Patterns in RPG

Just like any other technical project that might have patterns defined, an RPG can also utilize similar patterns that have been documented by Whitson John Kirk III in his book titled Design Patterns for Successful Role-Playing Games.

In this section, we will be looking at some of the design patterns that have been identified, and that can be utilized for your own games.

Anytime you start a new project, regardless of what type, you need to have some clear idea of what exactly it is that you are trying to accomplish. This is even truer for designing a game. Since designing a game has many different components to it, you will need to identify what your game is going to be about. Some questions to start the thinking process are as follows:

• What are you trying to accomplish?
• What mood are you trying to evoke?
• What do the characters do?
• What do the player or players, in a multiplayer environment, do?
• What kind of activities do you want to reward and what kinds of reward do you want to provide?
• What age group does your game targets?
• Is your game going to have sequences?
• Will the game and the story extend with supplemental assets?

These are all important questions that will affect the design of your game. As you read this chapter and the book in general, keep a pen and paper handy so that you can write down all ideas that flash into your mind. This way, you can keep track of all your thoughts, and if you need to expand on them you can do so at a later time.