Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Cooperation
One of the ways Arkham Horror uses its algorithmic structure to realize the
unstructure of Lovecrat's universe is through the board game mechanism of
cooperation. Cooperation within Arkham Horror allows for a greater luidity
of human motivation to become part of the game. Much of the nitty-gritty
mechanics of Arkham Horror can be electronically automated through digital
apps that automate dice rolling, card shuling, and other mathematical elements.
Indeed, other Lovecrat games can be automated as well: a mobile game based
on Elder Sign allows for the computer to do much of the mathematical work.
Jonas Linderoth calls Arkham Horror 's cooperation “pure,” since “all players
work together towards a mutual goal.” 41 his lies in opposition to what he
deines as “tragedy of the commons” style of cooperation, where the system
falls apart if players are too individualistic (which I will describe in the next
chapter regarding the Lord of the Rings games), and cooperative games with
a traitor mechanic (which I describe in Chapter 4 in reference to Battlestar
Galactica: he Board Game ). Cooperation in this “pure” mode means that no
individual will “win” the game by himself or herself. All players, instead, win
or lose as a group.
hat cooperation is mandated in the game makes the underlying structure of
the game more malleable. Each player controls one character, and all characters
are bound by individual rules. But when diferent characters cooperate, the
diferent rules can be enacted in multiple ways. For instance, Jenny Barnes, the
dilettante, receives one dollar at the start of every turn. Dollars can be used to
purchase items like equipment or to heal a character's stamina or sanity. Keeping
Jenny busy buying items might help the group as items and money can be
transferred between players as needed. Further, the professor Harvey Walters has
the “strong mind” ability, which allows him to reduce all sanity losses by 1 point.
He also starts the game with what is an enormous number of sanity points, 7 in
total. If players are cooperating, they can use Harvey to seal gates or cast spells
to combat monsters—his sanity allows him these abilities. Similarly, Michael
McGlen, the gangster, has a high stamina (of 7) and his special rule ability is
“strong body,” which allows him to take less damage. Higher stamina allows a
character to combat monsters more efectively. Dispersal of character allows
the game players to cooperate and work together to use their abilities to defeat
the monsters. Here, the individual characters themselves become subsumed
within the game world as components within a larger universe. Cooperation
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