Teams

The one-sentence "definition" that should be in italics.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Examples

Left 4 Dead series Space Alert Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game

Using the pattern

Narration Aspects

to examples: Team-Based Games

Can Modulate

Agents, Avatars, Characters, Conditional Passageways, Instances, Last Man Standing, Massively Multiplayer Online Games, Multiplayer Games, Social Dilemmas, Stimulated Planning, Trick Taking, PvP

with Difficulty Levels

Coordination

with Friendly Fire

Companions

with Reserves

Agents, Characters, Physical Enactment, Player Physical Prowess

Can Be Instantiated By

Enforced Agent Behavior, Factions, Heterogeneous Game Element Ownership, Parties, Roleplaying

Algorithmic Agents together with Companions

Single-Player Games together with Units

Units together with Combos

Can Be Modulated By

AI Players, Altruistic Actions, Arenas, Betrayal, Characteristics, Chat Channels, Collaborative Actions, Drop-In/Drop-Out, Early Leaving Players, Focus Loci, Friendly Fire, Functional Roles, Handles, Internal Conflicts, Internal Rivalry, Invites, Late Arriving Players, Mini-maps, Player Killing, Player-Planned Development, Privileged Abilities, Ragequitting, Reserves, Scores, Sniper Locations, Surrendering, Team Combos, Team Balance, Team Elimination, Team Development, TvT

Game Lobbies in games that have Mediated Gameplay

Potentially Conflicting With

Betrayal, Delayed Reciprocity, Internal Conflicts

Team Balance in games with Privileged Abilities

Consequences

The main consequence of Teams is to create Cooperation (e.g. by requiring separation to maximize Area Control or making best use of Transferable Items). However, the possibilities for Individual Rewards in Races can give rise to Internal Rivalry and the possibility of Ninja Looting can cause Internal Conflicts. Friendly Fire can be another concern for Cooperation, i.e. if Player Killing of one's own team members is possible through intentional actions or mistakes. Perhaps most problematic of Cooperation, the possibility of Betrayal makes for Complex Gameplay and provides a source for Tension among all members of a Team.

Teams can be pitched against each other in TvT gameplay by applying the design possibilities of Last Man Standing or PvP on Teams. The possibility of succeeding with Eliminate goals of individual members in Teams can lead to complete Team Elimination.

Teams often can or need to achieve Coordination, e.g. through handling Privileged Abilities or Transferable Items. Mini-maps can help with this, especially when the show the position of the other team members (Geospatial Game Widgets can help with this as well).

with Coordination or Flanking Routes

Team Combos

with Characters and Orthogonal Differentiation

Team Combos, Team Strategy Identification

with Mini-maps

Team Combos, Team Strategy Identification

with Privileged Abilities or Skills

Team Combos

with Privileged Abilities

Game-Based Social Statuses

Teams consisting of players create Symbiotic Player Relations and typically cause many patterns related to Social Interaction. Player may take on Social Roles and working together can give rise to Social Rewards and Togetherness regardless of if the Teams actually succeed with their goals. However, failing with achieving goals can lead to Guilting. These pattern can occur even if not all players are actually humans (i.e. if some are AI Players) but the more games are true Multiplayer Games the more Social Skills become important and people can feel that they have achieved Team Strategy Identification before or during gameplay and Team Accomplishments after closures. When FUBAR Enjoyment occurs in these situations, they can become Mutual FUBAR Enjoyment.

Teams can be Abstract Player Constructs if the game state contains information about the Teams besides what members are part of them. In these cases, changes in Characteristics or rewards of Improved or New Abilities causes Team Development. If the Teams consists of Characters the presence of Character Development can do the same, as can the possibility of Gameplay Mastery in Teams consisting of people.

with Asymmetric Starting Conditions

Asymmetric Roles

with Extra Chances

Shared Resources

with Functional Roles

Smooth Learning Curves

Relations

Can Instantiate

Abstract Player Constructs, Cooperation, Guilting, Social Interaction, Social Roles, Social Rewards, Symbiotic Player Relations, Togetherness

with Area Control

Cooperation

with Asymmetric Starting Conditions

Asymmetric Roles

with Betrayal

Complex Gameplay, Tension

with Coordination or Flanking Routes

Team Combos

with Characters and Orthogonal Differentiation

Team Combos, Team Strategy Identification

with Character Development, Characteristics, Gameplay Mastery, Improved Abilities or New Abilities

Team Development

with Eliminate

Team Elimination

with Extra Chances

Shared Resources

with Functional Roles

Smooth Learning Curves

with Geospatial Game Widgets

Coordination

with Individual Rewards and Races

Internal Rivalry

with Last Man Standing or PvP

TvT

with Mini-maps

Coordination, Team Combos, Team Strategy Identification

with Multiplayer Games

Social Skills, Team Accomplishments, Team Strategy Identification

with Multiplayer Games and FUBAR Enjoyment

Mutual FUBAR Enjoyment

with Ninja Looting

Internal Conflicts

with Player Killing

Friendly Fire

with Privileged Abilities or Skills

Team Combos

with Privileged Abilities

Coordination, Game-Based Social Statuses

with Transferable Items

Cooperation, Coordination

Can Modulate

Agents, Avatars, Characters, Conditional Passageways, Instances, Last Man Standing, Massively Multiplayer Online Games, Multiplayer Games, Social Dilemmas, Stimulated Planning, Trick Taking, PvP

with Difficulty Levels

Coordination

with Friendly Fire

Companions

with Reserves

Agents, Characters, Physical Enactment, Player Physical Prowess

Can Be Instantiated By

Enforced Agent Behavior, Factions, Heterogeneous Game Element Ownership, Parties, Roleplaying

Algorithmic Agents together with Companions

Single-Player Games together with Units

Units together with Combos

Can Be Modulated By

AI Players, Altruistic Actions, Arenas, Betrayal, Characteristics, Chat Channels, Collaborative Actions, Drop-In/Drop-Out, Early Leaving Players, Focus Loci, Friendly Fire, Functional Roles, Geospatial Game Widgets, Handles, Internal Conflicts, Internal Rivalry, Invites, Late Arriving Players, Mini-maps, Player Killing, Player-Planned Development, Privileged Abilities, Ragequitting, Reserves, Scores, Sniper Locations, Surrendering, Team Combos, Team Balance, Team Elimination, Team Development, TvT

Game Lobbies in games that have Mediated Gameplay

Possible Closure Effects

-

Potentially Conflicting With

Betrayal, Delayed Reciprocity, Internal Conflicts

Team Balance in games with Privileged Abilities

History

An updated version of the pattern Team Play that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design<ref name="Bjork & Holopainen 2004"/>.

References

<references> <ref name="Bjork & Holopainen 2004">Björk, S. & Holopainen, J. (2004) Patterns in Game Design. Charles River Media. ISBN1-58450-354-8.</ref> </references>

Acknowledgements

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