Loot and Craft - Distribution Filter

About this model

This diagram models a loot generation and crafting system commonly found in video games. Initially, it introduces a source of loot that, upon being accessed, enters a gate which randomly distributes the loot into two categories based on rarity: "Common" and "Rare". These categories are represented as pools that accumulate resources. The distribution probability is defined by formulas within resource connections, where "Common" loot has a 60% chance of being dropped, while "Rare" loot has a 40% chance. This mechanism simulates the random nature of item drops in games.

Once loot is categorized, a crafting process is modeled using a converter node labeled "Craft". This node simulates the game mechanic where players can use accumulated items (both "Common" and "Rare") to craft new items. This is represented by resource connections that feed from the "Common" and "Rare" pools into the converter, with specific formula-defined costs (3 "Common" items or 1 "Rare" item, respectively) for crafting new items, which are then output to an "Item" pool. This setup closely mirrors gameplay loops found in role-playing and adventure games, where acquiring and strategically using loot is paramount to progress.

“Loot and Craft - Distribution Filter” is a public Machinations diagram by Bogdan Florea, 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.