Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Category: Friction
Friction patterns drain resources out of an economy, reduce its productivity, or both.
You can use them to represent loss or inefficiency.
sTaTic FricTiOn
A drain automatically consumes resources produced by the player. Use static friction
when:
n
You want to create a mechanism that counters production but that can eventu-
ally be overcome by the players.
n
You want to exaggerate the long-term benefits from investing in upgrades for a
dynamic engine.
dYnamic FricTiOn
A drain automatically consumes resources produced by the player; the consump-
tion rate is affected by the state of other elements in the game. Use dynamic friction
when:
n
You want to balance games where resources are produced too fast.
n
You want to create a mechanism that counters production and automatically
scales with players' progress or power.
n
You want to reduce the effectiveness of long-term strategies created by a dynamic
engine in favor of short-term strategies.
