This chapter focuses on the additional work that has to be done to increase the reliability of the results of this work, while also handing out suggestions on how to expand from this work to new areas that utilize the results discussed here.
9.1. Extending economy prototypes for multiplayer games
The prototypes created for this work showcase only the economic systems of single-player games. It is likely, that the economic systems created for single-player games showcase the same results in multiplayer games, but with the addition that problems that appear for one player have the potential to spread to other players. This is a valid assumption since during trade between players the economic systems of two single entities connect with each other. If this is repeated multiple times imbalances will likely spread between all players that interact with the trading system. But to confirm if this prediction is correct or to create a statement about what the actual results for multiplayer systems are further testing is required.
Doubling one of the economic systems created for this work and connecting them through trade possibilities is probably a good start for creating a system with two players. So the task becomes to create a way that connects a large number of systems with each other to simulate a large-scale multiplayer environment.
A few of the necessary tests that must be concluded are: How will changes for one singular system affect all other systems; How will a change for each individual system affect the overall economic structure and How will changes to the trade connection or any other connection between the systems affect each individual system.
Another important task is to find out what possible ways exist to connect these singular systems other than trade. And what possible ways exist to utilize systems that consider multiple players as one economic entity with no sub-entities, which translates to one economic system that includes multiple entities with no otherwise separating connections between them. The game Natural Selection 2 (Unknown Worlds Entertainment, 2012) could be a great start for this since it features two teams that each share their resources between team members. That being said it is a round-based game, which makes it hard to utilize it for many tests for persistent games.
9.2. Extending Machinations (Dormans, n.d.) or similar tool to allow for better utilization of version control
For obvious reasons, there is no problem for Machinations (Dormans, n.d.) to be included in version control systems. That being said it is not possible for multiple people to work on the same system at once since one system is one file. A reason why someone could be interested in changing this to a system that allows to creation of multiple prototypes that derive from each other is, is that it allows multiple designers to work on the same problem simultaneously without the necessity of creating duplicates of one file. Another advantage of this would be that one large system could be split into many smaller systems to allow working on single problems to create one working system.
9.3. Creation of statistical observations for live games that utilize the prototypes created in this work
This work got its statistical results by conducting experiments and evaluating the data these experiments have given. But to further increase the reliability and the functionality of these results it is necessary to create observations from a live player base in a game that utilizes the conceptual structure of one of the prototypes created in this work and document how players react in this environment. This is necessary to find missing aspects in the created experiments, including player creativity to work around set rules and confirm the non-working elements of the prototypes in live games.
9.4. Creation of schemata of how to apply real-world economic approaches to economies in video games
This work focuses on explaining how whole economic systems work in games. But to properly utilize this to create a new game it becomes necessary that there is access to low-level schemata that showcase how to get a specific effect for the economic system of a game. These schemata could then be collected within a database that allows the design team to adjust the economic system of their game towards the desired direction by extending it with the right schema.
9.5. Confirmation that mathematical representations of economic concepts apply to games
There are already a lot of ways to represent real-world economic systems mathematically. To use these calculations properly for games it becomes necessary to confirm if they work differently in games and if they do, in what way. This can be done by adjusting these calculations based on the differences between game economies and real-world economies mentioned in this work.
