Main Course

About this model

This diagram simulates a board game mechanic where players face various outcomes when eating pieces, represented by a source node labeled "Eat Piece" that generates an infinite number of "Black" resources. These resources are first directed through gates that determine the ensuing action based on dice rolls, indicating the element of randomness in the game's outcomes. One gate directly leads to actions with defined probabilities, symbolizing special events in the game.

Upon passing through these gates, resources flow into pools representing different game effects such as "Normal", "Poison", "Skip", "Smell", "Encourage", "Slap", "Earthquake", and "Drink". Each pool has a defined role within the game, affecting the player's strategy and progression differently. For instance, landing resources in the "Poison" pool negatively affects a player, while resources in the "Encourage" pool may provide benefits. The distribution of resources into these pools is controlled by probabilistic resource connections from the gates, reflecting the uncertainty and variation in players' experiences throughout the game. This design encapsulates a layer of strategy and unpredictability, offering a dynamic gameplay experience where different outcomes are weighted and introduced at various stages of the game.

“Main Course” is a public Machinations diagram by kayra yorulmaz, 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.