Equilibrium

About this model

This diagram represents a simplified economic model of a prize pool system where gold is generated and distributed to players. In this system, a constant influx of gold ("Gold") is introduced into a "Prize Pool" at a fixed rate of 1000 units per simulation step. Players then collect a portion of this pool, specifically 10% of the prize pool's total amount, which is transferred to "Player Winnings." The design illustrates the mechanics of resource accumulation and distribution within a game-like economy.

The model's architecture demonstrates the dynamics of equilibrium where the amount of gold entering the pool equates over time with the amount being distributed to players, leading towards a state where the change in the pool's size becomes negligible, indicating a nondynamic equilibrium for the Prize Pool. Conversely, "Player Winnings" experience a linear increase, showcasing a dynamic equilibrium as the winnings grow steadily by a predictable amount. This setup provides insights into how game designers can balance resource generation and distribution to maintain player engagement and economic stability within the game.

“Equilibrium” is a diagram in the Machinations Community by Harry Ashton.

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.