Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 10
Core Mechanics
The core mechanics of a game determine how that game actually operates: what its
rules are and how the player interacts with them. This chapter begins by defining
the core mechanics and explaining their role in creating the entertainment experi-
ence. You'll learn how the core mechanics differ between real-time and turn-based
games and how the core mechanics are related to level design. Next we'll look at
some key elements of core mechanics: resources, entities, and mechanics. You'll
learn the definitions of these terms and how you may use these concepts to specify
rules precisely.
From the general features of core mechanics, we'll then turn to their specific imple-
mentation in the internal economy of games, a set of mechanics that governs the flow
of quantities. We'll also look at how designers use mechanics to create gameplay by
implementing both challenges and actions. Having introduced all these aspects of
core mechanics, you'll learn an approach for designing them, which involves reex-
amining early design work and rendering it specific and concrete. The chapter
concludes by briefly discussing random numbers and how to use them in games.
Isn't the greatest rule of all the rules simply to please?
—M
OLIÈRE
You first read about core mechanics in Chapter 2, “Design Components and
Processes.” There you learned that the core mechanics are the heart of the game,
generating the gameplay and implementing the rules. This chapter examines the
core mechanics in further detail and offers a formal definition:
CORE MECHANICS
The core mechanics consist of the data and the algorithms that
precisely define the game's rules and internal operations.
Turning Rules into Core Mechanics
In the early stages of design, you may have only a hazy idea of the details of your
game's rules. Early on, you may say, “Players will be penalized for taking too long
to get through the swamp.” or “Players will have only a limited time to get through
the swamp.” But that description does not supply enough information to build a
game. What is the penalty? How long does the player have? When you design the
core mechanics, you define the rules precisely and completely. That same rule in
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