All Discussions

Dump of all cards' pages (version 2.0).

---

---

This is mainly a (giant) page to ease deck-wide checks in maintenance time. It is a dump of all individual cards' pages.
If you got here not wittingly you will probably prefer to go to the Deck page, and then navigate through the individual card pages.

---

---

---

---

Achievement

Achievement vs. Success

When refering to this card in a same context where Failure is also being referred, people sometimes say 'Success' instead of 'Achievement'. In such context it seems that 'Success' would feel more natural because it is the common opposite of 'Failure'. Yet:

• The term 'success' points towards a more definitive perception of achievement, as when a game level is finished. It is not so interesting to refer to each small positive reinforcement such as picking coins in Super Mario or rings in Sonic.
• There is no reason for the patterns Achievement and Failure to be seen as opposite, although they may act close to that in many games.

So, we still believe 'Achievement' is a better name. Nevertheless, for the sake of usability, here in the site we are including a page called Success that redirects to Achievement.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

---

---

Acoustic Ecology

The card Acoustic Ecology contains an umbrella concept. As such, should it be deprecated?

We concluded [pending] that 'umbrella concepts' (or 'aggregator concepts'), even if constituting meaningful design patterns, were not very effective as cards (see why here). Still, as we say in its the description, Acoustic Ecology is a most influential card/concept/pattern. It would feel strange if it were not part of the deck... On the other hand it should not remain there just to 'make justice' to the overall role of the concept. Hard decision...
ValterAlves [pre-release]

Well, for what it matters, it should be noticed that in the back of the 'presentation card' for the deck (Sound Design in Games) there is an 'Abstract' that refers to the influence of 'Acoustic Ecology' in this work.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

Anyway, that is not the whole question: ultimately it would be possibly that designers, using the deck, would decide to make some sound explorations, influenced by the consideration of some (other) cards but would not explore them in a holist way, which, to our understanding, would not be as interesting as it should be. Could this card make a difference?
ValterAlves [pre-release]

The card, alone, maybe not. This is a complex concept, with which most people are not familiar. But if people would feel the need (and have an expedite way) to come to the site and read a bit more, I believe it could make some difference. Yet, cards that don't stand per se -- that is, that depend on the complementary online resources to be understood -- may compromise the meaningfulness of the whole deck.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

Actually some of the examples presented are very specific, not just a flavor of a statement or mindset. And those examples would not fit in any other 'contained' pattern.
It would be instrumental to find others to break down the complexity of the concept and enhance the card in a way that it would become more than an umbrella concept.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

---

---

---

---

---

---

Affected Hearing

Other candidate names

"Impaired Hearing"?

Hmmm... Than it would not apply to environmental reasons (like Noise).

"Hearing disturbance"?

Too long, perhaps.

ValterAlves 18:07, 7 October 2011 (WEST)

Other candidate synopsis

"Portraying hearing impairment."?
ValterAlves 18:07, 7 October 2011 (WEST)

---

---

Ambiance

'Ambiance' versus 'Ambience'

Assuming that we are really using the proper word, it could be useful to leave here a note on how do the two meanings differ from each other (targeting non-native speakers).
ValterAlves [pre-release]

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Chitchat

About the name

This name was preferred to 'Chatter' (which we were adopting temporarily in early versions).

What about 'Smalltalk'?

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Death

Should the pattern restrict to PC's Death?

The original idea of this pattern was to refer to PC's Death. Not NPC's. Still, NPC's Death is also important in terms of sound design and this seems to be the natural place to address it. Yet, NPC's Death is a fairly distinct problem (with almost opposite gameplay and emotional goals) and becomes a bit distracting here (in the sense that it competes with PC's Death). And inconsequent too (because it is not discussed enough). Nevertheless, it does not seem interesting to have two different patterns to address both Deaths. Or is it?
ValterAlves 12:37, 13 October 2011 (WEST)

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Directionality

Other possible names

'Follow the Sound'

'Follow' suggests that moving is implied, which is not always the case

'Face the Sound'
'Spatiality'

Although 'Spaciality' is different from 'Directionality'... The former concerns to the ability to perceive the distribution of things and the characteristics of the space though the distribution of sound; the latter concerns being able to spot the direction of one particular source.

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Emotional Script

Better Name?

Emotional Script is a name that better fits our initial idea of what the design pattern would cover. Still we've been noticing that the name does not always fit in a sentence where it was supposed to. Considering that one of the major goals of this design patterns is to contribute for the identification of a relevant domain vocabulary, this is an important matter.
'Emotional'? yes? 'Script'? Not necessarily. Most of the times we are thinking to a moment or state, not to the entire script. That is, something less macro.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

So... 'Emotional State'?, 'Emotion'? 'Emotions'?

ValterAlves [pre-release]

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Hurry Up!

Hurry Up! and Window of Opportunity -- should they merge?

I hesitate in keeping Hurry Up! and Window of Opportunity as different patterns. They refer to different scenarios indeed, but the kind of solutions regarding sound design are fairly common. But then again, if I think in merging one into the other I feel that the remaining name does not cover effectively both cases.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

Name: other suggestions

Possibly less effective but more coherent with the other cards' names: 'Urgency', 'Emergency', ...
ValterAlves [pre-release]

---

---

Identification

Better Name?

This name show to be sometimes ambiguous regarding to the object of Identification.

---

---

---

---

In-game Feedback

Better name?

