Random Event: Difference between revisions

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In order to keep players from being complacent, matches from becoming repetitive, and to better simulate the vagaries of fortune, some video games include Random Events. The chaotic relative of the [[Scripted Event]], Random Events are things that ''can'' happen, but where, when, or ''if'' they will happen are determined purely by chance. In video game parlance they're called "procs" (short for "special procedures", originally referring to the chunks of code that ran in [[MUD~~|MUDs~~]] when these events occurred), especially when they're attributes of an item that activate randomly when the item is used, but Random Events can also pop up in board games in the form of "chance" decks and the like.

In order to keep players from being complacent, matches from becoming repetitive, and to better simulate the vagaries of fortune, some video games include Random Events. The chaotic relative of the [[Scripted Event]], Random Events are things that ''can'' happen, but where, when, or ''if'' they will happen are determined purely by chance. In video game parlance they're called "procs" (short for "special procedures", originally referring to the chunks of code that ran in [[MUD]]s when these events occurred), especially when they're attributes of an item that activate randomly when the item is used, but Random Events can also pop up in board games in the form of "chance" decks and the like.

Players' reactions to these usually depend on whether the events in question are beneficial or not.

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* ''[[Civilization]] IV: Beyond the Sword'' has things like wildfires that clear a forest square, slave revolts that leave cities in turmoil, the domestication of prairie dogs as novelty pets, or arranged marriages between nations' royal families and the responses of either side. Occasionally you'll also be offered a "quest," usually along the lines of "build x number of y and choose a reward."

* Encountering a shiny ''[[Pokémon]]'', at least from Generation 2 onward.

* The latest iterations of [[Paradox Interactive]] games have a whole bunch of really complicated random and semi-random events (that is, events with triggers that makes an event more or less likely to trigger, but it is still random). Older games simply mixed random and [[Scripted Event~~|Scripted Events~~]].

* The latest iterations of [[Paradox Interactive]] games have a whole bunch of really complicated random and semi-random events (that is, events with triggers that makes an event more or less likely to trigger, but it is still random). Older games simply mixed random and [[Scripted Event]]s.

* Natural Disasters in ''[[Sim City]]''. Assuming you didn't give in to [[Video Game Cruelty Potential]] and just mash the button to send them, of course.

** In ''[[The Sims]]'' and its progeny, burglars, aliens, at-work events, etc. all fall under this category.

* Many [[MMORPG~~|MMORPGs~~]] have this as a way to counter people just leaving the computer to do something for them. Because of the chance of a random event making something bad happen you're forced to sit and watch your character to make sure you're there for a random event.

* Many [[MMORPG]]s have this as a way to counter people just leaving the computer to do something for them. Because of the chance of a random event making something bad happen you're forced to sit and watch your character to make sure you're there for a random event.

** ''Rift'' runs on this trope. It is extremely unlikely (almost impossible) that you'll be able to play for one continuous hour without running into a dimensional invasion, rift, or minor region event. With the first update, the major ''world'' event means even more chaos.

* The RTS ''Star Wars: Empire at War'' had random events in the Galactic Conquest mode. The expansion pack removed them.

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* ''[[Left 4 Dead]]'' is made of this for the Tank and Witch. These two powerful special infected CAN show up at any time, but where and when is left up to the AI Director, assuming if it's not in a sadistic mood.

** And by the way, just because you ''never'' see a Tank and Witch together, doesn't mean they ''[[Oh Crap|can't show up together]]''.

* The game worlds of ''[[Dwarf Fortress]]'' are procedurally generated, and in play the kind of creatures that appear are semi-random, whether raids or seiges strike are random, dwarven moods and the products created from them are random. There are very few set ~~events -- ie~~ same type of merchants arrive in the same season around the same ~~date -- and~~ even those are being replaced with random distribution based on generated civilization and the fortress' own trading history.

* The game worlds of ''[[Dwarf Fortress]]'' are procedurally generated, and in play the kind of creatures that appear are semi-random, whether raids or seiges strike are random, dwarven moods and the products created from them are random. There are very few set events—ie same type of merchants arrive in the same season around the same date—and even those are being replaced with random distribution based on generated civilization and the fortress' own trading history.

== Other games ==