Design pattern Library - Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design - page 307

dynamic engine will amplify the luck a player has in the beginning of the game,
which might result in too much randomness quickly.
The outcome of random production rates can be, but does not need to be, the same
for every player. By using an unpredictable dynamic engine that generates the same
resources for all players, the luck factor is reduced without affecting the unpredict-
ability. This puts more emphasis on the player's chosen strategy.
Some dynamic engines allow the player to convert upgrades back into energy, usu-
ally against a lower rate than the original investment. When upgrades are expensive
and the player frequently needs large amounts of energy, this becomes a viable option.
examples
In StarCraft , one of the abilities of Space Construction Vehicle (SCV) units is to har-
vest minerals that can be spent on creating more SCV units to increase the mineral
harvest ( Figure B.3 ). In its essence, this is a dynamic engine that propels the game
(although in StarCraft the number of minerals is limited and SCV units can be killed
by enemies). It immediately offers the player a long-term option (investing in many
SCV units) and a short-term option (investing in military units to attack enemies
quickly or respond to immediate threats).
FIGURe b.3
The harvesting of
minerals in StarCraft.
The economy of The Settlers of Catan revolves around a dynamic engine affected
by chance. The roll of the dice determines which game board tiles will produce
resources at the start of each player's turn. Building more villages increases the
chance to receive resources every turn. The player can also upgrade villages into
cities, which doubles the resource output of each tile. The Settlers of Catan gets
around the typical signature a dynamic engine creates by allowing different types
of invest actions and by measuring upgrades instead of energy to determine the
winner. See the section “Producing Progress Indirectly” in Chapter 11, “Progression
Mechanisms,” for a more detailed discussion and diagram for The Settlers of Catan .
related Patterns
n Dynamic friction and attrition are suitable patterns to counter the long-term ben-
efits of a dynamic engine, while static friction emphasizes the long-term investments.
n A dynamic engine elaborates the static engine pattern.
n A dynamic engine can be elaborated by the engine building and the worker placement
pattern.