{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/point-and-click--family-17","type":"mechanic","id":"point-and-click--family-17","lang":"en","title":"Exchanging services and task chains","summary":"Completing a task earns a service or item needed for the next dependency.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/point-and-click--family-17/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/point-and-click--family-17.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/point-and-click--family-17.md","aliases":["Favors and task chains"],"tags":["Point-and-click adventures","Information, reasoning and social interaction"],"sourceIds":["source-b36b38ceb4ac23e1"],"sources":[{"id":"source-b36b38ceb4ac23e1","title":"Borderlands 2","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/manual/49520/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"Completing a task earns a service or item needed for the next dependency."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants\n\n<a id=\"family-17-branch-1\"></a>\n\n- Requested items: find something satisfying a character's request. <a id=\"family-17-variant-1\"></a>\n- Solving problems: repair, release, heal, organize or help another person. <a id=\"family-17-variant-2\"></a>\n- Proving entitlement: pass a test or present documents, knowledge, recommendations or qualifications. <a id=\"family-17-variant-3\"></a>\n- Sequential exchange: trade items and services through several owners. <a id=\"family-17-variant-4\"></a>\n- Branched obligations: meet independent conditions for a shared reward. <a id=\"family-17-variant-5\"></a>\n- Mutual dependency: find a third resource, intermediary or workaround. <a id=\"family-17-variant-6\"></a>\n- Substitution: identify the actual need and offer a functional alternative. <a id=\"family-17-variant-7\"></a>\n- Deal conditions: choose price, order, guarantee, deadline or beneficiary. <a id=\"family-17-variant-8\"></a>"},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"A working classification with 44 families and 355 variants. Families overlap: one puzzle can combine items, dialogue, deduction and a character schedule. Core actions, progression architecture and assistance are separate layers. Sources identify examples from neighboring adventure genres."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"point-and-click","id":"family-17","title":"Point-and-click adventures","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/point-and-click/#family-17","categoryIds":["section-2"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Favors and task chains","description":"Completing a task earns a service or item needed for the next dependency.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/borderlands2-mission-log-manual.webp","width":499,"height":281,"game":"Borderlands 2","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/manual/49520/","originalUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/manual/49520/#page=11","credit":"Gearbox Software / 2K; screenshot extracted from official PC manual, PDF page 11","rights":"Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Screenshot supplied in the official guide; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"Objectives and rewards connect tasks into a chain","alt":"Objectives and rewards connect tasks into a chain","markers":[{"x":31,"y":34,"label":"Mission completion condition"},{"x":31,"y":80,"label":"Reward for completion"}]},"tips":["Show which task provides the resource required for the next step."],"examples":[{"title":"Borderlands 2","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/manual/49520/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original taxonomy adapted from user-selected design discussions; linked sources support specific examples, not the whole classification.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/point-and-click"}}