Characters.json

{
  "pattern_name": "Characters",
  "description": "Abstract representations of persons in a game.",
  "content": [
    "Many games let players control game elements that represent people or creatures that act in the [[Game World]]. When these people or creatures have characteristics not directly shown in the [[Game World]] that can change during gameplay, these game elements have an abstract element called [[Character]]."
  ],
  "using_the_pattern": [
    "The design of use of [[Characters]] in games can either be on the level of creating explicit characters or by creating rules for how players can create their own [[Characters]]. Independent of how [[Characters]] are created, the game designer can choose whether [[Character Development]] should be possible and if players should be able to affect it. Allowing players control over [[Character Development]] increases [[Freedom of Choice]] as well as creates [[Planned Character Development]], which is a form of [[Investment]]. This planning offers players the chance of [[Varied Gameplay]] by making use of [[New Abilities]] to instantiate potential [[Orthogonal Unit Differentiation]]. [[Planned Character Development]] gives the possibility for [[Team Development]] in games with [[Team Play]]. However, unless games make use of [[Game Masters]], this kind of [[Freedom of Choice]] regarding [[Characters]] may be difficult to combine with [[Narrative Structures]].",
    "Creating complete [[Characters]] lets them fit within an [[Alternative Reality]] and allows personalized and unique [[Avatars]] for each [[Character]]. In games with [[Combat]] or [[Overcome]] goals between the players, pre-created [[Characters]] can be extensively play-tested to ensure [[Player Balance]]. The use of pre-created [[Characters]] is common in games either where [[Character Development]] is not a large part of gameplay or where the [[Character]], and any [[Character Development]], is closely tied to a tightly controlled [[Narrative Structure]].",
    "Typical ways of letting players create [[Characters]] are based around [[Randomness]] or [[Budgeted Action Points]]. These are in turn used to determine the many various characteristics possible: the [[Handle]] that identifies the character to other players; number values that represent physical or mental abilities or status of measurements such as [[Lives]], health, and fatigue; [[Skills]] that affect the likelihood of succeeding with actions and may give [[Privileged Abilities]] such as being a [[Producer]] that can create [[Renewable Resources]]; advantages, disadvantages, quirks, or other ways of describing character traits and motivating initial Decreased Abilities, Improved Abilities, or [[Privileged Abilities]]; worldly possessions and equipment that represents [[Resources]] or [[Tools]]; and occupations, social statuses, and social networks that define the characters place in the [[Game World]]. In games with [[Avatars]], some of these characteristics are usually cosmetic. The variety of values associated with [[Characters]] then open up for the range of [[Rewards]], such as [[Improved Abilities]] through raised [[Skills]], and [[Penalties]], such as [[Decreased Abilities]] through received [[Damage]], that can occur during gameplay.",
    "When players have rules for creating [[Characters]], this gives them [[Freedom of Choice]] and [[Creative Control]] depending on the level of [[Randomness]] involved in the process, but this increases the possibilities for [[Identification]] and[[Immersion]] through [[Emotional Immersion]] in all cases. The personalization possible also allows players to construct [[Player Defined Goals]] for their [[Characters]] as they are created, and can give them the [[Illusion of Influence]] over how the [[Narrative Structure]] will develop. However, with a larger amount of [[Freedom of Choice]] regarding the character creation process, the problem of fitting or adjusting the character to an integral role in a [[Narrative Structure]] increases also. This problem can be mitigated by the presence of [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]] that can perform [[Negotiation]] to make the [[Character]] suitable to the planned events in the game or modify the [[Narrative Structure]] to fit the [[Character]]."
  ],
  "consequences": [
    "[[Characters]] provide games with points for [[Identification]] and through these points [[Emotional Immersion]], which can strengthen the impact of, and widen the range of, [[Penalties]] usable in the game, especially in the case of [[Persistent Game Worlds]]. The presence of [[Characters]] also allows more detailed [[Enemies]] and richer [[Narrative Structure]] where social relationships and [[Character Development]] can be important components. This is especially true in cases where [[Roleplaying]] the [[Characters]] or [[Storytelling]] about the [[Characters]] is possible.",
    "In games with [[Game Worlds]], [[Characters]] form links between abstract game state values and concrete game state values through their connection to [[Avatars]]. When no concrete [[Game World]] exists, [[Characters]] take the role of [[Focus Loci]] in replacement of [[Avatars]].",
    "In [[Multiplayer Games]], having [[Characters]] with different [[Privileged Abilities]] allows [[Orthogonal Unit Differentiation]] and lets players specialize in different [[Competence Areas]]. However, the differences in abilities may cause [[Player Balance]] to be disrupted."
