Pigeonhole Principle - Age of Empires

About this model

This diagram represents a system designed to simulate building construction within a strategy game context, specifically mirroring the mechanics of Age of Empires. It models the allocation of villagers to different construction projects, including castles, wonders, and bombard towers. At its core, the mechanism allows for the dynamic assignment of villagers to various building tasks, tracking the construction time and progress for each type of structure. Importantly, the system incorporates the concept that increasing the number of villagers allocated to a particular project decreases the remaining construction time, thereby speeding up the building process. This is achieved through a series of registers and state connections that calculate the remaining time based on the number of villagers assigned and the inherent construction time of the building. Upon completion of a building, resources are moved to represent the completion, such as incrementing the count of castles, wonders, or bombard towers built. This model also includes a mechanism for reallocating villagers once a building project is completed, indicating a loop where villagers can be moved from one project to another as each structure is completed.

The diagram further employs several control structures, such as gates and drains, to manage the flow of resources (represented by villagers) and the initiation of construction projects. Automatic triggers and conditions are set up to activate different phases of construction and reallocation, simulating a continuous building cycle within a game. Additionally, it assesses the construction efficiency by applying the pigeonhole principle, suggesting that optimal allocation can significantly reduce construction times, which is a critical strategy aspect in real-time strategy games. Overall, this system captures the complexities of managing construction projects within a game environment, reflecting on resource allocation efficiency, project completion, and the strategic relocation of resources to maximize productivity and infrastructure development.

"Pigeonhole Principle - Age of Empires" is a public Machinations diagram shared in the Community by Nicolás Alejandro Munafó, with 78 components.

It was created in July 2023 and last edited in July 2023.

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.