RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MECHANICS

Level 4

David MullichGame MechanicsThe Los Angeles Film School

What Are Resources?

Resources

Objects used by players to enable actions in the game.

How Resources Are Produced Starting Items Collection Conversion Rewards

How Resources Are Consumed Actions Construction Conversion Destruction

Why Designers Use Resources Provide quantifiable ways for players to Judge Progress and Plan

Actions Scoring Easter Eggs Collecting Risk/Rewards Strategic Planning and Knowledge Investments, Betting and Trading Supports Ownership, Collecting, Area Control, and (with Hidden

Resources) Exploration Goals Balancing Players, Units, Construction, Area Control Game World

Resources Design Considerations What actions is the resource used for? Is the resource consumed or converted by the

action? How does the player gain access to the

resource? Are resources evenly distributed among players? How is the resource stored? How is control of the resource decided?

More On Resources BalancingLess Difficult Symmetric Resource Distribution Renewable Resources Trading Chargers

More Difficult Asymmetric Resource Distribution Limited Resources Time Limits Diminishing Returns Hidden Resources Change in Ownership

Energy Systems

Extra Credits: Playtime-limiting systems often found in social games

What Was The Main Message Of This Video?

Resource Management

When the players have to plan, manage and control resources within the game in order to reach the game’s goals.

Why Designers Use Resource Management Cognitive Immersion Strategic Planning Risk/Rewards Freedom of Choice Balances Complexity Supports Gain Ownership Goals

Resource Management Design Considerations How limited are the resources? Are the resources renewable? What riss and reward trade-offs are

associated with resources?

Balancing Resource ManagementMore Difficult Hidden Resources Ownership of Resources Resource Containers

RESOURCE CONTROL

Producer-Consumer

Determines the lifetime of game objects, usually resources, and thus governs the flow of gameplay.

Why Designers Use Producer-Consumers Resource Management Varied Gameplay Balancing Complexity, Resources, Units

Warning! Could conflict with Predictable Consequences Illusion of Influence

Producer-Consumer Design Considerations How is the resource produced? How is the resource consumed? How much control does the player have

over either? How layered is the producer-consumer

chain? Do containers limit resources produced?

Ownership

Dictates which and how players have access to resources and other game elements.

Why Designers Use Ownership Rewards Emotional Immersion Tension Privileged Abilities Mutual Goals Balances Resources, Strategic Locations, Units,

Resource Management, Conflict Support Goals of Gain Ownership, Capture,

Rescue, Collection, Area Control

Ownership Design Considerations How is ownership attained? What does ownership confer? Can ownership be shared? Is ownership permanent? Does ownership extend beyond the game?

Balancing OwnershipLess Difficult Symmetric Resource Distribution Shared Resources Shared Rewards Producers Tools Trading

More Difficulty Asymmetric Resource Distribution Player Killing

Reasons to Control Resources

Extra Credits: MMO Economies - Hyperinflation, Reserve Currencies & You!

What Was The Main Message Of This Video?

RESOURCES AND PROGRESSION

Investment

Committing resources for a certain amount of time to something in order to reap the rewards later.

Why Designers Use Investment Predictable Consequences Delayed Effects Action Points Character Development Resource Management Strategic Planning Balances Resources, Skills

Investment Design Considerations

What resources can be invested? Are rewards of the same type? What is the ratio of rewards to resources? Is there randomness to the rewards?

Balancing Investments

More Difficult Producer-Consumer Chains Converters Diminishing Returns

Diminishing Returns

The returns for similar investments decrease as the player progresses in the game.

Diminishing Rewards Design Considerations What investment is affected? At what rate should rewards diminish?

Balancing Investments

More Difficult Producer-Consumer Chains Converters Diminishing Returns

MORE ACTIONS

Construction

Introduction new game objects that are presented as intentional constructions in the game world.

Why Game Designers Use Construction Constructive Play Investments Competence Areas Player-Constructed Worlds Freedom of Choice Experimentation Creative Control Support Goal of Gain Ownership Player Defined Goals

Construction Design Considerations What game objects are produced? How are they produced What resources are needed? What is the chance for success? What design variations can the player

create?

