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Game Design (Mid Game (Player Ecology (Player Strategy (Time Horizon - How…
Game Design
Mid Game
Does the player have a purpose?
Does the player understand the organization of play?
Does the player have an approach to
decision making?
Player Ecology
Motivations
Incentives (Carrot)
Bounties - Giving points for achieving things
Penalties (Sticks)
Taxes - Taking points as a penalty for not accomplishing things
Confiscation - Taking other objects as a penalty for failing to accomplish things
Scarcity
A Changing Strategic Scope
Player Interaction
Degree of Interaction
Direct
Implicit
None
Friendliness of Interaction
Hosility
Outmaneuvering
Simple competition
Marriage of convenience
Mutualism
Alliance (co-op game)
Player Strategy
Time Horizon - How far in advance
can you plan your approach?
Short Term - Turn by turn
Long Term
Initially Reactive -
High Player Interaction
Long Term Planning
Continuously Reactive -
High Player interaction
Short Term Planning
Proactive -
Low Player Interaction
Long Term Planning
Multi-Player Solitaire -
Low Player Interaction
Short Term Planning
Internal Balance
Avoid false decisions -
provide interesting strategies
Identify and control dominant strategies
Transitive Relationship between game choices
Players decide value
Give objects with great strength a tragic flaw
Risk/reward ratio - players gamble to achieve results
If an object can be ignored,
decrease the opportunity cost
Intransitive
Begin with a baseline ability and
provide each object
the opportunity to specialize
Positional Balance
Hidden scoring
Secret Objectives
Ambiguous Scoring
Performance Regression
Luxury Tax
Efficiency Reduction
Resource Inflation
Early Game
Initial Resource State
Turn Order
Player controlled starting player?
(start next round + a resource?)
(advertising track?)
Player Decisions
Public Objectives (Convergence)
End Game R & D Bonus
End Game Largest Network Bonus
Private Objectives (Divergence)
Small towns
Cities
Metropolis
Employees
R&D
Transparency: The relative importance of a decision is clear to the involved players.
Energizing: Decisions encourage players to act out of interest rather than obligation.
Metamorphosis: Decision points mirror the progression of the game without telegraphing the outcome.
Perspective: Evaluation of decision points can change based on situation and experience.
External Balance
Asymmetrical gameplay
Wealth & space
Information
Action
Objective
Perfect symmetry
End Game
Bonus
R&D Points
Convergence