Difference between revisions of "Speedruns"

Revision as of 22:33, 13 January 2011

The goal of completing a game or a part of a game where time is the most essential measure of success.

Many games, e.g. racing games, depend on completing some activity as quickly as possible. Even so, after one has manage to be the quickest one can try to be better than one was previously or quicker than others have been in other game or play sessions. Similarly, if one has managed to complete a game or a section of a game that didn't depend on time one can have a new challenge in trying to solve the same part quicker. Such attempts are called Speed Runs.

Examples

Skilled players of the arcade version of Pac-Man managed to reach what has turned out to be the maximum score due to a software bug. The first such perfect score took about 6 hours, but players have found challenges in trying to do this quicker and in 2010 the time has been shaved to less than 4 hours^[1].

Racing games such as the Need for Speed series and the Mario Kart series let players try to beat previously time lap records. For the Mario Kart series, players can in the Time Trial mode compete against the ghosts of others players' (and the developers') performances and for internet connected versions even download performances to compete against.

The number of stars collected for completing a puzzle in Cogs depend on number of moves and time. Since the unlocking of new levels only depend on total number of stars, players can proceed to complete all levels and later return to fully complete specific levels as a form of Speed Run.

Using the pattern

Speed Runs requires the setting of Time Limits. These can be explicit set by designers which works well with making them parts of Goal Hierarchies (as in Cogs) or Handicap Achievements (as for the Bridge over Trebled Slaughter Achievement in Left 4 Dead 2). Another solution is to make them depend on the players own previous performances, which can provide a form of Smooth Learning Curves since inexperienced players only need to beat the performances of inexperienced players and let them gradually develop Game Mastery.

Real-Time Games are a prerequisite for Speed Runs. This since minimizing time consumption in games that have other ways of measuring times, e.g. by counting turns use in a Turn-Based Games, is more accurately described as a Puzzle Solving activity.

Portal

Dedicated Game Facilitators Gameplay Statistics

Diegetic Aspects

Replays in the form of Ghosts are a way of making the challenge of Speed Runs have presence in Game Worlds as Geospatial Game Widgets.

Interface Aspects

Narrative Aspects

Consequences

Being a pattern dealing with trying to meet Time Limits, Speed Runs also cause Time Pressure and very likely Tension as well.

Since Speed Runs can be used to motivate players to try and improve their own performances, the use of this pattern also promotes Replayability.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Game Mastery, Goal Hierarchies, Handicap Achievements, Replayability, Smooth Learning Curves, Tension, Time Limits, Time Pressure,

with ...

Can Modulate

Real-Time Games

Can Be Instantiated By

Ghosts Replays

Can Be Modulated By

Possible Closure Effects

Potentially Conflicting With

History

New pattern created in this wiki.

References

1. ↑ Wikipedia section on perfect plays of Pac-Man.

Acknowledgments

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