Patterns and Rules

Here's a good link:

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132649/the_case_for_game_design_patterns.php?print=1

While the author is talking about "Game Design Patterns", it brings up a progression of Design Pattern discussion:

http://www.slideshare.net/JoshuaKerievsky/a-timeless-way-of-communicating-alexandrian-pattern-languages

Perhaps most well known among software engineers is the "Gang of Four" Design Patterns book.  Whenever I've heard the term "patterns", I've assumed this was the usage.  Not true!  Design Patterns seem to have originated in architecture, with applications in gardening, theme park design - not just software.

The progression for game design continues to "The 400 Project", which is deliberately a list of "rules" rather than patterns, as discussed in the GDC presentations:

http://www.finitearts.com/Pages/400page.html

This is all fine.  It provides a great framework and vocabulary for discussion.  These are recipe books in architectural and experiential domains.

[Edit:  What I'm wondering now, is how to put wieners, rocks, paper and scissors to good use!]

[Edit: For GoF patterns, this also looks like a good discussion: http://www.oodesign.com ]