We are not happy yet about this pattern's name. 'In-game Feedback' fails to explain 'about what' the feedback is. Actually, it puts the emphasis on 'having feedback on something' rather then 'when you are inputing' .

• 'Input Feedback'? may be understood as the imperative 'you (should) input feedback' (whatever that might mean).
  
• 'Feedback on Input'? fails to say that feedback is dieget.
  
• 'In-game Feedback on Input'? 'Diegetic Feedback on Input'? too big.
  ValterAlves [pre-release]

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Narrative

Narrative: concept frontiers

I believe we were too relaxed about the criteria for what contributes to Narrative. The original mindset was that any sound exploration that could 'tell' how things were evolving or the interpretation of NPC on past and present events could fit. Indirectly this would apply to the macro-Emotional Script too.
Meanwhile we recognize that such loose definition would eventually leave very few outside.
So, in order to make the card usefull, we are considering narrowing the definition to those explorations that more pragmatically build the prose of the game.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

Is this an "aggregator card"?

follow the discussion pending link
ValterAlves [pre-release]

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Pitch Gameplay

Pattern name: Pitch 'Gameplay' or Pitch 'Game'?

ValterAlves [pre-release]

or just 'Pitch'?
ValterAlves [pre-release]

---

---

R-A-E-D Iterations

Worth considering beyond the aggregation of the involved concepts?

The original motivation of this pattern was not to pack the concepts in stake (Relaxation, Anticipation, Engagement, Decay) but to evidence the possibility of exploring them in combination, namely as a iterated sequence.
The four involved concepts make sense per se -- they can be (and sometimes are) explored in isolation -- and they have specific goals and solutions. So, we argue that it would not make sense to treat them all together in one single pattern/card. But the iterated sequence (...→Relaxation→Anticipation→Engagement→Decay→Relaxation→Anticipation→Engagement→Decay→Relaxation→... or in the simpler and most common case ...→Relaxation→Engagement→Decay→Relaxation→Engagement→Decay→Relaxation→...) also makes sense because it is one relevant and particular exploration of such concepts.
Still, we recognize that the users of the deck may sense some repetition (or revisiting at least) of the concepts. So, the question is, considering that we have to compromise, should this pattern continue to be a card in version 2.0, or should we deprecate it as of version 1.0?
ValterAlves [pre-release]

Is the name good?

We felt the need to come up with the 'R-A-E-D' acronym to refer to the sequence of the phases and we've been sensing that once the name of the pattern becomes decoded, the acronym itself helps memorisation. Still, it is evident that the name poses a challenge to its users in the first contact, at least. We are still hopeful that a better name for the card may be found.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

perhaps it would be a chance to remove the references to the names of the phases, and consequently to reduce the false sense of aggregator card that it may have now.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

---

---

Radio

Is Radio part of Helper Voice?

ValterAlves [pre-release]

It should not. It is the purpose of the exploration that should be addressed, not the means.

Cases of use of a Radio device with the intent of convey messages from a Helper Voice fit that pattern.

Radio relates to the use of broadcasted radio emission, which are not perceived as targeting the PC, even if (indirectly) they carry useful information.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

Is it worth it?

I'm sensing that this pattern will reveal to specific to deserve reaching the deck. But I'm also feeling that I should go on with its specification so that I will be able to use it as an example of a pattern that is too specific to be interesting to be considered.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

This is more a collection of instance of some other pattern.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

Question is: which pattern? Which is the pattern from this is an instance? I none, could it be the case that there is another pattern (that one) that we did not realise before?
ValterAlves [pre-release]

No. It is not a instance of a (single) pattern. The examples point to several different explorations. But yes, it may be too specific. Or not.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

In that case the discussion 'Is Radio part of Helper Voice?' (above) should be reformulated: Radio is one way to implement Helper Voice, and in that case it address directly the PC and may be a communicator (walkie-talkie).
ValterAlves [pre-release]

If the door is open to communicators, shouldn't they all be allowed? And in that case what would the name of the pattern be? "Radio", still?
ValterAlves [pre-release]

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Rhythm Gameplay

Pattern name: Rhythm 'Gameplay' or Rhythm 'Game'?

ValterAlves [pre-release]

or just 'Rhythm'?

ValterAlves [pre-release]

---

---

---

---

---

---

Shout and Yell

Flaws in the Synopsis

...
ValterAlves [pre-release]

Working suggestion: "NPC's loud manifestations of hostility"
ValterAlves [pre-release]

Should the name of card adapt to this too?
ValterAlves [pre-release]

Why NPC? Why not saying just "Loud manifestations of hostility"?
ValterAlves [pre-release]

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Subtitles and Captions

'Subtitles and Captions': Is it a good compromise to put them together?

Whilst most of the times 'Subtitles' and 'Captions' come mixed (using the same means), when using the (full) expression 'Subtitles and Captions' in a sentence, sometimes it does not adequate, because we mean just 'Subtitles' or just 'Captions'. We could also allow ourselves not to use the full expression whenever it would be proper (to be able to say just Subtitles or Captions, despite always linking to Subtitles and Captions) but that would be prone to confusions. On the other hand, splitting this pattern in two seems purposeless.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Variety

Name update in version 2.0: Requisite Variety → Variety

This update results from the studies done with the deck in version 1.0.
ValterAlves [pre-release]

---

---

---

---

Window of Opportunity

Hurry Up! and Window of Opportunity -- should they merge?

see Talk:Hurry Up!
ValterAlves [pre-release]