Reading 2 Chapter 3

                This chapter starts of talking about a unique feature to games, the invitation to play. Games directly ask the player to join the experience. One features of games is the numbers of players it can be an exact number or variable from one or more. Players in some games can take up unique rolls which changes the way they play the game. Games have certain player interaction patterns. There is single player versus the game, multiple individual players versus the game, but not directly working together or conflicting with each other. There is player versus player, unilateral competition which is one player vs multiple players. Cooperative play is another style as is team competition which pits multiple teams against each other.

                Objectives are the basis of gameplay goals and strategy. The objectives listed in the chapter are capture, chase, race, rescue, construction, exploration, solution, and outwit. There is also alignment where the player must organize game pieces in a certain way to win. Another objective is forbidden action which is one where the player that performs it will lose the game. Procedures in games are the processes that the player goes through to accomplish parts of the game. The core procedures are the starting action, progression of action, special actions and resolving actions.

                Rules are an important factor of games that balance the complexity of the game and are the basis of what players can and cannot do. They must be clear so players can understand them. Rules can define objects or concepts, restrict actions, and determine certain effects. Resources are what is available to the players to use. Common resources are lives, units, health, currency, actions, power-ups, inventory, special terrain, and time. Conflicts are working against the player and can be obstacles, opponents, and dilemmas such as how to allocate resources. Games have certain boundaries that contain them and the game ends in a specific outcome.

                I found the list of player interaction patterns to be interesting. Specifically, unilateral competition and multiple individual players versus the game. I feel like these are lesser used player interaction patterns. Also in objectives alignment and forbidden act aren’t really used too much in digital games. Can there be more forms of player interaction and objectives that aren’t on the list?