In-Game Economy Assignment

Project – Part 2 – Week 3

Designing and playing a game should be fun and entertaining. This means that while designing a game you need to think about what would be fun and entertaining to the person playing it. In the real world the subject of economics can be determined by theories, but in the game design world the most important thing to focus on is fun.

Economics is based largely on behaviors. When designing a game you must try to determine how you think the player will behave in the game when faced with certain choices. You have to account for where they might go if they choose a. vs. if they choose b.

Think outside the box and design an economy that will make your game function and be fun. Remember that there is an economy in every game even if it is not a typical economy. “Money” can be anything that a player obtains during a quest, fighting another character, or solving a puzzle. In the process of designing an economy you should keep the following questions in mind and make sure to follow the balance tips.

So, first decide what will be your “money” and then go from there.

There are two questions that must ultimately be answered:

1. How will the player make money?

2. How will the player spend said money?

In order to keep the game balanced and have a working economy you will want to answer the following questions. (This was adapted from The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell. You will be seeing this book in your next class.)

· Fairness: Do any players get an unfair advantage when they buy certain items or is there an unfair way to earn things?

· Challenge: Can a player buy an item that will then make the game too easy for them? Is the challenge to earn money too easy or too hard?

· Choices: How many ways can a player earn money? How can they spend it? How many options should be available?

· Cooperation: Can players combine their funds? Can they steal? Would doing either of these help or hurt the game economy?

· Time: How long does it take to earn money? Is this too time consuming or not consuming enough to the game itself?

· Rewards: Is there some reward to earning or spending money?

· Punishment: Is there some type of punishment that would hinder a player’s ability to earn or spend money?

· Freedom: Are the players able to earn and spend what they want, how they want, and when they want?

Format:

Week 3 – Submit the outline of your economy in response to the 10 questions above. Incorporate your story with the balancing questions and be very detailed. This can be done in essay or numbered format. If you feel your idea is not going to be conveyed through words only you may provide pictures for this part in addition to the outline. You MUST also include a spreadsheet of the inventory system in your game. It must be accompanied by an explanation of the inventory and how it relates to the economy and the story. This is what you would be providing to your design team after giving them the story.