Patterns
I'm a kindergarten teacher and I thought I knew what a pattern was. Let's see,
It solves a problem.
It is a proven concept.
The solution isn't obvious.
It describes a relationship
The pattern has a significant human component

Each pattern is a three-part rule, which expresses a relation between a certain context, a problem and a solution.

I like this definition best:
As an element of language, a pattern is an instruction, which shows how this spatial configuation can be used, over and over again, to resolve the given system of forces, wherever the context makes it relevant.

John, here is my understanding of Forces: In the description of a pattern for game design a force would be the motivation for using that particular type of pattern. It would be the discriptiion of the instances and ideas about why you want to solve the problem. that would be best suited to using the pattern described.

I was most interested in the discussion that I will copy here and then discuss:

Context:

You are an experienced practitioner in your field. You have noticed that you keep using a certain solution to a commonly occurring problem. You would like to share your experience with others.

Problem:

How do you share a recurring solution to a problem with others so that it may be reused?

Forces:

* Keeping the solution to yourself doesn't require any effort
* Sharing the solution verbally helps a few others but won't make a big impact in your field.
* Writing down your understanding of the solution is hard work and requires much reflection on how you solve the problem.
* Transforming your specific solution into a more widely applicable solution is difficult.
* People are unlikely to use a solution if you don't explain the reasons for using it.
* Writing down the solution may compromise your competitive advantage (either personal or corporate.)

Solution:

Write down the solution using the pattern form. Capture both the problem and the solution, as well as the reasons why the solution is applicable. Apply Mandatory Elements Present to ensure that the necessary information is communicated clearly. Include Optional Elements When Helpful to capture any additional useful information. Distribute the resulting pattern to the largest audience you feel it could help that does not compromise your competitive advantage. Often, this means publishing your patterns exclusively within your company via Intranets or company journals.

The forces in this example include why the problem is needing to be solved. It directs and guides the solution. It is like the thoughts behind the formation of the solution.

I am still unsure how this can be handled for game design. I had hoped to have a better outline by now to bring to our meeting on Monday.

What iff we take the general categories of pieces, paths, probabilities, prizes and principles.

This seems like a simplistic view of game design. Much of this is already done in the Board Game Design First Steps. The literature is much deeper and goes beyond the surface discriptions we first discussed last Monday.

However, let's go forward with this idea for the present.

Pieces
-moving pieces
-alterations to the game (houses in Monopoly)
-reward pieces
-comments and questions to answer
-motivational


Paths
- Movement through Space or time
-obstacles
-shortcuts
- decisions



Probabilities
-

Prizes
-rewards to progress through the game faster
-increase in status
-ways to win

Principles
-

This is pretty sketchy. More to come.

Karen