Asymmetric Goals|Asymmetric]] and [[Excluding Goals]] which are [[Incompatible Goals|Incompatible]]. Second, [[Preventing Goals]] are [[Continuous Goals]] until the target goal no longer can be fulfilled. The presences of some [[Agents|Agent]] actively working against one's goals is also likely to lead to [[Limited Planning Ability]].
  
=== Can Instantiate ===
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The presence of [[Preventing Goals]] in a game is likely to create [[Conflicts]] and make other [[Agents]] seen as [[Enemies]]. Perceiving [[Conflicts]] may be even more likely for
[[Asymmetric Goals]],
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games with [[Algorithmic Agents]] since they typically cannot have social interactions outside gameplay actions (although this may be [[Indirect Conflicts]] in cases regarding difference in how to use [[Creative Control]]). In games where these have diegetic representation in the form of [[Non-Player Characters]], the [[Conflicts]] can easily lead to actual [[Combat]] if this is possible.
[[Conflicts]],
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[[Continuous Goals]],
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[[Enemies]],
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[[Excluding Goals]],
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[[Incompatible Goals]],  
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[[Limited Planning Ability]],
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[[Loyalty]]  
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==== with [[Algorithmic Agents]] ====
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While [[Preventing Goals]] make their target goals more difficult to complete in general, some types of target goals are affected differently. [[Conceal]] may be pointless as goals without [[Preventing Goals]] since they cannot be failed. [[Survive]] can be a balance between active forces trying to [[Eliminate]] one and passive forces (e.g. starvation) which means the design of [[Preventing Goals]] related to this need to consider the balance between these forces. [[Negotiation]] may become more difficult when [[Preventing Goals]] exist related to it but as long as some parties don't only have [[Preventing Goals]] the [[Negotiation]] can still be successful to all involved.
[[Conflicts]]
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==== with [[Algorithmic Agents]] and [[Creative Control]] ====
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[[Indirect Conflicts]]
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==== with [[Non-Player Characters]] ====
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[[Conflicts]], [[Combat]]
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=== Can Modulate ===
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[[Alignment]],
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[[Conceal]],
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[[Negotiation]],
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[[Non-Player Characters]],
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[[Survive]]  
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=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
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[[Capture]],
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[[Eliminate]],
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[[Evade]],
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[[Guard]],
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[[Interferable Goals]],
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[[Player-Defined Goals]],
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[[Reconnaissance]],
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[[Rescue]]
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[[Agents]] together with [[Construction]] or [[Herd]]
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[[Ephemeral Goals]] together with [[Multiplayer Games]]
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=== Can Be Modulated By ===
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[[Game State Overviews]],
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[[Perfect Information]],
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[[Time Limits]]
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== Relations ==
 
== Relations ==
 
[[Cooperation]]
 
 
 
=== Can Instantiate ===
 
=== Can Instantiate ===
 
[[Asymmetric Goals]],  
 
[[Asymmetric Goals]],  
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[[Conceal]],
 
[[Conflicts]],  
 
[[Conflicts]],  
 
[[Continuous Goals]],  
 
[[Continuous Goals]],  
 
[[Enemies]],  
 
[[Enemies]],  
 
[[Excluding Goals]],  
 
[[Excluding Goals]],  
[[Interferable Goals]],
 
 
[[Incompatible Goals]],  
 
[[Incompatible Goals]],  
 
[[Limited Planning Ability]],  
 
[[Limited Planning Ability]],  
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=== Can Modulate ===
 
=== Can Modulate ===
[[Alignment]],
 
[[Conceal]],
 
 
[[Negotiation]],  
 
[[Negotiation]],  
 
[[Non-Player Characters]],  
 
[[Non-Player Characters]],  
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=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
 
=== Can Be Instantiated By ===
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[[Alignment]],
 
[[Capture]],  
 
[[Capture]],  
 
[[Eliminate]],  
 
[[Eliminate]],  
 
[[Evade]],  
 
[[Evade]],  
 
[[Guard]],  
 
[[Guard]],  
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[[Interferable Goals]],
 
[[Player-Defined Goals]],  
 
[[Player-Defined Goals]],  
 
[[Reconnaissance]],  
 
[[Reconnaissance]],  
[[Rescue]]  
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[[Rescue]],
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[[Survive]]
  
 
[[Agents]] together with [[Construction]] or [[Herd]]
 
[[Agents]] together with [[Construction]] or [[Herd]]
  
[[Ephemeral Goals]] together with [[Multiplayer Games]]  
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[[Ephemeral Goals]] together with [[Multiplayer Games]]
  
 
=== Can Be Modulated By ===
 
=== Can Be Modulated By ===
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=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
 
=== Potentially Conflicting With ===
-
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[[Cooperation]]
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==

Latest revision as of 11:45, 18 October 2022

Goals where the objective is to prevent a completion of another goal.