  ],
  "relations": {
    "Instantiates": [
      "Competence Areas",
      "Emotional Immersion",
      "Investments",
      "Focus Loci",
      "Illusion of Influence",
      "Identification",
      "Creative Control",
      "Immersion",
      "Enemies",
      "Orthogonal Unit Differentiation",
      "Player Defined Goals",
      "Narrative Structures"
    ],
    "Modulates": [
      "Avatars",
      "Multiplayer Games",
      "Player Balance",
      "Alternative Reality",
      "Varied Gameplay",
      "Roleplaying"
    ],
    "Instantiated by": [],
    "Modulated by": [
      "Damage",
      "Penalties",
      "Planned Character Development",
      "Producers",
      "Resources",
      "Budgeted Action Points",
      "Decreased Abilities",
      "Improved Abilities",
      "Dedicated Game Facilitators",
      "Renewable Resources",
      "Persistent Game Worlds",
      "Rewards",
      "Lives",
      "Tools",
      "Skills",
      "Privileged Abilities",
      "Storytelling",
      "New Abilities",
      "Character Development",
      "Randomness",
      "Handles",
      "Freedom of Choice",
      "Game Masters"
    ],
    "Potentially conflicting with": []
  },
  "examples": [
    "Roleplaying games let each player control a character, and one of the main types of achievement in the games is to raise the character's level, stats, or skills.",
    "Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a first-person shooter where players have characters that can develop between levels by gaining experience points in various skills."
  ],
  "label": "9. Game Design Patterns for Narrative Structures, Predictability, and\n    Immersion Patterns",
  "pattern_links": [
    {
      "name": "Competence Areas",
      "file": "CompetenceAreas"
    },
    {
      "name": "Freedom of Choice",
      "file": "FreedomofChoice"
    },
    {
      "name": "Decreased Abilities",
      "file": "DecreasedAbilities"
    },
    {
      "name": "Damage",
      "file": "Damage"
    },
    {
      "name": "Character Development",
      "file": "CharacterDevelopment"
    },
    {
      "name": "Storytelling",
      "file": "Storytelling"
    },
    {
      "name": "Immersion",
      "file": "Immersion"
    },
    {
      "name": "Game Masters",
      "file": "GameMasters"
    },
    {
      "name": "Alternative Reality",
      "file": "AlternativeReality"
    },
    {
      "name": "Producers",
      "file": "Producers"
    },
    {
      "name": "Player Defined Goals",
      "file": "PlayerDefinedGoals"
    },
    {
      "name": "Emotional Immersion",
      "file": "EmotionalImmersion"
    },
    {
      "name": "Avatars",
      "file": "Avatars"
    },
    {
      "name": "Investments",
      "file": "Investments"
    },
    {
      "name": "Budgeted Action Points",
      "file": "BudgetedActionPoints"
    },
    {
      "name": "Improved Abilities",
      "file": "ImprovedAbilities"
    },
    {
      "name": "Identification",
      "file": "Identification"
    },
    {
      "name": "Focus Loci",
      "file": "FocusLoci"
    },
    {
      "name": "New Abilities",
      "file": "NewAbilities"
    },
    {
      "name": "Randomness",
      "file": "Randomness"
    },
    {
      "name": "Renewable Resources",
      "file": "RenewableResources"
    },
    {
      "name": "Player Balance",
      "file": "PlayerBalance"
    },
    {
      "name": "Penalties",
      "file": "Penalties"
    },
    {
      "name": "Enemies",
      "file": "Enemies"
    },
    {
      "name": "Varied Gameplay",
      "file": "VariedGameplay"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dedicated Game Facilitators",
      "file": "DedicatedGameFacilitators"
    },
    {
      "name": "Tools",
      "file": "Tools"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lives",
      "file": "Lives"
    },
    {
      "name": "Skills",
      "file": "Skills"
    },
    {
      "name": "Rewards",
      "file": "Rewards"
    },
    {
      "name": "Orthogonal Unit Differentiation",
      "file": "OrthogonalUnitDifferentiation"
    },
    {
      "name": "Multiplayer Games",
      "file": "MultiplayerGames"
    },
    {
      "name": "Illusion of Influence",
      "file": "IllusionofInfluence"
    },
    {
      "name": "Narrative Structures",
      "file": "NarrativeStructures"
    },
    {
      "name": "Roleplaying",
      "file": "Roleplaying"
    },
    {
      "name": "Privileged Abilities",
      "file": "PrivilegedAbilities"
    },
    {
      "name": "Handles",
      "file": "Handles"
    },
    {
      "name": "Persistent Game Worlds",
      "file": "PersistentGameWorlds"
    },
    {
      "name": "Creative Control",
      "file": "CreativeControl"
    },
    {
      "name": "Planned Character Development",
      "file": "PlannedCharacterDevelopment"
    },
    {
      "name": "Resources",
      "file": "Resources"
    }
  ],
  "pattern_id": "Characters",
  "playable_concept": "Not available yet",
  "metadata": {
    "version": "1.2.2.2",
    "date_processed": "2025-04-26",
    "source_file": "Characters.htm",
    "converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
  }
}