Agency

About this model

The player's choices have a tangible impact on the game world, and/or the player perceisves this to be the cae

This diagram models a decision-making process with a focus on player agency in a game environment. It outlines a system whereby players are presented with choices ("Decision" sources), which lead to various outcomes through a series of gates labeled "Player Choice" and "Player Outcome". These outcomes are determined by dice-based distribution mechanisms, suggesting an element of randomness or probability in how decisions map to results. The structure captures two separate decision pathways, each branching into outcomes labeled "A" and "B", which are accumulated in distinct pools that represent the results of these decisions.

The diagram emphasizes the significance of player choices leading to specific outcomes (Outcome A or B) with resources flowing from decision sources through gates to outcome pools, reflecting the various possible states a player's decisions could lead to. The textual descriptions embedded in the diagram highlight themes of "High Agency" and "Low Agency", suggesting an analysis of how much control or influence a player has over the outcome of their decisions within the game. This could serve as a framework for evaluating the degree of player agency in game design, where a higher correlation between specific choices and outcomes indicates stronger player agency.

"Agency" is a public Machinations diagram shared in the Community by Harry Ashton, with 30 components.

It was created in June 2023 and last edited in April 2024.

Open the diagram in the Machinations app and press Play to watch the resources move, adjust its values to test how the system responds, or remix it to make an editable copy in My diagrams.