View source for Alarms

[[Category:Patterns]]
[[Category:Mechanical Patterns]]
[[Category:Needs work]]
[[Category:Game Element Patterns]]
''Alarms are abstract game elements that provide information about particular game state changes.''

[[Alarms]] are indicators that can show that important changes in the game state has occurred. This can be that fuel is nearly depleted in a race, a self-destruct has activated, that guards have detected the player's avatar or that an illegal activity has been observed. The activation of an [[Alarms|Alarm]] lets players know that a problem has occurred which likely needs to be dealt with while the de-activation lets them know that they are safer.

=== Examples ===

Some team-based first-person shooters, such as Return to [[Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory]], include [[Alarms]] to inform the players about events that are relevant on a team level, e. g., that a particular goal has been completed or that a certain activity has been initiated by the other team.

== Using the pattern ==

The main design choices for [[Alarms]] are how they are activated, what [[Outstanding Features]] they set off, and if they indicate [[Irreversible Events]] or if they can be turned off. 

Further, designers may choose either explicit [[Tools]] or [[Controllers]] to manipulate the [[Alarms]] or to have the manipulation of the [[Alarms]] as [[Privileged Abilities]] for certain types of [[Avatars]] or [[Units]]. Using [[Tools]] or [[Controllers]] increases the complexity of the game by allowing such possibilities as deactivating the [[Alarms|Alarm]] when it should not be deactivated, [[Bluffing]] by raising erroneous [[Alarms]], and preventing the raising of Alarms by destroying the means to activate them. All these actions increase the player's [[Freedom of Choice]] but may make it more difficult to guarantee the coherent [[Narrative Structure]] of the game. Having [[Avatars]] or [[Units]] with [[Privileged Abilities]] to raise Alarms may avoid this problem but may break the [[Consistent Reality Logic]].

The activation of the [[Alarms|Alarm]] can signify the failure of a [[Stealth]] or [[Reconnaissance]] goal but can also make the completion of it more difficult by imposing a [[Penalty]]. This [[Penalty]] is often a [[Time Limit]], the introduction of new [[Enemies]], or directing existing [[Enemies]] to the area where the [[Alarms|Alarm]] was raised.

By their nature of trying to get attention to some problematic state, [[Alarms]] can cause [[Time Pressure]] as they often imply a [[Time Limit]]. An alternative to this is to let the de-activation of an [[Alarms|Alarm]] be a goal.

=== Diegetic Aspects ===

Of course, the pattern can most easily be deigetically be presented in a game as an alarm is some form or other.

== Consequences ==
[[Alarms]] are ways to pass information about activities and states within a game, and as such provide a [[Game State Overview]]. When activated by players, an [[Alarms|Alarm]] notifies the players that they have been detected, and this can explain changes in the behavior of [[Enemies]] or the introduction of new [[Enemies]] within the [[Consistent Reality Logic]] of the game. When activated by others, [[Alarms]] can notify players of [[Enemies]] activities. In both cases, raised [[Alarms]] cause [[Disruption of Focused Attention]].

== Relations ==

=== Instantiates ===
[[Disruption of Focused Attention]]

=== Modules ===
[[Rescue]], [[Reconnaissance]], [[Stealth]], [[Enemies]], [[Game State Overview]]

=== Instantiated By ===

=== Modulated By ===
[[Outstanding Features]], [[Bluffing]]

=== Potentially Conflicting With ===

[[Gameplay Design Pattern Template]]


== History ==
This pattern was part of the original collection in the book 'Patterns in Game Design' (Björk & Holopainen, 2004).

== References ==
Björk, S. & Holopainen, J. (2004) Patterns in Game Design. Charles River Media. ISBN1-58450-354-8.