Balancing Construction

Less Difficult Renewable Resources

More Difficult Limited Resources Time Limits Privileged Abilities Eliminate Goals for Opponents

MORE ON ACTIONS CONTROL

Transfer of Control

When the influence over a game element is passed from one player to another.

Most Common Elements Transferred Resources Tools Units

Why Designers Use Transfer of Control Ownership Emotional Immersion Privileged Abilities Strategic Knowledge Varied Gameplay Collaborative Actions Balance Resources, Tools, Units Support of Goals Gain Ownership, Collection, Area

Control, Capture

Transfer of Control Design Considerations Which objects are transferrable? Can objects be uncontrolled? Do players focus on owning few or many? Is control based on collaboration or

conflict? Is transfer of control total or not?

Extended Actions

Actions that take so long to complete that they require players to miss opportunities to perform other actions in order to complete them.

General Uses For Extended ActionsPlayer Dexterity-Based Actions Combo Actions

Non-Player Resource Generators Chargers

Why Designers Use Extended Actions Irreversible Actions Delayed Actions and Effects Ultra-Powerful Events Tension Attention Swapping Investments Risk/Reward Strategic Planning Balances Resource Generators, Chargers, Collaborative Actions,

Game Mastery

Warning! Can cause Downtime!

Extended Actions Design Considerations What focus loci performs the action? How long does the action take to occur? Can the action be interrupted? Does the action take full effect

immediately?

Balancing Extended Actions

Less Difficulty Units Progress Indicators

More Difficult Avatars Interruptible Actions

Interruptible Actions

Actions that can be interrupted before they affect the game state.

Turn-Based vs. Real-Time GamesTurn-Based Changes to Turn-Taking Sequences

Real-Time Extended Actions with Delayed Effects Started Before Interruptible Action Starts

Why Designers Use Interrupting Actions Risk/Reward Attention Swapping Interferable Goals Balancing Irreversible Actions (e.g.,

Blocking), Combos

Interruptible Actions Design Considerations What action can be interrupted? Is it a privileged action? Who can interrupt it? How is it interrupted? How delayed is the effect? How much attention swapping is needed?

MORE GOALS

Gain Ownership

The goal to gain ownership of a game element.

Ways To Gain Ownership Game Start Rewards Pick Up Capture Construction Trading Bidding Betting

Why Designers Use Gain Ownership Goals Conflict Tension Emotional Immersion Gain Information / Competence Transfer of Control Resources for Resource Management Balances Ownership, Enemies Progress for Collection Goals

Gain Ownership Design Considerations How is ownership achieved? What does ownership provide? Is it destroyed when taken? Is owner known? Can ownership be changed or shared? Is it linked to a movable or non-moveable

game object?

Collection

The completion of several goals that together form a coherent unit.

Why Designers Use Collection Goals Quests Transfer of Control End Goal

Collectible Design Considerations

What is to be collected? How varied can collected items be? Is the collection a subgoal of another

collection?

Collectible Card Games

Extra Credits: How Can We Make Good CCGs?

Collectible Card Games

Extra Credits: Collectable Games (Part 2)

Collectible Card Games

Extra Credits: Collectable Games - III: What Makes a Good TCG or CCG?

Choose one of the following games to play:

Dragon’s Gold (3-6p, 30m) Drive (2-4p, 30m) For Sale (3-6p, 20-30m) High Society (3-5p, 30-45m) Medici (3-6p, 45m)

Priests of Ra (2-5p, 60m) Qwirkle (2-4p, 30-45m) San Juan (2-4p, 45-60m) *Settlers of Catan (3-4p, 60m) Thief of Baghdad (2-4p, 45m) (Collection) Ticket to Ride Europe (2-5p, 30-60m) Zooloretto (2-5p, 45m)

Group Quest

Design an analog game prototype using mechanics supporting one of the following goals: Gain Ownership Collection

Research and use the LMS to report on games using resource control and progression techniques discussed in class.