Fundamentals of Game Design, 2 nd Edition by Ernest Adams Chapter 18: Construction and Management Simulations

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations2 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Objectives Know the definition of a construction and management simulation Know the differences between plan-and-build and purchase-and-place gameplay mechanics Know the basic gameplay modes and artificial behaviors common to this genre

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations3 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Objectives (Cont.) Understand the issues facing a designer for user interface for this genre Understand the core mechanics of economies, construction, and management

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations4 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. What Are Construction and Management Simulations? The majority of challenges are economic, concerned with growth Construction activity is an essential element of any CMS Pattern recognition and exploration challenges may also be present CMSs avoid physical challenges, as well as conflict challenges, unless they are hybrids with another genre

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations5 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Game Features The player’s role  It’s not easy to define the player’s role because that role seldom corresponds to an actual activity in real life  The desire to create is in the heart of a CMS player

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations6 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Game Features (Cont.) Progression  No levels or story  Many begin with an empty space for players to start in from scratch  Often have no victory condition, only loss  Can also offer different scenarios for player to try Scenarios are partially built when player starts them Scenarios may have victory conditions as well as loss conditions

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations7 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Game Features (Cont.) Gameplay  Majority of CMSs are games of indirect control The game simulates a process that the player can alter only in limited ways However, some actions, such as changing prices, use direct control  Construction In most CMSs, actual act of construction is not a challenge Challenge is in obtaining resources needed for construction

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations8 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Game Features (Cont.) Gameplay (cont.)  Purchase-and-place construction mechanism Player buys an object and places it  It is immediately ready for use Player can build objects quickly Resources used immediately  Plan-and-build construction mechanism Player alternates between building and managing Player plans where to build, the computer then builds  Object not ready for use until construction is complete Player builds objects slowly Player must manage the resource flow

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations9 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Game Features (Cont.) Gameplay (cont.)  Demolition Allow players to demolish constructed items Set the cost for demolition Victory and loss conditions  Many CMSs do not have victory conditions  Loss condition is bankruptcy  Some scenarios can have victory conditions

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations10 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Game Features (Cont.) Competition modes—single-player unless it’s a hybrid Simulating individual characters  Some CMSs model behavior statistically for the whole group and do not simulate individuals  Modeling individuals is more difficult Create a behavioral model for them Create a variable to track their happiness Base happiness on player’s skill at meeting their needs Statistics can be computed from all the individuals

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations11 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Game Features (Cont.) Mind reading enables the player to see an individual’s needs and fulfillment status Advisors  Provide alerts about local problems  Notify the player of general conditions  Set a threshold level at which the advisor will appear  Allow players to turn off the advisor to add to challenge

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations12 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Game Features (Cont.) Pure business simulations  Players construct financial fortunes, not visible objects  Challenge—devise an economy and mechanisms for manipulating it  Real challenge is to make the subject visually interesting  Avoid runaway profits by controlling when and how a player can buy and sell

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations13 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Game Features (Cont.) Hybrid games  Offer economic, exploration, and conflict challenges  Design the economic aspects before adding other elements Other elements usually depend on the economy A mistake in the economy can ruin other parts of the game

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations14 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Core Mechanics Resources  Primary resources Usually money and people  Building materials Tangible entities in plan-and-build mechanics Intangible or not a resource in purchase-and-place mechanics

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations15 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Core Mechanics (Cont.) The construction converter changes labor, money, and materials into buildings Drains and maintenance  Drain permanently removes a resource  Decay is the usual drain  Maintenance can be automated Disasters force players to act

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations16 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. The Game World Setting  Simulated physical space, usually outdoors  Aerial perspective  Often set in 2D or 2.5D worlds Pure business simulations might not require a physical setting

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations17 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. The Presentation Layer Interaction model  Player is usually multipresent  Walkthrough mode allows players to see the world in first-person perspective Camera model  Isometric perspective is common  3D environments allow players to zoom in and out, see a broad overview, or focus on a local problem

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations18 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. The Presentation Layer (Cont.) User interface  Interface can be more like standard computer software  Display important scalar variables  Graph can show values over time  Vector variables describe related data, such as the amount of water available in different locations

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations19 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Summary You should now understand  How to identify a construction and management simulation game  How to describe the differences between plan- and-build and purchase-and-place gameplay mechanics  How to use the basic gameplay modes and artificial behaviors common to this genre

Chapter 18 Construction and Management Simulations20 © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. Summary (Cont.) You should now understand (cont.)  How to describe the issues facing a designer for user interface for this genre  How to use the core mechanics of economies, construction, and management