Games typically provide players with goals for winning or making their actions feel meaningful. To do so, these goals need to be challenging and one of the easiest ways of making goals challenging is to provide somebody that is actively working against that goal being completed. Players or other agents with the goals to hinder others from completing their goals have Preventing Goals.

Examples

The goal in Backgammon is to move each individual piece to the inner table and one can prevent the other player from achieving this in two ways: by hitting the opponent's piece when moving one's own pieces or by blocking the piece by placing two or more pieces on area of the game board. The first case directly affects the opponent's piece as it interferes with the game state (the position of the piece) defining the opponent's goal. The second case indirectly prevents the goal as it does not affect the piece but may block future moves of the piece.

The goal of the goalkeeper (and other players) in Soccer is to prevent the opposing team's players from score goals. Similar Preventing Goals exist in the Team Fortress series and Capture-the-flag variants of First Person Shooters such as the Quake or Unreal Tournament series. Protecting and attacking enemy bases in Defense of the Ancients and the StarCraft series are also similar.

The team-based variants of the Left 4 Dead series and Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory build gameplay around one team trying to progress through a level and the other side trying to stop them.

Using the pattern

Preventing Goals are typically introduced into games to provide challenges, Conflicts, or Enemies in a game. It can also be introduced to hinder Cooperation or make it impossible.

The main point with designing Preventing Goals is identifying a target goal that is to be prevented and selecting those that should prevent it. The target goal needs to be an Interferable Goal, and examples of such goals include Alignment, Capture, Eliminate, Evade, Guard, Reconnaissance, and Rescue. Construction or Herd can also be used if they are Agents with different Construction goals regarding the same Construction space or if the entities to be herded are Agents. Survive can also function as a Preventing Goal as long as a player or Agent has the appropriate Eliminate goal.

The basis for Preventing Goals can also be created from identifying forces opposed to groups a player or Agent should have Loyalty to. However, it should be pointed out that Preventing Goals can be Player-Defined Goals, that is, players can easily make up their own Preventing Goals in any game that has other Agents with Interferable Goals in it. One example when this can occur is when players receive or take on Ephemeral Goals in Multiplayer Games since other players can then take on clear short term Preventing Goals.

Completing Preventing Goals can be made easier by giving those trying to prevent the target goal with Perfect Information or Game State Overviews. Time Limits can both make them easier or harder by either requiring that the target goal must just be hindered from being completed within a certain time or by requiring that it must permanently be stopped within a certain time.

Preventing Goals are likely to change how players perceive Non-Player Characters regardless if it is the Non-Player Characters that have the target goals or have the Preventing Goals. The most likely effect is that they will be seen as Enemies.

Consequences

As goals that work against other goals, Preventing Goals give rise to several other patterns. First, the target goal and the Preventing Goal are Asymmetric and Excluding Goals which are Incompatible. Second, Preventing Goals are Continuous Goals until the target goal no longer can be fulfilled. The presences of some Agent actively working against one's goals is also likely to lead to Limited Planning Ability.

The presence of Preventing Goals in a game is likely to create Conflicts and make other Agents seen as Enemies. Perceiving Conflicts may be even more likely for games with Algorithmic Agents since they typically cannot have social interactions outside gameplay actions (although this may be Indirect Conflicts in cases regarding difference in how to use Creative Control). In games where these have diegetic representation in the form of Non-Player Characters, the Conflicts can easily lead to actual Combat if this is possible.

While Preventing Goals make their target goals more difficult to complete in general, some types of target goals are affected differently. Conceal may be pointless as goals without Preventing Goals since they cannot be failed. Survive can be a balance between active forces trying to Eliminate one and passive forces (e.g. starvation) which means the design of Preventing Goals related to this need to consider the balance between these forces. Negotiation may become more difficult when Preventing Goals exist related to it but as long as some parties don't only have Preventing Goals the Negotiation can still be successful to all involved.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Asymmetric Goals, Conceal, Conflicts, Continuous Goals, Enemies, Excluding Goals, Incompatible Goals, Limited Planning Ability, Loyalty

with Algorithmic Agents

Conflicts

with Algorithmic Agents and Creative Control

Indirect Conflicts

with Non-Player Characters

Conflicts, Combat

Can Modulate

Negotiation, Non-Player Characters, Survive

Can Be Instantiated By

Alignment, Capture, Eliminate, Evade, Guard, Interferable Goals, Player-Defined Goals, Reconnaissance, Rescue, Survive

Agents together with Construction or Herd

Ephemeral Goals together with Multiplayer Games

Can Be Modulated By

Game State Overviews, Perfect Information, Time Limits

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

Cooperation

History

An updated version of the pattern Preventing Goals 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.

Acknowledgements

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