k

About this model

This diagram is a simple resource management system, designed to illustrate the dynamics of resource flow and accumulation within a controlled setting. At the core of the system, a perpetual source generates resources (labeled as "Black") that are directed into a limited-capacity pool. This pool has a strict capacity limit, highlighting a scenario where resource overflow and management become critical factors. The resources collected in this pool are subsequently transferred to a gate, functioning both as a regulatory mechanism and a distribution center. The gate, in turn, channels resources towards a drain at a constant rate, representing a consumptive process or an ongoing expenditure that continuously depletes the available resources.

Furthermore, the diagram includes another pool, which operates under a different mechanic involving periodic resource reception. This secondary pool collects resources at set intervals, showcasing an example of timed or delayed resource accrual which could simulate scenarios such as periodic income or rewards. The interaction between these elements—source, pools, gate, and drain—mimics a basic economic system or game economy, where the generation, storage, allocation, and consumption of resources are fundamental to its operation. The system is designed to maintain a balance between resource production and consumption, with built-in mechanisms for overflow management and periodic acquisition, creating a self-sustaining cycle of resource flow.

This public Machinations diagram, “k”, was shared in the Machinations Community by Kati.

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. In a diagram, a source creates resources, a pool stores them, a drain removes them, a converter changes one resource into another and a gate decides where they go next.