Basic Resource Distro

About this model

This diagram models a strategy game's resource management and unit production system, focusing on the transformation of resources into game units and structures. In this system, there are two primary resource pools labeled "Gold" and "Timber," each starting with a significant amount. These resources are directed toward various converters labeled as "Soldier," "Archer," "House," "Mill," and "Tower." Each converter represents a different game asset that can be produced using specific quantities of resources, demonstrating a diverse economy where resources must be allocated wisely to support the player's strategy.

The production process for each game asset involves not only resource conversion but also delays, simulating the time required to produce units or build structures. Once resources are processed through converters, they result in different outputs, such as soldiers, archers, and buildings, each contributing to the player's capabilities in the game. Additionally, some assets, once created, can influence the production of others, signifying dependencies within the game's economy. The final pool, labeled "Buildings," collects the output from these various production processes and can further impact the game's dynamics, possibly enabling the production of more advanced units or structures. This simulation captures the intricate balance of resource management, production timing, and strategic planning inherent in strategy games.

“Basic Resource Distro” is a public Machinations diagram by Mihai Gheza, shared in the Machinations Community.

You can open the original diagram in the Machinations app, press Play to watch how resources move through it, and change its values to see how the system responds. Machinations is a visual tool for designing, simulating and balancing game economies and other systems, where resources flow through sources, pools, drains, converters and gates.