Internal Economy - Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design - page 63

FIGURe 4.1
Graph of the stock
market crash leading to
the Great depression.
most movement is
chaotic, but the crash
is clearly visible.

Wall Street Crash on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 1929

400

300

200

100

Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct

1929 1930

We can draw similar charts displaying the fortunes of players in a game. As you will
see, distinctive shapes and patterns emerge from the internal economy of a game.
However, there is no one shape that identifies quality gameplay. What constitutes
good gameplay depends on the goals you set for your game and the context that
surrounds it. For example, in one game you might want the player to struggle for a
long time before managing to come out on top ( Figure 4.2 ). In another, you might
aim for quick reversals in fortune and a much shorter play-through ( Figure 4.3 ).

FIGURe 4.2
a long game in which
the player triumphs
after an extended
struggle against a
powerful opponent