Abstraction

About this model

When modelling game systems, it isn't always necessary or productive to model them in perfect detail, especially if it doesn't help answer the questions the model is designed to answer.

This diagram models a system designed to track and reward players' performance in player-versus-player (PvP) matches in a game. At the core of the system is a random gate that simulates the outcomes of games played each day, determining wins and losses based on a 50% chance distribution. For every match played, represented by a dice roll of a D10 to simulate the variable number of matches daily, the outcome is processed through this gate, leading to one of two pools: "Games Won" or "Games Lost". These pools then serve as indicators of the player's success or failure.

Rewards are distributed based on the match outcomes: winning a game results in a reward of 300 gold, while losing grants 100 gold. This gold is accumulated in the "Player Gold" pool, effectively translating players' performance into in-game currency. This setup allows for a dynamic reflection of a player's daily PvP engagements and outcomes into tangible game rewards, fostering an environment that rewards participation and success.

“Abstraction” is a public Machinations diagram by Harry Ashton, 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.