Triangle (interplay loops, triangularity)

About this model

This diagram models an interactive simulation of Pokémon battles based on the classic elemental affinity triangle involving Fire, Grass, and Water types. Each elemental type is represented by pools labeled as "Fire Pokémon," "Grass Pokémon," and "Water Pokémon," each initially populated with 30 units. These pools are interconnected through drains and resource connections that simulate battles and elemental advantages. The resource connections are designed with randomness in mind, utilizing dice roll formulas (e.g., d2, d4) to introduce variability into the outcomes of these elemental matchups.

The configuration embodies the strategic interplay where Fire has an advantage over Grass, Grass over Water, and Water over Fire, illustrating a dynamic ecosystem where strengths and weaknesses dictate the flow of resources (representing Pokémon) between pools. Automatic drains serve as battle arenas where resources are consumed, symbolizing the outcome of battles. The dice-based formulas on the connections introduce an element of chance, reflecting the unpredictable nature of battles where underdogs have opportunities to succeed. This setup provides a basic framework to explore the balance and strategy inherent in Pokémon type matchups, with the randomness introducing complexity and replayability into the simulation.

This public Machinations diagram, “Triangle (interplay loops, triangularity)”, was shared in the Machinations Community by Cezar Cocias.

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.