pattern(s) / matrix / model(s) / resource(s)
Sometimes one cannot find enough players to make a game playable or enjoyable. To make gameplay possible in these situations, the game design may provide means of simulating players. These simulated players, or Agents, can also be used to flesh out team-based games so that the teams are of equal size or simply let players train without having to play against other people.
Example: Bots in first-person shooters or real-time strategy games let players simulate multiplayer variants of the game.
Creating Agents requires that Dedicated Game Facilitators can sufficiently simulate the actions and plans of players, which in many cases requires significant computer power and AI programming. However, the skill of these Agents can easily be downgraded once they have been created and this can be used to create Handicaps for players.
Agents provide the possibility to play Multiplayer Games when not enough players are available by providing Enemies controlled by the game system. This allows for Competition, Conflict, and Tied Results, and even Social Interaction to be present, or at least simulated, in situations where they would otherwise be impossible.
Instantiates: Enemies, Tied Results
Modulates: Conflict, Competition, Multiplayer Games, Handicaps, Social Interaction
Instantiated by: Dedicated Game Facilitators
Modulated by:
Potentially conflicting with:
(C) Æliens 04/09/2009
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