Concept

Dynamics

You might say: behaviour over time

Dynamics are the run-time behaviours produced by mechanics acting on player inputs and one another over time.

What it does
Explains the patterns of play that emerge from the rules in motion.
Ask
What pattern will these mechanics produce after several cycles?

Sources

  1. Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc and Robert Zubek, MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research, pp. 2–4Dynamics describes the run-time behavior of the mechanics acting on player inputs and each othersí outputs over time.
  2. Ernest Adams and Joris Dormans, Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design, ch. 5, p. 80Machinations diagrams are designed to represent game mechanics in a way that is accessible yet retains the structural features and dynamic behavior of the games they represent.
  3. Daniel Cook, Loops and Arcs, nested loops, feedback and unexpected dynamicsInterrelated actions that trigger multiple loops in order to bring about specific system dynamics.
  4. Ernest Adams and Joris Dormans, Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design, ch. 1 pp. 1–22; ch. 4 pp. 59–77different mechanical structures can produce different shapes.
  5. Ian Schreiber, Game Design Concepts, Level 5: Mechanics and Dynamics, Now, About That MDA Framework Thing…; The Process of Design; The Process of Play; EmergenceDynamics describe the play of the game when the rules are set in motion.
  6. Tynan Sylvester, The Simulation Dream, opening ecology example; Player Model Principle; Drowning in Complexitya complex simulation of a story world, which creates fascinating emergent stories as powerful as those you might write yourself.

Use it on your project

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